[Base Nightmare Coins 80, Conversion Rate 762%, Eight-hour total production 689 Nightmare Coins]

[Total Nightmare Coins: 3250]

"Finally past three thousand!"

Xu Lang sat up, glanced at Cao Yaxuan and the others, and got out of bed to wash up in the bathroom.

Everything seemed just like before.

At six in the afternoon, Xu Ruyan went to sweep the floors of the Laboratory Building, Tong Qi and Xu Xiaomeng went to the entrance to tease the Ghost Child, faint laughter from Tao Tao could still be heard, and Sherry and Cao Yaxuan were hunched over a pilfered ancient book...

Perfect timing!

Xu Lang casually walked over to the Nightmare Bed, his eyes flickering.

If it were before, he definitely would have waited until bedtime to upgrade, since there were constantly new tenants moving in and the Mad King Dormitory Building was chaotic.

But this time he did not.

This time he would upgrade the Nightmare Bed to level three; maybe it would trigger some special effect!

Xu Lang looked at the luxurious Nightmare Bed and chose to upgrade.

[Nightmare Coins -3000]

[Please choose the following nightmare trait, make your selection within one minute]

[1. Fusion]

[2. Simulation]

[3. Curse of Resentment]

[4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, 12 (locked)]

"How am I supposed to choose!?"

Xu Lang’s brow furrowed deeply. He tried to touch the options with his mind, but the only feedback was “confirm or cancel,” with no further information.

He also noticed a difference.

The Nightmare Bed said to choose a trait, not to choose an upgrade direction.

Does this mean all these traits could eventually be chosen?

Taking a deep breath, Xu Lang cleared his thoughts and pushed his Sixth Sense to full power.

In the end he chose "Fusion" on instinct.

It matched what he wanted.

Curse of Resentment sounded outright creepy, practically growing red hair with malice.

Simulation seemed like some "life-simulation" mode, which wasn't his style; Blood Grudge players didn't need trial and error—just mindlessly stacking strength worked.

[Luxurious Nightmare Bed (permanently bound)]

[Type: Facility]

[Level: 3]

[Durability: ???]

[Comfort Level: 60 (can increase Nightmare Coin conversion rate by 60%)]

[Effect 1 (Sleep): The Nightmare Lord gains 15 Nightmare Coins for every full hour slept, up to 8 hours per day]

[Effect 2 (Adaptive): The bed self-cleans and adjusts temperature according to the user’s body heat, creating the optimal sleep temperature for each person]

[Effect 3 (Permanent): Cannot be dismantled or detected. If damaged, the Nightmare Lord can summon it again]

[Nightmare Trait·Fusion: Merge all things within dreams, grants one fusion chance every 24 hours]

[Exclusive Upgrade Requirement: 10,000 Nightmare Coins]

[Description: In this survival game full of hidden dangers, a luxurious bed that can merge all things —surely a perfect sleep experience]

"Merge all things inside dreams?"

Xu Lang found the trait intriguing and forced himself to lie down on the bed.

He hadn't been lying there two minutes when Cao Yaxuan excitedly ran over.

"Xu Lang, why did you upgrade the bed? I want to sleep too!"

"Aren't you two reading? How's it going?"

"Hehe, nothing interesting so far!"

"......"

Soon Sherry came over as well, and the three of them shared a big bed for the same sleep.

After the upgrade, although the Nightmare Bed's name hadn't changed, its craftsmanship and size were noticeably improved.

Xu Lang drifted into a drowsy sleep and entered a hazy, chaotic realm. The scenery looked like a kaleidoscope, everything dissolving and reforming, marvelously strange.

A line of text appeared before his eyes.

[Owned: Skills, Items, Facilities]

Xu Lang focused his mind on "Skills." The other categories immediately faded, while the “Skills” text dissolved and formed a long list of skills.

[Skills: Blood Contract·Pureblood Vampire, Polar Night Domain, Taiyi Golden Flower Secret Record, Sixth Sense, Dragon Elephant Combat Method, Extreme Training Method, Fire Dragon Technique, Gun Fu...]

"Does this mean these skills can all be fused together?"

A flicker of doubt crossed Xu Lang's mind, then he instantly received feedback.

[Each fusion can combine up to two skills. If the two traits differ greatly, effects will be compatible and strength will decrease... If the two traits are similar, effects will be enhanced]

"This is great!"

"The Nightmare Lord's main ability is still upgrading skills with Nightmare Coins."

"And this secondary ability is not ordinary!"

"Best of all, it's free!"

Xu Lang immediately began pondering fusion strategies.

Fusion wasn't limited by level, which meant huge flexibility, but it also risked fusion failure.

Starting by fusing core skills like Blood Contract·Pureblood Vampire and Taiyi Golden Flower Secret Record would be unwise—no fusion experience could easily backfire.

"Dragon Elephant Combat Method and Extreme Training Method seem like a good match!"

Both are physique-focused cultivation techniques, and Dragon Elephant Combat Method was already partly degraded—perfect for testing.

Extreme Training Method produced very significant effects when entering the Heavenly-Man State, but one must be willing to take risks; cultivation techniques demand competitive progress. Xu Lang trusted the Nightmare Lord sequence wouldn't screw him.

With his decision made, he pulled the two skills from his skill list and fused them, watching them dissolve and intertwine.

During the process his consciousness suddenly sank; an irresistible drowsiness overtook him and he blacked out.

...

He woke up after an unknown period, checked the time, and realized he had only slept for half an hour, then opened his skill list.

It was time to reveal the blind box!

...

[Hidden Dragon Qi Technique]

[Type: Passive/Active Skill]

[Level: 4]

[Effect 1 (Hidden Dragon): Constitution +20]

[Effect 2 (Hidden Reserve): Each day, face the sunrise and inhale and exhale for three minutes to open the body’s hidden reserve, increasing constitution with no upper limit]

[Effect 3 (Life Energy): Life energy converts into true qi, can be externalized, used for body protection, or to suppress and kill evil spirits, with a paralytic effect]

[Upgrade Requirement: 900 Nightmare Coins]

[Description: Grant me boundless qi, wield for boundless power]

Seeing the skill description, Xu Lang trembled inwardly, then felt a rush of ecstatic joy.

Hidden Dragon replaced Dragon Elephant Armor and directly added 7 more constitution points!

The only pity was that Dragon Elephant Armor’s original effects were not retained.

But that might be for the best—if one day he fused a blood contract skill, having residual effects from the previous blood contract could cause chaos.

Either way, he trusted the Nightmare Lord sequence wouldn't betray him.

"One fusion and I gained seven constitution points; this probably isn't even the limit for a level four skill!"

"If I can find another trait-similar skill to fuse, Hidden Dragon Qi Technique might even become a super god-skill like Taiyi Golden Flower Secret Record!"

"And Taiyi Golden Flower Secret Record might not be the ultimate of level four skills either!"

Hidden Dragon Qi Technique's effects were stronger than ordinary level-five skills, and it required fewer Nightmare Coins to upgrade... Xu Lang's eyes gleamed as a bold plan formed in his mind.

He would fuse all his current skills into god-tier ones!

"Besides one-way fusion, there should be a second playstyle... that is fusing the best effects of different equipment to create a fused god-armor set... though that method doesn't suit skills."

The fusion ability was extremely powerful, truly full of potential. Just this single ability made Xu Lang feel it might even surpass the Ghost Controller profession in might!