Deep in the Living

Chapter 740 The Darkness of the Dungeon
A deserted, dilapidated bar, where the incandescent light bulbs, littered with dead flies, cast only a fading white glow.

The young man, who was leaning on the bar, used all his strength to lift his head, as if his skull was filled with cement, making it incredibly heavy.

It took a long time for the double vision to focus and gradually make everything in front of it clear.

Feeling his heart pounding, the crackling of his spine, and the throbbing of his pituitary gland, Luo Di slowly returned to normal and fully entered this real dream constructed from his memories.

Inside the bar.

Domo, bald, wearing a black shirt and glasses, was looking at him.

"Roddy, you're in such a bad state... Generally speaking, the 'Dream Transition Zone' can reflect a person's mental state, but this place seems dilapidated and desolate."

You don't seem to be getting enough rest lately, or perhaps your thinking is experiencing some kind of interference.

Luo Di shook his head and looked around. "As for sleeping, it's just that I didn't rest well last night. My self-improvement state has been quite good since I came back from the Jiang residence."

Perhaps because I peeked into Master Jiang's memories of exploring the dungeon, I've been experiencing noise disturbances since last night and find myself unconsciously heading towards the dungeon.

This influence is completely ingrained in my brain, and even Mr. Question Mark can't get rid of it.

So I'm thinking about a question: if you, Domo, were to relive this memory with me through a dream-based experience, you might also be affected by the noise.

It appears that this effect is irreversible. Are you sure you want to come?

Domo nodded. "Hmm... I've read Professor Guo's notes. He mentioned a conjecture about the deepest part of the dungeon: noise should be an inherent phenomenon between dungeons."

Anyone who ventures into the deepest part of the dungeon in hopes of ascending to godhood will inevitably be affected by this noise.

Getting involved early might not be a bad thing; I'll be on this path sooner or later anyway.

Besides, this is something only the two of us can do.

"Let's set off once you've recovered enough."

"The dream world has been created?"

"When you drink that special beverage, it means you've granted memory access, and your dream begins to take shape... The place we're going to is just outside the bar."

"Okay~ I'll check my own condition a bit."

Roddy stood up, breathing in the yin energy, while trying to swing his hand knife. He then reached out to touch the black spine around his neck and examined the relic worn on his chest.

Everything was confirmed to be correct. Continue asking questions:

"Is there anything else I need to pay attention to?"

"From now on, you will need to turn all the 'nodes' on and off, such as opening doors, choosing intersections, and finding mechanisms in a room."

After all, it is the entity that carries this memory and the foundation of this dream.

All I can do is support this dream and offer some minor assistance.

If we encounter a danger that we cannot overcome, I will try to interrupt the dream. If it cannot be interrupted due to interference, Teacher Guo outside will also notice this.

At last,
The key to our dream entry this time lies in uncovering vague and unclear fragments of memory.

Therefore, we need to proceed a little slower, conducting a thorough investigation in the areas where the dream is clearest. The more clues and details we gather, the stronger our immersion will be, and the more likely we are to uncover deeper fragments of memory.

"Okay, let's go."

This was the first time Roddy had ever collaborated with Domo like this.

Experiencing such a realistic dream firsthand is quite astonishing.

bell!
He pushed open the bar door, accompanied by the ringing of the welcome bell.

The door was blocked by a severely weathered stone wall, with a round hole in the center that allowed individuals to climb in.

The darkness that permeated the cave made Roddy very uncomfortable. It was different from ordinary darkness, and as a living being, he instinctively resisted it.

He extended his left arm deep, summoning lightning.

The round hole that should have been illuminated remained pitch black, as if ordinary light would drown inside.

Domo also found a lighter at the bar, threw it in, and disappeared instantly.

Since conventional lighting didn't work, Roddy tried another method. He was determined not to climb into such a narrow and cramped circular hole, so he tried to see if he could go directly to the other side of the hole.

After all, he has now mastered the spatial ability to create channels.

He placed his left palm on it, and holes appeared in his palm as well.

A spatial connection has been established; Roddy can sense the other end of the circular passage and is able to reliably teleport there.

"Domo, put your hand on my shoulder. Let's go straight to the other side, we can figure out how to solve the light source problem later."

"Okay." He placed his hand on her shoulder.

The two were simultaneously drawn into the passage within Roddy's palm.

hum...

After a somewhat unstable teleportation, I successfully arrived on the other side of the round hole, my shoes firmly planted on the ground.

However, the problem of the light source was still not solved, and everything was pitch black.

This darkness not only blocked vision but also blocked other senses, including Roddy's tongue, which he thought would work. All the tastes from the environment were bitter, and even made his tongue tremble uncomfortably.

呲......

That peculiar noise also came along with the darkness.

Now that we are in a dungeon, the noise no longer serves as a guide, but instead leads to a more terrifying outcome.

Roddy began to scratch his hair unconsciously, while feeling as if his skin was coming alive, as if something was about to burst out from under his skin.

As the essence of humanity, Roddy seems to be gradually deconstructed and lost under the influence of this noise.

He was able to experience a kind of danger he had never encountered before.

In an instant, the desire to "survive" was wildly aroused. He subconsciously wanted to return to the bar, only to find that the circular passageway was gone and there was nothing on the wall.

Connection interrupted, unable to transmit.

His body began to move rapidly in the darkness, knocking over some things, and his left hand tried to grab something.

At the same time, the relic worn on the chest began to secrete mist, helping to find a chance of survival in this extreme darkness.

will,
The mist caught something and quickly brought it back; Roddy grabbed it with his left hand and released heat.

Something has been set on fire.

The burning firelight dispelled the darkness, and the noise around him disappeared. Roddy's rapid, almost suffocating breathing gradually slowed down.

He sniffed the strange smell of the burning torch and said softly:

"Phew... This torch is very special. It is the only known way to dispel darkness and is a key tool to support our dungeon exploration."

This was not recorded in the diary, so it was a good find.

The torch itself is not particularly special, but the substance burning on its surface is.

I've been to the corpse-refining shop at the Jiang residence and smelled a lot of wax oil. It should be a kind of biological oil, but this oil has an unpleasant smell.

The burning time must be limited; we must find more similar grease to keep the lights burning.

After Roddy reached this conclusion, he moved his torch to look for Domo, who had come with him, and found him sitting in a chair.

The scene before him startled Roddy.

A crack appeared on Domo's bald head, and countless eyeballs filled the crack, squeezing against each other and peering out at Roddy.

As the firelight arrived, all the eyeballs disappeared, and the cracks in the head gradually vanished.

Domo also gasped for breath, and it took him a while to catch his breath.

"Is this noise?"
I just felt like my whole body was being squeezed by foreign objects, and my essence as a monster was being lost. I almost had to break out of the dream.

"As expected of Roddy, you managed to find a light source under such conditions."

"Domo, are you still able to do it?"

"Yes... Let's hurry, this torch probably won't last much longer."

"Ah."

Using the light, the two looked around and realized they had arrived at what appeared to be a lounge.

Judging from the rough stone that makes up the walls, the style of the chairs and wooden tables, it is definitely not modern; this place has a history of at least a hundred or a thousand years.

The torch was found in a wooden box in the corner.

Just as the two were about to take action,
A rumbling sound came from Roddy's stomach as a strong feeling of hunger suddenly struck. He had eaten at Mr. Question Mark's place that morning, but now he felt incredibly hungry.

Just as he was about to ask Domo if he felt the same way,
The Domos in his field of vision suddenly became unusually "beautiful".
In Roddy's eyes, his facial features and body curves were impeccable, and even his bald head was captivating; in fact, his crotch was trembling slightly.

A strange impulse surged through his mind, urging Roddy to move closer...

(End of this chapter)