Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

Behemoth Krasin chanted ancient incantations in a low voice, and the pinkish-blue dream dust emanating from Lilia's body seemed to be summoned, transforming into a dazzling stream of light that surged into the Moon Well.

The next moment, the energy circulation of the entire Atlantis seemed to be injected with new vitality.

Countless fine, pinkish-blue dream dust particles spread rapidly to every corner of Atlantis through the energy "pipelines" that spanned the entire city!

Change has begun.

First, the crumbling fog that had enveloped the city quietly dissipated, like melting snow.

However, the anticipated bizarre phenomenon of the sea overflowing did not occur.

Instead, a silent, spreading pinkish-blue mist appeared.

This mist is not substantial; it is more like it is composed of countless tiny dream dust particles.

It gently envelops every inch of Atlantis' land and every building.

From within the city, the sky had turned a soft pinkish-blue, like an eternal twilight, with an unreal beauty.

From the outside world, in this strange and mysterious sea, the enormous underwater city is slowly becoming blurred and transparent.

Ultimately, it was like an oil painting soaked in water, the colors blending together, the outlines disappearing, and it vanished without a trace.

All that remained was the eternal darkness of the deep sea, and the occasional strange phosphorescence, as if Atlantis had never existed.

"It's a success..."

Hydra slumped to the ground, his face a mixture of disbelief, exhaustion, and relief.

She could sense that the terrifying malice that had been constantly trying to erode the city had disappeared.

Nautilus also let out a low sigh, as if a great burden had been lifted from his shoulders.

Its massive body slowly lowered, entering a deep hibernation recovery state.

Behemoth Krasin released his grip, and the "thread" between him and Lilia disappeared, but it did not break.

Her face was even paler than before, clearly indicating that the ritual had taken a huge toll on her.

Lilia also stumbled, but Su Zhisu caught her in time.

The girl's eyes were filled with excitement and bewilderment after accomplishing her feat.

"Sister Krasin, is this... all right?"

Beamon Krasin nodded.

"Atlantis is now caught between dreams and reality..."

She looked around at the dreamlike scene, her voice weak but full of satisfaction.

"It is neither entirely present in reality, nor completely integrated into the dream. Rather, it is... a state between reality and illusion."

"As long as Lilia and I, who are the core anchors, are still in the city, Atlantis can maintain the status quo."

Su Zhixu supported the somewhat exhausted Lilia, gazing at the pinkish-blue sky that blurred the lines between reality and dreams.

The barrier that isolated the strange sea had indeed disappeared, but the city was not exposed to the terrifying pressure of the deep sea; instead, it seemed to be immersed in an unreal, warm pool.

But soon, a new, more subtle sense of being watched quietly descended.

Like an invisible spider web, it gently yet thoroughly envelops the city.

"It's only safe for now..."

His sister's voice shattered the brief moment of relaxation he had just experienced.

She walked to the edge of the moon well, looked down, and what was reflected in her green pupils was no longer the clear well water, but some kind of deeper, more chaotic vortex.

"This simply transforms 'instantaneous destruction' into 'slow infiltration'."

Su Zhisu felt a chill run down her spine.

"As expected, it's not that simple."

"The 'gaze' and erosion of this strange power have not ceased."

She turned around and looked at Su Zhisu, Lilia, and Hydra, who was barely holding on.

With a flick of the fingertip, an inverted, layered funnel-shaped silhouette was drawn in the air.

"The method has just changed..."

"Because it can no longer directly attack us as 'points,' nor can it use brute force to break through the layers of 'surfaces' that exist between reality and illusion..."

"Therefore, its erosion has transformed from a simple attack into..."

"A 'surface' and 'deep' penetration."

The phantom began to change. The top layer was a bright, pinkish-blue halo representing the current safe zone. The middle layer was an area with constantly fluctuating boundaries and interwoven light and dark. The bottom layer was a pure, unsettling dark red filth.

Look here.

Beamon Krasin pointed at the layered phantom, his voice icy.

"The surface layer we are currently in is the most stable and safest area; it can be called the 'safe zone'."

"But the deeper we go, the closer we get to the point in reality where we are forced to maintain a weak connection with the Sea of ​​Strange Things, and the more severe the erosion by the power of the strange things becomes."

"Because that's where the concepts of 'dream' and 'reality' clash."

Su Zhisu stared at the model, deep in thought:

"From 'resisting direct attacks' to 'defense in depth'?"

"No, more accurately, we divided the battlefield."

"The strange power cannot be directly breached, so it turns to eroding upwards, layer by layer, through the 'surface' connecting us to reality..."

"So, our battlefield against these strange forces has become... a natural, layered structure—the 'Abyss'?"

A strange sense of déjà vu suddenly surfaced, as if it were a game I had played in a past life.

"Intelligence can be understood as the presence of uncanny power right beneath our feet."

"Or rather, an inverted 'abyss' has formed between us and reality."

Beamon Krasin's voice was calm, with a hint of appreciation.

"To make it easier to understand, we can divide the erosion process into three layers based on 'depth' and pollution intensity."

Her fingertips touched different areas of the illusory image in turn:

"First layer, shallow layer."

"This is an area where the erosion is still very weak and the strange power is relatively thin."

"This floor is closer to us, but there are still blind spots that we have overlooked."

"A large number of corrupted beings will be born here. The strongest will be a small number of bizarre priests, or some weaker, strange creatures that have been corrupted and mutated."

"This layer poses little threat. Clearing it out will consolidate and expand our safe zone. Consider it... a periodic weeding area."

Su Zhisu immediately realized that this could very well become the "beginner area" for him to acquire specific resources or even train his squad level in the future.

"Second layer, middle layer."

Beamon Krasin moved his fingertips to the area where the light and shadow were fluctuating violently, and his tone became serious.

"This is the real front line, the real 'dynamic battlefield'."

"Strange powers and our authority, and even the concept of Atlantis—'R'lyeh'—are fiercely clashing here."

"The space and rules here are extremely unstable and can change at any time. The area's boundaries will change in real time depending on the 'battle situation' between the two sides."

"Today it's still in the shallow level, but tomorrow it might become the middle level that requires a bloody battle to recover."

"The minions of strange powers, the bizarre priests, and the strange disciples are our main enemies."

"They will try to break through to the surface, eventually eroding and contaminating the surface."

"The third layer...the deeper layer."

Her fingertips finally landed on that pure, dark red filth, and her green eyes narrowed slightly.

"This is the core area severely corrupted by strange forces, and it is our closest 'connection point' to reality."

"That is a realm of pure and utter bizarre power, where the rules are completely contrary to the reality we know, and it is even possible for fourth-order beings of bizarre power to exist there."

"Of course, the rules of each level, and the strength of the enemies, will also change with the changes in the world's calamities—the strange and unpredictable forces..."

"After all, 'merging' will happen between worlds, right?"

"I was previously swept away by the purifying light of the online community, and I intercepted some information..."

"In short, the dangers of the 'Abyss' are immeasurable, but correspondingly..."