Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

"Bang!"

A muffled thud.

The fishbone's skull, along with part of its cervical vertebrae, exploded with a deafening roar!

Fragments of bone scattered everywhere, and the two eerie green flames struggled in the air for a few moments before finally going out.

Having lost its head, the fish skeleton stopped writhing, collapsed with a crash, and plunged into the pool, splashing water everywhere.

The skeletal servants it summoned and controlled also scattered back into a pile of broken bones.

The iridescent sheen in the pool began to fade, and the surface gradually returned to a dull, dark green.

The cloying, putrid smell in the air had also faded considerably.

[Network Notification]: You and your teammates have defeated [The Bone of Obsession in the Netherworld].

[Network Notice]: [The Bone of Obsession in the Netherworld] has died, and the core source of contamination in the instance has been removed.

[Current Dungeon Erosion Level]: 16%

"The core source of pollution? The erosion level dropped by nearly 40%, so it seems that the rest can be cleaned up step by step."

Su Zhixu took a breath, calming her slightly rapid breathing.

That set of movements just now took a lot of energy.

He walked over and picked up a few things from the gradually clearing pool.

In addition to the larger black crystal than before, there was another special item.

It was a small, palm-sized model of an anchor made of some kind of dull metal, its surface rusted and covered with some mud from the bottom of the pool.

But when held in your hand, you can feel a faint yet exceptionally firm "intention".

[Name]: Anchor of Obsession

[Quality]: White (Standard)

[Type]: Strange and Mysterious Items/Quest Items

【Extra 1】: Drowning Obsession: Formed from the obsession of the drowned. After use, it consumes strange power and allows you to stand on the "water surface". Uses: 3/3. Uses can be replenished by consuming 【Emotional Crystals】.

[Additional 2]: Purification Certificate: Serves as proof of clearing the core pollution source of the "Abyss-Shallow-1" dungeon. It can further reduce the overall erosion level of Abyss-Shallow-1 and is used to calculate additional rewards. This effect disappears automatically after exiting the dungeon.

[Information]: The obsessive dream of a drowned person and the anchor that sank into a strange sea in reality are eroded and mutated by strange forces in the gap between dream and reality, becoming the core source of pollution.

"A strange item... Although it's just a common white item, it might be useful for me as I sail on the strange seas."

Su Zhisu put the things away.

With the death of [The Bone of Obsession in the Netherworld], the oppressive atmosphere in this area has significantly lessened.

"My lord, you are amazing!"

Lilia ran over, her little face flushed with excitement and from the full force of her spell.

"Well done, Lilia, you coordinated very well just now."

"Continue, let's clean up this woodland completely."

Over the next period of time, the two of them cleaned the area around the pool.

Without the support of the core pollution source, the remaining distorted residue became more dispersed and weak.

About an hour later, after the last shadow huddled under the tree roots was cleansed, the notification from the network sounded again.

[Network Notice]: All sources of contamination in the current instance "Abyss-Shallow-1" have been eliminated.

[Settlement in progress...]

[Recalculation of instance erosion is in progress...]

Final erosion level: 3%

The status of instance "Shallow Layer-1" has been updated: Purified (Safe).

Congratulations to you and your team on your first successful clear of the dungeon "Abyss - Shallow Layer - 1"!

[Rewards being processed...]

[Gain basic experience points...]

[Items Obtained]: 320 Emotional Fragments (Greed, Fear, Anger, Obsession), 160 Wood, 1 Anchor of Obsession

[Bonus Reward (Anchor of Obsession)]: Skill Point x1 (increases skill level by 1), 500 Disaster Coins from the Comprehensive Network

[Network Notification]: Your teammate "Dream Weaver" has leveled up! Current Level: Lv.4

[Network Notice]: Due to your leadership and completion of the purification of the dungeon "Abyss-Shallow-1", and the influence of the item [Anchor of Obsession], the overall erosion level of Abyss-Shallow-1 has decreased.

"My lord, it seems there's still 3% instance corruption remaining..."

"Lilia, don't worry. Although there is still a very weak trace of strange power remaining, the level of erosion is already below the safe threshold."

The scene before me began to blur, and the outline of the decaying woodland faded.

A few seconds later, the light shifted, and Su Zhisu and Lilia stood once again by the Moon Well at the bottom of the temple.

"How are you feeling?"

Su Zhisu looked at Lilia.

"I was nervous and a little tired, but it was very fulfilling!"

Lilia's eyes sparkled.

"And, Your Excellency, I've leveled up!"

"Let's take a break. Then, we'll do it again."

Su Zhisu said.

"Do we still need to go in?" Lilia asked, somewhat puzzled. "Wasn't it already cleaned up?"

Su Zhisu explained, "Being clean doesn't mean you can't go in."

"What we just cleared was the 'Abyss-Shallow-1' instance, which is equivalent to the network dividing this layer into countless instance projections."

"Clearing a single instance of the projection will reduce the overall erosion level of this layer."

"That's how the crossover network works; we'll encounter all sorts of dungeons in the future."

"Moreover, it's a good place for you to gain experience and practice your skills steadily right now."

Next, Su Zhisu and Lilia entered the "Abyss-Shallow-1" dungeon twice more.

As Su Zhisu had predicted, the dungeon environment was no longer "Rotten Woods" and "Shadow Pool"; both environments were randomly generated and changed.

The monsters included are mostly first-tier twisted remnants and some monsters specific to the environment.

The cleanup was very quick, although the experience and loot drops were relatively low for him, and no particularly strange or unusual items appeared.

But for Lilia, leveling up and practicing skill combinations is enough.

After two runs, Lilia's experience bar stabilized at Lv.4, more than halfway through.

"That's about it," Su Zhisu said to Lilia. "We're familiar with Shallow Layer-1 now. Let's try the next layer."

"Shallow Layer-2?" Lilia was both excited and a little nervous.

"Yes, we need to figure out the general situation in the shallow layer as soon as possible."

Su Zhisu looked at the moon well.

"Be prepared, this time we may encounter stronger enemies or more complicated environmental rules."

The two stood by the moon well again, and Su Zhisu immersed her consciousness into it.

This time, his thoughts carried a clear direction of "downward" and "deeper".

[Network Notification]: Player intent detected... Locating the player...

[Location Successful]: Abyss - Shallow Layer - 2

[Loading]: Dungeon - "Abyss - Shallow Layer - 2"... Loading complete...

The surrounding scenery distorted and changed once again.

The temple scene faded away, replaced by a completely different scene.

There are no trees, no ponds.

Before me lay a vast, gloomy, and extremely unsettling "beach".

The beach was a pale, grayish color. Upon closer inspection, it was not sand but a mixture of countless tiny, broken shells, bits of flesh, and mineral particles.

The air was filled with a strong, fishy smell...