Survival on the Internet: A Bizarre Start at Sea

The air on the pale beach was so thick it smelled like rust.

The sky was a somber, dark red, almost blending into the dark red "sea of ​​blood" below.

Su Zhisu and Lilia walked on the beach, the tiny seashells and bone fragments crunching under their feet.

[Network Notification]: The team has entered. Players: Su (lv.9), Dream Weaver (lv.3)

[Current Dungeon]: Abyss - Shallow Layer - 2

[Description]: Compared to the previous layer, this layer exhibits more severe and bizarre erosion. Clearing this instance will help reduce the overall erosion level of "Shallow Layer-2".

[Current Dungeon Environment Status]: Rusty Ship Graveyard (80%), Weeping Beach (20%)

[Current Dungeon Erosion Level]: 85%

[Dungeon Difficulty]: ★★★

Recommended Level: lv.4 - lv.9

[Number of Recommendations]: 1-3 people

【Mission Objectives】: 1. Defeat the dungeon boss and prevent the dungeon's corruption level from reaching 100%. 2. Reduce the dungeon's corruption level to 0%.

[Failure Penalty]: Overall erosion level of Abyss-Shallow-2 is increased (completing any task will allow you to exit the instance without penalty).

Su Zhisu and Lilia cautiously advanced along this ominous coastline.

Unlike the decaying woodland of the shallow-1 layer, the view here is relatively open, but danger still lurks everywhere.

They hadn't gone far when the first wave of enemies emerged from behind the wreckage of an overturned wooden boat.

This time, it wasn't just simple twisted debris; their presence was far more unsettling.

【Twisted Shard - Shadow of Gluttony】

[Category]: Contaminated Individual (Merged Entity)

[Level]: lv.6

[Status]: Formed from the fusion of twisted residue containing "greed" and "gluttony", it has an endless thirst for life energy and matter.

[Information]: The fused form is extremely unstable, its surface resembling boiling swamp, with protrusions resembling arms or mouthparts constantly attempting to grab or devour everything around it. It moves slowly but possesses strong survivability and area-of-effect suction control.

"It's no longer a single remnant, but a fusion of multiple characteristics..."

"The fusion has created new characteristics."

"Lilia, keep your distance. You're no match for them. I'll handle them!"

"clear!"

Lilia waved her staff, and a light blue dream dust drifted out, clinging to them and trying to slow their movements.

Su Zhisu did not rush close, but instead took out the Cold Light Harpoon and shot it at an "arm" that was trying to grab Lilia.

"laugh!"

The harpoon hit, but did not penetrate; instead, it seemed to sink into a sticky swamp.

"It's the ability to adsorb and control!"

Fortunately, Lilia had already dodged away.

Another [Twisted Fragment - Shadow of Desperate Fury] pounced from the side, and Su Zhisu dodged to the side.

Its shape is sharper, like a collection of countless broken blades, carrying an aura of wanting to destroy everything.

[Twisted Shard - Shadow of Desperate Fury]

[Category]: Contaminated Individual (Merged Entity)

[Level]: lv.6

[State]: The suffocation brought by "despair" and the destruction of "rage" combine to form an aggregate full of contradictions and self-torn.

[Information]: Extremely aggressive, moves quickly, and will launch a continuous barrage of frenzied slashes.

[Hidden Information]: The attack pattern is direct and lacks flexibility, and may become temporarily paralyzed due to internal emotional conflict when severely injured.

Su Zhisu swung his sword to parry a slash, sparks flying everywhere.

These fusions are significantly stronger than the individuals in the shallow layer-1, and they have different characteristics.

"Lilia, control the battlefield, prioritize limiting the fastest one!"

"Dream Dust, Sleep Now!"

The dream dust enveloped the shadow of despair and rage, causing its frenzied offensive to halt momentarily.

Su Zhixu seized the opportunity, and with a flash of light, his blade struck heavily at the point where the emotions of the raging shadow intertwined.

"Pfft! Pfft! Pfft!"

Like puncturing multiple abscesses, the raging shadow let out a painful shriek, its form violently fluctuating and nearly collapsing.

Just as Su Zhisu was about to deliver the finishing blow, the sand beneath his feet suddenly softened, and a [Twisted Fragment - Slowing Shadow of Sorrow], formed from a fusion of sadness and inertia, quietly appeared and wrapped around his legs.

[Twisted Fragments - The Lingering Shadow of Sorrow]

[Category]: Contaminated Individual (Merged Entity)

[Level]: lv.5

[Status]: The combination of sadness and inertia makes it tend to lie dormant and restrict itself rather than take the initiative to attack.

[Information]: Often lurking in the environment, its attacks have a strong slowing and heavy effect, which can effectively reduce the target's movement and attack speed.

"There are also lurking types!"

Su Zhisu suddenly exerted force to break free, but her movements were already noticeably a beat too slow.

At this moment, the initial gluttonous shadow had completely devoured the cold-light harpoon, and its size seemed to have increased, slowly approaching.

"My lord, be careful!"

Lilia exclaimed.

"Switch targets, clear out this annoying, sluggish, sorrowful shadow first!"

Su Zhisu changed her strategy, turning the blade towards the sluggish, sorrowful shadow beneath her feet.

Lilia's Dream Dust also attached itself in time, strengthening her control over this "sixth brother".

Taking advantage of the opportunities created by Lilia and his own superior attributes, Su Zhixu painstakingly cleaned up these distorted fragments with varying characteristics.

Although he was of a higher level, the one-against-many situation made the battle pace noticeably more intense, but fortunately Lilia was there to provide support.

As the last twisted fragment wailed and dissipated, Lilia's body flashed with an upgraded light.

[Network Notification]: Your teammate "Dream Weaver" has leveled up! Current Level: lv.5

"Alright, Lilia has leveled up, and her ability to protect herself in dungeons is now stronger."

"But these fragments..."

"Just an appetizer."

Su Zhisu breathed a slight sigh of relief, raising her vigilance to the highest level.

He glanced at his skill bar, where the skill point he had just acquired was still lying quietly.

[Skill Points]: Extremely rare, obtainable only randomly in dungeons and certain quests. They can upgrade a skill in the [Skills] list by 1 level. The upgrade effects of [Skills] will vary depending on the player's choices.

In the current perilous situation, every bit of improvement in strength is crucial.

"The skill [Alchemy Purification] is currently mainly used for routine alchemy experiments, and its effectiveness in direct combat is limited."

"If we could make it more suitable for combat..."

"Especially against fusion entities like the Shadow of Gluttony, which require sustained attacks to defeat..."

He recalled the feeling when he mastered [Alchemy Purification], which was the understanding and purification of the essence of "pollution" through the Night Watcher's Heart Flame and the White Mist.

If this understanding is incorporated into the rhythm of the attack, it might be more effective in dismantling the unstable structure of these fusion entities.

He focused his mind and invested his skill points into [Alchemy Purification].

[Network Notification]: Confirm that you will use 1 skill point to upgrade [Alchemy Purification]? Current Level: lv.1 → lv.2

"confirm."

Instantly, a wealth of knowledge about alchemical array optimization, energy flow efficiency, and more aggressive neutralization methods for unstable energy structures flooded into his mind.

[Network Notice]: The skill [Alchemy Purification] has been upgraded to level 2. Based on player preferences and unique understanding, please choose one of the following three optimization directions: