Exploration Quest -- Dream Tower

Five minutes ago, following the Ethereal yet incredibly clear directional guidance from the system, Su Luo finally Lock-On a colossal object in the Void beyond the Dreamscape, a void vastly different from the physical rules of reality.

It was a Dreamscape, so vast it was suffocating.

Its boundaries are blurred and magnificent in perception, like an ancient Giant Whale slumbering in the Deep Sea of thought. Its mere existence inexplicably disturbs Su Luo's Dream World.

Su Luo immediately realized that this was similar to the "large ruins" she encountered in her first Exploration Quest. It was a "mission location" marked by the system, and based on past experience, she would receive Purple Skill as a reward after thoroughly exploring it.

Strangely, no matter how much Subconscious Su Luo channeled, there was no response from the other end of the node, as if all the Subconscious had died.

Until... this vast Dreamscape seemed to grow impatient, and an irresistible, soft, and gentle suction suddenly came from within.

Su Luo felt the connection between his Dreamscape and the outer Void being forcibly distorted and stretched. The next second, the world spun around him, and his main consciousness was forcibly dragged out and thrown into an unfamiliar structure of light and shadow...

The scene before me gradually became clear.

Su Luo found herself standing on a dark and empty flat ground, with a cold, smooth surface beneath her feet that seemed to be paved with some kind of black jade, Spread to the horizon and meeting the low-hanging leaden sky.

The air was filled with a mixture of dust and ancient scents, so quiet that you could hear the faint sound of your own blood flowing through your veins.

Directly in front, a tower stands between heaven and earth.

It is ridiculously tall, with its rugged structure gradually tapering from bottom to top, piercing through layers of thick, gloomy clouds, making it difficult to see the top.

The tower is made of unusual materials. Its base appears to be a haphazard patchwork of weathered boulders and ancient wood. The higher you go, the more you can see the cold light of the metal and the refraction of the crystals. The style is mixed, yet it has a strange sense of unity.

Above the clouds, at the spire, a single golden light flickered constantly, like a lighthouse on a dark sea, or a candle flame enticing moths.

Beneath the base of the tower, a creature lay prostrate.

It resembles Giant Whale, but lacks the sleek grace of one found in the Ocean. Its massive body is like a magnified version of a cracked Croc, its rough leather covered in wrinkles and weathered scars.

The most striking feature is its head, which has six large, amber eyes arranged in a fan shape, staring Godless into the Void ahead, seemingly waiting for something.

"This Dreamscape has a completely different structure."

Su Luo acted swiftly, immediately attempting to utilize her own power and perceive the underlying rules of this Dreamscape.

The response to his thoughts was faint. His Dreamscape editing authority was Suppression to almost nothing here. He could not freely shape the environment, speed up time, or divide areas as he could in his own Dreamscape, nor did he have the enormous power he had in the Dreamscape of most other people.

When trying to summon one's own Dreamscape, one only feels a tough, heavy barrier, with slow response. This Dreamscape has extremely strong autonomous rules and exclusiveness.

"Let's stop Xiao Luo from doing anything for now."

Su Luo contacted the Mutual Aid Association through the Survival System's communication channel, asking Mutual Aid Association notify Yun Xiaoxiao. Yun Xiaoxiao then contacted Xiao Luo, who was in charge of the body, through special communication.

I'll give you an update, let you know I'm safe, and also handle some messages on my Personal Channel.

After finishing her business, Su Luo refocused all her attention on the current environment, closed her eyes, and carefully extended her senses in all directions like tentacles, not trying to change it, but only seeking to understand it.

He quickly noticed something was wrong.

"Depth... the 'layers' of this Dreamscape are wrong."

Unlike any other individual Dreamscape Su Luo had ever encountered, this giant Dreamscape was not a single space.

Its structure is more like... a real tower?

Layer upon layer, independent yet interconnected, with a clear "vertical" dimension. The deeper one goes, the more abstract the rules become; and the deeper one goes, the more obscure, powerful, and filled with indescribable pressure and chaos Su Luo feels.

"Dreamscape have the concept of 'depth'... This is the first time I've encountered this." Su Luo's interest was greatly piqued.

This structure may involve more advanced Dreamscape construction techniques, and may even be related to the Essence of the Dream World.

He tried again to mobilize his power, attempting to open the [Heartfire] domain.

However, the invisible shackles tightened instantly, and a vast and cold power originating from the Dreamscape itself easily Suppression the power he had just gathered, allowing only extremely weak energy to circulate within his body.

"The power was Suppression by the rules, and Suppression very thoroughly."

Su Luo began calculating the fault tolerance.

"He's mentally sound; he can self-harm to the point of near death at any time to trigger teleportation, and the Dream World can slowly approach... He has quite a lot of leeway."

Su Luo stepped on the black ground and felt a little uncomfortable.

Hello... outsider.

Then, the deep, slow voice sounded again; it was the Six-Eyed Giant Whale.

Its six eyes slowly turned and focused on Su Luo, their gaze filled with an ancient indifference and deep weariness.

Su Luo did not respond immediately. She stepped forward, walked to the Giant Whale's rough, rock-like body, reached out her hand, and gently placed her palm on its skin.

It feels cool to the touch, is much harder than it looks, yet possesses a strange elasticity.

A more subtle perception came—the Giant Whale's body structure was not a continuous muscle or tissue, but rather a tightly stacked, wriggling combination of countless extremely tiny "things" that seemed like independent life units.

Where is this?

Su Luo withdrew her hand, looked up and stared directly into the huge amber eyes, and asked directly.

Seemingly triggering some kind of reaction, the Giant Whale remained silent for a moment before its melodious voice rang out again, this time with a hint of programmed inflection.

"Choose..."

As soon as he finished speaking, Su Luo keenly sensed that something in the "depths" of the Dreamscape had been disturbed or activated. Immediately afterwards, the Dreamscape rules that Suppression his power underwent a subtle change.

On the smooth black ground beneath his feet, four lines of blood-red Text appeared without warning, the strokes vigorous and twisted, as if written in blood:

[Gain a card]

[Obtained a Relic]

[Receive a Curse, gain a rare special card]

[Losed your initial Relic, gained a random boss Relic]

Su Luo's gaze swept over. "'Starting Gift'? Similar to the initial choice in some strategy games. 'Relic'... refers to special items or buffs recognized by the rules of this Dreamscape? 'Curse' is obviously a negative status, but when paired with rare cards..."

Before he could make a choice, the crimson Text on the ground continued to flow and extend as if alive, and more information emerged: