A wave of soul-tearing dizziness.
Consciousness felt stuffed into a blender, wildly twisted, stretched, and crushed.
The agony of this teleportation far exceeded any previous time.
It didn't feel like traversing space, but more like being forcibly "gouged" out of the real world by an invisible giant hand.
By the time her senses finally broke free from the chaos and reconnected with her body, Xia Lian's stomach was already churning violently.
Her legs buckled, and she leaned on her knees, retching uncontrollably, her face as pale as paper.
"Ugh... This teleportation... is definitely the absolute worst of the worst."
Her face was pale, and even her voice trembled.
Lin Xiyue shook her still-heavy head forcefully, trying to dispel the nausea clinging to her mind.
But when she lifted her head and saw her surroundings clearly, she froze completely.
There was no forest filled with twisted shadows of trees, as she had imagined.
No mad architecture echoing with whispers.
And none of that gloomy, oppressive sky that could drive a person insane.
What met their eyes...
...was a golden beach so bright and sunny it was dazzling.
The sky was a flawless azure, as pure as a carefully polished gem.
The seawater was crystal clear all the way to the bottom, gently kissing the shoreline and curling into snow-white waves.
In the distance, coconut groves swayed with the wind, and the air was filled with the lazy scent of sea salt and sunshine mixed together.
Where was this "Shadow of the Ancient God"?
This was clearly a dream vacation paradise!
"What... is going on?"
Su Wan instinctively wanted to push up her glasses, but her hand only got halfway up before she remembered she wasn't wearing them. "The intelligence error is way too outrageous."
"No."
Lin Qingyue's voice was very soft, but her expression was even more serious than when they were at the military airport.
"This kind of ultimate 'normality' is itself the greatest abnormality."
Just like the deadly silence that descends before a storm, when not a single wisp of wind stirs.
The four immediately entered a state of high alert, scanning their surroundings.
The beach was completely empty.
The previously entered Dragon Vanguard Squad and Heavenly Craft Squad had left no traces at all, not even a single footprint.
A classic random dispersal start.
Just then, the four people's professional panels all shook, and a few lines of crimson text slowly emerged.
[ Entered Dungeon: Shadow of the Ancient God ]
[ Rule One: Non-violent Non-cooperation ]
[ Description: You can kill them, but you cannot make them submit. Violence is the most impotent language. ]
[ Rule Two: Punishment of the Seven Sins ]
[ Description: This is a world that is extremely sensitive to emotions. Pride, Envy, Wrath, Sloth, Greed, Gluttony, and Lust will all tangibly affect attributes and states. ]
[ Rule Three: Survival Instinct ]
[ Description: Your physical state will be extremely sensitive. Diet, drinking water, sleep, environmental comfort, personal cleanliness... all factors affecting the quality of life will be directly reflected on your combat power panel. Long-term exposure to a harsh environment will cause attributes to continuously decay, and they will gradually renew after restoring comfort. ]
The three rules, like three invisible shackles, were instantly fastened onto everyone.
"The first rule cuts off our route for interrogating for information."
Su Wan's voice was slightly cold as she quickly made a judgment.
"We can't use threats, only incentives. This means we can only obtain information through observation, communication, or even... gaining the trust of the natives."
"The second rule is even more sinister!" Lin Xiyue gasped, "Negative emotions directly affect attributes and states? Isn't that just scaring ourselves and then getting our own attributes deducted?"
She had just finished speaking and subconsciously looked at Xia Lian, who was the easiest to get nervous in the team.
Xia Lian's small face was already a bit pale, and cold sweat had seeped into her palms.
She was nervous because of the strangeness of the rules, and because she realized that her "nervousness" might weaken her, she became even more nervous, falling into a dangerous dead loop.
"Don't think about the rules."
Lin Qingyue reached out and lightly tapped Xia Lian's smooth forehead, interrupting her wild thoughts.
"Think of something happy. For example, the credits for this mission are expected to be enough for us to book a permanent private room in the school cafeteria."
At the mention of "food," Xia Lian's eyes indeed lit up for a moment, and the almost overflowing tension was forcibly suppressed.
"As for the third rule, it's specifically aimed at us outsiders."
Lin Qingyue continued her analysis, but a playful smile curved her lips.
"Roughing it in the wild is the norm for Professionals, but this rule will push our logistical pressure to the maximum. Eating poorly, sleeping poorly, and not bathing will all cause our combat power to drop."
However, this point was actually an advantage for their team.
After all, the team had an all-around Priest who was proficient in cooking, skilled in wilderness survival, and could cast a Cleanse Spell at any time to keep everyone dry and clean.
Just as they finished digesting these three strange rules, a golden display, far more magnificent and majestic than the rule notifications, boomed open before the four of them!
[ World Quest Updated: Broken World (Third Ring) ]
[ Quest Description: You have stepped onto a drifting homeland, once part of the great civilization "Filianore." But now, its Core has shattered, and its Will is wailing. The poison of time and the cracks in space are dragging it into an irreversible Abyss. ]
[ Quest Objective: Find and soothe the "World Heart" ]
[ Quest Reward: ??? ]
[ Failure Penalty: This world will completely collapse and be reduced to void dust. ]
Filianore!
Ilanier's world!
Lin Qingyue's gaze suddenly froze, her knuckles gripping the staff so hard they turned slightly white.
For her, the nature of the quest had completely changed.
This was no longer just a national mission.
This was also a family matter.
This concerned her Queen Wifey's future upper limit!
"Sis?"
Lin Xiyue was ever so sharp, immediately catching her sister's fleeting emotional fluctuation.
"It's nothing."
Lin Qingyue loosened her grip, took a deep breath, and completely smoothed over the waves churning in her heart.
She scanned the unbelievably beautiful beach again, her tone returning to her signature salted-fish laziness.
"It seems we have to wade through this muddy water all the way to the end."
She looked at the sun in the sky, then at her three teammates beside her.
"Alright, everyone, stop standing around like fools."
"While the sun is shining and the scenery is pleasant, let's first..."
Lin Qingyue's gaze swept over the beach, finally settling on a large reef that had been washed very smooth by the seawater.
"...first solve the lunch problem."
"Only after eating our fill will we have the strength to tear this damn place apart."
"..."
Su Wan and Xia Lian's expressions froze at the same time, obviously unable to keep up with her train of thought.
Only Lin Xiyue showed a helpless expression of "I knew it would be like this."
Eating is the most important thing in the world.
Facing a Rule-Based Urban Legend, her first reaction was to start eating.
This was very Lin Qingyue, and also very much in line with the rules of this Dungeon.
While Lin Xiyue and Su Wan went to stand guard nearby, and Xia Lian went to scout the coconut grove for danger, Lin Qingyue quietly stepped aside. She turned her palm over, and that ancient book [ As I've Written ] silently emerged.
The pages opened automatically, with light flowing around.
The half-meter-tall spirit "Mem" flew out from within, affectionately circling her face and rubbing its little head against her cheek.
"Mem, do me a favor."
Lin Qingyue lowered her voice, her expression tender.
"Go back and tell Ilanier that I've come to perform the mission, and the location is on a fragment of her hometown. I can't go to see her for a few days, so tell her not to worry about me and wait for my return."
"And also, you should go accompany her more when you're free lately."
Mem blinked its lively big eyes and nodded obediently.
It extended its small hand and gently touched Lin Qingyue's cheek, as if silently saying "good luck."
Then, it turned into a stream of light and sank back into the book.
After doing all this, Lin Qingyue felt much more at ease.
This world wants to use rules to pollute their minds?
Then let's see whether the Shadow of the Ancient God is more bizarre, or if their team's style is even more outrageous.