Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

After enhancing his attributes, Lin Yi planned to go to the witch's bar for a cocktail to relieve his fatigue.

To Lin Yi's surprise, when he entered the room he found Gulu and the witch arguing.

"You're just letting me die!" Gulu's clear voice rang out loudly in the quiet bar. "I already told you that's my lifeline! Do you even understand what a lifeline is?! If I miss this opportunity, how will I, Lord Gulu, ever show my face in the Phantom Troupe again?"

The witch stopped wiping her cup, leaned down slightly, and looked down at Gulu, her voice lazy and magnetic: "Little Gulu, it's not that I don't want to help you. What is the 'Abyss of Slumber'? For your meager commission, are you really going to throw yourself into an unknown nightmare? The risk and reward are severely out of balance. I won't do this deal." She gently set down the cup, making a crisp, light sound, as if putting an end to the argument.

Alarm bells rang in Lin Yi's mind. The troublemaker from the Phantom Troupe had clashed with the witch? This was practically a walking vortex of calamity.

He made a quick decision, immediately pulling his hand back from the door and turning his body around in sync—making a quick getaway was the best option!
However, he underestimated Gollum's terrifying reaction speed, a trait inherited from his top assassin profession, and his keen intuition for "lifelines."

"Boss! Help! I'm dying!!!"

Lin Yi's right leg suddenly sank, as if it were being clamped by a heavy iron clamp, and then his thigh was tightly held by a "penis" with amazing strength.

"Huh?" Lin Yi looked down and met a pair of big eyes that were sparkling with cunning and a "I'm sticking with you" light.

Gulu, like an octopus, used all four limbs and was firmly "welded" to Lin Yi's right leg.

"Let go." Lin Yi frowned. He tried to shake his leg, but Gu Lu was like a chewed piece of bubble gum, sticking to him tightly. It swayed up and down with his movements, making "woo-wah woo-wah" onomatopoeic sounds, but it just wouldn't let go.

Her limbs were tightly wrapped around Lin Yi's thighs, and she didn't care at all that her obviously expensive gothic Lolita dress got covered in dust from Lin Yi's trouser legs.

"No! I won't let go, even if it kills me! Unless you agree to help me!" Gulu buried his head in Lin Yi's lap, his voice muffled but unusually resolute. "That witch is so heartless, she just watched me die! Doctor, you're my last hope! I can tell at a glance that you're the kind of upright, reliable, powerful, righteous, kind-hearted, and chivalrous man who would help anyone in need—a truly one-of-a-kind man. Please help me! I beg you!"

A barrage of compliments came like a Gatling gun, making Lin Yi's temples throb with bulging veins.

In the ultimate breeding ground of the cycle of reincarnation, a place of survival of the fittest and treacherous intrigue, to talk about this? This little girl's ability to lie through her teeth to achieve her goals is simply unparalleled and breathtaking.

Physical methods are often ineffective against a "stubborn" like Gollum; its cunning is comparable to a rule-based curse in some high-magic worlds.

Lin Yi turned his gaze to the witch behind the bar, who was leisurely wiping glasses. The witch put down her glass and leaned lazily against the bar: "It's very simple. It's very simple. Our lawless Lord Gulu has somehow obtained a 'Key of Slumber' and has taken a fancy to a dream world called 'Abyss of Slumber'."

"That place is filled with all sorts of bizarre negative states and strange harms. Chaos, madness, cognitive distortion, loss of life, loss of existence, disorder of time... it comes in all sorts of forms and is impossible to guard against."

"So?" Lin Yi felt that things were sliding in a direction he didn't want to see.

"So she wanted to hire me, the 'Master of Curses,' to protect her," the witch said, shrugging helplessly. "Unfortunately, while I do have some knowledge of curses, many of the negative effects of the 'Abyss of Slumber' are the result of the distortion of that world's fundamental rules—it's the 'setting' itself. I can't avoid it, and that place is notoriously bizarre and unpredictable, with unclear core rules, numerous variables, and countless unpredictable logical traps. I don't want to get myself trapped in a bizarre nightmare world for a little commission. The risk is too high, the cost-benefit ratio is too low, so I declined."

"How about it, esteemed physician? Want to reconsider?"

"No time." Lin Yi coldly uttered two words, making a last-ditch effort to pull his leg out, but to no avail. "My next mission is also to advance to the next world."

He thought this was a perfect reason to refuse. Advancing to the next world is crucial for every contractor and cannot tolerate any mistakes. Usually, no one would want to bring a burden along at such a time.

However, Lin Yi underestimated Gulu's "persistence" and "preparation".

"Advanced to the World Realm?!" Gulu's eyes instantly lit up like searchlights, the "tears" from before vanishing without a trace, replaced by the wild joy of seeing a priceless treasure. "Fantastic! This is destiny!"

She abruptly released her grip on Lin Yi's thigh, causing him to stumble.

[Contractor Gulu (guild member) has extended a special party invitation to you: to enter the 'Abyss of Slumber' (Dreamscape, Special, Sixth-Tier Advancement World) together. This invitation was generated by the 'Key of Slumber' and is a targeted invitation, limited to one person only. Accept? Yes/No]

A semi-transparent notification box suddenly appeared in front of Lin Yi.

Lin Yi: "..."

He then understood what the witch's amused look meant. It turned out that this little brat had such a trump card up her sleeve, and she hadn't mentioned the invitation slots at all before!
"Hehe." Gulu rubbed her hands together smugly, her face beaming with a fawning smile. "Look, what a coincidence! I've also advanced to the next world! Originally, I was planning to go solo, being free and easy is so nice! But now things have changed..." She blinked her big eyes, "With such a thick... no, such a reliable thigh to cling to, only a fool wouldn't! Let's team up! We absolutely have to team up! With our combined strength, we'll be invincible!"

Lin Yi felt his temples throbbing as he looked at Gulu's face. He had just finished enhancing his attributes and was preparing to plan his advancement when he was entangled by this little devil as soon as he stepped out the door. Gulu even shoved a team invitation into his hands, and the target was the Dream World, which was known for its eeriness.

"I refuse." Lin Yi directly clicked no.

"No!" Gulu cried out, making a move to pounce on him and hug his leg again.

Lin Yi reacted extremely quickly this time, taking a step back and giving her a cold warning that he would attack if she came any closer.

Gulu immediately slammed on the brakes, pouting, "Boss! You can't just stand by and watch me die! Without a strong helper, I'll really die if I go in alone! I'll die a horrible death! My ultimate skill awakening quest is in this world. If I miss this opportunity, who knows when I'll get another chance!"

Her eyes darted around, and she lowered her voice, using a seductive tone that every man would understand, "How about I tie up the witch and send her to your bed? I guarantee you'll be completely submissive when you see her..."

"Shut up!" Lin Yi and the witch shouted at the same time.

The witch was so angry that her eyebrows shot up, and the wine glass she was wiping shattered with a "crack": "You little rascal! Are you itching for a beating? Believe me, I'll let you taste a little bit of the wonderful flavor right now?"

Gulu shrank back in fright, made a face at the witch, and then looked pitifully at Lin Yi.

Lin Yi rubbed his temples. Kidnapping a witch? How could she even think of that! Putting aside whether it would succeed, even if it did, it would be a much bigger problem than entering the Abyss of Sleep.

The witch's methods are kept secret even in the Paradise of Reincarnation.

"Commission," Lin Yi said succinctly.

Since we can't get rid of them, we have to negotiate terms.

In the amusement park, nothing is off-limits for trade, as long as the price is right.

Gulu's eyes lit up, knowing there was hope: "Boss, just say the word! As long as I have it, I won't be stingy!"

"Soul Crystals (Complete), twenty." Lin Yi quoted a price that even made the witch take a slight look. This price was enough to bankrupt an ordinary fifth-tier contractor.

Gulu's smile froze instantly, and she gasped, "Twenty...twenty?! Complete level?! You might as well kill me! You couldn't even sell me for that much!" She counted on her fingers, "All my savings, plus the budget I had for buying life-saving items, I can only scrape together five at most! And that would be after selling everything I own!"

"Then let's not talk about it." Lin Yi made a move to leave.

He knew Gulu's background well. As a core member of the group, this rich girl's wealth was definitely considerable. Twenty coins would hurt, but he might not be unable to afford it.

"Wait! Wait!" Gulu jumped up and down in a panic, circling around twice before finally gritting his teeth as if making a decision. "Fine! Twenty it is! But... I don't have that many on hand right now, you need to give me some time to raise the funds!"

Lin Yi stopped and looked at her: "How long? My time waits for no one."

"Soon! Soon!" Gulu immediately pulled out her branded communicator, her fingers flying across the keyboard as she frantically sent messages.

Lin Yi and the witch could both see her little face changing expressions. After about ten minutes, Gu Lu let out a long sigh of relief. Her face was a little pale, as if she had just experienced a great battle, but her eyes showed a hint of pain and... relief.
"It's all settled!" She patted her chest. "I got a loan from the guild leader! Twenty complete soul crystals, I'll give them to you after the mission is over! But the price is that I have to work for free for a whole world, like a slave, working tirelessly without complaint." Thinking of the guild leader's "usurious loan," Gulu felt that his future life for the entire world was bleak.

Lin Yi's lips twitched almost imperceptibly. The leader of the troupe... that's a real big shot.

It seems that these twenty crystals have really been a major blow to Gulu.

However, this suited him perfectly; high risk must be matched with high return.

"A contract." Lin Yi extended his hand.

Of course, Lin Yi was referring to the contract with the Void Tree. Everyone here is no longer a newbie, so there's no need to overthink it.

Gulu immediately drafted a detailed employment contract.

Hiring Responsibilities: The healer must, to the best of their ability, protect Gulu's personal safety and ensure his successful completion of his professional awakening mission. Without jeopardizing their own core advancement mission, the healer must provide Gulu with necessary combat assistance to help him achieve his advancement.

Risk Sharing: Each party assumes the primary risk of their own advancement mission. Lin Yi does not guarantee Gulu's absolute survival, but must do his utmost to protect him within his capabilities. Lin Yi is exempt from liability for consequences arising from inherent risks in the world or Gulu's own reckless actions.

Penalties for breach of contract: If Gulu fails to pay the commission on time, it will be penalized by the park forcibly deducting assets of equivalent value and permanently reducing three random attributes by 10%. If Lin Yi fails to fulfill his protective duties, he will be penalized by having all world earnings reset to zero and permanently reducing one random main attribute by 15%.

Lin Yi examined it carefully and, after confirming that there were no hidden textual traps, ambiguities, or additional conditions that were unfavorable to him, he made a slight mental movement and imprinted it for confirmation.

The contract transformed into two solid golden streams of light, which disappeared into the reincarnation marks on the back of his and Gulu's right hands respectively, instantly establishing an invisible binding force.

"Done!" Gulu clapped her hands, a smile returning to her face, as if she hadn't been the one with the long face just moments before.

[Contractor Gulu (guild member) has extended a special party invitation to you: Let's enter the 'Abyss of Slumber' (Dreamscape, Special, Advancement World) together. This invitation was generated by the 'Key of Slumber' and is a targeted invitation, limited to one person only. Accept? Yes/No]

This time, Lin Yi didn't hesitate and chose "Yes".

[Team successfully formed. Team Leader: Gulu. Team Member: Lin Yi.]

"It's a pleasure to work with you, Doctor!" Gulu smiled and extended her hand. She knew Lin Yi's abilities well, and with Lin Yi by her side this time, the danger she faced entering this world would be greatly reduced.

Lin Yi ignored her outstretched hand: "Not a single soul crystal can be missing."

"Don't worry!" Gulu patted his chest to assure him, then said seriously, "By the way, there are a few very important things to note before entering the 'Abyss of Sleep' that I must remind you of."

"explain."

“First, and most importantly,” Gulu’s expression turned unusually serious, a stark contrast to her usual playful demeanor, “in that world, you will encounter a multitude of things that defy common sense. Twisted rules, absurd phenomena, illogical scenes, you might even see fragments of the past or future… Whatever you see, hear, or feel, remember one thing: don’t delve too deeply! Don’t try to force an understanding of it using your existing logic and common sense! And don’t panic, don’t let fear control your reason!”

Gulu looked into Lin Yi's eyes and said, word by word, "'The Abyss of Slumber' is the source of nightmares, a projection of the subconscious abyss. Its underlying rules are 'absurdity' and 'disorder.' There, trying to analyze irrationality with reason is like trying to extinguish a conceptual 'fire' with water; it will only set you on fire. Forcing an understanding of those phenomena will only cause your mind to be polluted and assimilated more quickly. At best, you'll fall into madness; at worst, you'll be directly swallowed by the distorted rules and become a part of that world. The best way to deal with it is to accept its existence and see it as background. Treat it as a bizarre and illogical nightmare game. As long as you don't trigger an instant-death condition, no matter how strange, disgusting, or terrifying the phenomenon is, just endure it and ignore it; it might pass. Maintaining absolute calm and an almost numb 'observer' mentality is sometimes the best armor against mental pollution. Remember, there, 'normal' is actually the most dangerous signal."

Lin Yi's eyes narrowed slightly. He had experienced many strange worlds, but this was the first time he had been so solemnly reminded to treat his environment with "numbness".

This gave him a higher estimate of the danger level of the "Abyss of Sleep".

"Secondly, once our bodies enter, we will be temporarily 'dreamified.' This means that our absolute physical defense will be weakened, and our mental resistance will become especially important. Various negative statuses will directly affect our 'dream body,' and the damage will be more focused on the mental and rule-related aspects. Your high stamina attribute will still provide a maximum health point, which is the foundation of 'health,' but the effect of physical defense will be greatly reduced. Consequently, the mental resistance brought by intelligence will be the key."

Lin Yi nodded; this was within his expectations.

In the dream world, the attributes of spirit and soul are inevitably the core.

"Third, the use of equipment and skills may be restricted or even distorted. A weapon that deals physical damage might become a horn that sprays rainbows in the dream; a healing skill might cause the target to grow mushrooms... This distortion is random and unpredictable. So, once you're in, test the actual effects of your commonly used equipment and skills as soon as possible! Don't assume anything! I had to readjust a lot of my equipment too." The thought of his beloved equipment possibly turning into strange things made Gulu feel a pang of heartache.

"Fourth, and finally, the 'Key to Sleep' only guarantees we enter the same world, but it can't lock our initial landing point. Our starting locations are likely to be random, and could even be separated by the entire 'Dream.' Although we're linked by a team contract, finding each other in the early stages will be extremely difficult. I'll try to contact you via the team channel and share my approximate location as soon as we enter. Until then, we must fight our own battles and be extremely cautious. Remember, in that world, especially when you're alone, don't trust anything that looks 'normal.'"

The amount of information was enormous, and every point was filled with ominous premonitions and trouble.

Absurdity, mental resistance as a key element, potentially distorted equipment and skills, and random initial landing points make this an extremely troublesome world.

"Understood," Lin Yi said, indicating that he had made a note of it.

"Alright, business is done!" Gulu instantly reverted to his carefree self, skipping and hopping to the bar. "Witch, two 'Dreams Come True's to calm my nerves. Put it on the doctor's tab, I'm broke now."

Lin Yi: "..."

He felt his anger, which he had just suppressed, rising again. He hadn't even settled the score with her for forcibly dragging him into this mess, and this little bastard dared to make him pay for the drinks?

Seeing Lin Yi's face darken slightly in an instant, the witch could no longer hold back and let out a series of silvery laughs while covering her red lips.

"So, I wish you sweet dreams? Or perhaps a sufficiently thrilling nightmare?"

Lin Yi ignored the witch's teasing, glanced at Gulu who was happily sipping his cocktail through a straw, and then turned and left the bar. (End of Chapter)