Samsara Paradise: Dream Weaver of Connections.

"Take a break, then we'll begin the mission as soon as possible," Lin Yi said, his voice sounding somewhat muffled through his mask.

Gulu sat up from the soft bed and rubbed his belly.

"Okay, but can we eat something before we start? I was so busy gathering information at the black market that I'm a little hungry." As she spoke, she took out a few energy bars from her storage space and casually tossed one to Lin Yi.

Lin Yi caught it and glanced at the ingredient list. It mainly contained compressed grains and synthetic protein, a standard high-energy supplement.

"This is it? Oh well, we don't have much time anyway, so let's just eat this."

Lin Yi took off his mask, took a bite of the energy bar. The taste was bland, even a bit tasteless, but it did replenish his energy quickly.

Gulu ate with relish, quickly finishing his portion, and then pulled out a small bottle of juice from somewhere and started drinking it.

"Alright, supplies complete!" She jumped out of bed and stretched her limbs. "The sooner we get it over with, the easier it will be. I hope this first realm won't be too disgusting."

Lin Yi had already placed the two metal boxes on the table and opened them. The brand-new "Tranquility" series dream device shone with a cold, matte light under the indoor lights.

He picked up a helmet; it felt heavy in his hand, with soft, comfortable padding inside. The design was indeed much better than the shabby helmet from the Blacktooth Gang.

Gulu picked up another one, examined it carefully from all angles, and then put it on his head like Lin Yi did.

The helmet seemed to have a life of its own, automatically adjusting its size to perfectly cover her head without making her feel stuffy.

The view in front of us was not completely blocked; a special semi-transparent material ensured basic visibility.

"Press the button on the right," Lin Yi reminded him, as he lay down on a sturdy-looking leather recliner in the room and adjusted himself into a relatively comfortable position.

Gulu fumbled for the button, did as instructed, then settled into a comfortable position on the sofa next to him and closed his eyes.

The moment Lin Yi pressed the button, an extremely faint buzzing sound came from inside the helmet, and a cool, gel-like substance seeped out from the inner wall of the helmet, gently adhering to the skin of his temples and the back of his head.

Immediately afterwards, a gentle but irresistible pull came over me, my consciousness seemed to be gently pulled away, and the sensations in my body quickly faded away, as if I were sinking into warm and deep water. All the sounds around me became blurred, and finally, I returned to complete silence.

After a brief period of weightlessness and darkness, new sensations surged in like a tide.

The first thing that hits you is the smell—a heavy, cold, rusty smell, mixed with the dull odor of old machine oil and metal dust, pungent yet carrying a sense of decay from the industrial age.

Lin Yi opened his eyes.

He was standing on a wide walkway paved with metal mesh, below which lay unfathomable darkness, with the occasional faint glimmer of light flashing in the deepest depths.

Above us was a dome filled with pipes and cables, many of which were damaged, revealing the dark structure behind them.

On either side were completely still machines, each with a different shape. Some resembled massive stamping presses, others continuous conveyor belts, and still others were complex devices that Lin Yi couldn't even recognize. Without exception, they were all covered in thick dust and rust, like silent steel behemoths lurking in the boundless darkness.

There was no roar of any machine in the vast space, no grinding of gears, and not even a whisper of wind.

A suffocating silence enveloped everything, as if sound had been completely stripped away here.

The lighting was extremely dim, with only a few emergency lights hanging high up emitting a pale and weak light, barely dispelling the darkness in a small area, while leaving more corners shrouded in shadow.

Is this the Nightmare Realm? A huge, abandoned factory?

Almost at the same time, he heard a very faint rustling sound of fabric beside him.

Gulu also revealed herself. She seemed a little unaccustomed to the brief dizziness brought on by the teleportation. She shook her head and subconsciously opened her mouth, as if she wanted to ask, "Where is this?"

The moment her lips parted slightly, Lin Yi's hand shot out and covered her mouth tightly.

Even so, the soft sound of a hand touching skin, in this absolute silence, was like a pebble thrown into a calm lake, creating a clearly audible, invisible ripple.

hum...

A faint humming sound, like a rusty bearing being forcibly turned, immediately came from behind a huge tank covered with valves nearby.

Lin Yi and Gulu tensed up instantly, their sharp gazes fixed on the source of the sound.

The shadow behind the huge tank twisted unnaturally, and a figure slowly "flowed" out.

It is about two meters tall, with a vague humanoid outline, but is made entirely of rusty metal fragments, twisted cables, broken gears, and a sticky, shadowy substance, as if it were a fusion of industrial waste and nightmares.

Its limbs are sharp metal segments, like twisted blades.

The skull was a rough, featureless square block of iron, without eyes, without a mouth, without any sensory traces, only rust and oil stains.

The body, made of shadow and scrap metal, slid silently across the ground, its cube-shaped head turning slightly from side to side, as if trying to catch the lingering echoes of the dissipated sound in the air.

[Already encountered "silent guardians"]

[Comparing intelligence attributes of both sides... Comparison complete. Our intelligence has completely overwhelmed the enemy. We have obtained 100% of the enemy's data.]

【The Silence Keeper】

Category: Nightmare Creature
Health: 100%
Nightmare Power: 900/900
Strength: 118 (true attribute)
Agility: 130 (true attribute)
Stamina: 90
Intelligence: 10
Charisma: 1
Skill 1: Overclocking Perception (Passive): Extremely sensitive to sound and vibration, the range and intensity of perception increase dramatically with the increase of sound decibels.

Skill 2: Silent Movement (Passive): Moves without making any sound.

技能3：金属肢解（主动）：驱使金属肢体对单一目标发动3~5次高速切割，每次切割造成力量×2.5+320点物理伤害。

Skill 4: Undying Trait (Passive): While existing in the Nightmare Realm of "Silent Factory", if destroyed, the user will regenerate their body in any area within 24 hours, fully restoring their status.

Warning: Any non-ambient sound may attract its attention, and an individual's attraction may trigger a group effect.

This monster has no sight and relies entirely on sound to move.

Fighting here, if it makes too much noise, could have disastrous consequences.

Lin Yi slowly released his hand from Gulu's and made an extremely stern "shut up" gesture to her.

Gulu nodded vigorously to show that he understood, and even subconsciously lowered his breathing.

Immediately, Lin Yi's message came silently through the temporarily established team channel.

Doctor: "Look at the panel information. This thing is unkillable. If a fight breaks out, we'll be surrounded instantly."

Gulu quickly scanned the shared data. She wasn't afraid of the strength of a mid-to-high level fifth tier, but the infinite regeneration and potential clustering characteristics were disgusting. This was simply a trap used by the Nightmare Realm to deplete the invaders' stamina.

Just then, Gulu seemed to notice something. She cautiously raised her finger and pointed to a thick factory beam diagonally above them.

Lin Yi followed her gaze and saw a rusty black metal plate fixed to a beam with several large rivets, on which several lines of crooked writing were sprayed with white paint.

Rule 1: Keep absolutely quiet. Any non-ambient sound will wake them up.

Rule 2: Red indicator lights represent safe areas where you can stay briefly to recover. Blue indicator lights represent danger and you must stay away.

Rule 3: Pick up any small silver gears scattered on the ground.

Rule 4: If you hear a metallic scraping sound behind you, do not turn around. Quicken your pace and walk to the next intersection to turn left.

The two exchanged a glance, neither of them readily believing what was written on it.

The research institute's brochure warned in bold on the first page: "The rules of the Nightmare Realm may be a path to survival or a deeper trap. Before you trust them, use your wisdom and your life to verify them."

Lin Yi's gaze swept over the four rules, and he instantly discovered the contradiction.

Rule 1 requires "absolute silence," while Rule 4 says "speed up."

Isn't footsteps a sound? In such an environment where people are extremely sensitive to sound, quickening one's pace is tantamount to suicide.

Rule number four practically screams "I'm fake."

As for Rule Two, Lin Yi scanned the area and quickly spotted a flashing red indicator light under a giant machine tool about ten meters away.

He took an empty wine bottle from his personal space and gestured to Gulu.

Gulu immediately understood his intention, lowering his body slightly, ready to deal with any unexpected situation. Lin Yi flicked his wrist, and the bottle traced a low, flat arc, landing precisely at the edge of the red indicator light area.

"Crack-!"

The crisp sound of shattering glass exploded like thunder in the deathly silent factory environment!

Almost at the same instant the sound rang out, the Keeper of Silence who had been slowly "listening" in front of them vanished in a flash, like a piece of chalk being erased, at a speed beyond imagination!

At the same time, around the red indicator light, dark shadows surged wildly, instantly coalescing into seven or eight twisted Guardians of Silence.

Once they appeared, without any hesitation or pause, their sharp metal limbs, like wildly dancing blades, indiscriminately stabbed and slashed at the source of the sound and a small area around it.

The ear-piercing noise of metal clashing against metal filled the air, and sparks flew sporadically in the dim light, but they only attacked the air, the cold floor, and each other.

The chaos and frenzied attack triggered by the sound lasted for about ten seconds. The Guardians of Silence seemed to finally realize that they had not found the real "source" of the sound. They looked at each other for a few moments before their figures slowly sank into the surrounding shadows and disappeared, as if they had never been there.

Doctor: "Rule two seems to be a lie. The red zone is not only unsafe, but it's also a trap to attract fire."

Gulu: "Hmm. Rule four is obviously fake too. It seems only rule one and rule three need to be verified. But the gears in rule three... sound like some kind of reward mechanism?"

Doctor: "Explore first, and try rule three if necessary. Now, move silently."

A faint light flashed on the short boots beneath Gulu's feet, indicating that the [Silence Enchantment] had taken effect, ensuring that she would not make any footsteps when she moved.

Lin Yi's method was even simpler. The shadow beneath his feet spread out, lifting his body slightly off the ground. When he moved, it was as if a real shadow was gliding across the ground, silent and even more thorough than Gollum's enchantment effect.

After walking for about ten minutes, Lin Yi's gaze was suddenly drawn to a faint reflection on the ground ahead.

It was a small gear, about the size of a fingernail, gleaming with a dull silver light, lying quietly next to a pool of solidified black oil.

Doctor: "I see the gear mentioned in Rule 3."

Gulu: "Want to try?"

Lin Yi did not reply immediately. He first carefully sensed the surrounding environment and confirmed that there were no signs of the Silent Guardians lurking in the nearest shadows.

He signaled Gulu to stay alert, and when he was about three meters away from the gear, Lin Yi stopped and took out a small pebble he had prepared earlier from his personal space.

Instead of touching it directly with his hand, he used an extremely gentle force to flick the stone toward the gear.

"despair."

A faint, almost negligible, thud.

The pebble hit the gear, and the gear rolled slightly.

In an instant, Lin Yi and Gulu could both feel that the surrounding shadows seemed to ripple, as if countless invisible ears had suddenly perked up.

But perhaps because the sound was too soft and did not reach the threshold that would trigger the appearance of the Guardian of Silence, the fluctuations quickly subsided, and deathly silence returned.

The gears remained lying there quietly, unchanged, and did not trigger any direct attack.

Gulu: "Looks like the slight touch sound is fine? Or maybe this thing isn't a trap at all?"

Doctor: "To be on the safe side, avoid direct contact with your hands."

Lin Yi manipulated the Dark Soul Silk to gently wrap around the silver gear, and then rolled it back.

The gear felt cool to the touch; it was made of neither gold nor iron, and had extremely fine engravings on it, seemingly containing some kind of weak and peculiar power.

[Obtained: Silent Gear x1]

[Note: This item is unique to the "Silent Factory" and can be used to exchange for supplies in the Sleeping City or recycled by the Research Society for contribution points. Collecting it does not seem to directly anger the "Guardians of Silence," but be careful of the noise it makes.]

Seeing the notification, the two felt somewhat relieved.

Rule three, at least the first part is true, these gears are indeed collectible items.

Doctor: "Continue exploring, collect the gears, and be careful to avoid any sound sources. Our main goal is to familiarize ourselves with the environment and complete the initial exploration."

Gulu nodded, and the two resumed their actions, while also paying attention to the occasional flashes of silver light on the ground.

They slowly advanced along the huge walkway, collecting four more gears in the same way.

The whole process was thrilling but without any real danger. As long as they didn't make any noise beyond a certain level, those who kept silent seemed to remain forever lurking in the shadows, "listening," and would not show themselves on their own.

Soon, the factory's terrain began to change, and they entered an area filled with huge condensing towers and intricate pipes, as if they had stepped into a steel jungle.

Visibility was even lower here, with various massive metal structures casting shadows.

Just as they were passing through two huge pipes running side by side, Lin Yi suddenly raised his hand, signaling them to stop.

Gulu immediately stopped moving.

Not far ahead, a flashing blue indicator light was rhythmically jumping on the rusty pipe wall.

Blue indicator light!
Rule 2 states: "A blue indicator light means danger and you must stay away."

While the part of Rule 2 concerning the red section has been proven false, the part concerning the blue section has not yet been verified.

Almost the instant the two saw the blue light, an extremely subtle metallic scraping sound came from deep within the area where the blue indicator light was located.

Creak...creak...

The sound was slow and sluggish, like something heavy and rusty being dragged across a rough metal surface.

Rule Four instantly came to mind: "If you hear a metallic scraping sound behind you, don't turn around. Quicken your pace and walk to the next intersection to turn left."

Gulu: "What should we do? Take a detour?"

Lin Yi stared at the area in front of him that was faintly illuminated by blue light. The pipes crisscrossed, creating many blind spots. The friction sound was coming from behind one of those blind spots.

Doctor: "Step back and go around the left side of the tube group. Be gentle."

The two began to retreat, preparing to bypass the dangerous area from the side.

However, just as they retreated less than five meters—

Creak...creak...

The sickening metallic scraping sound came very clearly from right behind them!

The sound was extremely close, as if it were only two or three meters behind him.

Lin Yi grabbed Gulu's arm, and the power of shadow enveloped the two of them.

Swish!
The two figures instantly blended into the shadows beside them, disappearing like drops of water into the sea.

The next second, they appeared behind a thick pipe to the side and above, their bodies pressed tightly against the cold, rough metal wall.

Where they had just stood, an... unusually large Guardian of Silence was slowly "flowing" by.

It was larger and more distorted than any of the Silent Guardians I had ever seen before. Its main body seemed to be made up of half a rusty giant gear and countless twisted steel fragments. As it moved, its body constantly rubbed against the ground, making that uncomfortable creaking sound.

Its blocky head turned as if searching for the "sound" that had just vanished.

The massive and terrifying Guardian of Silence lingered for a few seconds, unable to detect the subtle sound again, before slowly, accompanied by a continuous rustling sound, slipped into the deeper shadows, merging into the area of ​​blue indicator lights.

Gulu: "...That was close. The blue area really does indicate something more troublesome. Rule four was completely misleading; turning back or running away would have likely resulted in an even quicker death."

Lin Yi: "Yes. Confirmed. The blue area is also unsafe, and may even be more dangerous." (End of Chapter)