However, just as Sterl was about to continue unleashing The End of All Things to pursue the swarm, he noticed that something was off with these insects.
Although it was strange to describe insect beasts with expressions, their eyes now appeared considerably more vacant than before, almost like those of players who had lost their focus.
Wait? What's going on?
Sterl was taken aback. He then realized that the swarm had completely abandoned their hatred for the destroyed nest and were fleeing in all directions, only thinking about getting as far away from him as possible. Even more absurdly, they had forsaken their typical behavior of fighting in groups and were now escaping individually.
The black sun of The End of All Things had descended, but this time, the number of insect beasts being slaughtered was unprecedentedly low.
Sterl looked at the already destroyed insect race nest and thought of the deceased King Worm: "Could it be that the insect race was never fully under the control of the consciousness in this instance?"
"Previously, that Lalaye had to make some fish call out their true names to control the insect race."
"But now the swarm has completely collapsed."
"Perhaps it was because the previous insect race nest had allowed those swarms to be reproduced again, preventing the insects from being mentally contaminated, or maybe it was the King Worm's abilities controlling these swarms."
He thought about it and grew increasingly irritated.
Good grief, does that mean I've inadvertently helped the puppet master of this instance gain control over the insect race's power... and someone else gets to benefit from it?
Sterl was instantly furious! He watched as the insect beasts scattered in panic, many of them burrowing into the sand, seemingly disappearing without a trace, muttering to himself,
"Alright, let's play this slowly!"
...
In the depths of the ocean.
Splash!
A giant insect beast suddenly crawled out from the rocks and soil. It hadn't even had time to act when a distant Flowing Water blade struck it, pinning it to the spot.
Then, the insect beast transformed into a stream of airflow.
Sterl maintained his expression: "That's 130 points of Blood Force."
"Over two months have passed already."
"It's a pity that in this area of abnormal time flow, I can't allocate points; otherwise, I would have soared through the ranks."
He was extremely patient. After the puppet master had fully taken control of the swarm, these insects had been running amok across the entire map, while Sterl had relentlessly pursued them for over two months. As for supplies, he could simply log off to retrieve them.
By the way, because [Dream of Lalaye] was under the first layer of Time Law—resulting in an abnormal time flow caused by sensory deception—when Sterl logged off, the time he experienced wasn't nearly as exaggerated as a day feeling like a year in the instance.
It was exceedingly strange.
For these two months, Sterl had also been trying to understand the underlying principles behind this phenomenon, believing that such insights would elevate his comprehension of the power of time.
But...
He had yet to make any progress.
At this moment, however, Sterl's mind was not focused on the power of time; instead, he sensed that the seawater in the depths of the ocean was boiling as if it were being heated.
With his Blood Force accumulated to 130 points, it meant that the strange currents throughout the instance were nearly drained by him.
Furthermore, over these past two months, beams of light indicating the completion of the instance had appeared multiple times. Yet, the rewards had not increased, suggesting that even the puppet master could not provide anything more.
And now, finally...
The puppet master couldn't hold back any longer.
In an instant...
A gigantic face suddenly emerged from the ocean, entirely colored in shades of blue, adorned with patterns reminiscent of thick paint.
Sterl's main body was hidden in a small world, and just one glance made him feel the strange, corrupting force rushing into the small world at an alarming speed, chasing after him!
Of course, that bizarre power shattered upon contact with the divine authority of creation.
Sterl attempted to use his Star Insight, but he received no response. All the power was distorted and altered near the puppet master!
Sterl noticed that his Bionic Tear was gradually becoming strange. Originally, the Bionic Tear manifested Sterl's appearance, but now, it was sprouting grass, corals, flowers, trees, and even a few human faces.
Players needed to navigate [Dream of Lalaye], gathering a wealth of information at every step.
At the outset, it was essential to understand that they couldn't communicate with other players directly or had to do so in a special way to avoid contamination.
Then there was the swarm, which was clearly a force that could be utilized; they weren't under the puppet master's control. And the final boss, constantly generating pollution, likely had some item that could counter it.
When the instance collapsed, Sterl had caught a glimpse of a strange glimmer disappearing along with the instance. Yet he had charged through recklessly.
What player interference? Kill!
What about rallying the swarm? Kill!
What about the final boss needing to adhere to mechanics and acquire items?
Just kill!
But the outcome was favorable...
Sterl looked at his panel, then at his backpack, organizing the spoils from this [Dream of Lalaye], unable to hide his joy.
"What a great harvest! A tremendous harvest!"
He sighed in satisfaction.
Just then, Sterl suddenly heard someone calling from afar:
"Master, are you alright?"
"Master, you finally appeared!"
"I knew someone as powerful as you couldn't be killed by a mere monster fish."
Huh? Who are you?
Sterl was a bit dazed, momentarily stunned before realizing it was the old fisherman he had recruited during his sightseeing tour earlier.
More than two months had passed in the instance, but only a few hours had gone by in reality. The old fisherman had gathered quite a few people, searching for this mysterious, powerful figure who had gone missing.
Sterl smiled casually and patted the old man's shoulder. "I'm fine, just go about your business."
He tossed the fisherman a gold coin.
However, the fisherman stopped Sterl. "Master, you saved my life; how can I take your money?"
Sterl was too lazy to argue, simply saying, "Take it; just accept it."
The old fisherman hesitated, then pulled out a worn object from his robe and handed it over.
"Master, this is something passed down from my grandfather. He said it was very precious, and I probably won't have any use for it in my lifetime, especially since I have no descendants."
"This thing... can you see if it's of any use to you?"
Sterl paused for a moment and took the heirloom.
He discreetly used Star Insight to scan it.
Then...
Sterl was taken aback and quickly closed his eyes to sense it.
Indeed, the Fortune he had just gathered was instantly drained.
It was important to note that his current Fortune wasn't just what he had previously collected; it also included the Fortune gained from successfully clearing the [Dream of Lalaye], an instance where entering was certain death for demigods!
In total, it amounted to thirty-five units!
And now, it was all gone in one fell swoop!
However, seeing the Fortune dissipate, Sterl felt relieved.
This meant that the item he had just received was usable! There was no Conspiracy involved.
Sterl smiled and quickly logged off, then logged back in.
He shot a golden skill orb into the old fisherman.
The old man seemed to sense something, his expression filled with astonishment, but before he could speak—