Dungeon 6: Border Forest Village
Rules Panel: Unravel the ancient rituals of the forest without disturbing the "eyes of the trees."
The ultimate challenge: awaken the guardian ancient tree and choose whether to let it be reborn or rest in peace.
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng were transported to an ancient, misty forest, where it was eerily quiet, with only the whispers of leaves to be heard.
"Remember the rules," Yu Heng lowered his voice, "Don't look directly into any tree holes. They are the eyes of the tree."
They soon discovered that the villagers were controlled by some force, repeating strange prayers. Yun Shuo put on the "Memory Mask" and read the key information:
"When the last leaf falls, we will give our heartbeats so that the forest can sleep peacefully."
"Sleep peacefully?" Yun Shuo mused, "I'm afraid it will be eternal sleep."
They found a sober old man and learned that in order to awaken the guardian tree, three rituals must be completed:
1. Exchange light for the road: use your body temperature to light up the moss.
2. Use song to wake up the sleeping buds.
3. Heart for Heart: Offer your own vitality and resonate with the ancient tree.
The first two rituals were completed smoothly with their cooperation. But during the final ritual, the "Eyes of the Trees" finally noticed their intentions, and the entire forest instantly awakened, with vines surging towards them like a tide.
At the critical moment, Yuheng made an astonishing decision: he pressed the "Time Key" on the ancient tree and forcibly opened a tiny time gap.
"Use the 'Xi Key'." He said to Yun Shuo.
Yun Shuo immediately understood, put on the "Xi Key" and transformed himself into a "guide", successfully drawing the attention of all the "Tree Eyes" to himself, and buying precious time for Heng.
The ceremony was completed and the ancient tree was successfully awakened.
Facing the ancient tree, they must make the final choice:
Let it regrow: The forest will recover, but will require a constant supply of energy from the outside.
Let it rest: the forest will become an ordinary wood, but it will gain eternal peace.
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng looked at each other and made a choice.
The ancient tree's voice echoed in their hearts: "Choose, rebirth, or rest in peace."
Yun Shuo looked at the villagers entangled in vines, and then looked at the forest that was trapped in an eternal cycle because of an ancient oath.
"If you choose to be reborn, you will need continuous 'offerings,'" Yun Shuo said slowly, "and this land has already paid too much for that."
"If you choose to rest in peace," Yuheng continued, "you will lose the power to protect it, but the forest will return to normal, and no more sacrifices will be needed."
The ancient tree was silent for a long time, and finally whispered: "I'm tired."
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng looked at each other, gently pressed their hands on the tree trunk, and pushed the "Lin Yao" into the heart of the tree.
"Rest in peace."
The light faded, and the forest returned to peace. The villagers woke from their slumber, and the ancient tree transformed into an ordinary old man, bowing deeply to them.
"Congratulations on obtaining the 'Forest Key.'" The system prompt sounded, "All six keys have been collected."
The six key seals merged in front of them, transforming into a staircase leading to the top of the tower.
At the top of the tower, they saw the incarnation of the "Tower Master" - a person whose face could not be seen clearly.
"You have done well," the Tower Master said. "You can choose to leave, or stay and become the new 'Order Officer'."
"What does a sequence officer do?" Yun Shuo asked.
"Maintaining balance and setting rules for those who come after you," the Tower Master explained, "but the price is that you will be deprived of your freedom."
Yuheng looked at Yunshuo: "Do you want to leave?"
Yun Shuo thought for a moment and smiled: "Perhaps, we can take a look at the outside world first, and then decide whether to come back."
The tower master nodded and opened a door. "Outside this door is the world you came from. But remember, once this door closes, you can never come back."
"Or," the tower master pointed to another door, "you can go to the 'Upper Tower'. There are more complex rules and real answers."
Yun Shuo and Yu Heng looked at each other and walked towards the door leading to the unknown without hesitation.
"Then, keep going up."
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