33: Chapter 33 Seven-Day Race and the Gate Ladder

The glow from the completion of the [Exclusive Hidden Team Mission] had not yet fully dissipated within the club activity room. The strengthening patterns emerging on the walls and the team light screen in the center marked the initial establishment of the [Dream Society Activity Center] stronghold. Li Mubai immediately utilized his newly acquired permissions to relocate the Rank E Dream Gate from the abandoned factory into the stronghold.

However, the information brought by the unlocked [Dream Gate Fusion Rules] was even more urgent:

Fusion Rules: Two portals of the same Rank and under the same owner can be fused and upgraded (E to D, D to C...).

Absolute Passage Restriction: Portals only allow lifeforms with an energy level no higher than their own to pass through.

Key Intelligence: When a lone Host binds a Dream Gate, the required number for Fusion is double that of a team (i.e., a loner needs 4 Rank E gates to fuse into 1 Rank D gate).

This intelligence was like a clap of thunder. It meant the team held a massive advantage in acquiring and upgrading portals, but only if they could seize as many initial Rank E portals as possible before other lone Hosts reacted and formed effective competition or Alliances!

"We must be fast!" Li Mubai's tone was urgent. "Information about the Dream Gates hasn't been made public yet. Very few Hosts know about them or can find them, and most are loners. This is our window to establish an absolute advantage! Our goal: find at least three additional Rank E gates within a week!"

Time was of the essence. The team immediately began operating with high efficiency:

Li Mubai remained at the stronghold, coordinating and commanding via the team light screen, while using the [Star Rail] to attempt large-scale fuzzy positioning.

Zhang Hao and Silver Star focused entirely on intelligence analysis and path planning, screening all reports of possible anomalous locations.

Chen Rui and Qian Xiaomin, relying on their stealth and speed, were responsible for the most dangerous field confirmations and preliminary reconnaissance.

The remaining members were split into several small groups, heading out based on intelligence. Once a portal's location was confirmed and found without powerful guardians, they would quickly assemble to suppress and bind it.

It was a race against time. They discovered a second gate by a hidden tributary in the city sewers, defeating a group of Slimes formed from sewage that had gathered, attracted by the portal's energy. They found a third gate inside an abandoned water tank on the top floor of an unfinished building, dispersing several wandering Mournful Banshees (low-tier undead). The fourth gate appeared by a mirrored lake in a park at midnight, where a pack of Shadow Hounds capable of creating fear illusions was entrenched.

The process was not all smooth sailing; combat was frequent and intense, and the members' mental and Dream Power reserves were depleting rapidly. However, the advantages of teamwork were displayed to the fullest: rapid support, information sharing, and complementary abilities allowed them to achieve their goals with minimal cost.

During this period, they also encountered two other lone Hosts. One attempted to fight for the mirrored lake portal but eventually chose to retreat under the coordinated pressure of a full Dream Society squad. The other appeared quietly after they had bound the unfinished building's portal, expressing an interest in cooperation. However, after learning the cruel rules that bound portals could not be easily transferred and that lone Fusion requirements were doubled, they could only leave dejectedly. These encounters made everyone more certain that they had to seize this brief window of opportunity.

On the night they successfully bound the fourth Rank E gate, a cold notification sound rang out in the minds of all members:

[Warning: Remaining real-world time until the start of the next mandatory team mission: 71 hours 59 minutes...]

The pressure spiked! They had to complete the portal Fusion and initial adaptation within three days, then face the unknown team mission!

Without a moment's rest, Li Mubai immediately initiated the Fusion process within the stronghold. Two Rank E gates merged into one amidst the light, ascending to a [Dream Gate (Rank D)].

Li Mubai, Zhao Hu, Zhou Mei, and other Rank C members immediately tried to pass through, but were still heartlessly rejected. "The rules are indeed strict." Li Mubai took a deep breath, undeterred.

They followed up by fusing the remaining two Rank E gates into a second Rank D gate.

Now, the most critical moment had arrived. Li Mubai looked at the two Rank D gates before him, which were emitting deep fluctuations, and said solemnly, "Fuse the Rank C gate!"

Energy surged again, the fluctuations even more violent this time, causing the stronghold's defensive runes to flicker. When everything settled, a grand portal engraved with the letter 'C' finally stood before everyone.

Li Mubai reached out his hand again—this time, there was no resistance!

"Success!" Suppressed cheers finally broke out. Despite their exhaustion, excitement burned in everyone's eyes. After a week of high-intensity travel and combat, they had finally opened the passage to the Dream World for their core combatants before the mandatory mission arrived!

Using their remaining time, the members quickly tested passage through the Rank C gate and confirmed the feasibility of bringing docile dream creatures into the team space through the portal, as well as obtaining Dream Power by eliminating ferocious creatures. The prototype of a healthy resource cycle had been established.

Within these thrilling seven days, the Dream Society, relying on the advantages of teamwork and precise timing, successfully crossed the portal Rank Bastion, laying a solid foundation for the upcoming mandatory mission and even deeper future explorations.