Survival in an apartment, starting with a stroke of luck on a plane

The cold muzzle of the gun pressed against the temple of the tall, thin ghoul player, the metallic chill and the aura of death penetrating to his very bones.

The unique scent of the Azure Rose, a blend of sulfur and steel, filled his nostrils, instantly shattering his last shred of hope.

He could clearly feel the terrifying power contained within the gun barrel, an energy powerful enough to completely end his "immortal" life.

Beside him, his short, stocky companion's head had been smashed open, and red and white fluids were still gushing out, silently testifying to the weapon's terrifying power.

The scene was like a nightmare, constantly flashing before his eyes.

"I'll talk! I'll talk! Don't kill me!" The tall, thin player completely broke down, his voice shrill and distorted with extreme fear, his body trembling violently like a leaf: "I know a place! It's... it's a place we discovered by accident before, maybe... maybe it's where other ghouls gather!"

Clearly, his bones weren't actually that hard.

"Explain yourself." Lin Yu's voice was cold and ruthless, the gun barrel remaining motionless.

"In...in the east of town, near the old textile factory, there's a half-collapsed cellar, very hidden, covered by weeds and waste..." the tall, thin man said incoherently, speaking very quickly.

"When we transformed into predators the other night, we saw other figures go inside... There seemed to be movement inside, but we didn't dare go closer... I don't know exactly how many there were, or who they were... Really! That's all I know! Please let me go!"

A cellar? Headquarters? Lin Yu's eyes narrowed slightly.

This is indeed a hidden place that is not easy to find.

"Anything else? Do you know which other players are ghouls?" Lin Yu continued to press, not letting go of any possible clues.

"No...I don't know...I really don't know!" the tall, thin man cried out, tears and snot mingling together.

"Everyone disguises themselves very well during the day. Unless you happen to know each other like us and are assigned to the same group, you can't tell at all! We were forced into it; we didn't want to become monsters..."

Lin Yu had no interest in his wailing and would not be swayed by such words.

After realizing he couldn't extract any more valuable information, he coldly interrupted the other person: "Very well."

boom!

A muffled gunshot ended all the pleas and fear.

The tall, thin man collapsed to the ground, his last vestige of life extinguished.

[Title Quest: Demon Hunter: Progress 4/5]

The system notification sounded on time, recording yet another hunt.

Lin Yu expressionlessly put away the Azure Rose and began skillfully looting the spoils.

He carefully examined the two corpses that had begun to emit a strange odor. Their equipment was very ordinary, and they only had a few game coins, making them look quite shabby.

However, in the short, stocky player's pocket, Lin Yu felt something hard wrapped in oilcloth.

He unfolded the oilcloth, and inside was not the food or money he had imagined, but an old leather paper of a special material with some tears in the edges.

The paper has a soft, supple feel and appears to have undergone special treatment. Simple patterns and lines are drawn on the paper with dark brown pigment.

It looks like a map.

The upper half of the paper depicts a distorted coastline marked with a prominent cross, next to which is a simple illustration of a treasure chest.

The lower half contains some blurry, ancient texts and symbols, resembling navigational notes. Most of them are worn away by time and are difficult to recognize, but one whirlpool-like mark and words such as "undercurrent" and "reef" are still faintly discernible.

"A treasure map?" Lin Yu was slightly surprised.

This thing seems rather out of place on a ghoul player.

Perhaps the other party found it by chance during a previous search.

He examined the map carefully and found that the location marked with an X seemed to be on a small island not far from the coast.

That small island isn't far from here; it's visible to the naked eye.

The sea god's offerings require either "deep-sea pearls" or "blood-red coral".

Both of these items could theoretically be found on the seabed or near islands.

Could this unexpectedly acquired treasure map point to the Sea God's Ritual? Or at least provide some related clues?

I would rather trust it to have it than to trust it to have nothing.

Exploring this marked island might be a worthwhile direction.

Lin Yu carefully put the treasure map away.

He quickly disposed of the two corpses that had begun to emit a foul odor, simply dragging them aside and burying them to avoid causing unnecessary trouble prematurely.

Once completed, he immediately set off, searching along the winding coastline for a usable boat.

The abandoned dock area was in a mess, with very few things that could be called "boats".

Most of the wooden boats have long since rotted and disintegrated, leaving only some broken skeletons half-buried in the mud and sand, or drifting with the current and crashing into the reefs.

Lin Yu patiently searched for nearly an hour, checking almost every corner where a boat might be hidden, before finally finding an old wooden boat half-submerged in the water in an extremely secluded cove.

The boat was small, only able to hold two or three people. The hull had many damages and cracks, and the wood had turned black and softened due to long-term soaking. The only mast had also broken and was nowhere to be found.

But it seems to be the only vessel in the area that could possibly be repaired and barely usable.

Lin Yu did not hesitate and immediately took action.

He rolled up his sleeves, found some relatively intact planks, and salvaged usable nails and metal parts from other completely destroyed wrecked ships. Using the few tools and materials he found, he began to make repairs.

Thanks to his superhuman physique and strength, as well as some practical skills he had accumulated in the game, he spent several hours, his back soaked with sweat, before finally managing to plug the largest holes in the hull.

The repaired boat still looked dilapidated, patched upon patched, but at least it could float on the water and wouldn't sink immediately.

Although he still felt it couldn't sail on the sea, Lin Yu felt it should be enough. If it really didn't work out and sank halfway, Lin Yu could use Liu Xiangxiang to save his own life. Time was of the essence, so he decided to leave it at that.

He found two broken oars and used the thick rope and wire he found to bind and reinforce them, making a makeshift oar.

Although it's not very convenient, it's still better than paddling with your hands.

It was past noon, and the fog on the sea seemed to be thinner than in the morning, but visibility was still low.

Without further delay, Lin Yu pushed the repaired boat into the water and jumped aboard.

The small boat immediately began to rock violently, making a teeth-grinding "creaking" sound, as if it would fall apart at any moment, but in the end it withstood his weight and floated on the water.

Lin Yu compared the treasure map with the map, then looked up at the misty sky and the indistinct coastline, carefully identifying the direction.

He took a deep breath of the salty, damp air and began to row vigorously with the makeshift oars toward the small island.

The sea was not calm; undercurrents surged, and the small waves were enough to rock the old, dilapidated boat violently.

The dilapidated little boat bobbed in the waves, as if it could be capsized or scattered by a slightly larger wave at any moment.

Lin Yu did his best to stabilize the boat, relying on his powerful arm strength and core strength to control the direction, while vigilantly watching the surrounding sea.

After rowing for more than half an hour, the outline of a solitary island covered with lush vegetation finally came into view ahead.

The island is small, covered with jagged rocks and low but unusually dense shrubs, giving it a desolate and primitive appearance.

Lin Yu carefully chose a relatively flat beach, rowed the small boat over with all his might, dragged it ashore, and found a sturdy sapling to tie the rope to.

He drew the Demon Sword, his sharp gaze sweeping across the silent island.

"Xiangxiang, Yue'er, come out."

Two semi-transparent figures silently appeared, carrying a hint of chill.

"benefactor."

"elder brother."

Two figures appeared in front of Lin Yu.

"Search this island," Lin Yu commanded, his voice deep and clear.

"Pay close attention to caves, rock crevices, unusual markings, or anything that looks unusual. Stay alert and notify me immediately if anything happens."

With ghosts assisting in reconnaissance, the search efficiency will be far greater than if one were alone.

"Yes." Liu Xiangxiang and Liu Yue'er nodded in acceptance, transforming into two faint, almost imperceptible phantoms that quickly blended into the shadows of the island's rocks and vegetation, and began to investigate in detail separately.

Lin Yu also unleashed his spiritual perception, spreading it out like an invisible net to carefully explore every inch of the island.

The island was unusually quiet; apart from the ceaseless crashing of the waves against the rocks and the occasional calls of seabirds flying overhead, there was almost no other sound.

Time passed slowly.

About half an hour later, Liu Yue'er returned first, her little face showing excitement at having found her target: "My benefactor brother! Over there! There seems to be a cave entrance behind those rocks, covered by lots of vines. It's dark inside, I can't see anything!"

Lin Yu's spirits lifted: "Lead the way!"

Guided by Liu Yue'er, Lin Yu quickly traversed a rugged rocky area and arrived at the foot of a cliff on the shady side of the island.

The light is dimmer and the humidity is higher here.

Dense vines hang down from the rock face like curtains, and it is extremely difficult to discover that a narrow cave entrance is hidden behind them unless you part them and look closely.

Holding the Demon Sword, Lin Yu carefully parted the layers of vines, and a cold, damp air with an earthy smell immediately rushed out of the cave.

The opening was small, barely allowing one person to pass through by bending over.

It was pitch black inside, and the bottom was nowhere in sight. Even the light from a flashlight seemed to be swallowed up by the darkness.

He took out his flashlight, adjusted it to the brightest beam, and ducked inside first.

Liu Xiangxiang and Liu Yue'er stood guard on either side of him, their translucent bodies emitting a faint glow in the darkness.

The cave was deeper than I had imagined, with winding passages that descended at varying steep and gentle slopes.

The air was damp and cold, the stone walls were covered with condensed water droplets, and the ground was uneven and extremely slippery.

After walking about ten meters, the view suddenly opened up, and the flashlight beam illuminated a small natural stone chamber.

In the center of the stone chamber, there were piles of fragments of wooden boxes that had long since rotted and turned black, making it difficult to recognize their original appearance, as well as several pieces of metal that had been completely rusted into a heap.

It looked like someone had hidden something here a long time ago, but time had long since decayed everything of value, and Lin Yu didn't see anything of any worth.

Lin Yu's heart sank slightly.

Has the treasure already been taken by someone before? Or is this just an abandoned treasure spot with no real treasure? Is that map just a prank or outdated information?

Undeterred, he carefully shone his flashlight into every corner of the stone chamber, leaving no stone unturned.

Suddenly, behind a pile of rocks at the deepest part of the stone chamber, he caught a faint glimpse of a reflection, different from that of the rocks, out of the corner of his eye.

He immediately stepped forward and used his sword sheath to pry open the loose stones.

A broken metal rod covered in thick green rust lay among the rubble.

One end of the long rod has an uneven break, while the other end has a twisted and deformed metal head that can be vaguely seen to be in the shape of a three-pronged fork.

This is... a broken trident?

Lin Yu bent down and picked it up, finding it unexpectedly heavy and cold to the touch.

He wiped away the damp grime and thick green rust from the surface and examined it carefully.

The metal itself appears to be of extraordinary quality, yet it has not been completely rusted over the years.

【Poseidon's Trident (Damaged)】

Category: Weapons

Attribute: Physical/Special

Grade: None (Damaged)

Attack: 1

Durability: 0/0

Effect: None

Description: This appears to be a weapon once used by some being, but it broke in a terrible battle, completely losing all its divine power and might. Now it is just a hard antique, and perhaps only a god can repair it.

Lin Yu: "..."

More expectation, more disappointment.

He struggled to row to the island, only to find this completely broken thing.

Of course, according to the description of this equipment, it might be possible to restore it with the blessing of the sea god, but the problem is that Lin Yu is currently looking for the ritual of the sea god's blessing.

Undeterred, he conducted several more thorough searches of the stone chamber, even having Liu Xiangxiang and Liu Yue'er probe through the rocks to see if there were any hidden layers or spaces around it, but ultimately they found nothing.

Apart from the broken trident, the cave was completely empty.

"Sigh." Lin Yu sighed, his tone tinged with helplessness.

He put the broken trident into his backpack.

At this moment, he was inevitably feeling somewhat depressed.

Leave the dark cave and return to the island.

Unwilling to give up easily, he spent some more time, together with the two ghosts, conducting a more thorough search of the island from beginning to end, from the coastline to the central highlands.

However, no items or clues related to pearls, coral, or the sea god have been found.

As the sun began to set and the sky gradually darkened, the fog on the sea began to thicken again, making visibility worse once more.

"I can't stay any longer." Lin Yu decisively decided to give up.

Sailing at night in the unknown fog was too risky, and he had more important things to do—to wipe out the possible ghoul's lair.

He quickly returned to where the small boat was moored, untied the rope, and rowed vigorously again, heading back towards the town's dock.

The return journey was even more difficult than the journey there. The wind and currents became unfavorable, and the dilapidated boat moved extremely slowly, consuming a great deal of Lin Yu's energy.

The waves seemed to become more unfriendly, nearly capsizing the small boat several times. But perhaps it was the sea god's blessing, the extremely dilapidated boat not only didn't capsize, but it didn't even fall apart, which surprised Lin Yu.

By the time he finally managed to drag the dilapidated boat back to the secluded cove, it was completely dark. The thick night once again enveloped the misty town, the fog thickening in the darkness, adding to the eerie atmosphere.

Lin Yu didn't rest, or even stop to catch his breath.

He immediately set off, stealthily making his way towards the old textile factory area in the east of the town.

Now is the time to verify the information we extracted from that ghoul player.

The area around the old textile factory was more dilapidated and desolate than the rest of the town. The huge abandoned factory buildings, like the skeleton of a silent behemoth, cast menacing and twisted shadows in the gloomy sky.

There was a strange smell in the air, and inhaling it made one feel nauseous.

Lin Yu moved among the ruins, his mental energy highly concentrated, sensing any subtle movement around him.

Soon, based on the tall, thin ghoul's description, he discovered a downward-sloping concrete entrance behind a corner piled with abandoned textile machinery and tattered fabrics. This entrance was deliberately covered up with clutter and garbage.

The entrance was filled with a strong, musty smell mixed with a faint, nauseating stench.

This must be the place.

Lin Yu did not enter immediately. He first cautiously surveyed the area around the entrance to confirm that there were no signs of hidden sentries or traps.

Then, he summoned Liu Xiangxiang.

"Xiangxiang, go in first and scout out the situation. Be careful to stay hidden and don't alert them. The key is to confirm whether there are ghouls inside, how many there are, and how they are distributed," Lin Yu instructed in a low voice.

The ghost's ability to become invisible and its silent movement make it the best means of reconnaissance at present.

"Yes, benefactor." Liu Xiangxiang nodded, her figure transforming into an imperceptible wisp of black smoke, silently merging into the shadows of the underground passage without causing a ripple.

Lin Yu hid behind a pile of rubble and building materials near the entrance, patiently waiting while taking advantage of the brief time to recover his strength, adjust his breathing, and calm his rapid heartbeat caused by the previous rapid movement.

The waiting time seemed exceptionally long.

About five minutes later, Liu Xiangxiang's figure reappeared from the shadows.

"My benefactor, there is indeed something inside," Liu Xiangxiang reported in a low voice. "The passage leads down to a large cellar, and inside... there are many human skeletons scattered everywhere. I roughly estimate there are about seven or eight... and they all look very fresh, so they shouldn't have been dead for long..."

Lin Yu nodded.

Upon closer inspection, it was indeed the hiding place of the ghouls.

"Anything else? Are there any living ghouls?" he pressed.

"There is one." Liu Xiangxiang nodded: "He was hiding in the innermost corner, and it looked like he was... sleeping? Or just resting? I didn't get too close, afraid of being detected by him. I didn't sense any other creatures."

Only one? Lin Yu frowned slightly.

This is somewhat different from what he envisioned as a "gathering place" or "base camp".

Was it because the other ghouls were out during the day? Or was this just that ghoul's hiding place? In any case, Lin Yu would definitely kill them all.

"Okay, let's go in. You're in charge of keeping watch around, especially behind and on the flanks, to prevent any ambushes or other unexpected situations," Lin Yu instructed.

He drew the Azure Rose, gripped the Demon Sword in his left hand, took a deep breath of the foul-smelling air, and bent down to crawl into the underground entrance.

The passageway extends downwards, and the interior is darker, damper, and colder than the outside.

The stench was so strong it was almost suffocating, enough to make an ordinary person vomit.

The beam of the flashlight pierced the darkness, revealing thick mold and shocking scratches on the walls, with small bone fragments and tattered clothing fibers scattered on the ground.

After walking about twenty meters, the space in front of us suddenly opened up.

Under the flashlight beam, an underground bunker about half the size of a basketball court was revealed.

The scene before me was like a painting of hell.

Seven or eight human corpses lay scattered on the ground in various poses, most of them gnawed beyond recognition, with broken limbs, exposing bare bones and congealed blood vessels and internal organs.

The congealed, dark red blood had stained large areas of the ground with an unsettling, foul hue.

The smell in the air almost solidified into a tangible substance.

Even though Lin Yu was used to bloody scenes, he couldn't help but feel a churning in his stomach.

He suppressed his physical and mental discomfort and swiftly and steadily swept the flashlight beam into the deepest part of the bunker.

There were a few dirty, tattered blankets, stained with unknown dirt, barely covering the area, forming a makeshift "nest".

A figure was curled up on a blanket with its back to the entrance, seemingly asleep.

He was wearing ordinary player clothes, but they were covered in dark red bloodstains and various other stains.

Seemingly startled by the flashlight beam or hearing the inevitable footsteps, the figure suddenly moved and turned around alertly.

The flashlight beam instantly illuminated his face—a pale, thin, sunken-eyed young man's face, but still vaguely recognizable as human.

His eyes were filled with terror, exhaustion, and a hint of wild, wary glint.

"Who?! Don't come any closer!" he screamed, his voice hoarse, as he scrambled backward, frantically searching around him and suddenly pulling out a long knife.

Lin Yu's gaze was sharp as a knife. Without any hesitation, he swiftly raised the [Azure Rose] in his hand, pointing the muzzle steadily at his opponent.

The player's pupils constricted instantly when he saw the revolver in Lin Yu's hand, before he could even say anything.

boom! boom! boom!

Lin Yu had no interest in listening to his nonsense and pulled the trigger directly. Three specially made bullets containing the power of divine blessing instantly enveloped the lower half of the opponent's body, like an invitation from the Grim Reaper.

At such close range, the target has no way to dodge a poised attack.

The ghoul player's lower body trembled violently from the immense kinetic energy, like a rag doll, with bursts of dazzling blood erupting from his abdomen and legs.

The long sword in his hand clattered to the ground, and his eyes widened in disbelief.

His body slammed heavily against the cold, damp wall behind him, then slid limply down the wall to the ground.

The bloodstains on his lower body spread rapidly, merging seamlessly with the already congealed dark red stains on the ground.