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

The cellar was filled with a strong stench of blood.

Lin Yu's gun was emitting wisps of smoke. The lower half of the ghoul player, who was huddled in the corner, was almost completely destroyed. The intense pain and fear caused him to let out a scream that was not human.

"Ah—! My leg! My leg!" He futilely covered the wound with his hands, which was constantly gushing blood and bits of flesh. His body convulsed violently from the excruciating pain, and his face was as pale as paper.

What made him even more desperate was that he could clearly feel that this injury was completely different from the previous ones. A special force was eroding his body and his "immortality" from his wounds.

Although it was the first time he had experienced this power, it didn't stop him from quickly realizing that this was the power in the game that could kill ghouls.

Facing the tormented and desperate ghoul player, Lin Yu remained expressionless as he approached step by step, raising the cold muzzle of his gun once more, aiming it at the player's head.

"How many ghouls are here? What about the other players? If you don't tell me, I'll blow your head off next."

The threat of death and unbearable pain completely destroyed the other party's psychological defenses.

"Four! Including me... four in total!" he answered almost in tears, his voice broken and filled with pain and fear.

"The other...the other three...mingled with the player group during the day...went out...they...they're gathering information, looking for an opportunity...looking for an opportunity..."

"When are you coming back?"

"I...I don't know...maybe...maybe tonight...maybe tomorrow morning...Ah! It hurts so much!"

"Who are they?"

"No...I don't know...I really don't know...We only agreed on this meeting point...We usually hide ourselves, and even when we meet, we mostly conceal our identities...Please...don't kill me..."

Lin Yu once again used torture and Liu Xiangxiang's yin energy to confirm the accuracy of the other party's information.

He also got the information he wanted: four ghouls, and after eliminating the one that had been dealt with, the other three were mixed in with the human players.

It looks like there will be a party here tomorrow morning.

He stopped talking nonsense.

boom!

A gunshot ended the victim's suffering and also triggered a system notification.

[Title Quest: Demon Hunter: Progress 5/5 (Basic requirements completed; exceeding the kill requirement will increase the final reward)]

With the basic requirements for the title quest met, Lin Yu felt reassured.

He quickly scanned the disgusting den, finding nothing but corpses scattered everywhere.

After collecting the loot from the ghoul player and cleaning up the corpses and bloodstains on the ground, he turned around without hesitation and quickly left this underground hell.

He had no intention of staying here to wait for the other ghouls to return. The night was long, and he couldn't afford to waste time here. If he really wanted to deal with those guys, he could wait until it was closer to daytime.

Back on the ground, the cold night air rushed into my lungs, diluting the suffocating stench.

Lin Yu didn't linger and immediately moved towards other areas of the town.

The Witcher's quest was mostly complete, but the goal of finding the Sea God's Ritual had not yet been achieved. After thinking for a moment, he decided to take a look at the commercial area marked on the town map.

After all, pearls and corals are considered precious commodities, and there might be news about them in those places.

Meanwhile, he had actually searched the commercial district before, but at that time he was still searching for information and clues about ghouls, so he didn't pay attention to anything else.

Looking back now, he seems to have seen some scattered ledgers and documents in the ruins of a partially collapsed department store.

I wasn't interested in these things at the time, so I didn't look at them closely. Maybe I can try my luck now.

Using his memory, Lin Yu quickly arrived at the commercial district and found the ruins.

He moved aside the collapsed shelves and bricks, and found several yellowed, tattered, and illegible account books in a dilapidated cabinet.

He patiently and carefully turned each page.

Most of the records are ordinary goods transactions, and the numbers are vague and unclear.

Just when he was about to give up, a particular record caught his attention.

"Purchased twenty deep-sea coral ornaments..."

Next to it is a small signature and date, as well as an address—7 Oak Street.

"A coral ornament?" Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat.

Among the twenty coral ornaments, is there any blood-red coral?

The address—7 Oak Street—was clearly recorded in the ledger.

Perhaps we could go and take a look.

Lin Yu immediately put away the ledger and, according to the map, quickly headed towards Oak Street.

The night was deep and foggy.

The journey was unusually quiet; Lin Yu did not encounter any players or monsters.

He quickly found 7 Oak Street.

This area used to be a luxury residential area, but now it has been reduced to ruins. The traces of the fire are clearly visible, leaving only charred and broken walls.

Without hesitation, Lin Yu immediately began searching, as the study was usually located on the first or second floor.

Using his mental perception and judgment of the house structure, he quickly located an area filled with charred wood and broken bricks.

He summoned Liu Xiangxiang and Liu Yue'er.

"Help me look around and see if there are any coral ornaments here," Lin Yu instructed.

Ghosts' ethereal properties allow them to penetrate obstacles, making them more efficient.

"Yes, benefactor/brother."

Two figures disappeared into the ruins.

A moment later, Liu Yue'er's excited voice came: "Brother! Over here."

Lin Yu immediately stepped forward and, following the direction Liu Yue'er pointed, moved the charred wooden beams and rubble with his bare hands.

Sure enough, underneath was a severely deformed but still sealed wooden box.

One corner of the box was cracked, and a faint red light, like congealed blood, shone through the crack. Through the gap in the box, it could be barely seen that there seemed to be coral inside.

Lin Yu dragged the wooden box out with force and pried it open by brute force.

Inside the box, many of the papers and items had been carbonized.

But in the center, one item remained intact—a coral about a foot tall with a beautiful and unique shape.

Its entire body presents a deep, rich, blood-red color, naturally emitting a faint, warm red glow in the darkness.

Blood Red Coral

Category: Quest Items/Materials

Description: Strange corals from the bottom of the deep sea, imbued with a rich life force and marine spirituality, are offerings used in certain ancient rituals.

This is it, the item needed for the sea god ritual.

Lin Yu suppressed his excitement and carefully took out the blood-red coral.

It felt warm to the touch, as if it were alive.

Without further delay, he immediately found a relatively secluded corner of the ruins where he wouldn't be easily disturbed.

After clearing a small area, Lin Yu solemnly took out the stone statue of the sea god Pontos from his personal space and placed it upright.

Then, he held up the Blood Red Coral, which emitted a warm red glow, with both hands, mimicking the posture of the old man who had lifted it up in the castle basement in his memory, with a solemn expression.

He closed his eyes, cleared his mind of all distractions, and focused intently, silently reciting his belief in completing the ritual and gaining the power of the ocean.

Then he opened his eyes, his gaze devout and resolute, and began to chant, in a clear and steady tone, a hymn from the Bible, a verse belonging to Pontus, the Lord of the Sea:

"The vast, deep sea; the master of the tides; the explorer of the unknown abyss!"

"Your power is like a raging torrent, devouring all illusion..."

"Your heart is as vast as the ocean, nourishing countless living beings..."

Hymns echoed through the silent ruins, carrying a peculiar rhythm and an ancient charm.

As he chanted, the red light emanating from the blood-red coral in Lin Yu's hand grew stronger and stronger, becoming softer and more spiritual, as if it resonated with the sea god statue.

A vast, profound aura, imbued with the power of the tides, began to gather faintly.

When the hymn was finally finished, Lin Yu's spirit reached its peak.

He called out the true name representing the god of the sea in a clear and loud voice:

"Pontos!"

hum-

The space trembled again, but unlike the chilling majesty of the previous blessing from the God of the Sky, this time it was a deep, majestic, and heavy feeling, like the weight of a vast ocean pressing down.

Suddenly, a soft, deep blue light, like a pearl in the deep sea, illuminated the stone surface of the sea god Pontus.

The blood-red coral held in Lin Yu's hands burst forth with a dazzling crimson radiance, which complemented the blue light of the statue.

Countless tiny, flowing blue runes emerged from the coral, swirling and flowing around it!

A vast, majestic, inclusive, and powerful aura descended, as if I were in the deep sea.

"Bearer, choose your vessel to receive the power of the abyss and the tides." That cold thought was once again imprinted in Lin Yu's mind.

Without hesitation, Lin Yu immediately took out the [Poseidon's Trident (Damaged)] from his personal space, raised it high, and faced the torrent of divine power that was intertwined with azure and blood red!

Actually, the Demon Sword would also work, but since this trident is clearly related to the Sea God, using it is not out of the question. In addition, Lin Yu is also worried that Liu Xiangxiang and Liu Yue'er might have an accident after fusing with the Sea God's power.

These two sword spirits are still very useful, whether in combat or for reconnaissance.

Therefore, taking all factors into consideration, Lin Yu still chose the Trident of Poseidon.

This time, unlike before, there was no rejection, nor any surprise.

The immense torrent of divine power, as if having found its perfect home, surged toward the broken trident.

Azure and crimson divine power, like the most skillful craftsman, enveloped every inch of the trident's fracture.

An astonishing scene unfolded—as if time had reversed, the rust on the halberd peeled away, the cracks healed, and new metal, gleaming with the cold light of the deep sea, grew from the broken pieces.

The twisted trident head was also reshaped by divine power, becoming sharp and majestic, flowing with the ripples and power of water.

The entire process was quiet and sacred, completely different from the last time the Azure Rose was born.

As the divine light slowly dissipated, a brand-new weapon, exuding the aura of a vast ocean, quietly floated in front of Lin Yu.

Its entire body is deep blue, as if it were formed from the purest seawater, and it glitters with a cold metallic light.

The halberd is long and slender, covered with ancient and mysterious ripples, and the trident head is incomparably sharp, with water flowing around it.

Lin Yu reached out and grasped the halberd shaft.

It feels cool to the touch, yet there's a sense of connection, as if it were part of my body.

A gentle yet powerful force flowed from the halberd into his body, nourishing his body and spirit.

Poseidon's Trident

Category: Weapons

Attribute: Physical / Special

Grade: Silver

Attack: 100

Durability: 100/100

effect:

Blessed by the Sea God: All attributes +2. Wielding this weapon will grant you the favor of the ocean. When in aquatic environments such as oceans, lakes, and rivers, your health and mana regeneration speed will be greatly increased, and all attributes will receive an additional +2.

Summon Sea Creatures: In aquatic environments, you can consume mana to summon nearby marine creatures to serve you.

Small sea monsters without a level (maximum 100), Iron-level sea monsters (maximum 10), Bronze-level sea monsters (maximum 5), and Silver-level sea monsters (maximum 1).

Duration is related to consumption.

Raging Waves: In a water environment, a large amount of mana can be consumed to manipulate the water flow within a certain range, creating effects such as impact, binding, or defense. The range and intensity of the effect depend on the amount of mana injected and the amount of water in the environment.

Blessed by the Gods (Passive): The divine blessing bestowed by Pontus, the god of the sea, grants the Trident of Pontus special attack effects against ghouls, dark creatures, and other beings, greatly increasing damage and enabling it to kill ghouls.

Description: The waves lead, the abyss responds. — The great being that reshapes it whispers, not a weapon of the world, but a tiny extension of the power of the sea. Reverence it, steer it.

The second divinely blessed weapon has been successfully acquired.

Lin Yu stroked the cold and powerful trident, feeling fairly satisfied.

This weapon is extremely powerful in aquatic environments and has the ability to manipulate water currents and summon sea creatures, making it of considerable strategic value.

Although its attack power and combat strength are not as good as Azure Rose, the situation is different after all; the Trident of Poseidon can also be strengthened.

Just as he was carefully sensing the power of the Trident of Poseidon, suddenly, a wave of unfamiliar memories flooded into his mind.

It's obvious that the shadow clone was destroyed.

Lin Yu immediately closed his eyes and quickly scanned this sudden memory.

The images in his memory were chaotic and complicated. Lin Yu ignored the meaningless memories and focused his attention on the memories before the shadow clone was destroyed.

During the day, the shadow clone was interacting with some players in the town. As night was about to fall, he originally planned to go looking for Lin Yu, but he heard from a player that there was news of the sunny youth. He was not dead, he had returned, and was gathering other players.

Upon hearing this, the shadow clone immediately abandoned any intention of leaving and headed to the location mentioned by the player to check the situation.

After all, in his memory, the probability of a sunny young man surviving was extremely low. If he was still alive, there was only one possibility: he was a ghoul.

Therefore, he had to go and check the situation.

Soon, the shadow clone arrived at the area the player had mentioned. Sure enough, he found the sunny young man who was completely unharmed. He had already gathered twenty or thirty human players and was explaining his experience to them.

It was probably during the battle at the church that he wasn't immediately killed by the ghouls, but instead used his special abilities to escape and returned after his body recovered.

Players were skeptical, but because of the credibility that Sunny Youth had previously demonstrated, most players still trusted him.

Therefore, he accepted his summons and prepared to continue the alliance.

But they had clearly trusted the wrong person. As night fell and everyone was leaving, suddenly a crow flew across the sky, and a thick black fog descended once more, accompanied by shadowy figures. Then, the roars and screams of the players pierced the night sky from within the fog.

Several incredibly fast black shadows launched a surprise attack on the player group gathered in the ruins of the square.

The battle erupted instantly.

Players' attacks and skills fly everywhere.

However, those ghouls were extremely powerful, with strength, speed, and defense far exceeding those of ordinary players. Coupled with the black mist that obscured their vision, the players were caught completely off guard.

At the same time, during his observation through his shadow clone, he suddenly saw a familiar figure standing in the center of the battlefield, which had transformed into a ghoul.

That person was none other than—a sunny young man.

He was already extremely powerful, and his combat strength increased even more after transforming into a ghoul, easily killing a large number of human players.

The number of players, which was over thirty, decreased rapidly.

But at this critical moment, a sharp arrow, like a fiery meteor, shot out from the other side, accurately hitting a ghoul's shoulder, and the burst of flames forced it back.

The archer was a player who was completely shrouded in a black robe, wore a bronze mask, and had a lithe physique.

The longbow in her hand was burning with golden flames and exuded a divine aura. This shadow clone was very familiar with it, so it was clear that this longbow was also a weapon blessed by the gods.

The battle was exceptionally fierce. Although the players were individually strong and had the support of blessed archers, the ghouls were even more ferocious. Moreover, the young man with sunshine was extremely powerful, and under his leadership, the ghouls still held the upper hand.

The shadow clone tried to record more information, but was discovered by a ghoul that attacked from the side, its claws instantly piercing through his chest... His memory ended there.

Lin Yu suddenly opened his eyes, a look of understanding flashing in them.

He guessed right; this seemingly innocent young man was indeed suspicious, and he really was a ghoul player.

All his previous noble and righteous actions were aimed at gathering human players together so that they could be wiped out in one fell swoop.

Now, perhaps believing the time was right, or for some other reason, he led the last ghoul players in a final assault on the human players.

Meanwhile, another player with a divinely blessed weapon has appeared on the human player side. According to the information overheard by the shadow clone, this player's name is "Hawkeye," and she is a female player who is currently putting up a fierce resistance.

"Is this the final battle?" Lin Yu gripped the Trident of Poseidon tightly in his hand.

Although the Witcher quest was basically completed, he couldn't mind getting more kill rewards.

As for that [Hawkeye]... he possesses a blessed weapon, so perhaps we could cooperate, or... then...

While pondering, Lin Yu no longer hesitated, and his figure shot off like an arrow towards the direction of the town's central square in his memory.

……

When he arrived at the edge of the battlefield, the fighting was reaching its climax.

The plaza was a mess, littered with traces of skills and the corpses of players.

Less than twenty human players remained, struggling to stay afloat against a dilapidated wall.

The female player codenamed "Eagle Eye" stood at the forefront, her flaming longbow constantly opening and closing, firing flaming arrows precisely at the onrushing ghouls, forcing them to keep their distance.

Her archery skills were extremely accurate, and her arrows were very powerful, especially against ghouls.

Most of the five ghouls had arrow wounds and burns that could not be healed, but surprisingly, none of them died.

Clearly, this group of ghouls is much stronger.

The player named Eagle Eye was also struggling to cope, sweat beading on his forehead and breathing rapidly.

It seems that although she obtained a weapon blessed by the gods, her own strength is average, and her combat power is not strong enough to easily kill ghouls.

On the other side, five ghouls, each with a different appearance but all exceptionally fierce, launched a relentless attack.

The young man with the brightest sunshine is the strongest, with speed as fast as a ghost. His claws slash with a sharp whistling sound that tears through the air, and he can even withstand the player's defensive skills.

The other four ghouls are also extremely troublesome, working together to reduce the number of human players at a rapid pace.

Lin Yu's appearance did not attract the attention of either side, and Lin Yu did not intend to step forward immediately. Instead, he hid to the side and coldly watched the battle continue to develop.

His idea was simple: since the game didn't specifically prohibit players from fighting each other, it meant that even players from the same faction would still compete.

No one can guarantee that human players won't switch sides for various reasons during battle.

For example, in order to obtain Lin Yu's equipment and skill cards, they forcibly joined forces with the ghouls to kill him first.

This is not an exaggeration; Lin Yu felt that it was very likely to happen.

Therefore, he did not intend to appear immediately, but rather to wait and see, and then step in at the crucial moment.

……

Meanwhile, the battle on the other side was also becoming increasingly fierce.

The ghouls finally suffered heavy casualties as one of them was accidentally hit by a fire arrow shot by Hawkeye. This arrow was clearly unusual; it must have been a skill inherent to the bow and arrow, as the scorching flames quickly enveloped the ghoul's entire body.

Upon seeing this, the human players who were besieging him immediately stepped forward without saying a word, ready to give the fallen dog a good beating.

But the ghoul endured the pain, broke through the encirclement, and swiftly grabbed a player with one hand, biting down on the player's carotid artery.

Blood splattered onto the ghoul like a fountain, barely extinguishing some of the flames containing solar energy. The ghoul opened its blood-red maw and fiercely tore at the player's flesh, recovering the life it had just lost.

But it was at this crucial moment that...

bang bang bang...

The roar of the Azure Roses resounded.

The double-barreled bullets whistled out, blocking his movement, and the terrifyingly powerful bullets struck the ghoul that was tearing apart the human player's corpse.

He was beaten until his whole body was like a rag doll, convulsing on the spot.

At the same time, Lin Yu exerted force with his feet on the other side, and the Trident of Poseidon, carrying an overwhelming power, shot straight forward like a wave.

The ghoul was terrified and tried to dodge the bullets, but the trident pierced its chest with pinpoint accuracy.