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

In an instant, a cold wind blew, and twenty semi-transparent or solidified ghosts of various shapes appeared around Lin Yu.

They floated silently, awaiting their master's command.

"Protect me and enter the black mist," Lin Yu commanded succinctly.

The ghosts immediately sprang into action, forming a loose defensive formation that protected Lin Yu and his electric scooter in the center.

Lin Yu took a deep breath, turned on the ignition, and drove the electric car slowly into the unsettling, dense black fog.

As soon as he entered the black mist, the feeling of being watched from all directions by countless cold, indifferent eyes instantly overwhelmed him, making the hairs on the back of Lin Yu's neck stand on end, as if there were thorns on his back.

"It's really weird..." Lin Yu frowned and silently circulated his magic power. A light blue [Mage Shield] quietly appeared around his body, providing basic protection.

At the same time, he put away the [Azure Rose] and replaced it with the [Sun's Blessing - Rising Sun Bow].

The moment this magnificent longbow appeared, it naturally emitted a warm and gentle glow and a reassuring aura of positive energy, dispelling the slight chill around him and making Lin Yu feel much more comfortable.

Although the light emanating from his bow could not completely dispel the thick fog, it at least formed a hazy halo several meters around him, providing some visibility.

He drove his electric car carefully, escorted by a procession of ghosts, following the directions indicated by the navigation.

Soon, he saw the "walking corpse" that the ghost had mentioned.

They were humanoid creatures with ashen skin, tattered clothes, and empty, lifeless eyes. They stood stiffly in place, motionless, like statues.

Even when Lin Yu and the ghost team passed by them, or even observed them up close, they did not react at all, as if they were truly just inanimate objects.

But Lin Yu could clearly sense that these monsters contained a kind of cold "activity" within them. They didn't seem to be unable to move, but rather they were in a strange "standby" state, not yet activated.

Just as the ghost had said, these monsters haven't shown any aggression so far, and they haven't made any moves even when Lin Yu got very close.

"As long as I don't provoke them..." Lin Yu thought to himself, continuing to be vigilant and proceed cautiously.

After driving for about ten minutes in the dark fog, he was very close to his destination according to the navigation.

Finally, in the hazy black mist ahead, an outline emitting a faint blue glow appeared.

Upon closer inspection, Lin Yu realized it was a semi-circular energy shield, like an inverted bowl, enveloping a dilapidated Gothic building whose former grandeur was still faintly discernible.

The protective shield shimmered with light, seemingly effectively keeping the eerie black mist out.

The red dot on the navigation map coincides with this location.

We've arrived at the Ghost Opera House.

Lin Yu parked the electric scooter at the entrance of the protective enclosure, and had the twenty ghosts keep watch around it, especially the electric scooter and the delivery box.

He then took the "scream tape" out of the delivery box and prepared to enter the theater.

He had just stepped onto the cracked steps in front of the theater entrance when something unexpected happened!

On either side of the gate, two gargoyle sculptures, which were originally thought to be decorations but were nearly three meters tall, suddenly gleamed with a scarlet light in their eyes!

The stone skin covering his body fell away in a rustling sound, revealing the jet-black skin and muscle texture beneath.

They moved their stiff limbs, making a teeth-grinding sound as they rubbed stones together, standing on the left and right, blocking the theater entrance, their four scarlet eyes coldly locked onto Lin Yu.

Lin Yu reacted extremely quickly, instantly putting the cassette tape back into his backpack. At the same time, the [Rising Sun Bow] was already in his hand, and an arrow made of light energy was instantly nocked on the string. The bow was drawn like a full moon, aimed at one of the gargoyles.

The atmosphere instantly became tense!

However, the two gargoyles did not immediately attack Lin Yu.

They simply looked Lin Yu up and down with their scarlet eyes, especially at the "Starving Delivery" vest he was wearing.

A few seconds later, the gargoyle on the left opened and closed its mouth, emitting a dull sound like stones clashing: "Who goes there? What brings you here?"

Lin Yu's heart stirred slightly. He slowly released the bowstring, but did not lower his guard. He pointed to the vest he was wearing and replied in a calm tone, "Delivery drivers are starving. I'm a delivery driver."

The red light in the eyes of the two gargoyles flickered a few times, as if they were making some kind of confirmation.

A moment later, the red light in their eyes turned into an eerie green glow.

The muffled voice sounded again: "Authentication successful. Delivery driver, please enter through the back door."

One of the gargoyles raised its thick arm and pointed to the rear side of the theater building.

The back door? Lin Yu frowned, but didn't say anything more. As long as he could get in and complete the mission, it didn't matter whether he went through the front or back door.

He put away the Rising Sun Bow and, following the direction the gargoyle had pointed, walked along the back of the theater's outer wall.

The area around the theater was equally dilapidated, with ruins and scattered debris everywhere.

Just as he was passing a pile of particularly tall ruins, suddenly—

"Chirp! Squeak!"

A sharp, noisy cry rang out!

Suddenly, dozens of small, scarlet eyes lit up in the shadow of the pile of ruins.

Immediately afterwards, dozens of small monsters, each less than a meter tall, with red skin, pointed ears, protruding fangs, and sharp nails, surged out like a tide.

They stared at Lin Yu, drooling and squealing excitedly, rushing towards him with astonishing speed!

"Damn it! This is never going to end! It's so damn annoying!" Lin Yu cursed under his breath.

Without further hesitation, he drew his bow and nocked an arrow once more! His inner magical power surged into the [Rising Sun Bow]!

"Since you're courting death, then go ahead and die!"

Skill - [Rising Sun]!

call out!

The arrows of light were released from the bow, not aimed at any particular monster, but at the ground in front of their charging path.

boom!!!

The moment the arrow hit the ground, it exploded, transforming into a burst of intensely burning, pure white solar fire.

The area covered by the flames wasn't particularly large, but it just happened to encompass all the dozens of red-skinned imps that were charging towards them!

"Chirp, chirp, chirp—!!!"

A series of piercing screams rang out! These little demons, clearly creatures of darkness, struggled frantically in the sun's fire, which was filled with positive energy. Their skin melted like wax when heated, and their bodies quickly charred and carbonized.

In just two or three seconds, the group of little monsters that were just moments before so aggressive were all reduced to piles of smoldering ashes on the ground.

[Slay a Black Iron-level "Inferior Demon", experience points +5] [Slay a Black Iron-level "Inferior Demon", experience points +5]...

The system notifications kept ringing, but the experience points were pitifully low, and no items dropped.

"What a pathetic and trashy creature." Lin Yu shook his head speechlessly, no longer looking at the ashes on the ground, and strode towards the back door of the theater.

It was a relatively low and narrow iron gate, which was slightly ajar and not locked.

Lin Yu pushed open the door and went inside.

Behind the door was a dark, narrow corridor, almost devoid of light. The air was filled with dust and the musty smell of old wood and velvet, along with a very faint, minty fragrance.

Lin Yu took out a high-powered flashlight from his backpack and turned it on. A beam of light pierced the darkness and illuminated the road ahead.

He carefully made his way down the corridor, trying to find any clues about the "Screaming Lady".

However, the theater has a complex internal structure with numerous rooms and crisscrossing corridors, resembling a maze.

The navigation map only shows a general red dot area at this point, and it's impossible to pinpoint the exact room.

"This food delivery app is garbage, and the customers are crazy. They don't even mark their exact location or provide any contact information. Terrible! Definitely a terrible review!" Lin Yu muttered under his breath.

This food delivery app is really just a half-finished product, isn't it?

But Lin Yu had no choice; he couldn't fix the software right now. He could only grope his way through the haunted theater, trying to find someone he could talk to and ask them questions.

Based on my previous experience picking up takeout, it seems that the monsters in these buildings can be communicated with, such as the skull and the "beautiful woman" with a hot body but a face full of nails.

Da da da... Da da da...

Just as Lin Yu walked into a small corridor, a faint but rhythmic sound, like a hard object tapping on a wooden floor, came from a certain direction ahead.

Lin Yu paused for a moment, thought for a moment, and then followed the sound.

The sound became clearer and clearer.

He walked through several corridors and came to a half-open door.

Through the crack in the door, you can see that it is a spacious room with mirrors embedded in the walls, which looks like a dance studio.

That clicking sound was coming from inside.

Lin Yu took a deep breath, put away the flashlight, and then stepped forward and gently knocked on the door.

knock knock knock.

A knock sounded, and the tapping inside stopped abruptly.

Immediately afterwards, there was a soft sound of footsteps approaching the door.

Lin Yu could clearly hear people, or something else, approaching the door.

A few seconds later, with a creak, the door was pulled open from the inside.

A tall, slender figure appeared behind the door, almost blocking the entire door frame.

Just as Lin Yu had expected, what appeared before him was not human.

It is a humanoid creature that is nearly two meters tall, with an extremely slender and beautiful figure, wearing a classic white ballet dress, with slender and flexible limbs and an elegant posture.

As for why it is described as a humanoid creature rather than a human, the reason is simple: its face is completely smooth, without eyes, nose, mouth, or any trace of facial features. It resembles a faceless ballerina.

Although the appearance was bizarre, Lin Yu, who had seen the pile of rotting flesh in the recording studio and the group of strange-looking monsters in the city, thought this person could be described as "refreshing and unconventional".

He even felt that if you ignored the face without features and only looked at the figure and temperament, this dancer could be described as "elegant".

"What's up?"

A slightly cold, yet exceptionally clear and pleasant mature female voice rang directly in Lin Yu's ears, as if transmitted through some kind of spiritual power.

Lin Yu remained expressionless, bowed slightly with great politeness, and said, "Respected lady, I am very sorry to have disturbed your practice."

I am a deliveryman for "Starving Delivery", ID number 003. I would like to ask where "Screaming Lady's" room is?

It ordered takeout on our platform, but embarrassingly, it didn't leave a specific room number.

Perhaps because of Lin Yu's unexpected calmness and politeness, the faceless dancer's slightly tense body relaxed.

Its smooth face seemed to be "gazing" at Lin Yu, and its cold, mature voice rang out again: "Sir, your manners are impressive."

Most of the "Starving Delivery" employees would scream or run away when they saw me, which was extremely rude and lacked any elegance. Occasionally, some would even attack me directly.

That's incredibly rude.

Hearing the other person's words, Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. "Other people have been here?"

Judging from her words, it seems this isn't the first time she's encountered this situation. Could other delivery drivers have come here as well?

That doesn't sound like it, and besides, there shouldn't be many players here in such a short time, right?

Could it be that other players had entered this game before, encountered it, and it remembers them?

Lin Yu's subconscious guess.

On the other side, the faceless dancer paused, then continued, "However, according to the theater's rules, I still can't easily tell you my colleague's location."

Lin Yu had just thought to himself that this was troublesome when he heard the other party change the subject: "Of course, if you are willing to be an audience member and appreciate a dance that I practiced alone, I will be happy to give you the answer you want in return."

Lin Yu was somewhat helpless; this damn game was indeed always finding new ways to torment people.

But then he recalled the deals involving the Howling Worms, and wondered if this was some kind of "rule of the game"?

He nodded and said sincerely, "Of course I'd be happy to. After all, because of my profession, it's been a long time since I've had the chance to sit down and appreciate an artistic performance."

He wasn't entirely lying. Before transmigrating, he was a corporate slave, and after transmigrating, he was constantly struggling on the edge of life and death. Watching ballet? That was simply a fantasy.

The faceless dancer seemed quite satisfied with the answer. She gently stepped aside to make way: "Of course, delivery drivers are always in a rush and don't even have time to sit down and appreciate a complete performance. It's really unfortunate. Please come in."

Lin Yu followed her into the dance studio.

The dance studio was very spacious, with almost no other furnishings except for the mirrors on the walls and the ballet barre against the wall.

The floor is a somewhat worn wooden floor.

The faceless dancer walked to the center of the room, turned his back to Lin Yu, and struck a classic ballet starting pose.

There was no music, no accompaniment.

But that's how she started dancing.

At first, Lin Yu was somewhat wary and scrutinizing.

But soon, his expression changed slightly.

Although there is no music, every movement of the faceless dancer is full of ultimate rhythm and powerful beauty.

Her leaps were so light they seemed unbound by gravity; her spins were swift and stable, her limbs graceful as a swan's.

Even more strangely, as he looked around, Lin Yu's consciousness seemed to be drawn out of the dilapidated dance studio.

He found himself sitting in the audience of an extremely luxurious, brightly lit grand theater.

The huge audience seats were empty except for him, and all the lights were focused on the stage.

On the stage, a dancer dressed in a gorgeous ballet dress is dancing with great enthusiasm.

She was no longer the faceless dancer; she possessed exquisitely perfect features, a cold and elegant appearance, and deep eyes. Every glance and every expression perfectly matched the dance movements, telling a silent story.

Her dance is full of ultimate allure; it is no longer just art, but more like a bewitching charm.

Lin Yu felt as if his heart had been ignited, a strong, primal desire rising within him—to possess her! To conquer her! To make her his own!

His hand instinctively reached for the weapon at his waist; a powerful impulse drove him to rush onto the stage, violently interrupt the dance, and snatch the perfect dancer away…

Just as his fingers were about to touch the Azure Rose!

Stab it!

A sharp, blue-white bolt of lightning suddenly flashed through his mind, instantly shattering those crazy and evil thoughts in his head, like a bucket of cold water being poured over his head, instantly sobering him up!

In an instant, the illusion shattered like glass.

He snapped back to reality and found himself still standing in that dilapidated dance studio, facing the faceless dancer who had just finished his last spin.

She was breathing slightly, her smooth face facing him.

Lin Yu paused for a second, then took a deep breath and began to applaud sincerely.

That dance was truly amazing, both in terms of technique and the "power" it contained.

The faceless dancer gracefully approached Lin Yu and bowed slightly in greeting.

That cool, mature voice rang out again, this time seemingly carrying a hint of subtle admiration: "Sir, your will... is as strong as steel."

I truly hope to present you with a perfect dance on the theater stage. I think if you were me, you would watch it all.

Hearing its words, Lin Yu rubbed his slightly throbbing temples and said, "Madam, your dance was already perfect enough to be...unforgettable."

This is absolutely the truth.

Despite having a mental attribute of 26, he almost lost control while watching the dance.

If it weren't for that lightning...

What was that lightning bolt? Was it a sign of divine protection?

No, although I offered sacrifices to the True Lord before leaving, the half-hour of protection should have long passed by now. Could this be a hidden benefit of practicing the True Lord's Thunder Magic?

Lin Yu kept thinking to himself.

The faceless dancer seemed to chuckle softly: "You've gained something too, haven't you?"

Hearing its words, Lin Yu was taken aback, then a thought suddenly struck him, and he immediately checked his status bar.

He then discovered that his mental attribute had actually increased from 26 points to 27 points!

Watching a dance and undergoing a test of mental temptation actually boosted my mental attributes by one point?

Lin Yu's initial frustration vanished instantly.

The faceless dancer continued, "The Screaming Lady's room is room 206 on the second floor. However..."

She paused, then continued, "My colleague's emotions... can be quite unstable at times, even somewhat... crazy."

Lin Yu nodded without asking any further questions.

To be honest, Lin Yu would find it strange if that guy were a normal person, since there isn't a single normal creature in this world.

"Thank you for your guidance and...wonderful performance." Lin Yu thanked them again, then bid farewell to the faceless dancer and left the dance studio.

The faceless dancer watched him silently, seemingly deep in thought.

Just before Lin Yu was about to leave the practice room, it suddenly spoke again: "Mr. Deliveryman."

Lin Yu turned his head and looked at it.

Then he saw a black rectangular coupon fly towards him.

Lin Yu took the coupon and glanced at it.

-

Tickets for watching "The Ghost Opera House: The Ballet of Death"

Category: Quest Item (Cannot be taken out of the game world)

Effect: With this ticket, you can watch a Death Ballet performance at midnight. (Any day within the seven-day game period.)

Description: An invitation extended to you by a dancer.

-

[The player has obtained a quest item, activating the hidden in-game quest "Invitation." Do you wish to accept?]

The moment Lin Yu finished looking at the ticket, a system notification suddenly appeared in his mind.

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, then checked the so-called hidden mission.

-

[Hidden Quest: Invitation]

[Mission Objective: Watch a death ballet performance by the ace ballerinas of the Ghost Opera House.]

-

Upon seeing the task details, Lin Yu raised an eyebrow; it seemed quite simple.

But his previous experience had taught him that this woman's performance was not so easy to watch, and one wrong move could lead to an accident.

However, after careful consideration, Lin Yu still chose to accept the task. The reason was simple: it was the first time he had received such a task, and he had to give it a try.

Secondly, Lin Yu had already figured out a way to perfectly complete the mission.

Lin Yu accepted the task, then put away the ticket, looked at the faceless woman, and said, "I will be there on time."

The faceless woman did not answer, but bowed gracefully to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu didn't say anything more and left directly.

……

Following the directions, he quickly found the stairs leading to the second floor.

The second floor of the theater was equally dark. Occasionally, one could see ghosts dressed in old-fashioned waiter uniforms, but with pale faces and empty eyes, drifting by in the corridors, or zombie actors in stage costumes dragging their heavy steps and wandering around.

However, most of these monsters only glanced at Lin Yu indifferently after seeing his takeout vest and then ignored him, showing no aggression.

"It seems that wearing this suit is still somewhat useful in the 'workplace'," Lin Yu thought to himself.

Since they don't attack proactively, he naturally doesn't want to cause any trouble. Who knows if attacking these "staff" might trigger some kind of theater retaliatory mechanism or lead to bad reviews?

He found room 206 without any problems.

The deep red wooden door had a brass sign hanging above it, engraved with "206". No light shone through the crack in the door, and it was quiet inside.

Lin Yu stood in front of the door, took a deep breath, straightened his vest, and then raised his hand to knock on the door.

knock knock knock.

The knocking echoed in the quiet corridor.