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

"Hello, Ms. Scream, your delivery has arrived."

Lin Yu knocked on the door and called out, his voice ringing out clearly in the quiet corridor.

A few seconds after he knocked on the door, the deep red door creaked open slightly and opened a crack inwards.

Lin Yu looked into the room, but all he saw was darkness. The room seemed to devour all light, and Lin Yu could only see darkness and couldn't see anything clearly.

"Just leave it by the door."

Soon, a clear, melancholic female voice, seemingly echoing, came from the darkness deep within the room.

The voice was somewhat unexpected for Lin Yu. He had originally thought that this screaming woman, who had perverse tastes and was described by the Faceless Man as having an ordinary personality, would have a rather manic voice.

But now it seems that it was his subconscious preconceived notion.

Lin Yu did as instructed and gently placed the cassette tape on the floor by the door.

Whoosh!

But the moment he let go, the tape seemed to be pulled by an invisible thread, and with a "whoosh," it slid into the darkness and disappeared.

Immediately afterwards, a "click" sound came from the room, which seemed to be the sound of a cassette tape being inserted into a playback device.

The next second—

"Aaaaaahh ...

"It hurts! Kill me!"

"My insects! Burn! Ahhh—"

A cacophony of screams, wails, and groans filled with utter agony and despair erupted from the room in an instant.

The sound was so intense that the door frame seemed to vibrate slightly, creating a strange and chilling "symphony".

Lin Yu listened to the terrifying sound waves expressionlessly. After a few seconds, guessing that the "customer" was probably "enjoying" it, he raised his voice and said, "Madam, if you are satisfied with my service, please give me a five-star review, thank you."

After saying that, he turned around and prepared to leave to complete the next order.

However, just as he turned around and took his first step—

A faint "hum" suddenly came from behind him, yet it seemed to resonate deep within his mind.

In an instant, Lin Yu felt a blur before his eyes, and the surrounding scenery shattered and reformed like broken glass.

When he regained his balance and looked around, he realized he was no longer in the corridor outside room 206.

He was standing in a Western-style room that was exquisitely decorated but had a sense of antiquity.

The heavy, dark red velvet curtains were tightly closed, and there was no flame in the fireplace, only cold ashes.

The room's furniture is in a typical medieval style, with a carved wooden bed, dressing table, armchair...

Not far in front of him, a woman in a black dress sat in a white European-style armchair.

She had an elegant figure, and her long, black hair was styled into an intricate updo.

Beside her, an old-fashioned wooden radio was working, emitting the sound of the "scream tape," which sounded particularly jarring in the quiet and eerie room.

Lin Yu casually glanced around, his expression remaining relatively calm. Soon, his gaze refocused on the figure behind him, and he remained silent, observing the situation.

"What a rare and perfect screaming tape..." That ethereal and melancholic voice rang out again, coming from the back of that figure: "Hearing it made me feel quite happy, so I don't mind giving you a five-star review."

"Thank you for your recognition." Lin Yu said calmly, "So, ma'am, is there anything else you wanted to do by 'inviting' me here?"

If so, please let us know as soon as possible, because you should know that delivery drivers are always very busy.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, the figure moved slightly.

Then, she slowly stood up and turned around.

Unlike any monsters encountered before, this "Screaming Lady" was surprisingly "normal" in appearance.

She looked like a young human woman in her early twenties, with delicate and even beautiful features, pale skin that showed no signs of decay, and wearing a well-fitting black lace dress.

Of course, all of this "normal" must be based on her almost translucent spiritual state, which emits a faint glow.

Clearly, this customer's true identity is a ghost.

Of course, even so, it was the most normal-looking creature Lin Yu had seen during this period, apart from the captain at the station.

The screaming woman glanced calmly at Lin Yu; her pure white eyes, devoid of pupils, seemed to see right through people's hearts.

She raised her slender, translucent finger and gently pointed at Lin Yu: "I can feel... there seems to be an object on you that is emitting beautiful music."

It was so captivating; that subtle, mournful cry drew me in... Perhaps we could make a small deal?

"Beautiful music?" Lin Yu was stunned for a moment, but after hearing the background "music" that was still playing on the radio, he instantly understood what this woman meant by her unique, even perverse, taste.

He immediately thought of the material in his backpack—[The Skin of the Howling Worm].

The piece of leather did indeed emit a faint but sharp groan, which seemed to have hit Screaming Lady's XP.

As he pondered this, Lin Yu took out the slightly wriggling piece of skin that emitted a burnt smell and a faint screech from his backpack and asked, "Is this it?"

The moment she saw the skin, the woman's previously calm face underwent a dramatic change.

Her pure white eyes suddenly widened, and her entire spirit body trembled slightly with excitement.

"Whoosh!"

She flew up to Lin Yu with a speed unique to ghosts, almost instantaneous, and almost touched him! Lin Yu didn't feel any fear or other emotions. His high mental strength made him perceive things very strongly, and he didn't sense much malice from the screaming lady.

This guy is simply captivated by the piece of leather in his hand, which is why he's acting so out of control.

The screaming woman stretched out her transparent hand, trembling and almost obsessively stroking the foul, disgusting skin of the wailing worm. Her voice was distorted with extreme excitement: "Perfect! Absolutely perfect! This wail! This desperate tremor! I never imagined that disgusting, artistically devoid stupid worm's skin... its skin could be such a breathtaking work of art!!"

Although he wasn't afraid, the ghost's unique yin energy and aura still made Lin Yu take a small step back, creating some distance. His tone was calm and even: "Madam, admiring is one thing, but perhaps you should demonstrate your sincerity before making a transaction? After all, this item is indeed a fine 'work of art' in my possession."

No businessman is without guile; when it comes to interests, Lin Yu will naturally exaggerate without thinking.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, the screaming woman paused slightly.

She raised her head, her pure white eyes narrowed, and stared at Lin Yu. She seemed to be weighing something, and an invisible pressure filled the air.

Lin Yu met the ghost's gaze without flinching. The ghost's aura didn't put too much pressure on Lin Yu; it was probably even less powerful than the BOSS he encountered in the second game, Xiang Xian, the Portrait King. Therefore, Lin Yu wasn't too worried.

His right hand rested casually on the [Azure Rose] at his waist.

At the same time, the air around him distorted slightly, and several thin, blue-white arcs of electricity appeared out of thin air, moving and flashing around his body like snakes, emitting a slight "crackling" sound and exuding a dangerous aura.

The screaming woman tilted her head slightly, her pure white eyes sweeping over the arcs of electricity before glancing at Lin Yu's hand resting on the gun.

The obsessive and fanatical expression on her face gradually subsided, and she did not do anything else out of line.

Clearly, she's not particularly crazy.

After a few seconds of silence, she made a gesture that made Lin Yu's eye twitch slightly—

She reached out and cupped her head in her hands, then gently twisted it—with a soft "snap," she had actually removed her head from her neck.

The headless body still stood.

She turned her head, which was being held in her hands, so that it was facing Lin Yu.

The mouth on that head could still move, emitting a eerie voice: "Sincerity...of course I have it..."

Then, she reached one hand into her skull through the broken neck and began to grope and fumble, making a sickening, grinding sound.

A few seconds later, she pulled her hand out of her head, her fingertips clutching an old, brass-colored key.

Then, she skillfully put the head back on her neck, twisted it, and made a "click" sound, fitting perfectly.

She handed the key to Lin Yu and said in her clear, ethereal voice, "This is the key to the basement of my old house when I was alive."

There's something...interesting inside, you might like it.

Lin Yu took the key and handed the piece of [the Howling Worm's Skin] to the Screaming Lady.

The key felt cold to the touch, as if it carried a hint of gloom.

He focused his gaze, and the item's information appeared:

The key to the basement of the Screaming Lady's old house

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

Effect: Opens the basement door of the Screaming Lady's old house located at 13 Black Oak Street (marked on the map).

Description: An ancient key.

Lin Yu asked thoughtfully, "What's in the basement?"

The screaming woman couldn't wait to press the piece of skin to her ear, listening with a look of rapture, and casually replied, "You'll see when you get there... Anyway, it won't be any worse than what you have... Alright, you can leave now, you malicious deliveryman."

After saying that, she ignored Lin Yu, held the piece of skin, floated back to the white armchair, and continued to indulge in that "perfect" moan.

At the same time, Lin Yu's vision blurred again.

When he came to his senses, he found himself standing outside room 206 again.

The door in front of me was tightly closed, as if it had never been opened.

Lin Yu glanced at the brass key in his hand, lost in thought: "This guy seems pretty easy to talk to, not as crazy as the Faceless Man made him out to be..."

Of course, he was more interested in what the screaming woman had just said—"It won't be any worse than what you have?"

Are you referring to my equipment? Does it mean silver-tier? Or bronze-tier? It can't be gold-tier, right?

"...That's probably unlikely." Lin Yu quickly dismissed the idea.

However, regardless of the circumstances, this extra gain was still something to look forward to.

I'm not sure if this counts as a tip from the customer?

I don't think so, since it was obtained through an exchange.

While pondering, Lin Yu quickly left the area, retracing his steps downstairs and exiting the theater through the back door.

Stepping out of the blue protective shield and breathing in the not-so-fresh outside air, Lin Yu immediately looked at the electric scooter parked to the side and the ghosts guarding the area.

Lin Yu did not recall the ghost. After all, it wouldn't consume the durability of the Demon Sword, so he might as well release it. It could help him kill monsters and scout the situation.

He then got on his electric scooter and took out his phone to check.

The software interface shows that the order status of order 2 [Ghost Opera House] has changed to [Completed].

Rating: [Five-star rating]!

At the same time, a notification popped up on the screen: 【Congratulations to the delivery driver for completing his first order! He has earned 20 delivery points!】

[Congratulations to the delivery driver for receiving a 5-star review! He/She has been awarded a bonus: double the delivery fee for this order!]

Current points: 40

[Congratulations to the delivery guy for earning points and successfully unlocking the "Starving Points Mall"!]

"Delivery points? Points mall?" Lin Yu curiously clicked on the newly appeared [Mall] icon on the software interface.

A dazzling list of products popped up:

[Game Coins] x1 — 10 Points

[Home Fast Charging Station Blueprints] - 100 points

[Intermediate Battery] (Increases range to 12 hours) - 50 credits

[Advanced Battery] (Increases battery life to 18 hours) - 100 points

[Super Battery] (Enhances battery life to 24 hours, charging speed +50%) - 200 points

[Extreme Speed ​​Electric Vehicle] (Bronze level, greatly increased speed, comes with the 'Nitro Boost' skill) - 300 points

[Flying Electric Vehicle] (Bronze level, capable of low-altitude short-distance flight, but with significantly increased energy consumption) - 500 points

[Multi-functional Electric Vehicle] (Silver Class, Amphibious/Short-range Flight/Energy Adaptive/Modifiable) - 1000 Points

High-strength Helmet (Bronze Level) - 50 points

[Swiftness Knee Pads] (Iron Tier, slightly increases movement speed) - 30 points

……

Below that are a series of medicines, toolkits, and even some strange skill scrolls, all of which can be redeemed using points.

Lin Yu carefully examined the items and found that, apart from a few general items such as game coins and medicines, most of the products in the store were closely related to food delivery, including batteries to improve battery life, faster and more versatile electric vehicles, better protective equipment, functional delivery boxes, and various modification blueprints.

What appealed to him even more was that the notes on these items clearly stated that they could be taken out of the game world, including the electric scooter.

"This is interesting..." A glint flashed in Lin Yu's eyes.

This appears to be the first time he has encountered a vehicle-type equipment that he can take out in the game, which means that if he can get a good car, it will make his future travel between different game worlds much easier.

He immediately took a liking to the [multi-functional electric vehicle].

According to the detailed description, this is a piece of equipment with a silver rating. Not only does its basic performance far surpass the current vehicle, but more importantly, it is fully functional. It can go underwater, fly short distances, and in addition to electricity, it can also directly absorb energy such as magic power and soul power to drive it. It even has its own solar charging panel.

It also possesses a certain offensive capability and can be armed to enhance its attack power.

"It's a really nice item..." Lin Yu was indeed envious.

However, it is also very expensive, costing a full 1000 points.

If we calculate based on the current rule that a five-star review earns 40 points, he would need a total of 25 reviews.

In other words, during the seven days of the game, he would need to complete nearly four five-star reviews per day on average, without redeeming anything else, in order to roughly reach the required amount.

"It's not impossible, but it's not easy either," Lin Yu muttered to himself.

The main issue is that he also needs to replace the batteries with better ones.

His electric car is equipped with a low-grade battery, which can only last for about 6 hours at full speed.

The super battery can last for 24 hours and charges even faster, which is crucial for completing a large number of orders.

This battery alone costs 200 points.

"Hopefully the following orders will go smoothly, or there will be other ways to earn points," Lin Yu thought helplessly.

He closed the online store, clicked the "Accept Order" button on the software, and started looking for the next order.

As for the Screaming Lady's old house, Lin Yu planned to go there after get off work. After all, who knows if the "leaders" at the site have a way to remotely check their work status? It wouldn't be good if they were caught "slacking off".

Three available orders immediately appeared on the phone screen:

[Order 1: A "fresh flesh and blood platter" delivered to Cave 25 of the Rotten Mine]

[Order 2: "Black silt" delivered to the swamp park]

[Order 3: "Bones" delivered to the Bone Mill]

Lin Yu glanced at it and selected [Order 2: Swamp Park] again.

The reason remains simple and straightforward—it is the one of the three orders that is closest to his current location.

After clicking "Accept Order," the navigation map updates, showing the pickup point is approximately 9 kilometers away.

Lin Yu selected a route, turned on the ignition, and the electric scooter sped off again, leaving the theater area.

Leaving the opera house area, we once again passed through that region of thick black fog.

Strangely, this journey still had that chilling feeling of being watched by countless eyes, but apart from that, no danger occurred.

Those "walking dead" remained standing like statues, unresponsive.

"What exactly is this black mist?" Lin Yu wondered.

"Is it just used to block and create psychological pressure? Or... does it require specific conditions or time to trigger danger?"

He felt the latter was more likely, as the game world would never include useless dangers.

Lin Yu remained cautious, knowing that he would have to return to the Ghost Theater once more because of the hidden mission given by the Faceless Dancer.

Having successfully left the black fog area, Lin Yu drove on, clearing out the monsters that kept emerging from the ruins. His experience bar was slowly and steadily increasing, but it was still not dropping.

Interestingly, while passing through the ruins of what used to be a commercial district, he spotted a three-person squad of players in the distance.

The three men were well-equipped and coordinated fairly well. They fought and retreated, barely managing to move through the perilous city, looking quite disheveled.

The other party had obviously also spotted Lin Yu riding an electric scooter at high speed.

But they only glanced warily in their direction before immediately making evasive maneuvers, quickly circling behind a huge "GG" sign, clearly not wanting any contact with Lin Yu.

Lin Yu was naturally happy to have some peace and quiet. He just wanted to complete the task efficiently and compete for the "Single King" title and points. He had no interest in teaming up with other players or getting into conflicts.

He maintained his direction and speed, driving directly from another direction and quickly leaving the squad behind.

After driving for another twenty minutes, dodging several waves of monsters and crushing countless pebbles and tiles, Lin Yu finally arrived at the edge of an unusually dense and eerie forest, following the navigation prompts.

And that so-called "sludge factory" is located deep in this forest.

Lin Yu frowned.

The forest vegetation was too dense, with vines entwined and trees having intertwined roots, making it impossible to drive an electric car in.

However, this electric scooter cannot fit a backpack.

After thinking for a moment, he drove the electric car to a dense thicket of bushes and carefully hid it.

Then, he formed hand seals and uttered a low shout: "Shadow Clone Technique!"

Bang! A puff of white smoke flashed by, and a clone that looked exactly like Lin Yu appeared beside him.

"Stay here and protect the car. Notify me immediately if anything happens, or handle it yourself," Lin Yu said.

The shadow clone nodded, silently walked to the electric scooter, and warily surveyed its surroundings.

The shadow clone possesses some of Lin Yu's attributes, and its current base attributes are not bad either, so the shadow clone can still deal with some ordinary monsters or players.

If he encounters a danger he cannot handle and his clone disappears, Lin Yu will know immediately.

He originally wanted to leave a few ghosts behind to help guard it, but the ghosts couldn't stray too far from the [Demon Sword]. Before, at the theater entrance, the distance was still within a controllable range, but this time, entering the depths of the forest, the distance could not be guaranteed.

After making the arrangements, Lin Yu shouldered the delivery box and walked directly into the dark forest.

At the same time, he drew the Demon Sword again and summoned all twenty ghosts, ordering them to scatter around him to scout, guard, and investigate.

He himself held the demon sword, occasionally slashing through the vines and branches blocking his way, and quickly advanced into the forest, surrounded by ghosts, following the direction indicated by the navigation.

The forest is also fraught with danger.

Various mutated poisonous insects, giant flowers that can spray paralyzing spores, trap-like swamps hidden under fallen leaves, and snake-like monsters that look like withered branches and suddenly launch attacks are constantly appearing.

However, most threats were detected and dealt with by the perceptive ghosts before they even got close.

A few particularly cunning or powerful monsters broke through the ghosts' defenses and rushed to Lin Yu's side, but he would kill them with a casual sword strike or by using the essence of the Azure Rose.

A dozen minutes later, Lin Yu arrived at his destination—the [Sludge Factory]—without any major incident.