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

Lin Yu felt his vision filled with white light, his body enveloped in warm mist, and his consciousness became somewhat hazy and dazed.

In the hazy white light and mist, he seemed to see a blurry yet majestic figure quietly appear.

The figure was as tall and imposing as a mountain, exuding an ethereal yet majestic aura, but due to the fog, Lin Yu could not make out its exact features.

The white greyhound was now running affectionately back to the figure's feet, rubbing against his trouser leg obediently.

Lin Yu strained to focus his vision and vaguely saw that on the forehead of that blurry figure, there seemed to be a vertical golden divine rune containing endless mystery and divine power...

This is... Zhenjun?! Erlang Shen Yang Jian?!

Just as Lin Yu was deeply shocked, his consciousness hovering between clarity and reverie, he saw the blurry, towering figure slowly raise a hand and gently extend a finger in his direction.

The next moment, a point of golden light, extremely condensed and containing supreme Dao principles and the power to break through illusions, burst forth from that fingertip, crossed the barrier of the mist, and instantly entered Lin Yu's brow!

"Well!"

Lin Yu felt a burning sensation between his brows, as if it had been branded, and his entire soul trembled. All the sights before him—white light, mist, divine shadow, and greyhound—receded like a receding tide in an instant.

"True Lord!"

Lin Yu's body trembled violently, and he suddenly opened his eyes, his consciousness returning to reality.

My heart was still pounding, and there seemed to be a strange burning sensation and a slight bump on my forehead.

He found himself still sitting in his box at the Ghost Opera House, the performance on stage having ended sometime earlier.

The faceless dancer was standing in the center of the stage, gracefully bowing to the audience as a curtain call.

Was everything that just happened... a dream? An illusion? Or...?

Lin Yu subconsciously raised his hand and touched his forehead and the area between his eyebrows.

The sensation from my fingertips was very clear—there was a tiny raised texture there, like a closed eye.

He was startled and quickly tried to find a mirror to check his reflection, but there was no mirror in the private room.

In a moment of desperation, he drew the Demon Sword from his back, held the smooth, mirror-like blade upright, and looked at his reflection in the dim light of the remaining stage.

A short, vertical, smooth, silver-white line, about an inch long, appeared in the center of his forehead between his eyebrows.

Lin Yu immediately opened the panel to check.

Sure enough, I saw something new in the talent section.

【Heavenly Eye (Fake)】(Black #): You have received a gift from ████ and have opened the Heavenly Eye (Fake).

Once this talent is activated, you can see through illusions and glimpse more existences that cannot be observed by common sense (including but not limited to invisible units, the nature of spirits, energy flows, some traps and illusion cores), and slightly enhance your intuitive premonition of crisis and opportunity.

At the same time, the Heavenly Eye will amplify the power of all your skills (including skill cards and knowledge-based skills).

Your basic vision is greatly improved. When you actively activate the Heavenly Eye (pseudo), the vision improvement effect is doubled, and you gain temporary X-ray vision (of weak obstacles), farsightedness, and low-light vision.

This talent has growth potential; please explore the specific methods for improvement on your own.

"ah???"

Lin Yu was completely shocked and bewildered when he saw the new talent description on his personal panel.

He had no idea what was going on, or why watching a bizarre ballet would lead to an illusion where he encountered figures resembling Erlang Shen and Xiaotian Dog.

Could it be that I received this level of "attention" because I worshipped the statue of the True Lord before leaving home and gained the buff of "True Lord's Protection"?

Moreover, this gift is too generous; it directly unlocks a new talent, the legendary Heavenly Eye.

Although it is only a "pseudo" third eye, its effects are still very powerful.

This unexpected joy came so suddenly and unbelievably that he found it hard to process for a while.

"Delivery driver, it looks like you had quite a haul tonight."

Just as Lin Yu was staring blankly at the sword, trying to understand the situation, a clear and melodious voice rang out beside him.

Lin Yu suddenly came to his senses, put away the Demon Sword, and turned to look.

Unbeknownst to them, the faceless dancer had already left the stage and silently appeared at the door of his box.

She was still wearing that pure white ballet dress, her face, devoid of features, was "looking" at him.

Lin Yu glanced at the boxes below and around the theater again, only to realize that all the "audience members" in the performance hall had disappeared without a trace at some point.

Inside the entire vast, empty, and magnificent ghost opera house, it seemed as if only he and the faceless dancer before him remained.

Lin Yu rubbed his still throbbing temples and said with a wry smile, "The gains are indeed significant... but to be honest, I'm still a little confused about the situation."

He pointed to his temple: "What happened here?"

The faceless dancer's smooth face seemed to twitch slightly, as if expressing a silent smile: "This is not a question I can answer, Mr. Deliveryman."

Dance itself is merely a medium; what each audience member sees and feels originates from themselves. Your experience is a unique encounter.

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then asked in a different way, "So, does your dance still have the effect of pulling people into an illusion?"

The faceless dancer shook his head slightly, his voice still cold: "I'm sorry, deliveryman, I don't know that. I'm just following the rhythm and flow of my heart, dancing freely on stage. The meaning of the dance is given by the audience, not defined by me."

Hearing this almost philosophical answer, Lin Yu frowned; it was as if he hadn't said anything at all.

But then, the faceless dancer continued in a slightly sentimental tone, "Of course, you are also the first audience member to watch my dance from beginning to end. Other audience members... I don't know why, always quietly leave halfway through."

Lin Yu glanced at it and then realized what it meant.

It turns out that the monster audience members didn't disappear; rather, they didn't even get to see the whole thing and left halfway through for some reason.

Was it because he couldn't handle the mental impact of the dance? Or did he see something terrifying and was forced to stop? We don't know.

After thinking for a moment, Lin Yu raised an eyebrow and asked tentatively, "So, as the first person to see the entire dance, do I have any extra... um, reward?"

While inexplicably gaining the [Heavenly Eye] talent, which seems to be bestowed by Erlang Shen, is already a huge surprise, there should at least be a regular reward for completing the task, right? After all, [Invitation] is a task, so there must be a reward, even if it's not mentioned in the task description.

The faceless dancer bowed slightly with elegance: "Of course. I said long ago that whoever can watch my dance in its entirety will receive my most precious gift."

Before Lin Yu could react, the faceless dancer's body suddenly emitted a soft white light, and its entire form began to shrink and change rapidly.

Under Lin Yu's astonished gaze, it transformed into a stream of light, eventually coalescing into an exquisitely crafted, pure white music box with a swan-dancing pattern carved on its surface, which slowly flew into Lin Yu's hand.

Lin Yu looked at the music box in his hand:

Swan Music Box

Category: Props

Tier: Silver (Bound Item)

effect:

• Release the Dancer: Activating the music box releases the Silver-ranked evil spirit residing within—the Faceless Ballerina—to assist in combat.

Dancers possess a unique dance-based combat style that can inflict mental interference, illusion attacks, and even physical cutting damage on enemies.

(Note: Once a dancer is killed, they cannot be revived, and this item will be permanently destroyed.)

Artistic Resonance: Occasionally engaging with dancers in artistic exchanges (watching their dances or discussing related topics) may slightly boost your mental attributes or related resistances.

(Note ②: This item is soul-bound to player [Lin Yu], cannot be traded or discarded, and other players cannot use any of its functions.)

Description: Her dance steps are a death waltz from hell.

After seeing the effect of this prop, Lin Yu was filled with joy.

He never expected that completing this task would not only grant him the seemingly divinely bestowed [Heavenly Eye] talent, but also allow him to acquire a powerful silver-level summon.

He had experienced the Faceless Dancer's abilities firsthand; they definitely possessed immense potential in warfare.

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then opened the pure white music box right there in the private room.

When the box is opened, the interior is lined with soft black velvet, and in the center stands a lifelike wooden sculpture of a faceless ballerina, with exquisite details.

As the box was opened, a melodious, mournful, and strangely beautiful piece of music gently began to play, and the small wooden dancer started to slowly spin and dance to the music.

At the same time, a soft white light emerged from the music box and coalesced beside Lin Yu—it was the faceless dancer.

"Sir." After the dancer appeared, she first took in her surroundings, then bowed slightly to Lin Yu, her posture as elegant as ever.

Looking at it, Lin Yu said with a hint of surprise, "I never expected that the most precious item and reward would actually be you yourself."

The faceless dancer answered with her unique, light yet mature voice: "I have been waiting for someone who can fully watch and understand my dance."

I'm so lucky to have met you, sir. I have many more dances to share with you in the future.

"I'm looking forward to it." Lin Yu nodded, then asked a more practical question: "Although it might seem abrupt, I still want to ask, if we encounter a battle, could you help me?"

He needs to confirm the actual value of this "reward".

The faceless dancer tilted his head slightly, as if thinking for a moment, and replied, "I am not good at the kind of pure 'fighting' you are talking about."

But if you'd like, perhaps I could dance on the battlefield; the cries of the enemy and the sparks of colliding energies might give me fresh inspiration and the passion for choreography.

Goodness, Lin Yu roughly understands now.

This faceless dancer fights by dancing, and it doesn't see it as a battle, but rather as... an alternative form of art?

But that's enough. Lin Yu had personally experienced the power contained in its dance, and its power was definitely not to be underestimated.

Lin Yu then thought for a moment, took out the Demon Sword, and asked, "I have one more question. Can you transfer from the music box into this sword?"

He thought that the dancer seemed quite obedient, and if it could enter the Soul Nest of the Evil Ghost Sword, it might be able to help Liu Xiangxiang suppress that male ghost, and even be a helper in capturing more powerful ghosts in the future.

The faceless dancer glanced at the evil sword shrouded in malevolent energy in Lin Yu's hand and gently shook his head: "I'm sorry, sir, although your sword does indeed possess the ability to carry spirits, and is even quite powerful."

But I am one with this music box; it is my stage, my prison, and my final resting place. I cannot leave it, and it cannot leave me.

Hearing this answer, Lin Yu was slightly disappointed, but he quickly accepted it.

It's already a pleasant surprise to get an obedient silver-level combatant out of nowhere; we can't be too greedy.

He put the faceless dancer back into the music box, carefully placed it in his backpack, and then turned and left the box.

He hadn't forgotten his other goal in coming to the theater: to find the Screaming Lady.

Leaving the private box and walking down the spacious and magnificent theater corridor, Lin Yu took out his phone and glanced at it.

Now that it's past midnight, the results of today's "King of Singles" selection should already be out.

He opened the "Ele.me" food delivery app and, sure enough, saw a system notification from the site manager, Man Niu, in the message bar.

[Notice: Today's deliveries have ended. According to statistics, today's top seller is: Demon Hunter Elite, with a total of 9 completed orders.]

The reward has been sent to your apartment. Please check your account. We look forward to your continued success!

Seeing that it was him, Lin Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief, realizing that his efforts hadn't been in vain.

Then, out of curiosity, he clicked on the detailed list next to it to take a look.

The second place went to a player with the ID "Fiery Hero", who sent out a total of 7 orders.

The third place went to a player with the ID "Steel Bones," who also completed 7 orders. However, because the system's "Overall Service Quality Rating" (which is most likely the five-star positive review rate) was lower than that of "Fiery Hero," he ranked third.

Most of the people behind him had only completed four or five orders. Lin Yu even saw a few guys who hadn't even finished the minimum of three orders for the day; they were probably in for a rough time.

"Seven orders... They're keeping up pretty well." Lin Yu stroked his chin, feeling a bit of pressure.

"It seems I need to accumulate 1000 points as soon as possible to buy that official [Multi-functional Electric Vehicle] in order to truly widen the gap."

Lin Yu's thoughts were interrupted by the scene in the hall in front of him.

As soon as he stepped out of the performance area, he discovered that the spacious yet eerie lobby on the first floor of the theater was now teeming with a large group of strange and grotesque monsters. They seemed to be waiting there, their eyes all fixed on Lin Yu, who had just come out.

Leading them were two monsters whose auras clearly reached the silver level.

It was just a short, squirrel-like creature wearing an ill-fitting, tightly stretched black suit, with shifty eyes and a constantly twitching nose.

It tried hard to appear dignified, but only looked ridiculous.

The other was a humanoid monster with disgusting dark green skin, covered in yellowish-white pustules. It had a vacant stare, drool dripping from its mouth, and made unconscious "hoarse" sounds, looking both disgusting and mentally challenged.

Behind these two silver-level monsters followed dozens of strangely shaped, restless minions that emitted various odors. They bared their teeth and let out low, threatening growls, completely blocking the exit of the hall.

Upon seeing Lin Yu emerge, all the monsters' gazes instantly focused on him, a mixture of greed, curiosity, malice, and other emotions.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow and stopped walking.

Clearly, these guys were waiting for him here.

Before Lin Yu could speak, the lead rat-man impatiently leaped forward and asked in a shrill, piercing voice, "Human! Did you watch the Faceless Man's dance in its entirety?"

Its eyes gleamed with cunning and eagerness.

Lin Yu put his hands in his pockets and casually replied, "No."

The rat-man screamed as if his tail had been stepped on, spitting as he shouted, "You're lying! The faceless man's image has disappeared from the theater's backdrop! You definitely watched its dance!"

Lin Yu glanced at it and snapped, "Then why did you even ask?"

The ratman was taken aback by the retort, then became even angrier, his sharp teeth grinding together and his fur standing on end, but strangely he did not attack immediately.

The monster minions behind it were also restless, making even louder noises, but they dared not cross the line. The green-skinned pustule monster next to it remained in a dazed and stupid state, as if everything around it was irrelevant to it.

This unusual restraint surprised Lin Yu.

Judging from its aura, this rat-man was definitely a genuine silver-level being, and had no reason to be afraid of an ordinary "human".

It seems there must be something that's making them hesitant to act.

While remaining vigilant, Lin Yu's eyes quickly scanned the entire hall.

Sure enough, he soon saw a figure standing quietly in the shadows of a corridor on the second floor of the theater. It was a middle-aged vampire butler with a pale face, dressed in a proper butler's uniform and with a small mustache.

He stared down at the ground with a cold, expressionless gaze, a wine glass filled with dark red liquid that appeared in his hand, which he gently swirled.

The rat-man and other monsters in front of Lin Yu glanced in that direction with a mixture of amusement and apprehension.

It turned out to be the case.

Lin Yu understood that what these guys were worried about was the theater's manager.

Fighting is strictly prohibited inside this ghost opera house.

Lin Yu immediately felt relieved, sneered, and showed undisguised disdain on his face: "If you don't dare to make a move, then get out of the way. A good dog doesn't block the way."

"You...!" The ratman was so angry he almost jumped up. His underlings behind him also roared angrily, but they were still suppressed and dared not actually step forward.

The green-skinned monster just blinked its pus-filled eyes blankly.

Lin Yu was too lazy to pay attention to these people anymore. He turned around and walked towards the stairs leading to the second floor. He was going to room 206 to find Ms. Screaming.

The monsters behind him roared in resentment, but could only watch helplessly as Lin Yu left.

The rat-man's eyes darted around a few times, flashing with resentment, but in the end, he could only wave his hand sullenly and lead the rabble away from the theater lobby, cursing and swearing.

Of course, Lin Yu knew they wouldn't give up easily and would most likely ambush him outside the theater, especially in the black fog.

Lin Yu went up to the second floor. The middle-aged vampire butler gave him a deep look, said nothing, but raised his glass slightly in acknowledgment, then turned around and disappeared into the shadows.

"Those bedbugs in the sewers won't just let it go so easily."

Just as Lin Yu turned to head towards the guest room area at the end of the corridor, a slightly hoarse but uniquely magnetic female voice sounded from behind him.

Lin Yu turned his head and saw that in the shadow of a huge pillar not far away, the black cat woman wearing a scarlet velvet robe was leaning lazily, with dark red liquid still swirling in the wine glass in her paw.

Her emerald green vertical pupils gleamed with an unpredictable light in the dim light.

It took an elegant sip of its "drink" and continued, "Besides, what you got is no ordinary thing. You should understand the principle that possessing a treasure is a crime."

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

He stopped and looked at the powerful catwoman, asking, "I'd like to hear more."

The catwoman walked gracefully and silently to Lin Yu.

It was nearly 1.9 meters tall, much taller than Lin Yu, and carried a sense of oppressive dominance.

She leaned forward slightly, and a faint scent, a mixture of musk and a hint of danger, entered Lin Yu's nostrils.

Her emerald green vertical pupils scrutinized Lin Yu, then she gently licked the smooth fur on her other paw and continued, "That music box was once one of the 'Black Mist Lady's' most cherished collections."

Later, due to some unexpected events, the spirit within manifested as the Faceless Man, and stubbornly remained in the theater to continue its performance.

"It is precisely because of the special nature of the theater itself and its owner that Ms. Black Mist could not enter it and forcibly take it away. But now..." Catwoman looked at Lin Yu meaningfully.

"You brought it out. Do you think Lady Black Mist will let the person who took her treasure go so easily? You should have already seen the black mist outside the theater when you came in, right?"

"Lady Black Mist?" Lin Yu suddenly realized.

"So that's where the black fog that covered the area came from!"

He thought it was part of the Ghost Opera House itself.

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then asked directly, "Is it very powerful?"

Catwoman let out a soft chuckle and replied quietly, "Of course. If she weren't powerful enough, do you think the theater owner would allow her power to permeate the area around the theater for so long? It could even be considered a form of encirclement and surveillance."

Lin Yu pressed on, "Approximately how strong is it? Gold level? Or even higher?"

Catwoman tilted her head slightly, a gesture that gave her cat-like face a peculiar cuteness.

......