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

He leaned closer, his breath reeking of alcohol mixed with a wild, animalistic scent: "We don't need to do it ourselves."

All it takes is... a little "reminder" to those neighbors who are interested in this lucrative opportunity, like... the owner of the "Ghost Opera House."

"The owner of the Ghost Opera House?" Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat, and he immediately thought of the mysterious vampire butler and the powerful black cat woman.

The opera house is indeed capable of competing with Lady Black Mist, and may even be superior.

"Yes, that Dean." The bull nodded. "It and Lady Black Mist have been clashing over some things, and the previous situation where Black Mist shrouded the theater has exacerbated their conflict."

We were able to maintain a fragile balance before because we were wary of each other, but now... you've broken that balance.

"What should I do?" Lin Yu asked directly.

He would be more than happy to use the opera house's resources to completely resolve this problem.

"It's very simple." The bull revealed a meaningful smile.

"As I said before, the fact that Ms. Black Mist is injured cannot be kept secret. It's just that the situation is still unclear, so most of the other guys don't dare to make the first move. You can go deliver food as usual tomorrow. I will let you get the opera house order."

When the time comes, find an opportunity to leak what happened in the north of the city yesterday to the people at the opera house.

For example... that black cat that likes to watch the fun, that guy isn't low-ranking; he's qualified to meet directly with the dean.

"Once we confirm Ms. Kurogiri's condition, the shrewd Dean will naturally take care of the rest."

After saying that, Bull patted Lin Yu on the shoulder and added, "Remember, this has nothing to do with our company. It's purely a natural ecological competition between the dominant players in the northern part of the city, understand?"

Lin Yu understood immediately: "I understand."

……

Day four of the game.

Lin Yu indeed received an order from the opera house.

After delivering the orders, he did not leave immediately, but chose to wait in the lobby for a while.

Sure enough, not long after, that familiar, elegant scarlet figure appeared silently nearby.

The woman in black still held the seemingly endless wine glass, her emerald green vertical pupils scrutinizing Lin Yu with a playful expression.

"Hey, isn't this our dedicated delivery rider? You've caused quite a stir in the north of the city, haven't you?"

It licked its paws, its tone lazy and curious.

Lin Yu raised an eyebrow and said, "Don't even mention it. I almost didn't make it back. That guy was a madman. I almost lost my life."

"Oh?" The black cat woman's ears perked up sharply. "Tell me more, I love hearing fun."

Lin Yu didn't hide anything and simply told the other party about what had happened yesterday.

After finishing their conversation, Lin Yu glanced at the time and said, "That's enough, I have to go deliver orders. I'm really destined to be a workaholic."

The black cat woman listened quietly, and the playfulness in her cat eyes was gradually replaced by a glint of shrewdness.

It didn't ask any more questions, but just gave Lin Yu a meaningful look and elegantly flicked its tail.

"Looks like... things are about to change in the north of the city. Thanks for your 'story,' rider, it was very interesting." After saying that, its figure disappeared silently as if it had blended into the shadows.

After hearing its words, Lin Yu knew that this guy probably knew his thoughts and purpose, but it didn't matter. Lin Yu believed that this guy would tell the director of the opera house about these things.

As expected, things turned out as planned.

That very night, as Lin Yu finished his deliveries and was cultivating in his apartment, his phone suddenly vibrated.

It was an unknown number, but the source was clearly marked as "Ghost Opera House".

To be honest, Lin Yu was really annoyed. Although the phone had a call function, the riders couldn't use it and could only passively wait for others to call them. He didn't know what this damn company was thinking.

He answered the call immediately.

"Hello, rider."

A deep, authoritative male voice came from the other end of the phone.

"Hello, should I call you Dean?"

Lin Yu replied casually.

"Just call me Count Augusta."

The other side replied casually.

"Mr. Rider," the count's voice was unreadable, "I'm very interested in the 'interesting tidbit' you provided, and I understand your thoughts. To be honest, I'm tempted, but words are not enough. I need concrete proof that our neighbor is indeed weak enough to warrant my intervention."

After all, you probably know that under normal circumstances, I can't leave the theater. If I want to take action, I'll have to pay a considerable price. Therefore, I need to be sure I can really resolve this problem once and for all.

Lin Yu frowned slightly: "What kind of proof does Your Excellency require?"

"A locating beacon," the count said slowly. "I need you to send a tiny magical beacon deep into the Black Mist Cavern, as close to its core as possible."

It provides me with real-time feedback on the energy fluctuation levels there, allowing me to accurately assess its current state.

Lin Yu remained silent for a moment.

This was undoubtedly an extremely dangerous mission, meaning he would have to infiltrate that hellish place again.

"Don't you have any suitable candidates under your command?" Lin Yu asked after thinking for a while.

The count said, "If I had, I wouldn't have come to you. The Black Mist and I are mutually wary; it won't allow my people to approach its lair."

Or, assuming your intelligence is correct, it should now have completely sealed off the core area of ​​the northern part of the city, prohibiting anyone from approaching.

Lin Yu frowned: "Then why do you think I can go in?"

The count chuckled and replied, "Mr. Rider, you may not know that madman well enough. I can tell you with certainty that if you dare to go, it will definitely let you go. Right now, it probably wants nothing more than to devour you alive."

"Rider," the count's voice carried a hint of seduction, "you and I both have some...unpleasantness with that lady. This is an opportunity to completely resolve the trouble."

Once it's done, not only will you be free from future troubles, but I will also pay you a generous "information consultation fee," and the opera house will always be open to you and consider you a friend.

Lin Yu frowned and said, "This is too risky for me."

He was frantically weighing the pros and cons in his mind.

He did want Lady Black Mist to die, but he acknowledged that she was very strong. Even with two pieces of gold equipment, he hadn't been able to gain much advantage.

"I will give you a life-saving item to ensure your safety. At least you won't be killed by the other party directly. With your own strength, your safety should not be a problem."

Lin Yu's eyes flickered as he looked at the reply from "Count Augusta" on his phone screen.

Sending the beacon into the core of the Black Mist Cavern is undoubtedly like dancing on a knife's edge.

But the count's analysis was not without merit. Given the Black Mist Lady's mad and vengeful nature, if her "enemy" had offered herself up, she would most likely let her in and try to take revenge herself.

The risks are extremely high, but the rewards are equally enormous—not only can you use someone else to do your dirty work and eliminate future troubles, but you can also gain the friendship and rewards of the opera house.

"I need that life-saving item, as well as specific information about the beacon and how to operate it," Lin Yu replied. He needed as much protection and intelligence as possible.

"A wise choice." The count seemed to have been prepared. "My butler, 'Shadow,' will arrive at your station entrance shortly. We cannot enter your station, so you may need to wait at the entrance."

It will give you the Shadow Sanctuary Orb and the Beacon, and answer your questions.

Good luck, rider. I look forward to hearing good news from you.

The call has ended.

……

A few minutes later, Lin Yu arrived at the station entrance to wait. There seemed to be shadows moving around the station entrance, and a figure dressed in a sharp black suit with an indistinct face silently appeared. It was the vampire butler "Shadow".

It held a quaint little black box in its hands.

"Rider, on the Earl's orders." Shadow's voice was low and hoarse as he handed the box to Lin Yu.

Lin Yu opened the box, inside which were two items. A black round piece, no bigger than a button, made of neither gold nor wood, with subtle magical patterns on its surface—presumably the beacon.

The other item was a deep purple bead the size of a longan, with what appeared to be a liquid, dark flow inside. It was icy to the touch and emitted strange energy fluctuations.

【Shadow Protection Bead】(Disposable)

Category: Props

Grade: Silver

Effect: Upon crushing, a "Shadow Barrier" immediately forms around the user for 5 seconds. During the duration of the barrier, the user is immune to all physical and energy attacks of Silver level and below (with a strong weakening effect on Gold level attacks), and is instantly teleported randomly to any shadow area within a radius of one kilometer.

Description: One of the treasured possessions of Count Augusta, the director of the Ghost Opera House, containing powerful shadow energy.

"The beacon only requires a small amount of energy to activate, and then it can be placed in the core area of ​​the cave. It will automatically hide its own fluctuations and is extremely difficult to detect. Once it is successfully placed, the Earl will be able to sense it."

Ying explained succinctly, "As for the location of the core of the cave... judging from the energy flow, it should be directly below the area where you previously created 'plant life,' in the place where the black mist is most concentrated."

"I understand." Lin Yu put away the two items and nodded.

The combination of Shadow Barrier and random teleportation is indeed an extremely powerful trump card for survival.

"The Earl asked me to convey to you," Ying bowed slightly, "that the opera house thanks you for your courage, regardless of success or failure. If you return successfully, the reward will certainly not disappoint you."

After saying that, its figure slowly disappeared from the spot, like ink merging into water.

Lin Yu took his things back to the apartment and made some preparations, bringing everything he needed.

An hour later, as the city was at its darkest, Lin Yu rode his electric bike once again toward the northern part of the city.

He planned to act today; there was no need to wait until tomorrow. The sooner he took care of that bastard, the better.

……

Soon, Lin Yu arrived at his destination, the northern part of the city.

Interestingly, after he arrived in the northern part of the city, none of the monsters he encountered attacked him. Instead, they blocked his retreat path from a distance, seemingly forcing him to move towards the core area.

It seems that this Lady Black Mist really does hate herself, just as the Count said.

Lin Yu didn't mind and continued forward.

The closer you get to the Black Mist Cavern, the stronger the chill and deathly stillness in the air become.

The ravine barrier left by the bull, burning with cyan flames, still exists, like a dividing line separating the relatively "normal" urban area from the cursed land shrouded in black mist.

On the other side of the barrier, the black mist was even denser than before, and as it churned and surged, it seemed as if countless pained faces were floating within it.

An intensely suppressed anger and resentment permeated the air, making it difficult to breathe.

Lin Yu stopped the car in front of the barrier.

He could feel countless eyes staring intently at him from the darkness on the other side of the barrier, filled with greed, malice, and a kind of... impatience.

Clearly, the Lady of the Black Mist was waiting for him.

Lin Yu sneered and, without the slightest hesitation, turned the ignition. The electric scooter emitted a slight hum and passed directly through the cyan barrier.

The instant he passed through the barrier!

boom--!

The thick black mist around him began to boil like a living thing, surging wildly towards him, trying to devour him.

But this time, the black mist didn't attack directly; instead, it seemed to be... guiding him? Or rather, forcing him to move towards the entrance of the cave.

"Come on...come on...ants..." A female voice filled with endless resentment and pleasure rang directly in Lin Yu's mind. It was the voice of the Black Mist Lady.

"You've walked right into my trap... I'll make you suffer eternal torment!"

Lin Yu remained expressionless, his [Heavenly Eye (Pseudo)] quietly activated, calmly observing the energy flow around him. Following the direction of the encroaching black mist, he slowly made his way towards the entrance of the cave.

Along the way, he saw more twisted black mist monsters, which huddled on both sides of the road, emitting silent roars, their scarlet eyes fixed on him, but none of them stepped forward to attack, as if waiting for some kind of command.

The entrance to the cave is right in front of us.

The pitch-black opening resembled the mouth of a giant beast, spewing out even thicker, almost tangible, black mist.

The ground around the cave entrance still bears traces of yesterday's battle, as well as some charred remains and signs of life left by the rampant growth of the Willow Vine.

"Come in!" The woman in black mist said with a hint of impatience.

Lin Yu stopped the electric vehicle and put it away.

He took a deep breath and stepped into the dark entrance to the cave.

Upon entering the cave, the surrounding light vanished instantly, leaving only endless darkness.

The cold, damp air, carrying a strong sense of decay and negative emotions, tried to penetrate every pore of his body.

In the field of vision of the [Heavenly Eye], the surroundings are filled with violent and chaotic dark energy flows, which swirl and roar in the cave, eventually converging into the depths of the cave.

The interior of the cave was more spacious than I had imagined, like a huge underground cavern, but it was filled with black mist, making visibility extremely low.

The ground beneath your feet is uneven rock, and occasionally you can step on some broken bones of some unknown creature.

Lin Yu moved forward cautiously, while simultaneously trying his best to sense the direction of energy flow.

Just as Shadow said, the strongest energy source is right below.

He descended the steep slope, and the deeper he went, the stronger the sense of oppression became. The Black Mist Lady's malicious whispers grew clearer and clearer, constantly assaulting his mind.

If it weren't for his extremely high mental attributes and the protection of his [Heavenly Eye], he would probably have already lost his mind.

After walking for about ten minutes, the slope finally became gentle. A much larger underground space appeared ahead.

At the center of the space was a massive, constantly writhing "nest" that appeared to be made of countless black crystals and twisted skeletons.

At the center of the lair, there is a dark red energy core that pulsates violently, like a heart, radiating terrifying energy fluctuations and boundless vitality—that is the core of the Black Mist Lady's true form and the source of the dark energy of the entire cavern.

Around the lair stood several figures, the tallest of which was the black-clad guardian.

It seemed to have recovered somewhat, but when its scarlet eyes saw Lin Yu, they immediately erupted with astonishing killing intent and... a trace of fear?

The others were monsters of various shapes, but all exuding a powerful dark aura; they were clearly other elites under the command of the Black Mist Lady.

"You've finally come... insect!" The Black Mist Lady's voice emanated from the pulsating core, filled with twisted pleasure: "I will personally crush your soul and turn your body into my collection!"

Lin Yu stopped, about fifty meters away from the core nest.

He could sense that several powerful auras had locked onto him.

"With these scrawny bastards?" Lin Yu deliberately revealed a mocking smile, trying to provoke the other party and look for an opportunity: "It seems that the lesson I taught you yesterday was not profound enough."

"You still dare to talk back even when you're about to die!" the guard roared, the black mist on his battle axe churning violently.

But it seemed to have received some order and did not rush forward immediately.

The Black Mist Lady's core throbbed violently, and an even more terrifying pressure descended: "Capture him! I want him alive!"

At a command, apart from the guards who seemed to be protecting the core, the other elite monsters roared at the same time, turning into streaks of black shadows and rushing towards Lin Yu!

The moment they moved, Lin Yu moved too!

Instead of retreating, he suddenly rushed forward, and at the same time flicked his wrist!

[Earth Power - Symbiotic Willow Vine] shot out instantly, and the emerald green vines grew wildly. This time it was no longer an attack, but a pure defense and obstruction - countless vines and willow branches, like a wildly growing jungle, instantly formed a thick green barrier in front of Lin Yu, temporarily blocking the attack of those elite monsters.

At the same time, the Azure Rose appeared in Lin Yu's right hand!

Bang! Bang! ...

Countless demonic bullets were fired, but they weren't aimed at the monster; instead, they were fired at different locations on the top of the cave!

Debris flew everywhere instantly!

The point that was hit was precisely the relatively fragile node within the cave structure that [Sky Eye] had observed.

Rumble—!

The entire cavern shook violently, with large amounts of rocks falling from the top, creating a cloud of dust and instantly disrupting the energy flow!

This sudden collapse caused all the enemies, including the guards, to instinctively take defensive or evasive actions, resulting in a slight disruption to their formation!

It's now!

Lin Yu's eyes flashed with a sharp light! He poured all his magical power into the [Heavenly Cloak] without reservation.

His cloak shone brightly red, carrying him like a red meteor as he bypassed the brief chaotic area at an astonishing speed, heading straight for the pulsating dark red core!

"Stop him!" the woman in black mist cried out in a sharp, angry voice!

The guard finally reacted, and the massive battle axe, carrying terrifying power to tear everything apart, cleaved towards Lin Yu in half! This axe strike was as fast as lightning, blocking all his paths of advance!

Faced with this deadly attack, Lin Yu showed no panic.

He had anticipated that the guards would intercept him.

His left hand remained tightly gripping the [Shadow Protection Bead].

Just moments before the battle axe struck!

Click!

Lin Yu suddenly crushed the bead!

Om-!

An extremely deep darkness erupted from him, forming a perfect spherical barrier that completely enveloped him.

clang--!!!!

The Guardian's battle axe, powerful enough to cleave mountains, struck the shadow barrier with tremendous force, but only produced a dull, deafening roar.

The barrier remained completely still, without even a ripple.

With the immense impact of the battle axe's strike and the power of the [Heavenly Cloak] itself, Lin Yu's speed surged once again.

Like a baseball being hit, but completely under its own control, it traced a tricky arc, narrowly avoiding the guardian's massive body, and instantly approached the pulsating dark red core.

The distance is less than ten meters.

He could even feel the nauseating, overwhelming energy emanating from the core, a mixture of life and darkness.

The woman of black mist let out a terrified and incredulous scream, and countless black mist tentacles rushed towards Lin Yu, but they were all blocked by the barrier.

The guardians and other monsters charged forward frantically, but they were already a beat too late.

On Lin Yu's right index finger, the button-sized beacon had already been activated by a weak magical force, emitting an almost imperceptible fluctuation.

He flicked his finger!

call out!

The beacon transformed into an almost invisible streak of light, precisely targeting the dark red energy core.

Just as the beacon was about to touch the core surface, it seemed to merge into the darkness, disappearing silently and perfectly embedding itself into the surging energy around the core.

Successful.

Almost simultaneously with the beacon integration, five seconds elapsed.

The effect of the Shadow Sanctuary Bead has ended.

The shadow barrier vanished instantly, and the shadow energy that enveloped him suddenly contracted inward, then unleashed a powerful teleportation force.

Lin Yu's figure blurred instantly, as if he were about to blend into the surrounding shadows.

"No! Stay!" The Black Mist Lady roared hysterically, her entire core erupting with towering black mist that transformed into a gigantic hand that blotted out the sky, reaching for Lin Yu who was about to be teleported away.

It doesn't even care that this might damage its own core.

However, just as the giant dark hand was about to close—

Lin Yu's figure completely disappeared.

The next moment, he appeared in the shadowy corner of a dilapidated building about seven or eight hundred meters away from the entrance to the Black Mist Cave.

puff.

Although he successfully teleported, forcibly breaking through the Black Mist Lady's final interference still caused Lin Yu to suffer a slight backlash from the spatial power. He felt a sweet taste in his throat, spat out a small mouthful of blood, and his health points dropped slightly.

But he didn't care about any of that and immediately looked up towards the direction of the cave.

Almost at the same time he looked in that direction—

hum! ! !