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

The news spread so fast? But thinking about it, it makes sense. The commotion was so big back then, and considering his activities in the north of the city and other circumstances, it wouldn't be hard for someone with a keen eye to guess.

However, he didn't say much, neither admitting nor refuting.

The phantom leaned forward slightly and lowered her voice, "Don't be nervous, I mean no harm. I just want to meet some real powerhouses. After all, in a godforsaken place like this, it's always better to have one more friend than one more enemy, don't you think?"

"Perhaps," Lin Yu said noncommittally.

He never believed in kindness without a reason, especially in this cruel game world.

"Looks like you're quite wary." Phantom shrugged, seemingly helpless, then her tone became slightly more formal. "Alright, let's get down to business. I noticed you because of your strength. You've probably seen what's happening outside—the neighborhood is damaged, and the number of players has drastically decreased. You should understand what that means."

Lin Yu put down his cutlery, wiped his mouth, and gestured for her to continue.

"This means that the game will only get harder and harder, and the survival environment will become increasingly harsh." Phantom's expression became more serious. "Even if you are very strong, there will always be times when you make a mistake or are unable to do something."

Especially in games that require cooperation or factional conflict, not to mention that our community has lost so many players, and a large number of new players will definitely be joining soon. Compared to these newcomers, we veterans should be more suited to cooperate.

"So?" Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

"So, I'd like to invite you to join our Heroes' Guild." Phantom finally revealed her purpose: "It's a small guild with few members, but they are all elites, at least level 7 or above."

We will share some intelligence, cooperate in certain games, and trade resources. Furthermore, our guild leader is a veteran player who has already completed 10 games.

Guild? Lin Yu raised an eyebrow.

This was the first time he had ever heard of it.

"Why are you looking for me? We don't know each other. Besides, of all the things you mentioned, the only thing that's actually useful is trading, right? But if it's trading, aren't there chat groups in the community? Why would I join yours?" Lin Yu asked.

"Strength, and potential." Phantom was direct. "We've been watching what you posted in the trading channel before. Although the level wasn't high, the variety and quantity showed that you have a strong ability to acquire things."

Moreover, being able to influence regional hegemon events, even indirectly, proves that you are no ordinary player.

Our guild needs fresh blood, especially strong players like you.

Of course, after joining a guild, you need to abide by some basic rules, such as not attacking guild members in non-mandatory combat games, and giving priority to teaming up in certain types of games. However, there is a high degree of freedom, and it is more about mutual benefit.

Regarding the trading issue you mentioned, the trading channel is indeed convenient, but it's also very rigid. For example, even if you already have a full set of silver-level gear, you're still stuck in the bronze-level chat because you haven't upgraded. But it's different here. In our guild, if you're willing, you can even trade for gold-level gear.

She paused, then added, "You can think about it first; you don't have to reply to me right away."

"Just give me the answer before the next game starts." With that, she sent Lin Yu a friend request.

Lin Yu pondered for a moment.

Joining an organization does have its advantages, such as intelligence sources, resource exchange, and mutual support in specific games.

But he doesn't like being restrained, and he doesn't like easily entrusting his back to unfamiliar people.

Does anyone know what's going on inside this gathering of heroes?

He didn't accept the friend request immediately, but instead asked, "What obligations does your guild have for its members? For example, are they required to hand in their harvest? Or are they forced to participate in certain activities?"

"It's very lenient." Phantom seemed to have anticipated his question: "There's no mandatory requirement to hand over the money, but internal transactions are encouraged, and the prices will be lower than the market price."

There are no mandatory activities. Essentially, our guild is more like a communication platform. Of course, our guild leader hopes that members can cooperate and achieve mutual benefit in the game, and avoid confrontation as much as possible unless forced by the system.

The conditions sound reasonable.

But Lin Yu decided to be cautious.

"I need time to think about it," Lin Yu said.

"Of course." Phantom didn't press the matter, gracefully stood up, and downed her drink in one gulp. "I hope to hear good news from you before the next game. Remember, in this world, lone wolves... often die the fastest."

She left with a meaningful smile, then turned and gracefully departed.

Lin Yu watched her retreating figure, lost in thought.

He didn't completely reject the idea; having more options meant having more paths to take. But he wouldn't agree easily either.

He opened his friends list, accepted Phantom's friend request, and then ignored it.

He put the matter aside for the time being and continued eating his food.

After paying the bill and leaving the restaurant, Lin Yu did not go straight back to his apartment. Instead, he went to the training ground in the entertainment area to test his newly learned "Immobilization Golden Light Technique" and "Demon Revelation Technique".

The results were only so-so.

The "Immobilizing Golden Light" spell can only immobilize a dummy for a fraction of a second, and the casting time is too long and the energy consumption is also considerable.

The Demon-Revealing Technique requires casting the spell continuously for two or three seconds to obtain basic information about the dummy.

Clearly, these two techniques are still some distance from practical application and require more practice.

He then opened the trading channel and browsed around, but unfortunately the quality of items in the bronze channel was indeed limited. He couldn't find any silver-level skill cards, but he did use his remaining game currency to buy some materials.

After doing all this, Lin Yu returned to his apartment.

After sending his clone to continue cultivating in the study, Lin Yu went to the living room to organize his thoughts and make plans.

First, there was the Phantom's invitation.

The pros and cons are both obvious, so he decided to wait and see for the time being. If he couldn't buy anything suitable in the trading channel in the next few days, he could try joining a guild to see if there were any good items to buy.

Secondly, it is about improving strength.

He has now reached level 10, and his equipment has been upgraded to +3. He even bought enhancement stones to upgrade those gold-level equipment to +5.

It's unlikely that there will be a significant leap forward in the short term. The focus should now be on mastering the newly acquired Heavenly Eye technique and striving to apply it in actual combat, while continuing to further study lightning magic.

He still values ​​Leifa highly.

In addition, Lin Yu also planned to study the Shadow Clone Technique and try to create more shadow clones. Although it was not the Multiple Shadow Clone Technique, if Lin Yu remembered correctly, the ordinary Shadow Clone Technique could also create multiple shadow clones, but it consumed more energy and required reasonable allocation of mana.

After thinking for a while, Lin Yu glanced at the black mist outside the window that seemed to be swallowing everything and sighed.

The rest period is only seven days, and not a single moment can be wasted.

He went to his study, sat cross-legged, and began to comprehend magic together with his shadow clone.

No matter what the next world is like, he must survive and become stronger.

……

During the next four days of rest, Lin Yu hardly left the house.

The main body and its shadow clone diligently cultivated together in the [Taoist Study].

This master focuses on deepening his understanding of thunder magic and shadow clone techniques.

Shadow Clone, on the other hand, devoted himself entirely to studying the "Heavenly Eye Technique".

With a 500% increase in enlightenment efficiency, progress is remarkable.

The duration of the immobilization effect of the golden light has been increased from a fraction of a second to nearly one second, and the casting animation has also been shortened.

The speed and clarity of information acquisition by the Demon-Revealing Technique have also improved. Although it is still far from being mastered in actual combat, it is no longer just a mere formality.

In addition, other clairvoyant techniques are also involved to some extent. Although they still cannot be used in battle, they have enriched the range of methods available.

Lin Yu also further explored the potential of the Shadow Clone Technique.

He discovered that with his current mental and magical power, without affecting his main body's combat ability, he could at most maintain two shadow clones for cultivation or to execute simple commands, or one clone with stronger action and combat capabilities.

This is already a significant improvement, meaning he can now engage in three training sessions or missions simultaneously.

In his spare time, he would closely monitor the trading channel of the [9527 Community Player Exchange Group - Bronze].

Unfortunately, just as he expected, the upper limit of items that can be circulated in the Bronze Channel is not high.

Although a few silver-level equipment and skill cards have appeared in the past few days, their attributes either don't match his needs or their prices have been inflated, making them extremely poor value for money.

He ultimately only purchased some apartment upgrade cards, upgrade cards, materials, some appliances, furniture, and various blueprints to improve the strength of the apartment itself.

By the afternoon of the fifth day of his break, Lin Yu still hadn't found a silver-level skill card he wanted.

Having the third skill slot empty feels like a waste.

"It seems I have no choice but to try that 'Gathering of Heroes'." Lin Yu pondered for a moment, then opened the chat window with Phantom without further hesitation.

"I've made up my mind. I'd like to know more about joining the Elite Gathering, and how to conduct the insider trading you mentioned," Lin Yu sent the message.

Almost instantly, [Phantom] replied, seemingly having been waiting for his message.

"A wise choice~ Welcome to the team, Mr. Witcher." The text was followed by a smiley face emoji.

"Our guild has been renting a private room in the entertainment area for a long time, which serves as both a meeting point and an internal trading venue."

The room number is A-17. Are you free to come over now? A few core members are exchanging supplies there today.

"It's convenient, I'll be right there," Lin Yu replied.

"Okay, I'll let them know. They can just knock on the door when they arrive."

Lin Yu left the apartment and headed to the entertainment area again.

Following the instructions, he quickly found VIP box A-17, located in a relatively quiet area deep within the entertainment district.

After knocking, the door opened from the inside.

The person who opened the door was Phantom. Today, she was dressed in a smart black outfit that accentuated her curves perfectly, and she was as charming as ever.

She saw Lin Yu, smiled sweetly, and stepped aside to make way for him: "You came so quickly, come in, everyone's here."

Lin Yu stepped inside.

The private room was more spacious than I had imagined, with luxurious decor, soft carpets, leather sofas, and even a mini bar. The air was filled with a faint aroma of cigars and alcohol.

The room was very well soundproofed, completely isolating it from the outside noise and creating a private and slightly oppressive atmosphere.

There were about a dozen people inside, some sitting and some standing. Interestingly, these people were of various races, but the majority were naturally human.

But there are also short, stocky dwarves with thick beards, elves with pointed ears and handsome faces, and even an aquatic race with pale blue skin and scales.

Without exception, these people all exuded a fierce aura that came from life-and-death battles, and none of them seemed to be weak.

As for race, Lin Yu wasn't surprised. These guys probably used some method to change their race in order to increase their strength. He had seen similar content in the chat channel before, and also saw related items in the trading channel, but he just didn't buy them.

Upon seeing Phantom enter with an unfamiliar young face, the laughter and conversation in the private room immediately subsided, and almost all eyes instantly focused on Lin Yu.

Those eyes held undisguised scrutiny and a hint of curiosity. In this place where the strong are respected, any new face meant a potential ally or adversary.

"Let me introduce you all," Phantom clapped her hands, her voice clearly reaching everyone's ears: "This is our new friend, the Witcher, the one I mentioned to you before, the formidable player from the last round of the game. He not only won the seven-day solo title but also had a record of fighting against a Gold-level BOSS."

Her presentation successfully piqued everyone's interest.

Of course, perhaps because Lin Yu was present, she did not explicitly state that Lin Yu was likely the mastermind behind the death of that gold-level BOSS.

A tall, thin male player wearing gold-rimmed glasses pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses sharp as a scalpel. He spoke first, his tone as calm as if stating a fact: "Oh? The guy you mentioned who supposedly took down the Gold-level boss?"

The data is indeed astonishing. Welcome, welcome! It seems our average strength in the Elite Gathering can be raised even higher.

His words sounded like a welcome, but more like an assessment, lacking much enthusiasm.

Upon hearing this, a burly man carrying a massive battle axe the size of a door panel, with a muscular build like a bear and the ID "Rock Solid," replied in a deep, booming voice that made the glasses on the bar rattle softly: "Kid, not bad! A Gold-level BOSS? That's a big problem!"

"In our guild, if you count on your fingers, the only people who can handle a monster of this level on their own are probably the guild leader and those two vice-leaders..."

Before he could finish speaking, his eyes continued to scan Lin Yu, his probing intent quite obvious.

A female player dressed in a magnificent mage's robe and holding a gem-encrusted short staff chuckled: "Rock, don't scare the newbie. No matter how you did it, the result speaks for itself. Welcome, Demon Hunter."

Her attitude was relatively friendly.

The others nodded in agreement or simply gave their IDs. The atmosphere wasn't particularly lively, but it wasn't exactly hostile either.

This attitude of keeping a distance and observing was within Lin Yu's expectations.

He knew that to truly integrate into this elite circle, he needed time and tangible results.

"Hello everyone, I am the Demon Hunter." Lin Yu nodded calmly in response, concise and to the point, without picking up on Pan Shi's question about how to deal with the Black Mist Lady.

Seeing this, Meiying smiled charmingly and changed the subject, clapping her hands and saying, "Alright, alright, everyone knows each other now. Lin Yu came here today mainly to see our internal transactions and exchange some good stuff to improve himself."

Anyone here has any stockpiled items, especially skill cards or top-tier equipment suitable for melee combat? Don't hide them, show them off!

Upon hearing this, a female player wearing an elemental robe, with the ID [Flame Princess], flicked her wrist and produced a card with burning flame patterns: "I happen to have an extra silver-level [Fire Dragon Technique] skill card. It deals explosive damage, has a considerable range, and is great for clearing mobs or unleashing burst damage against bosses. Interested?"

She looked at Lin Yu with the enthusiasm of a salesperson.

Lin Yu shook his head, politely but firmly declining: "Thank you, it's a very good skill, but my current means of dealing damage are sufficient for now. I need skills that enhance movement, control, or survivability."

At this moment, a player named [Dark Raven], who was almost blending into the shadows in the corner, wearing dark leather armor and silently fiddling with a pair of poisoned daggers, raised his head, revealing a pair of sharp, eagle-like eyes, and said in a hoarse voice: "A movement skill? What a coincidence, I just got rid of a [Spatial Leap] here."

Silver-tier, short-range instantaneous teleportation, top-notch for survival, engagement, and dodging skills. The cooldown time is a bit long, but it's definitely worth the price. However, he paused, "the price isn't cheap."

Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat; this was exactly the type he needed: "Could I see the specific attributes?"

Without further ado, Dark Raven swiped his finger across the card, directly sharing the virtual attribute panel of the skill card with Lin Yu.

Spatial Leap

Category: Skills

Grade: Silver

Effect: Consumes mana to instantly teleport in the specified direction, with a teleportation distance of 1 to 500 meters (the specific distance is determined by the user's will and control; the longer the distance, the more mana is consumed, and the consumption increases significantly after 100 meters).

Cooldown time: 3 minutes.

Description: The power of space is at your disposal.

The attributes meet the requirements. Lin Yu thought for a moment, then asked with an unchanged expression, "What's the price?"

"800 game coins." Dark Raven quoted a price far exceeding the market average, adding, "Or you can exchange it for an equivalent amount of silver melee attack skill cards, preferably dagger specialization ones. We can also negotiate if you have top-tier silver-grade dagger equipment."

Lin Yu frowned.

This price is indeed outrageously high. Normally, the market price of a silver skill card is similar to that of silver-level equipment, only the lower limit is higher, usually between 200-500 game coins. Movement skills are indeed rare, but 600 is the maximum.

He did not immediately refute, but instead turned his gaze to the introducer, Phantom.

Phantom understood and glared reproachfully at Dark Raven: "Dark Raven, you've struck that shrewish businessman again? So heartless to new members too? 600! Consider it a gift for Lin Yu, and also out of respect for me."

Lin Yu's strength and potential are obvious to everyone. With a powerful teammate, running dungeons and completing quests will be much easier for everyone, won't it?

Dark Raven tilted his head and thought for a moment, his gaze shifting between Lin Yu and Phantom. He seemed to weigh the options, but finally shrugged indifferently and said hoarsely, "Fine, since Phantom has spoken, 600 it is. I'll lose money to make friends."

That tone didn't sound like he was losing money at all.

Without further hesitation, Lin Yu readily paid 600 game coins.

The transaction was completed, and the [Spatial Leap] skill card transformed into a stream of light and entered his body, filling the third skill slot.

"Congratulations," Phantom said with a smile.

"Do you need anything else? As for equipment? I see your pants are still bronze level, right?" a deep voice rang out.

The dwarf player, the blacksmith, laboriously pulled a pair of trousers with a dark red sheen, made of what appeared to be some kind of demonic leather, from a huge, seemingly heavy metal toolbox at his feet.

"Here you go, [Demon Leather Pants +5], a silver-grade equipment, +5 Constitution, +3 Strength, the base stats are absolutely solid!" The blacksmith's voice boomed, "It comes with two passive effects: one is to increase natural resistance to dark energy attacks, which is very useful; the other is even more interesting, when you encounter demon monsters, they will inexplicably develop a slight liking for you, reducing their initial aggro, which can sometimes save you a lot of trouble."

He paused, then continued, "There is also an active skill called [Demon Avatar]. Once activated, it draws on the demonic power sealed in your leather pants, transforming you into a half-demon form for ten minutes. During this time, your strength and physique are greatly enhanced, and you gain a slight Hellfire enchantment attack. However, it will continuously consume mana, and you will fall into a brief 'weak' state after it ends."

"It's a hidden gem of a skill, but..." He changed the subject, turned his leather pants over, and pointed to a barely noticeable tear on the inside: "It's a good thing, but its durability is almost worn out. There's a tear here, and you'll need to find a skilled craftsman to repair it yourself."

I won't rip you off, here's 200 game coins.

Lin Yu carefully examined the attributes.

The +5 Constitution and +3 Strength are a huge direct boost for him, the Dark Resistance is useful, and the passive ability that increases Demon Favorability may even have a surprising effect in certain situations.

Although active skills have obvious side effects, they can be a game-changer in crucial moments.

At 200 game coins, even for a defective product, it's an absolutely reasonable price.

It's just a matter of finding a repairman to fix it; it won't cost much.

"I'll take it." Lin Yu paid 200 game coins again and accepted the heavy leather pants that smelled faintly of sulfur.

Afterwards, the other members also brought out some items, including silver-grade rings, special potion recipes, and even one-time magic scrolls, but either their attributes didn't match Lin Yu's or they couldn't agree on the price.

Although the main objective had been achieved, Lin Yu thought for a moment and then took the initiative to speak, "I also have some things here that I don't need, mostly bronze-level. I wonder if any of you are interested?"

As he spoke, he shared information about the [Bronze-level Camouflage Pants], [Long-distance Running Shoes] that he had replaced, as well as the [Summon Sludge Monster] skill card, which was not very useful.