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

Lin Yu's question plunged Snow White into a brief silence. Her slender fingers unconsciously twisted the hem of her skirt, and a hint of confusion flashed in her azure eyes.

"I...I don't know, Mr. Hunter," she finally said in a low voice, her voice trembling slightly. "It's just a feeling...a very strong feeling."

Going back to the castle, back to my mother… or anywhere she can easily find me, will lead to very, very terrible things.

Although there are dangers in the forest, here... it seems like something is protecting me, or rather, restraining another force...

Hearing her words, Lin Yu narrowed his eyes slightly.

"I understand." After a moment, Lin Yu nodded, not pressing her, and said, "Since you feel it's safer to stay in the forest, then we won't go back to the castle for now."

He turned to Chris and the idiot: "What do you guys think?"

Chris frowned, clearly having reservations about the princess's judgment, but out of duty and for the sake of the current alliance, he said, "Protecting the princess is my mission, and since it is her wish, I will comply. But we must find a safer base."

The muddlehead nodded: "The guard is right, we can't stay here. I know there's an even more secluded place in the forest, an abandoned mine. Maybe we can go there first."

"The mine..." Lin Yu pondered for a moment, "Okay, there's no better option right now anyway. Let's move immediately."

"Let's go."

Lin Yu was the first to stand up.

Led by the simpleton, Chris carried Snow White on his back, and Lin Yu brought up the rear. The group quickly left the cabin.

Throughout the journey, Lin Yu kept thinking about how to break out of the current predicament.

The most fatal problem is that players' perceptions are influenced by unseen forces.

Without resolving this issue, any so-called cooperation and exploration may simply be following a path laid out by the enemy.

It's unclear whether the True Lord's divine power can withstand this kind of mental intrusion, but the problem is that the apartment isn't there, so Lin Yu can't get close to the True Lord's statue.

"Wait...the apartment!"

Lin Yu was suddenly stunned.

How could he forget about the apartment? It's the most important thing for every player!

Especially for him, as long as he has the apartment and can stay in it, he can be protected by the True Lord statue. So why should he worry about any messy corruption?

"Why did I forget this most important thing?"

Lin Yu broke out in a cold sweat; he had clearly underestimated the psychological damage they were suffering from.

"Guard, you idiot!"

Thinking about this, Lin Yu decided to first confirm the situation to see if he had subconsciously overlooked it, or if everyone had overlooked the key element of the apartment.

If it's the latter, then it means they were definitely affected.

"What's wrong?"

Hearing Lin Yu's shout, the two slowly stopped and looked at him.

Lin Yu didn't speak, but instead used his Sharingan genjutsu on Snow White again.

"...Do you still remember your apartment?"

Then, under the bewildered gazes of the two, Lin Yu directly asked.

"Apartment? What apartment?"

The guard paused for a moment, then asked, looking slightly bewildered.

The muddlehead stood silently in place, his face full of a conflicted expression, as if he was thinking about something.

"...Guard, do you remember who we are?"

Lin Yu stared intently at the guard and spoke.

"Who are we? What are you asking? We're not..."

The guard instinctively opened his mouth to answer, but as he finished speaking, his expression became as conflicted as the confused man's, as if he were also trying to recall something.

"really."

Seeing this, Lin Yu narrowed his eyes. He was now completely certain that they had indeed been affected, and that the effect was gradually intensifying. However, it seemed that the severity of the effect varied depending on the situation.

At least I can remember that I am a player, and I can recall the key things after a flash of inspiration.

But the influence of the fool and the guards was already quite significant.

The guard, in particular, almost forgot that he was a player.

No wonder this guy is so fixated on protecting Snow White; subconsciously, he's increasingly seeing himself as Chris the guard.

"We are players!"

About ten seconds later, the muddlehead rubbed his temples and spoke firmly.

"Player?"

Upon hearing this answer, the guard beside him was stunned for a moment, then his pupils suddenly contracted, and large beads of sweat rolled down his forehead.

"Yes, we are players, players of the apartment game."

The idiot muttered to himself.

"Damn games, they've even affected our memories."

The guard, panting heavily, cursed.

On the other side, Lin Yu was pondering a question.

That is, he has determined that the system prompt at the start of the game is most likely fake. Therefore, it is certain that their apartment also came to this world.

Now the question is, where is their apartment?

"If the system notification is fake, does that mean the so-called character restrictions aren't so exaggerated? Of course, the limitation on strength definitely exists, that much is undeniable. Now the only question is, is my equipment really unusable?"

Lin Yu looked at his right hand.

His fingers were bare, but Lin Yu still clearly remembered that he should have had three rings on his hands: a Shadow Whisper ring, a hexagonal ring, and a storage ring.

But now they're all gone.

The first two are not so bad, but the storage ring is definitely not normal.

Lin Yu muttered to himself as the (fake) third eye on his forehead suddenly opened.

Lin Yu poured all his magical power into his Heavenly Eye, and the single eye on his forehead stared intently at his ring finger.

Roar!

But at that moment, an unexpected event occurred. Countless terrifying roars of beasts rang out from the surrounding forest, and then a large number of twisted figures emerged from the forest.

"Getting anxious?"

Sensing the gradually emerging aura around him, Lin Yu's lips curled up slightly, his smile carrying a hint of mockery.

For him, the appearance of these monsters was definitely a good thing, as it meant that his guess was absolutely correct.

The mastermind behind it all is clearly panicking.

On the other side, after discovering the monster, the guard and the idiot both picked up their weapons. Looking at the forest beside them, their faces were slightly pale.

There are too many monsters.

"Don't worry, help me hold it for a bit! It'll be over soon!"

Lin Yu immediately roared in anger.

The guards and the confused man looked at each other, not understanding what had happened. They saw an eye suddenly grow out of Lin Yu's forehead, staring intently at his right hand, and then a large number of monsters inexplicably appeared around them.

The guard hesitated for a moment, then instinctively walked toward Snow White.

After hesitating for a while, the muddle-headed guy immediately transformed into a brown bear and stood in front of Lin Yu.

They repelled the horde of monsters that charged at them.

Seeing this, the guards were even more conflicted.

He was completely influenced, his mind frantically switching between the identities of player and guard.

Protect the hunter? Or protect the princess?

"Sir, I think the hunter might need your help more."

Just then, Snow White suddenly spoke up.

The guard instinctively looked at Snow White.

"Go, guard, this is the princess's order."

Snow White smiled and spoke gently.

Swish!

The guard gritted his teeth, turned around quickly, and charged towards Lin Yu with his longsword, joining forces with the idiot to block the monster's attack.

But that's also why.

Snow White was immediately surrounded by a large number of monsters.

Looking at these strange-looking, twisted creatures, Snow White was not afraid, but slowly reached out her hand to them.

"I understand your pain, and perhaps you need my help."

Snow White gently walked toward a monster that looked like a deer and placed her palm on its head.

A gentle white light shone on Snow White.

The monster deer paused for a moment; its originally terrifying appearance seemed to soften the instant the snow touched it.

Meanwhile, under the light, the monsters around Snow White seemed to have stopped being so frenzied and slowly moved closer to her, bathing in the white light.

the other side.

The number of monsters attacking Lin Yu was far greater than that on Snow White's side, and the guards and the simpleton had a very difficult time stopping them.

Meanwhile, Lin Yu's third eye on his forehead shone with golden light.

At the same time, a phantom ring slowly appeared on the ring finger of his right hand.

"Show yourself!"

Lin Yu's eyes shone brightly. He let out a low roar, his mental energy highly concentrated, resisting the invisible, twisting force that was trying to make him ignore and forget.

Om-!

It was as if the faint sound of shattering glass echoed deep within my consciousness.

The next moment, in Lin Yu's vision, the outline of an inconspicuous silver ring on the ring finger of his right hand rippled like water, slowly solidifying from an illusion into reality.

The storage ring! It's always been there! It was just distorted and obscured by a powerful illusion or some kind of perception!

Furthermore, Lin Yu could clearly sense that the power of this storage ring that concealed the senses was far stronger than the cognitive concealment they possessed.

"You've concentrated so much power into my ring? It seems you're really afraid of what's inside it."

Lin Yu looked up at the sky, a hint of irony on his face.

Roar!

At that very moment, the monsters went berserk. As if they didn't care about their lives, they forcibly evaded or simply withstood the attacks of the idiot and the guards, charging towards Lin Yu.

"It's too late to work hard now."

Lin Yu's mockery intensified.

Then, he flipped his right hand, and an item appeared in his hand.

"really."

Looking at the prop in his hand, Lin Yu smiled slightly.

The monsters had already rushed up to Lin Yu.

But Lin Yu remained calm. He kicked away an approaching monkey-like monster and then used the item in his hand.

"Using the [Apartment Relocation Card], Destination: Current Location."

The moment he confirmed his intention, the card transformed into a soft yet unyielding white light, enveloping his entire body.

The next moment, white light spread outwards like mercury, and in just a few seconds, a medieval-style wooden house appeared beside Lin Yu.

"I knew it!"

Lin Yu was overjoyed.

At the same time, as the apartment appeared, a sacred and majestic aura quickly spread from the wooden house. All the monsters that approached the wooden house instantly stopped in their tracks, staring at the wooden house in front of them with terrified eyes.

As the aura grew stronger, the monsters began to retreat, quickly moving back dozens of meters away from the apartment.

Now the guards and the idiot are safe too.

"There's only the aura of the statue, but no dragon's might. Has the dragon vein been suppressed? It seems that only things acquired through talent and knowledge-based abilities can be used."

Feeling the familiar aura emanating from the wooden house, Lin Yu nodded.

Now he was completely safe. With the apartment, or rather, with the statue of the True Lord, he had nothing to fear.

"this……"

As the monster receded further and further away, the idiot and the guard were astonished; they hadn't expected the crisis to be resolved so easily.

"I told you, it'll be ready in a minute."

Seeing their expressions, Lin Yu smiled and spoke.

On the other side, Snow White looked at the monsters who had been intimidated by the aura of the statue and left her, and a look of reluctance appeared on her face.

Goodbye, friends. I hope that next time we meet, I can help you get rid of your suffering.

The monsters responded to her, then turned and followed the main group away from the apartment.

"The danger is over; now comes the most important part."

Lin Yu nodded slowly, then stepped forward, opened the door of the wooden house, and entered the apartment.

The idiot and the guards didn't come in. Perhaps because of the appearance of the True Lord's aura, the power affecting their minds gradually weakened, so their memories of the players became clearer.

Players are generally resistant to having other people enter their apartments.

Unless the owner agrees, or the owner has no choice but to agree, it's best not to enter casually.

They didn't want to break the rules.

Snow White, on the other hand, was quite curious about Lin Yu's apartment, but she respected him and didn't go inside. Instead, she stood at the window of the wooden house, looking inside with a hint of curiosity.

Unfortunately, the apartment windows were all one-way; those inside could see out, but those outside couldn't see in, so she couldn't see anything.

Inside the apartment.

The basic facilities remain unchanged, and the pure spiritual spring is still placed in the living room. It is also a product of nature, so it can be used.

Things like dragon veins are still there, but they seem to be restricted and cannot be used normally.

However, the Ghost Generator, Infinite Power Gatling Gun, Sludge Trap, and other apartment facilities below the Gold level are still usable, only their power has been weakened.

It seems that not everything is unusable.

Lin Yu went straight to the Taoist study.

The study's effect was also prohibited, but it didn't matter; it wasn't Lin Yu's target.

He quickly arrived in front of the statue of the True Lord.

"May the True Lord protect you."

Lin Yu took out an incense stick, offered a prayer, and successfully obtained the [True Lord's Protection] buff.

At the same time, as the True Lord's protection entered Baff's body, Lin Yu instantly felt a blurry, obscured piece of information in his mind, like an inscription being wiped clean of dust, gradually becoming clear:

You have entered: Dark Fairy Tale: Snow White Game

There are five players in this round. Player-versus-player combat is prohibited in this round, but is allowed until the main storyline is completed.

This round of the game will last for five days. Players who have not completed the main storyline quests after the five days will not be able to exit the game.

In this round of the game, players will become NPCs in the fairy tale storyline and receive different side quests depending on the role they play.

However, they may also be misled by the unknown, and if they cannot escape its control, they will become nothing more than characters in a fairy tale.

[Player's combat power is suppressed in this world; some skill cards, equipment, and apartment decorations are unusable, and some effects will be weakened.]

Main Quest:

Breaking the Mystery: Unraveling the illusions of the unknown and obtaining true system information (Completed).

Side Quest:

① Snow White (Optional quests for guards, dwarves, and hunters: help Snow White avoid death or being put into a deep sleep by eating the poisoned apple.) (Note: Due to changes in the unknown, unforeseen events may occur during the quest, but the main objective remains protecting the princess.)

②The Queen (A court mage or hunter can choose to help the Queen become the most beautiful woman in the world.) (Note: Due to changes in the unknown, unforeseen events may occur during the mission, but the main objective remains helping the Queen.)

③ Dwarves (Dwarves, guards, or hunters are optional; help the dwarves escape the endless darkness.) (Note: Due to changes in the unknown, unforeseen events may occur during the mission, but the main objective remains helping the dwarves.)

④ Fairy Tale World (All characters are selectable; help the fairy tale world escape from unknown control and return to the right path.)

"So that's how it is."

Feeling the information appearing in his mind, Lin Yu slowly stroked his chin.

After all that, this so-called puzzle was just about getting players to escape the mystery of that unknown entity by following clues.

To be honest, this task doesn't seem difficult from the panel's perspective, since the understanding of the unknown entity's alteration is full of flaws.

Anyone with a modicum of logic and a basic understanding of game systems can spot the clues.

But the problem lies in this unknown entity. Its cognitive influence on players is too overpowered. Even Lin Yu, a player known for his mental strength, couldn't detect anything amiss at the very beginning.

In addition, since it was his first time experiencing a puzzle game, he subconsciously followed the reckless logic he had used in previous games, and thus completely followed the wrong understanding given by that guy in the game.

If he hadn't discovered the problem with the forest by leveraging external forces, and hadn't sensed the slight flicker on the system panel at that moment, he wouldn't have been able to deduce everything that followed.

Of course, Lin Yu felt that the main problem was that his IQ was too low. After all, at the beginning of the game, the impact of the unknown was relatively small. If the player was smart enough, he might be able to discover the problem at the beginning.

"I guess I'm just not suited for this type of game."

Lin Yu rubbed his temples, somewhat helplessly.

Lin Yu then looked at the side quests; the game had quite a few side quests this time.

More importantly, his hunter character is quite interesting; he can choose all the side quests.

Was it good luck or was it inevitable?

Lin Yu pondered, feeling that his becoming a hunter was not simply an accident.

"Never mind, let's not think about that for now."

Lin Yu couldn't confirm it, so he stopped worrying about it. After all, the main quest was already completed, and the side quests were just optional.

If he's not interested, he can simply wait four days and leave the game world.

Of course, Lin Yu would never do that. Now that he has the identity to complete all the side quests, it wouldn't be in his nature not to give it a try.

However, we still need to find a way to address the cognitive impact on those confused individuals as well.

After all, they cannot use the statue of the True Lord.

"Ouch~ I'm such an idiot. I just saw the Pure Spirit Spring and I've already forgotten about it."

Lin Yu suddenly slapped his forehead, exclaiming that all the points he had invested in his mental attributes had been wasted.

The spring water can remove all abnormal states, and the mental influence of that unknown entity should also be considered an abnormal state, so giving them some pure spring water should probably solve the problem.

Without any delay, Lin Yu immediately went to the pure spiritual spring in the living room and filled two large cups with spring water.

He pushed open the apartment door and saw the guards and the idiot standing outside, while Snow White stood curiously a little distance away, gazing at the suddenly appearing little wooden house that exuded an aura of tranquility.

"Drink this." Lin Yu handed them two glasses of spring water.

"It should be able to clear away any abnormalities in you, including the effects that thing has on your perception."

The guard and the muddlehead exchanged a glance. Trusting Lin Yu's previous behavior and their current situation, they didn't ask any further questions and drank the spring water in one gulp.

"Ugh!"

As the spring water entered their throats, both of them trembled almost simultaneously, their faces showing pain, but the pain was quickly replaced by clarity.

Their eyes instantly became sharp and clear, and the last trace of confusion and role-playing immersion that remained before vanished as if washed away by clear water.

Complete, authentic memories and systemic information flooded into my mind!

"I...I remember! Everything!"

The guard clenched his fist tightly, his face filled with lingering fear and anger.

"Damn it! This cognitive distortion is unbelievable! I almost actually thought I was that guard!"

To be honest, he was probably the player most affected among the five players, except for the know-it-all.

After all, he almost forgot his identity as a player, and even though Lin Yu kept reminding him, he didn't pay attention.

"Me too!" The muddle-headed guy took a deep breath, moved his hands and feet, and felt his mind returning to clarity.

At this moment, they also received a complete system notification, understanding the existence of the main quest and four side quests, as well as the five-day time limit.

"Thank you, hunter. This must be the pure spring water from the trading post. You're really generous."

As he spoke, Hutu Dan took out 500 game coins from his storage item (which can be used after the effect is removed) and gave them to Lin Yu.

Seeing this, the guard on the other side also took out 500 game coins and gave them to Lin Yu.

Although he didn't know what pure spring water was, he knew from its effects that it was probably quite valuable, and he wasn't one to get something for free.

Lin Yu didn't stand on ceremony and accepted the game coins they gave him.

In fact, even if they didn't give it to him, Lin Yu would have just asked for it; he didn't have any desire to save face.