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

Looking at the extra thousand game coins in his hand, Lin Yu was in a good mood.

Lin Yu nodded: "Now, we can get to know each other again. I am a Witcher."

"Steel Heart," the guard replied.

"King of Beasts," the idiot also announced his title.

Lin Yu thought to himself, "It really is her."

"This is really outrageous. After all this time, it turns out that we players are only now truly 'online'?" The guard rubbed his temples with a wry smile. Because the power that had been affecting his memories and cognition had been stripped away, the memories belonging to the original character Chris and the memories belonging to the player Steelheart were now being rapidly integrated and differentiated.

He is no longer influenced by the guards' opinions.

He recalled how he had almost completely immersed himself in the role of "loyal bodyguard" and couldn't help but feel a chill run down his spine.

To be honest, if Lin Yu hadn't kept emphasizing that they were players, I might have already completely lost my way.

The Beast King beside her nodded, her lingering fear even greater than Steel Heart's. After all, a guard is still a person, but the dwarf she was playing was a different story.

She looks absolutely hideous right now. If she had to live with this appearance for the rest of her life, she'd probably go crazy.

"We've completed the main quest 'Breaking the Mystery,' which proves we're on the right track." Lin Yu didn't have many thoughts on this.

His gaze swept over the two of them, and he continued, "Now we have these four side quests in front of us. What are your thoughts?"

The King of Beasts thought for a moment and said, "That depends on you. After all, strictly speaking, you saved us all. And most importantly, Steelheart and I probably can't go too far from your apartment, otherwise we'll still be affected by the power of that unknown entity."

Steelheart nodded; he agreed with the King of Beasts' idea. To be honest, he didn't want to go back to his previous state.

Hearing this, Lin Yu's lips curled up slightly, and he said, "This is not a big problem. You've seen the Pure Spring Water in the trading house, so you should also know its passive effect, right?"

"Passive? You mean Purification? This effect should indeed help us block the influence of unknown entities, but the problem is that Purification only lasts for one hour."

The king of beasts frowned as he spoke.

Clearly, the king of beasts was unaware that Lin Yu was the creator of this pure spring water.

"You don't need to worry about that. I have a lot of these items on hand. As long as you can afford it, I don't mind sharing some with you."

Lin Yu chuckled and spoke.

This is a great opportunity to do business.

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, the King of Beasts and Steel Heart exchanged bewildered glances.

"That's not necessarily a bad thing."

Their eyes lit up slightly.

They were both Platinum-level players. They might not have a lot of in-game currency, but they could afford to buy a few bottles of Pure Water, which was within their budget.

Therefore, Lin Yu successfully completed another transaction, selling several bottles of purified spring water.

Interestingly, Snow White also seemed quite interested in the pure spring water. She stood beside Lin Yu, blinking as she looked at the small bottle of spring water in his hand.

"What, you want to buy one too?"

Lin Yu was in a good mood, and seeing Snow White's curious look, he made a joke.

"No, Mr. Hunter," Snow White gently shook her head, and continued, "I just find the scent of this spring very comforting."

Hearing her words, Lin Yu thought for a moment and then suddenly handed the bottle of spring water in his hand to Snow White.

"?"

Upon seeing this, Snow White was momentarily stunned.

"Drink it."

Lin Yu spoke directly.

"Ah? No need, Mr. Hunter, this is precious..."

Upon hearing Lin Yu's words, Bai Xue quickly waved her hand.

But Lin Yu didn't give her a chance to refuse, forcefully shoving the spring water into her hand and gesturing for her to drink.

As for Lin Yu's reasons for doing so.

it's actually really easy.

That is, the unknown entity seems to have been trying to bewitch Snow White, and has already succeeded to some extent. If it weren't for Lin Yu and the others, it might have succeeded in no time.

Although Bai Xue has been rescued, the shadow power caused by the influence within her body is still there. Lin Yu wants to try to completely eliminate it and see if anything interesting will happen.

Lin Yu was very assertive, and Bai Xue couldn't persuade him otherwise. So, under Lin Yu's gaze, she could only open the bottle and drink the pure spring water.

The Beast King and Steelheart, who were standing nearby, also saw this scene, but they didn't think much of it. After all, they didn't have that strong desire to protect Snow White anymore.

Moreover, they didn't believe Lin Yu would harm Snow White.

hum!

As the snowflakes drank the spring water.

A gentle white light suddenly shone on her.

Lin Yu sensed the aura emanating from the light and couldn't help but raise an eyebrow.

That's interesting. This seems to be the power that prevented the monsters from harming Snow White.

At the same time, a flash of white light appeared, and wisps of black mist flew out from Snow White's head as if evaporating, slowly dissipating into the air.

Just then, Lin Yu suddenly sensed a deep sense of malice.

He subconsciously looked towards the depths of the forest behind him.

In a daze, he seemed to see a blood-red, one-eyed creature in the forest, staring intently at him with eyes full of hatred.

"You're getting impatient already? Come at me if you dare, you trash."

But Lin Yu wasn't afraid at all; he even raised his right hand and made an international friendship gesture in that direction.

Lin Yu's provocative gesture seemed to anger something deep in the forest. The entire dark wood forest seemed to tremble, and a cold, sticky malice surged in like a tide, but when it touched the sacred aura emanating from the apartment, it was forced to retreat as if it had hit an invisible dam.

The single, blood-red eye flickered unwillingly a few times in the shadows of the forest before slowly disappearing, leaving only an unsettling lingering fear.

"Looks like you're just a bit short-tempered, buddy. Your skills are pretty average." Lin Yu withdrew his hand, his tone relaxed.

He hasn't encountered a situation that even a True Lord couldn't handle yet, so he's not in a hurry at all.

Steelheart and King of Beasts were not so calm. They clearly felt the malice that was almost tangible, and cold sweat broke out on their backs.

If they hadn't been within the sheltered area of ​​the apartment, they had no doubt that they would have been torn to pieces by that terrifying presence in an instant.

"Hunter... no, Witcher, tell me, what should we do next?" Steelheart took a deep breath, trying to calm herself, and asked, "How do you plan to complete the four side quests?"

The king of beasts also looked at Lin Yu, clearly acknowledging that he would take the lead.

After all, it was Lin Yu who found the key to breaking the deadlock and mastered the crucial resource that could keep them sober—pure spring water.

Lin Yu did not answer immediately, but instead turned his gaze to Snow White, who had just drunk the spring water.

At this moment, the white light on Bai Xue's body gradually receded, and the shadow that had been hidden under her pure aura had completely disappeared.

Her eyes seemed clearer than before, even carrying an indescribable sense of clarity.

"Snow White, how are you feeling now?" Lin Yu asked.

Snow White closed her eyes slightly, sensing the changes within herself. A few seconds later, she opened her eyes, her face filled with surprise: "I... feel very good, very, very good, like... like I've unloaded a heavy burden, and all the blurry voices and chaotic thoughts in my mind have disappeared."

Moreover, my feelings about the forest... seem a little different now.

"Oh? How come it's different?"

Lin Yu pressed on with great interest.

"I can't explain it," Snow White struggled to organize her thoughts: "I used to feel a sense of warmth towards the forest, but now... I can feel its 'pain'?"

And those "little guys" in the forest... I can vaguely sense what they were like before they became like that; they weren't originally... bad.

The little guy Snow White was talking about was probably the group of monsters that had just ganged up on Lin Yu and his friends.

These words startled all three of them.

The pure spring water not only cleansed her of the darkness that had corrupted her, but also seemed to further stimulate or purify some of her innate spiritual perception abilities.

"Interesting." Lin Yu stroked his chin. It seemed that Snow White, the "protagonist," was hiding more secrets.

Lin Yu continued to ask, "Regarding your father, your mother, and this forest, can you think of anything special right now? Especially around the time of your father's death."

Upon hearing this, a trace of sadness crossed Snow White's face. She pondered for a moment and said, "Father... he fell ill and never recovered after returning from a hunting trip deep in the forest."

It was around that time that the Empress Dowager started acting strangely.

Before my father passed away, he seemed to say something to my mother... but I don't know the specifics... I only heard my mother mention once, when she was having dinner with me, that my father had once made a pact with the forest, but after that she became strange and never mentioned the topic again.

"A forest pact?" Steelheart frowned. "The old king signed a pact with the forest? Could it be that 'thing' from before?"

This is not hard to guess, after all, the King of Beasts had previously heard words like "demon" and "god of the forest" from the know-it-all.

And the unknown existence mentioned by the system.

These terms may all refer to the same thing.

That is, the one with the one eye.

The King of Beasts chimed in, "Very likely. The Know-It-All previously mentioned 'demon,' 'forest god,' and 'seal.' Considering the princess's nightmares and the queen's changes, I suspect the old king may have made a pact with that so-called forest god for some purpose."

However, the contract went wrong and backfired, leading to his death.

The queen, who may have known the truth and even been implicated, underwent a drastic personality change, developing a morbid possessiveness towards the princess.

Lin Yu nodded. This conjecture was reasonable: "So, if that's the case, the dwarves were originally kind elves or goblins in the forest, but they were corrupted by demonic power and turned into dark creatures."

Their mission was to bewitch the princess and lead her into darkness. It seems the princess must be very important to that creature, otherwise it wouldn't have gone to such lengths to seduce her.

Thinking of this, Lin Yu looked at Snow White: "Princess, is there anything special about you? Or do you feel that you have something that sets you apart from others?"

Snow White shook her head blankly: "I...I don't know. My mother always said I was her most perfect treasure, the center of the world...but I always thought it was just her love for me..."

"The center of the world..." Lin Yu repeated the phrase, his Sharingan swirling slightly, perhaps indicating that this was more than just a metaphor.

In some mythologies, especially Western mythology, royal bloodlines, particularly pure royal bloodlines, are often believed to possess special powers.

"We still don't have enough information." Lin Yu made a decision: "Relying on speculation won't work. We need to take the initiative and gather more intelligence. We have a few directions to choose from now on."

He held up his finger:

"First, investigate the Queen and the Magic Mirror. I have a feeling that there's probably something wrong with the Magic Mirror. Merlin has already gone back, so we can try to contact him or use him to get information about the palace."

"Second, we must venture deep into the forest to investigate the truth about that ancient being. This is dangerous, but it may be the key to solving everything."

"Third, start with these side quests themselves: 'Help the dwarves out of the endless darkness,' 'Help the Queen,' 'Help Snow White,' and 'Help the fairy tale world.'"

Perhaps completing these side quests is itself a process of gathering information and weakening that unknown entity.

After thinking for a moment, Gangxin said, "I think we should prioritize investigating the royal palace."

Merlin is now our potential inside man, and intelligence from the royal palace may be more centralized and easier to obtain.

The depths of the forest are too dangerous; it is not advisable to venture deep in without sufficient certainty.

The king of beasts disagreed: "I think the clues from the forest are more direct."

That "know-it-all" player might know more secrets about the unknown entity. If we can find him and solve his problems, we should be able to learn a lot of information.

After speaking, the two looked at Lin Yu, awaiting his decision.

Lin Yu pondered for a moment and said, "There's no need to argue, we can split up."

"Split up?" Steelheart and King of Beasts were both taken aback, then frowned.

To be honest, they didn't think splitting up was a good idea in the current situation.

"That's right," Lin Yu explained. "After all, there is pure spring water, which allows us to come into contact with the influence of unknown entities. Moreover, this influence comes gradually and will not completely change our understanding all at once, so we actually have enough time."

Furthermore, I don't believe that thing can change our understanding of the game system again after we've completed the main quest. If it had that ability, then this world wouldn't be a game world.

Lin Yu's words were reasonable and well-founded, and after thinking about it, the two nodded in agreement.

I agree with this idea.

Lin Yu then continued, "Gang Xin, you are playing the role of a guard, so you have a reason to return to the capital."

I will give you a bottle of spiritual spring water. Go back and contact Merlin to help him complete the main quest and resolve the mental influence.

Then, using your identities, gather information from within the palace about the old king, the contract, the magic mirror, and the queen.

He then looked at the King of Beasts: "Beast, you and I will stay in the forest and try to find Know-It-All to see if we can solve his problem. We can also look for any other relevant clues."

"Okay." Steelheart nodded.

"I'm fine with it," the King of Beasts agreed.

"Well then, let's not delay." Lin Yu took out another bottle of pure spring water from his storage ring and gave it to Steelheart. This was for Merlin, and of course, it would be charged for.

He then took out a few low-level but still usable communication tokens. These were loot he had seized from other players but hadn't sold. They hadn't been used because they were too low-level, but now he was finally able to use them.

"Stay connected."

With the plan finalized, the three immediately took action.

Steel Heart discerned the direction and sped towards the location of the capital, his figure quickly disappearing into the dense forest.

Lin Yu then looked at the King of Beasts and Snow White: "Let's go back to the apartment and rest for a bit."

"Beast, think back carefully. When you were a 'fool,' did you ever hear anything about forbidden forests, ancient ruins, or any other special locations?"

As the King of Beasts followed Lin Yu toward the apartment, he tried to search his character's memories. After a while, he shook his head and said, "No, my identity should have been discovered shortly after I entered the game. It's just that I didn't give myself away at the time, so I wasn't eliminated."

"Alright then." Lin Yu nodded.

Lin Yu thought for a moment and realized that he would most likely have to get more information from Snow White or that know-it-all dwarf.

Unfortunately, after that know-it-all "committed suicide," there was no further news.

"Could he really be dead...?"

Lin Yu shook his head; that was probably impossible.

But just as they were about to step into the apartment, another unexpected event occurred.

The once clear sky suddenly darkened, not because of dark clouds, but because of a deeper, more unsettling darkness, as if the light itself had been swallowed up.

The trees in the forest moved on their own without wind, their branches and leaves swaying wildly, making a rustling sound like a wail.

A will far greater and more terrifying than before rose from the heart of the forest like a mountain, enveloping the entire world.

"roar--!"

Countless dark creatures simultaneously let out a shrill roar, their voices filled with fanaticism and fear.

Lin Yu turned around abruptly, his Heavenly Eye instantly activating as he looked towards the center of the forest.

A thick pillar of light, composed entirely of dark energy, shot into the sky. Within the pillar, a massive, twisted phantom with countless tentacles and a single eye could be vaguely seen slowly coalescing.

"It...it's coming out?!" The King of Beasts' face turned ashen, his voice trembling.

That oppressive aura made it difficult for her to even transform.

Snow White seemed a little nervous and instinctively grabbed Lin Yu's arm.

She said, "It's that, the voice from my dream."

Now it's confirmed: this guy is the mastermind.

Lin Yu looked at the guy, but his face didn't show much tension or fear.

"Did they step down because they were in too much of a hurry?"

Lin Yu could sense that the unknown entity was probably enraged because the dark aura he had painstakingly implanted in Snow White had been completely purified.

Coupled with their own provocation just now, or perhaps feeling threatened, they directly attempted to arrive ahead of schedule at any cost.

"No, it shouldn't be a complete descent; it's just a projection."

However, Lin Yu quickly realized something was wrong. This guy's aura was indeed impressive, but his strength seemed to be just so-so.

Based on this, it's highly likely that it's not a physical entity.

That makes sense. If it could be directly manifested in the real world, why would it be used to bewitch Snow White?

On the other side, the phantom in the dark pillar of light gradually solidified, and the huge blood-red single eye reappeared. This time, it clearly locked onto Lin Yu and the apartment next to him.

His eyes were filled with resentment, anger, and... a hint of fear?

"Outsider... return... the key." A deep, chaotic thought, seemingly composed of countless superimposed voices, resounded directly in the minds of the three.

A key? Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat. Did it refer to Snow White?

"Then come and get it."

Lin Yu waved his hand, letting Snow White and the King of Beasts enter the apartment, and then, without saying a word, gave the monster a friendly gesture.

Seeing that Lin Yu remained obstinate, the giant one-eyed creature was furious, and countless tentacles flew through the air as it rapidly approached Lin Yu.

Om-!

But just as it approached, the apartment suddenly burst forth with an even more dazzling golden light, creating a standoff with the dark projection in the distance.

The two immense forces of holiness and darkness collided in the air, producing a sizzling, corrosive sound, and the very space seemed to be distorting.

Under the pressure of these two forces, the dark creatures in the forest either crawled on the ground or fled frantically.

"Hmph... a broken... faith... cannot protect you..." The dark thought came again, filled with disdain.

The dark projection slowly raised a gigantic tentacle made of shadow, carrying destructive energy, and slammed it down towards the apartment.

Wherever its tentacles passed, trees turned to dust and the earth cracked open!

"Buzz—!"

Just as the dark tentacles were about to touch the apartment roof, the soft golden light that had been enveloping the apartment suddenly became incredibly intense.

The golden light above the apartment began to gather, transforming into a phantom.

A beam of golden light shot out from the illusory figure's forehead.

There was no earth-shattering crash, only a tooth-grinding, hissing sound, like ice and snow melting under the blazing sun.

The seemingly terrifying dark tentacles, upon contact with the golden halo, disintegrated and vaporized at a visible speed, turning into wisps of black smoke, just like snowflakes thrown into a furnace.

Moreover, this trend of dissolution is spreading rapidly along the tentacles.

"What?!" The disdain in the dark mind was instantly replaced by unbelievable horror, and the huge projection even distorted violently because of the sudden backlash.

The blurry face of the divine general's phantom seemed to turn towards the direction of the dark projection. Although its features were indistinct, anyone could feel its majesty.

In an instant, the golden halo expanded rapidly, transforming into a sacred wave that swept across the heavens and earth, actively surging towards the dark projection.

Wherever the golden light passed, the lingering darkness in the space was swept away, and even the air became fresh.

"No--!"