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

Lin Yu inspected every corner of the apartment.

The doors and windows are intact, the defensive facilities are functioning normally, and facilities such as [Automatic Shooting Crossbow], [Unlimited Firepower Gatling Gun], [Laser Antenna], [Defense Force Field], and [Ice Totem] are all in standby mode and can be activated at any time.

The statue of the True Lord still exudes a reassuring aura, and the dragon energy provided by the dragon vein has not been interrupted.

Jin Ling stood beside the statue, warily surveying her surroundings.

Everything seemed normal.

It seems that the game doesn't limit the power of the apartment this time.

"Knock on the door...choose to open the door or not..." Lin Yu pondered, the rule was simple.

But the simpler the rules of the game, the more dangerous it felt to Lin Yu.

"The prompt 'Try to open the door whenever possible' is very unusual. In most horror stories, a sudden knock at night often means the start of disaster. Is the system offering a friendly reminder, or is it maliciously misleading the player?"

He walked to the apartment door, activated his "Heavenly Eye" (fake), and carefully examined the door panel.

The door was an ordinary composite metal door, with no trace of energy or durability display.

Clearly, this was not the door to Lin Yu's apartment.

It looks like it's been replaced, so this door has no defensive capabilities?

Lin Yu glanced at the Taoist study behind him.

Normally, he wouldn't have to worry about anything getting close to the room, since there was a statue of the True Lord there.

But now things seem a bit strange. The doors have been replaced, and Lin Yu is worried that if anything gets close, the passive effect of the True Lord statue might not be triggered.

Of course, it's not a big problem, since the interior of the apartment hasn't changed.

Lin Yu arrived at the door, intending to open it, but the door was already locked.

When he tried to extend his senses outward, he felt an invisible barrier that firmly confined his perception inside the apartment, preventing him from knowing anything outside the door.

Lin Yu thought for a moment, then kicked the door shut.

To his surprise, the kick had no effect whatsoever; it didn't even make a sound, as if all the power had been swallowed up.

"The space is isolated?" Lin Yu frowned. "It seems that before 'night' arrives and 'knocking' sounds, I cannot actively explore the outside world, nor can I leave the apartment."

It's probably due to the game's rules.

"We can only wait passively."

Lin Yu returned to the living room and sat down cross-legged.

"Use the talent [Otherworldly Gift]".

[The gift from another world has been triggered, and you have obtained the apartment decoration [Nezha Conquers the Dragon King].]

With a soft glow, a portrait appeared before Lin Yu.

[Portrait of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King]

Category: Apartment Decoration

Grade: Black #

durable:?

Effect: None

Description: A portrait created by an artist who witnessed the Third Prince's disturbance in the sea. Legend has it that the Great God of the Three Altars Sea Assembly once saw this portrait.

"..."

Upon seeing the painting in front of him, Lin Yu's mind went blank for a moment.

The Nezha Conquers the Sea (a famous Chinese folktale)?

This is a bit interesting.

Looking at the child in the painting, who, though a child, still exuded a menacing aura, Lin Yu felt a surge of emotion.

He completely ignored the "no effect" message on the panel.

Lin Yu didn't believe that talent would give him useless things; this painting was definitely not simple.

Lin Yu thought about it carefully, picked up the portrait, and walked into the Taoist study.

He walked up to the statue of the True Lord, bowed slightly, and then said, "True Lord, I have found an old friend for you."

After saying that, Lin Yu opened the portrait.

The complete Nezha Havoc in the Sea picture appeared before the statue of Zhenjun.

……

The study was quiet for a few seconds, then the third eye on the forehead of the True Lord statue suddenly lit up, and a soft golden light shone out, accurately illuminating a blank spot on the west wall of the study.

Bathed in golden light, the wall seemed to transform into the surface of water, rippling gently.

The next moment, the "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King" painting in Lin Yu's hand moved without wind, slowly breaking free from his control and flying horizontally towards the wall.

When the edge of the portrait touches the ripples on the wall, it is as if it has been carefully framed by an invisible hand, fitting perfectly and hanging steadily.

In the painting, Nezha, the third prince, stands on his fiery wheels, wields his fire-tipped spear, and dances with his fiery sash. The fierce yet lively aura between his brows and eyes seems even stronger, subtly echoing the statue of Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun in the center of the study.

An indescribable, even heavier and more imposing aura of solemnity quietly permeated the entire study and even spread throughout the entire apartment.

At the same time, the moment the portrait was put back in its place, the eyes of the Third Prince in the painting seemed to "come alive," glancing slightly at Lin Yu, who was looking at him. His gaze lingered on the "Heavenly Eye" on Lin Yu's forehead for a short while.

Then a fiery red light flew out of the painting and shot into Lin Yu's forehead.

[Gained knowledge of Fire Magic, gained knowledge of Samadhi Fire Enlightenment - Nezha]

Holy crap!

Lin Yu felt a sudden heat in his head, and then countless pieces of knowledge and insights were violently crammed into his brain. The next moment, when he opened his eyes, he found himself in a sea of ​​fire.

Lin Yu looked ahead and saw a huge phantom standing sideways in front of him, arms crossed, looking down at him with disdain.

"three……"

Lin Yu knew who this person was without even having to guess. He was about to call out the other person's name when he saw the other person casually wave his hand, and the surrounding sea of ​​fire seemed to come alive, surging wildly towards Lin Yu.

Lin Yu's pupils contracted, but the flames did not harm him. He only felt that his mind was filled with a large amount of knowledge and insights related to flames. At the same time, the inner fire within him was growing rapidly at an unimaginable speed.

At the same time, what's even more astonishing is that the energy nature of this inner fire is changing.

Originally, the Heart Fire, refined by the Divine Fire Heart Sutra, was mostly composed of magical power. However, at this moment, in addition to magical power, the Heart Fire also absorbed Lin Yu's divine soul power and physical power.

It has reached a terrifying state of perfect harmony between essence, energy, and spirit.

"Is this the Samadhi Fire?"

In the real world, Lin Yu muttered to himself, but as soon as he opened his mouth, he felt countless streams of anger overflowing from his eyes, nose, and mouth.

This fiery aura is quite terrifying.

Startled, Lin Yu immediately shut his mouth and closed his eyes, trying to control the power with his mind.

At the same time, he also circulated the "Divine Fire Heart Sutra" to maintain his state.

It took him about half an hour to control the power and get it to stay obediently inside his body.

"That's scary."

Only after confirming that the Samadhi True Fire had stopped overflowing did Lin Yu feel relieved enough to speak.

He naturally understood where this power came from. The worship effect of the Taoist study allowed him to gain knowledge and insights of the deities related to Taoism when he worshipped them in the study.

The Third Prince was a disciple of the True Man Taiyi, and was naturally a Taoist deity.

He had seen this portrait of the Third Prince before, so it naturally absorbed a trace of His divine essence, in addition to the help from the statue of the True Lord.

It's estimated that the Third Prince gave him a sliver of insight.

"Great, another major buff."

Lin Yu nodded in satisfaction. Having learned the Samadhi True Fire, his strength had increased considerably.

Lin Yu quickly summoned his shadow clone to meditate together and consolidate the insights in his mind.

About an hour later, he finally had time to pay attention to the player group chat.

The pace of messages scrolling in the group chat slowed down, but the atmosphere of tension and fear remained.

"Has anyone tried to get out? I can't open my front door!"

"Same here, locked out!"

"Can anyone exchange information? Or share information about the defenses of their respective apartments?"

"Are you kidding me? Who would share this?"

"I bet on 'less than fifty' and hope to break even."

"I bet on 'less than ten,' fortune favors the bold!"

Lin Yu looked at this information and silently shook his head.

Faced with this unknown danger, the players have instinctively begun to diverge, with fear and greed growing.

He neither participated in the discussion nor placed any bets.

He needs more information to make a judgment, and even if he wants to place a bet, he has to wait until the first day is almost over.

We might be able to get more information then.

Time slipped away in the oppressive wait.

The simulated sky outside the apartment window gradually darkened, eventually plunging into complete darkness into the "night".

Just as it turned completely dark outside the window, the entire apartment seemed to tremble slightly, and an indescribable silence descended, as if it were completely isolated from the outside world.

It was nine o'clock at night.

coming!

Lin Yu opened his eyes instantly.

Jin Ling also suddenly raised her head, her sharp gaze fixed on the direction of the gate.

Thump...thump...thump...

A clear and slow knocking sound suddenly echoed in the quiet apartment.

The sound wasn't loud, but it seemed to strike directly at one's heart, carrying a strange rhythm that made one's heart involuntarily palpitate.

Lin Yu activated both his Heavenly Eye and Sharingan, staring intently at the gate.

Sure enough, he was right. The door had been replaced, and the apartment and the outside world were not on the same level. Therefore, the power of the True Lord statue and the dragon vein could not affect the guy knocking on the door.

Only this reason can explain why that guy was able to ignore the intimidation of the True Lord's statue and knock on the apartment door.

In Lin Yu's view, there was still no energy fluctuation on the door panel, and the area outside the door was still a blurry chaos, making it impossible to detect any information.

The knocking continued, unhurried and persistent.

To open or not to open?

The prompt says, "Try to open the door." But intuition and the experience of countless horror stories scream warnings: don't open it.

The group chat instantly exploded:

"I knocked! I knocked! I knocked too!"

"What should we do? Should we open it or not?"

"Who opened it? Answer me!"

"I'm too scared to drive it!"

"The prompt says to keep it on as much as possible, but what if not keeping it on triggers the instant-death rule?"

Just as the group chat was in chaos, a glaring system notification suddenly appeared:

[Player: Little Dragon Man, deceased.]

The death notice was like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing any remaining hope.

So fast?!

Lin Yu's pupils contracted. Only a dozen seconds had passed since the knocking began!

The group chat fell silent for a moment, then erupted into even greater panic:

"Dead?! How did he die?"

"Did he open it or not?"

"Is it not triggered?"

Thump...thump...thump...

The knocking on the door continued, like a countdown to death.

Lin Yu's mind raced.

Did the player open the door and get killed by something outside? Or did they die because they didn't open the door?

There is too little information to make a judgment.

Just then, the sound of knocking changed slightly.

Thump...thump...thump...thump!

The tempo quickened slightly, and the voice became a bit heavier.

At the same time, Lin Yu glanced around and saw that none of the apartment's defenses were activated, indicating that they "did not" sense any danger.

He couldn't let this drag on! With the statue of the True Lord and the portrait of the Third Prince there, he refused to believe that the thing outside could kill him in the apartment.

Lin Yu made a decision instantly.

He took a deep breath, slowly walked to the door, secretly gripped the Azure Rose with his left hand, and held the hilt of the Demon-Slaying Sword with his right. His cloak billowed without wind, and his inner magic surged, ready to attack at any moment.

Then, he suddenly turned the doorknob!

Click!

The door opened a crack.

A cold, slightly sweet-smelling breeze swept in first.

Standing outside the door was not the terrifying monster Lin Yu had imagined, but a woman.

An extremely beautiful woman.

She wore a well-tailored black evening gown that accentuated her stunning curves. Her skin was as white as snow, her lips were as red as blood, and her peach blossom eyes were watery, carrying a hint of panic and helplessness, which added to her pitiful charm.

She looked like she had just gone through a run; her hair was slightly disheveled, and her breathing was a little rapid.

"Hello, please...please save me!" The woman's eyes lit up with hope when she saw Lin Yu, her voice trembling and pitiful: "Something...something is chasing me! Let me hide inside, please!"

Her expression, tone, and posture were flawless, with a hint of allure in her eyes, enough to arouse the protective instincts of any normal man.

"Is it really that fake?" Lin Yu frowned when he saw the woman.

Is this game really that simple?

Any player who sees this woman would realize there's something wrong with her.

Admittedly, she is indeed beautiful and alluring, but no player who has survived this long in the game is a fool.

Could it be a scam?

What problems would there be if I didn't let her in?

Lin Yu thought for a moment and then said directly, "No."

The other party seemed to have anticipated Lin Yu's answer and continued, "Please, let me in! I'm willing to repay you with my most precious treasure!"

As she spoke, she raised her right hand, revealing a white jade bracelet on her wrist.

Lin Yu glanced at it.

【Guardian Bracelet】

Category: Special Equipment (Cannot be taken out of the game)

Level: None

Effect: Wearing this bracelet allows players to leave their apartment and travel to Nightmare Mansion.

(Note: The bracelet can only be used for three hours. Players should pay attention to the time and return to the apartment in time. Without special equipment protection, players will encounter terrifying things in Nightmare Mansion.)

interesting.

Seeing the bracelet's display panel, Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. It seemed he really had no choice but to let this person in.

After all, this piece of equipment is an essential item in this game.

Lin Yu reacted faster than flipping through a book, instantly revealing a gentle smile on his face. He stepped aside to clear the doorway, his tone even carrying a hint of concern: "Come in quickly, it's dangerous outside."

His movements were swift and decisive, without the slightest hesitation, as if he were truly a helpful neighbor.

The woman outside the door also smiled.

"Thank you!" The woman smiled gratefully and stepped into the apartment.

However, just as the tips of her high heels touched the threshold of the apartment building—

A sudden change has occurred!

The grateful smile on the woman's face froze instantly, replaced by extreme fear and horror.

At that moment, every hair on her body seemed to stand on end, and a terrifying, instinctive fear, like facing a natural enemy, instantly gripped her heart.

She wanted to back away, to escape from the seemingly ordinary apartment entrance, but it was too late.

Om-!

Inside the Taoist study, the vertical mark on the forehead of the Qingyuan Miaodao Zhenjun statue, which had been standing silently, suddenly lit up. The dazzling divine light was almost tangible, but it did not shoot directly out of the door. Instead, it precisely poured into the painting of Nezha Conquers the Dragon King that had just been hung on the west wall.

The portrait depicts Nezha, who was originally just a menacing figure, now as if a divine fire is burning in his eyes.

A murderous smile curved slightly at the corners of his mouth.

"Sizzle—!"

A crimson, blood-red phantom, its edges ablaze with raging flames, shot out from the self-portrait like a primordial serpent possessing life.

The speed was so fast that it exceeded the limits of visual perception, instantly traversing space and wrapping around the woman from head to toe in a tight embrace, right before her horrified eyes.

"No--!!!"

The woman let out a shrill, inhuman scream, her body writhing and twisting violently under the black and red bindings. Her once beautiful face instantly became hideous and terrifying, as if countless insects were wriggling beneath her skin, trying to reveal her true form.

But all is in vain.

The true fire on the Hun Tian Ling suddenly erupted.

The intense, yang flames, capable of burning everything, instantly engulfed the woman.

"Ahhh—! Spare me! I was wrong! I'll never do it again!" A hysterical wail and plea for mercy came from the flames, but the sound quickly became distorted and shrill, eventually turning into a tooth-grinding noise that sounded like countless souls screaming together.

The Hun Tian Ling suddenly tightened.

Bang! ! !

Like a rotten fruit being crushed, the woman's body exploded completely in the brilliant flames, turning into a swirling, foul-smelling, and resentful black mist.

But these black mists didn't even have a chance to spread before they were burned and purified by the Samadhi True Fire that continued to burn on the Hun Tian Ling, making a "sizzling" sound, quickly becoming thinner, and finally completely annihilated without leaving a trace.

A true annihilation of both body and soul.

From the moment the woman stepped across the threshold to the moment she was strangled and purified by the Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon), the entire process took no more than two seconds.

Outside the door, silence returned.

Only the cloying, rotten aroma lingered, proving that what had just happened was not an illusion.

After completing its mission, the illusory image of the Hun Tian Ling (a magical ribbon) seemed to possess a spirit and slowly shrank back into the "Nezha Conquers the Dragon King" portrait. Nezha in the portrait returned to his original state, as if he had done nothing at all.

Lin Yu stood at the door, expressionless, looking at the empty corridor outside. Then he picked up the jade bracelet that had fallen to the ground and slowly closed the door.

Afterwards, Lin Yu did not go out immediately, but looked at the group chat.

The group chat erupted again:

"I opened the door, and there was a postman outside. He gave me a package and left. Inside the package was a special piece of equipment that allows players to leave the apartment. There's nothing dangerous about it, so how could someone die? Is it a rule that forbids players from not opening the door?"

"Huh? No, I didn't open the door. The knocking stopped after a while, and I'm fine."

"That's outrageous! There was a giant spider outside my door. It charged in as soon as I opened it. Luckily, it wasn't very strong, only at the Gold level, so I took care of it easily. It also dropped a special piece of equipment, with the same effect as that guy mentioned before."

"I haven't opened the door yet, but the knocking hasn't stopped. That guy outside is still banging on the door. What should I do?"

"Holy crap, so you're saying it's all about luck? Some players don't face any danger at all, while others have to fight tooth and nail. That's so unfair!"

"Are all your special equipment pieces only usable for one hour?"

"No, mine is for two hours."

"Huh? Why is mine half an hour?"

"It's probably related to the difficulty of the monsters outside."

At that moment, another death message popped up:

[Player: Shadow Dancer, deceased.]

"Isn't this the guy who said someone kept knocking on his door?"

……

[Player: Lightning Warrior, deceased.]

[Player: Iron Man, dead.]

Death warnings began to appear one after another.

It took about half an hour for it to gradually stop.

Lin Yu looked at the top of the group chat, where the number of survivors had changed to [92/100].

Eight people died overnight.

It's not too many, not too few. If we calculate based on this number, then even if seven days pass, there should be forty or fifty people who can survive.

Of course, in reality, such a hasty calculation is definitely not possible.

"Nightmare Building..." Lin Yu muttered to himself. It seemed that this was the key scene in this game.

Clearly, the purpose of the item delivered from outside the door was to get the player to leave the apartment.

I just don't understand why some people can obtain it easily, while others have to fight for it.

Was it really just pure luck?

If that's the case, then Lin Yu's luck is undoubtedly bad, since he could tell from the aura that the monster outside his apartment was at least at the Platinum level.

Monsters of this level are rare even on the first day. At least so far, Lin Yu hasn't heard any other players in the group chat encounter platinum-level monsters.

But it doesn't matter anyway, no matter how strong that guy was, he died rather hastily.

Soon, the players who were still alive in the group chat began to exchange and discuss information.

After all, we're all veteran players, and deaths are a common occurrence, so very few people panic.

In the group chat:

"To summarize, opening the door is risky. You might encounter monsters, and killing them can yield special equipment. Alternatively, you might not encounter any danger and simply obtain the equipment directly."

Not opening the door also carries risks; monsters might break down the door (or other situations could lead to death), or the knocking might simply stop, leaving you temporarily safe but without the equipment.

"Therefore, this bracelet must be very important."

"So what if we got it? 'Nightmare Mansion' doesn't sound like a good place! We might as well just lie low and wait for the game to end."

"The bracelets were used for different periods of time, does that mean we had different exploration periods? Is that fair?"

"Fair? When has this game ever been fair? Who can those who just died complain to?"

……