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

The target is Hongshang, who is about to trigger a self-destruction.

This spear was not a physical object, but a pure condensation of spatial energy. Wherever it passed, the fragments of the collapsing dream were directly shattered by space.

Hongshang's entire focus was on triggering the self-destruction and dealing with Lin Yu; she never expected such an unexpected attack.

"No--!!!"

She only had time to let out a terrified scream before the spatial spear pierced precisely into the writhing darkness in her chest!

Om-! ! !

There was no earth-shattering commotion.

After the spatial spear hit its target, it instantly transformed into countless fine purple runes, which crawled all over the red-clad woman's body like chains, especially the dark patch on her chest.

The creeping darkness began to rapidly melt away and disintegrate.

The process of Hongshang triggering her self-destruction was forcibly interrupted. Her aura plummeted like a deflated balloon, and her body became increasingly transparent.

"No... how could I... lose here..." Her voice became intermittent, filled with resentment and bitterness, her bony hands futilely reaching for the void.

"...You...cannot destroy me...I will not die...I will eventually..."

Before she could finish her harsh words, her cracked bone hand and tattered wedding dress turned to ashes first, followed by her torso.

Finally, all that remained was that writhing darkness, tightly bound by spatial runes and constantly shrinking.

"...Return!"

Soon, only a faint, almost imperceptible trace of resentment remained on the spot.

"She escaped?!" Lin Yu frowned, scanning with all his might with his Heavenly Eye, but he could no longer detect any trace of Hong Shang.

The way it disappeared didn't seem like it was dead at all; it was more like it had escaped or moved away.

"Cough cough... Damn it, even this couldn't completely keep her?"

The Voidwalker staggered out of the spatial rift, his face as pale as paper.

It's confirmed, that guy really did run away.

That's outrageous, how come they're still alive?

Lin Yu pursed his lips.

But that's not surprising, considering he was the culprit who caused the destruction of a world. It would be strange if Lin Yu died like that.

"Hey buddy, your support came just in time, didn't it?" The Voidwalker's face was a little pale, but his tone still carried his characteristic laziness and smugness.

"Very timely."

Lin Yu nodded and said.

"Haha, it almost exhausted me to pinpoint your coordinates and fire that shot."

The Voidwalker waved his hand, his gaze sweeping over the rapidly collapsing environment around him.

"This isn't the place to talk. Let's get out of this awful place."

At that moment, the collapse of the entire dream world suddenly accelerated!

The sky crumbled like shattered glass, the earth broke apart inch by inch, and plunged into the void below.

Without Hongshang's forceful maintenance and the stitching together of the authority token, the dream of [Lin'an] has finally come to an end.

However, just as Lin Yu was about to leave with the Void Walker, an extremely faint, pleading thought, like a candle flickering in the wind, entered his mind.

"...Help...help me..."

"...I don't want to...disappear..."

Lin Yu turned around abruptly and saw that in the center of the completely collapsed world, the semi-transparent, cracked phantom of the little boy reappeared.

He stretched out his small, cracked hands toward Lin Yu, his empty eyes filled with a final longing for existence.

Clearly, Lin Yu's taking of the token not only severed Hong Chang's control over the world but also completely destroyed the world that Lin'an had been struggling to maintain.

It is about to perish along with the world.

"Dude, how could I possibly save you?"

Lin Yu was somewhat helpless; he couldn't understand why this guy had latched onto him like this.

"It can definitely be done... The system... has chosen you..."

But just as Lin Yu was pondering, Lin An's words reappeared in his mind.

"?"

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment.

The system selected me?

What does this mean?

Lin Yu stared intently at the little boy in the air, his mind in turmoil.

"Come on, what are you waiting for?"

At that moment, the Voidwalker woke him up.

Lin Yu turned around and saw the Void Walker looking at him with a puzzled expression. The other party seemed not to have seen the little boy Lin An.

"……Wait me a moment."

Lin Yu gritted his teeth, suddenly turned around and leaped into the air.

"Holy crap! What are you doing?!"

The Voidwalker was completely dumbfounded. He tried to grab Lin Yu as he turned around, but Lin Yu was too fast. He didn't have time to react and could only curse angrily before clasping his hands together to stabilize the spatial tunnel behind him.

"Half a minute! Only half a minute!"

The Voidwalker didn't care whether Lin Yu could hear him or not, and shouted at the top of his lungs!

the other side.

Lin Yu had already flown into the air.

Lin'an also extended both hands to Lin Yu.

Go!

Lin Yu flicked his wrist, and a purple light flew out of his hand, quickly arriving in front of Lin An.

The instant the purple light touched Lin'an, a beam of red light shot out from it, taking Lin'an into its embrace.

Lin'an had no intention of resisting and obediently entered the purple light.

The item Lin Yu threw out was one of his biggest trump cards—the Master Ball!

Based on previous experience, this thing is capable of capturing aggregates of the world's heavenly laws.

From this perspective, Lin'an wasn't wrong; Lin Yu did indeed have a way to help him.

This was a decision Lin Yu made after careful consideration; he needed to know what Lin An meant by what he said earlier.

What do you mean, the system chose him!

After the Master Ball was captured by Lin'an, it automatically returned to Lin Yu's hands, and Lin Yu quickly turned around and returned to the Voidwalker's side.

"What the hell are you doing?"

The Voidwalker was sweating profusely as he maintained the tunnel. He seemed completely oblivious to Lin Yu's actions just now, and didn't know if it was Lin Anqian who had done it.

"Something came up."

Lin Yu quickly replied.

The Voidwalker didn't bother to ask any questions. Instead, he quickly activated his ability, closed the tunnel entrance, and sped forward through the tunnel with Lin Yu in tow.

"What about the others?"

Lin Yu asked.

"Don't worry, I've already marked the locations. The world fragments they're in are much easier to locate than this godforsaken place of yours."

The Voidwalker grinned, then closed his eyes again and spread his arms.

[Anchoring & Returning to Position]

With the Voidwalker's low shout, the light within the spatial tunnel suddenly accelerated, and the surrounding scenery receded at a speed beyond perception.

Lin Yu felt a strong spatial tearing sensation, more intense than any previous teleportation.

A few breaths later, a strong feeling of weightlessness returned, followed by the feeling of my feet firmly planted on the ground.

As the scene before him stabilized, Lin Yu realized that he was now in a world of black mist.

Beneath my feet lies the cracked black earth, above me the eternally unchanging dark red sky, and in the distance, thick black mist undulates slowly like a living thing.

As for the Abyss of the Dead, it has long since disappeared.

It seems to be completely destroyed.

In addition, almost at the same time they appeared, three other spatial ripples spread out nearby.

The figures of the ancient warrior, the demon slayer, and the blue fox staggered into existence.

The ancient warrior, bearing several charred marks and breathing heavily, grinned at Lin Yu and the Voidwalker, revealing a slightly ferocious smile: "Damn it, we're finally out! I almost died in this godforsaken place. Looks like I'm not meant to die."

The demon assassin elegantly straightened the slightly disheveled collar of his tuxedo. There was a tiny crack in the lens of his gold-rimmed glasses, and his face was paler than usual, but the enigmatic, gentle smile still lingered on his lips: "Truly... a unique experience."

Lin Yu clearly sensed that although his aura was disordered, his strength was significantly greater than before he entered, indicating that he had gained considerable benefits.

Qinghu was in the best condition, though her hair was slightly disheveled and her breathing was a little unsteady.

She looked at everyone, a hint of relief flashing in her beautiful eyes, and nodded slightly: "It's good that you're alright."

"How are you doing?" Lin Yu asked, looking at the three of them.

"Fortunately, I was thrown into an ancient ruin called Lin'an City, where many ancient spirits roam and fight constantly."

The ancient warrior spoke up, somewhat speechlessly.

"My place is a place similar to the Abyss World, with quite a few powerful demons, which gave my little darlings a good meal. Also, the place I'm in is called Lin'an City."

The demon assassin chuckled, clearly satisfied with the gains from this "adventure".

The blue fox succinctly stated, "I am also in a place called Lin'an City, but my place is a deserted demon realm."

The three looked at each other, clearly not expecting that they had all ended up in the same place.

The Demon Slayer looked at the Voidwalker and Lin Yu.

We are all the same.

The Voidwalker chuckled and shared the parallel universe theory he had discussed with Lin Yu with everyone.

However, he did not mention the system power that Lin Yu had encountered.

He clearly understood that it wasn't appropriate for too many people to know about this.

Things related to the system are still too important.

Therefore, Lin Yu naturally did not speak.

The Voidwalker plopped down on the ground, panting heavily, his forehead covered in cold sweat. Even his signature languidness was almost giving way: "I can't take it anymore... I've really lost out this time. My mental energy was almost completely drained... You guys have to compensate me for my emotional distress this time!"

Looking at the Voidwalkers who were clearly overexerted, Lin Yu knew that the fact that they were able to return unscathed was entirely due to his precise support at the crucial moment and the final group positioning teleportation.

He nodded and said earnestly, "Thanks to you this time. When we get back, if you need any compensation, just ask, as long as I have it."

The other three also understood that they were able to return alive thanks to the Voidwalker, so they all said they were fine.

"Hehe, you said it yourself." The Voidwalker's eyes lit up, as if he had regained some of his energy.

"I'll blackmail you properly once I've calmed down."

Joking aside, the Voidwalker waved his hand listlessly: "Although this exploration was full of twists and turns, it was also quite fruitful. Everyone needs time to digest it, so our exploration of the Black Mist World during this break will come to a temporary end. Everyone go home and we'll meet again during the next break after the game."

Everyone agreed with this.

Everyone gained a lot from this exploration, even the Voidwalker who seemed to be constantly trying to save people actually made significant progress.

Therefore, after resting for a while, everyone said their goodbyes.

……

9527 residential complex, inside an apartment building.

Back in his apartment, Lin Yu finally breathed a sigh of relief.

To be honest, in this world, only the statue of the True Lord and the portrait of the Third Prince in the apartment can give him enough sense of security.

Instead of immediately examining the two spoils of war, the [Fragment of the Heart of the World] and the [Authorization VII] token, he first focused his consciousness into his storage space, landing on the Master Ball that contained the consciousness of [Lin'an].

【No World - Heavenly Dao Aggregate】

With the destruction of the Abyss of the Dead world, the prefix of Lin'an's name also changed to "No World".

"Now, we can have a proper talk."

Lin Yu looked at the Master Ball in his hand and slowly spoke.

"...Thank you..." Lin An's thoughts were still fragmented, but much more stable than in the collapsing world. "...Saved me..."

"Don't thank me yet." Lin Yu said calmly, "Tell me, why are you so sure I can help you? What does 'the system chose me' mean? And what exactly is that red dress thing?"

The light inside the Master Ball flickered a few times, as if Lin'an was struggling to organize his thoughts and memories.

A moment later, that tender thought came again, still weak but much clearer: "...I can't see the whole picture, but you have something like a mark on you."

"I don't know where this mark came from, but because of this mark, I have an unusual fondness for you."

"As for what it means that the system chose you, it's simple. The badge you found isn't an ordinary item. It contains system energy that I left behind using my limited permissions before the game world completely collapsed. It will help me find someone within a certain range who can solve my current problem, and it chose you..."

After listening to Lin'an's words, Lin Yu seemed to be deep in thought.

He could understand the latter part, since he had used the Master Ball before, it was normal for the system to know he had this ability, but... what was this mark it was talking about?

Is there anything strange or unusual about me?

Thinking of this, Lin Yu frowned deeply.

He immediately checked his entire body, and even went to the statue of the True Lord to pay his respects, but he did not find any strange markings.

Are you sure I have any markings on me?

Lin Yu frowned and asked.

"It's not a mark like a buff in the conventional sense, but a feeling. You can think of it as... you have a title that gives you an innate affinity for someone like me."

The voice of Lin'an appeared in Lin Yu's mind again.

"..."

Lin Yu didn't know how to answer. "Your kind of existence? Are you referring to the Heavenly Dao Aggregate?"

Why did he develop a more favorable impression of the Heavenly Dao Aggregate? Was it because of what happened in the world of Seeking Immortality?

Lin Yu immediately thought of Old Chen, who was probably the "Heavenly Dao Aggregator" in the Knock on the Door game world, only his appearance was somewhat strange. Was that why he was willing to help him?

Lin Yu had no idea, but since he was certain it wasn't a bad thing, he didn't investigate further.

"Then what about Red Robe? Is it a story invader?"

This is also a question that Lin Yu has been thinking about. He had asked Hong Shang about this in Lin'an City before, but she did not give a direct answer. She only said that Lin Yu knew a lot.

This answer seems to be an admission, but it doesn't actually mean it is.

"That was true before, but after it completely destroyed the game world of [Abyss of the Dead], it has evolved. Now it is more appropriate to call it the World Devourer."

Having been completely transformed, it has broken free from the world's limitations and is no longer an existence confined to the game world like a game NPC. In the words of you players or system administrators, it should be called a game virus.

It is an accidental creation during the creation of the game world, and therefore needs to be controlled or destroyed.

Lin'an answered.

"Is that so?"

Lin Yu nodded, and after a while, he frowned and asked, "If the system is so powerful, how come it can't even solve this thing? They're not that strong either."

This is the biggest problem. Whether it's Hong Shang or the story invaders from the previous Dark Fairy Tale world, their strength is quite average. There's no reason why the system can't solve them.

"I don't know about that. I only know that there used to be a system called the Containment Center to deal with these things, and the system would issue relevant missions when players encountered them."

However, the incubators were actually quite small, making it impossible to cover all game worlds. Furthermore, the players' strengths varied greatly, meaning they might not be able to resolve the issues. This is why my world was destroyed.

Lin'an said, sounding somewhat dejected.

Lin Yu curled his lips. Story invaders are not easy to deal with. Based on his previous experience, the system does not force players to solve them. Therefore, apart from a few more confident players, most players should not ask for trouble.

Having asked all the questions he needed to, Lin Yu looked at the list of "no display" messages on the Lin'an control panel and felt a headache coming on.

"So can you tell me what you're good for? Like in combat or something?"

Lin Yu thought for a moment and then asked.

"I'm sorry, I don't have the ability to fight."

Lin An's answer was very straightforward, but his emotional intelligence wasn't that low either. He quickly added, "However, I should still be useful to you, sir. If I'm not mistaken, there should be a World Heart and a small world in your apartment."

You can place me in this small world, and let me become the celestial consciousness of this small world.

"Hmm, and then what? What use will you be after becoming part of the Heavenly Dao's consciousness?"

Lin Yu looked at the Master Ball and asked in a calm tone.

Lin'an's thoughts seemed to become more active because of this question, with a hint of eagerness to prove his own value: "Sir, a complete world, even a nascent, small world, needs to follow basic rules to operate, and I can be the one who makes and maintains those rules."

It explained in detail: "First and foremost, there is order and stability."

Although your small world is currently powered by the Heart of the Nightmare World, its internal rules are chaotic and primordial.

I can manage these energy flows, establishing a more stable and efficient energy cycle system, accelerating the world's growth, and reducing unnecessary energy dissipation and internal conflicts. Simply put, I can help you achieve greater and faster returns on your investments. For example, with the spatial materials you invest, allowing the small world to expand, I can speed up this process while perfectly utilizing the materials for expansion.

"Secondly, there is environmental regulation and resource optimization. I can adjust the environment within the small world to a certain extent according to your needs."

For example, if you need to cultivate a specific nightmare plant or organism, I can fine-tune the energy concentration, soil composition, and even simulate specific climatic conditions in the area to significantly improve the success rate and quality of cultivation.

For existing resources, I can guide their more rational distribution and growth to achieve sustainable output.

"Thirdly, there is rule assistance and domain enhancement. Once the rules of the small world are perfected, you can more easily mobilize the power of this world."

If I'm not mistaken, you should have the authority to mobilize the world's energy to assist yourself, such as in creating realms or using energy in combat.

I can help you enhance the strength and range of your domain, as well as its suppressive effect on enemies. I can also help you connect and transform the energy of your small world with your own. The simplest use of this is that I can convert the world's power into basic magic for you to use.

Just like with the previous Red Robe, in this situation, as long as your small world still has energy, your magic power will be inexhaustible.

You can actually do this yourself, but the process is a bit complicated as it requires energy conversion. With my help, the speed can be greatly simplified, achieving a replenishment without delay.

As Lin Yu listened to Lin An's explanation, his fingers tapped lightly on the table.

These abilities do sound quite useful, especially the last one.

Lin Yu's biggest weakness right now is that he doesn't have enough mana. Most of his trump cards consume a percentage of his mana, and when he goes all out, the mana consumption is enormous.

If he can utilize the energy of the nightmare world, his combat power will be enhanced beyond measure.

"Sounds good." Lin Yu finally nodded.

"But what's the cost? What do you need to maintain your existence and exercise these powers?"

Lin Yu wasn't worried about Lin'an rebelling, since they had all been subdued by the Master Ball, and he still believed in the power of his own talent.

"……energy."

Lin'an answered quite frankly: "Initially, I needed to absorb the energy dissipated from the [Heart of the Nightmare World] to stabilize my own consciousness."

Afterwards, maintaining the operation of the small world's rules and exercising its powers requires a continuous supply of energy.

Furthermore, since I am not the original will of this small world, integration will also take some time.

This energy can be provided by the [Heart of the Nightmare World] itself, or it can be obtained by absorbing external energy, such as the power of the [Fragment of the Heart of the World] you obtained earlier, or... other high-purity energy sources.

It paused, then added, "Please rest assured, my very existence will improve energy efficiency. The net increase required will not burden the [Heart of the Nightmare World]. On the contrary, its optimized operation will lead to a faster increase in overall energy reserves."

Lin Yu weighed the pros and cons.

"Okay." After careful consideration, Lin Yu made his decision.