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

After climbing about several dozen floors, the stairs came to an end. At the end was a small stone chamber, with a stone platform in the center, which was completely empty.

No, it's not empty.

As Lin Yu approached, he could see that there was a very thin layer of dust on the stone platform—not ordinary dust, but rather a deposit of some kind of energy substance. Beneath the dust, some patterns could be faintly seen.

He reached out and brushed away the dust.

A carving was revealed on the stone platform.

The engraving was very small, only the size of a palm, and it depicted... a token.

The token's shape is similar to his "God" token, but the details are different—the edge patterns are more complex, and the pattern on the front is not the character "God," but some kind of more abstract symbol.

Next to the engraving, there are a few lines of small characters.

It's not a geometric pattern, it's real text—the same font as the text on the ruined stone slabs, but more neat and clearer.

"All those who carry out the order are considered to be in contact with the person in charge."

There are nine levels of contacts, and each level corresponds to a door.

The holder of the order can choose their own path of advancement, either upwards or downwards.

Those who strive upwards get closer to the source, but the risks also increase.

Those who descend to the lower levels guard the gates, ensuring long-term stability and security.

There is no right or wrong, no superior or inferior, only choice.

Lin Yu stared at these lines of text for a long time.

The contacts are divided into nine layers.

He currently has level three access, meaning there are six levels above him and... two levels below him? Or is "nine levels" the total, with six levels above the third level and five levels below?

No, "up" and "down" do not refer to the number of floors, but rather to the direction.

Going upwards means approaching the system's origin, that is, getting deeper into the system's core. Going downwards means guarding the portal, that is, becoming the system's "agent" in a certain world.

Two paths, two choices.

Which path did the man in the grey robe choose?

Lin Yu had the answer almost immediately—go down.

The gray-robed man guarded that door, guarded that ruin, and remained there for countless years. He did not continue to explore upwards, but chose to be a "gatekeeper."

It's not because he doesn't want to move up, but because... he's afraid?

Or perhaps he saw the risks of moving uphill, so he chose a safer path?

Lin Yu recalled the gray-robed man's words: "If you can find the inscriptions deeper inside, you will see more. But you need to be prepared and bring enough information with you when you go in."

Sufficient information... is that the same as access?

To access deeper records, higher privileges are required. And higher privileges mean greater risks.

Lin Yu memorized the carvings and inscriptions on the surface of the stone platform, then straightened up.

There was nothing else in the stone chamber.

He retraced his steps and returned to the circular space above.

Eight stone doors, eight levels of access? Or does each door represent a different recording area that requires different access levels to open?

He went to the second door and tried again.

It still won't open.

The third, the fourth... all the way to the eighth, were all the same—they didn't budge, and the Divine Token didn't react at all.

"Only the basic record area is open to third-level access." Lin Yu understood.

Behind the other doors, there are either records with higher privileges, or... something else.

He did not continue trying.

Since we don't have the necessary permissions, trying again won't help. The immediate priority is to process the information we already have, and then find a way to elevate our permissions.

However, the method for elevating privileges is not recorded.

Perhaps... somewhere else?

Lin Yu returned to the central stone pillar and placed his hand on the crystal plate one last time.

This time, he was thinking, "Other legendary players."

The crystal plate vibrated slightly.

A message appears.

[Currently, there are 7 active contacts within the fissure corridor.]

[Access Levels: Level 2 (2 people), Level 3 (3 people), Level 4 (2 people).]

Location: Scattered throughout various branch passages.

Status: All are alive.

Seven people.

Including him, that makes eight. That matches the number of people on the platform.

Two of them had fourth-level access, one level higher than him. Who were those two? The one in the dark red armor? Or the one in the black cloak?

Lin Yu withdrew his hand and fell into deep thought.

Some people have gone further than him.

What does this mean? It means that a way to elevate privileges exists, and someone has already found it.

He just hasn't found it yet.

He paced back and forth in the circular space a few times, quickly organizing all the clues he had gathered in his mind.

The first group of contacts, nine levels of permissions, choices to go up or down, branch tokens, the Rift Network... what are the connections between these pieces of information?

Suddenly, he stopped in his tracks.

"Branch..." he whispered.

The grey-robed man said the token could branch out, leading to different areas. But the method of branching was not recorded.

What if... branching itself is a way to elevate privileges?

No, that's not right. If branching can elevate privileges, why doesn't the gray-robed man branch? He's guarded the gate for so many years; there's no way he wouldn't want to know more.

Unless... the branch is delegating instead of elevating privileges?

What if we split a token in half, with each half having lower privileges than the original? In that case, the branching wouldn't go upwards, but downwards—from one contactor to two even lower-level contacts, each guarding a door.

This corresponds to the inscription on the stone platform: "Those who descend, guard the gate, and enjoy lasting peace."

A branch is a path leading downwards.

By distributing your tokens, your own access is reduced, but you gain a "partner" who can guard more gates together. It's safer, but you'll never have access to the secrets of higher levels.

And the road upwards...

Lin Yu frowned.

What is the path to the top? How can I ascend from the third level to the fourth level?

It wasn't mentioned in the records. But since someone has already done it, there must be a method.

He decided to go and look for it.

He wouldn't search inside this pyramid—he couldn't open any of the doors here. He had to search elsewhere in the Rift Corridor. Where did those with higher authority than him gain their privileges?

Lin Yu took one last look at the central crystal panel, then turned and walked towards the entrance.

He had achieved his goal of coming here—obtaining the information from the records room. But he didn't intend to go back just like that.

He used less than a third of the 72-hour time limit.

He had enough time left to explore some more places.

He walked back along the passage, and when he emerged from the pyramid entrance, the sky outside was still that dark, grayish-yellow, unchanged. The gem in the statue's palm still shone with a pale silver light, as if illuminating his path.

Lin Yu stood in front of the pyramid and looked around.

The wasteland was still the same wasteland, with sand, gravel, short grass, and fallen stone pillars—everything was the same as when he arrived.

But his perspective on these things is different now.

The geometric patterns on these stone pillars are neither decorations nor writing—they are "traces" of the system. They are marks left naturally by the system during its expansion. Just as a snail leaves silver lines as it crawls and a tree leaves growth rings, the expansion of a system also leaves these unique patterns in its surrounding environment.

The entire fissure corridor, and even the area outside the door, are products of the system's "growth".

Lin Yu walked to the nearest stone pillar and reached out to touch the pattern on its surface again.

This time, he tried to inject an extremely weak trace of spiritual energy into it.

The pattern lit up briefly.

It was a very faint sound, like some kind of feedback. Then, a small piece of information traveled from his fingertips into his consciousness.

It's not text, it's not an image, but a kind of... coordinates.

Or rather, it's a direction.

Lin Yu was stunned for a moment.

These stone pillars are neither decorations nor records—they are road signs.

Each stone pillar points in a certain direction, pointing to a node in the fracture network.

He immediately went to the next stone pillar and tried again.

Same feedback, same coordinates, but different directions.

The third pillar, the fourth pillar… each pillar pointed to a different place. Some were near, some were far, some pointed in directions he could understand, some pointed to locations that were strange, like underground, like in the sky, or even like in some dimension he couldn't perceive.

"This is the map of the rift," Lin Yu said in a low voice.

It's not a map drawn on paper, but a living map carved in stone. Each stone pillar is a coordinate point; as long as you can read it, you'll know where you are and where you're going.

But the question is, how do we get there?

These coordinates point to locations within a fracture network, but a fracture network is not an ordinary tunnel—it is three-dimensional, multi-layered, and even cross-dimensional. You can't get to all places by walking.

Unless... you have a token.

Lin Yu took out the Divine Token and held it in his palm.

The golden patterns on the token gleamed faintly in the dim light. He remembered the coordinate sequence paper the gray-robed man had given him—the paper contained no place names, only a long set of coordinate numbers with symbols.

Those coordinates were originally used for navigation within the system channels.

The Divine Token is not only a key to open doors, but also a "vehicle" for moving within the Rift Network. As long as you have the coordinates, you can use the token to directly teleport to the corresponding node.

Lin Yu's eyes lit up.

If that's the case... then he wouldn't need to slowly walk through the rift corridor on foot. He could teleport directly.

But the question is, where do the coordinates come from?

The gray-robed man gave him a set, but those were coordinates for safe zones used for short-distance transfers, not node coordinates in a fracture network.

These stone pillars... they can provide coordinates, but how do you use those coordinates? Do you just input them into the token?

He tried to connect his mental energy to both the divine token and the stone pillar, "guiding" the coordinates given by the stone pillar into the token.

The divine decree trembled slightly.

The golden patterns on the token's surface began to flow, spreading from the center to the edges and then flowing back from the edges, forming a slow, circular loop. At the center of this loop, the character "神" (God) glowed faintly.

An option appeared in Lin Yu's mind.

[Transfer to coordinates #7749?]

#7749。

This is the location number that the stone pillar points to.

Lin Yu didn't confirm immediately. He first disconnected the connection, then walked to another stone pillar and repeated the operation.

[Transfer to coordinates #2103?]

Different numbers.

He tried a few more, and each one was numbered differently. Some had smaller numbers, some had larger numbers, and some were even combinations of letters and numbers.

It appears that these coordinates are indeed the node numbers in the fracture network.

Lin Yu stood there, thinking for a while.

He now has two choices.

First, use these coordinates to teleport and explore other nodes in the fracture network. Perhaps in one of these nodes, he can find a way to escalate his privileges.

Second, go back directly and take the information you've already obtained back to digest it slowly.

The first option is riskier, but the potential rewards are also higher. The second option is safer, but it means giving up this opportunity—nobody knows when the next legendary special game will be available.

Lin Yu thought for about half a minute.

Then he laughed.

"Since we're already here," he said softly.

He chose a stone pillar with a relatively low number—#0317. A lower number might mean a more central location, or it might mean greater danger. But since he was going to explore, he might as well go to an interesting place.

He connected his mental energy to the stone pillar and the token, confirming the teleportation.

The golden patterns on the surface of the "God" token suddenly lit up.

A golden light surged from the token, enveloping Lin Yu's entire body. The light was soft and not dazzling, but it carried an extremely strong spatial fluctuation—much stronger and more stable than his usual spatial jumps.

My vision suddenly became distorted.

It felt like being grabbed by an invisible hand and then suddenly pulled.

The next second, the light faded.

Lin Yu stood in a new place.

He looked around.

This is a stone chamber. It is very similar to the stone chambers he has seen in the crevice corridor—a circular dome, stone walls, a stone platform in the center, and a crystal plate embedded in the platform.

But there is one difference.

There are people in this stone chamber.

A person stood with their back to him in front of the stone platform, their hand resting on the crystal plate. The person wore a large black cloak, the hood pulled low, obscuring their face, but the fine silver runes around the edge of the cloak were slowly flashing.

It's that person on the platform—the one in the black cloak.

Lin Yu's pupils contracted slightly.

He didn't expect to run into someone on his first teleportation.

The cloaked figure also noticed the movement behind him. He withdrew his hand from the crystal plate and slowly turned around.

The face under the hood was not very clear; only a blurry outline could be seen—very young, male, with very fair skin.

The two stared at each other for a few seconds.

Neither of them made the first move.

"Third-level access." The cloaked figure spoke first, his voice young and calm, devoid of any emotion. "Are you new here?"

Lin Yu didn't answer the question, but instead asked, "Which floor are you on?"

The cloaked figure paused for a moment.

"The fourth floor," he said.

Lin Yu's heart skipped a beat.

The fourth level of access control—one of the two fourth levels mentioned in the records.

"How did you get to the fourth floor?" Lin Yu asked directly.

The cloaked figure seemed to pause for a moment, then chuckled softly. "You're quite direct."

"Answer me."

The cloaked figure did not answer immediately. He tilted his head, as if sizing up Lin Yu, or perhaps pondering something.

"You want to elevate your privileges?" he asked after a moment.

"Yes."

Why?

Lin Yu frowned. "What's it to you?"

"It's alright," the cloaked figure said. "I was just curious. Most people stop at the third level, too afraid to go any higher. You're the first one to ask how to get to the fourth level right away."

"What's up there?" Lin Yu asked.

"Up there?" The cloaked figure laughed again. "Up there is everything. And nothing at all."

Speak like a human being.

The cloaked figure remained silent for a few seconds.

"Do you know the origin of the system?" he asked.

"I know. Fragments of higher-dimensional existence."

The cloaked figure seemed to nod. "Then you should understand—the higher you go, the more you come into contact with the system's essence. This essence isn't knowledge, it's not power, it's… something more fundamental. Contact with it will change you."

"Change what?"

"Change your perception of the world. Change your perception of yourself. Change...you yourself." The cloaked figure's voice deepened. "Some people go up and never come down. Not because they die, but because...they don't want to come down. They believe the world below is fake, and only what's above is real."

Lin Yu fell silent.

"So what's the method to elevate privileges?" he asked again.

The cloaked man stared at him for a long time.

"Do you really want to know?"

"think."

"Alright." The cloaked figure raised his hand and pointed to the stone platform. "Crystal plate. Infuse your mental energy into it, then think 'Permission Test' in your mind. If your conditions are met, it will give you a test. If you pass, your permission will be upgraded."

"What are the conditions?"

"I don't know," the cloaked man said. "Everyone's circumstances are different. Mine are..." He paused, "Never mind, let's not talk about that. You'll know once you try it yourself."

Lin Yu glanced at him, then walked to the stone platform.

He didn't immediately place his hand on it, but instead looked at the cloaked man first.

Why are you telling me this?

The cloaked man shrugged. "Boring," he said. "I've been here for almost two days and haven't run into a single person. Finally, a living person appears; I can chat and kill some time."

The reason was far-fetched, but Lin Yu did not press the matter.

He placed his hand on the crystal plate, channeled his mental energy into it, and then thought to himself, "Access test."

The crystal plate vibrated slightly.

Then, a piece of information surfaced in his mind.

[A third-level access user has been detected requesting escalation of privileges.]

[Conditions being checked...]

[Condition 1: Access to system source fragments - Not met.]

[Condition 2: Possess a Legendary or higher-level token - already met.]

[Condition 3: Defeated a legendary or higher-level system creation - already met.]

Condition 4: Having independent space – already met.

[Overall assessment: Insufficient conditions; permission testing cannot be initiated.]

Lin Yu withdrew his hand.

"What is condition 1?" he asked the cloaked man.

"A fragment of the system's origin?" The cloaked figure pondered for a moment. "It's something that has directly come into contact with the system's fundamental substance. Not through crystal plates, not through records, but through direct contact with... the pure, unencased system itself."

Where can I find it?

The cloaked figure shook his head. "I don't know. I stumbled upon it by chance in a node on the fourth level—a small, floating silver fragment, looking like both metal and liquid. Touching it pulled me directly into a strange space, and once I came out, the conditions were met."

"The node on the fourth layer..." Lin Yu frowned.

He currently only has third-level access and cannot enter the fourth-level area.

"Don't even think about it," the cloaked figure said. "Fragments of origin are rare and hard to come by. I only found them by luck. If you really want to advance to the fourth level, spend more time in the nodes of the third level; you might just stumble upon one someday."

Lin Yu did not speak.

He was thinking about something else.

The system's original fragments... Did he really never come into contact with them?

He thought of the True Lord statue in the Xuandu Purple Mansion, the Heart of the Nightmare World, and the golden torrent within his divine body... Could these things be considered the origin of the system?

No. These are all "products" of the system, wrapped in an outer shell, not the pure origin.

What does the pure origin look like?

The cloaked man said it looked like silver fragments, like metal, and like liquid.

Lin Yu suddenly remembered something.

Demon-slaying sword and mountain-splitting axe.

These two artifacts were bestowed by the True Lord. What is their true nature? Are they part of the system? Or do they originate from a higher realm?

He wasn't sure.

But one thing he was certain of was that the sword spirit in the Demon-Slaying Sword and the true spirit in the Mountain-Splitting Axe had a relationship with the system that was definitely not simple.

Maybe... he can go back and give it a try.

I'm not going to try them out here; I'll study those two magical artifacts properly after I get back to my apartment.

"Thanks," Lin Yu said to the cloaked figure.

The cloaked figure waved his hand. "It's nothing. By the way, what's your name?"

"Lin Yu."

"Lin Yu..." the cloaked figure murmured, "I'll remember him. Perhaps we'll meet again someday."

"And you?"

"Me?" The cloaked figure chuckled. "Just call me Mo."

ink.

Lin Yu nodded and didn't ask any more questions. Everyone has their own secrets, and he didn't want to pry into others' secrets, nor did he want others to pry into his.

"I'm leaving," he said.

"Wait," Mo called out to him, "Where are you going next?"

"Just wandering around."

"Be careful," Mo said. "Not all nodes on the third level are safe. Some nodes have... guardians. Not very strong, but annoying."

"Guardians?"

"It's a defense mechanism created by the system," Mo said. "Like some kind of automatic patrolling guard, it has no intelligence and only attacks any outsiders who enter its territory according to its program."

Their strength is roughly between epic and early legendary levels. They are few in number, but troublesome to fight—they respawn in nodes after death, making them impossible to kill completely.

"How do we deal with this?"

"Either run, or find the node cores and shut them down," Mo said. "But the cores are usually located deep within the nodes, surrounded by many guardians. It's not worth it."

Lin Yu nodded. "Understood."

He took out the Divine Token, preparing to send it.

Just then, the walls of the stone chamber suddenly shook.

It wasn't an earthquake—it was some kind of energy shock.

Mo's expression changed slightly. "Here we go again."

"What, again?"

"The Guardians," Mo said, "they sensed a new energy fluctuation—the one you just transmitted. They come to check every time someone teleports into the node."

Are there many?

"Not many, three or four, I guess." Mo thought for a moment, "Should we team up? We can fight them before we leave."

Lin Yu glanced at him.

"OK."

He'd always wanted to see what a Guardian was like. Now that they'd come to him, he might as well give them a go.

Mo walked to the other side of the stone chamber, lifted a corner of his cloak, and took out a weapon from his waist—a short knife with a silver blade engraved with the same runes as the edge of the cloak.

Lin Yu also took out the Demon-Slaying Sword.