Apartment No. 6, Room 606.
Cheng Tingyu opened his eyes from the darkness and sat up from the bed, taking deep breaths to steady his emotions.
Her physical body in reality had not suffered any harm, yet the shuddering sensation stemming from her spirit lingered for a long time.
Cheng Tingyu turned on the bedside lamp and simultaneously opened the small round mirror she kept in the drawer.
[Special State: [Terrifying Aftermath]]
[Health Points (Health): 99/100]
[Stamina (Mild Fatigue): 74/100]
[Mental Value (Mild Fear): 106/125]
Cheng Tingyu rubbed his temples. If he had to go through this every time, it was no wonder Wei Xugui's condition wasn't exactly good.
Even though the participants' health points won't be consumed by entering the instance, their stamina and mental points will decrease as a result.
——If someone is particularly unlucky and repeatedly enters the instance every time they sleep, they would find it unbearable in just three to five days.
However, unable to endure any longer, the residents could not escape from the apartment. From the moment they were captured by the copy, they were bound to its entrance. No matter where they went, as soon as they fell asleep, they could sink into an absurd nightmare.
After confirming her own condition, Cheng Tingyu lay back down. Although she could feel the fatigue in her body, she did not close her eyes for a long time. She reached for her phone on the bedside table and turned on the screen.
The current time is 3:18 AM.
Cheng Tingyu wanted to browse the forum for a while to pass the time, but found that the page displayed "Unable to connect to the network, please check your phone settings."
Her finger paused on the screen.
"Thud."
In the midst of the silence, the sudden sound of something falling to the floor came from outside the door.
"Knock, knock, knock."
The sound gradually became denser and continued to approach Room 606.
Cheng Tingyu took out the "Check-in Instructions" he carried with him, glanced at it under the light of the desk lamp, and after confirming that the content hadn't changed, he swiftly turned off the lamp and gently pressed the phone screen to turn it off.
Darkness limits vision, but for those within it, it also serves as a natural barrier. Enveloped by the night, one cannot see those unknown and indescribable things.
However, just as "Flesh and Blood" can significantly enhance a player's physical attributes, "Keen Eyes" can also greatly improve a player's vision.
It seemed as if a voice was whispering in Cheng Tingyu's ear, telling her that if she just lifted her head, she would see the secret hidden outside the door.
The door of Room 606 moved slightly and silently.
——Amidst the dense sound of impacts, something was lingering outside her door.
The air turned chilly, and the darkness seemed to solidify. The surroundings, without anyone noticing, underwent some unknown transformation.
Cheng Tingyu: "..."
No wonder Apartment No. 6 would pay tenants to live there; there's truly no such thing as a free stay in this world.
She closed her eyes, gathered her thoughts, and stopped paying attention to what was happening outside the door. She didn't know how much time had passed, but she eventually drifted off to sleep.
Although the rest process last night was rather tumultuous, Cheng Tingyu's biological clock still made him open his eyes at 7:30 in the morning.
She crawled out of bed and wobbled to the bathroom to brush her teeth.
The old mirror above the sink clearly reflected the dark circles under her eyes.
[Stamina (Abundant): 91/100]
The additional sleep in the latter half of the night finally helped her recover somewhat.
Reflecting on the residents of City F0631 he had encountered, Cheng Tingyu had reason to suspect that this city operated under a special rule: "If you're a player, you won't sleep well."
She finished washing her face, grabbed yesterday's trash to find a place to dispose of it, and planned to go to the first floor for breakfast. As soon as she opened the door, she heard people talking outside.
——Under normal circumstances, given the soundproofing of the apartment, the people inside the room shouldn't be able to hear the noises from outside.
After noticing Cheng Tingyu come out, a person wearing a blue work badge turned around, looked at her carefully for a moment, and finally breathed a sigh of relief, saying to a colleague, "The occupant of room 606 is confirmed to be alive."
Cheng Tingyu: "..."
After a moment of silence, Cheng Tingyu took the initiative to walk over: "Did something happen to someone yesterday?"
"The staff replied, 'A player has died.'"
Watching the commotion is human nature. In the corridor, besides those wearing work badges, there was also a young man in pajamas and slippers.
There was a screwdriver-shaped pattern on the corner of his clothes.
The young man was about to go back to his room to catch up on sleep when he saw Cheng Tingyu. He introduced himself proactively, "I'm a resident of 603, Shen Xingliu, an employee of 'Screwdriver' Insurance Company, so I guess I'm your neighbor."
Cheng Tingyu read an article titled "Employment Analysis of City F0631" in a magazine yesterday. It mentioned that the "Screwdriver" insurance company, as an established enterprise in the city, has always ranked among the top three in the residents' job preference list and has a cooperative relationship with the inspection team. He was somewhat surprised that the other party's identity in the apartment was that of a resident rather than a staff member, and with a mindset of probing for information, he asked, "Does 'Screwdriver' not provide housing allowances?"
Shen Xingliu said seriously, "I didn't move here because of the rent reduction." He reached out and made a gesture as if adjusting non-existent glasses on his nose, his expression slightly earnest, and said word by word, "It was for the travel allowance."
"..."
Whether others believed Shen Xingliu's words or not, Cheng Tingyu certainly did.
Travel allowance, such a convincing reason.
Cheng Tingyu: "Your subsidy is..."
Shen Xingliu smiled, "Five times the normal salary."
An apartment staff member overheard their conversation and couldn't help but glance over again and again. Finally, he sighed and said, "The inspection team only gets double allowances."
Shen Xingliu humbly said, "Our mortality rate is high."
The staff member was not to be outdone: "Our mortality rate isn't low either."
Shen Xingliu showed a hint of sadness: "The employees of 'Screwdriver' always have to be sent into the dungeons."
The staff almost looked up to the sky in tears: "The inspection team entering the instance is like going home."
Just as it seemed that the friendly exchange between both parties would continue for several more rounds, the conversation was interrupted by the speech of a third person—
An appropriate low profile is a suitable social entry point. Cheng Tingyu extended his hand to the two and said amicably, "Cheng Tingyu, currently a freelancer, the kind that doesn't get overtime pay no matter where I go."
Cafeteria.
On the way downstairs, Cheng Tingyu had already learned that the staff member's name was Qin Luosong. She was on night duty last night, and after handling the corpse in the morning, she could go back to the employee dormitory area to rest.
Cheng Tingyu: "Was what just happened serious?"
Qin Luosong shook his head: "It's quite normal. After all, Apartment No. 6 is a dungeon. It's inevitable that people will encounter accidents from time to time. Usually, one or two residents die every week. Overall, it's still relatively safe."
Cheng Tingyu couldn't help but laugh: "Your safety standards have a lot in common with the desolate zone."
Shen Xingliu promptly spoke up, fulfilling his duty as an insurance company employee: "If you're worried about your situation, you might consider making a deal with us at 'Screwdriver'."
Cheng Tingyu raised an eyebrow: "I once heard someone say that 'Screwdriver' is a company very skilled in doing business."
Shen Xingliu seemed not to catch the underlying meaning in Cheng Tingyu's words and continued to use the enthusiastic tone unique to a salesperson to pitch to the new tenant in the apartment: "That's because our transaction methods are flexible enough."
The young man looked at Cheng Tingyu and revealed a bright smile: "For 'Screwdriver,' money is not the most important thing. We can trade not only with what you currently possess but also with what you will have in the future, and even with the changes that occur at the end of your life to establish a contract."
He looked at the new tenant in front of him with enthusiasm, as if he were gazing at his own gleaming KPI.
Cheng Tingyu sincerely said, "…Thank you, but I still won't use it."
After listening to the sales pitch, she realized that her willingness to trade for the "screwdriver" had become even lower than for the "plush bear"..
Cheng Tingyu didn't sleep well yesterday, so he had a simple breakfast. As usual, he took some bread with him before leaving and said goodbye to the two new players he had met.
The two watched Cheng Tingyu leave, and Qin Luosong suddenly said, "The peak season is almost here... Do you think this new tenant will be able to successfully leave the apartment building?"
Having spent a long time in Apartment No. 6, Qin Luosong now looked like an ordinary citizen of F0631 City. However, at this moment, her face revealed the unique demeanor of a member of the Inspection Team.
Shen Xingliu's eyes curved into a smile. As the representative of the "Screwdriver" Insurance Company stationed at Copy No. 6, he had actually been living in this house for quite some time. He had seen many individuals with special abilities move into the apartment, quickly transition from normal to insane, and ultimately slip bit by bit into the abyss of death.
He withdrew his gaze and smiled, "Want to bet? I think she might live for a long time."
Qin Luosong asked, "Does 'Screwdriver' also run a gambling business?"
Shen Xingliu smiled and said, "We like to do interesting business."
On the way back to the room, I stopped by the entertainment room on the third floor to return the magazine I borrowed yesterday and picked up a new issue.
At this moment, it was half past eight in the morning. Four people were playing cards in the recreation room. The person in charge of shuffling the deck lazily said, "I solemnly swear that I am not 'Mito'."
Cheng, a player with keen eyes, Ting Yu, sighed inwardly and reached out to rub his temples.
She seriously suspected that similar players in the past had used their abilities to see other people's cards.
Before leaving, Cheng Tingyu's serene gaze swept over those people—his abilities hadn't changed in the slightest; he still couldn't see the real names of the other players.
In this era, entertainment options are far fewer than before the time travel, and magazine content is much more monotonous. For example, in the latest issue she received, most of it consists of scientific knowledge and advertisements. There are reports like the Exploration Association sending a scouting team to a certain place and uncovering something sealed before the "Century of Silence"; or the city of F0631 purchasing new grain seeds from the White Tower Research Center, with hopes of promoting them in the central district this year; or even the "Screwdriver" insurance company having some conflicts with the subordinates of the "Dreammaker" while leaving the city, advising those with travel plans to avoid certain routes, and so on.
Cheng Tingyu felt somewhat disappointed by the dull content of the magazine. He placed the book back on the bedside table, rested his hand under his arm, and slowly closed his eyes.
Sunlight streamed through the window, casting a human-shaped shadow on the beige floor tiles of the living room.
Cheng Tingyu opened his eyes and looked around.
He entered the instance again, and all the surrounding scenes remained exactly the same as last time.
——Since entering Apartment No. 6, she has fallen asleep three times in total, with a capture probability as high as two-thirds.
Cheng Tingyu thought, perhaps beyond the 1/5 chance for ordinary people to enter the instance and the 3/5 chance for players to enter the instance, there was another hidden probability—"Mitong" could enter the instance two out of three times he fell asleep. Even if he was unwilling, he had to constantly be on the front line of courting death.
Cheng Tingyu rubbed his temples, a helpless smile appearing on his lips as he muttered to himself, "Since the previous attempts were wrong, this time let's proceed according to the normal route."
Before setting off, she still glanced at her reflection in the mirror.
[Health Points (Health): 92/100]
[Stamina (Abundant): 81/100]
[Mental Value (Normal): 110/125]
Her various metrics were noticeably lower than last time, with her stamina being the most significantly reduced. It was likely because she didn't sleep well during the second part of the night.
With the support of previous action experience, Cheng Tingyu skillfully picked up the scissors, pocketed the candy, and quickly stepped into the corridor
This time she didn't stop, entering the fifth floor at the fastest speed.
Reaching the final step, Cheng Tingyu's gaze slightly froze as he took in the surrounding scene.
The stairway between the fifth and fourth floors looked exactly the same, with no difference in the shape of the stains on the walls, the cobwebs in the corners, or the insect corpses scattered on the ground.
Cheng Tingyu didn't rush to continue climbing the stairs but first tried to open the door to the fifth-floor room.
Each floor has two rooms; on this floor, 501 can be opened, but 502 cannot.
Cheng Tingyu pushed open the main door, carefully observing the surrounding details.
The scene before her was both surprising and unsurprising.
It was no surprise that 501 had the same beige floor tiles, old wooden cabinets painted white, and straw-yellow sofa as 401.
Unexpectedly, there were no cardboard boxes for packing luggage in the room, and on the table in the living room, there was an extra bowl of cola emitting a faint chill.
[Ice Cola: A drink well worth trying, with a certain restorative effect. Want to give it a sip?]