Chapter 83: Forum!

Ding Xie saw a massive, damaged spherical object, seemingly about to fall, yet frozen in a sky of blue mixed with leaden hues.

About one-third of the sphere’s volume had been torn away.

Looking through the jagged, saw-toothed edge of the opening, huge conveyor belts and gears could be seen rotating inside.

A corpse of immeasurable height, with a body as massive as a mountain range and an indistinct face, lay face-down on the conveyor belt, head-first, being carried towards the gears to be crushed.

Flesh and blood flew everywhere, splattering onto the gears.

The gears began to spin more lightly.

Excess flesh and blood splattered out from the gap and fell.

It did not form a rain of blood.

Nor were there any Impurities.

They transformed into… light!

Ding Xie’s steps halted, and he pressed his entire body against the wall.

He neither continued peering at the sphere nor reached out to touch this light.

Moving along the wall, he used the muzzle of the 【Thirteen Protectors】 to hook the curtain, flicking his wrist.

Whoosh!

The curtain blocked the sphere and the light emanating from it.

Ding Xie held his breath and focused.

But a hurried glance was enough for him to roughly confirm one thing—

That thing was the Sun!

A Sun different from any other, beyond his own understanding.

Standing pressed against the wall for a full three seconds, Ding Xie finally collected his thoughts.

He remained standing still, his gaze once again sweeping across the entire apartment.

Then, behind the door, he spotted an “apartment rules”—

“【Welcome to City Apartment 2-101. The following are the apartment occupancy guidelines:】”

“【1. City Apartment consists of 11 buildings. Except for Building 1 and Building 11, each building has only 27 floors, with 99 rooms per floor.】”

“【2. The 1st floor of all City Apartment buildings is a public lobby. Floors B1 to B3 are cafeterias.】”

“【3. There are no elevators in City Apartment. Between 8:00 and 18:00, please use the staircase on the right. Between 22:00 and 7:00, please use the staircase on the left. During other times, please wait patiently in your room or the public lobby.】”

“【4. Each resident’s room is absolutely safe and will not be attacked in any sense.】”

“【5. The cafeteria provides three meals: breakfast from 6:00-7:00 on B1, lunch from 11:00-13:00 on B2, and dinner from 17:30-19:00 on B3.】”

“【6. The apartment has no administrators or cleaners. Please take your trash to the bins on the first floor of the lobby.】”

“【7. Players who take action in the lobby, cafeteria, or stairwells will be punished.】”

“【8. Do not accept visits in any form.】”

“【9. The apartment is our home; safety depends on everyone.】”

…On a white sheet of paper, black printed text made Ding Xie frown deeply.

Not only was the information incomplete, but there were also contradictions.

Ding Xie moved along the wall, still avoiding areas potentially illuminated by the light from outside the window, and arrived behind the door. He flipped over the “apartment rules.”

There was nothing on the back.

Moving again, Ding Xie walked towards the computer.

No need to turn it on.

The muzzle of the 【Thirteen Protectors】 touched the mouse, and the computer screen lit up.

No additional interface.

Just a login screen.

It required re-registration. Ding Xie used the muzzle of the 【Thirteen Protectors】 to tap the keyboard repeatedly—

Please enter username: 2611

Please enter password: ******

Please confirm password: ******

Confirm Cancel

After clicking confirm, the screen changed.

An old-fashioned forum interface without distinct sections appeared.

Ding Xie glanced at the top.

Today: 186 | Yesterday: 390 | Posts: 108,982

Then, his gaze moved downward.

【Wanted】 Urgently need food, water, willing to trade guns. Meet in apartment lobby.

【Wanted】 Water-based specialization, willing to trade combat specialization. Meet in dinner cafeteria.

【Team Up】 Contract signing, need one support. Eleventh dungeon difficulty.

【Bounty】 Contract signing, bounty on player ‘Scarecrow,’ emotional scammer. Reward: 100g gold, dead or alive.

【Chat】 Bros, anyone up for an adventure? I feel like there might be treasure chests in those abandoned houses.

【Chat】 Fam, anyone want to team up and check out the inside of the Sun? Our chance might be there.

【Chat】 I’m in! Finally in! I finally made it from the city outskirts to City Apartment! Do you know how I’ve lived these past five months? From now on, I won’t have to worry about being attacked by monsters and fellow travelers anymore. Thank you, City Apartment! Thank you, broadcast, for letting me know in advance that rent needs to be paid in gold!

…The forum was a jumble of all sorts of things.

Ding Xie scanned it and roughly confirmed three points.

1. The currency is gold.

2. Valuable items are bartered.

3. The cafeteria is dangerous, or food is expensive/scarce.

Next, Ding Xie clicked on the 【Chat】 thread about renting apartments.

A bunch of replies followed:

Li Xunzhen: I ran for six months back then, and I didn’t even catch the apartment discount. It costs 300 grams of gold per month. (crying)

Banana Wolf: I ran for two months and just made it in time for Double Eleven. 180 grams of gold. (smug)

Fabricated Nonsense: The person above, do you live in Building 1?

Banana Wolf: Yeah, how did you know?

Fabricated Nonsense: Building 1 is usually 150 grams of gold per month. Double Eleven is 180 grams, Double Twelve is 200 grams.

Banana Wolf:…Banana Wolf: Beep beep beep beep!

Nickname (OP): Being able to get in is good enough. I’ll accept paying a bit more. Even though I can only rent in Building 1 or 11, it’s still better than outside, right?

Li Xunzhen: OP +1

Fabricated Nonsense: OP +1

Banana Wolf: OP +1

Scarecrow: OP +1

Flying Fish: Person above, wanna grab a meal? My treat.

Repeater Kun: Person above, your abacus beads are hitting me in the face.

elf Feng: @Scarecrow, Big Bro, got any videos? Please!

One Maple Rainy Night: Same request!

Li Xunzhen: Same request!

…As the players spotted the interesting point, the thread gradually went off-topic.

Ding Xie stroked his chin and tapped the keyboard with the gun muzzle.

2611: Anyone up for exploring outside?

Fabricated Nonsense:!

Li Xunzhen:!

Banana Wolf:!

Nickname (OP): Big Bro ‘Setting Sun Moon,’ you dare go outside? You’re truly brave!

Flying Fish: @2611 Newbie?

Nickname (OP): I’m the newbie.

Great Light Righteousness: A newbie can come to the forum? That can’t be called a newbie! That should be called a super rookie, a future big shot! Big shot, let me hug your thigh!

Fabricated Nonsense: Big shot, let me hug your thigh!

Li Xunzhen: Big shot, let me hug your thigh!

Banana Wolf: Big shot, let me hug your thigh!

…The essence of humanity is being a repeater.

If there’s something to say, follow along.

If there’s nothing to say, force a follow.

Clearly, unable to get more useful information, Ding Xie prepared to check the refrigerator.

And just at that moment, someone suddenly posted.

Interesting Pea: Are the Hunters here to trick rookies again?

True Fantasy: @Nickname Be careful, the apartment isn’t absolutely safe either. There are bad apples among the crowd.

Flying Fish: Damn! Mark this nickname first. I was planning to send him some videos!

Fabricated Nonsense: Please send!

Li Xunzhen: Please send!

Banana Wolf: Please send!

…The thread went off-topic again, but Ding Xie no longer cared.

Hunters?

Ding Xie’s gaze turned to Rules 6 and 7 of the “apartment rules.”

“【6. The apartment has no administrators or cleaners. Please take your trash to the bins on the first floor of the lobby.】”

“【7. Players who take action in the lobby, cafeteria, or stairwells will be punished.】”

‘No administrators or cleaners, but there are security guards!

As for being punished?

You only get punished if you’re caught!

If you’re not caught, there’s no punishment!’

Ding Xie speculated, his gaze shifting to the text that had been flashing non-stop since earlier.