Chapter 362: Luxury Manor
Lin Ye: This is my first time entering the Shallow Sea Area, how about you guys?
Anna: Same here, we're probably among the first batch of Survivors to enter the Shallow Sea Area.
Kumar: Are we going into the sea? I'm not a very good swimmer.
Lucas: The Shallow Sea Area is likely a difficulty standard of some sort, not actually making us go swimming in the sea.
Kumar: That's great then, I don't have a good impression of the ocean.
Anna: What a pity, I specifically prepared a swimsuit.
Lin Ye: Being prepared is good, it'll come in handy eventually.
Lucas: To think we'd actually encounter a third-tier teammate, with third-tier being comparable to fourth-tier in strength, your power level is a bit terrifying.
Lin Ye: It's passable.
Besides Lin Ye, the remaining teammates were all fourth-tier spiritual energy users. Two prompts popped up in the chat room:
【Please choose any station to disembark, survive at that station until the train arrives tomorrow, and board the train to leave the station】
【Note: After ten stations, the train will enter the Deep Sea Area】
A line of system prompt appeared before Lin Ye's eyes:
【Acquired Special Ability: Fawn】
【Fawn】
【Summon one fawn (1/1)】
【Note: Promising future】
'...What the heck?'
Looking at the extremely brief skill description, Lin Ye felt speechless.
Soon, the first station arrived. The train stopped at a sea island. In the center of the island stood an emerald green portal. Next to the portal was a signboard with a station introduction poster resembling a movie poster:
Four tourists travel to a certain tourist city. As night falls, some unpleasant things emerge from every corner of the city. Can they still leave this city?
Below the text was a city under nightfall, with four abstract stick figures standing in the city center. The city was filled with twisted shadows everywhere.
Lin Ye: Not bad, simple and straightforward, just need to survive until the next morning.
Lucas: There are quite a few enemies, and their nature is unclear. I suggest we check out the other stations.
Anna: Doesn't seem like there are any obvious gains.
Kumar: Endure attacks of unknown intensity for a whole night? Feels a bit too risky.
Lin Ye: Then let's go to the next station.
Ten minutes later, the train arrived at the second station.
Station introduction:
Four travelers agreed to take a cruise ship trip. However, due to some unknown reason, the cruise ship sailed into an unknown sea area. Can they successfully complete this journey?
Below the text was a sea area so deep blue it was almost black. A cruise ship sailed through the sea area, with some abstract stick figures singing and dancing on the deck. In the depths of the sea area, a massive shadow was slowly rising to the surface.
Lucas: Skip.
Anna: Skip.
Kumar: Skip.
Lin Ye: Skip.
This time, they were remarkably in sync. No one wanted to board a cruise ship about to sink.
Ten minutes later, the train arrived at the third station.
Station introduction:
An elderly man of considerable local status and prestige has passed away. His family hopes that you, as outsiders, can determine the cause of the old man's death and find the inheritance he left behind.
Below the text was a luxurious manor. Four abstract stick figures stood at the manor entrance, about to enter.
Lucas: This one seems okay. As long as we don't seriously investigate the old man's cause of death, it shouldn't be particularly dangerous.
Anna: Inheritance!
Kumar: We can loot a wave before leaving.
Lin Ye: Then let's choose this one. After all, it's all the Shallow Sea Area;
there won't be any simple stations.
The four disembarked the train and entered the emerald light gate at the island's center one by one. Lin Ye lost consciousness.
【Station selection complete. Additional tasks obtained, optional】
【1. Eliminate enemies. Receive rewards based on enemy quantity and strength】
【2. Investigate the old man's cause of death】
【3. Find the old man's inheritance】
Three additional tasks popped up in the chat room. Lin Ye woke up in an unfamiliar room.
The room's decoration was luxurious yet imbued with aesthetic beauty, clearly the work of a master.
The building materials seemed to be mixed with some substance that affected spiritual perception. Lin Ye could only perceive things within two walls. Beyond two walls, his perception became rather inaccurate.
Just as Lin Ye was about to check the chat room, he keenly sensed a presence under the bed.
The other party seemed to be using some technique that could affect spiritual perception, but compared to the assassin who ambushed Lin Ye in the Black Prison, this one was still lacking.
Lin Ye: There's an enemy under my bed that can affect spiritual perception. You guys probably have one too. Please handle it carefully.
Lin Ye wasn't in a hurry to act. He had many ways to deal with the other party, but the situation was unclear. Acting rashly might trigger unknown consequences.
Lucas: Damn, I wouldn't have noticed if you hadn't said anything. Being monitored right after entering? Is this the difficulty of the Shallow Sea Area?
Anna: Should we take action? Or wait and see?
Kumar: Sorry, I already acted. Under the bed was a deformed monster. Its strength is about the same as an ordinary fourth-tier spiritual energy user, but its ambush ability is excellent. It looks like some kind of Mutation Creature. (Corpse picture)
Lin Ye: Then let's act. Don't make noise, and don't leave behind corpses.
Based on the corpse information Kumar provided, Lin Ye silently dealt with the Mutation Creature under his bed.
The Mutation Creature's corpse had many obvious man-made traces. Storing the corpse, Lin Ye directly used his Special Ability Fawn, because the skill note said "Promising future."
As a guest, carrying a pet shouldn't be a problem.
However, what appeared before Lin Ye wasn't any fawn, but a silver-haired, silver-eyed little girl.
The little girl wore a smooth, silver, luxurious dress, was barefoot, and her silver hair cascaded onto the floor like flowing water. Her features were exquisitely delicate, almost inhuman. Her height only reached Lin Ye's waist.
"You're not actually named Fawn, are you?"
Lin Ye crouched down, looking into the little girl's horizontally oval-shaped eyes, and asked.
"Yo yo."
The little girl made a soft sound.
"Then I'll call you Little Silver. What abilities do you have?"
Lin Ye wanted to know what "Promising future" meant, after all, he only had one night.
"Yo yo?"
Little Silver looked at Lin Ye, confused.
"Forget it, just follow behind me."
Having summoned a little tail of unknown function, Lin Ye straightened his clothes, opened the door, and walked out of the room.
Outside the door stood a young man dressed in attendant attire. He seemed unable to see Little Silver;
otherwise, he wouldn't be looking only at Lin Ye.
"Do you need anything?"
"I'd like to take a walk around the manor. What about my companions?"
Lin Ye wanted to familiarize himself with the layout first. He had a feeling this night wouldn't be peaceful.
"Your companions are staying in other areas of the manor. I can only take you for a walk in the places you are allowed to go. Is that acceptable?"
The attendant replied very respectfully.
"Thank you for your trouble."
Just by understanding part of the manor's terrain and structure, Lin Ye could deduce the general layout of the entire manor.
Although it might not be entirely accurate, it could at least serve as a reference.