Chapter 24: The Encrypted Forum on the Dark Web

"The Divine Talisman! Elder Gu He has arrived!"

"Fantastic! With the Thunder Talisman, those specters will surely be reduced to ash. After all, even a Professional-level specter cannot withstand the power of lightning."

The crowd cheered in delight.

Lin Yi looked over to see Gu He walking slowly from a distance, his expression solemn. Truth be told, this was his first time witnessing the elder in action. Usually, the old man wore a harmonious, smiling face for everyone; he had not expected him to be so formidable when it truly mattered.

With the main body of the specter eliminated, the remaining scattered shadows posed no real threat and were quickly hunted down by the others.

By the time Gu Cheng Hu led the group out of the basement ice cellar and learned that Gu He had successfully destroyed the core of the Shadow Specter, he could not help but show his joy. With the specter gone, he would finally be able to sleep soundly for the next few days.

However, when he approached Gu He, he found the elder crouching where the specter had been destroyed, his expression heavy.

"Elder, why the long face? Even an ordinary Professional-level specter can't withstand your Thunder Talisman. Surely you don't fear this thing survived?"

Gu Man, who had finished collecting the ashes of the specters he had slain, joined them. "Exactly. This Shadow Specter feared sunlight, which implies it hadn't even reached the Professional level yet. Below that rank, a single bolt of lightning should have killed it outright."

Hearing their words, Gu He stood up and shook his head. "The main body of the specter I struck is indeed dead. However, I suspect this thing has other manifestations, or perhaps what was hidden here in Fufeng Tower was merely one of its many anchors."

Gu Man was astonished. "How is that possible? No matter how powerful a specter is, it shouldn't have multiple main bodies, right?"

Gu He remained silent, offering no further explanation. He knew from the village chief that this was no ordinary specter. Due to a weakening in the seals, this entity—which had existed since the ancient era—had somehow arrived at Gutan Village. Even though he had personally destroyed it, he could not shake the feeling that the specter still had a contingency and had not been truly eradicated.

"Regardless, whether the specter is dead or not, the immediate threat to Gutan Village has passed for now. Still, the militia must not slacken. Keep up the patrols daily and do not let any more monsters or specters slip into the village."

Gu He then looked at Gu Cheng Hu. "Xiao Hu, you did well to find the specter's hiding place today. Consider it a great contribution."

Gu Cheng Hu laughed. He knew that discovering the specter was entirely thanks to Lin Yi, but he would never reveal Lin Yi's unique ability in front of so many people. Whether it was Gu Liehai or Gu Man, everyone was hungry for useful "Born Ones," especially those capable of sensing specters. With Dugu Feng from the Second Team already having transferred to the Fifth, he would regret it forever if Lin Yi were poached by someone else.

Although Gu He was not certain the specter was truly gone, he announced publicly that the threat had been cleared to put everyone at ease.

After clearing the debris outside Fufeng Tower, Gu Cheng Hu pulled Lin Yi aside. "Qingshan, you made a great contribution today. What do you want as a reward? Blood food or an external martial art?"

Lin Yi did not know he had become such a prized asset in Gu Cheng Hu's eyes. He thought for a moment and said, "Captain, I saw you collected quite a bit of specter ash. Could you spare some for me?"

He still had blood food from his trade with Gu Liehai, enough to last a week or two if he consumed a small piece daily. As for external martial arts, his current Qi and blood levels were limited, and he spent his remaining energy practicing the Sky Star Archery; learning a new art was unnecessary. Besides, Gu Yongqiang was already waiting to teach him the Flaming Blade Technique. Having seen the militia use it against the specter's shadows, he knew it was powerful and highly effective against such entities. With his archery for range and the blade for close combat, he would have a decent foundation once he added a movement technique.

He was not short on food or skills, but he wanted the ashes to test the growth limits of his Spectral Soul Artifact.

"Specter ash?" Gu Cheng Hu was slightly surprised by the request, but without hesitation, he handed over the small bag he had collected in the cellar. "Fine, take it all. And keep that amulet I gave you earlier for self-defense."

The bag contained about ten grams of ash. At fifty contribution points per gram, the bag was worth five hundred. Lin Yi thanked him profusely. Gu Cheng Hu patted his shoulder heavily. "Protect yourself well. Your ability to sense specters is too important—don't let anything happen to you."

***

Since the resolution of the Shadow Specter, patrol intensity in Gutan Village had relaxed significantly.

One day while on duty at the city walls, Gu Cheng Hu spotted a few Hacked Pigs wandering in the wilderness and decided to lead Lin Yi and the others out to hunt.

There were three in total: an adult sow with two piglets. The sow stood two meters tall and was a Level 6 monster, while the piglets were only a few months old, half a meter tall, and Level 3. They posed no real threat. Gu Cheng Hu moved in, his blade flashing as he crippled all three in a few moves, leaving the final blow for Lin Yi.

Gu Cheng Hu beckoned to him. "Qingshan, I hear you've been practicing your bow for a long time. Come, stand back and give it a try."

"Understood."

Lin Yi stood at a distance, nocked an arrow, infused it with a touch of his Qi and blood, and fired.

*Swish!*

The arrow whistled through the air and struck the sow square in the forehead. Unfortunately, the beast's hide was too thick, and the arrow simply bounced off. The other members of the Second Team burst into laughter.

"Qingshan, your strength isn't quite there yet."

"You should aim for the neck; the pig's skull is too hard."

Lin Yi took a deep breath. In the real world, an arrow fired with his 14 points of strength would have easily pierced a human body. He hadn't expected the monster's hide to be this resilient. He didn't lose heart and continued to use the Sky Star Archery. On the seventh shot, the damage stacked, and the arrow finally pierced the sow's neck wound.

*Ding! You have killed a Level 6 Hacked Pig. Gained 30 experience points!*

It was a meager reward, but he quickly finished off the two piglets, gaining 10 experience points each.

The haul was small, consisting of four items: a [Hacked Pig Manual (White)], which allowed the user to view the status and attributes of the species, and [Hacked Pig Meat (White)], a monster-infused meat that could increase attributes for those with strong constitutions, though overconsumption carried the risk of "monsterization." The piglets dropped two portions of [Low-Grade Monster Blood (White)].

Though they were only white-quality items, both Lin Yi and Gu Cheng Hu were satisfied. Since the meat was useful to the captain, Lin Yi chose the manual and one portion of the monster blood. He now had manuals for both Hacked Pigs and Heart-Eater Wolves, giving him the ability to scout their attributes.

Over the next few days, Gu Cheng Hu continued to bring Lin Yi out to hunt during patrol shifts. Lin Yi realized the captain was trying to power-level him. When asked why, Gu Cheng Hu replied, "I heard the Fifth Team's 'Born Ones' are already trying to hunt outside. Since you gave up the chance to jump straight to level ten to stay in my team, I can't let you suffer. I'm going to get you to level ten."

Lin Yi didn't fully believe him, suspecting his sensing ability was the real reason, but he was happy to take advantage of having such a strong protector to finish off monsters.

However, Gutan Village was protected by a temple, meaning few high-level monsters roamed nearby. After several days, they only found low-level beasts. Lin Yi's experience was climbing, but it was still far from the four hundred points needed for level four. He realized that at this rate, it would take months.

He thought of the valley Dugu Feng had mentioned—the former burial ground of the militia, now infested with low-level corpse monsters that often dropped martial arts manuals.

He broached the subject with Gu Cheng Hu, who nodded thoughtfully. "You want to train in the Ancient Grave Valley? It's not impossible..."

Gu Cheng Hu explained that the valley had been abandoned after a specter took root there, causing the corpses to mutate. "If the Fifth Team's people can go there, I can take you too. But Qingshan, if I help you reach level ten, I need you to do me a favor."

"Name it, Captain."

"I have been stuck at level ten for years. To advance to a true Martial Artist, I must reach Tian Shui City to find the Martial Dao Stele. The journey is long, filled with monsters and specters. I need you to join our group when we depart."

Tian Shui City? Lin Yi considered that if Gutan Village was the "starter village," Tian Shui City was the next map. He would have to go there eventually anyway.

"I agree," Lin Yi said.

Gu Cheng Hu smiled. "Good. Rest up. Tomorrow morning, we head to the Ancient Grave Valley."

***

Returning to the real world, the sky was ablaze with a crimson sunset. Lin Yi checked the weather; a typhoon was expected in Linhe City within the week. He had been in the Apocalypse World for three weeks now, yet he was only level three.

He glanced at his neighbor's apartment. He heard the sound of boxes being dragged and a girl's voice on the phone: "Mom, don't worry, I just arrived... the rent isn't expensive."

He saw the new neighbor hanging clothes on the balcony. She was tall, around 1.7 meters, with a slender, elegant figure and a youthful, fresh face.

"Hey, hello! I'm Liu Yuqian," she called out.

Lin Yi merely nodded and headed inside. "What a weirdo," Liu Yuqian muttered.

Later that evening, as Lin Yi returned from a workout, he ran into her by the elevator.

"Hi, I'm Liu Yuqian, your neighbor. I just moved in."

"I'm Lin Yi," he replied briefly.

He didn't have the energy for social distractions. Back in his room, he checked an encrypted foreign forum he had discovered. He had been tracking the link between the game and reality. A blood-red headline caught his eye: *Tokyo Specter Mutation: Hundreds Dead, Government Concealing News!*

The comments were chaotic, but the consensus was chilling: if a player died in the game, it could briefly tear open a portal for monsters to enter reality. Lin Yi checked with the butcher, Mr. Zhu, who confirmed a young man in the village had gone missing after the Hacked Pig incident.

It was all connected.

Lin Yi sighed, exhausted. He needed to rest; tomorrow, he would be hunting corpse monsters in the Ancient Grave Valley. As he drifted off to sleep, the sound of water from the shower in the next apartment provided a steady, rhythmic backdrop to his dreams of the world to come.