Su Cheng arrived at her upstairs room. It was a standard single room, not particularly large—very similar to a hotel room back on Blue Star, though the wall murals offered a hint of local regional flair.
Aside from a contact card, the wallet Yun Cheng had left behind contained thirty banknotes. Their color wasn’t the red or blue Su Cheng was familiar with, but green instead.
Fortunately, the numbers printed on them were standard Arabic numerals.
“With this money, I can buy some supplies to take back before leaving the dungeon.”
Su Cheng couldn’t help marveling once again that Yun Cheng was truly a thoroughly thoughtful person.
Unscrewing the bottle of mineral water on the table, Su Cheng took a sip and turned to leave the room.
Exchanging a polite smile with the female innkeeper, she exited the inn.
Remembering the inn’s name, Su Cheng headed straight out to find the guide child Yun Cheng had mentioned. For the price of a single bill, she hired a ten-year-old local girl to act as her tour guide for the day.
The girl led Su Cheng directly to a clothing shop first.
Since it was summer, the garments on display were all breathable and cool, featuring various silk short-sleeved shirts, long pants, and skirts… their colors carrying distinct local styling to varying degrees.
With the young girl acting as translator, Su Cheng barged her way through bargaining to purchase 5 sun hats, 3 pairs of sunglasses, 10 short-sleeved shirts, and long pants.
Along with 5 sets of autumn and winter base layers and coats that the innkeeper had kept stashed away at the bottom of her stock.
At the adjacent shoe store, she bought 4 pairs of spring-winter sneakers and 2 pairs of slippers.
Leaving the shoe store, Su Cheng stopped at a crowded sundry shop to buy 10 packs of biscuits, 10 packs of small bread, 5 boxes of chocolate, 2 packs of beef jerky, 1 case of water, 1 pair of scissors, 2 daggers, a kitchen knife, a small-sized chainsaw, and 5 neck-hanging mini fans.
The moment Su Cheng laid eyes on the chainsaw, she secured it without a moment’s hesitation. It was a small model, not overly heavy, falling well within Su Cheng’s tolerable carrying capacity.
The destructive power of a chainsaw went without saying, and the roaring whine it emitted when pulled to a start was enough to provide immense psychological reassurance.
Once these purchases were complete, Su Cheng carried the water while slinging a hemp sack containing her weapons over her forearm. She then paid the little girl extra to help carry the lighter items—the clothes and food.
Returning these items to the inn room drew a soft, astonished exclamation from the innkeeper.
After dropping off the items and drinking some water, Su Cheng set off under the guidance of the little girl to grab lunch at a roadside fast-food restaurant.
Su Cheng had to admit that the moment steaming-hot hamburgers and fried chicken legs were served up, her mouth practically flooded with saliva!
Thinking back on how all she had eaten since entering the apartment was bland, packaged foods, sinking her teeth into hot, flavorful, juicy meat like hamburgers and fried chicken was a first since arriving in the apartment.
Disregarding the fact that the food was fresh out of the kitchen, Su Cheng devoured two massive hamburgers and fried chicken drumsticks like a starved ghost possessed.
Her wolfish, ravenous eating habits startled the little girl.
Sucking the last drops through her cola straw, Su Cheng patted her fully satisfied belly and marveled, “How long has it been since I had a meal like this…”
That afternoon, Su Cheng accompanied the little girl on a stroll through the nearby streets and alleys, experiencing the local folk customs.
She also bought some fruit from a roadside stall, finally tasting sweet, mouth-watering watermelon and pineapple…
Passing by a small local pharmacy, she bought two boxes of antiviral oral liquid, two boxes of heat-clearing and detoxifying oral liquid, two boxes of stomach-protecting and anti-diarrheal tablets, a tube of anti-itch bug-bite ointment, a bottle of fish oil, and a multivitamin complex.
This added a solid replenishment to Su Cheng’s medicine inventory.
As for the fish oil and multivitamins, she could take them consistently to supplement trace elements in her body.
The bug-bite ointment was necessary because Su Cheng’s hands and legs had already accumulated several swollen welts. She hadn’t had time to care about them previously, simply gritting her teeth and enduring.
Dinner consisted of hamburgers once again. Su Cheng actually craved Chinese cuisine, but none was nearby, and she refused to eat questionable roadside fare of dubious hygiene, leaving her with no choice but to keep enjoying the delicious burgers.
Concluding her day’s itinerary, Su Cheng returned to the inn to rest.
After washing up, facing the mirror, she used her scissors to crop her uneven locks straight down to shoulder-length, tying it up into a small mini-bun with a tiny hair tie.
“Looks much neater this way.”
That night, lying down cleanly in bed to sleep, Su Cheng experienced a bizarre sense of a real vacation.
The carefree indulgence of eating, drinking, and shopping today contrasted sharply with her harrowing ordeals from the past two days—bordering almost on feeling disjointed.
Awakening naturally the next morning, Su Cheng repeated yesterday’s routine, enjoying herself thoroughly outside and spending every last cent of the money Yun Cheng had left behind.
Notably, under the guidance of the girl, she visited a renowned local temple and met a deeply respected local monk.
Su Cheng purchased a packet of crimson cinnabar from the temple at a high price. The monk instructed that if a small-sized edged weapon were buried in the cinnabar for a day and a night, the weapon would acquire an evil-repelling property, though the cinnabar could only be used once per weapon.
Upon returning, Su Cheng immediately poured the cinnabar over one of her daggers.
While relaxing her limbs on the bed that night, Su Cheng noticed that the previously slack muscles in her calves and waist had firmed up significantly.
Despite all the running and walking over the past few days, she lacked the severe lower-back and leg soreness from her previous dungeon.
All her purchased items sat piled in the corner of the room. The water, food, clothing, medicine, and weapon categories all approached the weight limits of her storage slots.
“This dungeon turned out sweet after the bitterness. Even though it only gave 300 points, considering these past two days, I really can’t complain.”
Lying in bed and letting out a relaxed sigh, Su Cheng yawned, closed her eyes, and waited for tomorrow’s departure.
…
At 10:00 AM sharp, the mechanical voice rang out in Su Cheng’s mind:
【Dungeon exit countdown initiated】
Opening her eyes, Su Cheng unhurriedly stretched her limbs, waiting for the countdown to hit zero.
…3, 2, 1.
【Dungeon settlement in progress】
【Congratulations to resident No. 1216 of Apartment Building No. 1167, Street X, District E for successfully completing the mission. Total points obtained: 300.】
【You may choose to bring away items located within a 2㎡ radius around you.】
Five storage slots materialized before her eyes once again, with the 60-second countdown hovering above.
【Tip: Each storage slot can only hold items of the same category, with a weight limit of 3kg per slot. Living entities and items exceeding ten times your own size cannot be selected.】
Su Cheng’s Smart Pack was already fully packed with one slot of medicine, two slots of water and food.
All the remaining clothing and weapons were designated to fill the five storage slots right before her.
Whether it was her imagination or not, the moment she pulled the dagger out of the cinnabar, she felt the blade had grown noticeably sharper.
As the 60 seconds elapsed, the surrounding void distorted, and Su Cheng’s vision went black.
【Transmitting…】
【Ding~ Dear resident No. 1216, welcome back! Next, the apartment will provide you with one free medical service.】
“Thud…”
Su Cheng dropped back down into the medical pod inside the white diagnostic room, submerging into the medicinal bath.
Lin Deng remained seated in her chair, glancing briefly at Su Cheng before remarking, “You look to be in good shape.”
Relaxing in the medicinal bath, Su Cheng welcomed the soothing comfort even without having suffered any injuries.
“My abdomen was hit during the dungeon, but it seems fully healed now. Do I still need a checkup?”
“No. The moment you stepped into the medical pod, my tablet already updated your bodily status.”
“Then how long can I soak?”
“Five minutes.”
Su Cheng nodded—the exact same duration as last time.
Swiping across her tablet screen, Dr. Lin raised an eyebrow slightly. “Your abdominal injury record indicates a ruptured spleen, currently in a healed state, yet there are no surgical scars…”
Without concealing the truth, Su Cheng stated directly, “Dr. Lin, do you know about gene locks?”
A flash of comprehension crossed the depths of Lin Deng’s eyes. “You unlocked a gene lock, which is why your wounds healed autonomously.”
“Yes. I suffered extremely severe injuries in the dungeon, and thanks to the gene lock, I was able to self-heal.”
“According to your medical records, this is only your second dungeon.”
“Mm.”
“Quite the stroke of good fortune.”
Sensing that Lin Deng could follow the conversation, Su Cheng knew she was well-aware of gene locks. “Can Dr. Lin tell me a bit more about them?”
“Information on gene locks isn’t highly confidential, so telling you is no issue.”
Contrary to Su Cheng’s mental rehearsal anticipating conditions or outright refusal, Lin Deng agreed with refreshing crispness.
“Gene locks are divided into three tiers. Upon unlocking each tier, aside from the sensory enhancements provided by the gene lock, you also acquire special abilities.”
“To my knowledge, special abilities include enhanced strength, speed, agility, and psychic power…”
“Which one is yours?”
Su Cheng: “Self-healing capability.”
Lin Deng tilted her chin upward slightly. “A decent skill.”
“How do you go about upgrading a gene lock?”
Tugged at the corner of her lips, Lin Deng retorted, “Do you honestly think I’d know the answer to that?”
Offering a sincere smile and deliberately laying on some praise, Su Cheng buttered her up: “Dr. Lin looks like she knows a lot!”
Unswayed by the flattery to display excess emotion, Lin Deng maintained her composure and continued: “To my knowledge, the catalyst for unlocking a Tier-1 gene lock always occurs during near-death situations, requiring an overwhelmingly intense survival instinct, alongside a dose of probability and luck.”
“Within the apartments of each district, only about 40% of people manage to unlock a Tier-1 gene lock. Those who unlock Tier-2 and Tier-3 are even fewer, leaving far too few reference samples for unlocking conditions.”
Pausing briefly, Lin Deng added, “Managing to unlock a gene lock as early as your second dungeon puts you in the category of individuals possessing steadfast willpower.”
Without letting a single compliment swell her head, Su Cheng curved her eyes into a smile. “Thank you for telling me all this, Dr. Lin.”
Nodding, Lin Deng said, “If you’re genuinely grateful, once you unlock Tier-2 or Tier-3 gene locks in the future, you can share the experience with me.”
Su Cheng agreed, hoping she could unlock higher-tier gene locks soon as well. “I’ll take your good word for it.”
Lacking the habit of mutual polite formalities, Lin Deng glanced at her watch and stated indifferently, “Time’s up.”
The moment her words fell, Su Cheng’s vision went black.
With a single blink, Su Cheng found herself back inside her own apartment.
The supplies she had brought back from the dungeon lay piled on the floor.
The calendar on the television displayed: Month 00, Day 00, Day 11.
【Ding-dong~ Smart Pack has shifted forms based on environmental conditions】
The pocket on Su Cheng’s pants vanished, and a white bag materialized on the sofa—reverting to the exact initial form she had first purchased it in.
Her black wristband data updated:
Name: Su Cheng
Identity: Resident No. 1206, Apartment Building No. 1167, Street X, District E
Points: 300 (Non-transferable)
Constitution: Tier-1 Gene Lock
Skill: Self-Healing [Enhances tissue repair cell activity, rapidly healing wounds]
“If not for the gene lock, I’d have no idea bracelet stats could even update…”
Pulling a set of clean clothes from her dungeon pile, Su Cheng headed toward the bathroom; the damp sensation clinging to her skin after the medicinal bath felt quite uncomfortable.
Water sprayed from the showerhead, rinsing away the green medicinal residue lingering on her hands and feet amid rising swirls of steam…
Once Su Cheng dried her hair, she stored the items from the floor into their proper places.
Medicines and food went into the upper and lower desk drawers and cabinets alongside her previous stash.
Clothing was hung neatly inside the wardrobe, finally filling up the previously barren closet. Miscellaneous items like mini fans and flashlights were temporarily stored in the wardrobe alongside the toilet paper.
As for the daggers, kitchen knife, chainsaw, and scissors… after a moment of thought, since they were all clean, there was no need to banish them to the bathroom; she simply arranged them neatly right on the table top.
Finishing her organization, Su Cheng sprawled out onto the sofa and unlocked her phone.
There was an unread announcement from the group owner in the apartment group chat.
Monday 【Group Owner】: Residents of 1211 and 1210 engaged in private item transactions. 300 points deducted from each, plus one yellow card issued as punishment.
Wednesday 【Group Owner】: Residents of 1235 and 1237 failed to complete dungeon missions and have perished. Vacant apartments will bind new residents.
…
Prohibiting private transactions within the apartment effectively severed the avenues of mutual aid among residents.
With residents unable to rely on charity to scrape by, everyone’s survival hinged entirely on plunging into dungeons themselves. The apartment truly pulled out all stops to herd people into dungeons.
Su Cheng tapped into the 99+ unread messages version of the owner-free apartment group chat.
Scrolling upward, she discovered the flood of 99+ notifications stemmed primarily from newcomers arriving at the apartment, with veterans who had already cleared dungeons answering questions for the rookies.
Scanning through roughly, Su Cheng extracted zero useful information.
She tapped into her private chat with Yan Yu; her name status indicated she was currently offline.
Su Cheng left a message: How did this special dungeon go?
After that, all she could do was wait for the other party to come online and reply.
“Even though I only have 300 points, I can still check out the supermarket…might as well run an experiment.”
Sitting straight up with a spring-like bounce, Su Cheng slung her white Smart Pack cross-body, walked over to the table, and picked up the dagger that hadn’t been soaked in cinnabar.
“Daggers still feel the most reliable to use…”
Picking up the dagger, Su Cheng tucked it into her Smart Pack, opened the door, and stepped outside.