The Walk-in Closet Safehouse CH11
Chapter 11: Level 2 Safe House
Thirty hours had passed since the power failure. Electricity had not been restored, and the temperature had dropped again. The temperature difference between the Safe House and the rest of the rental unit now exceeded five degrees. Many people were jolted awake by the chill last night, fumbling in the dark for thermal layers they shouldn't have needed for another two months, only to find their clothing was already damp from the humidity.
Normally, this wouldn't be a major issue; an hour in a washer and dryer would solve it, provided there was power. To avoid a fever, people had no choice but to pull on the clammy garments, even though the dampness cut the insulation in half.
First, it was water, then food, then medicine. Now, even dry clothing had become a luxury. Everyone seemed trapped in a claustrophobic cage, relying entirely on their phones to know what was happening in the world outside.
The sudden appearance of the four-man hunting squad was like a stone dropped into a stagnant pond. The neighborhood group chat, silent for so long, erupted as people began tagging 1701 for information.
Cui Ye rubbed her messy hair, sprawling out on a "bed" made of down jackets while scrolling through her phone. The "99+" unread notifications continued to climb. It seemed everyone’s batteries were still holding out; they were all rationing their power, waiting for official word.
She skimmed the messages and found the inquiries fell into three categories: those asking for the plan so they could join; those pretending to ask for the plan before launching into a sob story about "the old and the young" at home—essentially asking to join in "spirit" while staying home to wait for a handout; and finally, those who weren't short on supplies yet and believed the government would soon build shelters, urging the young men from 1701 not to risk their lives.
Cui Ye didn't know if these four had Safe Houses or had awakened Talents. If they were heading out with nothing but two rubber boats, they’d be little more than a "running banquet" for the water monsters. Joining them was definitely "boarding a pirate ship".
But the moment Cui Ye saw the message, she made her decision.
The attribute-bearing accessory that had refreshed in her wardrobe today was her ticket in. As for why it was an accessory and not clothing—that went back to her Safe House upgrade the day before.
After returning from her "fish farming", Cui Ye’s zeroed balance had been replenished with twelve gold coins. After buying the daily food voucher, she had eleven left—just enough to upgrade the Safe House to Level 2.
She had expected a simple upgrade: the space would expand, and the defense value would increase. Her assumptions were correct—the area nearly doubled, a built-in wardrobe was added to the wall opposite the door, and a massive full-length mirror appeared, nearly the same size as the door itself.
However, this mirror wasn't a random addition; it was the result of a choice she had been forced to make.
Thirty hours had passed since the power failure. Electricity had not been restored, and the temperature had dropped again. The temperature difference between the Safe House and the rest of the rental unit now exceeded five degrees. Many people were jolted awake by the chill last night, fumbling in the dark for thermal layers they shouldn't have needed for another two months, only to find their clothing was already damp from the humidity.
Normally, this wouldn't be a major issue; an hour in a washer and dryer would solve it, provided there was power. To avoid a fever, people had no choice but to pull on the clammy garments, even though the dampness cut the insulation in half.
First, it was water, then food, then medicine. Now, even dry clothing had become a luxury. Everyone seemed trapped in a claustrophobic cage, relying entirely on their phones to know what was happening in the world outside.
The sudden appearance of the four-man hunting squad was like a stone dropped into a stagnant pond. The neighborhood group chat, silent for so long, erupted as people began tagging 1701 for information.
Cui Ye rubbed her messy hair, sprawling out on a "bed" made of down jackets while scrolling through her phone. The "99+" unread notifications continued to climb. It seemed everyone’s batteries were still holding out; they were all rationing their power, waiting for official word.
She skimmed the messages and found the inquiries fell into three categories: those asking for the plan so they could join; those pretending to ask for the plan before launching into a sob story about "the old and the young" at home—essentially asking to join in "spirit" while staying home to wait for a handout; and finally, those who weren't short on supplies yet and believed the government would soon build shelters, urging the young men from 1701 not to risk their lives.
Cui Ye didn't know if these four had Safe Houses or had awakened Talents. If they were heading out with nothing but two rubber boats, they’d be little more than a "running banquet" for the water monsters. Joining them was definitely "boarding a pirate ship".
But the moment Cui Ye saw the message, she made her decision.
The attribute-bearing accessory that had refreshed in her wardrobe today was her ticket in. As for why it was an accessory and not clothing—that went back to her Safe House upgrade the day before.
After returning from her "fish farming", Cui Ye’s zeroed balance had been replenished with twelve gold coins. After buying the daily food voucher, she had eleven left—just enough to upgrade the Safe House to Level 2.
She had expected a simple upgrade: the space would expand, and the defense value would increase. Her assumptions were correct—the area nearly doubled, a built-in wardrobe was added to the wall opposite the door, and a massive full-length mirror appeared, nearly the same size as the door itself.
However, this mirror wasn't a random addition; it was the result of a choice she had been forced to make.
[Confirming upgrade to Level 2 Safe House. Player, please choose an upgrade path: Defensive Safe House, Offensive Safe House, Hybrid Safe House.]
Cui Ye’s childhood had been brief. She’d had little energy for games growing up, always rushing between school and part-time jobs. She had barely kept her stomach full, barely scraped together a degree, and spent two years after graduation just to pay off her loans.
In her experience, you rarely got the best of both worlds. She immediately ruled out the [Hybrid] path. Between the remaining two, she chose the latter for a simple reason: Based on the forums, almost any furniture bought from the daily shop or the vending machine could increase a Safe House's defense, but no one had mentioned items that could increase offensive capabilities.
Cui Ye’s childhood had been brief. She’d had little energy for games growing up, always rushing between school and part-time jobs. She had barely kept her stomach full, barely scraped together a degree, and spent two years after graduation just to pay off her loans.
In her experience, you rarely got the best of both worlds. She immediately ruled out the [Hybrid] path. Between the remaining two, she chose the latter for a simple reason: Based on the forums, almost any furniture bought from the daily shop or the vending machine could increase a Safe House's defense, but no one had mentioned items that could increase offensive capabilities.
Besides, hiding in a turtle shell would only delay the inevitable.
[Upgrade path selected: Offensive Safe House.]
[Upgrade in progress... New functions added. Upgrade successful. Wardrobe refreshed, please check.]
That was how the eye-catching full-length mirror appeared.
Cui Ye stood before it. The reflection showed her exactly as she was: bird’s nest hair, coral fleece pajamas, leopard-print thermal leggings, and a braised chicken leg in her hand.
"...."
She took another bite of the chicken leg. It was delicious, though she wished it were spicy.
As she gnawed on the bone, a small, boxy room slowly materialized within the mirror. It had grey concrete walls, looking no different from the common Safe Houses seen online. The only difference was that where the door should be, there was a mirror—the very one standing in front of her.
She looked back at her door. From the outside, nothing had changed. But when she gripped the handle and stepped out, she found a mirror had appeared on her walk-in closet where the door once was—and the handle had vanished.
Cui Ye stared silently at the blank mirror. Using the faint moonlight, she saw her reflection—identical to the one inside, except the chicken leg was now just a bone. She turned to toss the bone in the trash, and when she looked back, a prompt popped up:
[Installable item detected. Install?]
Cui Ye instinctively clicked "Yes." Then, a hemp rope slowly appeared inside the mirror.
To be precise, it was a thick rope tied in a loop, dangling in mid-air. Is that...a noose?
The night was pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight hitting the mirror, making the reflection visible. Her legs went soft. Honestly, she would've preferred to have gone blind instead.
Steadying her pounding heart, she exhaled a shaky breath, confirming she was still in the world of [Dank Rain 1] and not a horror world like [Midnight Nightmare 1]. The water monsters were terrifying enough; her weak heart wouldn't be able to handle ghosts.
However, once she opened the Safe House interface, she understood the origin of the "noose."
[Walk-in Closet: Level 2 Safe House]
[Defense: 200]
[Durability Loss: 0]
[Indoor Environment: Normal]
[Trait: Randomly obtain five pieces of apparel daily]
[Equipped: M-Family High-End Luxury Vintage Linen Necklace]
[M-Family High-End Luxury Vintage Linen Necklace: Confirms target, precise strangulation. Durable and sturdy. Retail: 6,999.]
Cui Ye: "..."
High-end luxury vintage my ass. This thing is a necklace?! Who would dare put this around their neck?!
After reaching Level 2, the "Clothes" trait had become "Apparel", meaning the pool now included accessories like jewelry and bags. She glanced at her balance; she was only two zeros away from the hundred gold coins needed for Level 3.
Hahaha! It's no... big... deal!
The next morning, after eating breakfast, Cui Ye informed the leader of 1701, He Fangzhou, about the function of her "hangman's noose", along with her name, age, and infection level. After verification, she was successfully added to the group—the first "external member" to join the core four.
The group did a round of introductions, sharing their situations and needs. It helped ease the awkwardness; after all, their lives were now tied together. Each kayak could seat four. The four boys were university roommates who had graduated just as the virus began to rage and the city was being disinfected. Temporarily unable to find work, they had signed up for a rafting trip in neighboring City A. They had already bought their tickets and were ready to set off with their gear the next day, only to end up trapped here instead.
Compared to their experiences, Cui Ye's seemed a bit more ordinary: a corporate slave who supposedly had hallucinations due to overtime and went to the hospital for a consultation, only to encounter the game's server launch and distribution of newcomer benefits on the way back.
Of course, she gave the squad the condensed version: she was just a lucky player who had obtained three gold coins and bought a weird accessory limited to 20 uses. Each word was fine on its own; as long as someone believed it when put together, it was fine.
Anyway, after she successfully finished communicating with her temporary colleagues, three more names appeared in the group. Cui Ye had already gone to prepare breakfast then; she only glanced at the names later. It seemed that among the eight people, she was the only girl.
Speaking of which, the other party didn't seem to ask whether she was male or female, but she remembered her gender was marked on WeChat; the other party could check it just by clicking.
At 9:00 AM on the sixth day of the apocalypse, the water had completely submerged the first floor. Cui Ye stood on the terrace of the second floor of Building 11 and saw two orange rubber boats approaching from a distance.
Chapter Notes:
[Upgrade path selected: Offensive Safe House.]
[Upgrade in progress... New functions added. Upgrade successful. Wardrobe refreshed, please check.]
That was how the eye-catching full-length mirror appeared.
Cui Ye stood before it. The reflection showed her exactly as she was: bird’s nest hair, coral fleece pajamas, leopard-print thermal leggings, and a braised chicken leg in her hand.
"...."
She took another bite of the chicken leg. It was delicious, though she wished it were spicy.
As she gnawed on the bone, a small, boxy room slowly materialized within the mirror. It had grey concrete walls, looking no different from the common Safe Houses seen online. The only difference was that where the door should be, there was a mirror—the very one standing in front of her.
She looked back at her door. From the outside, nothing had changed. But when she gripped the handle and stepped out, she found a mirror had appeared on her walk-in closet where the door once was—and the handle had vanished.
Cui Ye stared silently at the blank mirror. Using the faint moonlight, she saw her reflection—identical to the one inside, except the chicken leg was now just a bone. She turned to toss the bone in the trash, and when she looked back, a prompt popped up:
[Installable item detected. Install?]
Cui Ye instinctively clicked "Yes." Then, a hemp rope slowly appeared inside the mirror.
To be precise, it was a thick rope tied in a loop, dangling in mid-air. Is that...a noose?
The night was pitch black, with only a sliver of moonlight hitting the mirror, making the reflection visible. Her legs went soft. Honestly, she would've preferred to have gone blind instead.
Steadying her pounding heart, she exhaled a shaky breath, confirming she was still in the world of [Dank Rain 1] and not a horror world like [Midnight Nightmare 1]. The water monsters were terrifying enough; her weak heart wouldn't be able to handle ghosts.
However, once she opened the Safe House interface, she understood the origin of the "noose."
[Walk-in Closet: Level 2 Safe House]
[Defense: 200]
[Durability Loss: 0]
[Indoor Environment: Normal]
[Trait: Randomly obtain five pieces of apparel daily]
[Equipped: M-Family High-End Luxury Vintage Linen Necklace]
[M-Family High-End Luxury Vintage Linen Necklace: Confirms target, precise strangulation. Durable and sturdy. Retail: 6,999.]
Cui Ye: "..."
High-end luxury vintage my ass. This thing is a necklace?! Who would dare put this around their neck?!
After reaching Level 2, the "Clothes" trait had become "Apparel", meaning the pool now included accessories like jewelry and bags. She glanced at her balance; she was only two zeros away from the hundred gold coins needed for Level 3.
Hahaha! It's no... big... deal!
The next morning, after eating breakfast, Cui Ye informed the leader of 1701, He Fangzhou, about the function of her "hangman's noose", along with her name, age, and infection level. After verification, she was successfully added to the group—the first "external member" to join the core four.
The group did a round of introductions, sharing their situations and needs. It helped ease the awkwardness; after all, their lives were now tied together. Each kayak could seat four. The four boys were university roommates who had graduated just as the virus began to rage and the city was being disinfected. Temporarily unable to find work, they had signed up for a rafting trip in neighboring City A. They had already bought their tickets and were ready to set off with their gear the next day, only to end up trapped here instead.
Compared to their experiences, Cui Ye's seemed a bit more ordinary: a corporate slave who supposedly had hallucinations due to overtime and went to the hospital for a consultation, only to encounter the game's server launch and distribution of newcomer benefits on the way back.
Of course, she gave the squad the condensed version: she was just a lucky player who had obtained three gold coins and bought a weird accessory limited to 20 uses. Each word was fine on its own; as long as someone believed it when put together, it was fine.
Anyway, after she successfully finished communicating with her temporary colleagues, three more names appeared in the group. Cui Ye had already gone to prepare breakfast then; she only glanced at the names later. It seemed that among the eight people, she was the only girl.
Speaking of which, the other party didn't seem to ask whether she was male or female, but she remembered her gender was marked on WeChat; the other party could check it just by clicking.
At 9:00 AM on the sixth day of the apocalypse, the water had completely submerged the first floor. Cui Ye stood on the terrace of the second floor of Building 11 and saw two orange rubber boats approaching from a distance.
Chapter Notes:
- Running banquet (流水席): This is a grim pun on a traditional feast where food is constantly served. Temporary marquees or tents are set up, sometimes stretching for hundreds of meters or hosting dozens of tables. As one group of guests finishes eating and leaves, their table is quickly cleared and reset for the next wave of arrivals.
- "Boarded a pirate ship." (上了贼船): Idiom meaning to be committed to a risky venture or caught in a trap with no easy exit.
- Dank Rain (湿雨): It was originally translated as "Wet Rain," but that felt nonsensical because rain is obviously... wet. I chose "dank" because it describes something unpleasantly moist, damp, and cold—often musty, like a basement or a cave. It implies a disagreeable, clammy dampness, which feels like a much more appropriate description for the current "disaster".
- M-Family (米家): A parody of the Xiaomi "Mi Home" brand.
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