The Walk-in Closet Safehouse CH13
Chapter 13: A Senior’s Trade
Killing a single water monster netted you one gold coin. Toss in the mission bonus, and slaying your first catch of the day actually banked you three coins, while unlocking a fresh set of daily quests.
Nobody expected the daily mission system to pivot so fast. For the people desperate for gold coins to buy Healing Potions and finally ease their infection levels, it was a sudden lifeline. You didn't even have to scavenge anymore; you just had to head to the stairwell, make some noise, and wait for a monster to come to you.
With the water levels rising, the monsters were lurking everywhere, turning regular supply runs into a death wish. People were stuck inside with no way to finish their old tasks and zero income. All they could do was watch helplessly as the system shop refreshed with the very Healing Potions they needed but couldn't afford.
In the middle of this mess, some people found their spine and teamed up with their family to hunt. Others? They took the low road. Lacking the guts to swing a blade at a monster, they turned their sights on other players instead.
While most apartment buildings were still headless and chaotic, a few "Kings of the Hill" had already popped up. They plundered resources and squeezed neighbors for their last few gold coins to buy gear and medicine. Their infections faded, their power grew, and their egos started to bloat.
It was a minority for now, but the trend was spreading fast online. Some watched in horror; others saw it as a blueprint for survival. If robbing neighbors was what it took to finish the quest and get the gold, well, it was still better than dying at home.
The shift from "gathering" to "killing" gave a lot of people a second option: get out and save yourself. To boost morale and keep things safe, plenty of people started knocking on their neighbors' doors, looking to form squads to help each other secure kills and share the gold.
Some opened their doors to find teammates. But not everyone was there to cooperate—and not everything behind the door was still human.
A second wave of the infected was emerging. But out on the water, Cui Ye and the squad didn't know that yet. They were busy with their own crisis: a thunderstorm was rolling in.
A massive crack of thunder shook the air. Cui Ye was the first to feel it; half an hour ago, she’d sensed the atmosphere shifting. But they’d been too busy battling the downpour, rowing for their lives, and fending off monsters. With a few guys already injured, they were forced to make an emergency stop at a nearby hotel.
Luckily, a second-story window wasn't locked. Working together, they deflated the rubber boats and hauled them inside. All that noise naturally drew the local water monsters, but just as Cui Ye was about to move, a bolt of red lightning slammed into the water nearby.
The thunder boomed, water sprayed, and the monsters that had been trying to climb onto land scrambled back into the depths. They fled like they’d just seen their god. He Fangzhou, who was also bringing up the rear, clearly noticed it too. He glanced at the strike zone but didn't overthink it; the priority was finding a safe location to patch up the wounded.
Looking at the exact same scene, Cui Ye’s eyes saw so much more. The torrential rain poured down and the wind suddenly roared, but beneath the churning surface, the water was eerily calm. Down there, there was no rain, no lightning, and no red dots marking the presence of the water monsters. It was like the monsters were going out of their way to dodge that red lightning.
She had a hunch: moving by boat might actually be easier now, as long as they didn't get unlucky enough to get struck themselves.
A shout from inside snapped her out of it. Thinking a monster had broken in, she followed the noise only to find a patch of red-and-white mushrooms—and a massive "Mushroom House" sitting right in the middle.
The hotel's second floor had a huge dining area. Usually, rotting food would mean a mess of multicolored molds, but there was none of that here. Just red mushrooms carpeting the tables, chairs, and floors.
"Can mushrooms really grow that big?" someone muttered.
It was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes that this wasn't just some mutation; it was a Safe House.
Cui Ye felt like she’d seen these mushrooms before. Before she could dig through her memory, footsteps echoed from the hallway. The group went on high alert, only to be surprised by who stepped out.
"Newbie players? How brave of you. Too bad I’m not a Ticket Seller. But, if you’ve got something interesting to trade, as a senior, I wouldn't mind dropping some useful intel."
The guy was dressed in a riot of colors and topped off with a pointed hat. Standing among the mushrooms and his house, he looked like something out of a fairy tale. A gnome, maybe—except gnomes weren't this big. He was a giant.
At 1.68 meters, Cui Ye had never hated her height, but standing here as the shortest person in the room, she had to crane her neck just to see the tip of the guy's nose. He made the hotel feel cramped. She couldn't even imagine how he managed to move around inside that Mushroom House.
Then it hit her. She remembered where she’d seen this. It was in a post called The Comprehensive Catalog of Safe House Types.
Back then, the Mushroom House had been shown in the middle of a flooded commercial street, surrounded by white spores. Cui Ye had figured it just looked unique because it was high-level or custom-made.
But now that she’d hit Level 2 and knew about upgrade paths, she looked at the mushrooms differently. Her Offensive-type house gave her a mirror that integrated her hangman's—no, the "Linen Necklace". These mushrooms and the spore-like dust on the water definitely weren't just for show.
This guy’s house was at least Level 3, maybe higher. His trade offer was likely legit; someone that powerful didn't need to lie to them.
A red exclamation mark was floating in front of the "Giant". Afraid it would be too high to see if it stayed over his head, her talent had "thoughtfully" moved it to his navel. Cui Ye stared at the exclamation mark on his belly, while a "#" symbol (invisible to the others) hovered over her own head. If the game ever sold an item that can rename talents, she’d buy it in a heartbeat just to throw the "Friendly" part of [Friendly Tip] into the trash.
The rest of the squad looked to He Fangzhou. He went into "leader mode," thinking it over.
"Senior Giant" didn't rush them. He just grabbed a handful of mushrooms from the floor and started chewing loudly. The sound of him swallowing made Wang Lei’s stomach growl. He couldn't help asking: "Are those mushrooms edible?"
After two hours of fighting and rowing, they were all running on empty. The mushrooms looked weird, but the way the veteran was eating made them wonder if they actually tasted good.
He wasn't the only one thinking it, but Cui Ye definitely wasn't. The second she’d seen the mushrooms, [Friendly Tip] had lit up with a sea of red stars—a glowing five-star review for the fact that every single one was "Highly Toxic".
The giant roared with laughter when he heard someone wanted his food. "These aren't for just anyone! At least, not for the living."
He was smiling, but his laughter was loud enough to hurt, and his words were even worse. Maybe it was the size difference, but they all felt like this "Senior" was lacking renqi. A certain "human quality".
He Fangzhou didn't let it rattle him. He cared about the intel. He was set on reaching the Ticket Office for a trip to the "next station", and as a newbie, he needed the rules of this world ASAP.
He pulled out a Foxtail Lily. The Senior glanced at it but didn't budge; clearly, it wasn't enough to tempt him.
The others started digging through their pockets, even offering up their weapons, but the guy didn't even blink.
Just as they thought the deal was dead, the Senior finally spoke. "That rabbit ear-stud over there... let me have a closer look at that one."
Chapter Notes:
Killing a single water monster netted you one gold coin. Toss in the mission bonus, and slaying your first catch of the day actually banked you three coins, while unlocking a fresh set of daily quests.
Nobody expected the daily mission system to pivot so fast. For the people desperate for gold coins to buy Healing Potions and finally ease their infection levels, it was a sudden lifeline. You didn't even have to scavenge anymore; you just had to head to the stairwell, make some noise, and wait for a monster to come to you.
With the water levels rising, the monsters were lurking everywhere, turning regular supply runs into a death wish. People were stuck inside with no way to finish their old tasks and zero income. All they could do was watch helplessly as the system shop refreshed with the very Healing Potions they needed but couldn't afford.
In the middle of this mess, some people found their spine and teamed up with their family to hunt. Others? They took the low road. Lacking the guts to swing a blade at a monster, they turned their sights on other players instead.
While most apartment buildings were still headless and chaotic, a few "Kings of the Hill" had already popped up. They plundered resources and squeezed neighbors for their last few gold coins to buy gear and medicine. Their infections faded, their power grew, and their egos started to bloat.
It was a minority for now, but the trend was spreading fast online. Some watched in horror; others saw it as a blueprint for survival. If robbing neighbors was what it took to finish the quest and get the gold, well, it was still better than dying at home.
The shift from "gathering" to "killing" gave a lot of people a second option: get out and save yourself. To boost morale and keep things safe, plenty of people started knocking on their neighbors' doors, looking to form squads to help each other secure kills and share the gold.
Some opened their doors to find teammates. But not everyone was there to cooperate—and not everything behind the door was still human.
A second wave of the infected was emerging. But out on the water, Cui Ye and the squad didn't know that yet. They were busy with their own crisis: a thunderstorm was rolling in.
A massive crack of thunder shook the air. Cui Ye was the first to feel it; half an hour ago, she’d sensed the atmosphere shifting. But they’d been too busy battling the downpour, rowing for their lives, and fending off monsters. With a few guys already injured, they were forced to make an emergency stop at a nearby hotel.
Luckily, a second-story window wasn't locked. Working together, they deflated the rubber boats and hauled them inside. All that noise naturally drew the local water monsters, but just as Cui Ye was about to move, a bolt of red lightning slammed into the water nearby.
The thunder boomed, water sprayed, and the monsters that had been trying to climb onto land scrambled back into the depths. They fled like they’d just seen their god. He Fangzhou, who was also bringing up the rear, clearly noticed it too. He glanced at the strike zone but didn't overthink it; the priority was finding a safe location to patch up the wounded.
Looking at the exact same scene, Cui Ye’s eyes saw so much more. The torrential rain poured down and the wind suddenly roared, but beneath the churning surface, the water was eerily calm. Down there, there was no rain, no lightning, and no red dots marking the presence of the water monsters. It was like the monsters were going out of their way to dodge that red lightning.
She had a hunch: moving by boat might actually be easier now, as long as they didn't get unlucky enough to get struck themselves.
A shout from inside snapped her out of it. Thinking a monster had broken in, she followed the noise only to find a patch of red-and-white mushrooms—and a massive "Mushroom House" sitting right in the middle.
The hotel's second floor had a huge dining area. Usually, rotting food would mean a mess of multicolored molds, but there was none of that here. Just red mushrooms carpeting the tables, chairs, and floors.
"Can mushrooms really grow that big?" someone muttered.
It was pretty obvious to anyone with eyes that this wasn't just some mutation; it was a Safe House.
Cui Ye felt like she’d seen these mushrooms before. Before she could dig through her memory, footsteps echoed from the hallway. The group went on high alert, only to be surprised by who stepped out.
"Newbie players? How brave of you. Too bad I’m not a Ticket Seller. But, if you’ve got something interesting to trade, as a senior, I wouldn't mind dropping some useful intel."
The guy was dressed in a riot of colors and topped off with a pointed hat. Standing among the mushrooms and his house, he looked like something out of a fairy tale. A gnome, maybe—except gnomes weren't this big. He was a giant.
At 1.68 meters, Cui Ye had never hated her height, but standing here as the shortest person in the room, she had to crane her neck just to see the tip of the guy's nose. He made the hotel feel cramped. She couldn't even imagine how he managed to move around inside that Mushroom House.
Then it hit her. She remembered where she’d seen this. It was in a post called The Comprehensive Catalog of Safe House Types.
Back then, the Mushroom House had been shown in the middle of a flooded commercial street, surrounded by white spores. Cui Ye had figured it just looked unique because it was high-level or custom-made.
But now that she’d hit Level 2 and knew about upgrade paths, she looked at the mushrooms differently. Her Offensive-type house gave her a mirror that integrated her hangman's—no, the "Linen Necklace". These mushrooms and the spore-like dust on the water definitely weren't just for show.
This guy’s house was at least Level 3, maybe higher. His trade offer was likely legit; someone that powerful didn't need to lie to them.
A red exclamation mark was floating in front of the "Giant". Afraid it would be too high to see if it stayed over his head, her talent had "thoughtfully" moved it to his navel. Cui Ye stared at the exclamation mark on his belly, while a "#" symbol (invisible to the others) hovered over her own head. If the game ever sold an item that can rename talents, she’d buy it in a heartbeat just to throw the "Friendly" part of [Friendly Tip] into the trash.
The rest of the squad looked to He Fangzhou. He went into "leader mode," thinking it over.
"Senior Giant" didn't rush them. He just grabbed a handful of mushrooms from the floor and started chewing loudly. The sound of him swallowing made Wang Lei’s stomach growl. He couldn't help asking: "Are those mushrooms edible?"
After two hours of fighting and rowing, they were all running on empty. The mushrooms looked weird, but the way the veteran was eating made them wonder if they actually tasted good.
He wasn't the only one thinking it, but Cui Ye definitely wasn't. The second she’d seen the mushrooms, [Friendly Tip] had lit up with a sea of red stars—a glowing five-star review for the fact that every single one was "Highly Toxic".
The giant roared with laughter when he heard someone wanted his food. "These aren't for just anyone! At least, not for the living."
He was smiling, but his laughter was loud enough to hurt, and his words were even worse. Maybe it was the size difference, but they all felt like this "Senior" was lacking renqi. A certain "human quality".
He Fangzhou didn't let it rattle him. He cared about the intel. He was set on reaching the Ticket Office for a trip to the "next station", and as a newbie, he needed the rules of this world ASAP.
He pulled out a Foxtail Lily. The Senior glanced at it but didn't budge; clearly, it wasn't enough to tempt him.
The others started digging through their pockets, even offering up their weapons, but the guy didn't even blink.
Just as they thought the deal was dead, the Senior finally spoke. "That rabbit ear-stud over there... let me have a closer look at that one."
Chapter Notes:
- Kings of the Hill (占山为王): Literally "Claiming the mountain to be King." Used to describe early-game bullies who take over a building and exploit their neighbors.
- Renqi (人气): Literally "Human Air." It refers to the vital essence or "vibe" of being human. Lacking renqi suggests the Senior might be undead, a high-level mutant, or something else entirely.
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