Grabbing a Loose End, Grandmother's Gift

"What exactly is the mission?"

Ji Yan asked in a low voice.

"Tonight at midnight, you'll find out. Go back and rest early."

"As for this mess, I'll handle it. I don't usually bother chatting this much with just anyone."

"Whoever made the mess, I'll have them clean it up."

"But seeing that you've got a good head on your shoulders and quick hands, I'm giving you this chance." The old man stroked his beard and spoke slowly.

"That guy named Long Yuan, isn't he pretty capable? Why didn't you pick him?" Ji Yan deliberately brought up Long Yuan.

"You can't compare to him. That kid hasn't made a mistake, nor is he behind on rent."

Ji Yan caught on: "Got it. He doesn't have any leverage."

"I made the mess, and you caught me red-handed."

The landlord: "Sharp."

"..."

"Alright, go on back. Don't loiter here."

The landlord lifted his tobacco pipe and stepped aside.

Ji Yan didn't keep chatting either. Talking too much to a dungeon boss like this might trigger some deadly mission.

Watching Ji Yan head upstairs, the landlord tapped off his ash and called out toward the corridor: "Come out and get to work. Move it, it's getting dark."

Inside the corridor, as the echo faded, the walls on both sides began to writhe, peeling open to reveal pale white eyeballs...

Upstairs, Ji Yan only then confirmed the completion of the announcement mission. The game prompt sounded.

"Ding! Congratulations player on completing the announcement mission: help the Apartment Building resolve the Drain Ditch Rat Plague and create a good living environment. All residents' favorability toward you has increased by 5%."

"Ding! Because the player completed the mission in the wrong way, first-floor residents have collectively generated 15% hostility toward you."

"Announcement mission reward: player's Room 404 will have rent halved for the next seven days. You have received one Treasured Purple Chest!"

"Congratulations player on collecting one Talent Fragment. Talent upgrade progress is currently 1/3. Keep up the good work and continue collecting!"

Two more fragments?

Ji Yan curled his lip. He felt like he'd been tricked. That part wasn't made clear from the start, misleading him into thinking one fragment would be enough for the upgrade.

Was this system learning the same trick as Pinduoduo's "one more slash" routine?

After collecting three, would it throw in another progress bar?

Ji Yan shook his head, then looked at the wildly fluctuating favorability and felt even more speechless.

So he'd done charity work for the Apartment Building all afternoon, and not a single person said thank you. Instead, he'd offended quite a few residents.

Ji Yan really couldn't figure out—if his way of completing the mission was wrong, what better method was there?

If he hadn't let That Eerie in, he couldn't have resolved her obsession and let her leave on her own, and forcefully driving her out wasn't an option...

But seeing the mission reward, Ji Yan at least felt a bit more balanced.

He didn't open the chest right away. He first returned to Room 404 to report back to Grandmother.

Back in Room 404, as soon as he stepped through the door, he got a prompt.

"Congratulations player! Because you halved the rent for Room 404 for seven days, Mother and Grandmother both think you've grown into a sensible child. Their favorability toward you has increased by 20%."

Ji Yan's eyes flickered.

In the living room, Liu Yitong had already come back early and was sitting at the dining table eating dinner.

Seeing Ji Yan covered in filth, he almost didn't recognize him and thought That Eerie had barged in. After a closer look, he was stunned.

"You... weren't you just delivering a Sachet?"

"How did you end up like this?"

"Long story short, just say I fell into a drain." Ji Yan said helplessly.

"Speaking of which, the first floor seems pretty lively. I heard someone say some dumbass actually broke a hole in the Apartment Building and flooded the whole first-floor corridor with dirty water. The eerie residents down there are furious."

"I bet that unlucky bastard died a horrible death!"

"How can one person cause such a huge disaster?"

"..."

Ji Yan had no energy to explain. He took off his shirt and headed for the bathroom.

After washing off the grime, he knocked on Grandmother's door and went in.

"Grandmother, the Sachet has been delivered. That Old Landlord accepted it."

On the bed, Grandmother wore reading glasses and was knitting a Sweater, looking kind and gentle.

"Good, it's delivered."

"But you've stirred up a heap of trouble for yourself now."

Grandmother didn't look up, yet she clearly understood Ji Yan's current predicament.

Fresh out of the pit dug by the public mission, he'd fallen straight into another trap the Landlord had set.

Ji Yan forced a stiff smile and said, "Helping the Apartment Building with some voluntary work is only right. It's no trouble."

Grandmother let out a couple of dry chuckles and spoke slowly, "You're like a duck."

Ji Yan: "Huh?"

"Boiled all over, but your beak's still hard."

"..."

Grandmother set down the sweater in her hands and looked up at Ji Yan. "That old Landlord is sharp as a tack; he never makes a losing deal."

"This Apartment Building of ours looks sturdy, standing tall in this world, but it's riddled with holes."

"He'll always find ways to make you outside tenants fill those gaps."

"He smoothed over the mess on the first floor for you, and you thought you'd come out ahead, but really, he just handed you an even bigger mess."

"You shouldn't have read that announcement."

Ji Yan said nothing.

There was no point in talking now.

"What job did that old man dump on you?"

"Not sure yet, only that it's After Midnight."

Hearing that, Grandmother shook her head. "It's a Bad Job."

She clearly knew what it was but didn't say, and Ji Yan was wise enough not to ask.

"Alright, this one I knitted for you myself. What do you think?"

Grandmother handed over a sweater—a dark red, high-necked cardigan that didn't look tacky at all.

Ji Yan took it, and a hidden info panel immediately popped up.

Congratulations player, you have obtained a eerie item—White Silk Eerie's Sweater. It can withstand three fatal eerie attacks and boost your mental value by 25%. (The higher the mental value, the stronger your immunity to eerie assimilation.)

Hidden info: When the sweater is 95% damaged, it will trigger a Backlash Effect, producing a burning effect.

"Backlash Effect?" Ji Yan raised an eyebrow.

Grandmother continued, "This sweater, I added a little extra 'something' to it."

"If you run into danger tonight, the sweater will protect you, but only for a limited time. In that window, find a way to save yourself."

Those words were a roundabout way of saying tonight's task would be no small danger!

Grandmother had deliberately spoken in riddles.

But she didn't know that those little riddles had already been fully deciphered by the Omniscient Understanding talent.

"I understand."

"I'll head out now."

Ji Yan pocketed Grandmother's extra reward and prepared to leave the room.

Perhaps due to the steadily accumulating favor, Grandmother added one more warning, "If you run into trouble you can't shake, find a way to run back home. Once you're inside, Grandmother can help a little."

"But not much."

"Thanks, Grandmother." Ji Yan nodded and stepped out of the room.

Ding! Player has completed Grandmother's assigned Today's Dinner task. Current favorability with this eerie character: 45%.

Congratulations! You have triggered the "Grandparent Bond" favorability. Eerie Grandmother now feels protective of you. Within Room 404, if danger or threats arise, Grandmother will take some action to protect you.

Keep up the good work and unlock more intimate relationships!

Ding! You have received My Eerie Grandmother's Today's Dinner. She personally made you a Nutritious Meal. Please collect the food in the Kitchen.

"So this is what favorability brings? Damn, I've been surviving in this Dungeon for days, and I'm only now truly enjoying this stuff."

Just thinking about it made Ji Yan fume.

It was all that damn Gourmand Eerie's fault, giving him a disastrous start.

Even if that Dead Drunkard father had turned to ash and logged off, Ji Yan would still want to dig him up and give him a good thrashing.