The Armor and Staff of the Dark Great Sage

In Lin Yi's memory, that area was relatively safe during the initial stages of the disaster, with a moderate population density.

Most importantly, next to an abandoned newsstand less than a hundred meters diagonally across from the main entrance of Hongfu Tower, a miniature Abyss Beast Nest would spawn.

Compared to the small or even Medium Nest that might appear in other locations, this one was entirely within a controllable range.

Furthermore, Hongfu Tower would later become one of the shelters initially established by the authorities.

This place would not only be the perfect fuse to ignite his "genius rise" script—an excellent starting point where he could reasonably demonstrate his combat talent in full view of everyone—but it would also prepare him for early contact and integration with the authorities, allowing him to quickly increase his influence and guide official decision-making.

Lin Ruiming and Zhou Jinghua exchanged a glance, both seeing unexpected surprise and relief in each other's eyes.

Their son had always been sensible and rarely asked for anything; this time, not only did he agree, but he also thoughtfully chose a place that was both affordable and nearby.

"Good! Good! Next Saturday at noon! Hongfu Tower!"

A smile bloomed on Zhou Jinghua's face, as if a weight had been lifted off her heart, and she replied repeatedly, "I'll go book a table first thing tomorrow morning! We must make it a lively celebration!"

With the date and location of the graduation banquet settled, Lin Yi began more detailed planning.

He found an old notebook and began to earnestly list the invitation list.

Close relatives, neighbors he interacted with frequently, and those good classmates and friends...

As each name was written down, fragments of memories from his past life surged forth—those faces that had vanished in the apocalypse, those backs struggling to survive...

He could not speak out a warning, nor could he guarantee that everyone on the list would arrive at the banquet on time; the apocalypse was like a giant sieve, and fate was unpredictable.

All he could do was take those gathered in Hongfu Tower under his wing the moment the disaster broke out.

As for those who were absent for various reasons...

Lin Yi silently whispered a wish for their safety in his heart; this was already their own choice in the torrent of fate.

A gathering among close friends is naturally indispensable for high school graduates.

In the evening, after a game of basketball, the smoky aroma of the barbecue stall, mixed with the charred scent of cumin and grease, permeated the Summer Night air.

After finalizing the details for the graduation banquet, Lin Yi immediately made calls, invited a few close friends, and organized this small get-together for the evening.

A few sweaty, big boys who had just finished playing ball sat around a table, the very picture of youthful boisterousness.

Two bottles of ice-cold beer down, Zhang Haotian, the school team's star player sitting opposite Lin Yi—who was also the class sports representative—was arguing with Li Jie, another basketball talent from a different class, about whether the final missed buzzer-beater on the court should have been passed.

Sitting next to him, a slightly chubby youth wearing a floral T-shirt and permed, slightly curly blonde hair, had cheeks already flushed red, and was spitting as he recounted interesting stories from a game.

Lin Yi looked with a smile at this friend who would have died in the jaws of a Corrosive Abyss Wolf on the very first day the apocalypse descended.

This was his desk mate, Chen Yu.

Chen Yu was a rich kid, and his grades in high school were not ideal.

Precisely because of this, following the principle that underachievers without backgrounds in the class played in the back, while underachievers with backgrounds sat with good students without backgrounds, Chen Yu had become his desk mate not long after the start of their freshman year.

In fact, in Lin Yi's view, Chen Yu was a genuinely good person. Moreover, because of his family background, he had many connections both inside and outside the school. Added to the fact that Chen Yu was a loyal person, no one in the class had ever been bullied while he was around—and of course, he had never bullied any classmates himself.

As for his poor grades.

When Lin Yi made friends, he never looked at their grades.

As for Chen Yu, he had been discriminated against by good students quite a bit back in middle school, so when he was treated normally by a top student in high school, the two quickly became friends.

Being both desk mates and friends, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to call them best buds after three years.

Sorry, buddy, I have to use you for a bit this time, but... this is also for your own good.

Lin Yi muttered in his heart without any sense of guilt. Then, appearing to scroll through his phone screen casually, he tapped his fingertip, and a high-octane mashup video of "Dark Great Sage" began to play. The impassioned soundtrack and the whistling of the staff cutting through the air instantly drowned out the surrounding noise.

In the video, that figure clad in dark gold battle armor, wielding a black gold staff, dodged and weaved among the demons. The staff shadows were like dragons, and every swing carried a fierce, overbearing power capable of splitting mountains and shattering rocks, full of the aesthetic of primitive strength.

"Holy crap, this Monkey is cool!" Zhang Haotian, who had been arguing about the ball, was attracted by the sound. He glanced at the screen and couldn't help but praise it.

Li Jie, sitting next to him, also leaned over. "Is this 'Dark Great Sage'? I heard it's been very popular lately. Now that I see it, the special effects are explosive!"

"Tsk!"

Lin Yi put down his phone at the right moment, picked up a skewer of lamb dripping with oil, and stared at the replay on the screen, his tone carrying just the right amount of admiration and longing.

"This Monkey Brother, this outfit, the way he swings that staff... it's really exciting. It makes my heart itch, wishing I could get a set like that and find an Open Space to swing it around a few times just to satisfy the craving!"

These words were like sparks landing on dry firewood.

Chen Yu, this veteran gaming enthusiast, had his eyes light up instantly, like a fish hooked by a straight hook.

"Brother Yi, you've finally seen the light! I've been saying, what man could refuse the Great Sage Equal to Heaven?"

He slammed the table in excitement, causing the beer bottles to wobble, which made Zhao Xiaowen, who had just picked up a grilled eggplant, let out an "Oh my," nearly dropping her chopsticks.

"Brother Yu, take it easy! The table is about to fall apart!"

Li Jie hurriedly spoke up; it was said he had been pursuing Zhao Xiaowen lately and would seize any opportunity to show his devotion.

Chen Yu couldn't care less about that right now. He immediately pulled out his latest foldable screen phone, his fingers swiping rapidly.

"Come, come, let me show you a treasure! The official collector's edition setting book, pure digital exclusive! Look at the details of this 'Qitian Battle Armor', the patterns, the texture... it's freaking cool!"

High-definition 3D renders rotated on the screen, the cold metallic luster and the ferocious beast-face shoulder guards visible in every detail.

Lin Yi leaned in, clicking his tongue in wonder as he stared at the screen, his eyes filled with undisguised admiration before shifting into a trace of helplessness and self-mockery.

"It's truly cool, but what a pity, I can only drool over it through the screen."

As he spoke, he raised his glass to Chen Yu, signaling for another round, while adding:

"With my meager pocket money, if I wanted to get a piece of cosplay gear like the Qitian Battle Armor, the kind of refined craftsmanship you're showing me, I couldn't even afford the leg armor. I reckon I'd only be able to buy that shoddy foam plastic stuff, so forget it."

"Foam plastic? What's the point of wearing that garbage!"

Zhang Haotian chimed in vaguely while chewing on a meat skewer, drawing a burst of laughter from everyone.

"Cosplay gear?"

Chen Yu seemed to have been struck by a realization; he slammed his freshly raised glass onto the table in excitement, slapped his thigh, and even raised his voice a few notches.

"Brother Yi, I've recommended it to you so many times, are you finally interested?"

"If you were interested in the field, you should've said so earlier! Can you actually wear that plastic sheet stuff? Who are you trying to fool! If we're going to do it, we're going to do it right!"