Apartment Assignments

Lin Jie nodded solemnly. "Yes. Before I came here, quite a few soldiers were already calling me that."

"But why?"

"I'm clearly just a newcomer who's only just arrived."

"I still know nothing about this world."

"Why are they calling me the savior?"

Uncle Yan brought over a chair and motioned for Lin Jie to sit.

"It's complicated to explain. First, I need to tell you what an Oracle is."

Lin Jie chimed in, "General Zhou already explained that to me before I came."

"Oracles are gifted people who have unlocked Prophecy-type Mutations. They can predict the future."

Uncle Yan nodded. "That makes things easier."

"Since you know about Oracles, you must also understand that their abilities are extremely rare, and their prophecies are never wrong."

"The Oracle of our Realm of Life personally said that you were the savior."

"She said that in the future, you alone would be able to save everyone."

Lin Jie looked up in confusion. "Is that really what the Oracle said?"

Uncle Yan stood up. "Her exact words were rather ambiguous. How about this?"

"I'll take you to meet her yourself."

Meanwhile, near the civilian apartments.

"Everyone, we're here!" the young, short-haired female general called from up ahead.

"From now on, this will be your home."

"Please come forward in an orderly line to collect your room keys."

"This is where we part ways."

"I'm usually in my office, on the first floor of the building opposite."

"My name is Feng Qiu. If you need anything, you can come find me anytime!"

"For the remaining arrangements, please follow the apartment manager's instructions. I'll take my leave now."

With that, Feng Qiu turned smartly and strode away.

"Wow, General Feng Qiu is so cool, and her name sounds lovely too!" Xia Qu stood among the crowd, her eyes full of stars.

"Hey, why's a girl like you swooning over an older woman instead of some young pretty boy? You're nothing like my daughter..." Chen Li muttered beside her.

Xia Qu blushed a little. "But she's just so cool... What do you think, Lin Zhi? Don't you think General Feng Qiu has such presence?"

Lin Zhi shook her head. "I don't feel anything in particular."

Chen Li pointed ahead. "All right, stop swooning. It's almost our turn."

At that moment, Lin Zhi and the others were following instructions and lining up outside the apartment building.

There were many people in the line, but Lin Zhi chatted on and off with the other two, so the wait did not feel particularly long.

Soon, they reached a small counter.

A thoroughly exhausted-looking staff member in white robes sat behind it.

She was somewhat plump and getting on in years.

The badge on her chest identified her as the apartment manager.

"Ring color and name."

The long hours of work had left her utterly drained. She did not even look up, and her voice was listless.

Chen Li was at the front.

He answered, "My name is Chen Li. I have a white ring."

The manager nodded and quickly wrote it down.

"And you?"

"Ah... My name is Xia Qu. My ring is white too."

Whenever Xia Qu met strangers, her voice grew unnaturally quiet.

The manager likewise gave a slight nod and recorded it on the paper, murmuring under her breath:

"Another white ring. There really are more and more newcomers these days."

"I don't know why the leader insists on taking in so many white-ring refugees."

"Rooms are so scarce. If you ask me, we should only rescue people with green rings or higher..."

Lin Zhi stepped forward and gave her information.

"Lin Zhi. White ring."

At those words, the manager suddenly looked up, her eyes widening slightly.

Not understanding the change in the manager's attitude, Lin Zhi asked uncertainly:

"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"

The manager spoke hesitantly.

"Are you Lin Jie's younger sister?"

"Has your brother come to the Realm of Life too?"

Lin Zhi slowly nodded.

"Wonderful! We're saved!" The manager excitedly seized her hand and shook it up and down.

Lin Zhi was so small that the motion made her entire body sway along with it.

She hurriedly patted the manager's arm. "Ma'am, calm down!"

"Ah! Sorry, child. I got a little too excited."

The manager sat back down with a sheepish smile. "There's no need to record your personal information. The leader has already arranged rooms for you and your brother."

Then the manager looked at Xia Qu and Chen Li and asked Lin Zhi, "These two are your friends, aren't they?"

Lin Zhi murmured in agreement. "Yes. We're together, along with my brother."

"Then I'll try to put their rooms as close to yours and your brother's as possible."

"That'll make things easier for you."

"Since the men's and women's rooms are on separate floors, you and Miss Xia Qu here will be on the third floor, next door to each other."

"Your brother and Mr. Chen Li here will be on the second floor."

"Here are your room keys."

Lin Zhi took the keys and nodded her thanks. "Thank you, ma'am!"

The woman smiled, her eyes narrowing. "No need to thank me, child. Seeing you all reminds me of when I was young. Back then, when I'd just arrived here, I didn't know a thing..."

Seeing that the woman was about to launch into a lengthy tale, Lin Zhi quickly interrupted her. "We'll head upstairs now, ma'am!"

With that, she hurried upstairs, with Xia Qu and Chen Li following.

The women's rooms were on the third floor, and the men's were on the second.

"Uncle Chen, we'll head upstairs now!" Lin Zhi waved at Chen Li.

"Sure, all right. Sleep well!" Chen Li entered the second-floor corridor and went on ahead.

"Xia Qu, let's go!" Lin Zhi took Xia Qu's hand and headed up to the third floor.

"307, 308... Here we are!"

Lin Zhi's room was 307, and Xia Qu's was next door in 308.

"Lin Zhi, I'll get some sleep now." Xia Qu gave a huge yawn, opened the door, and entered the room next door.

"Okay! Good night!"

After saying goodbye to Xia Qu, Lin Zhi took out her key, opened the door, and entered room 307.

To be honest, Lin Zhi was a little sleepy too.

But she did not want to sleep yet.

She was a little worried about her brother.

He had gone with General Zhou to meet the leader and still had not returned.

She planned to wash her face to perk herself up, then wait downstairs.

She entered and switched on the light.

"Ah!!!!"

Lin Zhi could not help screaming.

A figure covered in blood stood right in the middle of the room.

Someone drenched in blood had actually been in her room all along.

This was completely beyond anything Lin Zhi had expected.

She was about to turn and flee, but stopped when she saw the figure's face.

"Lin Zhi, Lin Zhi, are you okay?" Xia Qu's anxious voice came from next door after she heard Lin Zhi scream.

"Ah, I'm fine, Xia Qu. A cockroach just startled me."

Lin Zhi made up a lie to brush it off.

She stepped forward, looking worriedly at the figure covered in injuries.

"Brother? Why are you here?"