The Diary of a Renter

111. The Returning Phantom

The intense white light and the dizziness from the time-space shift gradually subsided.

Jiang Yu suddenly opened her eyes, breathing rapidly. The air in her nostrils was no longer filled with the dust and smoke of the future ruins, but with the warm air unique to the endless corridor, a mixture of the fragrance of the Tree of Hope and the faint aroma of food. She could faintly hear the laughter of children playing in the distance.

They're back! They've truly returned to their "present."

He immediately looked down at his chest, where the Source Key pulsed steadily. Although he could still feel the subtle cracks and the weakness from overexertion, his strength was slowly recovering. He turned his head sharply and saw the young Rock lying beside him, struggling to sit up, his face showing both bewilderment from the transmigration and relief at returning to familiar surroundings. The grayish-white scar on his left arm, left by [Whispers of Nothingness - Tartarus], was still shocking, as if silently recounting that nightmarish experience.

"We...we're really back?" Rock's voice was hoarse and trembled slightly. This experience of traveling through time had been too much for the young warrior.

However, Jiang Yu's joy lasted only a moment. Xuan Tongjun's words, the warnings in the manager's blood-written notebook, the "initial cause," the "contract trap"... all the clues pointed to one fact: the crisis was not over; it had simply been pulled from the distant future to the present.

The enemy, the mastermind behind the scenes who can rewrite history and awaken forbidden beings, may already be lurking in the present! Xuan Tongjun's implication of "non-linear causality" further implies that his return at this moment may have already triggered the enemy's actions even earlier.

“Rock,” Jiang Yu’s voice was low and serious. He held his young companion’s strong arm and could feel the tension in the other’s muscles. “We’re back, but the battle has only just begun. The enemy… may be right here.”

Young Pan Shi's eyes sharpened, instantly snapping him out of his daze upon returning. Almost instinctively, he gripped the tattered giant shield beside him, the Unbreakable Barrier. Despite its numerous cracks, he shifted his stance, subconsciously adjusting to a more suitable defensive position to protect Jiang Yu. Having shared life and death together, his trust in Jiang Yu was ingrained in his very being.

"Administrator, what should I do?" His voice became calm, carrying the resolve of a warrior.

Just then—

"Brother Jiang Yu! Brother Pan Shi! You're back!" Annie came running from the direction of the fairytale path like a cheerful little deer, her face beaming with an innocent smile.

However, just as Annie was about to pounce, a faint yet sharp stinging sensation suddenly emanated from the wisp of "Dust of Time" within Jiang Yu's body. At the same time, the Source Key in his chest also experienced a barely perceptible repulsive throbbing.

Something's not right.

Jiang Yu's pupils contracted sharply. This wasn't a warning of danger, but rather a sense of...disconcertment?

He subconsciously, almost instinctively, mixed a wisp of Source Key power with the perception of "Dust of Time," focused his eyes, and looked at Annie. Nothing unusual. But just as his gaze swept over the glowing berries in Annie's hand—

That's it.

Under the ultimate perception of the "Dust of Time," the light emitted by those berries contained a faint, extremely subtle fluctuation that constantly changed frequency and tried to blend into the environment! That fluctuation had a chilling similarity to the malicious rune remnants sensed by the Fallen Future.

Is it "marking"? Or "listening"?

Unaware of anything amiss, Annie had already run up to him: "Brother Jiang Yu, try some! These are newly grown berries!"

Jiang Yu forced down the turmoil in her heart, forced a natural smile, and accepted the berry: "Thank you, Annie." The moment her fingertips touched the berry, the power of the Source Key silently swept over, temporarily "shielding" and "simulating" that abnormal fluctuation.

We must not alert the enemy!

He raised his head, his gaze sweeping across the peaceful corridor. Beneath this tranquility, it seemed, lay an invisible "net of observation." The enemy might be a kind of "rule-based pollution" that had seeped into the environment.

112. A Silent Alliance

Jiang Yu, citing the need for rest and recovery, took Pan Shi back to his residence. He first tried to treat the wound on Pan Shi's left arm, discovering that even with the power of the Source Key, he could only suppress it, not eradicate it. This wound became a permanent warning.

"Administrator, this injury...it's nothing." Young Pan Shi, seeing Jiang Yu's anxiety, reassured her, "As long as I can still raise my shield, I can still fight. What should we do next?"

Jiang Yu looked at the face before him, still bearing traces of youthful innocence yet etched with unwavering resolve, and a thought struck him. Pan Shi's trust and potential might be the key to breaking the deadlock. He needed help, but it had to be absolutely reliable.

He thought of the manager grandfather and the fox. But how could he contact them without being detected?

Jiang Yu thought of "Dust of Time." He decided to take the risk and use it to create a temporary "information blind spot."

That evening, under the pretext of consulting ancient texts, he invited the administrator, Grandpa. At the same time, he instructed Pan Shi to consult the doctor most knowledgeable about energy trauma, ostensibly to "seek advice on how to deal with damage from ethereal erosion"—a plausible reason concerning Pan Shi himself. Meanwhile, Fox was secretly guided there by Jiang Yu due to "abnormal energy fluctuations in the corridor during routine checks."

Deep within the library, under the glow of firefly lamps, Jiang Yu quietly activated the "Dust of Time".

Buzz...

A tiny "time bubble" forms, isolating the inside from the outside.

Without any preamble, Jiang Yu used the most concise language to inform the three (the manager, the fox, and the doctor) about the time-space anomaly, the foreseen future of collapse, and the crisis of "environmental infiltration observation."

The manager's grandfather's eyes were solemn: "Contamination at the rule level... is similar to the 'conceptual erosion' described in the records."

The fox's screen flashed: "Rescanning energy flow! Searching for 'information redundancy'!"

The doctor examined the wounds on the rock-solid arm, his brow furrowed: "This erosion... absorbs the host's life force to maintain itself and emits extremely weak inductive waves... it really does resemble some kind of 'beacon'."

The "time bubble" dissipated, and the four returned to normal, but a secret alliance had been formed.

113. Hostages and the Call to Retaliation

The next few days were outwardly calm. Secretly, the fox, using samples of the "Dust of Time," discovered hidden, anomalous energy nodes in the berry bushes, the terrace, and other locations. The doctor, meanwhile, found that the rock's wounds resonated faintly with these nodes during specific energy tides.

The enemy is not only observing, but also carrying out soft sabotage and life-stealing.

The manager consulted ancient books and found records of "narrative parasites," which closely matched the current situation.

We can't wait any longer! Jiang Yu devises a plan: use "Dust of Time" to create a local "information storm" to paralyze nodes, with Fox and the Doctor positioned at the core, the administrators preparing a purification ritual, and Jiang Yu and Pan Shi facing the enemy head-on.

On the eve of the operation, an unexpected event occurred.

Annie suddenly developed a high fever and fell into a coma, emanating energy fluctuations from her body that were identical to those of the node. The enemy detected their actions and preemptively turned Annie into a "living node" and a "hostage."

"What should we do?" Young Pan Shi looked at Jiang Yu anxiously, his eyes filled with worry for Annie.

Jiang Yu looked at the unconscious Annie, recalling the deathly silence of a future in ruins, her eyes turning cold and resolute.

"The plan remains unchanged." His voice was deep. "Saving Annie and destroying the node are one thing. Rock, your shield must not only block the open attacks, but also guard against the infiltration from the shadows. Be prepared, we will make that coward pay the price!"

Jiang Yu looked at the young shield warrior: "Are you afraid?"

Rock took a deep breath, raised the tattered giant shield, his eyes as firm as iron: "My shield has been ready for a long time! For Annie, for everyone!"

The final showdown erupts prematurely due to the enemy's insidious tactics, and the young Pan Shi will undergo a true baptism in this battle to protect.

114. Purification Storm

Annie's sudden collapse was like a boulder thrown into a calm lake, causing a huge uproar within the Secret Alliance. After a swift examination, the doctor's expression turned grave: "The situation is terrible! That abnormal energy, using Annie's pure life force as a breeding ground, is rapidly multiplying, transforming her into a high-powered 'information relay and emotion amplification node'! We must sever the energy link as soon as possible, or her life force will be drained!"

The enemy's move was extremely vicious; they not only turned Annie into a hostage, but also made her a living cancer that constantly emitted waves of negative emotions and eroded the harmonious energy field of the corridor.

"The plan must be moved up! Let's start now!" Jiang Yu made a decisive decision, a resolute glint in her eyes. "We can't wait until midnight!"

“But the intensity of the ‘information storm’ might not be enough…” the fox worried.

"Use my Source Key as the guiding core to forcibly increase the power of the 'Dust of Time'!" Jiang Yu said decisively. "Grandpa Administrator, can the purification ritual be simplified to prioritize protecting Annie?"

“Yes! But we need a node with pure and stable energy as the ritual base!” the administrator grandfather said quickly.

"Let's go to the Tree of Hope!" Jiang Yu made the decision immediately. "That's the purest core of the corridor's energy. Rock, you and I will escort Annie there! Fox, Doctor, as planned, once we arrive at the Tree of Hope, immediately begin scanning and marking all secondary nodes! Grandpa Administrator, prepare the ceremony!"

There was no time to hesitate. Jiang Yu carefully carried the unconscious Annie on his back, while the young Pan Shi, holding a giant shield, vigilantly guarded her side. The three of them quickly moved towards the Tree of Hope. With each step closer, Jiang Yu could feel the restlessness of the abnormal energy within Annie's body, as if it were sending an alarm to its controller.

The Tree of Hope seemed to sense the crisis as well; its leaves moved without wind, radiating a warmer and more powerful life force than usual, as if it were actively welcoming them.

Just as they reached the tree and gently laid Annie down—

Buzz—!!!

The energy field of the entire endless corridor suddenly froze! All the lights dimmed for a moment. Countless fine, ear-piercing shrieks, like shattering glass, filled the air.

The enemy noticed! And launched a preemptive attack.

It wasn't a physical attack, but an information storm. Countless chaotic, distorted fragments of memory and misinformation, filled with negative emotions, erupted like a tsunami from various hidden nodes, impacting the consciousness of all residents. The cries of children, the screams of residents, and the sounds of objects shattering instantly filled the air, plunging the entire corridor into chaos.

"Now, Fox!" Jiang Yu roared, pressing his hand to his chest and, ignoring the cracks in the Source Key, frantically urging its primal power, which, mixed with "Dust of Time," transformed into a dazzling silver pillar of light that shot into the sky.

"Received!" Fox's holographic screen was flooded with data as she pinpointed the locations of all the abnormal nodes and shared the coordinates with the doctors and administrators.

"Purification Ring, activate!" The Grandpa Administrator unleashed the simplified purification ritual with all his might. The light of the Tree of Hope resonated with it, forming a huge emerald green halo that rapidly spread from the Tree of Hope. Wherever it passed, the chaotic flow of information was temporarily neutralized and smoothed out.

The doctor placed his hands on Annie's forehead and chest, his gentle life energy forming a barrier to protect her fragile mind and engage in a tug-of-war with the abnormal energy within her body.

115. The Rock Wall

The information storm has been temporarily contained, but the real counterattack has only just begun.

Stimulated by the purification aura, the marked anomalous nodes were no longer hidden. Like startled swarms of bees, they materialized from every corner—no longer faint fluctuations, but transformed into twisting, writhing, octopus-like shadow tentacles composed of dark purple energy and fragmented data streams. They lashed out at everything around them, all turning toward the Tree of Hope, radiating overwhelming malice.

Their primary targets are Annie, the core of the ritual, and Jiang Yu, the core of the energy guiding force.

"Protect the administrator and Annie!" the young Rock roared. Without the slightest hesitation, he slammed the tattered giant shield, the Unbreakable Barrier, heavily in front of the Tree of Hope!

"The will to protect has transformed into an impregnable fortress! Unmoving as a mountain!"

His entire body erupted with an unprecedented earthy yellow light, which did not originate from the Source Key, but from the burning of his purest protective will and bloodline power! The cracks on the giant shield seemed to be filled with light at this moment, and the shield surface rapidly expanded, transforming into a towering, semi-transparent energy wall engraved with ancient mountain patterns, firmly protecting Jiang Yu, Annie, and the Tree of Hope behind him.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Dozens of shadowy tentacles lashed at the energy barrier like raging whips, producing deafening explosions. The barrier trembled violently, its light flickering, and Pan Shi's feet sank deep into the ground, a trickle of blood spilling from the corner of his mouth, yet he did not retreat an inch! The excruciating pain from the wound on his left arm only fueled his fighting spirit.

"Don't even think about... crossing this wall!" His eyes were bloodshot as he roared like a wild beast.

Jiang Yu watched the rock's trembling yet incredibly determined back, his heart filled with shock and emotion. He knew the rock couldn't hold out much longer. A swift victory was necessary.

"Foxes! Find their central link!" Jiang Yu maintained the silver beam of light while pushing the perception of "Dust of Time" to its limit, tracing the energy flow of the shadow tentacles in reverse.

"Found it! In...in the direction of the Sleeping Corridor, all the energy from the nodes eventually flows there! There's a stronger signal source controlling everything!" the fox shrieked as it reported.

The Corridor of Slumber? The place where the three primordial beings slumber?

Could the enemy be lurking there? Or is the enemy using the quiet yet powerful energy field there as cover?

There was no time to think deeply.

"Grandpa Administrator, Doctor! I'm leaving this to you! Rock, hold on! Fox, guide the way!" A fierce glint flashed in Jiang Yu's eyes as she made a bold decision—to strike straight at the heart of the enemy.

He must go to the Corridor of Sleep and sever the central nervous system in order to fundamentally solve the problem.

He diverted a portion of his Source Key power to maintain the suppression of the abnormal energy within Annie's body, then abruptly withdrew most of his power, flashing towards the direction of the Sleeping Corridor. He surrounded himself with the power of "Dust of Time," forming an acceleration field that distorted the order of time, causing his speed to surge dramatically.

"Administrator!" Rock wanted to follow, but he couldn't retreat; his shield was the last line of defense.

"Hold this place! Trust me!" Jiang Yu's voice came from afar.

Guided by the "Dust of Time" and with the fox's real-time navigation, Jiang Yu, like a silver lightning bolt, broke through the scattered shadowy tentacles along the way and instantly rushed into the silent and ancient entrance of the Sleeping Corridor.

The corridor was dimly lit, filled with the vitality of the Azure Emperor Forest, the lingering warmth of the Heavenly Forging Monarch's furnace, and the eternal melody of the Void Sound. However, in this harmonious silence, Jiang Yu clearly sensed a discordant, cold, parasitic, alien energy fluctuation originating from a secluded corner deep within the corridor.

He approached silently.

Finally, behind an ancient altar covered in dust, he saw the truth.

There was no concrete image of an "enemy." There was only a dark purple orb of light, constantly shifting in shape, composed of countless intricate runes and cold data streams, half-illusory and half-real. At the center of the orb, suspended in motion was a complex, serrated, writhing phantom of a key—it was the one controlling everything.

This is the "narrative termite"! A high-dimensional tool without a fixed form, specifically designed to erode and tamper with the underlying narrative rules of the world.

Seemingly sensing Jiang Yu's arrival, the ball of light trembled violently, emitting a sharp, inhuman mental shriek:

"Disruptive variables...clear...narrative...must...return to...silence..."

Immediately afterwards, the ball of light expanded rapidly, transforming into a massive net composed of malicious code and chains of rules, which descended upon Jiang Yu. Wherever it passed, even the rules of space showed subtle distortions and disorder.

Faced with this attack on the rules, Jiang Yu felt unprecedented pressure. But his eyes remained incredibly bright.

Found it! Destroying this core will save Annie and resolve the crisis.

"It is you, the parasite, that should be eliminated!" Jiang Yu roared, unleashing the power of the Source Key and the "Dust of Time" without reservation, transforming into a silver spear imbued with the power of time, which fiercely pierced the malicious core.

The final showdown erupted in this land of slumber. And beneath the Tree of Hope, the young Rock was facing a test of his will and physical limits…