Chapter 70: New Home
Shen Yu hesitated for a brief moment before quietly withdrawing his hand.
"Um... sorry."
"I just finished exercising."
"It wouldn’t be very polite to shake a lady’s hand with sweaty hands."
"Oh?"
Lu Xian tilted her head with a teasing smile.
"How considerate."
"No wonder you’re so good at winning a girl’s heart."
Shen Yu scratched the back of his head awkwardly.
"Heh... it’s nothing like that."
Although he smiled calmly on the surface, another voice echoed inside his mind.
"Idiot."
Yang Jin’s amused voice carried a hint of smugness.
"If you had shaken her hand and she became curious enough to rewind your memories, wouldn’t she discover me?"
Shen Yu’s expression stiffened.
Right...
He had almost forgotten.
Lu Xian’s ability wasn’t simply to reconstruct scenes—it could also touch fragments of another person’s memories under the right conditions.
If she accidentally glimpsed the existence of Yang Jin or the Heart Cabin, countless secrets would be exposed.
He silently thanked Yang Jin in his heart.
"Jin... how do you know all this?"
Yang Jin giggled.
"The television inside our little home can replay your memories whenever I want."
"If I can learn about your past, why shouldn’t I know these things?"
Shen Yu nearly stumbled.
"Wait..."
"Please don’t watch anything from my high school years."
"Especially not..."
Yang Jin interrupted him with an innocent laugh.
"Oh?"
"Now that you’ve told me not to look..."
"I definitely want to look."
Shen Yu’s eyelid twitched.
"Jin..."
A few seconds later—
"Hmm?"
"Why did you exercise so much back then?"
"One hundred push-ups."
"One hundred sit-ups."
"One hundred squats."
"Every single day."
"That sounds incredibly boring."
Shen Yu coughed awkwardly.
"I was trying to stay healthy..."
Yang Jin laughed so hard that her voice gradually faded from his mind.
—
Following Ho Yong and Lu Xian downstairs, Shen Yu entered one of the black business vehicles.
The convoy soon arrived at a deserted residential district on the outskirts of Joi City.
Shen Yu looked out the window.
"...Bingjiang Garden?"
"I remember this place."
"Wasn’t the construction abandoned years ago?"
Ho Yong smiled mysteriously.
"On the surface."
The vehicle continued into an underground parking garage before descending another level.
Then another.
Finally...
The doors opened on the third underground floor.
Shen Yu couldn’t help narrowing his eyes.
The underground world before him was completely different from what existed above.
Brilliant lights illuminated spotless streets.
Pedestrians walked casually through wide avenues.
Restaurants, cafés, convenience stores, and various facilities lined both sides.
It resembled a hidden underground city.
"Come with me."
Ho Yong led the way toward a large elevator.
Once the doors opened, Shen Yu noticed something unusual.
The control panel extended far deeper than expected.
-3
-4
-5
...
All the way down to -18.
"They hollowed out an entire underground city..."
Shen Yu murmured.
Ho Yong nodded proudly.
"The fourth underground level serves as our public affairs center."
"The fifth level stores records and research on every supernatural dungeon we’ve encountered."
"The sixth through tenth floors contain residential districts, commercial streets, entertainment facilities, recreational parks, and training grounds."
"The deeper levels involve command centers, containment facilities, confidential archives, and classified research."
"Those areas require higher security clearance."
The elevator continued downward.
"As a newcomer, you’ll begin on Level Six."
"Everything here is free."
"Housing."
"Food."
"Equipment."
"Training."
"As you complete more dungeon missions and increase your clearance, additional floors will gradually open to you."
Ding.
The elevator doors slid open.
An artificial sky stretched overhead.
Soft sunlight filtered through an enormous simulated ceiling, while fresh air drifted across neatly arranged gardens.
Rows of luxurious villas stood among trees and flowing streams, making it difficult to believe they were dozens of meters underground.
Ho Yong walked toward one of them before stopping.
"Villa 6027."
He handed Shen Yu a sleek black keycard.
"Congratulations."
"From today onward..."
"This house belongs to you."
"When you’re off duty, you’re free to relax here, study previous dungeon records, train, or simply enjoy life."
"If an emergency occurs, announcements will be broadcast throughout every residential district."
He smiled.
"That covers most of what you need to know."
Lu Xian folded her arms and grinned.
"Welcome to the Defense Department, Shen Yu."
"From now on..."
"This is your new home."
For a brief moment, Shen Yu simply looked at the villa before him.
Not long ago, he and his little sister had lived in a cramped apartment, struggling just to afford medicine.
Now...
He had a place where his sister could finally recover.
A home where Yang Jin could freely appear.
And perhaps—
For the first time in many years—
A future worth looking forward to.
___ ___ ___ ___ ___ ___
Once there was an urgent broadcast, it would echo throughout every underground level.
"That’s everything you need to know for now," Ho Yong said as he stopped before an elegant European-style villa.
Gardens, a swimming pool, and even an artificial hill surrounded the residence. It looked more like a luxury estate than military housing.
Ho Yong handed Shen Yu a key card.
"Villa 6027."
"From today onward, this is your home."
Shen Yu looked around before nodding.
"No questions."
Ho Yong smiled.
"Good."
"Joi City has only just survived an S-Class dungeon. It’s unlikely another one will descend anytime soon."
"When there are three days left before your next mandatory instance, notify us. We’ll help you prepare as much as possible."
Shen Yu nodded.
"Understood."
He hesitated for a moment before speaking again.
"There is... one more request."
Ho Yong looked over.
"Go ahead."
"My younger sister."
"She’s the only family I have left."
"If there’s even the slightest chance..."
"I don’t care how much it costs."
"I’ll repay every favor with my life if I have to."
For a brief moment, Ho Yong and Lu Xian exchanged glances before smiling.
"You don’t need to worry about that," Ho Yong replied.
"We already made arrangements before coming here."
Shen Yu blinked.
"...Already?"
Ho Yong nodded.
"The moment your dungeon broadcast ended, headquarters investigated your background."
"Your sister has already been transferred to Joi City’s best hospital."
"A private VIP ward has been prepared exclusively for her."
"If modern medicine can’t solve it, we’ll employ supernatural recovery talents and healing-type awakeners as well."
"We won’t overlook even the smallest possibility."
Lu Xian smiled gently.
"Your sister is already receiving the best treatment available."
"You don’t have to carry that burden alone anymore."
Shen Yu stood there silently.
His fists tightened.
For the first time in years...
He felt as though the weight pressing on his shoulders had become just a little lighter.
"...Thank you."
His voice was unusually soft.
Ho Yong simply patted his shoulder.
"You’ve already saved countless lives."
"Taking care of your family is the least we can do."
After a few final reminders, Ho Yong turned to leave.
Lu Xian, however, lingered.
Her curious eyes drifted toward Shen Yu’s villa.
"So..."
She smiled mischievously.
"Aren’t you going to invite me inside for a cup of tea?"
Just as Shen Yu was about to answer—
Pinch.
A sharp pain suddenly shot through his lower back.
He froze.
Without turning around, he already knew who the culprit was.
Inside the Heart Cottage, Yang Jin’s annoyed voice echoed directly into his mind.
"Absolutely not."
"No women allowed inside our home."
"Especially her."
Shen Yu’s mouth twitched.
He forced a calm smile.
"...Maybe another day."
"I still need to familiarize myself with the house."
Lu Xian narrowed her eyes.
"I always get the feeling you’re deliberately avoiding me."
She folded her arms.
"You don’t only like ghosts, do you?"
Shen Yu coughed awkwardly.
"I’ve just had a long day."
"I’ll take a rain check."
"Tsk."
"What a mysterious little guy."
With one last suspicious glance, Lu Xian finally turned and followed Ho Yong away.
The moment the two disappeared around the corner—
A pink shadow emerged from behind Shen Yu.
Yang Jin folded her arms and pouted.
"Hmph."
"Sly fox."
"She clearly wanted an excuse to get closer to you."
Outside the villa gates, Lu Xian suddenly paused mid-step.
A strange chill crawled up her spine.
She instinctively looked back toward Villa 6027.
"...Weird..."
"I suddenly felt like someone was glaring at me."
Unable to explain the feeling, she rubbed her arms before quickly catching up with Ho Yong.
Inside the villa, Yang Jin finally smiled in satisfaction before wrapping both arms around Shen Yu’s waist from behind.
"Now..."
"My turn."
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