Chapter 10: The Phantom Taxi

Chen Mu stepped onto the street, scanning the surroundings for a taxi.

The pre-dawn streets were deserted. Most people were still fast asleep, and the sky remained pitch black.

"Sigh, it's really inconvenient without a car. I need to figure out a way to get one," Chen Mu couldn't help but lament.

After waiting for five minutes, a taxi finally cruised slowly down the dark street. Before Chen Mu even signaled, it pulled up right beside him.

Chen Mu pulled open the door and sat in the back.

"Driver, take me to Wangjiang Residential Complex."

Wangjiang Residential Complex was Chen Mu’s home, an old estate built over a decade ago with small, dilapidated units where he had always lived alone.

Returning home this time, beyond just wanting to sleep, Chen Mu planned to pack up his belongings and take anything worth keeping.

He had a spatial ring, after all, which made hauling items incredibly convenient.

Since the apartment was old and cramped, he had no intention of staying there. With the apocalypse of the supernatural upon them and his own hoard of trillions in nether coins, he naturally intended to improve his living conditions and secure a better home.

Throughout the journey, the driver remained silent, never uttering a word.

Not only that, but as time passed, Chen Mu keenly noticed that the taxi’s speed was steadily increasing.

Soon, it exceeded 120, 130... 160!

"Driver, you're driving too fast!" Chen Mu warned.

However, the driver did not respond to his prompt.

At this moment, something clicked, and Chen Mu’s gaze sharpened. He sniffed the air carefully and caught the faint scent of blood.

On the rear window, there was a blood-smudged palm print. It was very faint, and given the darkness, it was difficult to spot.

Five years of experience in the supernatural apocalypse told Chen Mu that this taxi was trouble.

If he wasn't mistaken, this was the infamous "Nether Taxi" of the supernatural apocalypse.

In this apocalyptic world, humanity faced threats from three main sources.

First, supernatural missions.

Those chosen for such a mission would receive a small crimson note. They had to complete the tasks described on it, or they would die.

These missions usually had clear rules, and one could find a path to survival within them. However, those paths were often obscure, and the mortality rate was high. The mission Chen Mu had just completed fell into this category.

Second, wandering spirits.

With the supernatural invasion, many drifting ghosts appeared in the world. As long as one did not violate their rules, they could not harm you.

However, the rules for these spirits were often ambiguous. They would not tell you the rules in advance; you had to figure them out yourself or rely on the experiences of others.

For example, a spirit might disguise itself as an elderly lady and ask for help taking out the trash. If you complied, the spirit could then attack you.

In such cases, unless you possessed greater strength or could successfully escape, you would be killed.

Third, supernatural zones.

Beyond being forced into a scene by a note, people could also stumble into supernatural zones by accident.

For instance, a roadside shop could be invaded by the supernatural and transform into a zone. If you walked inside, you had to abide by the rules, complete the task, and find a way out.

The taxi Chen Mu was currently in was, in fact, one such supernatural zone. He had inadvertently boarded it and entered the scene.

Yet, Chen Mu did not panic. His five years of experience had made him well-informed. In a supernatural zone, as long as you didn't break the rules, you could survive.

He had heard plenty about the Nether Taxi. In this world, it was an excellent means of transportation.

While inside, as long as you hadn't reached your destination, you were shielded from attacks by other supernatural entities—it was like having a temporary invincibility buff.

As for the rules of the Nether Taxi, they were simple:

If you had nether coins, you simply paid the fare; if you didn't, you had to detect the taxi's abnormality quickly and jump out before it picked up too much speed.

The taxi started slowly, so jumping out early would result in nothing more than minor injuries.

However, the taxi’s speed would continue to climb. Before reaching the destination, it would keep accelerating, sometimes even breaking the sound barrier. At that point, jumping out was suicide. One would have to sit tight, reach the destination, and pay up.

What if you couldn't pay? The driver would kill you.

In the apocalypse, some would even actively seek out a Nether Taxi to travel quickly to a specific location.

As long as the rules were followed, the Nether Taxi provided great convenience.

Again, in this world, having nether coins or not meant living two entirely different lives.

By now, the taxi’s speed had broken 190.

Soon, it pulled up at Chen Mu’s home—Wangjiang Residential Complex.

Only then did the driver finally speak: "We've arrived. Pay up. 10,000 nether coins."

10,000 nether coins was a massive fortune for most. Especially since the apocalypse had just begun, few people possessed such currency. Outside of Chen Mu, no one could possibly pay that amount.

Yet, Chen Mu sat calmly in the back, making no move to pay.

Seeing this, the driver grew enraged.

Its head snapped around at an unnatural angle, turning a full 180 degrees to stare intensely at Chen Mu. "Pay, or die!"

Chen Mu saw the driver's face—it was that of a middle-aged man, but his eyeballs had been gouged out, leaving only two blood-red pits.

"To drive so steadily without eyes—tsk, you supernatural beings do have some skills," Chen Mu remarked, not the least bit panicked, instead wearing a playful smile.

"Enough talk. Pay up or wait for death." The driver reached out with both hands, intending to throttle Chen Mu.

"Pay? How do you know I don't have the money?" Chen Mu chuckled, staring at the driver with a look of total insight.

Feeling uncomfortable under Chen Mu's gaze, the driver grew more agitated. "Then pay quickly! 10,000 nether coins! If you don't pay, you've broken the rules, and you will die! I will twist your head off!"

Chen Mu remained unhurried. "In such a rush? Listen to me, don't be so anxious—there's more to come. I know that even if I gave you 10,000 nether coins, you wouldn't take them. Because, if you accepted the payment, you would be the one violating the rules!"

As he spoke, Chen Mu pulled 10,000 nether coins from his ring and dangled them before the driver's face.

Seeing so much wealth before it, the driver revealed a look of intense longing—mingled with a hint of fear.