“Any recommendations?” Zhang Heng did not dwell on the previous question, and decided to answer the old man directly.
“Gilman Hostel. They serve delicious food and provide soft beds,” the old man replied. “I can take you there.” Upon saying that, he turned around and walked away, as though beckoning Zhang Heng to follow him.
Zhang Heng took another good look at the church that stood before him. It did not look like a real church since he could sense the evil and insanity oozing out of it, just like the town itself.
A man in a black robe and golden crown walked past the church, but Zhang Heng could not see what he looked like under the robe.
Since Zhang Heng was not close to the mysterious man that just passed the church, he stopped walking and glared at Zhang Heng with his protruding eyes, like a toad.
After a short deliberation, Zhang Heng decided to follow the old man since the latter was the only person in this town who took an initiative to talk to him. However, he was still not willing to answer any of his questions.
“Do you know me?” Zhang Heng asked after catching up with the old man, “What day is today?”
“July 15, 1927.” The old man finally answered one of his questions.
It was almost similar to the date Zhang Heng estimated when he first came into this dream. Zhang Heng then looked at the watch on his right hand subconsciously. However, he discovered that the watch that had been with him all the time was not on his wrist.
Zhang Heng had been wearing that watch for a long time. Previously, when he arrived in this dream, he forgot to check whether his watch was with him. That didn’t bother him too much, though. It was past midnight when he came into this world, which meant there was still plenty of time before the next midnight came. Besides, his extra 24 hours might not work here.
Second, he was no longer an ordinary person when he entered his first dungeon. The long list of high-level skills that he acquired had become a part of him, and even if he did not rely on his game items, he was more than capable of protecting himself.
He technically still had those Shadow-set items with him. His Shadow Moment should have depleted its uses by now, but it seemed that that got refreshed when he came to this place. For now, there was no time to give it a look.
While following the old man, Zhang Heng attempted to gather some more information. “I see that you are preparing for some celebration. What are you guys celebrating?”
“Oh, it’s just an ordinary traditional ritual. Don’t mind us.”
“Is that so? Do you know how to get out of here?”
The old man suddenly stopped in his tracks. “The train is no longer in service. It will take a very long time to leave this place on foot. If you insist, you can take the bus that leaves at 8 every night, but…”
“But what?”
“But not tonight. The driver himself is preparing for the celebration. So, the bus will not be in service tonight.”
“What about a horse?”
“There are no horses in the town,” the old man replied in a hoarse voice. “Someone attempted to raise them once, but those animals didn’t seem to like this place. They were restless at night, so we had to sell them.” Then he turned his head. “Do you want to leave this place?”
“Leave? No. I’m just asking,” Zhang Heng said.
The old man was not lying. For some reason, he hoped that Zhang Heng could stay in the Gilman Hostel tonight. Always wanting to investigate the place from the beginning, Zhang Heng himself wanted to know what would happen if he stayed in there tonight. Even if that was the only bus in service tonight, he was not about to leave.
Nonetheless, Zhang Heng was smart enough to figure what was really going on. When he met the old man for the first time, he said, “You are… finally here?” Zhang Heng could see that the traditional ritual was probably related to him.
Something interesting was about to happen tonight.
He continued chatting with the old man, hoping that he would obtain some useful information. The old man, on the other hand, still answered his questions selectively. It soon became apparent that the old man was trying his best not to accidentally divulge any secrets—he would not answer anything related to the ritual.
Still, Zhang Heng managed to obtain something useful. A hundred years ago, the houses here were filled with people. During that time, this place was prosperous and lively. Some might even refer to it as a city.
Ships would dock at the port, and sailors would go ashore for some r&r. Simultaneously, the train frequently stopped by, bringing goods and immigrants from other cities along with it. Locals also employed the trains services to deliver the fishes and shrimp they had caught. Lastly, the gold refinery was the town’s primary source of income.
Unfortunately, the town started to deteriorate after the civil war. Its residents began to lose faith in this place, and soon afterward, some started to disappear. At first, only a few went missing, but after that, more and more people began to inexplicably vanish into thin air. At the same time, a group of newborns began to grow up. Some people’s appearances began to change, the elderly being one of them.
As he talked about this matter, the old man seemed to be paying extra attention to the changes in Zhang Heng’s expressions. When he saw that there was no reaction, he felt a little disappointed. The young man seemed neither surprised nor afraid, simply signaling him to continue talking.
At this point, the old man stopped. “This is it,” he said.
Zhang Heng looked up and saw a domed building. Like the other houses around here, this one was in a state of disrepair as well. The words on the signboard could barely be seen, and the wall’s around him were peeling too. He even noticed how most of the walls were now covered in moss and mold.
A hotel like this would attract no tourists, but according to the old man, this was the only place left in the town for outsiders to rest. As Zhang Heng stepped into the shabby hall, he began to suspect that there would be no delicious food and soft beds here.
The male staff at the front desk looked relatively normal, except that he was a little moody and withdrawn.
“Room 427, one dollar.” Putting down the dirty old newspaper in his hand, he continued, “today is a good day. There are actually two guests here today.”
“Another person is living here tonight?” The old man was a little surprised.
“Yes, something happened in the town earlier…” He stopped halfway and looked at Zhang Heng on the other side.
Zhang Heng searched his pockets and looked at them. “Sorry, I don’t have any money with me.”
“…”
The old man and the staff looked at each other.
