Chapter 71: The Idol
Green Shade Inn was quite far from Vick University, located in the southwestern part of the Western District, in the Rustu Borough. Public carriages didn't go all the way there due to a hazardous weather zone along the route, where thunderstorms, hurricanes, or even acid rain could break out at any moment.
Most people heading that way usually took a transportation method called the Mine Tunnel Metro.
Long ago, Darkland had been a massive mining area. The ancient Farlic people excavated a network of crisscrossing underground tunnels here. Presumably due to a need to seal away an evil god, the mines beneath Darkland were forbidden from further excavation. The Bryston Kingdom maintained this policy, but with technological advancements, about fifteen years ago, some of the existing tunnels were converted into the Mine Tunnel Metro. Quite a marvel, really.
There was an entrance to the Mine Tunnel Metro nearby. The game recreated it quite accurately—the entrance was marked with stair and train icons, making it easy to spot.
The metro operated until 9 p.m. and wasn't expensive. Tickets were sold by attendants, costing 5 Venis for a one-way trip or 9 Venis for a round trip, regardless of distance. The only drawback was the limited number of stations and the lack of seating. Passengers had to stand for the entire ride, which wasn't very friendly for frail women or the elderly.
Advanced, but with room for improvement… a fair assessment from the transmigrator, Zhou Ning.
The ride was smooth, and after a little over twenty minutes, Zhou Ning arrived at the Rustu Borough station.
As a district known for its concentration of non-human residents, Rustu had a reputation for poor public safety. Koen Avenue within it was even nicknamed "Murderer's Avenue." The moment Zhou Ning got off the metro, his Observation Haki picked up on five or six hostile stares. But as soon as the onlookers noticed the revolver spinning casually in his hand, they quickly withdrew their gaze.
Green Shade Inn was located at No. 227, on the southern end of Koen Avenue—right at the entrance of Murderer's Avenue. Fortunately, Zhou Ning encountered no trouble along the way and arrived safely at the inn's entrance.
Just like in the game, Green Shade Inn was a three-story building right on the roadside. Zhou Ning tugged down his hat brim and strolled inside.
The reception counter was right at the entrance. Behind it was the same fifty-something Northern woman from the game. She had the unmistakable features of someone from the North: rough looks and a frame even larger than Zhou Ning's.
"A room," Zhou Ning said in a low voice as he walked up to the counter.
Without looking up, the front desk lady lazily pushed a guest register across the desk.
"Fill this out first. Four Roshens for a large room, two for a small one. If you don't mind bunking with strangers, it's only 5 Venis. But if you go that route, keep a close eye on your coin pouch—and your backside."
Zhou Ning: …
He had no idea this woman had such a wild side in his past life.
"I'll take a large room. On the third floor."
He pulled 4 Roshens from his pocket and stacked them on the counter. After casually scribbling a name into the register, he flipped through a few pages as if unintentionally. Soon, he spotted the name "Elvie Beller" listed for Room 304—clearly an alias for Elvis.
"Room 306. Check out by noon tomorrow," the woman said, sweeping the money into her hand and handing him a key.
Zhou Ning ascended the dim, narrow stairwell to the third floor. The corridor stretched east to west and had ten rooms in total. Room 304 was on the south side, directly across from 306.
Treading silently, Zhou Ning approached Room 304 and listened carefully.
After becoming a Wandering Gunslinger and officially stepping into the realm of supernaturals, his senses had sharpened significantly. With the aid of his Observation Haki, he could clearly sense that the room was silent—no sounds, no breathing. It appeared empty.
After a moment of hesitation, he pulled Elvis' key from his pocket, inserted it into the lock, and gave it a slight twist. The door clicked open. Zhou Ning exhaled in relief.
Though the window was open, the room was stifling hot—easily over 30°C. It was an ordinary inn room: a bed, a row of wardrobes, a desk, a small sofa set, a full-length mirror, and a gas stove on the desk.
The tenant had clearly stepped out temporarily. The expensive gas stove was still running, with the meter pointing to 36 Roshens. Even someone with a mine at home would think twice about letting it burn like that.
Zhou Ning quietly circled the room. At the head of the bed, near the mirror, he found an open suitcase. On top was a small, archaic-looking mirror.
At first glance, it seemed ordinary, but when he looked directly at it, a system prompt appeared:
Unknown Relic: [Damian's Ordinary Mirror]
Grants access to a mirror world you can enter and explore freely. However, there's also a chance a ghost within might replace you, trapping you in the mirror forever.
Origin: Crafted by the archmage Damian during the Age of Four Heroes. He vanished after making it.
Effect 1: Travel freely between the mirror world and the real world.
Effect 2: ???
This was it. Zhou Ning felt a jolt of excitement and cautiously reached for the mirror.
The moment he touched it, a chill ran down his spine. Shadows writhed across the mirror's surface, as if something monstrous within couldn't wait to burst free.
As expected, every Unknown Relic in the Apocalypse World had its dangerous and eerie side.
Without further thought or examination, Zhou Ning tightened his grip and swiftly stored the mirror in his inventory.
It was definitely worth studying—but only in a safe, private setting.
Next, Zhou Ning turned to Elvis' suitcase. A quick search revealed basic clothing in the top layer. The second layer contained loose cash, herbal powders, silver talismans, and casting dust.
At the very bottom, tucked away under silk and incense wrappers, was something else.
Gently unwrapping it, he uncovered a red idol, about the size of a palm.
The idol depicted a grotesque deity. Tentacles sprouted from its shoulders and sides, each carved with eyes—some open, some closed—in densely packed clusters. Two massive ram horns curled from its head.
In the world of Apocalypse, ram horns were a common symbol of evil gods. This was unmistakably the image of Nyastora, the cursed god worshipped by the Curse God Cult.
Right then, the room's lights suddenly went out.
An overwhelming dread surged from the idol, causing Zhou Ning's legs to go weak.
The system promptly bombarded him with alerts:
[You have drawn the attention of Nyastora, the evil god. Spirit: 41, Willpower: 25 — Judgment Failed. Willpower -2.]
[You are under the gaze of Nyastora. Spirit: 41, Willpower: 25 — Judgment Failed. Willpower -3.]
[You are being lured by Nyastora. Spirit: 41, Willpower: 25 — Judgment Failed. Willpower -4.]
In an instant, Zhou Ning's 25 Willpower points plummeted into the single digits.
Alarmed, he bit his lip hard, using the pain to shake off the paralyzing fear and stiffness. With trembling hands, he hastily rewrapped the idol in silk. Only then did the crushing aura vanish.
He carefully tucked the idol into his inventory and let out a long sigh of relief.
If he guessed correctly, the idol was also an Unknown Relic—possibly imbued with a sliver of Nyastora's divinity. He had barely escaped disaster.
Just then, Zhou Ning's Observation Haki suddenly alerted him to a foreboding sense of imminent danger—something deadly was approaching.
Moments later, footsteps echoed up the stairs, heading straight for the third floor.
Zhou Ning didn't dare linger. He quickly decided to retreat. With practiced ease, he climbed out the window onto the balcony, scaled down a water pipe, landed agilely, and swiftly exited the area, stopping at a street corner to glance back.
Few gas lamps lit the area, so Zhou Ning remained concealed in the dim corner. From his hiding spot, he saw the light in Room 304 come back on. A figure looked out the window.
The man appeared to be around forty, bearded, and unfamiliar. He wore a blue coat—likely a noble, as only nobles were allowed to wear colored garments in this world.
Zhou Ning didn't stick around. He immediately left Koen Avenue and took the Mine Tunnel Metro straight back to the city's Eastern District.
(TN: Sorry for the late update. This fanfic is currently on the drop list. If you would like me to continue translating it, please vote on my Patreøn.)