Chapter 57: The Death of Downes
Before long, the once-noisy forest returned to silence, as if everything that had just occurred was but a brief moment of clamor.
Johnny took a deep breath, steadied his nerves, and once again stepped toward the tightly shut door.
With every step, his heartbeat seemed to quicken, tension and anticipation intertwining within him.
Standing before the door, Johnny raised his hand and gently knocked on the slightly dilapidated wooden door.
The sound of the knocking was particularly jarring in the silence. One knock, two... Inside the house, Little Edmond's heart tightened at the sound, an ominous premonition flooding his mind.
Had his recent actions drawn attention? He couldn't help but start thinking wildly, his body trembling involuntarily.
At this moment, he couldn't tell if the fear in his heart was from the dread of being discovered or the excitement of welcoming another unlucky soul into his trap.
Just as Little Edmond was feeling restless, Johnny's low voice came from outside the door:
"I'm here to discuss business, please open the door." Hearing this, Little Edmond hesitated for a moment before finally deciding to figure out the other party's intentions first.
Thus, he slowly walked to the door and cautiously unlocked it.
With a creak, the door opened a crack. However, in that instant, Johnny acted with zero frame delay, throwing a punch with lightning speed that landed squarely on Little Edmond's eye.
Poor Little Edmond didn't even have time to react before his vision went dark and he fell backward.
Immediately after, Johnny swiftly pulled a rope from his waist and deftly bound Little Edmond from head to toe, wrapping him as tightly as a zongzi.
Fearing that this cunning fellow might break free and escape, he tied the rope with extra force, nearly cutting into the flesh.
After completing these actions, Johnny effortlessly grabbed one end of the rope and dragged Little Edmond into the shack like a dead dog.
Although Johnny had mentally prepared himself for what he might see, when he actually stepped into the shack...
The scene before him still shocked him. It was simply unbearable to look at—the kind of horror that would get a livestream banned instantly.
Johnny's eyes widened as he stared in disbelief at Downes, whose remains were scattered across the floor in pieces. A surge of indescribable pleasure welled up in his heart.
It was as if years of pent-up hatred were being completely released at this moment. Adrenaline surged through him like a tide, making his body tremble slightly.
Johnny took a deep breath, trying his best to calm his excited emotions.
He carefully set Little Edmond down on the floor and turned to leave this gruesome place.
However, just as he was about to step out the door, a faint glimmer caught his attention.
He instinctively followed the light and saw a lockbox sitting on the dilapidated table by the door, looking ordinary yet exuding a mysterious aura.
The lockbox shimmered faintly in the dim light, like a gold bar hidden in the dark, instantly capturing all of Johnny's attention.
At this moment, the lockbox was no longer just an ordinary box to Johnny; it had seemingly become a treasure chest filled with endless wealth and secrets.
The word "temptation" circled continuously in Johnny's mind, driving him step by step toward the lockbox.
[Ding! Congratulations to the Host for completing the hidden achievement — Past and Future]
[Reward: Three Magical Items. Rewards have been sent to your inventory, please check them!]
Johnny opened the lockbox and found it empty; it seemed it was just a trigger for the system rewards, so he turned his gaze to the system space.
He rubbed his hands together happily. It was rare for the system to be so generous as to give out three items at once—this was absolutely insane!!!
[Magical Item — Golden Double-Action Revolver]
[perk Effect: Firearms equipped with this perk can be loaded with two additional perks.]
"Holy crap!!! These few plain-looking words reveal how incredibly powerful this perk is!"
[Magical Item — Lowry's Revolver]
[perk Effect: When you aim your gun at an enemy, the image of their greatest inner fear will surface in their mind. No cooldown.]
"This one is even more broken—infinite crowd control!"
[Magical Item — Ancient Indian Tomahawk]
[perk Effect: When you kill an enemy with this weapon, you enter an Unyielding state for 30 seconds. During this time, ignore negative effects from injuries. The duration resets with each kill.]
"Isn't this just Trevor? But why doesn't it have the feature to tank an RPG with your body? Forget it, it doesn't matter, it's already amazing!"
After checking the information, Johnny felt like a powder keg that had been lit, instantly exploding with intense excitement.
He stood there, his body trembling slightly, his face filled with uncontrollable joy, remaining excited for a full half-minute!
With great effort, Johnny finally suppressed his excitement. After taking a deep breath, he stepped out of the room.
He raised the gun in his hand and pulled the trigger toward the dark sky without hesitation.
The crisp gunshot pierced the air, as if venting the surging emotions in his heart.
Before long, the sound of galloping hooves approached from the distance.
Valerie rode a black steed, with its original owner, Micah, slumped across the horse's back. Both appeared on the road in front of the shack.
Seeing this, Johnny walked forward to meet them and said with a smile:
"Miss Philip, this commission has been successfully completed! I am quite satisfied with your performance. Here, this is your payment."
As he spoke, he reached into his satchel and pulled out a stack of bills, counting out five crisp ten-dollar bills and handing them to Valerie.
Valerie took the money, thanked him politely, and then began to count it carefully.
However, when she reached the fourth bill, she couldn't help but stop, her brow furrowing in confusion.
Because according to their previous agreement, the payment for this commission should have only been forty dollars!
Thinking of this, Valerie looked up at Johnny with a puzzled gaze.
Facing Valerie's questioning look, Johnny remained calm and confident.
He smiled at her and explained unhurriedly:
"Miss Philip, don't misunderstand. As for this extra ten dollars, I'll have to trouble you to run an errand.
After all, your horse is still kept at the Stable, isn't it?
I'll trouble you to help ride this fox trotter horse to the Stable in Valentine and have it properly stabled.
Additionally, you'll need to pay for the medical expenses for that Strawberry Roan Arden Warhorse; ten dollars should be enough.
If there's any money left over, consider it extra pay for you. After all, your professional conduct throughout this journey has truly impressed me."