Chapter 120: The Purging Bullet

[You look at the leather bag; its materials are of exceptionally high quality.]

[The Right-Eye Detective says he accepts his defeat and that you may choose one item from within, but once chosen, there is no turning back.]

[The Right-Eye Detective drinks a cup of flower wine, watching the snow-laden wind in the distance. You are neither a person of the Shell Phase nor a merchant; your judgment of an item's value might be flawed. The items in his bag are far too chaotic. He prays that you pick some piece of scrap metal!]

[The merchant lady leans in, and the others follow suit, crowding around to help you pick an item!]

[“You people…” The Right-Eye Detective looks up at the sky; has he stirred up public indignation?]

Chen Qi is momentarily stunned. He is a player, after all; while picking the most useful item might be a bit difficult, picking the absolute worst one is even harder.

[You open the leather bag, revealing all sorts of strange and eccentric objects.]

A long list of item inspection options pops up in the game. Chen Qi examines them one by one. Most of them are jewelry or gemstones, which could sell for about one Daylight Coin, with some fetching over two. These gems can increase one’s Charm attribute. However, Chen Qi has no interest in these items that only serve to boost charm and sell for cash. Most are not particularly rare, though collectively, they would fetch a decent price.

Chen Qi continues to browse. Suddenly, he finds something odd.

[Three strange black-and-white photographs of the human interior.]

What on earth is this? Chen Qi is taken aback.

[Would you like to observe this photograph?]

Yes.

[You carefully observe the strange photograph. Description: It appears to be an X-ray of a human body, but there are no organs inside—only a massive mechanical heart mechanism, surrounded by a multitude of gears and wires.]

A heart mechanism, gears, wires? Chen Qi ponders. Could this be a blueprint for a mechanical creation? Still, it is only a photograph; its value should be low.

[As you examine the photo, you notice the Right-Eye Detective lower his head.]

[You look at the photo again carefully, committing its details to memory.]

Is this photo a design draft for some kind of mechanical doll? Chen Qi continues looking.

A watchmaker's wrench, a gorgeous formal gown, a vampire's tooth, a messenger's hat, a book telling the love-hate story between a corpse burner, a necromancer, and a ghost...

These items come from various professions. Chen Qi cannot help but marvel at how many things this guy must have swindled along the way. Clearly, however, most people wouldn't bet anything too important against him in a game, so most of these items are quite cheap.

Chen Qi flips through the items one by one. One stands out.

[You see a Void-Cleaving Bullet.]

This item seems unusual… Chen Qi decisively inspects it.

[Void-Cleaving Bullet
Aspect: Lantern
Description: A single-use crimson bullet from a Black River marksman who hunts ghosts. You can see patterns of gold and fiery red intersecting on the casing. All things of death shall return to dust.
Effect: Can be activated and fired by injecting spiritual power. Upon impact, it triggers a massive explosion, dealing 70 to 100 damage. It deals an additional 500% damage to enemies of the Void aspect, and this damage ignores most damage reduction effects from Void-aspect equipment and skills!]

This thing… Chen Qi’s eyes light up. This is a powerful specialized tool! If faced with a Void-aspect enemy, the damage this item deals would be explosive! Even some behemoths could be easily killed by it! He currently possesses the Pendant of the Void Body, which makes this item a counter to him in a sense, but fortunately, the pendant is a piece of equipment that can be unequipped at any time. Most importantly, according to the guide provided by the investigator, there are indeed Void-aspect monsters on the train.

He thinks for a moment and settles on this item! It is not only highly valuable but also extremely useful!

Chen Qi clicks the inventory and selects the item.

[Watching your choice, the Right-Eye Detective seems indifferent. He reminds you that once chosen, there is no turning back, and the bullet looks quite plain.]

[Do you still wish to choose the Void-Cleaving Bullet?]

Chen Qi does not hesitate. Yes.

[You do not hesitate and take the item.]

[You have obtained the Void-Cleaving Bullet.]

[“Now even the herb gatherers from the Medicine Tower read treasure hunter books!” the Right-Eye Detective smacks his lips and mutters. He can't help but marvel at the level of knowledge held by the herb gatherers of New Capital District 8, unlike those in District 2, who do nothing but gather herbs. He takes the bag back and closes it.]

[You look at the Right-Eye Detective, who seems a bit dejected, and ask if he wants to play another round.]

Chen Qi remembers that before the game started, the Right-Eye Detective was eager to play more.

[The Right-Eye Detective hugs his leather bag tightly, saying he isn't stupid, and firmly rejects the proposal. Your luck and skill are both excellent, and most importantly, his own luck is poor right now.]

[If he keeps playing, by the time he reaches the Weaving Train, he might not even be able to afford the cost of hiring protection.]

Chen Qi is stunned. This guy is quite strange. If level is a symbol of strength, then the Right-Eye Detective before him is definitely not weak.

[The elderly corpse burner interrupts him firmly, telling him to stop pretending—someone who traveled alone from New Capital District 2 could not possibly need to pay for protection.]

[“You don’t understand. The train is too dangerous, and I am the type of person who is easily targeted.” The Right-Eye Detective drinks a cup of flower wine and jokes: “I am not good at combat, but my luck, observational skills, and charm are quite decent.”]

[The crowd begins to jeer again.]

[You lean against a pillar, facing the snowy wind, and look up at the sky once more.]

[The fire of the daylight grows weak.]

[As if a giant lamp were blown out, the day is extinguished...]

[The entire land is gradually being shrouded in heavy darkness. The Laughing Moon appears in the sky once again.]

[In the distance, one can faintly see slender, ghostly shadows writhing on the rock walls; their shadows are like those of starving beasts.]

Chen Qi exhales. These are Shadow Demons. They are powerful monsters of the Shadow and Void aspects, usually lacking a physical form. But once one's mental state falters, or if one is in the dark, these shadows will bare their fangs and attack. To deal with these Shadow Demons, it is best to stay near a light source. But that is not absolutely safe either; sometimes, these wretched demons will secretly extinguish the flames when you aren't looking. If you encounter them, you either don't sleep, or you take turns keeping watch.

Fortunately, he now has the Little Lantern Shadow Fox, so even if he is alone, he doesn't need to worry about keeping watch. Moreover, this is a safe point established by the corpse burners. According to the Catastrophe Messenger’s map, these Shadow Demons are weakened here. What he truly needs to guard against are the travelers themselves. Whether man or woman, one must protect oneself when out in the wild.

Chen Qi looks at the text.

[You lean against the stone pillar; the bonfire, fueled by magic stones, burns brightly.]

[You watch the night. Many travelers who have come here are exhausted. They seem somewhat afraid of you and find places to huddle against the rocks, preparing to rest.]

[Except for the messenger you know, the others remain wary. The messenger tells you that if it weren't for the herb gatherer’s badge on your chest, your attire would have made them even more afraid.]

“...”

He has achieved a small amount of success in the game by now, and with the identity of an herb gatherer, ordinary people dare not attack him. Chen Qi tilts his head and looks at the text.

[At this moment, the Right-Eye Detective looks helplessly at the Laughing Moon in the sky. He doesn't dare to sleep; he has mocked too many people here and is essentially an enemy of the crowd.]

[You also look at the Right-Eye Detective. In this game, he promised you that if you won, he would reveal some information about the Weaving Train.]

[You sit by the stone, staring at him.]

[“I choose to defect to the strongest enemy...” The Right-Eye Detective leans toward you and coughs twice: “My dear overconfident weaklings... no, my dear courageous travelers, do you want to hear some secrets I've gathered about the Weaving Train? Hmm, I promised this herb gatherer I would share some intelligence. I must emphasize that my information is not free.”]