Chapter 720: 720

Chapter 720: Gilman Hostel

“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 .

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