Chapter 59 The Road Home

Clack!

Ye Da placed a lump of glass stone on the table.

This was a matter of life and death, so Ye Da was not stingy in the slightest—he went all in.

“This should be enough, right?”

As expected...

The very instant Ye Da set the glass stone on the table, the old man’s previously clouded eyes lit up at once!

He lightly licked his dry, shriveled lips with the tip of his tongue, the corners of his mouth curling upward. That smile shifted from a stiff, professional grin to one of satisfaction, then excitement, and finally to unrestrained joy. “Enough, enough, more than enough!”

“I’ve been short two windows. Now, with this glass stone, I can finally finish the inner room.”

“Thank you, young man.”

With a wave of his sleeve, the old man covered the glass stone. When he lifted his hand again, the glass stone had vanished from the table.

Ye Da knew full well that making objects disappear was the storage bag’s doing.

Still, every time he saw it, he couldn’t help but marvel.

If only...

If he could bring this storage bag back to the real world, just by performing this trick, he might well become a master magician.

“You can go back.”

After pocketing the glass stone, the old man poured himself a glass of fruit wine.

He then sat down beside Ye Da, as if chatting with an old friend, and said mildly, “But returning won’t be that easy.”

“What do you mean?” Ye Da asked. “I’d like to hear the details.”

Now that he knew the old man was from the Republic era, Ye Da tried to speak in the fashion of that time.

Of course...

He only had a rough idea of how people spoke back then, gleaned from television and books; only those who lived in that era would truly know.

“At the very center of the Abyss World, there’s a main city.”

Perhaps because the payment was generous, the old man didn’t keep anything back and explained directly, “That is the oldest place in the entire Abyss World. Legend has it that beneath the ancient city lies a labyrinth, though no one knows exactly how many levels it has.”

He finished his wine in one gulp, then continued, “But it’s said…”

“Whoever can walk out of the labyrinth can leave this world and return to their original one.”

Ye Da had hoped to hear some great secret.

Instead...

“That’s it?”

To be honest, Ye Da felt a bit disappointed.

He felt as though the old man had tricked him—just like those charlatans who take your money and spin a story.

Thinking back, even the old man’s claim to be from the Republic era...

But who could prove he was telling the truth?

For all Ye Da knew, the old man’s entire identity might be made up.

“You think I’m lying?” the old man observed the disappointment on Ye Da’s face. He refilled Ye Da’s empty glass and poured one for himself. “The village chief has a map to the main city. It even shows the path to the labyrinth. Once you see it, you’ll know I’m not lying.”

“Can you let me see the map?” Ye Da asked. “I’ll pay you handsomely.”

He wanted only to look at the map, not take it.

Though, for Ye Da, it made little difference, since his screen could automatically capture images. As long as he glimpsed the map, he could copy it.

But of course, how you say things matters.

“Alright.”

The old man thought for a moment, then agreed, “The chief loves to show off that map anyway. I doubt you’ll even need my help—he’ll probably display it himself.”

“Well then…” Ye Da was about to suggest they leave at once.

But before he could finish, the old man cut in, “Tomorrow. The chief trains in the evenings—unless it’s urgent, no one is allowed to disturb him.”

“Fine, we’ll set out tomorrow,” Ye Da said, not in a rush.

Though it would eat into his novice time, if he could obtain valuable information here, it would be worth a few lost days.

Once they agreed on a time, Ye Da returned to his room.

But as he was about to take the two wolf pups upstairs, the old man called out from behind the counter, “If you want to bring those two beasts—pets—upstairs…”

“I know, it’ll cost extra,” Ye Da replied, well aware of the old man’s catchphrase.

This man would squeeze every last coin out of him.

But that was only natural—merchants are always after profit.

Besides, the inn was so deserted that, with a rare new guest, the old man had to seize the chance to make some money, or the place would never stay open.

But since Ye Da had already paid for the room, he wasn’t as generous this time—he simply tossed a good-quality stone on the floor for the old man, then headed upstairs.

His room was on the second floor, second door on the left after ascending the wooden stairs. The door was the kind found in period dramas—an old wooden one, with a layer of window paper pasted over the lattice to keep out the wind.

It did nothing to prevent poison or prying eyes.

Fortunately...

He was a grown man; there was little point in anyone spying on him.

He pushed open the door and stepped inside. The room held only a wooden bed, a simple desk, and a long bench—a rather spartan dwelling.

The two wolf pups entered first, their paws making the old floorboards creak. But they were clearly exhausted. As soon as they were inside, they chose a corner, curled up, and fell asleep.

It wasn’t long before...

Ye Da could hear their snores.

Ding!

Ding, ding, ding...

The notification screen had chimed several times while Ye Da was on the road with Lin Zhi.

But with danger lurking everywhere, he hadn’t dared check the messages. Only now, with a moment’s peace, did he finally sit down to read the daily announcements.

[Congratulations to all survivors who have safely made it to the second day in such a perilous place. By now, most players have acquired valuable survival experience; if you can make it through the first three days of the novice period, your chances of survival will greatly increase!]

[Today’s report: 1,673 players remain in this area!]

[Today, players in this area discovered 312 wooden treasure chests, yielding a wealth of survival resources. Congratulations to all the lucky finders.]

[In one day, the newcomer leaderboard will open. Rankings will be based on shelter level, resources gathered, and player combat power.]

[The top three on the novice leaderboard will receive grand prizes!]

[PS: Light a fire as soon as possible; do not open your door at midnight, and do not go out!]

The announcements had become a bit more concise, especially the appendix at the end.

But what really caught Ye Da’s attention was today’s death toll—it was even higher than on the first day.

So...

Perhaps the number included last night’s casualties.

Who knew how many were taken by the midnight knocking? In any case, those people were certainly gone—they did not have Lin Zhi’s magical sun-moth lamp.

He could only wonder...

Staying in this inn, would he still hear that dreadful knocking in the middle of the night?