Chapter 119 - 118: Killing Intent at the Station

Chapter 119: Chapter 118: Killing Intent at the Station

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Leaving the hustle and bustle of the Night Ghost Market, Gu Su didn’t dare delay for a moment. He hurried to the nearby train station and bought a ticket for the earliest train to the core city of DT-160 District.

After a bumpy train ride, Gu Su finally arrived at his destination: Endless Ghost Wall, the core city of DT-160 District.

The city’s name, however, didn’t refer to a physical city wall, but to the "ghost wall" phenomenon that appeared here from time to time.

While walking the streets, people would often find themselves trapped in a loop. Even on a familiar road, they would suddenly be unable to reach their destination, only able to escape once the ghost wall’s eerie power subsided. For this reason, most players passing through were in a hurry and didn’t dare to linger, fearing they would be caught in such a predicament.

At the bus stop outside the train station, Gu Su glanced up at the departure schedule and saw that he still had over an hour before the bus to Ghost Valley was due to leave.

Since he had plenty of time, he was no longer in a rush. He first went to the ticket window to buy his ticket back to Ghost Valley, carefully tucked it into his pocket, and then subconsciously touched his empty stomach. A distinct pang of hunger instantly welled up inside him.

’I might as well find a place and get a bite to eat.’

Gu Su mulled it over. After all, ever since leaving the game instance, he had been constantly on the move—either rushing from place to place, fighting enemies, or busy shopping at the Night Ghost Market and the vocational college. He hadn’t even had time to eat a proper meal.

Before, he had been so focused on his tasks that he hadn’t really felt hungry. But now that he had a moment to relax, the emptiness in his stomach became increasingly intense. The sound of it growling was faintly audible, and it felt as if some of his strength had been drained away.

Gu Su looked around, his gaze quickly sweeping over the shops near the bus station before finally landing on a simple fast-food joint not far away. The storefront was weather-beaten, and the words on the sign were faded and unclear.

Though the shop looked unremarkable, it had a lived-in, unpretentious feel, perfect for a quick bite. He no longer hesitated, heading straight inside and taking a seat by the window.

He was all too familiar with this kind of fast-food joint.

The fast food here was all about being cheap and filling. As long as you weren’t picky about the quality and taste of the meat, you could get unlimited refills. It was perfectly tailored for low-level Game Workers.

After all, for Game Workers who spent their years scrambling to survive in mines and instances, just being able to fill their stomachs and save money was enough. They had no right to be picky about the taste.

Back when he was just getting by in the mines, Gu Su had eaten this kind of fast food for several years. The taste wasn’t great, even a bit bland and coarse, but compared to the tasteless, boiled chunks of meat from the Graveyard Demon Land that felt like chewing on wax, this was a huge comfort.

Gu Su didn’t hold back. He called out to the staff, ordered a large basin of the all-you-can-eat meat, and added two full bowls of rice. Once it was on his table, he began to eat with large mouthfuls, completely disregarding his appearance.

The days of rushing around and fighting had taken a huge toll on him, and right now all he wanted was to replenish his energy. He ate each mouthful quickly and with relish, not even caring that his mouth was stained with a bit of grease.

But he was only halfway through his meal, head down and shoveling rice into his mouth, when a sneaky figure quietly sidled up to him.

The person wore washed-out clothes, the collar turned up to hide half his face. His eyes darted around evasively. After looking left and right to make sure no one was paying attention, he lowered his voice and leaned in close to Gu Su’s ear.

"Bro, I’ve got some good stuff here. Wanna take a look? An absolute steal!"

Gu Su paused, a mouthful of rice in his mouth, and sneered inwardly.

’Of course. No matter what kind of station it is, there are always these players running gray-market scams, peddling fakes, and specifically targeting people who look easy to fool.’

’Is this kid blind or something?’

’Does he really take me for some greenhorn college student fresh out of school who’s never seen the world?’

Gu Su rolled his eyes inwardly and couldn’t help but complain to himself: ’I’ve been knocking around for a few years now. What kind of scammer haven’t I seen?’

’The stuff you’re peddling is probably just overpriced, fake, defective junk. If I had that kind of spare cash and energy, I’d rather go back to that vocational college and buy some practice pieces from the underclassmen. They’re cheap and practical.’

Although he was disdainful on the inside, Gu Su’s face remained impassive. He even squeezed out a simple smile, put down his chopsticks, and spread his hands. "Sorry, bro. As you can see, I’m eating this cheap, all-you-can-eat fast food. I don’t have two cents to rub together. No matter how good your stuff is, I can’t afford it."

But the man was persistent. Not only did he not give up, he leaned in even closer, lowered his voice further, and spoke with an urgent, enticing tone, "No, bro, you might not have heard, but a Beast Tide is coming!

"This is the chance for low-level Game Workers like us to turn our lives around! If you miss it, you’ll never get another one!"

He swallowed and spoke faster and faster, his eyes holding a deliberately crafted air of mystery. "I have something really good here. It’s a ’Companion’ type Golden Finger—from the four great categories: ’Land, Method, Companion, and Wealth.’

"As long as you buy it, you’ll be able to survive the Beast Tide easily. You could even make a killing! It’s a hundred times better than mining in the caves. You’ll be able to..."

The man rambled on, spittle nearly flying into Gu Su’s face. He was completely oblivious to the fact that the smile had slowly faded from Gu Su’s face, his expression growing darker and darker, and a cold killing intent had quietly surfaced in the depths of his eyes.

Gu Su knew that the best way to deal with this kind of scammer was to ignore him and let him leave in embarrassment. But the man’s sales pitch was like a needle, stabbing sharply into Gu Su’s heart.

He was all too familiar with this speech.

He had once been deceived by the exact same sales pitch, buying a bootleg, bargain-basement Graveyard Demon from a crooked merchant. Not only had it cost him all the savings he’d painstakingly accumulated, but he’d also nearly lost his life in a game instance. Even though that merchant had already been dealt with, the memory still filled him with rage.

As the man’s words continued to flow, the killing intent in Gu Su’s heart grew stronger. The aura around him quietly changed, and even the air in the fast-food joint seemed to be enveloped by this cold killing intent, growing noticeably colder. Players at the next table subconsciously scooted away to avoid the oppressive atmosphere.

But the player peddling fake goods was lost in his own sales pitch, completely unaware of the approaching danger, and continued to ramble on with his promotion.

In the end, seeing that Gu Su remained unmoved, he actually reached out to grab Gu Su’s arm, attempting to entice him further.

Just as his hand was about to touch Gu Su’s sleeve, a steady figure strode over and shouted sternly, "Xiaoliu! What nonsense are you up to now!"

The voice was loud and clear, carrying a distinct tone of reprimand.

The player named Xiaoliu stiffened and instinctively pulled his hand back. When he turned and saw who had arrived, the arrogance and enticing look on his face vanished instantly, replaced by a trace of panic.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man dressed in a practical black outfit. His eyes were sharp, and it was clear at a glance that he was no ordinary person.

The middle-aged man didn’t spare Xiaoliu a glance. He strode forward, grabbed his arm, and forcefully dragged him aside. Then, he walked quickly over to Gu Su, bowed slightly, and spoke respectfully with an apologetic smile on his face.

"I’m so sorry, friend. My sincerest apologies. He’s just an idiot who doesn’t know any better and spouts nonsense. Please don’t take offense. I’ll take him away right now."

Gu Su took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the killing intent surging within him. The coldness in his eyes gradually faded. He managed to squeeze out a smile for the middle-aged man and said in a calm tone.

"It’s fine. It’s not a big deal. It’s just that I was scammed by the exact same sales pitch before and almost died in a game because of it. So hearing those words again, it’s hard not to get a little agitated."