Chapter 28: Pawnshop No. 19
The chat lobby on the light screen was buzzing with activity.
[Zone 444 Cute and Sparkling]: Huh? Why is there a zone tag in front of my name? Did the system get an update?
[Sector 587 Keyboard Warrior]: Because our two zones just met! Hello, players of Zone 444!
[Zone 444 Jiangzhehu Inheritor]: What’s going on with Sector 587? How do you guys have five Level 3 vehicles already?
[Sector 587 Reaching the Clouds]: Tsk, tsk, tsk. Zone 444 is way too weak, isn’t it? Aside from that one player who took first place across the server, the rest of you aren’t even worth looking at.
[Sector 587 One-Punch Kid]: Seriously, I could take you all out with one punch each. Not even a warm-up.
[Sector 587 If You Don’t Submit, Fight]: It looks like your top player doesn’t bother managing things. Hello, players of 444. Let me introduce myself: I’m the rank-one player in 587. Follow me, and your future will be bright. What do you say? Want to join us?
[Zone 444 Fastest Hand at SF Express]: Excuse me, aren’t we already merged into one zone? What do you mean by “join”?
[Sector 587 If You Don’t Submit, Fight]: Oh, right, I forgot—only the rank-one players get the prompt for the Town Conquest Battle. Since your leader isn’t guiding you, I’ll be generous and explain.
[Sector 587 If You Don’t Submit, Fight]: Once we enter the town, the rank-one players from both zones receive a system mission to fight for control of the town. Both sides have to compete for a glowing gem at the top of the Bell Tower, known as the region merging crystal. Whoever grabs and activates it first keeps their zone number and stays in first place.
[Sector 587 If You Don’t Submit, Fight]: So, do you want to help me secure the gem? I have real power, and my guild is well-organized. Everyone here has a real shot at upgrading to Level 3.
The chat went silent for a few seconds before someone spoke up.
[Zone 444 Don’t Run a Fever Everywhere]: @Sector 587 If You Don’t Submit, Fight, count me in!
[Zone 444 Snowy Mochi]: Count me in, too!
[Sector 587 Keyboard Warrior]: Wow, the rank-two and rank-three players of Zone 444! Welcome to the largest guild in Sector 587!
[Sector 587 One-Punch Kid]: What about the rest of you? What’s your choice? Lower-ranked players don’t need to worry, either. Even if you can’t get into the top guild, our other teams can still make room for you.
[Sector 587 Reaching the Clouds]: Come on, show some backbone! Don’t you want to take down the top dog and claim the number-one spot for yourselves?
[Zone 444 Dragon Emerging from the Sea]: Save your breath. Zone 444 is doing just fine, and I have no interest in changing our zone number.
[Zone 444 Milk Tea Seven Parts Sugar]: Exactly! I will never turn my back on Boss Bone Ash! You want to take her down and steal her spot? Keep dreaming!
[Zone 444 Old Wang from Building Materials]: Tsk, tsk, tsk. Looks like you’re not as strong as you claim, so you have to sneak around trying to poach people. What’s wrong? Afraid to face our big boss head-on?
Meanwhile, Lin Huai—the big boss in question—was in agony. The shrieking wails of the ghost echoed endlessly in her ears, leaving her head spinning as if her brain were being scrambled. The moment her vehicle entered the town, Old Hei’s electronic voice chimed in, laying out the rules.
[Player Bone Ashes Mixed with Rice, as the rank-one player of this zone, you must compete against the rank-one of the other zone for control of the town. There is a Bell Tower in the center of the town, and atop it rests a region merging crystal. Whichever rank-one player secures and activates the crystal first will preserve their zone number and system assistant after the merge. The winner will also receive generous rewards.]
[Did you hear that? Whether Zone 444 keeps its name rests entirely on your shoulders. You’d better put on a good show for me!]
Nauseous and dizzy, Lin Huai snapped back, “You’re the one who stuck a Yellow Father Ghost in my reward box! I can barely hear what you’re saying through all this screaming, and you still expect me to perform? Do you actually want me to win or not?”
[That’s purely your own incompetence. What does that have to do with me? If your head is too noisy, why don’t you just throw your brain away?]
“If I throw my brain away, how am I supposed to compete for the crystal? You’re treating me like a total punching bag! If this is how you’re going to treat me, maybe I’d be better off with a new system assistant!”
[Idiot! Do you think another assistant would protect that coffin of yours? Use your head—who gave you all those top-tier items? Aside from me, who else would treat you this well?]
Lin Huai had no comeback for that; it was the truth. Even though Old Hei was rude, impatient, and sharp-tongued, he was genuinely generous when it came to rewards.
She rubbed her temples. “Then what are we supposed to do now? My head feels like it’s going to split open!”
Old Hei’s synthesized voice buzzed with pure annoyance. [Do I really have to hold your hand and teach you how to remove a curse? I’m your system assistant, not your cheat code!]
Remove the curse?
Lin Huai hit her forehead with the palm of her hand. The peaceful month during the Newbie Protection Period had truly dulled her instincts, making her forget something so basic.
There were two ways to cleanse a curse. The first was a method she had used in her past life: finding an inn station. Roadside inns could remove all status penalties and curses, letting players enjoy a restful night of sleep. However, the price was steep, far beyond what most survivors could afford. On top of that, inn stations were extremely rare, making them an unreliable option.
The second method was something she had only heard about in passing and had never tried herself.
As luck would have it, that solution was right here in town.
The streets were lined with shops run by supernatural entities. Lin Huai drove around for half an hour, fighting through her dizziness, until she finally spotted the familiar sign from her memories: [Pawnshop No. 19].
Apart from minor differences in the window decor, the storefront and sign were identical to the pawnshop she remembered from her previous life.
Lin Huai hopped out of the vehicle and made sure to lock every door tightly. The streets were full of players, so leaving the armored car unsecured was out of the question.
Behind the counter stood the shop’s NPC—a ghost with an impossibly long, snake-like neck that stretched toward the ceiling like a giraffe. His head hovered high above, looking down at everyone who walked through the door.
Another player was standing at the counter, so Lin Huai patiently waited her turn in line.
The man in front seemed to be testing his luck. He wanted to trade for ten upgrade cards to boost his vehicle, but he refused to spend a single coin, boldly claiming he wanted to pawn his own stupidity and laziness instead.
Predictably, the pawnshop’s ghostly bouncers grabbed him and threw him onto the street.
“This is a pawnshop, not a dump!” one of the thugs barked. “Get lost! You’re banned from stepping foot in here ever again!”
Lin Huai watched the man get blacklisted, feeling entirely unsympathetic.
When she stepped up to the counter, the long-necked ghost leaned down toward her. “We don’t ask where it came from, and we don’t care how you found it. If you have the guts to bring it in, we have the guts to take it.”
His hollow eyes stared into hers. “So, what do you wish to pawn? And what do you want in return?”
Lin Huai looked up at him. “I want to remove a curse! What’s the price?”
The long-necked ghost studied her in silence for a moment before nodding slowly. “That can be done. But you must offer something of equal value in trade. For instance… your eyes.”
