Chapter 285: Ingersoll
A sudden sense of stagnation surged through him. Zhou Ning realized that everything in his field of vision was flipping and collapsing. Moments later, he had already exited the mirror world and reentered reality.
Before his eyes quickly appeared row after row of broken ruins, the setting sun sinking to the west, and that three-masted ship hovering in the sky.
"Finally back…"
Zhou Ning immediately fixed his gaze on the ordinary mirror of Damian embedded in the wall's groove and promptly reached out to take it down.
After triggering its two hidden conditions, compared to when it was just an "ordinary mirror," its surface now shimmered with a glow like morning light, and the second effect that had always been hidden behind a question mark finally revealed itself.
Unknown Relic [Damian's Ordinary Mirror]: Allows you to possess a mirror world that you can freely enter and explore, though it may also let a ghost from the mirror replace you, leaving you lost in it forever. Created by Archmage Damian, who vanished into the mirror after its completion.
Effect 1: Allows free travel between the mirror world and the real world.
Effect 2: Mirror Leap — You can inscribe marks on up to three mirrors, allowing you to leap from Damian's Ordinary Mirror to the location of any marked mirror.
Oh?
Zhou Ning couldn't help but feel a flicker of delight. This second skill was undoubtedly very practical, granting him long-range teleportation. Even if the limit was only three marks and the requirements somewhat strict, such drawbacks were insignificant compared to its effect.
Put simply, if Damian's Ordinary Mirror had once felt somewhat underwhelming, now it had become one of Zhou Ning's most useful tools—outshining even the Phoenix Battle Suit.
Stowing the mirror back into his inventory, Zhou Ning turned his gaze toward the center of the battlefield. At that moment, Richie Burke and Aaron Ingersoll were still locked in combat, but to Zhou Ning, Burke's defeat was only a matter of time.
Richie Burke was a textbook rogue—though in Apocalypse World rogues didn't have to rely solely on melee. Both firearms and daggers were common weapons of choice. His flintlock pistol, an unknown relic with unlimited ammo, lacked the killing power to inflict serious injuries. Though its sneak attack after stealth was effective, it still wasn't enough to sway the battle.
Aaron Ingersoll, on the other hand, though a warrior, had four pale heads orbiting around him. They would occasionally fly out to bite his opponent, and each bite restored a portion of his health.
Under such conditions, there was no way Burke could win.
Shaking his head, Zhou Ning stopped spectating. With his left hand tucked into his pocket, he walked down the steps.
The nearest to him was Bernie, the team's meteorologist, currently fighting against a high-level warrior and a mage.
"Downpour!" "Swamp!"
Casting spell after spell, Bernie managed to shift the local climate into heavy rain, turning the ground into a mire. With the advantage of terrain, he felt confident he could stall the two for now.
But then, the sheets of rain suddenly reversed, rushing skyward and forming a curtain of water in the air. The warrior and mage he fought abruptly collapsed, fainting without warning.
What was going on?
As the thought struck him, Bernie turned his head—and there he saw Zhou Ning descending the steps. A surge of overwhelming pressure swept out from him. Within a small radius, the downpour Bernie had created was drawn upward, leaving a clear circle free of rain.
Immediately after, Bernie shuddered as if struck with a giant hammer. An indescribable terror welled up inside him, making his whole body tremble. Yet it was clear Zhou Ning had not even focused on him, deliberately reining in his aura. Around them, however, other pirates were dropping unconscious one after another.
Staring in shock, Bernie suddenly understood why his leader had been so cautious around this man. Truly farsighted!
By then, Jinse had already noticed Zhou Ning's presence, radar-like. She waved excitedly and shouted:
"Holy crap, boss!"
"Holy crap, boss!!"
Seeing their club's star player behaving like an excited baboon, the Deep Blue Club owner watching the XB livestream nearly slammed his head into the desk. Holy crap your big head—show some restraint, girl!
The other three also followed her gaze. They saw a man in a black trench coat weaving across the battlefield, flowing smoothly past falling cannonballs. On either side of him, the sailors they had considered powerful—fighters with impressive combat visuals just moments ago—were now collapsing like stalks of grain after a storm.
Cool beyond words.
At the same time, the four of them simultaneously triggered a new quest:
[Counterattack]: Facing a powerful enemy, after a hard struggle you have held out until the protagonist's return. Now, you can follow him in counterattack—see how far you can go.
Quest Requirement: Kill as many remaining enemies as possible.
Reward: 42,000 EXP, Starry Sky Guild Reputation.
It was a C-rank quest, offering both plentiful experience and guild reputation—more than enough to make up for their earlier losses. Pleased, they stopped holding back at the edges of the battlefield and went all in once again.
Players were opportunists by nature: all bravado when winning, all excuses when losing. Zhou Ning was long used to it. He strode into the heart of the battlefield, locking eyes on Aaron Ingersoll in the distance.
Now that he was closer, Zhou Ning could see the man's true face, matching the bounty notice in his memory. It was indeed Aaron Whitman, the Bloodthirsty—typical northern features with a ruddy, rugged face, thick brows full of menace, and on his left hand, a pair of distinctive red gloves.
If Zhou Ning wasn't mistaken, those gloves were his unknown relic—allowing him to cast necromancy without restrictions.
Meanwhile, in his fight against Richie Burke, Aaron Ingersoll was only growing more ferocious. His face expressionless, he tightened his grip on his rapier, preparing to unleash a finishing blow the next time he engaged.
But then, an extreme sense of danger exploded in his chest. He spun around instantly, wariness etched across his features.
And then, sheer terror—so strong he almost lost control of his bladder.
In his vision, a black-coated figure was rushing toward him, closing the distance in only a few steps.
Zhou Ning raised his hand, pointing his gun at Ingersoll, the corner of his mouth curling into a mocking smile.
Almost simultaneously, Ingersoll clenched his left fist, a black skull forming in his palm.
So, he had shaken off the Conqueror's Haki in such a short time.
But by then, Zhou Ning had already driven a knee into him with [Gun-Fu: Psychic Counter], interrupting the spell. He raised his gun again and pulled the trigger.
[Your Flowing Sakura Shot deals 1977 damage to Aaron Ingersoll (LV59)!]
[You dealt a critical strike to Aaron Ingersoll!]
[Ingersoll is in a grievous state. All stats reduced by 50% for 10 seconds.]
[Your Conqueror's Haki dealt 925 damage to Ingersoll!]
[Ingersoll is afflicted with Fear!]
Ingersoll screamed in agony, clutching his head. Then he felt the cold muzzle press against his forehead once more and heard Zhou Ning whisper:
"Bye-bye."
"Wait… I can pay—"
"Bang!"
Before he could finish pleading, two gunshots rang out. He fell with a thud, lifeless.
[You killed Aaron Ingersoll (LV59). You gained 22,000 EXP.]
"This…" Richie Burke had witnessed everything. His lips twitched into a flattering smile. "Good evening."
Zhou Ning ignored him, crouching down to examine Ingersoll's corpse.