Remembered Memories (Seeking Follow-up Reads)

"Don't."

Before Gu Xi's battle squad could move forward, Luna stopped them.

"This Humble One and the lord will enter alone."

Seeing Luna's resolute expression, Gu Xi waved his hand.

"Battle squad, seal off the area. If anyone approaches, stop them by any means."

Gu Xi didn't specify how to stop them—for skeletons, there was only one way to prevent an enemy from approaching: kill them all.

After arranging the skeletons, Gu Xi followed Luna into the small building.

The moment he pushed open the door, Gu Xi believed the legends Jack and the others had told.

James I had truly replicated an entire new city one-to-one to deceive the big shots.

Not only was the city's exterior identical, but even the layout inside every room was a perfect copy.

As the door swung open, Gu Xi saw a modest living room. Though covered in a thick layer of dust, he noticed the plates on the table, the scuff marks under the chairs, the firewood by the hearth—everything was meticulously arranged.

But after a single glance, Gu Xi realized it was artificially set up. The living room looked the part, yet it lacked any trace of human presence.

Once inside, Luna stopped by the dining table, seemingly lost in thought.

Gu Xi walked over, wiped a layer of dust off the table with his hand, and then fixed his gaze on it.

Aside from the thick dust, there were no marks of time on the table at all.

No cobwebs, no rot on the surface—this was clearly abnormal.

Just as Gu Xi was about to investigate further, Luna lifted her head and began floating upward.

Watching Luna pass through the ceiling, Gu Xi was startled. He glanced around, spotted the stairs to the second floor, and dashed up them.

At that moment, the two-story building trembled slightly, and black silhouettes appeared on the nearby streets.

They seemed drawn by something, moving toward the small building.

The skeletons surrounding the building also noticed the black silhouettes.

Without commands from Gu Xi or his Contract Undead, these undead acted on the last orders Gu Xi had given.

He had told them to guard the area and stop anyone from approaching, so the skeletons naturally obeyed.

As soon as they saw the black silhouettes emerging from the streets and alleys, the skeletons moved swiftly.

The four battle squads, each led by their head, were eager to act.

These black silhouettes looked different from the Ghoul Shadows they had killed before, but undead didn't rely on sight—they sensed by aura.

The auras of these black silhouettes were nearly identical to those of Ghoul Shadows, both beings of eerie energy.

But they would surely drop Ghoul Qi Beads too.

This was excellent material for enhancing the undead, and the Skeleton Heads were all eager to strike and reap a big haul.

Of course, they hadn't forgotten Gu Xi's orders. After a few probing moves, the skeletons quickly divided their positions: the skirmisher skeletons surrounded the building to keep enemies away, while the battle squads moved forward to block both ends of the street.

Just then, the first black silhouette approached within about twenty meters of the building.

The skeletons didn't bother with warnings. As soon as the black silhouette drew near, they raised their weapons and charged.

These black silhouettes were actually Ghoul Shadows that had replaced humans.

Before replacing humans, Ghoul Shadows had no fixed form; their goal was to take on human shape.

But after replacing humans, they had no further objectives. They didn't need to eat or drink; the space itself supplied the energy for their existence, and there was nothing in the city to catch their interest.

Usually, they wandered through the city's mist.

Over time, some Ghoul Shadows forgot their human memories and reverted to their original forms, while others, having gained benefits from the mist, recalled abilities from their human past.

They slowly grew stronger.

These Ghoul Shadows were most sensitive to changes in the city. Whenever they sensed something attractive, they would rush over immediately.

The ones now appearing on the streets were the local Ghoul Shadows.

They had sensed the change in the building and were drawn by its aura. In their eyes, whatever was inside was material for their growth.

But Gu Xi's skeletons had no intention of letting these black silhouettes pass.

As they approached, the skeletons charged out, swinging their weapons and slashing into the black silhouettes.

[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) killed Ghoul Shadow (Level 2). You gained 1 EXP. Battle Squad gained 1 EXP. Summoned Creature gained 8 EXP.]

[Skeleton (Summoned Creature) killed Ghoul Shadow (Level 1). You gained 1 EXP. Battle Squad gained 1 EXP. Summoned Creature gained 9 EXP. Skeleton leveled up to Level 1.]

[...]

Just as he reached the second floor, a string of notifications flashed before Gu Xi's eyes.

He understood at once—someone must have charged in. He trusted the numbers of his undead, but their strength was another matter.

Most of these skeletons were Level 0, not even qualifying as Skeleton Soldiers.

If they were up against normal humans, they could still rely on their numbers and fearless fighting style to overwhelm the enemy.

But when facing an enemy that was equally unafraid of death and just as numerous, the situation was no longer in their favor.

He needed to quickly deal with Luna's matter now.

With that thought, Gu Xi quickened his pace and reached the room directly above the living room in just a few strides.

Entering the room, Gu Xi found Luna standing before a bed. The round mirror that had been clutched in her arms was now set down, and in her embrace was a cloth doll dressed exactly like Luna herself.

This sight gave Gu Xi a start, and then he immediately noticed something else: by the window directly opposite the bed stood a dressing table that was not particularly ornate.

The round mirror that had once sat on the dressing table was nowhere to be seen.

Looking at the size of the round mirror Luna had placed on the bed, a sudden thought flashed through Gu Xi's mind.

Could this be the place where Luna was born?

While Gu Xi was still puzzling over this, Luna lifted her head and spoke in that sharp, hollow voice.

"I remember now. This is my home. I have my own name. I am Luna. Luna Ariedovi."