Dead City

Aryadovi?

Victoria?

Gu Xi realized it instantly.

This must be the name of this exiled Fake City, the complete opposite of Victoria City.

It seemed just as he had guessed: Luna was the spirit of this city.

When the city died, she died too, and by chance she was drawn to Gu Xi's Undead Pact, becoming his Contract Undead.

If Gu Xi and the others hadn't entered Aryadovi, Luna might never have recalled her original identity for the rest of her life.

But they did enter, and Luna, guided by Gu Xi, even found her birthplace, which made her remember everything.

At that moment, Luna opened her mouth, a trace of chill in her voice.

"Actually, my appearance was an accident.

I am the spirit of this city, but not entirely part of it.

In British legends, if you toss a cloth doll or puppet under a bed corner or a table, as time passes, a House Elf will appear. They clean the master's rooms and watch over the hearth in exchange for the necessities of survival.

If you no longer want the elf, just give them a piece of clothing, and they will leave on their own.

Because of this legend, even families with children teach them from a young age not to casually throw cloth dolls under bed corners or tables.

If you suddenly find a cloth doll under a bed corner or table, don't move it carelessly; instead, wrap it in clothes and take it out."

Listening to Luna tell this folk tale, Gu Xi wasn't impatient; he listened carefully.

In his view, this was Luna explaining her origins from the ground up.

"My situation was an accident. When James I built Aryadovi City, he demanded everything be copied exactly, without the slightest change.

And as it happened, during the measurements, this cloth doll was thrown under the bed."

Luna pointed to a spot under the bed as she spoke.

Then she chuckled again. "The person measuring back then probably knew the taboo; they put clothes on the doll. But they never thought it was just a doll that had accidentally fallen there, not yet an elf.

After that, the position of this small house was a bit clever. Look over there."

Luna pointed up at the ceiling.

Gu Xi looked up and saw a crack there.

"This was already in the small building. Every time it rained, it would leak here, but Aryadovi City never had rain. Every night, the moon would rise.

And every day at midnight, the moonlight would precisely hit that mirror, then reflect through it to shine under the bed, right where the doll was.

Over time, I appeared.

So my name is Luna, meaning 'moon' or 'moon goddess.'"

Having said this, Luna sighed. "If not for what happened later, maybe I would have been the spirit of this small building, existing until it was destroyed.

But as you noticed, the person who measured it first, because of the taboo, gave me an extra piece of clothing. Plus, after this place was copied over, no one ever lived here, so I could temporarily leave the small building and wander around elsewhere.

Usually, I just roamed the nearby streets, and when I encountered those eerie figures, I'd quickly come back.

Anyway, those figures never entered the house, so I didn't worry about my safety.

And since I belong to the household spirit lineage, entering another house means that house falls under my protection.

So the area I could influence grew larger and larger, until I took something from that apartment building in the southeast."

"Apartment building?" Gu Xi interrupted Luna for the first time.

"Yes, that apartment building, seems to be Tangning Street No. 10. It looks like an ordinary Small Apartment, but after I went inside, I seemed to be affected and slept for a long time before waking up.

After that, I gained a deep understanding of this city and also realized that my appearance might have been this city's attempt to save itself."

Having said this, Luna fell silent for a moment. "Unfortunately, the city still died in the end."

After hearing Luna's story, Gu Xi fell silent too. He never expected Luna's story to be so twisted.

But he quickly recovered. "What do you plan to do now?"

Luna lifted her head. "I want to try to save this city, even if it's just a little."

Gu Xi stared into Luna's hollow eyes, without any hesitation. "I'll help you."

Hearing Gu Xi's words, Luna grinned.

"Thank you, Master. But my power is insufficient right now; I can't control all of Aryadovi City, only about a third of the Old City."

"How big is Aryadovi City?"

Though he knew the situation was urgent, Gu Xi still asked.

"2.9 square kilometers. Take away the walls, and there aren't many blocks left."

"Can we take it all?"

Gu Xi thought, less than three square kilometers, that's just three or four hundred football fields. Might as well take the whole thing.

Luna looked at Gu Xi helplessly. "Master, we need control."

"Alright, control—control first. You handle it."

Luna nodded and said to Gu Xi, "Sir, please step outside for a moment. I need to turn this small building into a Council Hall. The conversion will take some time, so I ask that you hold off the enemies for me."

"Don't worry."

Gu Xi patted the scimitar at his waist and spoke earnestly.

At this moment, Gu Xi was quite excited. He hadn't expected a chance to turn things around at this point—he'd thought the first Contract Undead he signed was a waste.

But it turned out he'd stumbled upon a treasure.

Just then, Luna floated in front of Gu Xi, touched his arm with her hand, and a surge of cold flowed into his body.

All the mana Gu Xi had consumed from using Summoning at full force was completely replenished.

Gu Xi looked at Luna in surprise, and Luna gave him a nod.

"Sir, this is all I can do for you."

Gu Xi waved his hand, drew his scimitar, and headed downstairs.

As Gu Xi left, Luna began her own actions. She placed the Round Mirror she had been holding in the center of the room, then pulled something out from the Cloth Doll.

It was the pen Luna had brought out from Tangning Street No. 10—the very reason she had transformed from a domestic City Spirit into a City Spirit.

Now, Luna used that pen to draw a few strokes on the Round Mirror. The mirror melted like ice and snow, eventually merging into the room itself.

But Gu Xi, who had just stepped out of the small building, hadn't even gotten a clear look at the battle outside when a ding rang in his ears.

[Ding! Luna (Contract Undead) is reclaiming her rightful authority. At her request, you have activated a Temporary Task!]

[Temporary Task: Dead City]

[Task Description: Tear apart, occupy, and protect this already dead city!]

[Task Requirements: Defend Council Hall conversion (0/1), eliminate three waves of enemies (0/3)]

[Task Reward: Necromancer special class skill—Death City.]

[Note 1: A dead city can also become undead.]

[Note 2: As the Necromancer's level increases, control over the Death City will also improve.]

An extra chapter in the middle of the night, begging for recommendations and follow-through in the new week!