The Church of Dusk

Zhou Kai had specialized in Western ancient languages and classics.

There was basically no way to avoid the Church of Dusk.

So he wasn't entirely ignorant about this religious group that called itself the "Light."

For example, Morning Star, the author of the Morning Star Notes.

That name carried considerable weight in the Church of Dusk's cultural sphere. Legend had it that he was an archangel who waved the banner and ushered in the dawn.

And now, the information Flash Dirham had sent was dismantling what Zhou Kai knew, then rebuilding it with new details.

Flash Dirham: "The Church of Dusk worships the Light itself, but the Limpidi Sect is different."

"They worship the Child of Light, the Child of Dusk... the Savior Saint."

Flash Dirham's messages paused for a moment. When they resumed, a long block of text appeared, nearly filling the screen.

"The Church of Dusk may have originated in an ancient doomsday panic. People believed that before the end of the 'Long White Day,' when life flourished, a Light of Twilight would come to save all living things."

"The Limpidi Sect held a different view. They believed the world would not be saved by the Light, but by the agent of the Light of the End."

"'The Word made flesh,' 'Sage of the Final Light,' 'Sin-Bearing Saintly Body'... Legend says that omens appeared whenever a sage of each generation was born. Because of these omens, the Limpidi Sect's churches cultivated plants associated with them."

"Gastrodia, representing Arcana II, as well as Dwarf Cyathea and Butterfly Moon Orchid, associated with two sages who vanished completely from history and whose existence can no longer be verified."

Zhou Kai stared at the reply on his screen, which was practically a short essay. His fingers hovered over the keyboard for a long time before he typed a few words: "Butterfly Moon Orchid? Is there another translation? Like..."

Before he could hit send, another message popped up.

"All three plants have scientific names. They used to be called something else."

"For example, Dwarf Cyathea was called Pippin Tree, and Butterfly Moon Orchid used to be called Moonlight Orchid... Oh, right. Butterfly Moon Orchid is extinct."

Zhou Kai's eyes shifted. He deleted what he'd typed and replied with two short words: "Thanks."

He leaned back in his chair and smiled thoughtfully.

Extinct?

I've still got more than a dozen live seedlings in my hands, and dozens of seeds, too.

Now the pieces fit.

If he wasn't mistaken, growing Gastrodia and Dwarf Cyathea in the Nursery should bring in rewards without costing any experience points.

Looks like he'd have to put some effort into finding those two plants.

Zhou Kai still had questions, and the other person clearly wasn't done talking either.

So he kept typing.

Zhou Kai posed another crucial question: "So, does the Limpidi Sect still exist? Where is it?"

Flash Dirham: "There used to be quite a few of them. They probably spread to your Red Star, too. But now... they've likely disappeared."

Zhou Kai: "Disappeared?"

Flash Dirham: "The last of the Three Saintly Flowers was the Butterfly Moon Orchid. It represented moonlight, the only light in the night after dusk... For the Limpidi Sect, the world had already been destroyed. They'd failed to save it, and had no reason to keep existing."

"As for how it ended... the Church of Dusk might have absorbed them again, or they might have suddenly vanished for some reason. Maybe both? It's hard to say."

Zhou Kai: "One last question. You seem to know even more than I expected..."

Zhou Kai pondered. Could this forum's top chatter actually be some kind of academic expert?

But the other person's reply wasn't what he expected.

Flash Dirham: "There's nothing surprising about it. I say what I want to say. I just don't want meaningful history to remain buried."

Zhou Kai lay in bed, staring at the pitch-black ceiling, his mind full of thoughts.

The new knowledge was like lubricant, getting the gears in his mind that had been sticking to turn again.

"Could it be..."

"Could Soraka Town in that short video really have been rebuilt on its original site?"

"And could the original town, its residents, and that Limpidi Sect church... all have been dragged into the Nightmare for some reason?"

Zhou Kai's brows knitted into a tight frown. As his thoughts progressed, goosebumps rose across his skin.

So it was true: while you stared into the Abyss, the Abyss stared right back at you.

"Did the end of the Long White Day mean the Nightmare's arrival? Could it be that the Church of Dusk had discovered Nightmare Syndrome thousands of years ago?"

The moment the thought surfaced, a chill crept up from his feet.

If the Nightmare had been brewing for thousands of years, eroding this world...

Then what about now?

How far had the Nightmare's invasion progressed?

Was it the moonlit depths of night, or the endless darkness of...

Nightmare Desolation?

In any case, it was all far more complicated than he'd imagined.

"This world is far more complicated than I used to think, too."

If Soraka Town had originated in reality, that meant supernatural powers existed in the real world itself.

"Looks like besides the Nightmare, it's also possible to take other people's Scars in reality to strengthen myself..."

There was no sign of the Church of Dusk in Xishan City, and Zhou Kai couldn't exactly go looking for a bunch of strangers to pick a fight with just to improve his Scar.

At that thought, only one thought remained in his mind.

"Hopefully, no one will come after me to improve their own Scar."

"If the Western Hemisphere has a supernatural system built around Scars, what about Red Star?"

"Ancient martial arts..."

"They're probably much stronger than I imagined."

Zhou Kai had a strong premonition that the strange abilities Chen Ping had shown might be only the most insignificant part of Red Star Ancient Martial Arts.

After thinking things over, Zhou Kai took a short nap.

His biological clock woke him from his light sleep before his phone alarm went off.

He had to go meet Chen Ping at the boxing gym soon.

The sky was just beginning to lighten. Before leaving, Zhou Kai glanced over his panel.

[Character: Zhou Kai]

[Status: Erosion, Clear-Headed]

[Scar: Chariot II (0/100)]

[Skills: Comprehensive Combat lv3 (1/50), Light Footwork lv3 (13/50), Soraka Swordsmanship lv2 (12/25), Mysticism lv2 (0/25), Falcon Strike Technique Lv1 (10/15)]

[Items: Residence Permit, Blood-Stained Axe, Morning Star Notes (Volume Three, Volume Two), Moonlight Orchid Seeds (plump), Exquisite Moonlight Orchid Amulet, Sturdy Two-Handed Sword]

[General Experience: 14]

With the double Clear-Headed status, he hadn't wasted the few hours he'd spent holding out in the Sanctuary.

The experience of several major skills had increased a little.

"Falcon Strike Technique is close to leveling up... I can't waste experience, so I'll break through with practice first."

He'd keep the remaining fourteen experience points in reserve, just in case.

The city was beginning to wake.

Downstairs, the Liu couple's breakfast shop was already lit. White steam from the bamboo steamers mingled with the scent of flour, swirling in the cold predawn breeze.

In an age when prepackaged meals were everywhere, their dedication seemed a little old-fashioned, but it had earned them a loyal following of regulars.

Sanitation workers, making less than half of Xishan City's minimum wage, were already starting their day.

Some retirees with nothing to do had gone out to exercise. The sounds of them patting their bodies and playing audio from their phones seemed to urge the young people passing by not to be late—good days were still ahead.

Male or female, young or old, tall or short, thin or fat, for most people, it was the start of an ordinary day.

Yet the moment Zhou Kai stepped out of the residential compound, he suddenly stopped.

That same old, ordinary routine seemed to be growing rarer.

"Sirens? And an ambulance?"

Following the sounds, Zhou Kai headed toward the street corner on his right.