Chapter 385

"For example, Nighttime Murder is indeed scary, but it's much better than a post-apocalyptic world. I don't want to eat any moss feast!"

Hmm, that makes some sense.

Yuki couldn't refute it, which could be considered finding joy in hardship and facing the cruel game with a positive attitude.

"Anything else?"

"Of course I know your real name, my dear brother." Mona's eyes shone. She enjoyed the process of Arrancar, and coupled with the revenge she had taken today, she was in a very good mood.

"Why don't you take off your mask so I can have a good look at you?"

"Don't want."

"Hmph, you're not that ugly, are you? There are at least a thousand ways to get plastic surgery in the Reincarnation Game. Let me tell you about them?"

Appearance is the easiest thing to change in the Reincarnation Game, so very few people use portraits to track people. Yuki snorted, didn't say anything, took out a few gold coins from the mayor's office, and put them directly on the table.

"Let's go find a hotel; we'll be busy tonight."

As dusk fell, pedestrians hurried along the road. The hunters, who had been chatting and joking, all came out and ran home as if collecting laundry during a thunderstorm.

This has become a habit. Everything is normal during the day, but as night approaches, everyone goes home, closes the door, and lies obediently in bed.

The night signifies fear and danger. If you stumble and break the Soul Lamp, then congratulations, the night will erase all traces of your existence.

"It's like a different kind of busyness." Mona held a fork, watching pedestrians rush home and close their doors, and seeing restaurant waiters scurrying home without even bothering to clear the plates.

In the Dark Night Continent, there are no overtime workers; regardless of the industry, everyone leaves work on time.

At 6:30 p. m., night fell an hour and a half later, exactly on time.

Yuki glanced at the silver pocket watch. The people here were as precise as clocks, knowing exactly how long it took to travel, eat, and wash up – their routines were incredibly regular.

"Let's go, the inn will close in half an hour. Who do you want to go out on the street?" Yuki got up, grabbed Mona who was looking around, and left. The inn said it would close at seven o'clock, and it wouldn't open for another second.

He then noticed that the town had a far greater number of clocks than usual; there were clocks hanging on restaurant doors and clock towers in the town square. When the minute hand pointed to '30', the first chime rang out.

Knock knock knock.

The residents, engrossed in their work, were jolted awake and formed another wave of people leaving work. Ringing the bell is the duty of the Night Watchers, and from now on, it will be rung every thirty minutes.

'How afraid are they of working overtime? According to the laws of the Fran Kingdom, forcing someone to work overtime is punishable by up to 10 years in prison, and if it results in someone going missing, it's considered murder.'

As a former corporate slave, Yuki felt a little envious. After 6:30, it was the residents of the Dark Night Continent's personal time. They might not necessarily go to sleep, but they would definitely stay at home peacefully. No matter how important the matter was, they would wait until dawn to deal with it.

The sky darkened visibly, and the streetlights came on, but they brought little light, as if Black Hole had descended and sucked in all the light. Only clusters of moving Soul Lamp shone brightly, like twinkling starlight.

Yuki observed everything and entered the inn. The landlady was hurriedly tidying up, so he was understanding and didn't argue about whether to book one room or two. The landlady also had nothing to advise him on.

This routine of life has long been ingrained in the very bones of every resident; even if someone falls seriously ill or their house catches fire, they have to wait until dawn to put out the fire.

Climbing the wooden stairs to the fourth floor and entering the room, Mona cheered and jumped onto the bed, rolling around on it. Yuki, however, went to the window and coldly looked out.

Ding ding ding.

The third chime signaled that it was past 7:30, and the narrow street was deserted, save for the various goods that hadn't been packed away yet.

The streetlights cast their light in vain; even with the gas cylinder emptied to its Limit, they couldn't produce any extra brilliance, just like someone slowly closing your eyes and letting everything return to darkness.

The hustle and bustle of the day and the silence of the night are clearly distinct.

Yuki finally understood the meaning of the background story: as time passed, the streetlights 'went out', and if it weren't for the Soul Lamp shining through the windows, he would have thought he had become blind.

"If someone who's afraid of the dark comes to this instance, they'll probably scare themselves to death." Mona quietly approached her. Actually, nothing could be seen in the room, just like the kerosene lamp that had just been lit had already gone out.

The room was completely dark, and the darkness brought a chilling stillness, with only a faint light from the chest illuminating the area within a few meters.

"Like you?" Yuki his head to look at Mona, whose face was deathly pale. Even with the two players' Soul Lamp superimposed, her face was still blurry.

"I'm just a little cold, that's why I'm not afraid of the dark." The girl stubbornly held her head, then shrank back in fright at the sudden ringing of the bell, clinging tightly to Yuki's hand.

Tsk, you're being stubborn, but I don't believe you're afraid of the dark.

Veteran players have seen it all; can anything be worse than the Abyss Grade? Some dungeons require players to go to the Abyss Grade environment multiple times.

It's eight o'clock, and night has fallen.

Aside from the rapid breathing around him, Yuki couldn't hear anything. He didn't possess any Transcendental Grade abilities like being terrified, but the darkness itself meant terror.

A strange aura surged in like a tide, as if countless invisible hands were pulling at your body, trying to extinguish the light and drag you into the darkness. And whether you look with your naked eye or with the Devil's Vision, all you see is the most primal terror.

The starlight was faint, and the light around him could barely illuminate a radius of one meter. He finally understood why the starlight was all near the window.

At least through the window, you can see other people. But it would be terrifying to go deeper into the house. It would be like a ghost story where you light a candle and walk alone, only able to see what's around you, with endless darkness just a meter away.

So what would you do? Of course, you would carefully hold the candle, afraid that the night wind would blow it out, and you would probably be so scared that your scalp would tingle.

A bizarre and terrifying place, where the environment itself creates endless fear.

Yuki gently grasped Mona's hand. For some reason, he liked this cold, deathly silence, which made his mind clearer than ever before.

"The darkness did not stop people from leaving their rooms; it was their own choice."

"Of course, I'm a little scared even staying in the room. Who would want to run around outside? What if I trip and fall?" Mona blinked repeatedly. As a Monster III player, her keen senses only amplified her fear.

The natives were results-oriented, but she could truly sense that beyond the light, in the pitch-black darkness, danger lurked everywhere, and countless monsters were hidden.

Indeed, those with enough courage could certainly wander the streets and take as much of the uncollected goods as they wanted. As Yuki listened to the 'clinking' of metal, he saw a cluster of starlight moving along the long street.

"The Night Watchers?"

"Yes, so they're called the Night Watchers, which is certainly fitting," Yuki replied affirmatively. Only the Night Watchers move freely in the darkness, which at least gives them a sacred aura.

The Night Watchers maintains order and prevents audacious thugs from committing crimes under the cover of darkness when people are afraid to go out. You probably wouldn't find one such madman in ten thousand people.

The darkness is not a terrifying legend, but Transcendental Grade phenomenon closely related to the residents here, which has lasted for countless years and is the core principle for building the foundation of society. Therefore, there are no nightclubs or late-night snacks here, and anyone who dares to walk at night must bear the risks.

"But players dare to venture out at night; it's practically the perfect environment for a bloodbath."

Yuki back into the house, Mona immediately followed closely behind. Seeing his face hidden in the night, she couldn't help but ask, "You... you really aren't afraid at all?"

"Yes, but like you finding joy in hardship, I'm good at turning every environment into a battlefield. Enough talk, let's get started on the experiment."

Mona nodded, moved even closer, and began to take out various props to experiment, making Yuki's expression become increasingly serious.

Whether it's illumination magic, high-tech spotlights, or even laser guns, nothing can be seen outside the range of the Soul Lamp's illumination; their light is swallowed by the night.

"This is a rule, a rule that level 5 items have absolutely no chance of resisting."

Yuki walked to the wall and touched a regular round hole. The red ray from the charged laser cannon did hit it, but the crimson trail that should have appeared was nowhere to be seen.

"Then snipers and mages are useless?" Mona was stunned. How could ranged players fight if they couldn't see the target?

"It's not that exaggerated. There's also spatial positioning and sound localization. Besides, the darkness also provides cover for their main bodies. Think about it the other way around. The illuminated area is so short that melee players don't have much room to maneuver." Yuki shrugged slightly. He could already think of some fancy tricks based on that alone.

If Kaguya were to crouch down in the town, how could anyone tell who the player was just by looking at those Soul Lamp? Then she could go ahead and light up the enemies, and who could react to the arrows she fired?

"Uh, you really are good at turning disadvantages into advantages." Mona was smart and immediately understood Yuki's idea. In the blink of an eye, she saw the flames ignite and her pupils dilated slightly.

"Hey, you can illuminate your surroundings with your soul energy."

Yuki had just ignited the flame of his soul, which did illuminate the room for a moment, but he shook his head. "It's a drop in the ocean. To be a human light bulb, I don't even have enough to burn myself, but it proves that the soul, this most essential energy, can illuminate the darkness."

"Phew, that's good. At least it can light up the darkness if we encounter danger."

Yuki rolled her eyes. This girl seemed to have completely ignored the qualifier 'not enough to burn'. There weren't many players who directly used souls, and flames extinguish in an instant. How much energy would it take to keep burning?

Is this a world governed by rules? Then what about the Dark Night Tide? According to records, it's more like a plague, capable of extinguishing Soul Lamp of a city.

Both day and Night Capital can be the main battlefield, each with its own advantages and disadvantages. For example, the daytime is unaffected, but the fighting is more noticeable.

The darkness can bury all movement, and even the natives rarely get involved, but this means risk, since the darkness itself is the enemy.

Yuki has already chosen a battlefield. This instance has two completely different styles. Night represents secrecy, but it is not a paradise for assassins or melee players.

The Soul Lamp is the best beacon; without it, you'd be swallowed by the night, but with it, how could you launch a sneak attack?

"But it's a good thing for me. It allows me to hide my identity to the greatest extent possible. As long as I kill everyone who's facing me directly, that's the best way to infiltrate."

Yuki suddenly remembered a famous quote, and quickly walked through the corridor. The creaking sound of the door opening was very jarring in the darkness.

"Where are you going?"

Mona's heart pounded in her chest as the man by the door appeared and disappeared, then opened the door and stepped into the darkness.

"I'm going to test the depth of the night, do you want to come along?"

Chapter Three: Testing the Eternal Night

Of course we should follow!

Mona immense reluctance, Mona followed along, her heart filled with dread even though the threat of the night had not yet materialized.

She was surprised; testing the darkness didn't require her personal involvement. But having spent time with Yuki, she knew that this seemingly cold and cruel older brother was actually a neutral and lawless person.

Yuki would not sacrifice innocent people for his own sake, even if they were insignificant natives, such as stealing someone's Soul Lamp and coldly watching them be swallowed by the night, or using hundreds of people for human experiments.

Perhaps it was because she saw through his true nature that my mother felt at ease selling me?

Mona in thought, Mona followed Yuki and headed towards the Black Forest. This was a true Black Forest; apart from the nearby trees, everything was pitch black, with only the roars of animals sending chills down one's spine.

"So the animals weren't swallowed by the night?" Mona gripped Yuki's clothes tightly, looking around.

"It should be selective consumption. Remember hint five?"

[Tip 5: The King of the Night will watch every player, seeking a target to hunt. He will only appear in the night and will only die in the Eternal Night.]

Mona nodded immediately. "King of the Night" was the key word, and this night was not a normal phenomenon. What He wanted was humanity.

"Could it be another Lost Ones waiting to be resurrected or something?"

Not-so-pleasant memories of the Wizard's Tower flooded back, Mona's little nose twitched; the smell seemed somewhat familiar.

"I don't know, but whatever it is, we just need to solve it. And this kind of dungeon means an epic achievement. I think that's what Valhalla wants." Yuki turned his head and saw the embarrassment on the girl's face.

"Uh, you don't want it?"

"I've already done things like saving the world. You focus on clearing dungeons, and I'll deal with the players. Maybe you can even get an achievement."

Yuki casually remarked that since Mona had entered the inner circle and possessed sufficient strength, he wouldn't mind sharing some of the benefits.

The girl stood there stunned. It was expected that Yuki would achieve an epic feat long ago, but she never expected him to say that.

This was also one of the gains; the Heroic Spirits originally intended to give it to Illya, after all, it was her ordeal.

He can get it? But why give it to me? Is this some kind of showing off?

As the light faded and darkness descended, she shivered and quickly followed.

"Wait for me, brother!"

It was like a casual promise; Yuki didn't care whether Mona took it to heart or not. She'd learn what it meant to keep one's word sooner or later.

He entered the Black Forest, and finding himself alone, he stopped.

"So, you really want to do this?"

"Don't worry, if we're doomed once we enter the night, how can the players fight each other?" Yuki believed in his own strength and in the word 'brute force' in the background prompt. He couldn't even get out of the game, and before they could even start fighting each other, the players were all wiped out by the night.

"How about I do it? Manas Consciousness can choose the future, I'll choose a future free from darkness." Mona mustered her courage; her Noble Phantasm was very special, not just a simple ability to Future Sight.

Yuki hesitated for a moment. He thought that Mena Ryougi must be quite capable to keep her by his side, but after thinking about it, he still shook his head and refused.

"I'll experience the darkness myself first. Don't rush me, you'll have plenty of opportunities."

Who wants to experience this monstrosity?!

Mona's eyes darted around, and she was about to chat with Yuki to distract him when she saw the latter wipe his chest, place the pin on the ground, and slowly back away.

Huh? Without the slightest hesitation?

Mona was stunned. Shouldn't she have been mentally prepared for something so terrifying? She instinctively moved forward, only to find that her light couldn't illuminate Yuki. The man seemed to sink into a dark swamp, blurring in the light and finally disappearing.

The girl remained in the outstretched position, like a statue, staring at the Soul Lamp on the ground, and couldn't help but shiver.

Yuki vanished, swallowed by the night the instant she left the range of the Soul Lamp.

It is confirmed that the Soul Lamp is more like a protective tool; once it leaves its illumination range, it will be swallowed by the night.

Yes, this engulfing felt like being dragged into an unfamiliar subspace.

It is confirmed that subspace is extremely dangerous.