In Midnight's ancient, fantastical moonlit mountains, Fang Ran froze in surprise when he saw the mysterious girl who had once led him here again, standing above him on the eaves.
He had not noticed when or where she had appeared.
"You..."
On the moonlit slate-gray rooftop, the girl paid no attention to Fang Ran's surprise.
As if she found it amusing, she raised both arms and, keeping her balance in a wobbly manner, walked a stretch along the roof ridge as though crossing a balance beam.
Then she lightly hopped down beside him, wearing that same mysterious, airy smile.
"So? What do you think of Midnight? Do you find it fun here?"
Faced with her habit of launching straight into questions and talking to herself without any explanation, Fang Ran opened his mouth blankly, seemingly with countless things he wanted to say.
But in the end, he merely sighed with a helpless, wry smile, scratched his head, and thought for a moment before answering.
"What do I think? Honestly, it's even more incredible than I imagined."
After spending more than ten days in Midnight, the longer he lived there, the more astonished he became by its very existence.
The ethereal, breathtaking scenery, the fantastical Vermillion Pavilions and Red Pillars, the inheritances of power hidden within immortal mountains, and the vast secret realm beneath the mountains with its complete ecosystem—
They made Fang Ran feel as if he had arrived in another world.
"As for whether it's fun..."
At the girl's question, Fang Ran recalled his nightly clashes with the Night Watchers. Well, the nightly beatings. He spoke with a slightly rueful smile.
"It's way too fun."
Hearing that, the girl giggled, as if she had heard something particularly amusing.
Watching her cheerful expression, Fang Ran had not realized it when