Midnight

Biodata

Feature	Value
Name	Midnight
Original Name	午夜
Classification	Mysterious rule-bound realm/entity; its forest is also called the Land of the Fallen 162
Role	A dangerous burial realm whose rules, creatures, and boundary increasingly become linked to Xu Zhi 164 418 425
Status	Active; partially manifested in Cloud City and later claimed by Xu Zhi through her mastery of its rules 182 422 425
First Appearance	Mentioned in 3; true form entered in 80

Appearance

Midnight usually manifests as a cold, oppressive forest beyond an ordinary doorway. Its ground smells of earth despite the surrounding city, while a pale moon hangs over densely packed black trees. The trees are straight and branchless like blades; in the Land of the Fallen, each one is a tombstone for a buried powerful being. 80 162

• A pale, deathly moon illuminates the forest. 80
• Jet-black trees serve as graves or tombstones. 162 392
• Its sky, ground, and trees contain vast, intricate rule patterns that overwhelm those who inspect them directly. 164
• During its descent into Cloud City, much of the forest vanished and blood-filled trenches spread across the remaining paths. 187
• When Midnight’s rules react strongly, its sky resembles a river of stars and a full moon can rise within it. 418 421

History

Discovery and first entry

Midnight is first introduced as a nightly phenomenon that ordinary Familiars are warned not to witness directly. Entering or exposing oneself to its night mist before possessing sufficient strength is treated as exceptionally dangerous. 3

Xu Zhi learns that a Lantern is needed to enter Midnight safely. Its light provides shelter, but her first Lantern only illuminates a one-meter radius and requires high-tier [Lamp] Attribute Cores as fuel. 67 80 Upon entering, she finds the black forest rather than Cloud City’s streets and becomes the first known living person to survive witnessing Midnight’s true form after the Black Fog’s descent. 80 81

Intersections with Cloud City

A Rift connecting Midnight and the present world appears in Cloud City’s city center. The Narrator states that such Rifts are not natural, while Midnight’s ordinary rules prevent it from entering the real world and restrict its inhabitants from leaving. 126 132 133

An unnamed supreme being attempts to reshape Cloud City’s fog into an environment suitable for Midnight, intending to merge the city with the realm and use its inhabitants as aid. Xu Zhi’s seizure of a Fragment and control of Cloud City’s mist disrupt these plans. 178 179 Midnight later descends more fully upon Cloud City, though its manifestation suffers backlash and loses a quarter of its heads. 182

Desecration and the grave

While seeking remains for an advancement ritual, Xu Zhi digs up the Black Cat’s grave in the Land of the Fallen. The forest reacts violently and brands her palm for “desecrating Midnight”; the mark gradually strengthens Midnight’s erosive connection to her. 162 164

Much later, Midnight’s creatures pursue Xu Zhi for disturbing the grave. She placates the realm by burying a Spirit Vessel identical to herself, gaining a grave mound of her own and freedom to move within Midnight. 393 Thereafter, she consistently arrives beside her grave instead of appearing at a random location, and her attitude toward Midnight shifts from vigilance to a sense of returning home. 401 410

Rule mastery

Xu Zhi uses Midnight as a secluded place to study the immense rules that saturate it. After comprehending one symbol, she gains a resonance with Midnight sufficient to sense it and open a door into it. 413

When gods command buried creatures to attack her, Xu Zhi memorizes all of Midnight’s rules. Midnight’s own pressure overrides the external control, sending the resurrected creatures back to their graves. 414 During a later assault by [Cup], [Forge], and [Blade], Midnight resists [Cup]’s attempt to take Xu Zhi away and lends her greater access to its rule power. 417 418

Xu Zhi ultimately masters Midnight’s rules and consumes a Fragment. Her flesh, blood, and bones fuse with rule power, and she gains the ability to persist as long as Midnight’s rules remain unshattered. 421 422 She subsequently regards Midnight as belonging to her and believes its connection to her cannot be severed without destroying her. 425

Abilities & Properties

Boundary between worlds

Midnight is governed by a rule that normally prevents it from entering the real world and prevents entities within it from leaving.

• A Rift can connect Midnight to the present world, but such passages are unnatural. 126 132
• Supernatural creatures from the real world can enter through Midnight’s phantom, while Midnight’s own entities remain restricted from exiting. 179
• Its boundary can be distorted through external schemes, allowing partial fusion or descent into Cloud City. 178 182
• Xu Zhi later learns to open a door into Midnight through her resonance with one of its rule symbols. 413

Erosion and contamination

Midnight harms and changes those who enter it, particularly individuals with growing supernatural strength.

• Injuries sustained there differ from ordinary wounds and are accompanied by mental contamination. 118 119
• Its contamination causes dizziness, nausea, agitation, severe mental pain, and impaired movement. 118 119
• The stronger a visitor becomes, the more conspicuous and attractive they are to Midnight’s inhabitants. 118
• Xu Zhi’s desecration mark creates a progressively stronger connection between her and Midnight while she remains inside. 164

Graves and the dead

Midnight is a burial realm containing innumerable corpses and remains of extraordinary beings.

• The Land of the Fallen’s trees are tombstones, with powerful beings buried beneath them. 162
• Disturbing a grave can provoke Midnight’s wrath and draw attacks from trees, shadows, and buried creatures. 392 393
• Its dead can rise as tireless, painless supernatural soldiers when driven by Midnight or commanded by outside powers. 393 414
• Midnight can reclaim control of its dead and return them to their graves when outside forces interfere. 414

Rule saturation and defense

Midnight is filled with exceptionally dense and complex [Rules], making it both a perilous source of knowledge and a powerful defensive domain.

• Direct analysis with the [Eye of Secrets] floods the observer with information from the sky, ground, and trees. 164
• Its rules are described as more vast and complex than the rules Xu Zhi encounters elsewhere. 413
• Midnight resists intruders attempting to remove Xu Zhi, especially [Cup], because it recognizes her as something belonging to it. 418
• Its full moon and rule-light can annihilate demons and restore the realm to tranquility. 418
• Once Xu Zhi gains a grave and comprehends its rules, Midnight becomes unusually compatible with her and helps guide her understanding. 410 419

Relationships

• Xu Zhi — Initially a vulnerable intruder contaminated by Midnight, Xu Zhi becomes marked after desecrating a grave, then establishes a grave of her own and gradually gains affinity with its rules. After mastering those rules, she considers Midnight hers. 162 393 410 422 425
• Nightmare / Black Cat — A creature encountered within Midnight that identifies the Land of the Fallen and guides Xu Zhi through some of its dangers. Nightmare remains unaffected by Midnight’s aura while other Familiars are weakened. 162 392
• The unnamed supreme being — Seeks to merge Midnight with Cloud City by reshaping the city’s fog and exploiting Midnight as a source of power and protection. 178 179 187
• [Cup], [Forge], and [Blade] — External powers that intrude upon Midnight to seize or harm Xu Zhi; Midnight resists their interference and becomes more active during the conflict. 417 418
• Cloud City — The city becomes the primary site of attempted fusion with Midnight, first through phantoms and Rifts, then through a more complete descent. 125 126 179 182