A few days later, Moon Shadow sent a message asking to meet Yin Chao.
She looked much better, but something was missing from her eyes.
Yin Chao could not put the feeling into words.
It was as though a diamond had lost its brilliance, or a pearl had long been coated in dust.
Before he could speak, Moon Shadow spoke first.
She lifted the coffee on the table and took a sip.
"You haven't been in touch with Midnight for a long time, have you?"
Yin Chao had not expected that topic and went a little blank.
He had not contacted Midnight since their last time on the Ferris Wheel.
When he did not answer, Moon Shadow continued, "He hasn't been doing well lately. And I've received a new prophecy."
Yin Chao looked up at Moon Shadow, seemingly waiting for her to tell him what the prophecy said.
Moon Shadow did not answer immediately. Instead, she changed the subject. "You should know that only instance worlds below B-rank repeat."
Yin Chao nodded. Bai Yu had explained that to him.
It was also a major reason for forming guilds.
Low-rank instances generally had more newcomers, and repeat instances allowed experienced players to guide them through.
That approach greatly reduced the death rate.
Seeing him nod, Moon Shadow continued, "But among the S-rank instances, there's one very unusual instance."
Yin Chao had never heard of this, so he looked at her questioningly.
"Generally speaking, S-rank instances don't appear very often.
But that S-rank instance is strange. It repeats, and it appears with no discernible pattern.
Not a single player who entered has survived."
"It's almost as though... it's waiting for someone. Someone who truly belongs to the instance to enter."
Moon Shadow's gaze settled on the young man before her.
She continued,