Chapter 160: [Nightmare]
After Zhong Lingfan left, Xu Zhi began forging the lantern. With the upgraded materials, the resulting lantern looked more refined and intricate.
Because of the changes in the Little Aberrant creature, this time the lantern was black and gold, heavier in the hand, exuding a kind of ancient elegance. It didn’t look like an everyday item at all — more like a piece of decor.
Once she finished, and before sunset, Xu Zhi went to see the little aberrant creature. After soothing and interacting with it for a while, she sat among its tall branches, waiting for night to fall.
She took out her handheld console and asked the Narrator, “Do you know what the Federation believers are planning?”
[I do not.]
[But whatever it is, it won’t be anything good. Just be careful.]
[Still, even if the entire Federation gets covered by that formation, as long as Yun City isn’t, it shouldn’t be affected.]
“Even so, we can’t just ignore it,” Xu Zhi said, sounding troubled.
[True. You’ve already made enemies of them anyway — might as well sabotage everything they’re trying to do.]
“Would that even help?”
[Who knows? But it’s better than waiting around to die.]
“Fair point,” Xu Zhi sighed. If she could help it, she really didn’t want to deal with any of this. It was too much trouble.
Blame those idiots who caused all this in the first place — since they’re already dead, couldn’t they stay that way? Why crawl back out again?
“Old geezer!”
[Who are you cursing at?]
Xu Zhi blinked. “That one, obviously…”
[Oh.]
Seeing the Narrator’s reaction, Xu Zhi suddenly realized something and burst out laughing.
“You thought I was cursing you? Calling you an old geezer? So, you admit it?”
[No. I’m not. I didn’t.]
The Narrator quickly denied it three times in a row, which only made Xu Zhi laugh harder.
[Stop laughing and focus. We have serious matters to discuss!]
“Oh? What serious matters?” Xu Zhi asked cheerfully, lips still curved in amusement.
Even with all the bad news lately, it didn’t seem to dampen her mood. Despite knowing how hard the road ahead might be, she remained lighthearted most of the time. Unless a situation demanded seriousness, she didn’t see any point in making life miserable for herself.
She had already worked hard, already struggled as much as she could. If things still fell apart in the end — well, then everyone could just die together.
It was strange. Xu Zhi had a strong survival instinct, yet she wasn’t afraid of death. In fact, she faced it with a kind of easy calm.
Live if you can. If you can’t… you just die.
Contradictory, perhaps — but perfectly natural for Xu Zhi.
[After entering midnight, avoid using the Eye of Secrets as much as possible.]
“Huh? Even though I’ve already reached the second stage, I still can’t use it?”
[Yes. I’m worried you might see something you shouldn’t.]
What exactly was inside there? Xu Zhi grew even more curious.
[Besides that, once you’re inside, you’ll have only yourself to rely on. You’ll have to go deeper this time, and you’re bound to encounter more things. You may respond to them — but whatever happens, don’t lose yourself.]
“Got it.”
It all sounded like the usual warnings, but if the Narrator kept repeating it, there had to be a reason.
[Alright, it’s about time. Go.]
Xu Zhi nodded, jumped down from the branch, and walked to the base of the aberrant tree.
Countless massive roots were intertwined, anchored deep into the ground. As she approached, the roots stirred, opening a narrow, single-person passage for her.
The girl donned a black cloak, lit the crimson lantern, and stepped through the roots — into the perilous realm of Midnight.
Under the glow of the [Cup] lantern, she felt waves of that attribute’s energy swirl around her. It made her unconsciously tense up, an agitated restlessness rising from within. Her courage and temper grew stronger, but her clarity and caution weakened.
Thankfully, Xu Zhi had built some resistance to the effect — at least enough that it wouldn’t overwhelm her too quickly.
The moment she entered Midnight, the temperature plummeted. Last time, it hadn’t been so obvious, but this time it was as though she had stepped from a normal world into one shrouded in cold and snow.
Yet, the surroundings looked exactly as before — no sign of frost or ice.
Without lingering, Xu Zhi kept her head down and hurried forward, remembering the Narrator’s warning.
As she walked, she sensed she was passing something huge. She didn’t look up, didn’t stop — only felt the immense presence close beside her.
A chilling, bloody aura drifted nearby. Just walking past it made her skin crawl and every hair stand on end. She gripped the lantern tightly, forcing herself to keep moving — not too fast, not too panicked, just steady.
The thing beside her stirred slightly as she passed. Perhaps it recognized the [Cup] aura and, seeing nothing unusual, lost interest.
After she’d walked some distance farther, the surroundings seemed to open up. The oppressive air faded. Xu Zhi had just started to relax when—
“What are you doing?”
A voice spoke from directly behind her.
Goosebumps erupted down her spine. The moment the sound appeared, a cold wind seemed to brush over her, chilling her to the bone.
She didn’t dare look back. She simply kept walking, gripping the lantern tightly to anchor her sanity.
Fortunately, the [Cup] light kept her from panicking outright, even when a voice suddenly appeared behind her in the depths of Midnight.
Still, the [Cup] had its downsides.
When Xu Zhi didn’t respond, the presence behind her drew closer. The icy air pressed in, until it was within the circle of her lantern’s glow.
And yet, it wasn’t burned by the light — perhaps because of its shared [Cup] nature?
Xu Zhi quickly swapped in a [Lamp] core. The instant the lantern light changed color, a sharp cry of pain came from behind her.
“You’re being too cruel.”
The voice sounded aggrieved.
Xu Zhi was speechless for a moment. But as the [Lamp] light drove away the lingering pressure and cleared her mind, she realized the voice… sounded familiar.
Where had she heard it before?
Then it hit her — from the last time she was in Midnight.
“You actually dare come back here? What are you looking for?”
That nagging, talkative tone — of course. The black cat. Or rather, the original form of [Nightmare].
“How strange,” the black cat said, padding closer and tilting its head curiously. “You hide so well, yet I caught a whiff of something familiar and tracked you here. Why do you smell like me?”
