Chapter 362: The First Night
Translator: RaidenTL
Chapter 362: The First Night
Night had fallen?
Muen looked up in astonishment as the sky was swallowed by darkness.
Stars dotted the expanse—ethereal, distant, and blurred—leaving only the clear, bright moon to illuminate the world below.
"Where there is day, there is naturally night. It’s a bit sudden, but normal enough. Only... there is no sun here. Why should there be a moon?"
With a single glance, Muen could tell the stars were nothing more than a backdrop, much like the blue sky and white clouds of the day—mere illusions painted on a curtain.
But the moonlight was vivid and pure. As the only light source in this world, it didn't seem like a fabrication.
A real moon?
A fake moon?
Or was it...
But that moon was already dead, and this Lost Homeland seemed to have nothing to do with it. It shouldn't be...
"Muen..."
Liya’s soft, concerned voice pulled Muen back to reality.
"What should we do? Do we keep going?"
She seemed to have noticed the strangeness of the moon as well, her bright, watery eyes gazing toward the horizon.
"Continuing... probably isn't a good idea."
Muen pulled out his pocket watch. It had been eight quarters of an hour since they entered Cantville. Although they had rested briefly in the deserted village earlier, that was several hours ago.
It was also inconvenient to move under the cover of darkness.
"No need to rush. Let's find a place to rest first."
"Mm, I’ll follow your lead."
*
"This place should be safe."
After entering the abandoned town, Muen found a relatively intact house to serve as their temporary camp.
To save time, he once again "extravagantly" used Holy Light to purge the filth from the room. Then, he laid out expensive blankets on the floor and started a fire with pre-prepared firewood.
Soon, the aroma of food wafted through the air, enough to make anyone’s mouth water. However, it wasn't the food found scattered throughout the Lost Homeland; it was Muen’s own supplies.
Although neither Muen nor Liya had detected anything wrong with the local resources, it was better to be safe than sorry.
Muen poked at the fire to make it burn brighter, then shifted his gaze slightly to his side.
High-grade steaks, skewered on branches he had peeled by hand, looked incredibly tempting even with such simple roasting.
Of course, even more tempting was the girl sitting in the firelight. The glow painted her cheeks like the colors of a sunset, and her tender pink lips glistened from the oils of the meat.
Muen took one look and quickly averted his eyes, taking a large bite of his own steak.
Even without seasoning and using a cooking method that was practically sacrilegious for such meat, Muen still found it delicious—better than anything from a top-tier chef in a high-end restaurant.
"It feels... very familiar," Liya said, tucking her feet under her skirt and hugging her knees. "It feels like we’ve done this before."
"Yeah."
Muen knew she was referring to their time in the Forest of Death. They had sat by a campfire just like this—warmth in front of them, and boundless darkness and the unknown behind them.
It felt like only yesterday.
"But... there are a lot of differences, too."
Liya tossed a small twig into the flames, letting it be consumed as the fire flared brighter. It reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle.
Muen couldn't help but steal another glance. "What’s different?"
"Back then, we couldn't afford steak this good."
"We only had wild fruit and octopus."
"And we didn't have soft blankets to sit on."
"Leaves are actually pretty soft."
"And..."
Liya’s lips parted, but the words at the tip of her tongue remained unspoken.
And my heart feels different.
How could she possibly say that out loud?
The firelight didn't just illuminate Liya; it cast its glow on the man beside her. Liya secretly pressed a hand to her chest, feeling that annoying thump-thump starting up again.
The surroundings fell silent for a moment, save for the sound of flames licking the wood.
"Rest up. Most people are converging on this area now. Tomorrow, the competition will likely be fierce," Muen said, swallowing the last of his steak.
"Mm."
Liya obediently curled up on the blanket, lying on her side.
She had a small blanket of her own. With such ample preparation, this was indeed much more comfortable than that night in the forest.
However, this time, sleep didn't come easily to Liya.
She couldn't stop herself from peeking at the man sitting as still as a statue before the fire.
One glance, then another.
After countless glances, drowsiness finally took hold, and Liya’s eyelids gradually closed.
*
Hearing Liya’s breathing stabilize, Muen stood up and turned around.
However, he didn't look at the now-defenseless girl. His gaze pointedly avoided her, shifting instead to the window.
"Tomorrow is definitely going to be lively."
In the silence, Muen thought he heard a faint, unusual commotion in the distance.
Likely, some people couldn't wait and had already begun fighting despite the darkness.
According to the intelligence Ellag had provided, he and Liya were moving relatively slowly. By tomorrow morning at the latest, the majority of the participants would surely be gathered within this town.
It wouldn't be as peaceful as today.
"But... speaking of which, isn't it too peaceful?"
Muen frowned.
Before entering, the Church had stated that the outer regions of Cantville weren't particularly dangerous based on previous explorations.
But after these few hours, Muen felt that "not particularly dangerous" was an understatement. The light was soft, the breeze was pleasant, and the scenery was beautiful. It was practically a vacation resort.
"Is it only after passing that wall and entering the inner region that the dangerous nature of an ancient ruin reveals itself...?"
Muen gazed out at the world under the moonlight—mysterious and quiet.
"Or is it... forget it. I’m probably overthinking things."
Shaking his head, he waved his hand to set up the necessary alert charms and then closed his eyes.
*
"Has it begun?"
Under the moonlight, a figure in a fluttering long dress stood still, hands clasped at her forehead as if in prayer.
Then, she slowly leaned down and placed the swaying flowers in her hand onto the ground... onto a corpse.
The corpse’s eyes were wide, as if it had died in lingering resentment.
In its hand was a torn Spatial Magic Scroll, its light completely faded.
"A pity," the figure sighed with regret, covering the body with flowers.
"It is not yet time. I need to... wait a little longer."
"But..."
"Soon..."
Her tone betrayed an unbearable anticipation for whatever was coming.
*
"Save me..."
"Save us..."
"Save..."
"Hah!"
Liya snapped her eyes open.
The ceiling, spotless after being purified by Holy Light, came into view.
The surroundings were unfamiliar, but she didn't feel uneasy, because that solid, dependable figure was still by her side.
Liya let out a long breath and looked around.
She had clearly heard someone calling for help, but the moment she woke up, the sound vanished.
Was it a dream?
It must have been.
But why would she have a dream that was only sound and no images?
I must be too nervous, she thought.
She couldn't help but turn her head to look at Muen, who was leaning against the wall. She looked at his closed eyes, his well-defined brows, his handsome face...
No, no, Liya Angel, what are you doing? Peeking like this is so...
But she just couldn't help it.
Liya shook her head vigorously, tossing away those stray thoughts. Her cheeks were still a bit flushed.
She stood up and tiptoed to the window, wanting to catch a bit of the cool night air.
The moon still shone brightly; all was silent.
"I wonder how much longer until dawn."
Liya pushed open the dilapidated window.
"The moon’s position doesn't seem to have—ugh! So foul!"
The moment the window opened, it wasn't a refreshing breeze that met her, but...
A nauseating, overwhelming stench.
The smell of rotting corpses.