Chapter 1070: Chapter 39: City of the Deep Night
[Midnight City – Outer City – Bean Potato District]
[Outer city resident Lannar disappeared on the night of the third day of the New Year. Neighbors heard Lannar’s screams at midnight. Since Lannar lived alone, the next day the neighbors reported this to the landlord, who knocked on the door but got no response, and then reported it to the local Police Station. When the Police Station arrived and opened the door, Lannar’s room was empty, with no trace of blood.]
[Task: Investigate the mystery of Lannar’s disappearance/death]
[Advanced: Completely resolve this task]
[Hint: Visit Detective Chief Victor at the Police Station for case details]
[Basic Reward: 1 credit; 1 squad point]
The task letter circulated once, returning to Kiluat. Kiluat put the letter away and began distributing the tree-shaped badges.
They symbolized the identity of students from Giant Tree Academy, which provided some conveniences and privileges when entering Midnight City.
Lu Li took the tree-shaped badge and pinned it on his chest, the light once again draping over his body.
The elevator descended to the transfer area.
The Holy Light Squad left the elevator platform, moving forward along the alchemical slab marked with [Midnight City→].
“Naxi, will you go see your family after the task?” Kiluat asked.
“Of course.”
Naxi hadn’t been home for two months.
Students had limited opportunities to leave Giant Tree Academy; lower-grade students couldn’t even leave the canopy. Only from the middle grades could they temporarily go out through tasks.
The silhouettes of middle, upper-grade, or even lower academy students moved back and forth in the dim, hollow corridors. Some noticed Lu Li, slowing down or even halting to follow.
“Lu Li…”
Yege softly reminded.
Understanding, Lu Li donned his cloak, pulling up the hood to shield his black hair and eyes.
Giant Tree Academy prohibited fighting, and the students weren’t overly fervent. But if they reached Midnight City… Lu Li was too recognizable, almost no resident wouldn’t recognize him.
Lu Li’s appearance in Midnight City might trigger a disaster.
Lu Li’s actions deterred the approaching silhouettes from following, and the Holy Light Squad smoothly reached the elevator to the outer city of Midnight City, descending gradually.
Passing the rough, jagged rock walls, the elevator emerged from the rock layers into the vast underground city.
The buildings stretching beneath their feet, organized yet cluttered, encircled towering cliff-like, exquisite, and tall structures of the Inner City. A gap of dozens of meters between Outer and Inner City formed an insurmountable chasm.
The Inner City surrounded an even taller Central City, where magnificent, fantastical, or towering structures stood in the core of Midnight City, overlooking the entire city.
Midnight City resembled a three-layered cake.
And piercing through the rock layers were roots that either hung down or pierced through the city like stone pillars, making Midnight City resemble a hollow of the World Tree. The truth was near—Midnight City sat at the core root area of the World Tree underground.
Beneath lay the forbidden zone swamp, and below that was the core of the old sewers, Midnight City Main Station.
Lu Li turned to look at the city’s outskirts, where rugged cliff outlines of expanding machinery lingered at the edge of his vision.
Minutes later, the elevator landed at the Giant Tree Academy camp.
Kiluat collected a map from the Gatekeeper, returning to his teammates.
“Bean Potato District is a few dozen minutes away. Lu Li, you haven’t been to Midnight City before, right? Shall we walk there?”
“Yeah.”
The last time Lu Li set foot in Midnight City was just three months ago. But the world had drastically changed since, and people had retreated underground, ushering in a new Dark Era.
Walking along the uneven stone roads between shacks and buildings, Lu Li silently observed the people glancing his way.
The residents at the bottom of Midnight City, striving to live, seemed in decent condition. Despite patched linen clothing, no one was barely clothed. Despite looking tired and thin, no one was emaciated. The streets had people coming and going, and shop windows had patrons.
After all, they weren’t truly at the bottom. Those struggling with basic necessities were in the slums, old sewers, or outer Spirit Town.
Yet, Lu Li’s silent observation vaguely uncovered changes in people… Some residents had scales growing like fish scales or eczema, some had hair that twisted into thick, knotted locks, and some had limbs becoming either flat and long or thin and short.
Due to prolonged use of contaminated food, people exhibited sick mutations…
Despite being only embryonic forms discernible through careful observation, the bustling yet eerie scene felt both familiar and foreign to Lu Li.
The rest of the Holy Light Squad paid it no mind. Born into this world, what unfolded before their eyes was the true nature of the world. The Old Era was a distant and illusory beautiful imagination.
“This is the real, no longer delusional world. It’s also the world we wish to change. Remember the meaning of Giant Tree Academy, remember the meaning of your existence… Do not go gentle into that good night.”
Professor Chris’s speech at the New Year’s banquet echoed in their ears.
With the Giant Tree Academy badge, the Holy Light Squad avoided trouble with pickpockets and ruffians, reaching the vicinity of Bean Potato District in forty minutes.
They first found Detective Chief Victor at the Police Station.
“Elites from Giant Tree Academy?” Detective Chief Victor, with his legs on the desk, listlessly holding a morning paper, tore the paper open with a “swish,” sat up straight, and gestured for them to sit opposite: “Please, have a seat! You’re here for Lannar’s disappearance, right?”
Kiluat glanced at the damp footprints on the desk that hadn’t yet disappeared, calmly said, “We need more information on Lannar’s disappearance.”
“All the materials are here!” Detective Chief Victor pulled out a stack of paper documents. “If you need, I can also accompany you to the scene for an investigation.”
After a quick glance, Kiluat handed them to Lu Li and nodded to Detective Chief Victor: “Take us there.”
Following Detective Chief Victor, they arrived at a connected shack in a dim alley. The surroundings were quieter, as nearby residents had temporarily moved away or been evicted.
“Found any clues?” Kiluat asked Lu Li, who was flipping through to the last page.
“A notebook. Lannar couldn’t read or write, yet a notebook was on the table.”
“That’s right, Lannar couldn’t read, indeed the students of Giant Tree Academy!” Detective Chief Victor flattered ingratiatingly.
“So, have we locked onto the source?” Kiluat asked with slight surprise.
“Not sure yet, it could also be a curse on Lannar or control by something strange,” Yege interjected, taking the key from Detective Chief Victor and walking toward the closed wooden door.
Kiluat raised a diamond-shaped hand shield, covering Yege as he approached the door.
“Wait.”
Lu Li called out to them. He opened his satchel, taking out two bottles of Guardian Potion, handing one to Detective Chief Victor.
The other team members understood, retrieved their Guardian Potions from their satchels, and consumed them.
Detective Chief Victor, who followed suit, smacked his lips, thoughtfully staring at the empty bottle. Meanwhile, Yege turned the key in the lock.
Kiluat took his place, pressing the diamond-shaped hand shield forward, and pushed open the loose wooden door.
Bang—
The wandering tranquility was disturbed, dust scattering in the dim light.