In the moment Mo Yan was pulled off the cliff, his life flashed before his eyes. The pressure from the fall was so real, he couldn't breathe. But when he opened his eyes again… he found himself floating in midair.
"Huh? I'm… okay?" he looked down in disbelief. He was sitting on Zixuan's staff, with the vast, stunning landscape beneath them.
"I told you to relax," Zixuan said with a soft smile, seated ahead of him. "Don't forget, my class is Mage." She gripped her staff with one hand and held her wide-brimmed hat with the other as they flew toward the city.
Mo Yan exhaled in relief and smiled. "I nearly forgot. Well then, shall we keep going?"
"Of course. Just hang on tight!" Zixuan nudged her heels and picked up speed. "Oh, and just because I let you ride with me doesn't mean you can take advantage. You know what'll happen if you try, right?"
Mo Yan barely heard her—he was already lost in the beauty beneath them. All unpleasantness seemed to vanish in the wind.
Yeah, this was fast. And the scenery? Absolutely breathtaking. Though… wait, was it just him, or did he see a trail of exhaust winding through the forest? Like… from a motorbike?
As they neared the city, Zixuan landed them in a secluded patch of woods to avoid drawing attention. After touching down, they made their way to the main road and approached the city gates.
The city wall was tall and imposing—but completely unguarded. The gates stood wide open. Above the archway was a crescent moon emblem, and beside it, three crudely drawn characters. Mo Yan squinted at them.
"This writing isn't Chinese," he said, looking at Zixuan.
She nodded. "It's not any known foreign language either—and definitely not the text from the game UI. Wait a sec, I think I brought a translation item from the game… let's see if it works."
She pulled a glass-like tablet from her backpack and scanned the gate. A few seconds later, characters appeared: Xuan Yue Town.
"Huh… That name's not from any of the in-game maps either," Zixuan said, deep in thought. "Looks like we really have arrived in a place that's both familiar and completely foreign. No use standing here—let's head in and find a shop."
Mo Yan nodded, and the two stepped through the gates into Xuan Yue Town.
But like the forest outside, the town was eerily quiet—far quieter than they expected. They walked for quite some time, passing various shops and houses, yet all of them were either closed or strangely deserted.
"Something's off. Don't you think it's weird?" Mo Yan finally said, stopping in his tracks. "We've walked half the town already, and there's nobody. And it's not like it's nighttime or a holiday. Why are all the shops shut?"
"You're right," Zixuan replied with a nod. "This place is unnervingly quiet. I have a feeling… something happened here before we arrived."
The streets were dusty, but not chaotic. There were no signs of destruction or battle, and the city gates were undamaged. That seemed to rule out any kind of raid or invasion. But then… what had happened here?
"Let's go deeper. Maybe we'll find something."
They continued toward the town center. Finally, next to a flower shop, they saw someone.
"There! A person!" Zixuan grabbed Mo Yan's hand and rushed over. "Let's ask her what happened here!"
"Excuse me, miss—" Zixuan started, but immediately sensed something was wrong.
The flower shop owner stood behind the counter, eyes empty, her expression lifeless. She didn't respond. She didn't even look at them. It was as if she were… hollow.
"This is strange…" Zixuan murmured, lowering her head in thought.
Mo Yan leaned in. "Could this be the reason the whole town feels like a ghost town?"
"Highly likely," Zixuan said, turning around. "And this doesn't seem to be a natural condition."
Just then, more footsteps echoed through the streets. Before long, they saw more people—each of them moving like the florist, expressionless and vacant.
They stumbled forward with glassy eyes, occasionally bumping into each other, but never reacting. Even when they collided head-on, they merely got up and continued walking, like zombies.
Mo Yan pushed deeper into the town. With every step, the number of these "soulless" townspeople increased. Some sat on the curb. Others walked into windows or walls. It was only the fact that they hadn't attacked him that kept him from assuming he was in a full-on zombie apocalypse.
"You were right," Zixuan said as she stepped into the middle of the street. "This explains the silence."
"But what caused it?" Mo Yan asked, stroking his chin. "Why are they all like this?"
"No idea. Medically speaking, there's no precedent for this." Zixuan glanced around, thoughtful. "But… do you notice something? They're all missing something—their light."
"'Light' is a symptom now?" Mo Yan asked, puzzled.
He took another look. Sure enough, as Zixuan had said, every single person had a dull, washed-out look. Their skin, eyes, hair—even their clothes—lacked all luster or vibrancy.
What the hell… First transmigrating, and now light-stealing? What next? Was someone sneaking around at night, stealing people's light while they slept? That'd be ridiculous—too ridiculous, even for this world.
"I get how you feel," Zixuan said. "Scientifically, this is beyond absurd. But maybe that's exactly why these people are the way they are."
In life, people need light—something to guide them, something to believe in. Without it, they lose direction. And once they're lost, despair sets in. That's when they become… like this.
Mo Yan sighed. "Okay, okay. So let's say you're right. Everyone's lost their light. What do we do? Track down whoever stole it and force them to give it back? That's practically a fairy tale."
"I get it," Zixuan replied, shaking her head. "But sadly, this isn't something we can solve. Maybe the lord of this town is already trying to figure it out."
She looked toward the distant castle on the hill.
Seeing her resigned expression, Mo Yan sighed again. "I hate standing by and doing nothing… but we're powerless here. Sorry, everyone."
He turned to the dazed townspeople, offering a silent apology.
Just then, a cloaked figure dashed past and nearly knocked him over.
"Ah! Sorry! My bad!" the figure shouted as he ran, weaving through the listless crowd and heading straight for the castle.
Zixuan rushed over. "Mo Yan! Are you okay?!"
Mo Yan stood up and waved her off. "I'm fine. But… that guy didn't look like he had that 'lost light' thing."
That sentence lit a fire in Zixuan's mind.
"You're right! How did I miss that? He looked like a young man. Probably a survivor. If that's true, then he has to know what happened here!"
"Then what are we waiting for? Let's go after him!"
~~------------------------
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