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Novel: [Night Without Borders]
Chapter 2: [The Fire Spring]
Author: [Chen Dong]
Translator: [Shadow Knight AK]
Editor: [Shadow Knight AK]
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The Fire Spring, surrounded by stone, steamed with vaporous mist, its radiant glow even more striking against the perpetual night.
Qin Ming crouched down and scooped a luminous stone from the pool. More lustrous than red coral, it radiated a soft, ethereal light.
All the sunstones used by the various families originated from the Fire Spring.
Once extinguished, they could be returned to the spring, where they would regenerate to their original state after a period of time.
The pool's fiery red light, though as brilliant as molten lava, was far cooler than human body temperature.
Its shimmering surface danced with flickering flames, yet it was neither true fire nor water, but a unique substance unlike anything else.
In this era where daylight had vanished, only Shallow Night and Deep Night remained.
In such a world, the Fire Spring held paramount importance.
Whether it was the mutated grain Silver Wheat or common crops like Sweet Potatoes, all agriculture depended on the Fire Spring's water for growth.
Moreover, prolonged absence from the Fire Spring would cause discomfort in humans.
In essence, it was the fundamental source of survival for the people.
Even in this sunless world, distinct seasons persisted.
Spring and summer marked the Fire Spring's active period, when it gurgled forth abundantly, providing ample water for cultivation.
Winter, however, was its dormant phase.
In places like Twin Tree Village, though the pool still glowed, it could only be used to nurture sunstones for illumination.
In an age without daylight, humanity lived by "chasing fire."
The Fire Spring was so conspicuous in the darkness that it naturally attracted the attention of various creatures lurking in the night.
Fortunately, each species had its own territory, maintaining a fragile balance most of the time.
Twin Tree Village suffered from food shortages, primarily due to raids by monstrous birds during harvest season.
Their beaks sliced through wheat stalks like scythes, stripping entire clusters bare in a single bite.
Other factors, such as ant plagues and human factors, had also contributed to the villagers nearly starving to death during the winter.
It was currently Shallow Night, the night sky relatively pale, with occasional "earthlight" rising in the distance, faintly illuminating the dense forest's silhouette.
By deep night, however, all visibility vanished.
Everything fell silent, and the darkness became oppressively terrifying.
Qin Ming pondered when he could venture out to solve the critical food shortage.
He gazed into the wilderness, but the extreme darkness obscured distant landscapes.
The accumulated snow had already reached chest-deep, making survival conditions exceptionally harsh.
Near the village entrance, the Fire Spring cast a bright glow across the surrounding area.
A cold wind swept across the land, causing ripples to shimmer across the surface of the six-square-foot Fire Pool.
The black and white twin trees within rustled, shaking off accumulated snow that sparkled like colorful jewels in the fiery glow.
The trees' jade-like leaves remained unfazed by the bitter cold. However, aside from repelling mosquitoes during the summer, they served little practical purpose.
Qin Ming felt the icy snowflakes falling from the tree onto his neck, snapping him out of his reverie.
No matter what, he needed to recuperate further; the outside world was far too dangerous.
He walked back along the same path, the flickering lights of the houses ahead starkly contrasting with the dark wilderness behind him.
The desolate landscape loomed like a colossal beast poised to devour everything.
Standing in the courtyard, Qin Ming began his daily exercise routine, moving with practiced fluidity. Years of repetition had made these movements almost instinctive.
After a long while, sweat beaded on his forehead, and a warmth spread through his body.
Only then did he stop.
He entered his room and retrieved a miniature crystal bottle, no larger than his thumb. Exquisitely carved and transparent, it contained a blue liquid shimmering with ice crystals.
He held it carefully up to the fiery glow of the sunstone, examining it closely.
Two characters were etched onto the tiny bottle: Mineral Essence.
The liquid inside was an intoxicating shade of blue. When gently shaken, the blue mist swirled within, creating an ethereal, dreamlike effect.
Qin Ming resisted the urge to open the bottle. Having just recovered from a severe illness, using the Mineral Essence now would do more harm than good.
He had stumbled upon this treasure in a dangerous mountain region.
Before this, he had only heard of "Mineral Essence"; such precious substances were beyond his reach.
When used after the body has been brought to peak condition, it could enhance physical constitution and invigorate the spirit.
Since escaping the mountains, he had been bedridden with illness, never having the chance to try it.
"Perhaps I can use it in a few days," Qin Ming said, carefully putting away the exquisitely crafted crystal vial.
A cold wind blew through, carrying scattered snowflakes.
Qin Ming lived alone, and his quiet courtyard felt desolate, almost barren.
He was used to it...
As time passed, the night deepened, and Shallow Night was coming to an end.
Lu Ze arrived with a boy around five years old. Though bundled up tightly, the child's cheeks were flushed red from the cold.
"Wen Rui has grown taller again," Qin Ming remarked, gesturing to the boy's height.
"Uncle, are you feeling better?" Lu Wenrui asked, tilting his head up with concern. His large, clear eyes shone with innocent charm.
Qin Ming smiled. "I'm good now. In a few days, your uncle will catch you that Talking Sparrow you've been dreaming about."
"A Talking Sparrow that can talk to people? Really? That's great!" Xiao (Little) Wenrui exclaimed, his eyes sparkling with excitement.
"Something's been off outside lately," Lu Ze said, handing Qin Ming the food box. "Don't rush out."
Though Rock Rice was relatively coarse and tough, Qin Ming's mouth watered at the sight.
With only two meals a day, he was truly hungry.
The rice even contained a few red dates, exceptionally soft, smooth, and sweet.
Qin Ming noticed Xiao Wenrui staring intently, swallowing hard.
Feeling guilty, Qin Ming crouched down and asked, "Wenrui, tell your uncle, are you still hungry?"
Lu Ze shook his head. "No. He's just looking at the red dates."
Qin Ming immediately picked out several red dates and offered them to the handsome, earnest little boy.
Lu Ze stopped him. "Your sister-in-law added those specifically to replenish your qi and blood. Don't give them away."
Liang Wanqing arrived at that moment and looked at Wenrui. "Your Uncle Qin is weak. We have no meat or medicine right now, so don't be greedy."
She wasn't a bad person.
Earlier, she had argued with her husband, believing Qin Ming wouldn't survive like the other three villagers, making any aid futile.
But now that he was showing signs of recovery and no longer drifting in and out of consciousness, Liang Wanqing, despite knowing their food supplies were dwindling, still wanted to help.
Xiao Wenrui nodded obediently, his big eyes blinking. "Uncle, you eat quickly and get better soon. I'm not hungry anymore."
Qin Ming couldn't possibly eat.
He insisted on feeding the dates to Xiao Wenrui, feeling a pang of guilt.
He knew he needed to venture into the dense forest soon.
He felt deeply grateful to the couple but refrained from excessive politeness, instead focusing on understanding the current situation outside.
Liang Wanqing sat down for a brief chat before returning home to care for her two-year-old child.
"Recently, massive creatures have been roaming the dense forest, causing casualties..." Lu Ze warned him, emphasizing that venturing out alone was now extremely dangerous.
Qin Ming nodded, listening intently.
Whether due to the relentless blizzard making it difficult for mountain beasts to find food, or some other reason, the wilderness was unusually active.
Particularly in the area where Qin Ming had contracted his strange illness, pupils brighter than sunstones had once pierced the mountain's darkness, instantly silencing the entire forest.
Hearing this, Qin Ming couldn't help but recall his harrowing experience from a month ago.
That day, in the dark forest, he and three companions had suddenly lost their footing and plunged into a hidden crevice.
The underground realm was utterly bizarre.
After an oppressive darkness came a blinding light that seared their eyes, forcing tears to stream down their faces.
Most unsettling of all, his heart had begun to pound with unnatural force, like a frantic drumbeat so loud it reverberated through his chest and even beyond.
Even now, the memory left him shaken.
At that moment, he was paralyzed, his blood rushing through his veins, and he vaguely heard the roar of a waterfall.
Qin Ming thought he was going to die, convinced his heart would explode.
Soon, the blinding light deep within the crevice began to fade.
He saw strands of silver light, like silk threads or spiderwebs, intertwining and distorting his perception of space.
Qin Ming's head swam, while his companions had already fainted.
Only when the silver light vanished abruptly, plunging them into complete darkness, did Qin Ming's heartbeat gradually return to normal and his body regain mobility.
He carried his three companions out of the crevice one by one, waiting a long time for them to regain consciousness.
During this time, Qin Ming also discovered several corpses near the crevice, dressed in fine clothing and seemingly recently dead.
Following his pragmatic principle of not letting anything go to waste, he quickly searched the bodies and found the small crystal bottle containing the blue liquid.
Qin Ming had never mentioned the bottle to Lu Ze, fearing trouble because the dead men clearly had connections.
The mountains were teeming with wild beasts, so he assumed nothing would remain of the bodies, and all traces would be erased.
As Qin Ming and his companions made their way back to the village, they gradually began to feel unwell, their steps faltering and their minds growing hazy.
The three companions who returned with Qin Ming died on the same day, their bodies turning black.
Only Qin Ming endured for a month before recovering.
After eating coarse rice, Qin Ming and Lu Ze talked for a long time.
Wen Rui, being very sensible, listened quietly beside them.
As the atmosphere relaxed, Qin Ming turned to the slightly shy boy and said, "Wen Rui, once Uncle gets better, I'll let you eat as many dates and hazelnuts as you want."
"Will there be meat too? I... haven't had any in a long time," Xiao Wenrui whispered, swallowing hard as if recalling the taste. His rosy cheeks flushed with anticipation.
"There will be!" Qin Ming said, affectionately patting his head.
As night deepened, Lu Ze rose to leave with Wen Rui.
Inside the room, the flames radiating from the sunstone in the bronze basin dimmed.
Qin Ming closed his eyes and sat in meditation, mentally visualizing his own form and practicing specific movements to train his mental power.
He continued until his mind emptied completely.
The moment he opened his eyes, he glimpsed a faint silver light flicker and vanish.
"Was that an illusion?" Qin Ming murmured, startled.
Though the glimpse had been fleeting, he was certain he hadn't imagined it.
A faint silver ripple had indeed dissipated from his skin, vanishing in an instant.
He had persisted in this unique training method for many years without any noticeable results.
Yet today, something extraordinary was happening!
Qin Ming noticed a fine layer of sweat covering his body, as if he had just completed a strenuous workout, yet his mind felt remarkably energetic.
He stepped into the courtyard, his eyes gleaming with vitality, and began performing the series of precise movements.
Completely absorbed in the exercise, his body soon grew warm, a surge of vitality expanding within him like a light rain falling on parched desert sands.
After a long while, Qin Ming was drenched in sweat, white steam rising from his head.
His entire body felt incredibly refreshed, as if the last traces of illness had been purged through the copious sweat.
Only when fatigue began to set in did he stop.
As he did, he clearly saw a faint silver glow rise from his skin and quickly dissipate.
"It's truly different now," he murmured, having witnessed it clearly this time.
Qin Ming felt a profound sense of satisfaction.
A tangible warmth flowed through his body, slowly nourishing every cell, and his vitality grew stronger with each passing moment.
After a brief rest, he wanted to resume the exercises, but his stomach growled, reminding him of his hunger despite having already eaten dinner.
Qin Ming immediately stopped, unwilling to waste any more energy. He couldn't bring himself to ask Lu Ze for more food.
Soaked to the bone, his clothes drenched in sweat, he went to boil water for washing up.
Looking at his reflection in the basin, his pale face now flushed with color, he murmured to himself, "I've almost recovered. I'll set out tomorrow morning."
He didn't want to burden others or become a hindrance.
Now that he could move again, he wanted to resolve the food situation as quickly as possible and escape his current predicament.
Qin Ming returned the extinguished sunstone to the Fire Spring, taking only a small piece to light his way back.
One by one, the fires in the village dimmed, and the entire settlement was swallowed by darkness.
A fierce winter wind howled through the night, whipping up snow from the wilderness into a blinding white blizzard.
Much of it fell on the village, burying many courtyards under drifts.
"So hungry!" Though it wasn't yet bedtime, Qin Ming's hunger had become unbearable.
His stomach felt like it was on fire.
He would have devoured anything - even a ground squirrel, if one crossed his path.
Unfortunately, in these lean times, even the village's mouse holes lay deserted.
Qin Ming hypnotized himself to sleep early, but his hunger gnawed at him, making it impossible to drift off.
He forced himself to focus on pleasant thoughts - vague images of cherished faces in his mind.
Then he recalled his unique training method.
It was truly different now, showing signs of "movement."
At one point, faint silver ripples had shimmered across his skin, fueling his anticipation for what changes might come next.
His thoughts drifted further, to the sweet, snow-covered berries hidden in the dense forest and the golden-brown, glistening roasted lamb leg sizzling over a campfire.
"Crossing the line! How could I be thinking about food now?" He quickly pinched himself.
He resolved to set out at Shallow Night, driven by his determination to fulfill Xiao Wenrui's wish as soon as possible.
He couldn't help but swallow hard.
Fueled by longing for food and anticipation, Qin Ming finally drifted into a restless sleep.
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END OF CHAPTER
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