Beyond the lake, He Fang saw for the first time such clear traces of human intervention in dividing a mountain.
When facing the invasion of Nightmare Beast Seeds, humanity must have gone through a struggle and a desperate attempt at self-preservation.
Take this strange area, for example—an area devoid of any Nightmare Beast Forest.
His city was built right in the center of the Nightmare Beast Forest, surrounded by it. However, according to Min Zhizhou, Nightmare Beast Forests only settle in place when they can no longer spread. That means these areas where the forest failed to expand were, in essence, lifeless from the start.
The fewer revival nightmare plants there were, the closer they were likely to be to the forest’s edge.
That was why, at this moment, He Fang was excited.
The insurmountable chasm that had always stood in their way—perhaps it was truly about to be breached. Right ahead of them might be the boundary of this vast Nightmare Beast Forest!
Despite the thrill surging within him, He Fang’s driving remained unaffected. He knew all too well that the closer they were to the boss fight, the more precise he had to be in observing every one of the boss’s skills. To achieve an SSS rank, he had to give his absolute best.
Even though it hadn’t been long in the real world, they had already been traveling through this endless, borderless darkness for four full days. The fear of losing their sense of direction loomed over the space constantly. If not for the many NPCs around him and the ever-flowing stream beneath their feet, He Fang’s psychological burden would have been immense.
But now, everything was worth it.
“We can no longer detect the lake at our current location.” At that moment, Guo Miaofeng took the initiative to remind everyone. Without the water flow, they had lost their sense of direction. Beneath them stretched an endless expanse of black Nightmare Beast Forest, indistinguishable and devoid of any landmarks.
“Mm.” For the first time, He Fang realized just how reassuring it was to have a landmark. As long as they could see one, it was as if they had found all the directions they had lost.
However, He Fang didn’t feel anxious about losing track of the lake—his instincts told him that he was about to clear the level!
This dungeon, named “Crossing the Nightmare Beast Forest”, he was about to conquer it!
In an instant, the aircraft was suddenly enveloped in brilliant light. He Fang immediately halted its rapid advance, stabilizing it mid-air.
His eyes widened. Though his armored helmet prevented the sudden brightness from dazzling him, after spending so much time immersed in darkness, the abrupt illumination still made him feel overwhelmed. It had been so long since he had seen the colors of daylight.
The real sky stretched above them—vast and endless, covered by thick, looming clouds.
“We… we made it out.” He Fang could barely conceal his shock. He quickly opened his system map to confirm, and sure enough, it had updated. A crooked, winding path had formed within the black expanse of the Nightmare Beast Forest, now marked in gray. The appearance of this path meant only one thing—they had succeeded. “We did it! We really did it! We truly made it out!”
Days of effort and strategizing had finally borne fruit at this very moment.
They had taken their first step toward a new world!
He Fang was ecstatic. His mind was already racing with ideas for a guide video—he might just be the first city lord in the entire network to escape the Nightmare Beast Forest! He could make a walkthrough! He could rake in a massive number of views and donations—his precious earnings were as good as secured!
Yet, inside the aircraft, while He Fang reveled in his triumph, the others were all looking at him.
They didn’t seem to care whether they had truly reached the outside world. What mattered to them was whether their creator’s joy could last just a little longer.
Zhu Yan turned to Guo Miaofeng and said, “Start scanning the environment. Check the air for Nightmare Beast Seeds. If the readings are clear, have the Chong brothers come in immediately.”
“Got it.” Guo Miaofeng scratched his head awkwardly, only to bump into his own armor. Although he was technically the one leading the team, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he was just a pawn being ordered around. Was this the difference in presence between them?
After his initial excitement settled, He Fang finally had the mind to take in the world beyond the Nightmare Beast Forest. Unlike the forest, where he had to enter and exit to confirm details on the map, the area outside the city had a different mapping system—once he traveled through it, it would automatically be revealed.
As he watched, his map gradually expanded, displaying all sorts of strange and unfamiliar markers.
As long as the map existed, he could navigate freely without hesitation. The only real concern was the aircraft’s energy supply. Fortunately, the research institute had designed the aircraft with incredible ingenuity—though, at this point, it could hardly even be called an “aircraft” anymore.
He Fang shifted his gaze away from the map and observed the outside world with his own eyes. They were advancing slowly through the air. Beneath them stretched an endless, unfathomable chasm.
“This looks like a man-made chasm. But if it’s artificial, why hasn’t it been parasitized?” He Fang asked in confusion as he stared into the abyss, its depths completely obscured from view.
“It’s probably due to the use of tools and equipment,” Min Zhizhou explained from the side. “For example, a person’s footprints can be parasitized because footprints are a ‘symbol of lingering life’. Nightmare Beast Seeds can infect footprints, causing them to disappear, but they won’t erase an entire piece of land. Similarly, a cannon can be parasitized, but the area affected by its explosion won’t be. This chasm was likely created using a similar principle—to stop the Nightmare Beast Forest from advancing beyond this point.”
“But if that’s the case, then Nightmare Beast Seeds don’t seem all that terrifying, do they?” Guo Miaofeng commented while monitoring the air composition. “Isn’t this an effective way to deal with them?”
“As long as humanity can’t eliminate dust, Nightmare Beast Seeds will always exist,” Min Zhizhou sighed.
He Fang gazed at the vast, seemingly endless chasm stretching before them, and a thought surfaced in his mind. The starting map of “Ruins Without Restart” was set at the center of the Nightmare Beast Forest… Could it be that the city he created was the very place where Nightmare Beast Seeds first emerged?
It was just an idle speculation—nothing significant—so he didn’t dwell on it.
Suddenly, a deep, whistling sound echoed through the air.
Zhu Yan frowned and looked up. “What was that sound?”
“It’s the wind.”
“The wind,” He Fang and Min Zhizhou answered in unison. Min Zhizhou gave He Fang a slightly surprised glance—despite both growing up in the city, He Fang seemed to have a broader range of knowledge than most.
He Fang continued, “When wind passes through a narrow passage, it produces this kind of sound. It’s normal—nothing to worry about.”
After thoroughly analyzing the air composition, Guo Miaofeng announced, “It looks like the massive chasm has redirected the wind currents. There are no Nightmare Beast Seeds in our vicinity—we can open the hatch now.”
With He Fang’s approval, Guo Miaofeng opened the hatch. The slimmest among them, a young boy, leaped inside and immediately wrapped He Fang in a big hug.
“City Lord! City Lord! Was I amazing or what? I really think I was super cool just now!”
“Mm, very impressive.” Even though He Fang hadn’t actually paid much attention, he never hesitated to praise his NPCs.
At that moment, Chong Ying, who had been pressed against the aircraft, sulked as he rubbed his head against He Fang’s shoulder. He practically wanted to tattoo “I’m super close with our Creator” on his back, just to make sure his overly rough older brother really saw the consequences of messing with him. Did his brother not realize how much it hurt to keep pressing down on his neck like that? He’d seriously thought it was going to snap!
Chong Xiao, meanwhile, silently watched his younger brother act all affectionate with the Creator. Unable to keep looking, he turned his head away. He didn’t show any obvious reaction, but Chong Ying knew him well—his brother was definitely fuming inside.
“What’s all this on you?” He Fang suddenly noticed gray fragments clinging to Chong Ying’s armor. He rubbed a bit between his fingers, leaving behind a dark gray-black smudge. “Ash?”
“I don’t know. The sky outside is full of this stuff,” Chong Ying replied with a hint of grievance. “City Lord, you’re not gonna think I’m all dirty and gross, are you?”
“Of course not.” As He Fang reassured the boy’s playful whining, he activated the aircraft’s pseudo-transparency mode to get a clearer view of the outside.
The aircraft was already quite filthy—bloodstains and grime marked the cabin everywhere. Pseudo-transparency used camera technology to project an almost fully transparent display of the aircraft, allowing them to observe the outside world more clearly.
Everyone instinctively looked down.
They had crossed the chasm and reached the other side of the cliff. Earlier, He Fang hadn’t paid much attention to the gray sky, assuming it was just overcast weather. But now that they were closer, he realized the ground below was an endless expanse of charred black.
Everything here bore the scars of fire.
Ash drifted through the air, carried by the wind.
Stretching endlessly before them was a world drowned in desolation—filled with nothing but the remnants of destruction, grief, and despair. Not a single trace of life remained.
“It’s a scorched city,” Min Zhizhou’s heavy voice echoed through the cabin. “One of humanity’s earliest and most extreme measures to contain the spread of the Nightmare Beast Forest—burning everything to cut it off. To prevent Nightmare Beast Seeds from traveling on the wind and re-infecting the land, they incinerated everything. This place was once a city… or maybe a forest. But now, there’s only ash.”
Hearing Min Zhizhou’s explanation, He Fang’s initial excitement slowly gave way to a deep, sinking weight in his chest. Now that he was truly seeing what lay beyond the city walls—witnessing firsthand the aftermath of an all-consuming fire that had left nothing behind—he suddenly grasped the full weight of the word apocalypse.
“Nightmare Beast Seed levels are nearly zero,” Guo Miaofeng reported.
“Let’s test it with a sample.” Zhu Yan retrieved a few blades of grass from a storage compartment within the aircraft. The grass was lush and vibrant, almost ready to bloom. Plants inside the city were immune to parasitization, so these samples had been specially cultivated by Min Zhizhou under Zhu Yan’s instructions.
Carefully, Zhu Yan placed the grass just outside the cabin. Everyone watched closely. The sprout was still young—though resilient, it was fragile. If infected, the signs of death would be immediate and obvious. But after a full twenty minutes, the grass continued to sway gently in the wind, showing no signs of contamination.
“It’s a safe zone,” Min Zhizhou finally exhaled in relief. Even if he refused to admit it, the deeply ingrained fear of Nightmare Beast Seeds had never left him.
“What’s the temperature like?” He Fang checked the external readings. “Very low… Looks like this place was burned down a long time ago. But that’s strange—if it’s been so long, new grass should have started growing by now.”
Plants had an incredible will to live. They always found a way to take root in even the harshest environments.
“It’s chemicals,” Min Zhizhou muttered, his gaze fixed on the ground. He frowned. “Nightmare Beast Seeds spread in a limited range, like dandelions. Within a calculable radius, the soil was treated with chemicals to kill anything living in it, leaving nothing for the seeds to latch onto. But if we keep moving forward, we should eventually see new forests beginning to grow.”
He Fang gazed at the pitch-black land before him, his heart growing heavier with each passing moment. This was once a cherished place, a land where environmental protection had been a priority, a land of beauty. Now, all that remained was scorched earth.
“How do you know there will be new forests?” He Fang asked.
“There are lions… and birds. Their presence suggests the likelihood of other living creatures nearby,” Min Zhizhou replied, his brows furrowed. “But the lion pride must have already been parasitized when they reached this area. Only Nightmare Beasts could have crossed such a massive chasm.”
He Fang froze for a moment, only now realizing the contradiction—how had lions appeared in the Nightmare Beast Forest when there was such a vast gorge separating them? Once a Nightmare Beast Seed parasitized a living being, it would push the host’s potential to the extreme, draining its life force while amplifying its abilities tenfold, even a hundredfold.
He Fang sighed.
“What a terrifying apocalypse.” Seeing all this, he finally understood why Min Zhizhou was so devoted to his city. In a world like this, who could truly remain untouched by its horrors?
Zhu Yan turned to Guo Miaofeng, who was piloting the aircraft. “Descend and take a soil sample—around twenty meters’ worth.”
“Understood.” Guo Miaofeng maneuvered the aircraft downward.
Watching the descent, Chong Ying asked, “Can’t we just go down ourselves?”
“The ground below has been completely treated with chemicals to eliminate life. We can’t be certain we won’t be harmed by residual substances. Aren’t you afraid?” Zhu Yan’s voice was calm and indifferent, carrying no mockery, yet somehow still tinged with a hint of contempt.
Chong Ying shivered and quietly hid behind his older brother. Fighters like him weren’t fond of getting too close to the brainy types—they always felt like people who thought too much had a belly full of schemes. Well… except for the Creator, of course.
“Gather as much data as possible,” He Fang instructed. “Guo Miaofeng, don’t slack off on mapping. Zhu Yan, photograph any anomalies you find. I’ll monitor the data. Once we reach a safe area, we’ll go down for a closer look.”
As he worked, He Fang glanced up at the sky. Everything in the world followed cycles, and “Ruins Without Restart”, being a city-building game, would naturally adhere to the same principles. But with the absence of stable material conditions, how could the weather maintain its normal cycles?
“Min Zhizhou, do extreme weather events happen often out here?” He Fang asked, gazing at the heavy, overcast sky.
“Yes,” Min Zhizhou replied. “Scorching heat, bitter cold, violent thunderstorms, acid rain, storms… The weather is completely unpredictable. No one knows what will come next.”
“That makes city-building even more difficult,” He Fang muttered.
Infrastructure requires stable weather conditions. Humans were fragile—any extreme climate could be deadly. He Fang hadn’t considered the impact of the weather before setting out, as the city he came from had been relatively normal. But now… If he really wanted to build another city from scratch, the research funding alone would be astronomical.
He Fang silently cursed the developers of “Ruins Without Restart”—as if the game wasn’t hard enough already, now it was throwing him into nightmare mode. No wonder people online had turned a city-building game into a dating sim. Nobody wanted to deal with this level of hassle.
Guo Miaofeng observed the wasteland outside. It was nothing like the vast world he had imagined; instead, it was a desolate, lifeless land. Even their city’s graveyards weren’t this eerily still.
The more he looked, the more admiration he felt for their Creator. Only under the Creator’s protection were they spared from being drained of all hope by this terrifying world. Perhaps their Creator wasn’t just their Creator—perhaps He was the Creator of this entire world, the long-awaited god destined to descend.
He Fang noticed Guo Miaofeng’s gaze and turned toward him, puzzled. But all he saw was the other’s armor. Unable to figure out why his NPC kept staring at him, He Fang pulled up Guo Miaofeng’s status window, hoping to get some insight. Instead, he was met with an unexpectedly skyrocketing loyalty stat.
He Fang: “?” Did this guy just make up some absolutely ridiculous headcanon about him?
He Fang, curious, checked the attributes of the others and noticed that everyone’s loyalty was rising at irregular intervals. He recalled the event statistics he saw daily on the map—average city-wide loyalty had been steadily increasing. Since it seemed to be a normal trend, he didn’t think much of it.
“We might have found signs of life,” Guo Miaofeng suddenly said.
He Fang immediately looked over and saw a small patch of green. As they got closer, that tiny bit of green expanded continuously.
“A grassland?!” He Fang’s gaze was drawn to the tender green grass. From above, it didn’t look like an exceptional meadow—there were a few scattered trees, and the place was overgrown with weeds—but it was still brimming with life.
“What’s the current concentration of Nightmare Beast seeds in the air?” he asked.
Zhu Yan checked the readings. “Zero.”
“This is a land of rebirth!” He Fang’s eyes lit up. “That means the outside world isn’t beyond saving!”
He Fang was full of optimism. If grass could still grow here, then this land was habitable. They hadn’t found a water source yet, but as long as there was a place where life could survive and develop, he could build a city here.
And this was no small patch—it was a vast, endless grassland!
He wouldn’t even have to spend money clearing land. He could start construction immediately!
It was perfect!
If grass could grow, there had to be water somewhere. All they had to do was explore the surroundings. The land was vast enough for him to begin building his second city without hesitation!
He Fang was entirely focused on city planning now. Staring at the grassland, his eyes gleamed with excitement. He was practically itching to get started—this was all land, an endless stretch of land!
However, Min Zhizhou frowned deeply. “A life-rich zone of this scale… That’s not necessarily a good sign.”
Suddenly smacked with a reality check, He Fang turned silently to look at Min Zhizhou’s beast-faced armor. Why the cold water? Why ruin the moment? You walking, talking social disaster machine.
“If the bird flocks and lion prides have already entered the Nightmare Beast Forest… given that birds and lions are inherently difficult to control due to their genetic traits, it means the Nightmare Beast seeds haven’t spread here yet,” Min Zhizhou said with rare seriousness. He let out a deep sigh. “But with such a densely populated ecosystem that cannot move… the moment even a single Nightmare Beast seed reaches this place, the end result will be complete annihilation.”
Min Zhizhou had witnessed far too many tragedies like this.
A century into the apocalypse, no one believed anymore that the resurgence of life meant hope.
“That said, this kind of grassland isn’t entirely without value. When mobile cities reach a safe zone, they halt temporarily to rest and assess the surrounding environment. During this period, the residents disembark to plant crops and scavenge for resources. While they can’t stay long-term, they can still gather a considerable amount of supplies in a short time.”
Min Zhizhou looked down at the grassland, his expression softening slightly.
“There’s a substantial amount of edible plants here. When mobile city residents clear the weeds, they can also enjoy a feast on these grass roots.”
He Fang: “…A feast?”
“Yes,” Min Zhizhou responded matter-of-factly.
“You’re telling me… they eat grass roots?” He Fang’s face was full of disbelief.
“Vegetables are just a type of grass,” Min Zhizhou explained. “While many wild grasses aren’t immediately edible, there are plenty of wild herbs and plants in the grassland that are safe to eat. The tender parts near the roots are quite nutritious.”
To Min Zhizhou, the vast farmland in He Fang’s city was actually far more astonishing.
He had no idea what kind of technology He Fang’s city was using to make crops mature in such a short time. That method of farming must have required an enormous amount of nutrients from the soil.
“Is it even digestible?” He Fang couldn’t help but ask.
Min Zhizhou, however, was amused by He Fang’s cautious question. “Yes, it is digestible. When a person is starving, they’ll eat anything to survive—grass roots, tree bark, soil… even humans.”
“Don’t say things like that in front of the City Lord.” Zhu Yan suddenly cut him off. “In our city, everyone has plenty to eat and wear. Under the Lord’s protection, we live normal lives. The ones who are truly abnormal are you people.”
Min Zhizhou’s bitter smile was hidden beneath his beast-faced helmet. Living in He Fang’s city, he sometimes felt like he had already died and gone to heaven.
He Fang didn’t fully understand what the apocalypse was truly like, but he had played plenty of post-apocalyptic games. Although these games were usually labeled as horror, they focused more on “mutation”, “bioweapons”, and “survival”. Through these trials, he had at least experienced the hardship of survival in a simulated way.
Even in a game, where he had to carefully calculate every resource, endure hunger and thirst, and still search for hope, he could only imagine how much more difficult it was for real people in such a world.
“How much energy does the aircraft have left?” He Fang asked.
“The current storage is at two-thirds capacity,” Guo Miaofeng replied.
The aircraft, designed by the research institute, could replenish its energy through various means—sunlight, wind, and other sources could be converted into power. Because of this, their energy consumption so far hasn’t been excessive.
He Fang opened his map and watched as the vast green grassland slowly took shape on the map, expanding based on his field of vision. “Let’s explore the area first. We need to examine the terrain, look for any large bodies of water, and check if there are humans or other living creatures. Once we confirm the surroundings, we’ll establish a base station here.”
He Fang was utterly captivated by the sight of the grassland. A wide, open field—wasn’t this the perfect place for construction?
“City Lord, please calm down.” Min Zhizhou immediately noticed the excitement in He Fang’s voice and tried to rein him in.
“It doesn’t matter.” Zhu Yan interrupted Min Zhizhou. “We’ve been researching ways to eliminate Nightmare Beast Seeds without relying on divine intervention for a long time. And now, we finally have results.”
Min Zhizhou: “…” Alright, fine. He was the ignorant one.
He Fang watched as more of the map gradually unfolded. Suddenly, a new icon appeared on his system map.
He had never seen this icon before—it was a small humanoid figure, located in the shadows, in an area they couldn’t see.
“Stop here,” He Fang ordered. “Guo Miaofeng, activate the defense system and enter stealth mode. Chong Xiao, Chong Ying, arm yourselves—carry weapons for both humans and Nightmare Beasts. Zhu Yan, you stay here. Min Zhizhou…” He issued a series of rapid commands before pausing. “I think I just found someone… or something. I need you to lead the way.”
Min Zhizhou froze, a heavy feeling settling in his chest. “Is it a human or a Nightmare Beast?”
“I don’t know.” He Fang was on high alert. “We’ll have to see for ourselves.”
——
Amidst the vast, endless grasslands stood a few roughly built wooden huts.
From inside one of the houses, a small head peeked out of a window. A little girl with unkempt hair looked up at the sky, then turned back inside and said, “Daddy, I think it’s going to rain.”
“Hmm, did you bring in the clothes from outside?” A weak male voice responded from within. Just saying a single sentence left him breathless—he even coughed twice. The moment she heard it, the little girl quickly turned and ran toward him.
“Daddy, Daddy, I’ll get you some water!” She picked up a rough, steel cup—the only cup in their house, shared by the entire family. Her small hands were covered in scars, lacking the softness a child’s hands should have. She carefully handed the cup to the man. “Daddy, drink slowly. I’ll go bring in the clothes now.”
The man nodded gently. Leaning against the bed, he was visibly exhausted. His face was sallow, his body frail to the extreme. Yet, his broad frame hinted that he had once been a strong and powerful man. Now, however, illness had hollowed him out.
The little girl finished gathering the clothes and carefully placed the clean garments into a woven grass basket, preparing to carry them back inside. But out of the corner of her eye, she seemed to catch a glimpse of something.
It looked like a person.
A figure clad in white armor, gleaming under the occasional rays of sunlight breaking through the clouds. It was dazzling—beautiful.
Hugging the grass basket in her arms, the little girl squinted, trying her best to see more clearly.
It really was armor.
Such beautiful armor. She had never seen anything so exquisite before.
Was it a mercenary?
Or someone from the city?
Had they come looking for her father? But her father’s health was terrible now. Mother had said he really couldn’t be a gatekeeper anymore.
Wait… could it be a Nightmare Beast?
A flash of panic crossed the little girl’s wide eyes.
She glanced back at the wooden house, then down at her basket.
Suddenly, she made up her mind.
She quickly put the clothes away inside the house, then turned to her father, her big round eyes determined. “Daddy, I’ll fold the clothes later. I need to go out for a bit first.”
The girl went to the field beside the wooden house and picked up a newly crafted, sharp wooden hoe. Her eyes remained fixed on the armored figure in the distance.
He hadn’t moved. He was waiting for her to come closer.
She had never been this nervous before, but she had to endure it. She couldn’t be afraid—she must not be afraid.
Hugging the wooden hoe tightly, the girl took off running toward the man in white armor. The hoe was far too large for her, but she wielded it with surprising ease. When she was about ten meters away, she stopped, pointing the sharp end of the hoe directly at the white armor.
“Who are you?!” The crisp voice of a child rang through the air, her eyes full of wary determination.
The white-armored figure slowly responded, “A mercenary.”
“Take off your mask and let me see!” the girl continued to demand sharply, though her young voice made her attempt at authority seem almost amusing.
“Do you want to see for yourself?”
The mask was an intricately designed beast-face, exquisitely crafted. The girl knew that only elite mercenaries could own such equipment. Her legs had already begun to tremble—she was utterly terrified.
A warrior with armor this powerful had to be an incredibly skilled mercenary. But if such a mercenary had turned into a Nightmare Beast, then they were all doomed.
She was anxious and frightened. She knew that one day, the Nightmare Beasts would come. But she wished it could be a day later, just one day later.
“Hurry up and take it off!” The girl tried her best to sound authoritative, but the fear in her voice made the last syllable waver. She noticed it herself and suddenly didn’t know what kind of expression she should wear.
The beast-masked man reached out his hand. The girl recoiled in terror, stepping back—just one step.
Then, the man removed his excessively beautiful mask, revealing the face beneath.
It was… an incredibly healthy man.
His complexion was clear, showing none of the signs of sickness or hardship. He looked like someone from the upper class—someone who had never known hunger or suffering.
The girl stared intently into the man’s eyes. The man knelt down slightly, allowing her to see them more clearly.
They were bright and steady, without the slightest trace of the deathly aura that a Nightmare Beast’s eyes should have.
She had learned a lot from her father about how to distinguish a Nightmare Beast. If she had any hope of surviving in the future, she would do her best to become a gatekeeper, just like him.
Not a Nightmare Beast.
Yes, he was not a Nightmare Beast.
The girl let out a small breath of relief and spoke loudly, “Mercenary, we have nothing here to trade with you. Please leave.”
“I need information,” the armored man said.
The girl sized him up carefully before refusing, “Mercenary, leave. You don’t have anything we need in exchange.”
“What do you need?” the man asked.
“…Food. And medicine.” The girl spoke loudly.
“Alright.”
The man put his mask back on, his tall figure rising to its full height once more. Without another word, he turned and walked away.
The girl watched his retreating back and finally exhaled deeply. She lowered the wooden hoe in her hands, but in the next moment, her legs gave out, and she fell to her knees. She was so terrified that she could barely stand.
That mercenary wasn’t unreasonable. He was probably an incredibly powerful mercenary who had traded for that advanced armor in one of the massive mobile cities. That armor was unbelievably beautiful—perhaps the most beautiful thing she had ever seen in this world.
And she had actually completed her duty as a gatekeeper in front of such a formidable mercenary! Realizing this, the girl let out a small, secret laugh. She thought she had just looked so much like her father. Maybe she really did have the talent to become a gatekeeper.
The girl ran back into the house and saw her father sitting by the bed, draped in a blanket. Proud and eager to boast about her achievement, she exclaimed, “Dad, Dad! I just met a mercenary! I made him stop and show me his face. He wasn’t a Nightmare Beast! And he actually listened to me! Dad, wasn’t I amazing? Super smart!?”
Yearning for praise, the girl didn’t notice the sudden change in her father’s expression. “A mercenary?” he asked.
“Yes! He was wearing the most beautiful armor—it was pure white and sparkly, not bulky at all! And his mask was an animal mask, really cool-looking.”
“What did he say to you?” Rather than scolding his daughter for her recklessness, the man needed to understand the situation first.
The girl, still excited, happily chattered on about her great accomplishment, oblivious to how her father’s face grew darker and darker. His heart sank bit by bit. A mercenary? Here? This place wasn’t somewhere mercenaries would visit—it was impossible to enter the Nightmare Beast Forest from here. And a suit of armor that fits perfectly to the body…
Could it be…
“What kind of information did he want to trade with us?” the man asked.
Among mercenaries, trade was common—anything they desired could be used as a bargaining chip. But…
What if the trade was just a cover? What if he was actually scouting their numbers?
Mercenaries were desperate, reckless people. There was no limit to what they might do.
A mercenary with such advanced armor—what could he possibly gain from coming here?
The man’s expression grew colder, but he did not let his daughter feel uneasy. Instead, he reached out, ruffled her hair, and pulled her into his arms, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead.
“My girl did very well,” he said softly. “You’ve remembered everything I taught you. Such a smart girl.”
The little girl’s eyes sparkled. “Thank you, Daddy!”
“Go find your mother and aunties. It’s going to rain soon—tell them to come back quickly.”
“Okay!” The girl beamed with happiness—Daddy had praised her!
The man held his daughter tightly, his gaze filled with both affection and sorrow. Then, he spoke in a quiet voice, “Daddy loves you.”
“I love you too, Daddy!”
The man got out of bed, wrapped himself in his coat, and watched as his daughter ran off like a little white rabbit, bounding happily toward the distance. He counted the time in his head—she should reach her mother soon.
Then, he picked up the weapon leaning against the corner of the room. His frail, exhausted body could barely hold it, but he still raised it toward the sky and pulled the trigger.
A red signal flare shot up into the air, streaking across the sky like a desperate warning.
The little girl, who had just reached her mother, turned back in confusion at the sound. “Daddy?”
Her mother’s expression suddenly changed. Without hesitation, she scooped the girl into her arms and ran in the opposite direction.
![Flying Dust [Fei Chen]](https://www.freenovels.net/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/9k.png "Flying Dust [Fei Chen]")
