Chapter 19: A Gaze Across Time And Space
In the night curtain, Yuan Zhu walked alone on the road home. Without actively thinking, relying solely on the instincts accumulated from this body living in Running City for many years, he discerned the direction of his home.
He was like having auto navigation turned on; while his mind wandered, his body adjusted direction twice, then slipped into a remote small alley, heading toward the eastern residential area of the city on foot.
Running City was not a rule-of-law society with sound laws and cameras everywhere. Although some shopfronts occasionally hung a mouse with glowing red eyes at the door. But it was limited to anti-theft, offering no help in maintaining public order.
Therefore, nighttime security was very poor, a high-incidence period for theft, robbery, murder, and illegal supplementation of lewd energy. It was not yet deep night, but the streets were already sparsely populated, cold and desolate.
Occasionally vehicles passed by, but there was no scene of bustling traffic and flashing neon lights. A few streetlights were installed on the sidewalk, with one every hundred meters or so.
Usually, one had to traverse a distance in darkness to be illuminated by the limited range of orange light sources, only to soon enter prolonged darkness again. These streetlights were less tools for illumination and more guides for direction at night, preventing people from taking wrong paths.
Walking alone on unfamiliar streets, watching his shadow stretch longer under the faint lights, Yuan Zhu had the illusion of being a tourist in a foreign land. The thought of never returning to Earth brought a sense of loneliness as a stranger in a strange land.
“Gurgle……”
A strange animal cry pierced the night sky, making him alert. In his memory, Running City, as a basin mountain city, was perpetually wrapped in mist from the Misty Mountains, with wild animals rampant at night being particularly severe.
Whenever night fell, beasts from nearby forests would enter the city in groups, rummaging for food in garbage heaps. Or simply settle in warm areas like sewers, coexisting with the city.
Therefore, at night besides human-led robberies, murders, and illegal demon supplementation, beast attacks on people, poisonous insects killing, disappearances… such cases were extremely frequent. Everyone was almost accustomed to it.
After all, the Misty Mountains were so vast, brown bears, gray wolves—these beasts could not be killed off. Moreover, the mist hid dangerous species one level higher than beasts.
Rather than pointless preemptive prevention, it was better to actively learn to adapt. Staying home at night, or at least traveling in groups with self-defense items, had become common sense.
‘Ding dong…… ding dong……’
Just as he quickened his pace to speed ahead, a highly penetrating crisp bell sound pierced through the darkness straight into his ears.
This sound was too unique, as if containing the power to warn and awaken, able to dispel dangers in the darkness. Just hearing it invigorated his spirit, and his mind was drawn toward it.
Yuan Zhu’s movements stalled, drawn by an invisible force, he stopped, turned his head toward the direction of the bell sound, and then widened his eyes.
Hmm?
Clearly Running City’s night was shrouded in dark clouds, the sky dim without a single star. But the direction he looked at was the entrance to a abruptly appearing small alley, a beam of bright moonlight shining down from the sky, illuminating the alley mouth hidden in darkness.
Where did the moonlight come from? Wait, how was there a pale blue moon hanging in the sky?!
Realizing something was off, Yuan Zhu slightly shifted his gaze and found that except for the clear, cloudless sky above the small alley with bright moonlight and twinkling stars, other angles remained pitch black, without a trace of starlight or night sky with moonlight.
His gaze returned to the small alley, the moonlit scene forming an angle. It was as if someone had cut a corner of another place’s night and moon, pasting it over Running City’s sky, visible only from specific angles.
【Beep beep beep! Detecting spacetime distortion fluctuations, unknown polluting energy beginning to gather and surge, please evacuate immediately……】
As expected! Another anomaly event.
Yuan Zhu felt reassured in his heart; for such sudden situations, he was somewhat numb, not even panicking or afraid, his mindset mysteriously calm.
He just wasn’t sure if it was because there were too many similar events on Du Ling Star, so everyone encountered them frequently? Or because he carried the Great Desolation Immortal Scripture, making him particularly attractive to such events? (Trouble magnet constitution)
‘Ding dong, ding dong!’
The highly penetrating bell sound rang as if by his ear, fixing his steps that wanted to move. Then, he heard rapid breathing and panicked footsteps approaching from the depths of the small alley toward him.
Yuan Zhu frowned slightly; since he couldn’t avoid it, he simply wouldn’t. All his attention was drawn to this abruptly appearing small alley, and under the moonlight, he clearly saw the inscription at the alley mouth 【Xiao Tian Shui Jing Lane】.
Running City’s nights were dim and gloomy, with architecture exuding industrial oppression, numerous three-to-four-story cement buildings still emitting billowing black smoke at night, mingling with the mist above the city. Street intersections usually had signs clearly naming the roads, never any stone carvings.
But the small alley opposite him had bright moon and stars, architecture completely different from Running City—cement combined with timber, mortise-and-tenon with industry coexisting in new-style pavilions and towers. Both elegant Eastern architecture and reinforced with cement rebar for larger scale and cost savings.
This was clearly another world! Another city! No wonder the Immortal Scripture warned of spacetime distortion fluctuations.
So was this someone else traversing spacetime? Or a ‘normal’ local natural phenomenon?
As he remained vigilant, considering whether to activate cheats for this sudden situation, a man in clothing style consistent with Running local, hugging a package, rushed toward the alley mouth with a face full of panic and exhaustion.
Upon clearly seeing the dark, dilapidated industrial corner of the city opposite, the man’s face lit up with ecstatic joy, running even more desperately, clutching the package tightly, panting and shouting: “Help, save me quick!”
‘Ding dong…… ding dong……’
The copper bell sound rang again; the man’s expression changed lightning-fast from ecstatic joy to panic, a strong oppressive feeling spreading from the alley’s end, crossing spacetime to envelop Yuan Zhu in Running City as well.
The game sprite timely reminded: 【Beep beep beep! Unknown polluting energy surging sharply! Recommend activating mutated spiritual root, enabling tiger demon form.】
The fleeing man was still a dozen meters from exiting the small alley, his expression anxious and urgent. Seeing Yuan Zhu unmoved by the scene, his eyes suddenly darted as an idea struck.
He shouted angrily at the coldly watching Yuan Zhu: “What the fuck are you spacing out for, quick help me block him, or forget about your share!”
Clang clang……
The sound of chains clashing rang out; a warrior in black metal pangolin armor appeared at the alley’s end, head wrapped in a classical helmet, eyes wearing night vision goggles, nose and mouth covered by a gas mask.
His left hand held a blood-red lantern, with a copper bell hanging from the handle. Each step vibrated, causing the bell to clash and ring, instantly spreading in a ring.
His right hand was wrapped with coils of chains. At the chain’s end was a mechanical claw. Additionally, the black armor warrior’s waist held a saber, hand crossbow, token… and other equipment.
The man clutching the package continued desperately sprinting, wanting to cross the moonlit area into pitch-black, dead-silent Running City.
The pangolin gas mask warrior followed unhurriedly; under the moonlight, his face under the helmet was shadowed, only the goggles reflecting the lantern’s red light, staring remotely at Yuan Zhu.
Their gazes met. Tension, oppression, intimidation… immense pressure crashed on his heart; in pure human form, Yuan Zhu found it somewhat hard to bear.
This was a strong enemy. Unlike those body-polluted mutants with only power but no reason, the classical Eastern warrior opposite gave him unprecedented oppression.
Seeking recommendations, monthly tickets, comments… la.
