Night fell?

Moen was stunned to see the sky shrouded in darkness.

The stars dotted the heavens, faint and distant, as if unreachable—indistinct and unreal. Only the radiant full moon remained clear, illuminating everything beneath it.

"Where there’s day, there’s naturally night. Although it’s a bit abrupt, it’s nothing unusual. However... there’s no sun here, so why is there a moon?"

At a glance, Moen quickly deduced that the stars were no more real than the blue sky and white clouds of daylight—merely a fabricated backdrop, like a stage curtain.

Yet the moonlight was genuine, its silvery glow unmistakable. As the sole light source in this world, it couldn’t possibly be an illusion.

A real moon?

A fake moon?

Or perhaps...

But that moon had already perished, and this "The Lost Land" seemed entirely unrelated to it. It couldn’t possibly—

"Moen..." Lea’s worried voice broke his train of thought, pulling him back to reality.

"What do we do now? Should we keep moving forward?"

She, too, seemed to notice the abrupt appearance of the moon, her bright eyes wide open as they stared upward.

"Keep going... that’s likely not an option anymore," Moen said, pulling out a pocket watch. It had already been eight quarters since they entered Canterwell.

Although they had rested briefly in an abandoned village earlier, that had been several hours ago.

Moving forward in the dark wasn’t ideal.

"No rush. Let’s find a place to rest for now."

"Alright, I’ll follow your lead."

…

…

"This place should be safe," Moen said after scouting a relatively intact building in this deserted town. It would serve as a temporary resting spot.

To save time, Moen once again luxuriously used Holy Light to cleanse the filth from the building. He then pulled out an expensive blanket to spread on the floor and lit a fire using dry wood he had prepared in advance.

Soon, the aroma of food wafted through the air, tantalizing the senses. However, this wasn’t the ubiquitous food found in "The Lost Land"—it was what Moen had brought himself.

Even though neither Moen nor Lea had noticed anything peculiar about the food in this place, they decided it was safer not to eat it.

After tending to the flames, Moen turned his gaze slightly to the side.

A premium cut of steak, skewered on a random tree branch he’d stripped clean, was being casually roasted over the fire. Despite its simplicity, it looked especially appetizing.

What was even more captivating, however, was the sight illuminated by the firelight—the girl’s cheeks glowing like the hues of a sunset and her glossy, cherry-red lips reflecting an enticing sheen.

Moen glanced at her once, then quickly averted his gaze and took a big bite of roasted meat.

Though there were no seasonings, and his cooking method was rather rudimentary, Moen still found the food incredibly delicious—on par with the creations of a top-tier chef at a luxury restaurant.

"It feels... so familiar," Lea murmured, curling her feet beneath her skirt and hugging her knees.

"It feels like we’ve done this before, doesn’t it?"

"Yeah," Moen replied, fully aware of what she meant.

Back in Deathbane Forest, they’d also sat around a campfire together, warmth radiating before them while unending darkness and uncertainty loomed behind.

It felt like yesterday.

"But... there are plenty of differences, too," Lea said, inserting a branch into the fire and letting the flames devour it, making the fire burn even brighter.

The light reflected in her eyes, making them sparkle like stars.

Moen glanced at her again, unable to help himself.

"What’s different?"

"Back then, we couldn’t afford such good food," she said with a teasing smile.

"All we had were wild fruits and octopus."

"We also didn’t get to sit on such soft blankets."

"Tree leaves can be quite soft too."

"And..."

Lea’s crimson lips parted slightly, but the words at the tip of her tongue never made it out.

And our hearts... they’re not the same anymore.

But how could she possibly say such a thing?

The firelight painted Lea’s features as well as the face of the man beside her. Lea placed a hand over her chest, feeling that annoying pounding sound again—louder than ever.

The surroundings became silent, save for the crackling of the fire consuming its fuel.

"Let’s rest for now. Most of the others are gathering here, and tomorrow the competition might get intense," Moen said after swallowing the last bite of his meal.

"Okay," Lea replied obediently, curling up on the blanket and lying on her side.

Another smaller blanket covered her body. With their well-prepared supplies, the night was certainly more comfortable than the one before.

But this time, Lea found herself unable to fall asleep so easily.

She kept sneaking peeks at the man sitting as still as a statue by the fire—just a glance, again and again, and again, until at some point, drowsiness eventually overcame her, and her eyes closed.

…

Hearing Lea’s breathing steady, Moen rose from his seat.

He didn’t look at the defenseless girl near him but deliberately avoided her gaze, letting his eyes wander to the window.

"Tomorrow will surely be lively," he murmured to himself.

In the stillness, Moen thought he caught faint sounds of conflict in the distance—likely a few impatient participants fighting in the darkness.

According to the information from Arag, Moen and Lea’s progress had already been slow. By tomorrow morning, most participants were expected to gather at this town.

It wouldn’t be as peaceful as today.

"But come to think of it... isn’t it a little *too* peaceful?" Moen frowned, his brows knitting together.

Before embarking on this mission, the Church had assured them that the outskirts of Canterwell were relatively safe.

But after spending a few hours in the area, Moen found it hard to agree. It was more than just "not dangerous." The soft light, the gentle breeze, the stunning scenery—this place felt like a vacation destination.

"Perhaps you really have to pass through that wall to enter the inner region before this ancient relic reveals its true dangers..."

Moen cast a pensive glance at the moonlit world outside, serene and enigmatic.

"Or maybe... Just forget it. I’m probably overthinking."

Shaking his head, he waved a hand and set up the necessary defensive tools before closing his eyes as well.

…

"Has it begun?"

Beneath the moonlight stood a figure draped in long skirts, her hands clasped tightly in front of her forehead as though in prayer.

Moments later, she bent down slowly and placed a small bouquet of trembling flowers... on a corpse lying on the ground.

The corpse’s eyes remained wide open, as if unwilling to accept its fate.

Clutched in its hand was a torn and dulled spatial magic scroll.

"What a pity," the figure murmured in regret, gently covering the body with flowers.

"It’s not time yet. We still need to wait... just a little longer."

"But," her voice grew urgent, trembling with anticipation.

"It’ll be soon... very soon."

Her words carried an eagerness that could barely be contained.

…

…

"Help me..."

…

"Help us..."

…

"Help—"

"*Gasp!*" Lea shot upright, her eyes snapping open.

The previously cleansed ceiling, now spotless after the Holy Light’s touch, was the first thing she noticed.

The unfamiliar surroundings didn’t unsettle her, for that reassuring figure still lingered nearby.

Letting out a breath, Lea surveyed the room.

She could have sworn she’d heard someone’s cries for help, yet as soon as she opened her eyes, the sound vanished.

Was it a dream?

It had to be a dream.

But why would she have such a dream, hearing voices without seeing anyone?

She must be too tense, she thought.

Unable to resist, Lea turned her gaze toward Moen, who sat propped against the wall. His gently closed eyes, his perfect brows, his strikingly handsome features—

No, no, Lea Angel! What are you doing? Spying on someone? That’s just—

But she couldn’t stop herself.

Shaking her head vigorously, Lea tried to chase away her stray thoughts.

Her cheeks still slightly flushed, she got up stealthily and tiptoed toward the window, hoping the cool night air would help ground her.

The moon still bathed the world in its glow, and all was silent.

"I wonder how much longer it’ll take for the sun to rise," Lea whispered as she pushed open the dilapidated window.

The moment it opened, it wasn’t a refreshing breeze that greeted her but—

"*Ugh!*" she gagged.

A nauseating stench, foul and putrid, hit her in the face.

It smelled like rot—like decaying corpses.