Chapter 2: Lord of the Eternal Night
????After Crippled Monkey left the cabin, Chen Fan finally rose from his seat and surveyed the ager contents of the room.
??He’d sent Crippled Monkey out to drum up business, but deep down, he knew it was a hopeless endeavor. Night was fast approaching; any travelers in the wasteland would have already sought shelter at a nearby waystation.
??How had this waystation managed to survive so long?
??Perhaps the previous station master had left behind so Ghoststones. Yet after turning the entire cabin inside out, he didn’t find a single one.
??The place was utterly barren.
??A single wooden bed.
??Enough dried rations and water for two people to last three or four days. A table. A chair. Nothing more.
??Truly, he was at the end of his rope.
??Chen Fan sat in the creaking chair for a long while, silent and motionless. At last, he settled on a plan. He’d noticed a small dirt mound nearby—if he climbed atop it, he’d have a much better view. When the sun rose tomorrow, he’d try to attract passersby from up there. Perhaps he could lure in a few desperate travelers.
??Of course, this kind of poaching would infuriate the neighboring waystations.
??But the Chen Clan was no naless family. With their reputation, he could probably bluff his way through. And if not—well, he was already staring death in the face. If he kept hesitating, he might as well just dig his own grave.
??Just then—
??A chill of dread seized his heart.
??Instinctively, he pushed open the cabin door and peered into the distance. Sure enough—a heavy darkness was surging across the horizon, sweeping in with unnatural speed, devouring the last traces of dusk like a bloodthirsty beast.
??In this world, night did not fall gently.
??It crashed down, all at once.
??As if a bottle of black ink had been poured over a sheet of white paper.
??And once darkness fell, countless Ghostbeasts would begin to prowl within it.
??“Crippled Monkey!”
??It was Chen Fan’s first ti witnessing this himself. His face paled as he reflexively called out for Crippled Monkey to return. But there was no sign of him outside. Scanning the wasteland, Chen Fan finally spotted him—Crippled Monkey was stumbling across the barren ground, dragging his la leg, struggling desperately to return to the cabin!
??He was at least a hundred ters away.
??But Crippled Monkey was crippled, and he looked injured on top of that. He was moving at a snail’s pace—there was no way he’d make it back before the darkness swallowed them.
??Trailing behind him was a middle-aged man in a blue robe, hands clasped behind his back, strolling along at a leisurely pace. There was a faint, inscrutable smile in his eyes, as if he felt not the slightest fear of the suffocating night closing in around them.
??“Hah...”
??Chen Fan sucked in a sharp breath, his face tense as he took stock of his own condition and quickly calculated how much ti they had left. Without a mont’s hesitation, he burst out of the cabin, sprinting full tilt toward Crippled Monkey.
??The mont he left the shelter, just a few ters out, a bone-deep fear slamd into him. He could taste the iron tang of blood in the air, and the crawling sensation down his spine made his hair stand on end.
??Driven by terror, he ran harder than ever before. When he reached Crippled Monkey, he didn’t waste a word—he hauled the skinny boy onto his shoulders. Thank the heavens Crippled Monkey was light; it was a struggle, but he could manage.
??“Damn it!”
??Chen Fan couldn’t help but roar, half to vent his panic, half to ward off the naless terror. He shot a quick glance at the darkness rolling in from the horizon—there was no ti to worry about the stranger Crippled Monkey had brought with him. He buried his head and ran for the cabin as fast as he could.
??One step...
??Two steps...
??He had never realized how far a hundred ters could feel.
??At last!
??Just as he felt the tangible darkness sweep over his back, he dove into the golden circle of light, tripped, and crashed to the ground. Gasping for air, he scrambled to his feet, eyes wide with terror as he looked around.
??Darkness swallowed the waystation whole.
??The Ghostfire’s glow ford a transparent golden eggshell, wrapping the entire cabin in its light, casting a golden ring on the ground.
??Outside the ring—
??There was nothing but impenetrable, absolute darkness. No moon, no clouds—only the occasional bone-chilling sound, and the fleeting flash of pale, razor-sharp claws in the night.
??The Eternal Night had fallen.
??Only then did Chen Fan notice—the blue-robed man who had followed Crippled Monkey was now standing within the golden circle, gazing at them with an inscrutable half-smile.
??“Hah...”
??Chen Fan drew a shaky breath. The mont he saw Crippled Monkey appear outside the shelter, he knew the boy must have risked his life to lure in a guest from the dirt mound. It wasn’t the ti to discuss it, though. He forced down his swirling emotions, steadied himself, and addressed the blue-robed man in a grim voice.
??“This is Waystation 37, under the jurisdiction of the Chen Clan of Jiangbei.”
??“Non-clan guests must pay one Ghoststone for a night’s stay. Chen Clan mbers or allies may present a Chen Clan travel token.”
??He could tell at a glance—this man was no ordinary traveler.
??“How nostalgic.”
??The blue-robed man fished a Ghoststone from his robe and flicked it to Chen Fan, smiling. “Seeing you two reminds
of my own struggling days. Back then, I’d fight tooth and nail for a single Ghoststone—just like you.”
??“This waystation... is it just this one cabin?”
??“Yes,” Chen Fan replied with a nod. “It’s a standard waystation.”
??The man nodded, said nothing further, and turned to enter the cabin, closing the door behind him.
??...
??Only after the man disappeared inside did Chen Fan finally force himself to calm down. His heart was still racing—not just from earning a Ghoststone, but because...
??His golden finger had finally arrived!
??The instant the man flicked him that Ghoststone, Chen Fan felt a surge of heat race through his body, and a primitive, bronze-colored panel appeared in the depths of his mind.
??—
??You have acquired: 1 Ghoststone.
??Eternal Night Lord Panel activated.
??You may now consu Ghoststones to upgrade, construct, or enhance any structure within your domain.
??Current domain structures:
??Level 1 Ghostfire: Safe zone diater, 10 ters. Upgrade requires 10 Ghoststones.
??You may construct up to 5 basic buildings and 1 special building...
??Level 1 Beast Trap: Deals moderate damage to low-level Ghostbeasts. Construction requires 2 Ghoststones.
??—
??“Hah...”
??Chen Fan clenched the Ghoststone tightly in his palm, gulping down the cold night air as he stared out at the suffocating darkness beyond the light. He was a ss, covered in dead grass, but his eyes blazed with fierce determination.
??He knew—he finally held the key to survival in this world.
??But...
??It was only a key. How long he would last depended on how well he used it.
??Without further hesitation, he strode over to the Ghostfire. Three Ghoststones sat quietly within the flas.
??Two were still intact.
??The last was already beginning to dim.
??Under normal circumstances, these three Ghoststones would be enough to keep the Ghostfire burning for three more nights in the wasteland.
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