Chapter 1: A New Dawn

The long, mournful wail of a steam whistle echoed through the dark skies of Ankheg City, heralding the arrival of a new day. Though the night had passed, the dawn still struggled to rise above the horizon. In this continent of Eternal Night during the Dark Season, there was no trace of morning light.

In the grayish dawn, Qianye stood wrapped in a drab, earthy cloak, perched on a steam pipe more than ten meters above the ground, gazing down at the fully awakened Ankheg City.

The city seemed to have healed its wounds in a single night. Apart from a noticeable decrease in the bustling crowds around the tall city gates, order and tranquility prevailed as usual. Everyone resumed their daily routines, whether it be merriment, debauchery, or indulgence, filling each neighborhood with their unique aura.

The events of the previous night felt like an overly vivid nightmare. Qianye was not quite used to the sights before him.

The only remnants of the fierce battle were the scars left on the city; the ruins silently bore witness to all that had transpired. The battlefield where Bai Longjia and William clashed with the Spider Demon was the most devastating—every building in the area, including the small house where Qianaye had hidden, had been reduced to rubble. From afar, one could discern the traces of intense force collisions, explosions, and reverberations in the directions the structures had collapsed.

There were a few other spots in the city where minor skirmishes seemed to have taken place, but their intensity was comparable to what Qianye had experienced. Aside from the streets needing repairs, the bloodstains would likely be worn away by the passage of pedestrians.

Many people spontaneously gathered at the ruins, clearing away the corpses.

On one hand, this was to prevent the spread of plagues, for the dark races carried many highly virulent diseases that could spread through decaying bodies. On the other hand, these people were also after the belongings of the deceased. An unspoken rule in the Eternal Night Continent dictated that whoever cleared the remains of an unclaimed body could claim the deceased’s possessions.

Under this rule, the cleanup of the ruins was exceptionally swift. People distributed their gains in silent, unspoken agreement, and the scene was not chaotic. Even some low-level soldiers joined in, using their superior physical strength to lift large metal supports with ease.

At the outskirts of the nearly flattened district, several formally dressed individuals set up peculiar platforms, scribbling notes and drawings on maps. These people represented various companies and financial groups, planning for the reconstruction of the land once the ruins were cleared, which would mean another significant business opportunity. Fortunately, the area was a no-man’s-land, with fewer utilities passing through, making the cleanup and restoration work relatively easy.

This was the Eternal Night Continent, this was Ankheg City. It was like a hideous, abandoned beast, left to fend for itself in harsh conditions, yet it thrived. Even when wounded, it would strive to heal itself, for no one would come to its aid.

Qianye turned his gaze toward the northern district, where beyond the hodgepodge of colorful rooftops, the gray expanse of buildings was the expeditionary camp. He chuckled silently, the wrinkles on his carefully disguised face deepening. Who would have thought that Wei Po Tian, as brash as a steam pipe, would recognize him? Unfortunately, the debts seemed irrecoverable now.

After watching for a while, Qianye noticed that there were fewer expeditionary troops in the city than he had expected, and the patrol teams did not seem to belong to different units. He found a secluded spot and jumped to the ground, leisurely strolling towards a nearby ruin. Casual conversation with a few people who had just finished clearing a pile of debris revealed that the additional expeditionary forces had withdrawn quietly early that morning.

Was it related to the battle last night? Did something happen? Pondering, Qianye asked a few more questions.

The talkative uncle replied indifferently, “Who cares about last night’s events? Those who died are just out of luck.”

Qianye thought about it and understood the mix of resignation and resilience in those words.

Battles of such a scale were far beyond the influence of ordinary people, even beyond Qianye’s capabilities. When figures like Bai Longjia and William, or even higher-ranking individuals, appeared, commoners could only await their fates passively.

Under normal circumstances, these high-ranking figures had no interest in dealing with them. But if they were unlucky enough to get caught up, there was no chance of escape. Thus, for them, living well in the present was the most important, and dwelling on things beyond their control was futile and self-inflicted stress.

Ankheg City was the same. After a night of hardship, it had regained its vitality by dawn. This resilience was what allowed the human race to escape the fate of livestock. Qianye seemed to see a lesser-known side of the Eternal Night Continent.

Today was unexpectedly bright, the sun breaking free from the constraints of the upper continent and casting its light over Ankheg City. To make the most of the few hours of daylight, more and more residents streamed out of their homes, beginning their day’s activities.

Qianye walked into the Hunter’s Home, where Uncle Er appeared to be in a good mood, basking in the sun in the courtyard. A purple-clay wine jar and a few small dishes sat on a side table.

Upon seeing Qianye, Uncle Er waved, “Keep an old man company for a drink and listen to my ramblings. It’s a way to show respect to the elderly!”

Qianye nodded silently and sat down on the other side.

As Uncle Er watched Qianye pour the wine, he suddenly produced a silver flask from his pocket and said, “Add some of this. It’s no worse than what you brew yourself.”

Qianye took it without hesitation, pouring a fragrant, potent liquid, then taking a generous sip. After a moment, he said, “It’s not bad.” Throughout, Uncle Er had been closely observing his reaction, and only now did his expression relax.

“Were you involved in last night’s battle?” Uncle Er suddenly asked.

Qianye thought for a moment and realized that the full-powered Eagle Strike made a distinct sound that a knowledgeable person could recognize. There were probably only a handful of Eagle Strikes in the entire city.

Without waiting for Qianye’s answer, Uncle Er smiled and said, “I heard from Lao Yi that you’ve been selling a lot of good stuff lately, especially the fangs of vampire warriors. They’re not your average vampires. Also, you bought something impressive.”

“I have some experience dealing with vampires,” Qianye replied.

Uncle Er nodded and sighed, “You’re still young, while I’m already old. I’ve seen countless wars and killings in more than a dozen cities. For me, the world has become stagnant, incapable of any change. But you’re different. For you, every day is new, full of possibilities and hope. That’s the difference between the young and the old.”

Qianye listened quietly, sensing the weight of years in Uncle Er’s voice, though he didn’t fully grasp the meaning.

“Do you know what the common theme in every war since the Dawn War has been?”

Caught off guard by the sudden question, Qianye was surprised. To him, the theme of war was clear and needed no discussion: it was about killing, eliminating the enemy as quickly, directly, and efficiently as possible.

“Sacrifice,” Uncle Er gave an answer Qianye had never considered.

“Sacrifice?” Qianye was puzzled. Every war involved sacrifice, a natural part of the cycle of life and death.

“Sacrifice isn’t just about dying. It’s also about change. Some sacrifice time, some sacrifice their lives, and others their destinies. Their lives are forever changed by war. Just like this city, it seems joyful and prosperous, but if you sit here long enough, you’ll notice fewer familiar faces and more new ones.”

Qianye thought of his former comrades.

Each comrade’s death added to his sense of responsibility. Now, he understood the mentality of wanting to kill dark races on sight. Simply avenging his fallen comrades, Qianye didn’t know how many dark race warriors he had to kill. If he were still in Red Scorpion, he too would become a burden to his comrades one day.

“At the same time, it’s not just humans who sacrifice. The dark races do as well,” Uncle Er continued.

This was a perspective Qianye had never heard before. From a young age, he was taught that the dark races were cold and cruel, viewing humans as food. Each dark race was synonymous with filth, stench, and blood. In short, there was no positive adjective that could be associated with the dark races.

Could the dark races be described with a noble word like sacrifice?

Uncle Er didn’t delve further into the topic. He finished his drink and said, “The world isn’t just divided into Eternal Night and Dawn. There’s a vast middle ground, not just shades of gray, but many other colors. Try to see other colors, and you might even see a rainbow. Don’t always pull the trigger. That’s a bad habit, and it will make you miss a lot.”

Just then, a hunter came to turn in a task, and Uncle Er went inside. His final words lingered in Qianye’s mind. Yet, Qianye still found it hard to understand. To him, the world was both complex and simple. Killing dark races was the simplest truth.

As Uncle Er left, he shared a piece of neutral news. Tianshe had signaled his desire to reconcile with Qianye. This wasn’t entirely unexpected, given the impact of the Eagle Strike, but reconciliation was not part of Qianye’s plan. Since the other party had offered the initiative, he could take some time to consider.

By now, the sky was gradually darkening. The daylight in the Dark Season of the Eternal Night Continent was brief. After leaving the Hunter’s Home, Qianye wandered aimlessly. Suddenly, he looked up and found himself at Yu Yingnan’s door.

Qianye didn’t know how he got there. The purple clay jar contained rice wine, home-brewed by Uncle Er, much sweeter than anything on the market. The addition from the silver flask burned like fire, but with a strong aftertaste. He felt slightly dizzy, his thoughts slowed, and his instincts sharpened.

He pushed open the brown door, which, in his memory, was never locked.

The alcohol made him bold and rash, and, more importantly, he had never felt danger here.

But tonight was different.

A bare foot suddenly flew out of the darkness, aiming for Qianye’s head.