Chapter 16: Who Is She?
Night Watcher Base.
“Alert! Alert! A sub-supernova star eclipse [] has appeared! Effect unknown. Location confirmed in the entertainment district. Extremely dangerous. All Night Watchers prepare!”
A group of Night Watchers exclaimed “??”.
What’s with []?
Who messed up [Star Know]?
Xiao Jin only paused for a second and then quickly snapped into action, giving orders immediately.
“Rally all Night Watches immediately!”
After issuing the command, Xiao Jin had a hunch that this particular star eclipse should be the weakened supernova star eclipse from the Tragic Shadow Theater.
Because “sub-supernova,” Mo Tu had mentioned it before. Also, “entertainment district” was the area where the Tragic Shadow Theater frequently operated.
With this in mind, Xiao Jin hastened to the control room, locating the area by monitoring each stage in the air, and swiftly identified the region showing signs of star eclipse influence.
On the stage, a slender girl was singing whose features were indistinct, making her face impossible to see clearly.
If everything went as expected, she should be the theater’s singer.
Soon after, Xiao Jin, as expected, saw other members of the theater at the edge of the stage, narrowing his eyes slightly.
“Here we go again, a performance by the Tragic Shadow Theater.”
Since this was the case, he couldn’t let Night Watchers coming from other cities make the trip for nothing.
The theater’s singer could no longer conceal the stars of the Night Watchers. Yun Chang City now has triple the amount of Sunlight-level Night Watchers compared to before, along with many elite Night Watchers.
Even if all members of the theater were ultra-star eclipses, so what?
Even if they can’t eliminate them, there’s still a chance to fight back.
As he thought about this, Xiao Jin sent directives to every Night Watcher’s device and ordered them to move out.
Upon receiving the order, the well-prepared Night Watchers rushed towards the location of the star eclipse.
Battle is about to begin.
At the same time,
Special Night Watchers Xi Xia and Uni were on their way, talking to each other.
“It’s our turn, Uni. Are you ready?”
“Yep, anytime.”
A faint glow appeared in Uni’s hand, slowly condensing into a card.
She placed the card in Xi Xia’s hand.
“Use it well.”
“Okay.”
…
At the entertainment district site.
A group of Night Watchers swiftly took position, hiding in blind spots or blending into the environment to watch the whole spectacle.
They also heard the singer’s song.
“This star eclipse’s voice is pretty good; even better than those currently ranked songstresses.”
“Don’t drop your guard. Stay alert. Once the star eclipse infects you, it’ll be tough to manage.”
The Night Watches did not let down their guard, always on alert for a potential outbreak of star eclipse energy.
Sunlight Night Watchers also arrived on the scene.
Nearly ten Sunlights gathered, their gaze fixed on the stage.
“How long has it been since we last saw Tragic Shadow Theater?” Chi Hao, from Shanghe City, scratched his chin.
Next to him, Yan Que was equally focused on the spectacle unfolding.
“A year ago, they showed up in Shanghe City.”
The city under their protection had been visited by the Tragic Shadow Theater before.
But when they appeared, there weren’t as many members as there were now. It was easier to handle, back then, without them conducting a grand performance.
A year later.
The forces of the Tragic Shadow Theater have significantly grown, powerful enough to overpower the city’s Night Watchers single-handedly.
Chilling to ponder.
Once left unchecked, who knows how many more star eclipses they might absorb, achieving a level beyond any Night Watcher’s control.
“What surprises me the most is that the Puppet Master decided to join them.”
Chi Hao still couldn’t wrap his head around how the Puppet Master became a member of the Tragic Shadow Theater.
Nor did Yan Que understand.
Other Sunlights remained quietly observant, staying silent but attentive.
“Huh?”
While observing, Xiao Jin noticed something peculiar:
The citizens standing still seemed unaffected by the star eclipse and were willingly staying on site.
“Is it because of the music?”
Listening closely, the singer’s voice did not carry star eclipse power—just like human singing. As long as it was good, it would attract an audience.
That must be the situation over at the stage.
“No star eclipse contamination…?”
Xiao Jin muttered to himself, deep in thought.
If the Tragic Shadow Theater’s performances harmed no one and caused no trouble, couldn’t they just turn a blind eye?
Given the current situation.
The Night Watchers were not necessarily sworn enemies of the star eclipses.
In most cases, they existed merely to prevent the latter from causing societal harm, and often had no choice but to annihilate them.
But if it could be proven they posed no danger, they could report to headquarters for further analysis.
This was the Night Watchers’ attitude toward star eclipses.
And this was because a few extremely special star eclipses had appeared among them before.
Even then, they remained great.
“For now, stay put. Keep observing.”
…
After a while, the singer’s voice ceased, and the audience below erupted into applause.
“Absolutely beautiful! Straight out of heaven!”
“Another one please! What’s your name? I want to support you!”
“I love it! Give us more!”
The singer smiled and didn’t say a word, walking to the edge of the stage.
Just as everyone expressed confusion, a tiny figure stepped onto the central stage—a petite black-haired loli.
“The next performance is by other troupe members. We promise a great visual and auditory experience. Please enjoy the show.”
Seeing this black-haired little girl, everyone was stunned, including the observing Night Watches.
Who is she?
A collective of Night Watchers gazed at her, pondering intensely.
“New addition to the troupe?”
“She seems to also be an ultra-star eclipse.”
“We don’t know the effects yet, taking action is risky.”
“This gang is getting stronger. If controlled by evil, it’ll become a terrifying threat.”
“Only by completely eradicating them or ensuring no one can manipulate them, can we remove the potential hazards.”
“What is their aim? Star eclipses exhibit such cohesion… Terrifying.”
“Impossible to guess. No one can predict their motive, speech, or even thoughts. Perhaps only those who’ve transformed into star eclipses can comprehend their actions.”
A series of Sunlights shared their inner thoughts, growing increasingly serious.
Xiao Jin mulled over it, his eyes mirroring the silhouette of the black-haired girl.
“Who is she?”
Her presence exuded the aura of a star eclipse embodiment, yet it felt familiar.
Moreover, where was Mo Tu?
His disappearance was already suspicious, but now he couldn’t even contact him, leaving Xiao Jin in a state of mysterious isolation.
At such a critical time, during an important event, he disappeared without a trace. As a Sunlight Night Watcher, Xiao Jin felt he had failed.
“There must be something important.”
Long ago, Xiao Jin suspected a crucial connection between Mo Tu and the Tragic Shadow Theater.
Mo Tu never indicated anything, and Xiao Jin never pressed him.
But now, his inexplicable missing…
Xiao Jin felt increasingly heavy-hearted.
“Mo Tu… What exactly are you doing?”