Chapter 55: The Kidnapping
Night fell.
After a long day of wandering, Eypar returned to the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District, feeling quite satisfied.
“This city really is special! It has so many things that Yun Chang City doesn’t have. I could go wandering here for ages!”
If it weren’t for her need to recharge her Loli energy with Night Star, Eypar would have happily strolled around for several days without a care in the world.
“Well, I should take it slow. Time to head back to the Library and wait for Night Star to come get me~”
Floating casually through the air, Eypar prepared to make her way to the library.
But just then, she suddenly felt a malicious aura, fierce and intimidating, as if it were a ferocious beast ready to pounce, leaving Eypar’s hair stick straight up in fright.
“Wha… what is that?”
Eypar sensed that the source belonged to what could possibly be her kin—its aura clearly radiated the signals of a Star Eclipse.
Could a Star Eclipse be about to show up?
Realizing this, Eypar simultaneously grew alarmed.
Then she noticed that the Star Eclipse aura was rushing towards the library with laser-like focus!
“Oh no! Night Star’s friend is in danger!”
Eypar zipped off, refusing to be intimidated by that dangerous presence.
Meanwhile, inside the library…
The Purple-haired Administrator was reading undisturbed, completely alone aside from the rows of bookshelves around her.
Suddenly, she lifted her gaze, as if sensing something peculiar.
Whoosh!
A shadow exuding danger dashed into the library, coming to a stop right before the Purple-haired Administrator.
It was the Number Two Experiment Subject from the Sunset Research Institute.
“Is that you, the supreme experiment subject?”
“……”
The administrator stared blankly at the dangerous man before her, not uttering a single word.
Seeing her calm demeanor, the man felt assured.
“Of course, it’s you. The institute needs your contribution, so let’s go.”
“To be honest, I don’t want to go back.”
“Too bad, you don’t get a say in this.”
At that moment, Number Two suddenly sensed something approaching rapidly, and before long, a tall girl with white hair and golden eyes broke into the library, her gaze fixated on him with hostility.
“Another one of those artificial Star Eclipses from the Sunset Research Institute, huh?”
Number Two eyed the white-haired girl.
“Are you the Sunlight Night Watcher from Qi Yuan City? You don’t seem that strong.”
Number Two spread his arms and declared, “While I’d love to test your strength, the institute has advised caution, so I think I’ll team up with Number One instead.”
“There’s another one?”
At that instant, a powerful Star Eclipse aura swept over the entire Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District, expanding rapidly and threatening to spill into the neighboring areas.
Somewhere in the district…
A man, equally shrouded in an eerie aura, revealed himself to be Number One Experiment Subject from the Sunset Research Institute.
He wielded an uncanny Ultra Star Eclipse.
“Come now! Let’s enjoy ourselves under my rules! I’m resetting all levels, and even the strongest must start from the bottom!”
Inside the library, Ice Lixie found that the man’s aura was growing more potent, while her own powers dwindled.
“What is this power?”
She could see “Lv100” floating above Number Two’s head—an utterly baffling sight.
If only she could see her own status, she’d find a humble “Lv1” perched above her head.
“What’s going on?”
“That’s the Star Eclipse domain of Number One Experiment Subject.”
Just as the words left his mouth, Number Two dashed forward with the force of a whirlwind.
Ice Lixie attempted to block or dodge, only to discover her speed and strength had been sapped down to pitiful levels.
Boom!
A storm erupted, and books throughout the library were caught in the chaos, swirling in disarray!
Ice Lixie’s body crashed through the wall, flying outside.
Rubble scattered, and chaos ensued.
After sending Ice Lixie flying, Number Two turned to the Administrator and said, “Next, please come with me. I don’t want to hurt you, although I can’t guarantee you won’t be easily broken either.”
“……”
Meanwhile…
Alarms blared at the Night Watcher Base in Qi Yuan City, heralding the arrival of disaster.
“Report! An unidentified Star Eclipse wave is spreading throughout the city, currently covering one-third of it and still expanding!”
Upon hearing this, Hei Yang’s eyes turned icy.
“The Sunset Research Institute? Are they nuts? They actually dare to disrupt the whole city’s order…”
Unfortunately, it was nighttime, and without the light of the stars, Hei Yang’s abilities were severely limited, or else he would have already burst out to obliterate the two artificial Star Eclipses and storm over to the Sunset Research Institute to demolish the place.
“What’s the current status?”
“Both artificial Star Eclipses are in the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District. Sunlight Night Watcher Ice Lixie seems to have made contact with them, but her condition is unknown.”
Just then, another message came in from the staff.
“Report! The two Star Eclipses are rapidly leaving the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District, and Ice Lixie’s condition is still unclear!”
“What?!”
Hei Yang frowned, quickly sensing something was wrong.
Since Ice Lixie had already made contact with those two artificial Star Eclipses, there was no way they could just waltz away.
Did this mean she had been defeated?
No, that was impossible.
That Night Watcher wouldn’t go down so easily.
If he had dueled her in broad daylight, it would’ve been anyone’s game.
At that moment, the Night Watchers outside reported that mysterious numbers, appearing like levels, had begun to float above their heads.
Ordinary people were experiencing the same phenomenon, their heads adorned with bizarre digits.
Thankfully, only the Star Holders could see these anomalies; otherwise, there would have been pure pandemonium!
Then they noticed an abnormality—everyone’s powers were being sapped away.
Even those with superhuman strength and speed found themselves reduced to the level of ordinary folks, just as their displayed levels indicated.
Level One.
That’s right—the very starting level, like in a game!
Upon grasping the situation, Hei Yang fell into deep thought, beginning to realize the complexity at hand.
It seemed the Sunset Research Institute had created something truly outrageous.
A Star Eclipse powerful enough to affect everyone was incomparably more troublesome than a mere brute-force Star Eclipse!
If even the Sunlight Night Watcher couldn’t evade this situation, things could get serious.
He quickly reached out to the other Sunlight Night Watcher, Mo Qianmeng, who was also out in the field.
“Qianmeng, what’s the situation outside?”
“Hei Yang-senpai, I’m seeing weird level indicators over my head. I’ve lost so much strength that even my mental energy has dropped to the level of an ordinary Night Watcher.”
“What?!”
Hearing Mo Qianmeng’s report, Hei Yang realized things had spiraled out of control.
Meanwhile, back in the Calligraphy and Painting Entertainment District…
Eypar, who was hiding not far from the library, saw someone take away the Administrator and immediately began to panic.
“Just as I thought… Night Star’s friend was captured by bad guys! I need to tell her quickly!”
But now the burning question was…
Where on earth was Night Star?
