Chapter 17 – Not Dangerous
Night Star might be a simple fool.
Hmm… saying that sounds a bit harsh, so let’s say she’s just a clueless little fool.
That sounds much cuter.
Night Star always overlooks many strange details and doesn’t pay too much attention or think too much about them.
Also, she’s super confident in her escape abilities!
Her main strategy when faced with danger is to bolt, so she doesn’t want to waste brain cells thinking about it.
You get the idea.
In some ways, Night Star or even Night Lan is the most unsuitable person to be a Night Watcher.
Night Star tiptoed behind the group leader, starting to get curious and ask some questions out of boredom.
“Umm… Mr. Group Leader, could you tell me the name of your theater troupe, how many members there are, and if regular theaters can still perform?”
“Oh, our troupe is called the Rising Sun Theater Group. Including me, there are five members in total, and we’re on tour right now. However, the shows haven’t been going well.”
The Tragic Shadow Theater is actually just a code name; it’s not the real deal.
Night Star tilted her head, somewhat puzzled. “So the troupe has so few members?”
She didn’t know much about the internal workings of the theater troupe, nor who was inside, and she wasn’t sure what questions were appropriate to ask.
Socially awkward people are like this.
But fortunately, the Group Leader didn’t walk her far, and they stopped soon.
“This is it.”
“Huh?”
In front of Night Star was a pitch-black passage, looking very ominous.
“Mr. Group Leader?”
“Don’t be afraid, Miss Audience. This is the tunnel leading to the inner theater. I’ve already told you, I’m going to put on a special performance for only you. So don’t worry, we won’t harm you.”
Hearing this, Night Star thought for a moment then nodded.
“I understand.”
Even though taking risks with someone you barely know and going to an unfamiliar place is dangerous, Night Star felt assured.
Night Star and Night Lan share an unspoken connection, and the latter is currently at the Night Watcher Base.
If Night Star encounters any danger, Night Lan will alert a bunch of Night Watchers by saying a friend is in danger.
Night Watchers should be more capable than the police.
“Phew~”
Thinking that, Night Star took a deep breath, calmed down, and walked in.
Entering the dark passageway, Night Star quickly saw the exit light and hurried over.
“Wow, what a huge theater.”
Night Star’s eyes widened as she was struck by the stark contrast between the inside and outside.
It felt like stepping into a completely different world.
“It’s so dark…”
Not much light here because the lights are not on.
Only the stage lighting is bright, making everything feel a bit eerie.
It was eerily quiet, with no sign of anyone around, which made the emptiness even more profound.
Night Star carefully observed the surroundings.
This theater had very little tech.
No robots, projection screens, or colored lights—just old school, like the troupe themselves.
Simple and plain, out of place with the outside world.
Living in Yun Chang City so long, Night Star never knew this place existed before.
“Mr. Group Leader, is this your theater?”
“Yes, it’s the one where I make my living.”
“Then where are the others?”
“Follow me.”
Then Night Star followed the Group Leader backstage.
Here, she finally saw a few silhouettes.
“Hmm…”
Seeing people, Night Star instead lost her courage to talk to them.
Socially awkward people never initiate conversations, especially timid Lolis like Night Star.
She came here mostly to check things out.
She would have preferred to blend in anonymously, observing curiously from behind the scenes.
Alas, she came alone.
Two men in black approached, one masked, smiling mysteriously, the other in a tuxedo with a cane, looking like a polite young man.
“Ah…”
Night Star blinked, puzzled.
Another familiar face?
…
Meanwhile.
The elite Night Watchers at the base were organizing information on the “Tragic Shadow Theater.”
White Paint, Cai Xun, and Bu Jie were among them.
As mentioned, the Tragic Shadow Theater Group had appeared in many cities, and the Night Watchers there had gathered useful info.
The Tragic Shadow Theater Strikers were dedicated to collecting such info.
Whenever a new city reported the presence of their Eclipse called Star Eclipses, they immediately contacted to share information and inquire about any new developments for updates.
Cai Xun stared at the screen with twitching lips.
“Quite detailed, even detailing impressions after getting hit…”
Cai Xun was reading about the Fraudster.
He barely escaped once when he got tricked by the Fraudster’s ability.
Tonight, every time he thinks about sleeping, he fears a Fraudster might peek under his blanket.
“Tragic Shadow Theater Eclipse, code-named Fraudster, wears a mask that covers half his face. The cause of appearance remains unknown.
Eclipse effects include concept removal and replacement. For example, removing apples from the category of fruits, so the target won’t recognize them as fruits. Then replacing the apple concept with stone, so the target will perceive it as a stone.
Overall, ‘white horse is not a horse’ and ‘mistaking a deer for a horse’ describe best; it’s a mental Eclipse and severely pollutes ordinary minds.
During confrontation with the Night Watchers, one must maintain a steady and calm mind and recognize logical inconsistencies to dispel the Eclipse effect…”
…
Inside the theater.
Group Leader introduced Night Star.
“This is one of our troupe members. You can call him Fraudster. He can put on impressive visual spectacles for the audience.”
Fraudster smiled at Night Star. “Hello, pleased to meet you.”
Night Star nodded timidly. “Uh, hi, likewise.”
Her mind started racing seeing him.
Fraudster?
Sounds like a master of deceit, right?
She’s already on high alert; she won’t fall for any tricks.
Only a non-threat if she’s not fooled.
Exactly.
…
White Paint looked at the file in his hand and fell into deep thought.
“That guy…”
One of the Tragic Shadow Theater troupe members, code-named Gentleman, dressed in a suit with a hat and cane, extremely polite.
“Gentleman…”
That’s the one who interrupted her attack on Fraudster earlier.
That sudden burst of mental impact really hurt, nearly rendering her unconscious.
Then White Paint turned to his description of Gentleman’s ability.
Gentleman’s power can force politeness in a large area, creating a mental bubble. Everyone within feels abnormally polite, and only leave the bubble to recover.
This was noted by the first Night Watcher who encountered Gentleman.
Later Night Watchers discovered more details.
Like planting mental imprints that persistently mimic the bubble effect until removed.
During this period, any impolite act triggers painful mental impacts.
Gentleman’s mental pollution can spread, making many regions vulnerable if not guarded by specialized Night Watchers.
Thus, Gentleman is dubbed the “polite devil” by the Night Watchers.
“Quite dangerous…”
White Paint looked at another section.
Besides Fraudster and Gentleman, the Tragic Shadow Theater has a mysterious Group Leader, but…
Effect of the Eclipse is unknown.
