### Chapter 3: Skies of Star Eclipses
The plane to the capital successfully took off.
Night Lan’s heart was overflowing with anticipation and anxiety.
“Whoa… We’re taking off, huh? When are we going to get to our destination?”
Night Lan peered out the window, talking to herself as if she were in a monologue.
Next to her, Night Feather was sound asleep. Upon hearing Night Lan’s words, she said, “Night Lan, have you never been to the capital before?”
“Mm-hm, yes. Could it be that Lord Night Feather has been before?”
“The young me went once and even lived there for a while before returning to Yun Chang City.”
“Oh~ Does Lord Night Feather have relatives in the capital?”
“Of course, people related to me who are powerful can be found everywhere. No matter where I go, I always have connections, so there’s no need to worry about being alone.”
“How nice!”
Night Lan genuinely felt envious; her network wasn’t nearly as wide.
If she had a really impressive friend in every city, she would act all tough on the streets, smacking any mean dog she saw just for kicks.
Unfortunately, she didn’t have those kinds of connections.
Her social circle only extended to cities she’d visited.
“By the way, Lord Night Feather, is there something special about your power, particularly from the stars?”
“Oh? You dare ask about the essence of my power? That’s bold. Do you think I’d tell a Dark Heavenly Sovereign all my tricks?”
Night Lan tilted her head, feeling that made sense.
“Um… It seems like a secret. But it must be pretty cool, right?”
“Isn’t that obvious?”
Night Feather exuded an aura so strong it seemed like her goal was the infinite expanse of the heavens, making her seem instantly more imposing.
“Relax, upon reaching the capital, I’ll protect you. Absolutely no one will mess with you, and if anyone tries, they’ll learn what true suppression feels like!”
“That sounds amazing!”
Night Feather was in the process of building herself up as a formidable figure in Night Lan’s mind.
If only she weren’t such a mid-high-school delinquent.
Time passed.
The plane was nearing its destination over the capital.
Night Lan rested briefly, then was alerted that they were about to arrive.
“Are we getting close?”
Rubbing her eyes, Night Lan looked out the window and noticed buildings faintly visible.
That must be part of the capital area.
From the air, the city seemed boundless—very expansive indeed.
Meanwhile…
Night Watcher Headquarters.
Staff there were incredibly busy handling all kinds of matters, managing national Night Watcher division operations and information.
Every day brought new incidents requiring urgent attention, so no one paid much heed to a plane coming from Yun Chang City.
This usually happened when high-potential Star Holders were discovered, especially ones poised to become Sunlights.
Such occurrences weren’t rare; cities sent them over almost daily.
But not everyone became Sunlights. It was like opening a blind box, depending on luck and factors beyond prediction. Few Star Holders quickly grew into Sunlight Night Watchers.
Newcomers received little attention unless they were clearly prodigious talents hinting at eminence.
Even so, other high-ups wouldn’t pay much heed unless they were exceptional.
Except the Leader.
He knew someone important was arriving. So he stayed vigilant.
Sitting in his office, the Leader stared out a window and mused.
“Thought it’d take longer, but here it is—prompt action. Quite impressive; I approve.”
If only pride wouldn’t come into play, he’d personally greet this girl.
Sadly, some backstabbers in headquarters forced him to wait.
Then alarms rang through HQ—Star Eclipses had appeared.
The Leader frowned slightly.
“Why now?”
Handling Eclipse events daily was routine for Night Watchers in the bustling capital.
With its vast space and population density, no matter how developed the facilities were, Eclipse events couldn’t be fully avoided.
Where there was light, there was shadow. The dark underbellies of capitals housed frequent Eclipse occurrences.
Fortunately, numerous Night Watchers meant no fear of chain Eclipse effects.
The capital alone housed over ten Sunlight Night Watchers.
Many senior ones equaled Sunlights, ensuring no personnel shortages or need for external aid.
After all, the nation’s welfare was at stake. No simple excuses were accepted for slip-ups.
Though the Leader wouldn’t necessarily lead this mission, he watched closely.
“Ultra Star Eclipses? This could be tricky, but should be dealt with swiftly. They’re appearing over… the capital?”
Sometimes, Eclipses emerged unpredictably and even in the sky. Ultra Eclipses rarely appeared there though.
Gazing further, their location seemed aligned with the flight route between Yun Chang City and the capital.
Meaning, the plane would soon enter the Eclipse wave zone.
Upon realizing this, the Leader personally issued orders to handle it.
Deployed Sunlight Night Watchers sprang into action with great haste.
Satellite-powered Star Tech immediately began relaying visuals of the capital skies to headquarters screens.
The Leader squinted.
“A localized Eclipse? The whole sky’s become his playground. This could be trouble, but they’ll likely resolve it quickly.”
In the meantime…
On the plane from Yun Chang City, every Star Holder sensed overwhelming Eclipse fluctuations.
The lead Night Watcher receiving word noted they would soon enter the Ultra Eclipse domain.
“Ultra Star Eclipses?”
The novice Night Watchers heard this and became instantly tense, despite lacking real-world experience.
They knew the theory, realizing what Ultra Eclipses entailed.
This required Sunlight Night Watchers to suppress—a feat beyond regular Night Watchers.
Amidst them, Night Lan was completely bewildered.
Eclipses?
She didn’t expect Eclipse trouble on her first day at the capital.
What incredible luck!
But Ultra Eclipses?
Must be serious.
Night Lan acted chill, though the troupe members’ antics had skewed her sense of reality slightly.
At that moment, the plane entered a mysterious region. The sky around them began changing rapidly.
The entire expanse turned a eerie dark red, like plunging into another world.
