"Thank you all, truly, thank you."
Lynn kept bowing to us, pulling Joey along. Everyone was puzzled by this Nightshade mother and son; in our experience, aside from Kane, Nightshades never trusted outsiders.
We were now on the southern edge of the island, near the border—a place rarely visited by wild beasts. Kane was already helping the mother and son dig a shelter, working quickly as he shoveled the earth. He brought us chunks of meat he’d already cut, and Joey was busy preparing them.
I was deeply intrigued by this mother and son. They were entirely different from other Nightshades—even from Kane. Lynn possessed a feminine grace and resilience, raising her son alone for years. Joey, on the other hand, was innocent and whimsical, curious about everything new. They were Nightshades with complete personalities.
Deathcurse, Black Moon, and I kept a little distance while the others helped the mother and son.
"If everything here was created, like a computer game, then these beings must have been programmed with certain routines and given some knowledge. In that case, this mother and son are a bug—except for Kane."
I nodded. Deathcurse’s analogy was apt. All Nightshades, without exception, were distrustful of anyone but themselves. The beasts here, after many days, acted strictly according to set patterns. It was hard to imagine these things were created.
"The real question is, what do the black sun in the sky, and the green and purple suns, actually do to everything here?"
After hearing a bit from Xu Fu, we could already deduce a lot. It should be daytime now, with the purple sun shining; at night, the sun turns green.
Deathcurse called Kane over, and I used the Specter Web to connect with the others while they kept working.
"Looks like this bug is our only chance to figure something out."
Deathcurse spoke as he made the Nightshade sit down, turning his head this way and that, inspecting him closely.
"What are you doing?"
"So, whether it's day or night, does it affect you in any way? Even the smallest thing counts."
Black Moon asked, and Kane scratched his head. The three of us stared at him for a long time before Kane finally stood up and shook his head.
"I've been away from here too long. Maybe you should just ask the mother and son directly. There's no need to worry—whatever they want to say, they'll say it. After all, they have hearts now, don't they?"
I nodded awkwardly. We walked over—the underground tunnel had already been dug deep. This time, the structure would connect directly to the island's rocky edge, and the entrance above ground would be sealed. When the mother and son returned, they'd just fly to a spot below the island and enter their home. It was much safer this way.
"Joey, come here for a moment. Can I ask you something?"
Joey wiped the dirt from his hands and hopped over.
"Go ahead, Blackfang. You guys are really nice."
I smiled and placed a hand on Joey’s forehead, grinning.
"Is there any difference between day and night for you Nightshades?"
When I asked, Joey burst out laughing.
"During the day, we're full of energy. At night, we just feel tired, so we sleep."
Deathcurse soon came over and started asking Blackfang all sorts of detailed questions.
Nightshades are energetic during the day, but at night they feel weak, so they hide in their caves. If a Nightshade forces themselves to go out at night, they'll be exhausted the next day. It's a lot like people—work at sunrise, rest at sunset.
We called Kane over again to ask, since I'd never seen him rest—not even close his eyes for a nap.
"I don't know. I've been away from here for so long. The sun doesn't affect me at all anymore."
Finally, Black Moon drew a conclusion and started to explain.
"Now, it's basically clear. There are four different suns: black, red, green, and purple. Setting aside the black and red ones for now, the animals here—some are active at night, some during the day. I suspect the purple sun provides energy for daytime creatures, while the green sun powers those that move at night."
We began experimenting, choosing all sorts of plants to test. Some, when damaged, regrew in just a few minutes; others couldn’t recover at all.
While we waited, we watched the Nightshade mother and son. After a while, their energy faded—even flying became difficult—so they returned to their newly built cave.
Night fell.
"It's recovering—just as I thought."
The plants that hadn’t recovered under the purple sun now began to heal under the green sun.
We’d never seen the black sun—only the purple, green, and red. The red sun was meant for the island’s king, the Tri-tailed Lynx. Most of the time, Huan slept and didn’t eat, except when Isabelle Frost woke him, but he’d soon fall asleep again.
"It’s like those guys are programmers, setting routines so the suns change color and affect everything here."
Felix Zhou spoke as we all sat down. The top priority now was to enter the world after a ghost’s death—where was the entrance? The place we were in was just a testing ground for those beings.
"Don’t you think the sun’s color is a bit off tonight?"
Isabelle Frost pointed to the green sun in the sky. We all looked up. Aside from the green, I didn’t notice anything unusual.
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"The color’s getting deeper. A few nights ago, the green was pale, but now it’s turning almost black—dark green."
Ghost-Painting Immortal nodded.
"I’m afraid the great disaster is coming—the black sun that drives all the animals mad."
The next day, when the purple sun appeared, the Nightshade mother and son came out again. At first, they still seemed sluggish, but after bathing in the purple sunlight, they quickly revived.
I saw Lynn gazing at the purple sun in the sky, lost in thought, so I asked her.
"Is something wrong with the sun?"
Lynn nodded.
"Each of the last three great disasters began with the sun’s color deepening, until it finally turned black and lasted for a whole day. Only by avoiding the black sun’s rays can you stay sane."
To be safe, we had Isabelle Frost bring the Tri-tailed Lynx into the cave to sleep, while the Nightshade mother and son, and Kane, stayed at the island’s edge—ready to rush into the cave if anything changed.
Our worries came true. By nightfall, the green sun in the sky had grown even darker, casting the whole island in a deep black-green hue.
"Do you feel anything?"
I asked, and Kane shook his head.
"Maybe I really am different from the other Nightshades now."
Everyone looked uneasy—even Isabelle Frost was frowning. If the animals went berserk, we wouldn’t be safe either.
"Maybe we should go into the cave."
Felix Zhou suggested, and everyone laughed.
"Alright, you go ahead. The rest of us can handle things."
Felix Zhou had Kane take him into the cave. The nine of us stayed behind, each of us restless with unease.
Ray Lin grew quiet, and even Victor Duan perched on a tree, waiting in silence. Everyone knew I was their only hope for using Ghost Aura, but my condition was dire.
To figure things out, we couldn’t just hide and wait for doom—we had to face the coming disaster.
During the day, the purple sun was almost unrecognizable, turning black. The Nightshade mother and son began to react—restless, their green eyes tinged with red.
The forest trembled, wild beasts started moving, and the sky filled with countless black dots.
"Looks like it’s about to start."
Isabelle Frost spoke. We looked to the sky—the purple had vanished. Roars and howls from beasts echoed all around. I jumped up, raising my hand; a Shadowbane sniper rifle appeared in my grip.
With a crash, a giant creature burst from the jungle—its body massive, over three meters tall, with a crow-like head, powerful limbs, and red eyes, charging straight at us.
Victor Duan shot into the air, drawing the beast’s attention. It swung at him, but missed.
Bang! I pulled the trigger—the jet-black bullet pierced the beast’s head. It whimpered and crashed to the ground.
"Looks like it’s begun."
Victor Duan spoke as mirrors appeared in the sky. I saw swarms of black dots heading our way.
"Something’s not right."
Ray Lin muttered, then turned and shouted.
"Blackfang, connect me with Spectral Bindings."
My black Spectral Bindings shot toward Ray Lin.
Bang! Victor Duan’s upright mirror shattered. In an instant, the black dots swarmed toward us—flocks of birds, each the size of a fist, with dagger-like beaks and streamlined bodies.