32: Chapter 32 The Night Watchers

The pickup truck had been driving on the highway for an hour.

Chen Mo gripped the steering wheel, his eyes fixed on the road ahead.

Lin Wei sat in the passenger seat, eyes closed, resting.

Neither of them spoke; the only sounds in the cabin were the roar of the engine and the rustling of tires against the road.

The sky gradually grew dark.

Ghost Night was coming again.

Chen Mo glanced at the rearview mirror; the road behind was no longer visible, only an endless gray highway stretching backward.

Ahead, there were no buildings, no lights, only an increasingly thick darkness.

"Find a place to spend the night?" Lin Wei opened her eyes.

Chen Mo nodded.

After driving for another twenty minutes, an abandoned auto repair shop appeared on the side of the road.

There were two dilapidated bungalows, a repair bay with a shed, and a few rusted-out wrecks parked in the yard.

Chen Mo drove the car inside and parked it in a relatively hidden corner.

The two got out of the car and checked their surroundings.

The bungalow doors were open; inside, it was empty, containing only some discarded parts and tools.

No Ghost Shadow, no corpses—it was safe.

Lin Wei took out sleeping bags and food from the car, while Chen Mo set up a simple alarm at the door: several empty cans strung together with thin wire and hung on the door frame, which would fall if someone pushed the door open.

By the time they finished, it was completely dark.

Ghost Night had descended.

The two sat in the bungalow, eating compressed rations without lighting any lamps.

In the darkness, there was only the sound of chewing and the occasional eerie wail from the distance.

"That ability of yours," Lin Wei said in a low voice, "Time Perception, how far can it detect?"

"Thirty meters," Chen Mo said.

"Is it enough?"

Chen Mo was silent for a second.

"Enough."

Lin Wei didn't ask again.

The two continued to eat.

Halfway through, Chen Mo suddenly stopped.

In his Time Perception, something was approaching.

It wasn't the chaotic fluctuations of a Ghost Shadow, but some kind of more powerful, more stable existence.

He stood up, walked to the door, and looked out through the crack.

Something was moving in the darkness.

It was huge.

At least three meters tall, with a humanoid silhouette, but covered in black mist, making it impossible to see its specific appearance.

It walked very slowly, each step heavy, but without making any sound.

Pupil of the Sequence activated at full power.

In his golden vision, the lines on that thing were dense, like a cocoon woven from golden thread.

Those lines flowed slowly; every time they circled, the surrounding air would distort.

【Target: C-Class Wraith Night Prowler】

【Status: Patrolling】

【Ability: Dark Reign (All stats increased in darkness)】

【Weakness: Light Source】

【Threat Assessment: High】

【Recommendation: Evacuate immediately, avoid direct confrontation】

Chen Mo gripped his cleaver.

C-Class.

A full Rank higher than him.

If it were before, he would have chosen to evacuate.

But now...

He glanced at his ability panel.

Dark Affinity: All stats +30% at night.

Invisibility: 7 seconds, 15-second cooldown.

Prediction: 7 seconds.

Time Perception: 30 meters.

And Lin Wei was by his side, dual pistols in hand.

Perhaps, he could try.

"What do you see?" Lin Wei walked over and asked in a low voice.

"C-Class," Chen Mo said, "Night Prowler."

Lin Wei's expression changed slightly.

"Can we fight it?"

Chen Mo thought about it.

"We can maneuver."

He pushed the door open and walked out.

Lin Wei paused for a moment, then followed.

The two hugged the wall, approaching that thing.

Thirty meters.

Twenty meters.

Fifteen meters.

The Night Prowler stopped.

It turned its head, looking in their direction.

That face... if it even had one... was shrouded in black mist, making it impossible to see anything.

But Chen Mo could feel that it was "looking" at them.

Chen Mo activated Infiltrator, vanishing into the air.

The Night Prowler paused, then turned toward Lin Wei.

Lin Wei didn't move.

She raised her dual pistols, aiming.

The Night Prowler walked toward her.

Just at the moment it was about to enter range, Chen Mo appeared behind it.

He slashed down with his blade.

The blade struck the black mist, as if cutting into cotton, with no resistance at all.

But the black mist was split open, revealing what was underneath—

Black skin, as hard as iron.

It was engraved with eerie patterns that were squirming, as if alive.

The Night Prowler turned, its huge palm swatting toward Chen Mo.

Chen Mo dodged to the side, simultaneously activating Prediction.

Seven seconds later, it would strike again, targeting his chest.

He stepped back half a step in advance, letting the palm brush past his clothes.

Simultaneously, Lin Wei fired.

The bullets hit the Night Prowler, spraying sparks.

It turned, rushing toward Lin Wei.

Chen Mo turned invisible again, chasing after it.

Seven seconds later, he appeared at its side and slashed again.

This time, he struck its knee.

The black mist was split, and the blade left a shallow mark on the black skin.

The Night Prowler let out a low roar.

The sound didn't resemble the wail of a Ghost Shadow; it sounded more like some kind of... anger.

It abandoned Lin Wei and turned back to Chen Mo.

The surrounding darkness suddenly grew even thicker, so thick that one couldn't see their own fingers.

In Chen Mo's Time Perception, the flow of time began to fluctuate; some places were fast, some were slow, and some were even stagnant.

【Night Prowler ability activated: Dark Reign】

【Current area darkness density increased by 300%】

【Visual range: 0 meters】

【Time Perception range: 30 meters → 15 meters】

Chen Mo stood where he was, not moving.

He knew that at times like this, the last thing he should do was move recklessly.

Those time rifts were moving in the darkness; if he bumped into one, he would be transported to an unknown place.

He closed his eyes, focusing all his attention on Time Perception.

Within fifteen meters, everything was presented in his mind—

The Night Prowler was ten meters away, approaching him, moving very slowly.

Lin Wei was eight meters away, standing in place, not moving.

There were also some small things wandering around, likely F-Class Ghost Shadows attracted by the commotion.

Chen Mo gripped his cleaver, calculating the distance.

The Night Prowler was getting closer and closer.

Now.

He activated Infiltrator and vanished from where he stood.

Seven seconds later, he appeared behind the Night Prowler and slashed at the same spot... the knee.

This time, he cut deeper.

The blade sliced into the black skin, cutting into the muscle beneath.

Golden liquid gushed out.

The Night Prowler let out an even louder roar.

The surrounding darkness surged violently, as if to devour him.

Chen Mo didn't stop.

He turned invisible again, appeared again, and slashed at the same spot again.

One slash.

Two slashes.

Three slashes.

By the seventh slash, the knee finally couldn't hold up.

The Night Prowler knelt on one knee.

Chen Mo did not continue attacking.

He stepped back a few paces, standing at a safe distance.

The Night Prowler knelt on the ground, breathing heavily.

The black mist was slowly fading.

It raised its head, looking at Chen Mo.

Inside a pair of pitch-black eyes, there was nothing.

But Chen Mo could feel that it was "looking" at him.

With a complex gaze.

Not anger, not hatred, but some kind of... confusion.

As if it were asking:

Why did you hit me?

Chen Mo looked at it.

Then he spoke.

"Go."

The Night Prowler paused.

It stood up, turned, and slowly disappeared into the darkness.

The darkness density in the surroundings returned to normal.

Lin Wei walked over, looking at Chen Mo.

"You let it go?"

Chen Mo nodded.

"Why?"

"It didn't intend to kill us," Chen Mo said. "It was just patrolling."

Lin Wei was silent for a few seconds.

"Are you sure?"

Chen Mo didn't answer.

He turned and walked toward the bungalow.

Behind him, Lin Wei watched his back, her eyes somewhat complex.

She followed him.

The two returned to the bungalow and closed the door.

The alarm was still there; everything was normal.

Chen Mo sat on his sleeping bag, eyes closed, recalling the battle just now.

Seven seconds of Prediction, seven seconds of Invisibility.

The 30% bonus from Dark Affinity.

Time Perception allowed him to see those time rifts.

Combining these abilities allowed him to maneuver against a C-Class Ghost Shadow.

Even, to win.

Although it was only a small victory, although it was only driving it back.

But this was the first time.

For the first time, he was no longer the prey.

He opened his eyes.

The darkness outside the window was still there, but those wailing sounds didn't seem so terrifying anymore.