Chapter 201
Our Discord Server: https://discord.gg/PazjBDkTmW
Chapter 201: Crown Ceremony “Night Vigil”
The most fitting ceremony for the future “King of Night” is deeply tied to the night itself.
Its name: “Night Vigil.”
Mu Ling’s destiny as the “King of Night” is anchored in her connection to an Outer God—the “Lord of Darkness.”
Referred to as the “Obscure Changer,” the Lord of Darkness wields dual powers: light and shadow.
Likewise, Mu Ling’s very being contains a fragment of darkness within.
The purpose of the Crown Ceremony “Night Vigil” is to awaken this power. To claim it. To make it her own.
Yet, the strength of darkness comes with peril.
Should she fail to control it, Mu Ling would become nothing more than a vessel for the Lord of Darkness, doomed to serve as His gateway into the mortal realm.
If this were to happen—if her soul were destroyed—no power, not even the “Babel Tower,” could restore her. She would exist as nothing more than a permanent, irreversible casualty.
But Bai Yan will never allow this fate to befall her.
He is resolute.
At this moment, Mu Ling feels a flicker of unease. It’s not fear of the dark, but the weight of the moment pressing upon her.
The Crown level… it is a pinnacle of strength.
In this city, only one other has reached it—the Queen of the Scarlet Moon.
Now, Mu Ling stands on the precipice of becoming the second.
This promotion to Crown represents not just immense power but unparalleled responsibility.
As the Savior’s sharpest blade, she will be a force to save the city—and perhaps the entire world.
In the vast world of Noah, no member of “Babel Tower” may surpass her.
This realization burns brightly within her.
And then it begins.
Suddenly, the Savior vanishes into the shadows, leaving her alone in the abyss.
[You must face this on your own, but I believe you will prevail.]
The voice in her mind is unwavering, a source of quiet reassurance.
“Night Vigil” is a solitary ritual, unyielding to any external aid.
Mu Ling must confront its trials alone, though Bai Yan remains hidden, observing from the shadows.
Naturally, should things spiral into fatal danger, he will intervene—but only to preserve the energy spent creating her.
Mu Ling steadies her breath. She nods in acknowledgment and notices a deep-blue potion at her feet.
[Drink it.]
Without hesitation, she kneels, uncorks the bottle, and drains its contents.
The effects are immediate.
Her vision blurs, her balance wavers, and a relentless murmur fills her ears—unfamiliar, incomprehensible.
It’s as if the darkness itself whispers from within her soul.
A force indescribable. Terrifying.
[Calm your heart. Steady your mind.]
The Savior’s voice pierces the haze.
Mu Ling clenches her hands, attempting to steady herself, but finds she has collapsed to the cold, unforgiving ground.
The murmurs intensify.
They seem to echo her deepest fears, pulling her closer to an endless abyss.
Focus. Find stillness. Quiet your thoughts.
Drawing upon her training in “Flow of the Heart,” she begins to center herself.
Slowly, painfully, she pushes herself upright, reclaiming control of her senses.
When she opens her eyes, the world has dissolved into a sea of absolute darkness.
Not a single light remains.
Not even sound exists.
Every trace of her surroundings has vanished.
She is utterly alone.
[Do not fear. I am still connected to you.]
The Savior’s voice reverberates in her mind.
It grants her courage, a glimmer of light in the overwhelming void.
“Darkness is never the enemy. The true foe lies within—our own fear of what the dark conceals.”
She understands this now.
As the whispers fade, so too do the monstrous shadows that had been clawing at her mind.
In that moment, Mu Ling realizes:
To conquer the darkness, she must first master her fear.
[You have passed the second trial, Nightsaber.]
Mu Ling exhales deeply. She awaits the next challenge, her mind and spirit sharpened like the blade she wields.
But nothing comes.
The third trial, unlike the others, offers no clear adversary.
Instead, Mu Ling is confronted with unending emptiness.
Time loses meaning.
Minutes. Hours. Days. Months.
The darkness presses in,
carrying neither malice nor
warmth.
[Do not lose yourself,
Nightsaber.]
The Savior’s voice echoes
faintly, a fragile tether to her
resolve.
She clings to his words, even
as her sense of self begins to
erode.
In the oppressive void, Mu Ling
finally understands.
Darkness is not an enemy. It is
a part of her, a quiet presence
that has always been there.
She stops resisting it.
She lets it flow through her,
becoming one with its endless
expanse.
In the real world, Bai Yan
watches her closely.
Half a minute has passed. Yet,
within the ritual, she has
endured what feels like an
eternity.
Bai Yan hesitates. Should she
falter, he could intervene,
though doing so would undo
her progress.
But just as he reaches out—
just as his hand hovers an inch
from her shoulder—her eyes
snap open.
Mu Ling steps forward,
emerging from the darkness
transformed.
Her form radiates a quiet
power, as though she has truly
become the embodiment of
the night.
She kneels before the Savior,
her voice steady.
“I have become one with the
night. A part of the darkness
itself. Yet, I remain your blade.”
