"Welcome to visit again next time."

Sophia bowed slightly, her voice carrying that warm, businesslike tone as she saw the two girls out of the food building.

"Hiccup~" Carmilla let out a satisfied little burp, her cheeks puffing as she waved lazily in reply.

Her stomach was so full it felt round and tight beneath her clothes. She clutched it with both hands and waddled after Mia, who was walking ahead toward the street.

"Hiccup~" Mia hiccuped too, her normally cold, composed face tinged faintly pink. Even she couldn't help it after such a meal.

Carmilla rubbed her belly and groaned. "We really spent more than we should have. What do we do now?"

Her voice trembled with guilt. She could feel the few remaining beast spars jingling faintly in her pocket — and the sound wasn't reassuring at all.

They'd both been completely seduced by the aroma of the food earlier. One bite after another, dish after dish… and just like that, they'd forgotten their careful budget.

"How much do we have left?" Mia asked, massaging her temple. It was rare to see her so visibly frustrated. She prided herself on her calm nature, but this time, her discipline had completely failed her. The thought made her expression stiffen.

"Probably enough for only one night," Carmilla mumbled, close to tears. "I planned everything out before we came here. We should've been able to stay in Black Tortoise City for five whole days!"

"It's fine," Mia said calmly, scanning the nearby alleys and shaded corners. "Sleeping on the street is still an option."

Her eyes swept over several spots that looked reasonably safe and sheltered — a few alcoves beneath storefronts, a corner between two buildings, and even an awning that could serve as a makeshift roof. Compared to the wilderness, it was luxurious.

"Sleep on the street?" Carmilla froze. Her golden eyes went wide.

She'd only just gotten used to the soft bed and thick quilts at the Three Star Pavilion — sleeping in warmth and comfort for the first time in ages. And now, they were already talking about sleeping on the ground? The difference was too cruel.

"We can't leave Black Tortoise City yet," Mia reminded her softly. "There are still three orcs waiting outside the city walls. If we go out now, we'll walk straight into their hands."

Otherwise, they could have simply returned to Amestris City and earned more beast spars. But with the orcs lurking nearby, that was out of the question.

"Alright…" Carmilla sighed, her shoulders slumping. "Why am I so greedy…"

She patted her lips and frowned. It wasn't worth it! But the food had been too good to resist.

They had ordered over a dozen dishes — and that was not even counting the four extra plates of vegetables they couldn't finish.

Now, the two of them walked slowly along the commercial street, too embarrassed to enter any of the shops. They didn't even dare to stop and look. All they could do was sneak glances from a distance at glittering shop windows and colorful stalls as they passed.

Without beast spars, they couldn't afford to set foot inside.

When they reached the end of the street, Carmilla's eyes caught a small crowd gathered near an intersection. Several people were working together to assemble what looked like a semi-transparent silk cage. They were attaching it to the top of a three-meter-long wooden pole.

Curious, she tilted her head. "What are they doing?"

"It looks like… something that glows," Mia replied. She watched as one of the workers picked up a glowing beetle and carefully placed it into the silk cage.

"Oh! It's a luminous beetle!" Carmilla's eyes sparkled. She leaned forward, fascinated by the creature's gentle radiance. "The City of Black Tortoise can even raise such things? That's amazing."

"The city's definitely well-developed," Mia agreed, glancing up in the direction of the inner walls — toward Wengcheng, the fortified heart of Black Tortoise. "It must be the city's core."

At that same time, on the city wall , two figures stood under the night sky — Agni Moon and Mirean Moon, mother and daughter. They were stationed there to guard against any disturbances that might arise in the commercial district below.

Agni Moon leaned against the parapet, scanning the streets with sharp eyes. Suddenly, her gaze froze on a certain golden-haired girl among the passersby.

"…Huh? That girl looks… familiar."

She squinted, but the faint light and the distance made it hard to see clearly. The girl's face was partially hidden beneath a drifting shadow. Agni Moon frowned. "Strange… where have I seen her before?"

Down below, Mia suddenly tensed. She could feel it — a sharp, probing gaze locking onto her from above. Her instincts flared immediately. Without hesitation, she turned slightly and activated her shadow awakening ability, the darkness flowing subtly across her face until her features blurred into obscurity.

"What's wrong?" Carmilla asked softly, noticing her partner's sudden movement.

"Someone's watching us," Mia murmured, her tone low and serious.

One of the reasons they'd ventured out tonight was to quietly explore the city's layout — to find escape routes and hiding spots in case of emergencies. But now, it seemed their cover was thinning.

"Let's go back," Mia said after a moment, turning decisively toward the Three Star Pavilion.

Whenever she felt someone's eyes on her, she instinctively veiled her face in shadow — a habit born of necessity. For someone like her, a member of Oasis, being recognized could bring serious danger. There were powerful people in many big cities who would pay dearly to capture her.

"But I thought we were going to explore at night?" Carmilla asked, glancing toward the distant Wengcheng walls. The faint glimmer of patrol lights reflected in her eyes.

"Not tonight," Mia said firmly. "The guards are tighter than usual. There are more of them than during the day — and one of them… feels like a Tier Six powerhouse."

Her eyes narrowed slightly, calculating. A fight here would be suicidal.

Carmilla pouted but nodded. "Alright…"

Together, they turned back, walking quietly through the dim streetlights until the towering silhouette of the Three Star Pavilion came into view.

Meanwhile, atop outer city walls.

"What's wrong?" Mirean Moon asked, noticing her daughter's distant stare.

"It's nothing," Agni Moon replied after a pause, shaking her head. "I must've mistaken her for someone else. If she were really an acquaintance, I'd have recognized her by now."

Before Mirean could say more, a sudden gust swept across the wall, followed by a thud — a man landing lightly on the battlements.

Luciel straightened from his crouch, his silver hair gleaming faintly in the moonlight. He grinned faintly. He had jumped down from a hundred meters up, using his Light and Heavy ability to alter his weight midair, drifting down like a feather.

"No trouble?" he asked casually.

"None so far," Mirean answered, studying him curiously. "Who were the intruders you mentioned earlier?"

Luciel's expression darkened slightly. "Two Tier Six, four Tier Five — six ghosts in total."

"Ghosts?" Agni Moon blinked in confusion. "You mean… alien ghosts?"

"Right," Luciel said, his voice calm but cold. "They're people from Amestris City — altered humans with special abilities."

He turned his gaze toward the distant horizon, where the shadow of Amestris City loomed faintly beyond the night haze. His mind was already running through possibilities. Was it a reconnaissance mission? A test? Or something more?

Mirean frowned. "Could it be that Amestris City is probing us? Testing Black Tortoise's defenses?"

"Quite possible," Luciel replied. "Especially after what that white-haired girl brought back earlier. I suspect the one they call the Flying Corpse was involved — he's responsible for handling the alien ghosts."

"Did you eliminate them?" Mirean asked quietly.

Luciel nodded. "All of them. I don't intend to let those things roam free."

He remembered what Nijisha had told him: those "ghosts" were once devout followers of Amestris City, forcibly transformed into monsters. The infected — like Nijisha herself — were merely test subjects. Now that the city's research had succeeded, they no longer needed new ones. The infection still spread, but the infected could never become full ghosts. They would simply waste away until death.

Only the most loyal were allowed to complete the transformation.

"Let's head back," Luciel said after a moment. With a single effortless leap, he vanished into the night — gone like a shadow swallowed by the darkness.

Mirean and Agni Moon watched him disappear, silent for a while.

"Mother," Agni said suddenly, her crimson eyes shining. "Luciel is amazing! It hasn't even been that long since he set out, and he already wiped out two Tier Six and four Tier Five invaders."

Mirean's lips curved slightly. "Yes… he's really strong."

Agni clenched her fists, excitement lighting up her face. "When will I ever be as strong as him?"

Her mother chuckled softly. "If you spend more time practicing your awakening ability, maybe in thirty or forty years."

"Thirty or forty years?" Agni stared at her, horrified. "I'll be an old woman by then!"

"Pretty much," Mirean said, amusement dancing in her blue eyes.

"No way! I haven't even fallen in love yet!" Agni gasped, clutching her hair dramatically.

"…" Mirean's expression froze.

How did the conversation jump there?

"Mother, how old were you when you fell in love?" Agni pressed, blinking innocently.

"What are you asking that for?" Mirean's beautiful face went slightly pale — panic flickering in her expression. Could her daughter… know?

"I just want to set a goal!" Agni said earnestly. "I want to reach Tier Six faster than you did, so I'll still have time for romance!"

Mirean's brow twitched violently. She had to resist the urge to smack her daughter. She had never been in love! What nonsense was this girl talking about?

"Come on, tell me, Mother!" Agni insisted, clinging to her mother's arm and shaking it playfully. "How old were you when you fell in love? How old are you now?"

"You really do love tormenting me," Mirean groaned, covering her face with one hand. She put on an exaggeratedly sorrowful look. "You don't even know your mother's age. Truly heartbreaking…"

Then, before Agni could respond, Mirean turned on her heel and fled down the wall in a swirl of crimson light.

"Eh? Mother?" Agni stood there, dumbfounded.

She grabbed a handful of her fiery red hair and groaned. "You never tell me your age! How am I supposed to know it!"

She'd asked around the Moon Tribe before, but the answers were all absurd. Some said her mother was only twenty-six or twenty-seven.

Agni had rolled her eyes. When she gave birth to me, was she ten years old then?

She'd given each liar a very personal lesson about spreading rumors regarding her mother's age.

.....

Imagine a city perched on the back of a giant turtle, moving slowly across endless lands or oceans… and maybe even more fantastical wonders! I'd love to see your visions of this world.

Draw it, paint it, design it, or digitally render it—your imagination is the limit!

📌 Post your creations right here in the comments or replies—I can't wait to see how you bring our world to life! ✨

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