Chapter 41: Shiltina’s 「Canaan」
“So that’s how it is—”
“To be able to walk out from such a remote place, relying solely on self-study, and make your way to the royal capital… that truly is not an easy feat.”
After listening to Rast’s explanation, Ishta’s voice grew even more sympathetic.
As the only daughter of the Julian family, she had lived since childhood in the royal city of the Granwell Kingdom — Pros, the “Capital of Summer Blossoms.”
And as the most prosperous city in the entire Granwell Kingdom… things like air conditioning, cars, smartphones, and electric networks were nothing more than daily basics for her.
She simply could not imagine what kind of life Rast had lived in such a poor and rural place.
However, it was precisely people from such humble origins who could avoid being tainted by the rotten airs of aristocratic cities, possessing a heart so pure that even the “Eye of Secrets” could not penetrate it.
Ishta sighed inwardly with emotion, then began to explain to Rast.
“The ‘Twilight Calamity’ is a disaster that appears irregularly across the world, with no warning, no cause — as if it descends from nowhere.”
“Moreover, the types of Twilight Calamity vary greatly: tsunamis, earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, floods, plagues, beast tides… they seem unrelated.”
“But that’s only for ordinary people…”
Ishta’s voice dropped slightly, her eyes losing their previous softness and becoming more solemn.
“According to the laws of the Granwell Kingdom, revealing information about the Twilight Calamity to those unaware bears the responsibility of leaking secrets.”
“But you’re already a Night Traveler, and you’ve passed the university’s preliminary review — you’ll likely complete your Starfall University freshman registration soon, so what I say now doesn’t count as violating confidentiality.”
Ishta paused, then continued, “In fact, verified by Starfall University—”
“The birth of the ‘Twilight Calamity’ is directly connected to the Nightworld.”
“Just like how the Twilight Calamity appears without warning, gateways to the Nightworld also appear sporadically across the continent.”
“And different Nightworld entrances, as well as the Nightworld Remnants within, correspond to fragments of lost history from before the ‘Pale Interruption’ — a period not recorded in modern chronicles.”
“Since you are now a Night Traveler, you’ve likely already entered a Historical Remnant, haven’t you…”
Ishta glanced at Rast. “Have you noticed that the historical background of each Nightworld Remnant actually shares some similarities?”
“Similarities?”
Although he had only personally experienced the Remnant of Deep Blue Port, Rast quickly arrived at the answer using his memories from his past life on Blue Star.
“You mean, the historical backgrounds of each Nightworld Remnant… always involve some great crisis, conflict, or calamity?”
It was a natural deduction.
In the design documents for the “Shadows of the Past” DLC of Snow Moon Emblem, the Nightworld was specifically built as a multiplayer dungeon area to increase game time.
And since it was a dungeon, it naturally needed a goal — namely, the final boss to be defeated by players.
Put another way, if the historical backdrops of these Nightworld Remnants were all prosperous and peaceful, with happy citizens living in harmony—
Then the Nightworld would not be the deadly forbidden land Shiltina described, where only madmen and obsessives dared tread, but instead a land of gold and flowing milk and honey.
“That’s right.”
Ishta nodded.
“According to the latest conclusions of the ‘Institute of Ruins’ — the department within Starfall University that specializes in collecting and analyzing Nightworld intelligence—”
“When a Nightworld entrance opens, and Night Travelers begin entering that Remnant to investigate and explore the lost history, clearing it repeatedly…”
“The entrance, as well as the power of that Historical Remnant, will gradually weaken… until it’s fully explored, at which point the Nightworld passage in the real world will disappear — this means we’ve completely cleared a Nightworld.”
“However, if the Night Travelers do not explore it sufficiently and fail to meet the clearance conditions before a certain time limit—”
“Then, the Nightworld passage will evolve into a ‘Calamity Remnant.’”
At this point, a flash of dread crossed Ishta’s eyes.
“The appearance of a ‘Calamity Remnant’ signals the start of a countdown.”
“Compared to a normal Historical Remnant, the difficulty of clearing a ‘Calamity Remnant’ skyrockets. Of course, some of the standard restrictions are lifted as well.”
“And if, when the countdown reaches zero, the ‘Calamity Remnant’ still hasn’t been cleared—”
Rast had already guessed what Ishta was about to say.
“The calamity that befell that lost history in the Nightworld—”
“Will truly descend upon reality.”
“That is what we call the ‘Twilight Calamity.’”
…
Outside the psychological evaluation room, the long corridor had come to an end.
Ishta pushed open the door at the corridor’s end, and brilliant sunlight instantly flooded their eyes.
This appeared to be a suburban area, surrounded by temporary camps and fortifications built with steel beams, and people bearing Starfall’s insignia bustled back and forth.
It was likely mid-morning.
The sky was clear and bright, without a single cloud, with an occasional breeze brushing across their faces.
Rast stopped at the door, silently gazing at this new world he was stepping into for the first time.
It was undoubtedly a beautiful and peaceful world, utterly unlike the suffocating air of Deep Blue Port.
The fresh air and morning breeze made Rast think of Canaan.
It was precisely because he had a place like 「Canaan」 — like a utopia — that he was able to endure the despairing cycles of Deep Blue Port.
And for Shiltina, it was much the same.
It was because she had a safe haven in her heart that she could walk time and again through the Nightworld’s Old Remnants, surrounded by madness, despair, and corruption — and still remain strong and radiant.
And if the Iron Cross Plague of Deep Blue Port descended upon reality in the form of a “Twilight Calamity,” turning Canaan, turning half the human population of the continent into beasts of sadism…
Just the thought alone was enough to send chills down one’s spine.
That was why, no matter how many times she stood before certain death, no matter how many times she came back bloodied and broken, Shiltina never wavered, never gave up…
Because behind Shiltina stood her very own 「Canaan」.