When it comes to knowing how to party, the people here are the real pros.

The entire Nocturnal City was built deep underground. Its entrance wasn’t far from the Basil District, though it was a bit closer to the Natali District.

Compared to the mixed crowd of the Basil District, the Natali District was mostly home to the nobility, making it the only district in the Caster City State that could rival the central region.

As for the Dumitru, Ruer, and Yidrisu Districts, they could only be considered second-tier.

"So? Pretty impressive, huh?"

Wei’en nodded. "It certainly is..."

He had lost count of how many steps he’d descended from the entrance to get here. All he knew was that the path led down, ever downward.

At first, he’d thought it would be something like a black market, but the moment he saw the castle illuminated by gaslights, he realized this place was far from respectable.

Deep underground, a vast cavern opened up, its ceiling a pitch-black expanse like a starless night sky.

And in the middle of the cavern stood the castle—the Nocturnal City.

The castle itself was small and exquisite. Though called a castle, it was about the same size as the Property Management Department’s office area.

Walking along a dim stone path to the castle’s entrance, he was suddenly struck by how much brighter it was.

Two rows of scantily clad young women bowed gracefully to each arriving guest. "Welcome to the Nocturnal City."

They all wore veils, revealing only their sparkling eyes, which seemed to speak as they stared at you: *Come on in and play, guest.*

"Let’s go."

Marco straightened his uniform and headed inside first.

Wei’en tore his gaze away from the girls and hurried to catch up. "Are you sure I can buy what I need here?"

"If you can’t buy it here, then you can’t buy it anywhere else in Caster... except from Jilman."

"Fair enough."

Since he was already here, Wei’en decided he might as well trust Marco and see the Nocturnal City that his colleague had been so eager about.

Inside the castle was a spacious hall, lavishly decorated with an air of grandeur and beauty.

The carpet was plush, patterned with red and black stripes. Several pillars, painted gold, were carved with beasts of unidentifiable species.

In the middle of the hall was a row of sofas for guests. A few well-dressed men in top hats were chatting and laughing in low voices.

But when they saw the two of them, their expressions turned unnatural, and they muttered words like "bad luck" and "ill omen."

Of course, some people greeted Marco in a friendly manner, mostly asking about the time and place of the next cocktail party.

’The previous parties must have left a deep impression on them.’

Just then, a slender, elderly man in a proper tailcoat approached them. His face was old, but he was sharply dressed and full of vigor. "Long time no see, Marco."

"It has been a while. Is everything all right here, Old Ross?"

"Of course. The halo of the red moon can’t reach this place. I must say, though, your attire today isn’t suited for here. You’ll scare the guests."

Marco shrugged. "Just here to buy a few things."

"Then I’m relieved. As long as there isn’t some strange business afoot." Old Ross smiled. "What do you need? Let’s see if I can help you."

"Not me," Marco said, jutting his chin toward Wei’en. "He needs some materials and tools for making Mechanical Puppets. Oh, and materials for Magic Potions."

"Oh? A Mechanical School Wizard Apprentice who also studies potion-making? Marco, your Secret Investigation Department really will recruit anyone..."

Wei’en met his gaze and gave a bashful smile, but inwardly, he raised his guard.

Ever since he’d walked through the door, his panel had been scrolling with notifications like crazy—even more frequently than when he’d encountered Clelia.

[You have been scanned by Bocar Reva’s Spirit perception. Reward: Survival Points +1.]

[You have been targeted by Kiliam Kristoff’s killing intent. Evaluation: A fool blinded by desire. Reward: Survival Points +2.]

[As your Resilience Level is greater than 8, the Bone-Eating Worm’s attack has failed! Reward: Survival Points +1.]

[...]

[You have stepped into a place that gathers the faith of an unknown entity. As your Spirit Level is greater than 20, you have successfully resisted the corruption of the power of desire. Evaluation: Are you perhaps regretting that your Spirit Level is too high? Special Reward: Survival Points +3, Resilience Level +1.]

’Spirit perception, killing intent, Bone-Eating Worms... I could handle that. But this place is also a vessel for faith!’

’Corruption by the power of desire... so it must be faith in desire itself.’

Wei’en discreetly surveyed his surroundings. Beyond the brightly lit hall were several dark, indistinct corridors from which faint sounds could be heard.

’It’s really hard to imagine how those people can have so much fun in such a dangerous place.’

’Haven’t the Bone-Eating Worms attacked them?’

’Or have they been so corrupted by the power of desire that they’ve lost their basic judgment?’

Marco retorted, "Just like you have girls from every country here, don’t you?"

"You’re so crass, Marco,"

Old Ross said, sizing up Wei’en for a few moments. "Follow me. The things you need are on the third floor."

With that, he turned to lead the way, and the two followed.

Marco pursed his lips, nudged Wei’en with his shoulder, and said suggestively, "After we’re done shopping, want to hang around for a bit?"

"No, I promised Uncle Yuan I’d have dinner with him," Wei’en lied casually.

Before coming to the Nocturnal City, he had held some expectations for the place.

But now that he was actually here, he found that aside from its exotic style, it wasn’t even as impressive as the places he’d seen in his past life...

’Are all places like this cut from the same mold?’

Because of this, all he wanted now was to buy his things and leave as quickly as possible.

"Alright then. I’ll bring you here again when there’s another chance."

"...No problem."

Wei’en’s reply was insincere. In the short time it took to get from the first floor to the third, he received nearly fifty notifications.

Fortunately, most of them were just Spirit perception scans; there weren’t too many lunatics blinded by desire.

But he also noticed that as they ascended, the required Spirit Level to resist the power of desire was also increasing.

[You have stepped into a place that gathers the faith of an unknown entity. As your Spirit Level is greater than 30... Special Reward: Survival Points +4, Resilience Level +1.]

[You have stepped into a place that gathers the faith of an unknown entity. As your Spirit Level is greater than 40... Evaluation: Are you trying to challenge your own weak spot? Special Reward: Survival Points +5, Resilience Level +1, Spirit Level +1.]

Wei’en glanced up. ’That must be where the power of desire is strongest.’

’Could it be a Faith Totem, like the one from the ritual of despair?’

’I wonder what the object of this faith in desire even looks like.’

"AHHH—"

Just then, a piercing scream rang out.

Then, several panicked voices followed.

"Is anyone there? Run! She—she’s lost control!"

"Run...!"

Wei’en looked toward the sound, stunned to see several panicked figures run out of the opposite corridor...

Immediately after, several guards in black armor emerged from the shadows and charged deep into the corridor.

"RAAAWR—"

An even more piercing shriek echoed,

accompanied by a frenzied roar...

"Dammit," Old Ross’s expression changed slightly. "Can’t they be a little quieter?"

Marco frowned, looking in that direction. "You people actually dare to keep those things locked up here?"

"The guests bring them on their own... You know how it is. As long as they abide by the rules of the Nocturnal City, we have no reason to refuse."