Down in the depths of the earth, there was only dimmest of light. Ning Shan stood, bewildered, until his eyes finally adapted to his environment. He had no idea how far he had fallen, much less how he had survived the drop, yet he was completely unharmed but lost.

The ground was hard under his feet; walls surrounded him on all sides. They glowed slightly, just enough so that he could approximate their shapes. As for how they did so, he had no idea. Ever since he was thrown into this world, he hadn't seen much signs of light except for the scarce stars painting the night sky. There was also the dim celestial object resembling a moon, yet this hardly compared with the blazing sun.

“How much longer is the night going to linger?” he whispered, if only to himself. “I can’t wait for it to be over, to finally be rid of this darkness...”

He felt some movements coming from behind him. He turned on his heels at extreme speed, thrusting a hand forward, only to collide with Sera's neck. Once again, she had been caught not long after waking following the fall. She stopped in place, her eyes growing slightly larger, resembling a small animal before a predator.

Ning Shan, however, only held her briefly before letting go. While still wary of others, he had never felt any threat from her. In fact, all he felt was pity at how unfortunate she seemed. Finally released from the danger to her neck, Sera had a question on her mind she couldn't help but voice.

"What is the 'Night' supposed to be?" she asked, her voice shaking slightly.

Ning Shan frowned, thinking she may be toying with him. After all, how could she not know the meaning? However, it was then that it hit him. He had gotten so used to his words being instantly translated that he didn't even notice that the word "night" had been said in his previous language.

Is there a glitch in the language function? he thought, looking at the woman who seemed a head shorter than he was. While possible, I doubt it... The most plausible explanation is that no similar meaning exists in their language... but how could that be?

Ning Shan couldn't let it rest and had to get to the bottom of it.

"Do you not know the concept of day and night?" he asked but then froze. The word "Day" also hadn't been translated. He couldn't help but frown deeply.

Sera looked back at him, feeling slightly confused. Ever since she first met him, his pronunciation had been much too weird, but now he also spoke of words she couldn't understand, much less echo them back to him. In fact, she tried to say them back, trying to uncover the meaning, yet she failed.

“Day is when the sun radiates its light on the land, dispersing the night. Both alternate, one after the other, without end. Does this not occur here?" he asked, only to hear an answer he hadn't expected.

“Sun?" she replied; at least this word was easier to say, but she butchered it even then. "How extravagant... I've heard some of the city's wealthier individuals can live in the illuminated district. Do you even know how much dust that takes? Even the boss had never been fortunate enough to witness it."

“You mean to tell me this world lives in perpetual darkness? How can you not grow insane?” Ning Shan’s expression grew uglier by the second. “How can you even see without any light?”

“Aren’t the dots in the sky enough? Besides, our masks allow us to see in the dark," she replied, almost as if on reflex. Only then did she pause and take a few steps away from him. "Speaking of which, how can you even be fine without your mask? You shouldn't even be alive right now!"

Ning Shan sighed, ignoring her outburst. This world was much too weird. How could life flourish without any light? His thoughts stopped abruptly. He had missed a detail, yet when he paused to think about it, it seemed to fit right in.

Ever since I've been transported here, I've never seen a single hint of plant-based life, have I? In fact, even the fauna seemed to have evolved and become at least half mechanical in nature. Has this world always been like this, or did something happen to it?

He then turned to face Sera, countless questions swirling in his mind. Still, he voiced none of them. Firstly, he had no reason to believe whatever she told him, and she seemed almost clueless to the ways her world operated. She reminded him of the war orphans he had seen so often in his previous world: too focused on their own survival to open their minds to the greater picture. Still, there was one question he couldn't wipe from his mind.

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Without any light or plant life, what do they even do for sustenance?

Speaking of which, ever since he had been transported here, Ning Shan hadn't felt the pangs of hunger even once. It took him until now to realize since he hadn't felt such feelings for centuries. However, that was due to the ever-present qi, constantly nourishing his body. But now? How could he receive nourishment in this barren environment? Unless...

This dust again... I’ve seen the creatures of this world fight over it, trying to predate on each other, and it seemed to make them grow. On the other hand, I've also seen these humans perish when they come into contact with the dust. Their masks are the greatest proof of it. Then... what does that make me? Why does the dust act on me the same way as with these creatures?

Ning Shan took a deep breath, calming his heart rate, and then focused on the problem at hand. In trying to save this woman, they had both fallen underground, however far it was. Still, he could still feel a slight breeze on his face, meaning there should be an exit somewhere. He only had to find it.

“Why did you save me?” Sera asked.

She couldn’t help but be puzzled about his actions. After all, the way they met and parted was far from perfect. In fact, she couldn’t help but feel he might still hold a grudge for what she had done. Still, Ning Shan’s answer left her speechless.

"As you might expect from our earlier conversation, I am unfamiliar with your world and need a guide to integrate seamlessly into it. You just seemed the easiest to take advantage of."

If her mouth could be seen, it would be hung open, showing the back of her throat. Still, she couldn’t deny his words, as most people she had ever encountered had reached the same conclusion.

At least this man is honest, unlike all those who tried to trap me with flowery words and empty promises only to discard me in the end. Still, judging by the way he used those Dustborns against the hunters, this guy seems resourceful. It might be worthwhile to stick with him... Besides, now that they are all dead, what other choices do I have?

Ning Shan watched her closely, feeling every shift in her mental state. He knew exactly what she was thinking and couldn't help but approve. After all, relationships based on gains and losses were much more trustworthy than mere feelings such as honour, integrity, or righteousness. In fact, he could barely stand those hypocrites.

Without waiting for her input, Ning Shan began to walk toward where the wind originated. He entertained the thought of climbing out of this hole only briefly before dismissing it. After all, he couldn't see how far they had fallen, nor any holds to aid in the climb. The nearby walls were as smooth as could be, resembling metal sheets.

Sera followed suit, feeling slightly unnerved by the confidence with which he walked through the darkness. It was as if this was his realm, where he ruled as king. Even with the improved vision granted by her mask, Sera could barely see a few feet before her, yet the man just walked straight through the darkness without care.

Ning Shan's world now glowed in shades of red. Using his enhanced vision, he could see the red dust slowly floating in the air, making the nearby walls pop against the gradient. He was continually stunned by this red dust's prevalence, as if not a single inch of this world was devoid of it.

How can they live if this is poison for them but is everywhere? I should really reach this city of theirs. I might finally get some answers...

“How should I address you?" Sera asked, her voice much too quiet for his liking. It made him look like a giant monster ready to devour her whole. Still, this had been the norm for as long as Ning Shan could remember. Not many had the guts to talk to him as an equal. Most who had dared had been his enemies. Their endings were predictable.

“Just call me Ning Shan," he said dismissively. Still, he wondered how long it had been since anyone had used his name. A few faces flashed in his mind, yet they were blurry at best—all of them had long returned to the earth's embrace.

A feeling of loneliness assaulted him, if only momentarily, before he scoffed, extinguishing it almost immediately. He had no use for such weak emotions when his showdown with the world still awaited him. He had yet to give up on his ambitions.

"Ning Shan..." she repeated, yet her pronunciation was less than pleasing, almost like nails on a chalkboard. He showed a slight grimace, yet was hidden as he had her back toward her. For a split second, he thought to make her address him as Sovereign, just as countless had done before but sighed in the end. This wasn't the world he had left. Trying to cling to past glories just seemed sad and pathetic.

“Ning Shan,” he said again, emphasizing the right way to say it. “Practice well. I won’t tolerate this for long, or I might consider you are doing it on purpose. I don’t take kindly to disrespect.”

Sera didn’t take it to heart. Compared to some of the men she had encountered, Ning Shan was much more patient than them. It wasn’t rare for someone to be found dead for simply looking at a powerful man wrongly. To be given a warning seemed like a luxury.

“Have you ever heard of this place?" Ning Shan asked as they walked through the empty corridor. Except for small piles of rubble, evidently coming from the half-collapsed ceiling, the corridor was straight and narrow, free of most obstructions. Considering the state of the city above, Ning Shan found this most unusual.

“Nobody goes down here," she said, slowly getting used to his presence. "If they once did, they never returned to tell the tale. In the first place, this city had been made off-limits by the government. If anyone knows, it should be them."

“Why are you here if it is forbidden?"

“We need money to live," she shrugged. "Them forbidding entry means they are trying to keep something for themselves. Trying to profit from it is only to be expected."

“Nice to see that greed exists everywhere,” he replied.

“I only do what I can to survive,” she said, putting some weight behind her words.

Ning Shan offered a slight smile which went unnoticed. While this was far from enough to make him trust her, it was a start. The urge to survive made people easy to predict. Only those with nothing to lose posed a real threat to Ning Shan. He couldn't help but remember how those vultures acted, throwing themselves into the wind blades without regard for their own lives. It still left a bitter taste in his mouth.

Suddenly, a dot of light appeared in the distance, somehow resembling the stars outside. Except, they were still underground. They hadn't even changed elevation. Ning Shan couldn't help but frown, redoubling his caution. If what Sera had said was accurate, and light was scarce in this world, then this was highly suspicious. Still, he couldn't not go.