Whose world-class drama are they criticizing?

Ryan hired this stinking old man just to tarnish the noble Lu Ming sword technique.

If Ryan's modified Lu Ming sword technique can be learned even by homeless old men at the very bottom of society, then it will prove to the world that everyone can learn the noble Lu Ming sword technique.

The title of the sword of a thousand-year-old noble family will be completely destroyed, and it will become a sword with a pseudonym that anyone can use.

"I will not let you succeed," said the righteous female knight.

The old blacksmith glanced at her. The craftsmen in Broken Iron Alley all called him a crazy old man. Ever since he met Ryan, he had found that everyone here was more insane than the last.

My symptoms are probably not even that bad.

He looked away and saw the emergency hammer on the window—all the premium carriages were equipped with similar hammers that passengers could use to escape in a crisis.

The old blacksmith stared at the hammer, swallowed hard, and realized he hadn't hammered anything for four hours since boarding the train.

I really want to type something.

The train continued its journey, and the sky gradually darkened.

The train travels west from Luming City, turning towards the sea along the dedicated railway, passing through three city-states, and then continuing down to the fourteenth railway line.

We are getting farther and farther away from the azure sea and closer and closer to the blood-red mountains.

"Beyond the Twilight Mountains lies the Land of No Light."

The old blacksmith said in a hoarse voice, looking out the window, and continued his ramblings: "If you don't have the courage to give up the light, you'd better not step into the twilight."

Perhaps to verify what the old blacksmith had said, the surrounding scenery became increasingly desolate.

Ryan looked out the window. As the train continued its journey, the overwhelming greenery faded away, and there were no more windmills, towers, or even human habitation on the road.

This railway was built a century ago and is the only passage to the Land of No Light.

Lumin is located at the westernmost edge of the Kingdom of Eden, while the Land of No Light is located at the westernmost edge of Lumin, making it a truly desolate western frontier.

A thousand years ago, after the Lu Ming family withdrew from Wuguang Territory, this place became a forbidden zone for life.

The Silver Witch cursed the early inhabitants of this land, stripping them of their glory and forsaking them from the gods, turning them into the unblessed 'Lightless'.

Born, fought, and died on this land, an endless cycle.

As the sun gradually dipped westward, a blood-red sunset trailed across the horizon, with occasional streaks of silvery lightning cutting through the clouds.

The train headed towards the mountain range, which was the border between Luming and Wuguangling. Beyond it lay daytime, and beyond it lay nighttime.

And they are now at dusk.

The red sun sets behind the mountains at dusk, while the white sun rises at the end of the darkness.

Ryan squinted, looking at the white sun and the white night sky outside the car window.

This is what is known as the White Night.

As the name suggests, there is no moon at night here, only a white sun rising. The "Azure Silver Eclipse" mentioned by the butler is this thing.

Legend has it that it was transformed from the body of the Silver Witch after her death.

Ryan wasn't entirely sure about the origins of the White Sun. In the original work, it was just a background element, a convenient setting to allow players to resurrect infinitely.

Perhaps it will be included in the DLC.

Before Ryan's rebirth, only the base game had been updated; three large DLCs were still pending.

He knew that the land illuminated by the light of the pale silver would be a land of death, plague, war, and famine.

However, the Silver Eclipse could only cover the Dark Territory, as the Twilight Mountains blocked its light.

The so-called Twilight Mountains are not naturally formed mountains.

The first sword saint, Richard Lumin, cleaved the heavens at the time of Oddity, cutting away a piece of the concept of twilight.

Using this as a base material, Eden's chief alchemist crafted the entire Twilight Mountain Range, stretching for hundreds of thousands of kilometers.

The Silver Eclipse was contained within the Dark Realm.

Knights from the Order of Blazing Fire were stationed at the checkpoint. Only after Ryan presented his permit did the knights open the gate and allow him to pass.

The Order has three legions stationed in the Twilight Mountains to monitor the Pale Eclipse and snipe any Lightless Ones who cross the mountains.

However, since the light from the silver eclipse cannot shine out, those without light cannot go out, so it is an easy job.

Of course, it was also a tough job.

The Blazing Knights stared blankly at the permit, as if they'd seen it all before.

Lu Ming has once again appointed a governor to the Dark Territory; I've lost count of how many this year it's been.

Either they lost a political struggle, or their families fell into ruin and they were exiled here. They can kill without a knife; they'll die on their own in a few days.

They even started betting on how many months the current governor would last.

Or a few weeks?

"Have a safe journey, Consul."

They felt a pity, thinking that Ryan, with his spoiled young master appearance, might die in a few days.

But the process that should be followed still needs to be followed.

"Welcome through the Twilight Mountains."

"The day has ended, and from now on it will all be night."

"May the blazing fire be with you."

At the end of the railway tracks is a tunnel that runs through the mountains; beyond the tunnel lies the Land of No Light.

The tunnel was long enough for dusk to end.

As Ryan looked into the tunnel, he suddenly had the illusion that the small tunnel swallowed up all the light in the world.

Once you pass through the tunnel, you enter the realm of darkness.

It's the White Night.

The day after tomorrow, the players will arrive.

Despite it being a white night, seeing the cult's knights with their blank expressions filled Ryan with a profound sense of darkness.

"Why is there still a toll booth in the tunnel? Almost all the tourists have died, and the toll booth is still open!"

Ryan asked Molly, "Can we find a reason for Dad to reimburse us for the expenses?"

"Three army corps are stationed here, just to collect highway tolls? That's outrageous!"

Chapter 24 The New Official Takes Office and Receives Three Basins of Water

No light at the border, the inner edge of the Twilight Mountains.

On the outskirts of Kubing Town, at a train platform.

Calling it a platform isn't quite accurate; it was just a dilapidated tin shed covered in dark brown rust.

These are old relics from the last century, still in use today.

This is the first stop in the Land of No Light.

A desolate wilderness, once a lush rice paddy decades ago, has become barren as the curse has deepened in recent years, spreading a disease known as "Withering Disease," which has made it impossible for crops to survive.

The straw, however, did not rot; it was stuck in the dead fields, like piles of graves.

Because of its proximity to the Twilight Mountains, Blighttown is one of the few towns still under Eden's jurisdiction, at least on the surface.

Viscount Kiri was the last mayor of Sick Town.

Frustrated, he lit a cigarette. Years of illness had ravaged his lungs, and the smoke entering his riddled lungs caused him to cough, his whole body aching.

But Kiri needs pain; only pain can keep him conscious.

Kiri also contracted wilt disease; for thirty years, half of his body was covered with withered tree bark.

But thinking about the missions to come, Kiri felt his lungs hurt even more.

"Is it all burned?"

Kiri shouted to the mercenaries behind him, "Hurry up, the young master is coming."

The mercenaries piled firewood together, lit it, and a sacred flame rose, billowing thick black smoke. The flame was bright yellow, engulfing the withered human body and twisted branches inside.

The corpse they are burning is that of the former lord of the Darklands.

"Only a blazing fire can kill diseased plants, so using it on this guy is a waste of materials."

Kiri lit another cigarette.

He's a ruthless person.

I've been in the Dark Territory for thirty years. The lord of the Dark Territory changes every two months. This place is neither lucrative nor safe. Impoverished noblemen or criminal politicians flock here. Lords come and go, but the mayor remains the same.

Over the years, he has met noble scions of all bloodlines in Kili.

But he had never actually seen a show-quality breed like Ryan.

He was neither a political prisoner nor a fallen nobleman, but a genuine duke, the third son of the Lumin family, Ryan Lumin.

As a ruthless person, Kiri had no liking for these clan members.

This young master is clearly here to gain experience; he can just stay for a few days and add a new entry to his resume.

When he gets home, he can announce his triumphant return from the Land of No Light in social settings, which will bring him prestige and a smooth career path. If the young master returns home safely, all is well; but if something goes wrong, he'll be the one who suffers the consequences when the Duke blames him.

But Kiri also realized that the only way now was to scare the young master away on the very first day.

The leader of the Wuguang tribe has everything, except for tough jobs.

Even the terminal illness 'withered disease' is nothing more than a cold in this grand stage overrun by ghosts.

The young master was so frightened that he scurried home in a panic, which can be considered a glorious victory.

A strange creaking sound came from the end of the railway tracks. It started to rain, and dark fog began to rise.

The demonic train roared in, like a rampaging steel behemoth, its iron wheels sparking a trail of fire as they rubbed against the tracks.

Should I avoid his sharp edge?

Kiri neither flinched nor dodged; he simply stood in front of the tracks.

The demonic train braked suddenly, its wheels screeching against the rails, barely stopping in front of the base.

Ji Li exhaled a puff of smoke without changing his expression, completely calm and fearless, revealing his ruthless nature.

This is the source of his confidence from having purchased employee medical insurance and car insurance for thirty years.

It's a good thing to die early.

The iron gate swung open with a bang. He should have given a warm welcome, but he made no move and simply lit another cigarette for himself.

Ryan's bloodline and official rank were more prestigious than his, but that was outside the Twilight Mountains.

His words only carry weight at dusk.

This rule must be conveyed from the beginning to prevent the young master from causing trouble for him later.

Kiri stared at the car door, his eyes yellow and cold, like a chilling venomous snake—a late-stage symptom of 'withered disease'.

Most people would have died long ago by this stage, their bodies swallowed up by the earth, or even degenerated into the 'Lightless'.

Those who die in the Land of No Light will have their souls fall into the Land of No Light and suffer eternal torment.

But Kiri is still alive; he's lived for thirty years.

The mercenaries all say that Viscount Kiri is the embodiment of a curse, and no one dares to touch it.

As soon as the car door opened, the old blacksmith was the first to step out, hammer in hand. This old madman hadn't hammered anything all day; his eyes were like those of a wolf...

Kiri was taken aback. Was he going to start a fight right away?

Instinct warned that the curse the old man carried far outweighed his own withering illness.

This foul stench is practically a curse itself.

After a brief moment of astonishment, it was Miss Jasmine and Knight Helen who came next; neither of them seemed to be benevolent.

The first one was young and his rank was no lower than mine, while the second one was an even more extraordinary person. Upon seeing me, he immediately said, "Damn it, I can accept being an old man, but why did you get syphilis? You're not allowed to use the Lu Ming Sword Technique!"

Kiri wanted to explain that it was a curse, a withering disease, not some kind of venereal disease, but explaining it would be too low-class. So he lit another cigarette and pretended to be an expert. He really couldn't figure out the tricks of these three geniuses, so he could only wait and see, pretending to be an expert and not saying a word.