Chapter 45: Ambers of the Long Night (1)
So hungry, so hungry, so hungry, so hungry…
Jing Su couldn’t even remember how long he’d been hanging here anymore. With his stamina, if he were still in the real world, going three days and nights without food or water wouldn’t have been a big deal. But in Hunger Hell, only a single day had passed, and he was already so famished his head was spinning. It felt as if some beast had been born in his stomach, gnawing away at his insides bite by bite—until all reason was devoured, leaving only the primal urge to eat.
Thunk, thunk, thunk…
A faint sound of someone knocking their head came from nearby. Jing Su forced himself to turn and saw the man hanging beside him—someone named Mige, if he remembered right—crazily banging the back of his head against the metal door they were tied to, muttering nonsense under his breath.
These freelance players had all joined Fuguang because they trusted him, and now they’d been captured because of his carelessness. Guilt consumed Jing Su. He forced his dry throat to make a sound, “…I’m sorry.”
He hadn’t had water for more than a day; the words rasped out, hoarse and cracked. The man banging his head gave no reaction, but Gan Xing, who was tied up on the other side, spoke calmly, “It’s not your fault. We made the choice to join, after all.”
“In this hell, even getting a bite to eat… is such a hassle.”
“Fasting Pills… cough, just one will do. Convenient…”
“Gan Xing,” Jing Su gave a bitter smile. “You could’ve run. Why’d you stay and get caught with me?”
“Because running too fast is exhausting,” Gan Xing said in a hoarse voice. “And honestly… being alive is starting to feel troublesome.”
“…But it should all be over soon.”
That hopeless resignation nearly made Jing Su sigh. Still, he wasn’t wrong—it would be over soon.
He lowered his gaze toward the flea market gates below. Over time, the crowd of freelance players who had gathered there had begun to disperse, their initial anger fading into quiet despair and unease.
The Fuguang Guild still hadn’t shown up. That alone seemed to confirm what the Jade Society had said earlier—if they wouldn’t even save their own people, how could anyone else be expected to?
Logically, Jing Su knew the guild must have ambushers nearby, waiting for Tang Mobai to make a move. They couldn’t show up yet.But emotionally…He didn’t want to die here.
“Ah, Fuguang’s finished this time,” one bystander muttered. “Well, what do you expect? They provoked the Merchant Alliance—there’s no coming back from that.”
“Yeah, it was bound to happen,” another replied. “Compared to the Jade Society and the Merchant Alliance, Fuguang’s like an ant going up against an elephant. Nobody thought they could really change anything.”
“Oh? Then why are you still hanging around here?”
“How’d you—wait, you’re still here too!”
“Meh, I just wanted to see how it ends. But now… forget it. I’m leaving.”
The man lifted his head and gave one last look at the three figures hanging there, as if staring at the last embers of a dying fire. He shook his head and turned to go—Then froze, catching a flicker of movement out of the corner of his eye.
Jing Su’s eyes widened in disbelief as a figure suddenly appeared at the flea market gate.
“Tang… Mobai?”
He was wearing a red-and-black reversible cloak now—the red side facing out. Intricate gold embroidery outlined his lean frame, making him look like a flame in motion. The corner of his mouth curved under the hood.
“Time to go.”
With a clean slash, he cut through the restraints and hauled Jing Su over his shoulder. At the same moment, Yan Wuzhen and Seth freed the others. The three exchanged glances, then sprinted off in different directions.
Almost instantly, a swarm of guild demons appeared at the market gate. Red Duke leading them barked, “He’s here! After him!”
Wind roared past Jing Su’s ears as he clung to Tang Mobai’s back. A Fasting Pill was shoved into his mouth; as soon as it hit his stomach, warmth spread through his body. The stabbing hunger that had driven him mad began to fade.
“You guys—”
“If you’re going to cry, wait till we’re safe,” Tang Mobai said lightly.
“Are you idiots?!” Jing Su snarled. “Who runs into a trap they know is a trap?!”
Tang Mobai paused, turned sharply into a side alley, and dropped him to the ground. Jing Su thought he’d come to his senses—until Tang Mobai flipped his cloak inside out, turning the black side outward, and pulled it over them both.
“Shh.”
He gestured for silence. Footsteps thundered outside the alley, close enough that Jing Su could see shadows passing. But the pursuers’ eyes skimmed right over them, as if they weren’t there, before running off in another direction.
“What… was that?” Jing Su whispered when they were gone.
“Just a little trick,” Tang Mobai said with a faint smile.
The cloak was an item he’d bought with his points:
[Equipment: Black/Red Mage Cloak]
Grade: Standard
Effect: When the red side is facing out, it draws all attention toward you— the more eyes on you, the faster your mental energy recovers (up to +5%). When the black side faces out, the more attention the red cloak has attracted, the lower your presence becomes (+5% speed).
“Stay here till the search dies down,” he said.
“What about you?”
“I’ll draw them off. Don’t worry, they won’t catch me. We’ll enter the instance right after. Once you’re safe, lay low—and stop selling those Fasting Pills until we’re back.”
“…Okay.”
The last syllable had barely left Jing Su’s lips before Tang Mobai turned and flipped his cloak again—the red side blazing in the dim light like a crimson bird taking flight.
So… he really came back for them.
Jing Su couldn’t describe what he felt. When he’d been hanging there, he’d sworn that if he somehow survived, he’d never risk his life like this again. He wanted to live. And yet, hearing Tang Mobai tell them to stop selling the pills… made something in his chest twist with stubborn resentment.
“There he is! Over here!”
As soon as Tang Mobai burst out onto the main street, the guild’s attention locked onto him. More and more pursuers flooded behind him, like a flock of birds chasing a red phoenix through the sky.
“Tang Mobai! Stop running!”
“You’re dead!”
Binding tools flew toward him—some he dodged, others he simply ignored. An invisible barrier shimmered around him, bouncing the attacks back.
“Tch, defense-type equipment!”
“Keep going! Surround him! He can’t escape all of us!”
Tang Mobai almost laughed—and then he actually did, a bright, reckless laugh that echoed through the streets of Hunger Hell.
Spectators stared in disbelief. Was the Fuguang leader insane? Laughing now?
The pursuers’ fury only grew. Red Duke leading them narrowed his eyes. “Let’s see how long you can keep that grin.”
He’d already received word that the encirclement ahead was in place—Tang Mobai, Yan Wuzhen, and Seth were cornered rats now.
Rounding a corner, Tang Mobai suddenly found himself face-to-face with the closing net. Surrounded front and back, he simply stopped walking, as if giving up.
Red Duke strode out from the crowd, smirking. “Oh? Finally learned to wait for death?”
“You’re the Red Chief of the Jade Society, right? I’ve heard a lot about you.” Tang Mobai smiled—and as the burning heat flared on the back of his hand, he raised his middle finger. “Looking forward to next time.”
The moment the words fell, he vanished into thin air.
The guild members froze. Red Duke’s face darkened instantly, his rage twisting into a sneer. “Fine… good. Tang Mobai, was it? I’ll remember that name.”
“Report! Yan Wuzhen and Seth are gone too!”
“They’ve entered an instance! Notify the Stream Hall to locate them immediately!” Red Duke snapped. “So they think hiding in a dungeon will save them? Find out which one—they won’t run far!”
In the Streaming Hall, staff opened the broadcast control panels. Countless viewers who followed Tang Mobai’s stream rushed in the moment it went live.
[He’s back online! Been so long!]
[He really cleared the resurrection fee—congrats, streamer!]
[Wait, are you really the Fuguang Guild leader? The one selling Fasting Pills?!]
[We just saw you surrounded by Jade Society and the Alliance—I thought you were done for!]
Meanwhile, in the instance world—
Tang Mobai had used both his designated mission world card from the Revival Tournament and the fixed-location descent card he’d bought earlier.
[Ding!] You have entered the designated mission world: B-Rank, Tech Path — “Amber of the Long Night.”
Detected world collapse rate: 60%.
Main Quest: Seize the “Super Brain” to exit the world.
Side Quests: Unlocked by exploration.
This is an open-world instance. Current demon participants: 537.
Shop link established. Magic, streaming, and point exchange functions are active.
As his vision normalized, Tang Mobai quickly checked his inventory—thankfully, all his items were intact. He’d spent nearly his entire fortune crafting these. If they’d been confiscated, he’d have no choice but to run for his life inside this world.
And as soon as his live stream resumed, the viewer count skyrocketed.
[Streamer, hurry up and turn off the live! Don’t keep it running! Otherwise those bastards will be able to lock onto your location!]
[Tang Mobai, wash your neck and wait for us! We’ve already locked onto your instance! We’re on our way! Keep that stream open if you dare!]
[What’s going on? What happened?]
The audience in the live chat was a messy mix—some were logistics staff, others were proper demon explorers, spanning from the 6th to the 2nd layer of Hell. Not everyone knew exactly what kind of trouble Tang Mobai had stirred up in the Hunger Hell.
But that didn’t matter. Soon, a helpful viewer gave the clueless ones a summary.
[That guy basically flipped the whole Hunger Hell upside down—selling Fasting Pills, wrecking the economy and resource flow, and pissing off the Merchant Alliance. Before entering the instance, he’d just been surrounded by dozens of guilds.]
[Seriously, I’ve never seen a newbie cause this much chaos. I respect that.]
[I bought Fuguang’s Fasting Pills too—they’re the real deal. What a shame…]
[The streamer’s too impulsive. If you ask me, he shouldn’t have gone to rescue anyone. Learn to lay low and grow, man. They were clearly baiting you, and you walked right into it. Idiot.]
[Idiot? Come on, isn’t it obvious this was psychological warfare?]
[Even if it was, he still shouldn’t have gone. Reputation can be rebuilt, but now what? Fuguang’s core member is Tang Mobai, right? He’s the only one who can make those pills. If he’s gone, that’s it.]
[He’s done for. Why’d he have to pick Embers of the Long Night of all worlds? Doesn’t he know that’s Hunger Hell Guild’s main conquest target? If he’d gone to some obscure, dangerous instance, there’d still be hope. But here? That’s suicide.]
The screen was flooded with pessimistic comments. Yet despite all the warnings, Tang Mobai showed no intention of ending the stream. Glancing at the tracker, he turned toward the left and waved.
“Hey~ over here!”
He’d landed in a blizzard—an open tundra of high dimension. Snow covered everything, visibility barely three or four meters. The cold wind bit deep, though his gear’s temperature control kept him comfortable.
Gradually, two figures emerged through the storm—Yan Wuzhen and Seth.
Yan Wuzhen: “You’re sure it’s here? If we’re in the wrong place, we’re done.”
“Positive. Trust me,” Tang Mobai said confidently. After orienting himself with a few quick techniques, he pulled out a snowmobile from his inventory. The three got on and sped east.
After only a few minutes, Seth suddenly opened his eyes. “Found it.”
They stopped. The snow was thinning now, revealing a small base built into the side of a mountain quarry below a cliff.
Yan Wuzhen’s face turned grim. “No. It’s way bigger than we thought.”
They’d expected something like a guild safehouse—a small village or supply post—but this was practically a military outpost.
Considering the mine behind it and the world classification…
The Lost Paradise instances were ranked from D to SS, categorized by resources, combat power, and civilization level. Usually, higher-ranked worlds were more dangerous—but there were exceptions.
This world was one of them: low danger, rich resources—a so-called reward world. That’s why the Hunger Hell Guilds had made it a priority target.
This mining base was clearly used to extract resources from this world. To operate something of this scale, there had to be at least thirty people inside, plus an array of defense systems. It would be easy to defend, hard to attack.
Could the three of them really take it down before reinforcements arrived?
Yan Wuzhen hesitated—but Tang Mobai didn’t look anxious at all. In fact, he looked… pleased.
“Good. No signs of human activity around the mine. The environmental impact can be minimized.”
“…” Yan Wuzhen frowned. “You’re seriously saying you can take that base in a short time?”
“Correction: not take, but destroy. And not in a short time,” Tang Mobai said, pulling a heavy backpack from his inventory and slinging it over his shoulders. “But right now.”
[Huh? Did I hear that right? They’re going to attack the base?]
[No way, that’s insane.]
[HAHA, if he really does it, I’ll send him a gift drop!]
[Tang Mobai! You’re dead! You dared to keep streaming—we’ve already locked onto your position! The base members are mobilizing! You’re finished!]
[Attack a base? LOL. Do you even know how many defensive mechanisms are in there? You’ve probably never even seen high-tier defense tools before.]
Tang Mobai glanced at the chat but didn’t argue. Instead, he smiled faintly. “Hope you’re all as tough as you sound later.”
“Seth, just like we planned—fly me up.”
Seth nodded and lifted Tang Mobai onto his back.
Yan Wuzhen: “Wait—what do I do?”
Tang Mobai hadn’t told them any attack plan. He’d just made them buy supplies yesterday and wouldn’t let them near the lab, saying he was working on a “secret weapon.”
“Run,” Tang Mobai said seriously. “As far as you can—at least ten kilometers away, understand?”
Yan Wuzhen frowned but, seeing the seriousness in his eyes, didn’t argue. As soon as Seth took off, he revved the snowmobile and sped off in the opposite direction.
The chat filled with confusion.
[What’s happening? Is he just running away?]
[Why run? Aren’t they going to fight?]
[Even if he’s the lookout, ten kilometers is too far… what’s he planning?]
Once Yan Wuzhen was out of range, Tang Mobai took a deep breath and climbed onto Seth’s back. “You’re sure you can go full speed and be eight kilometers out in under five seconds, right?”
“Yeah. But the engines will overheat for a while after.”
“No problem. We can just teleport out with magic.”
“Alright. Ready?”
“Ready.”
Tang Mobai could feel his heart pounding out of his chest.
Seth silently steadied himself. His rebuilt propulsion units unfolded from his back, glowing with power, and they rose into the air. Following Tang Mobai’s direction, they flew straight to the highest point above the base.
The live chat started to buzz again.
[They’re not attacking from the front—they’re flying!]
Inside the base, members of the Jade Society received the alert.
“Fuguang? Never heard of them. Guess any clown thinks they can pick a fight with us now.”
“They said they’re attacking the base? Fine, let’s see them try.”
They didn’t take it seriously—but still activated the defense systems per orders, waiting to see where the enemy would strike.
“From above?” someone muttered, frowning. “The entire base is covered by a shield. Why would they—”
In that instant, every hair on their body stood on end. A primal instinct screamed in their head—Run. Run. RUN.
It was the same feeling Seth and Tang Mobai had—only clearer. Seth, already at max speed, pushed even harder, breaking through the limits and vanishing from sight.
Ten kilometers away, Yan Wuzhen opened the snowmobile door and looked back toward the base.
A blinding light and unbearable heat erupted. The blast tore a hole through the storm, reshaping the landscape around the base.
A cloud rose slowly into the air— the embodiment of destruction.
Base defenses? Tools? Personnel? None of it mattered. All of it was erased in the face of that overwhelming force.
Both Tang Mobai’s and Yan Wuzhen’s streams went dead silent—filled with nothing but blank static.
The world itself seemed to lose its color. For a moment, all was still—until the roar of the explosion finally caught up.
Yan Wuzhen slowly exhaled, watching a snowflake drift from his lips.
Just like that— the Jade Society’s base was gone.
Thank you for reading 🙂 I hope you all liked my translations. If you enjoyed my work, please consider buying me a Ko-Fi 😉
Damn…. Was that like an atomic bomb??