[Orange]

The Great Meteorite possessed a wondrous power. With Origami’s current abilities, it was impossible to fold it down to a smaller size as he could with other mysterious items.

The Oddities were fond of the Great Meteorite. They gathered around it, occasionally reaching out to “touch and fiddle with it.”

Chen Miemie transformed into [Huangyi] and walked out of the shop.

Neither Chen Miemie nor the Oddities realized that the entire story of The Second City, Book-Sealing Hall that had just unfolded inside the shop was an utterly astonishing event.

They noticed even less that the combined forces of the [Story], Eternal Moon’s exertion, the miracle of the transition from fiction to reality, the first appearance of the new ability [Lunar Womb Transcription], and the shop itself, which crossed the boundaries of time and space, had overlapped and dispersed a kind of mysterious power that was almost impossible in theory.

In the empty study, the books covering the walls began to tremble ever so slightly.

Chen Miemie stepped out of [Heart’s Rift].

The street before him was completely different from the Fairy-Tale Road in his memories.

In Chen Miemie’s memory, every building in the entire Book-Sealing Hall—regardless of height—was shaped like a book, while all the cars on the road looked like schoolbags. Yet what now lay before his eyes was a city filled with ordinary buildings, barely distinguishable from those in Six-Elephant City.

“So this is the Book-Sealing Hall in the year 120 of the Seventh Era? It’s completely unlike the same city more than three thousand years later.”

Despite everything that had happened tonight—receiving Persimmon, entering a storybook, and advancing to [Mystery] 4 after obtaining the meteorite—the time inside the storybook did not count toward real-world time. It was only 8:30 p.m.

There were few people on the streets. The occasional pedestrians were dressed in an old-fashioned style, most of them wrapped in gray robes.

Out of habit, Chen Miemie looked for the tallest building, intending to survey the entire city from above.

The tallest building was impossible to miss. It was one Chen Miemie did not recognize, and a striking light source revolved atop it like a lighthouse searchlight.

Chen Miemie flew over.

Only when he drew closer did he discover that the light source mounted high above the rooftop was actually a gigantic, rotating eyeball. It was about the size of a small shop and continuously emitted an orange-red glow, seemingly observing the entire city.

The rooftop was breathtakingly magnificent, its floor paved with gemstones and its railings carved with exquisite patterns.

Directly beneath the giant eye stood a huge, ornate armchair with gold trim and red cushions. It was three times the size of an ordinary chair, and its base had been raised so that it seemed to sit high above everything else.

A figure sat in the chair.

She rested one hand on the armrest and propped up half her face, seemingly asleep. Her long orange hair flowed down her back and spread all the way beneath the chair.

Her clothes were not particularly ornate: a long black leather coat, a black high-neck cashmere sweater, black tactical trousers tucked into short boots. The outfit made her look sharp and capable.

Somewhat curious, Chen Miemie quietly approached her.

When he was still three meters away, the figure opened her eyes.

The moment she did, the giant eye above her head stopped glowing and closed.

“Which friend has come to visit? Why not reveal yourself and meet me face-to-face?”

Chen Miemie was rather surprised. He had not made any particular effort to conceal himself, but this was the first time someone had detected his presence when he had not particularly wanted to be seen.

Chen Miemie revealed himself, dressed in a yellow robe, his eyes shaped like half-moons.

“You’re the first person who’s been able to detect me.”

The orange-haired woman carefully examined Chen Miemie. “I was unable to detect you completely, sir. However, I have certain arrangements in place around me, and I sensed that something had appeared.”

Chen Miemie nodded. “That’s still impressive. You’re the most powerful person I’ve ever met.”

“You don’t know who I am?” The woman sounded surprised.

“No, I don’t. You could say I’ve only just arrived in this city. I mean no harm. I’m just a traveler.”

“I can sense your strength. Strength deserves respect. I am the lord of this city.”

“The lord of the Book-Sealing Hall?”

“I don’t know where the Book-Sealing Hall is. This city is called the [Grand Library].”

Chen Miemie gave an “oh.” He disliked studying and had never paid much attention to historical dates or major events.

The woman asked, “My name is [Juzi]. And you are?”

Chen Miemie thought for a moment, but ultimately decided not to give his real name. “You can call me [Shopkeeper].”

The obviously codenamed title did not bother [Juzi] in the slightest. “[Shopkeeper], you say you’re a traveler. Have you come to tour my city?”

“Not exactly. I might wander around or find someone to chat with. Actually, I don’t have much time. I’ll only be staying for one night, and I’ll leave before dawn.”

“I see. Then, as the mistress of this city, I invite you to join me for a cup of tea.”

[Juzi] waved a hand, and a set of tables, chairs, and teaware floated over from a corner.

She stepped down from the tall chair, her long orange hair dragging directly along the ground behind her.

Chen Miemie stared enviously at the floating furniture. “The floor beneath you isn’t carpet—it’s [Gravity Moss]!”

“You have a discerning eye, sir. We witches are especially fond of [Gravity Moss]. Please, sit.”

Chen Miemie and [Juzi] took their seats. Only a small round table stood between them, leaving barely a meter of distance.

Chen Miemie caught the scent of oranges coming from [Juzi].

The teapot floated into the air on its own and tilted over the cups, pouring out an orange-red liquid.

Chen Miemie had once drunk [Silence]’s tears, so he knew that witches enjoyed brewing tea with all sorts of strange ingredients. He asked cautiously, “What kind of tea is this?”

“Dried tangerine peel tea.”

Chen Miemie relaxed. At least it was a legitimate kind of tea.

He lifted the cup and took a sip. “It has the fresh, cheerful citrus fragrance, along with the deep, mellow aroma of aged peel. Excellent tea.”

Seeing that her guest enjoyed it, [Juzi] revealed a faint smile. “You have excellent taste, sir. Much better than my other guests. If you like it, I’ll give you some ‘tea leaves’ when you leave.”

Chen Miemie waved a hand. “No need. I already have dried tangerine peel where I come from. It’s our first meeting—how could I drink your tea and take some home as well?”

[Juzi] corrected him slightly. “It’s made from hair that I shed. You can’t buy it in ordinary places.”

Chen Miemie: “...”

The witch race really was impossible to guard against.