The warm sunlight continued to shine above Ethan and the others.

There was no significant change around them for the moment.

Yet, no one dared to relax their vigilance.

After all, this was no longer a safe place.

This was a dangerous historical layer.

"Why not try a signal flare first?"

Someone suggested.

It was indeed a good proposal.

If the King of Winster could see and come to assist, at least their safety would be assured.

Even if they couldn't get support, if other teams also entered the historical layer, they would signal back.

Then, they wouldn't be completely isolated.

But soon, this option fell through.

Because the signal gun simply couldn't be fired.

"Why is this?!" The botanist with the true name "Forest," holding the signal gun, said with some anxiety.

"It's the historical laws within the historical layer; concepts beyond the history of this layer can't be used here."

Huoyan answered his question.

More than a hundred years ago, there was no such thing as a signal gun.

"What about our weapons then?" The primary enforcer exclaimed, checking his firearm.

"If it's an alchemical creation, it can be used; otherwise, it's impossible."

This slightly relieved Ethan, as he and Anya carried guns made by Huoyan.

The primary enforcer, however, had his hand frozen while holding his gun; it was evidently a regular firearm.

"Have you noticed the city has gotten bigger?"

Ethan had been observing his surroundings; his vision, perception, and judgment were far beyond the average person, so he quickly sensed something was off from the architectural details.

Not only had the streets widened, but the density of the buildings' connections had also increased significantly, and the entire complex conveyed a sense of grandiosity that seemed endless.

"Really?" Others were somewhat late to realize.

At this point, another secondary bearer of a true name in the team, with the true name "Shadow Dancer," codename "Shadow," spoke up: "Let me take a look."

He muttered something like an incantation, and suddenly a humanoid shadow split from beneath his feet and leaped to the rooftop, clearly to observe from a height.

"The Godfather was right; the city has expanded to at least several times its original size, comparable to the scale of the Royal Capital."

Ethan had been to the Royal Capital — it was a massive city, with a scale that could rival some international metropolises from his previous life.

In other words, they were now lost in this huge ancient city from over a century ago.

"What do we do now?" Forest looked towards Sunlight.

"Judging by the buildings nearby, this must have been Saint Kuanti; so of course, we continue towards that cathedral. In the meantime, we can head to the city center first; if others come in, they might think of this strategy too."

Sunlight was still fixated on that cathedral but made a slight compromise by suggesting a stop at the city center to wait for others.

At this time, there was indeed no better option, so everyone agreed on this plan.

Once the plan was set, they began moving.

Although the surroundings were eerie, fortunately, there were no additional dangers so far.

With Sunlight's solar protection, the air was not as pungent, though their pace was slower.

No one dared to stray from the sunlight's scope.

Only Ethan, taking advantage of the others' distraction, quietly stretched his hand out temporarily.

The group walked for quite a while, not knowing how much time had passed since the historical layer seemed to have no day-night cycle.

The sky was always a sticky, damp, dark green.

Fortunately, some carried pocket watches, and these were still running, allowing them to determine the time.

They had been walking almost two hours, yet the street scenes seemed unchanged.

The city was too large, their pace slow, and the scenery was all decayed and damp, looking much the same.

If Shadow hadn't occasionally sent his shadow to scout on the rooftops, they might have felt like they hadn't moved at all.

"How about... taking a break?"

The primary enforcer seemed unable to hold on and suggested.

"Such trouble," Sunlight disdainfully glanced at him.

Then Forest spoke up: "Indeed, it's a bit tiring, this place is strange, and it feels like my energy is depleting faster than usual."

This sentiment was shared by the others.

So, Sunlight had no choice but to stop.

Next, another problem arose, it was...

"Should we rest outside?"

Forest spoke again.

"Outside offers no cover and isn't a good choice, but inside might not be safe either."

Huoyan also preferred not to stay outside.

"I'll check it out."

Shadow stepped up again, controlling his shadow to enter a larger building by the roadside.

From the exterior, the building appeared to be a relatively large inn.

After some time, Shadow looked at the others again, saying: "Should be fine, we can go in."

His shadow hadn't returned, and he seemed somewhat weakened.

Clearly, this investigation had taken a toll on him.

With Shadow's assurance, Sunlight didn't object and stepped into the building under the sunlight.

Compared to the outside, the damp decay indoors was slightly better and relatively cleaner.

The smell, however, wasn't pleasant.

Fortunately, under the sunlight, it purified markedly.

Forest used his ability again, conjuring a dry patch of grass, providing everyone a place to rest.

The primary enforcer carelessly found a spot to lie down, seemingly ready to sleep.

Ethan and Anya cautiously found a corner to sit.

Huoyan shamelessly came over.

Others, Forest and Shadow each took a spot in the middle of the grass, while Sunlight sat at an angle where he could see everyone's movements, facing the group.

Holding a leather-bound book, he said, "We'll rest for an hour, and then set off."

The primary enforcer seemed to have fallen asleep; the others stayed silent.

Time slowly passed.

Ethan extended his hand, gently holding Anya's to reassure her, he was there for her.

Anya didn't show fear, instead she steadily held Ethan's hand in return.

An hour was about to pass.

Just when Sunlight was about to wake everyone, the primary enforcer abruptly emitted a chilling scream.

He bounced up directly from the ground.

Only to see his right arm severed, blood gushing forth.

And at the spot where he had just dozed off, a thick, slimy, coarse hand broke through the grass, gripping his severed arm like it had reached out from Hell.

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