Chapter 182 - 179: The Birth of "Darkest Hour
From that moment on, the Light of Dawn, ignited upon the ground, began to spread across the land like a single spark.
If the shifting scenes they had witnessed before were merely the struggles of the world’s living beings, then the gathering of the nine was what truly sounded the horn of rebellion.
Humanity and the animals possessing wondrous powers did not shrink back in self-preservation as feared. Instead, they responded with a massive outpouring of faith.
Even among the Demons, there was no shortage of those who yearned for a peaceful life. Some were inspired to join the cause, while others were compelled by force.
For the first time, the living beings of Earth began to truly understand their adversaries, and in turn, began to learn from them on a deeper level.
However, the members of the editorial department and Mo Shaoge couldn’t continue to "spectate" forever.
Their stomachs were growling, unable to bear the hunger any longer.
...
KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK~
The sound of knuckles rapping on the tabletop echoed, startling the eighteen people from their stupor. They were covered in goosebumps and their faces were streaked with tears.
Su Su was very satisfied with their state. She found it completely understandable, so she spoke as gently as she could.
"What you saw was just a small fraction of history, recreated by Sister Hong using her Magic Power. Much of it cannot be revisited, but you should have been able to glimpse some of the key parts."
As her Magic Power stirred and her will focused, the Day of Dawn symbol manifested in her palm.
A Crystal object on the table flew automatically into Su Su’s right palm.
The attention of all eighteen people was drawn to her right hand.
That symbol—they would never forget it for the rest of their lives!
"I believe what you’ve seen will leave a much deeper impression than anything I could tell you."
For once, Sun Monkey wasn’t clamoring about, but sitting there quietly.
When it came to Dawn’s true mission, he knew what was important.
"I presume your stamina was enough to last until the Nine Great Sages gathered?"
Hearing this, the eighteen of them showed expressions of dawning realization, mixed with deep emotion and admiration.
This served as an answer to Su Su’s question.
She gave a captivating smile and continued in a tone of sincere emotion.
"This is our origin. This is the mission that has continued from that moment to this very day."
The Crystal object vanished from her palm, leaving only the glowing, seared brandmark.
At times like this, seeing the hot brand on her palm, Su Su felt as if she were once again experiencing the soul-deep, searing pain and the equally intense excitement of that first time!
"This is the world’s—Dawn."
Sun Monkey restlessly scratched his neck and head. He gazed at the symbol on Su Su’s palm, his monkey eyes filled with deep envy. He wasn’t yet worthy.
After Su Su finished speaking, the conference room fell silent. No one seemed willing to break the hard-won tranquility.
She waited for a moment before deciding she’d better be the one to speak.
"Chief Editor Cui, are you satisfied with this interview? If there’s nothing else, you and Mr. Mo should come with me. We still need to pay a visit to the Mentor."
"Right, right! Old Sun here thinks the mood’s gotten too stuffy. I’m gonna go back and find Mumu to pick some fruit!"
Sun Monkey leaped from his seat in a backflip, kicking open the conference room’s soundproof glass door mid-air.
Everyone’s attention was first caught by the Monkey’s flashy move. It wasn’t until the commotion at the door died down that they suddenly processed what Su Su had just said.
"Songbird, where are you two going?"
"Yeah, are you and Mo Shaoge doing another interview? Can’t we come too...?"
Having snapped out of it, the editorial staff didn’t want to miss out on anything.
"Hehehehe, you wanna go too?"
Sun Monkey hopped about in the doorway.
"Let’s wait and see after they’ve gone. Your turn will depend on the situation later. But little Cui Ying has to go, no ifs, ands, or buts. Her demon-attracting constitution is just too dangerous."
"Gotta go, gotta go! Old Sun here has had enough of this place. If I’m late, I’ll miss dinner!"
Su Su glanced at the wall clock in the conference room.
"It’s already dark out and you still think you’ll make it for dinner? You’ll be having a late-night snack!"
The person and the monkey went outside first, while Cui Ying and Mo Shaoge needed to give a brief explanation to the rest of the editorial department.
As the owner and chief editor of Where the Nightingale Flies, Cui Ying was also filled with intense emotion.
"Everyone’s probably hungry, and it’s already 10 PM. But I hope you can all work some overtime today to record everything we’ve seen. Even though it might not be publishable for now, none of us want to miss out on the birth of this incredible interview."
Cui Ying didn’t even need to ask. They were just worried that information about Dawn couldn’t be recorded casually. Hearing her words, they all breathed a sigh of relief.
"As for Shaoge and me... well, Master Sage wants to see us. If it weren’t for this opportunity, why would someone from Dawn have the time to give us an interview~"
Cui Ying was all smiles, her words unabashedly proud. It wasn’t hard for everyone to deduce the implications based on what had happened.
The disappointment on the others’ faces was hard to hide. Songbird and Mo Shaoge had this great opportunity, but what about them?
"Hey, what are you guys sighing for? It’s not like you’re being left out completely. This interview wasn’t even part of their original plan, you know~"
Her mysterious, playful tone made everyone’s hearts skip a beat.
"Wait for us to get back, then we can organize the interview content. Oh, and right, don’t go spreading rumors about Dawn!"
"Putting everything else aside, the non-disclosure agreement from the Special Security Team is enough to make us careful."
As the Count spoke, his pen never stopped moving across the notebook in front of him. Feeling exhilarated, he wanted only to record everything he had seen before his memory could fade.
Ever since that time in Kyoto, he had felt that their editorial agency would sooner or later become something extraordinary. He had just assumed it would be mostly because of the Special Security Team; he never expected it to be Dawn instead.
They had, of course, researched the enigmatic organization known as Dawn. The limited clues they found online and in books only left them more confused.
They had considered that a mysterious power like Dawn, which even the Special Security Team treated with such caution, must have a significant background. But only today did they realize how narrow-minded they had been.
It wasn’t some transcendent organization formed by a few capable people, nor was it a small league of superheroes from a blockbuster movie.
Nor was it some mystical religion or a group of mad scientists.
It was born in the world’s Darkest Hour, amidst profound despair—a light of Hope forged from every drop of blood, every inch of flesh, and the fiery souls of humanity and all living things, their burning faith coalesced into one.
They were the ones who ended that terrifying, world-ending crisis of the past, and they are the world’s most reliable Guardians, operating from behind the scenes.
They never sought fame or power, nor did they meddle in the world’s internal conflicts. They were simply its loyal Guardians.
Those snippets of "slander" against Dawn they had found in their research were now completely disregarded. They were seen as proof of Dawn’s indifference to fame. Some even speculated that other parties, wary of Dawn, had intentionally tried to tarnish its name.
After Cui Ying and Mo Shaoge left with Su Su and the others, the editorial office remained abuzz late into the night, filled with a symphony of fervent discussion and the clacking of keyboards.
If Qin Xiaoxia were here, he would have been delighted to tell them that their speculation was quite logical and very close to the truth!
That way, when the "truth" was confirmed with solid evidence later, their reaction would basically be an "I knew it!" of complete conviction.
A piece titled *Darkest Hour*, a collaborative work into which they poured their heart and soul, was drafted by the combined efforts of the sixteen of them by the next afternoon.
The entire piece totaled a staggering 120,000 characters, detailing and artistically embellishing what they had seen and heard. It expressed the struggles on the eve of the world’s destruction and the thrilling gathering of the Nine Great Sages in prose that was both delicate and stirring.
"This is what it means to be a journalist!!"
The Count couldn’t help but roar as he retrieved the manuscript from the printer!
PS: First Chapter for Friday.