The autumn heat was ferocious, and even the wind it brought carried a dry, oppressive heat. The gusts blew across the lush green lawn, rustling with bursts of turbulence.

Not far away, the door of the helicopter was still open, but no one was inside. Some equipment was also scattered on the ground, seemingly left behind in a hurry.

Across the vast plain, only two figures remained: Fu Gui and Ruan Xing.

Fu Gui swallowed nervously. “I don’t think I heard anything just now… how did everyone just disappear?”

Ruan Xing didn’t hear anything either.

He returned to the spot where Su Xiaona had stood earlier. The trampled grass still bore fresh footprints, and the scent of bruised greenery lingered in the air. It was too fresh to be a hallucination or trick of the mind.

They really suddenly disappeared, just like that.

What had they done? Why was he the only one left behind?

Ruan Xing tried to contact his teammates using his wristband, but the messages went unanswered. His calls showed the recipient was out of service. That kind of thing was common outside the safe zones—it usually meant they’d run into a pollution incident.

Ruan Xing frowned. If he’d known, he should’ve cast a tracking spell on his teammates too.

“Check where the pollution is strongest around here.”

Fu Gui’s eyes flickered. Like a living radar, he spun around 360 degrees, then looked up and down to make sure every direction had been scanned.

“This way.” Fu Gui raised a wing and pointed. “But the fluctuations are faint—just like that time at the Meili Building. The other side probably has some kind of cloaking trick.”

Ruan Xing picked up Fu Gui. “I don’t know how to fly a helicopter. We’ll have to go on foot.”

[Haste]

Fu Gui could immediately feel the thinning air around him. The wind distorted its face, part of it forcing it into his mouth, twisting it out of shape until the crow could barely breathe.

Luckily, birds had eyes on the sides of their heads—they wouldn’t get blinded by the wind. Still, Fu Gui's eyes stung with dryness, nearly tearing up.

Ruan Xing's speed was totally beyond the level that humans can achieve.

Before long, the helicopter was completely out of sight.

Ruan Xing came to a stop. Fu Gui tidied up its feathers and looked up—only to be stunned by the sight ahead.

There was actually a city here!

But that wasn’t what shocked Fu Gui the most. What really threw him was how out of place the city looked compared to the surrounding environment.

The gray road beneath their feet turned a deep chocolate brown beyond a certain boundary and stretched all the way into the distance toward the heart of the city.

A massive banner hung across the main road: Warm Welcome to the Candy Merchant Visiting Our City!

The banner was adorned with translucent candy-like blocks that sparkled in the sun. In the center was a huge red heart. On closer inspection, all the decorations were made of candy—clear fruit drops glittering under the sun.

On both sides of the main street stood countless buildings with no clear architectural style. There were European-style spires and modern flat-roof houses. Most importantly, all these buildings were made of candy.

Tall and short, round and square—the rooftops and walls were colorful, covered in fruit candies, cotton candy, and lollipops. Pink, blue, yellow, green… so many colors packed into the field of view, their brightness delivering a powerful visual punch.

The air was thick with the sweet smell of candy. Fu Gui took a deep breath and immediately choked, coughing as its throat itched from the cloying sweetness.

This dream-like city stood in stark contrast to the desolate, apocalyptic gray tones around it. It felt like a fairy tale had been dropped jarringly into reality.

Ruan Xing was also stunned. He had entered many bizarre magical realms before, but this was the first time he’d ever seen a city like this.

It was huge, but strangely, there wasn’t a single person in sight.

The two of them paused on the city’s edge, hesitant to step forward.

Fu Gui: “Damn… this city looks just like one of those candy towns I read about as a kid. I mean, in fairy tales.”

Ruan Xing examined the nearest house. Its walls were made of biscuits, the roof layered with cotton candy, and the windows framed in malt sugar.

Fu Gui added, “Even though it looks like a dream, the pollution level is still pretty high in here.”

Ruan Xing lifted his foot and stepped across the border into the city.

There was no noticeable change upon crossing the line. He looked back at Fu Gui, who shook its head too.

Once he stepped in, the road behind them had changed. The chocolate-colored path now encircled them completely; it linked to the roads elsewhere and formed a closed loop.

Ruan Xing had no choice but to keep walking in the direction he came from. Along the way, he saw tiny houses made of biscuits, sidewalks paved with milk candy, and rooftops built from stacked scoops of ice cream.

Fu Gui’s eyes sparkled. Unable to resist, it licked a lamppost beside the road, its drool leaving a deep mark. “Wow! So sweet—it’s coconut-flavored hard candy!”

Ruan Xing grimaced. “Careful. You might get polluted.”

Fu Gui puffed up. “I’m not afraid.”

It followed Ruan Xing into numerous polluted zones, and its contamination threshold had never even reached 30!

As Fu Gui talked, it started pecking at biscuit crumbs on a nearby roof. The woodpecker-like “tap tap tap” echoed eerily through the empty city.

There didn’t seem to be any danger around, so Ruan Xing casually opened the door to one of the buildings.

It was a shop. Inside, everything was made of candy. Daily necessities were made of candy; the clothes were also candy, and the snacks? Also just candy.

If sugar could kill, the residents of this city would’ve died a hundred times over.

Ruan Xing walked into a few more buildings, which were also completely empty. It felt like the whole city was just a display model, with everything carefully arranged like props in a showroom.

While Fu Gui stuffed itself outside, Ruan Xing wandered the city like a busy detective.

Everything was fully equipped. He saw a police station built from blueberry biscuits, a hospital surrounded by white chocolate walls, and an elementary school made of milk biscuits—complete with a playground, classrooms, and offices. Even the city hall had a fountain flowing with syrup, like a real-world fairy tale.

Is this place really a polluted zone?

Ruan Xing pondered, unaware that Fu Gui had returned while clutching its belly.

“Burp~ I licked ten blocks’ worth of lampposts, twenty mailboxes, even broke through two clothing store walls—and I discovered something.”

Ruan Xing asked, “What thing?”

“The candy here is freaking delicious!”

Ruan Xing flicked it on the head. “Where’s the pollution? That’s what you should be checking.”

Fu Gui pouted, "Life is miserable with you. Can’t I have a little sugar?”

“You don’t even know what this stuff is, and you’re just stuffing it in your mouth. Were you starved to death in your last life or something?”

Fu Gui replied, “I’m just not used to all this fancy stuff…”

Ruan Xing picked up a newspaper. It was made of rice paper—thin and crisp—but the print was surprisingly clear.

The front-page headline stood out: Candy Merchant Is About To Visit Our City Soon.

[It is reported that this quarter, the candy merchants will bring new construction methods to build Fairy Tale City. After years of development, our city now covers over 100,000 acres and boasts complete municipal facilities. In future construction, it is expected to play a vital role in global urban development—thanks to the dedication of every citizen…]

The article echoed the exact message they’d seen on the banner earlier.

Who was the candy merchant? A real person? Or was it just some imaginary figure created by whoever ruled this place?

Ruan Xing flipped through the paper, but the rest was just mundane filler. Statements from the mayor, a missing child… Nothing particularly helpful. Fu Gui folded the paper into a strip, dipped it in spit, and stuffed it into its mouth.

“Not bad. Tastes like chocolate.”

But if there were supposedly citizens here… where were they?

Ruan Xing went to the library, hoping to find more information about this “Fairy Tale City.”

The library was massive—no smaller than the city hall. Its walls were made of biscuits, plastered over with white chocolate. It would’ve looked majestic if not for the cotton candy and lollipop decorations ruining the atmosphere.

Surprisingly, the library was just an empty shell. All the books were sealed shut, as if whoever built this world knew these structures were necessary but didn’t bother with the actual content.

Luckily, there was a detailed city map displayed in the center.

Ruan Xing noticed a factory that took up nearly a third of the entire city’s area.

“Excuse me, are you the candy merchant?”

A timid voice called out.

Ruan Xing froze—he didn't even sense the presence approaching him!

He turned toward the dark corner with a sharp look in his eyes.

After some rustling sound, a small creature emerged from the shadow—a hedgehog?!

Ruan Xing blinked in confusion. Was this really a hedgehog?

It was a prickly creature with tough spikes covering its entire body and soft, chubby limbs underneath. It was much bigger than a normal hedgehog, reaching Ruan Xing’s thigh when standing upright.

“You’re the candy merchant, right? You must be!”

Ruan Xing looked at the timid little hedgehog who was trying to act bravely. “I’m not the candy merchant. I’m looking for my teammates.”

But the hedgehog didn’t believe him. “No, you are. I know it.”

Ruan Xing raised a brow. “And how are you so sure?”

“I’ve never seen an animal like you in Fairytale City. The mayor said the candy merchant wouldn’t look like any of us.”

“…Fine, you got me. I’m the candy merchant.”

The little hedgehog smiled. “I knew it! Candy merchant, please die, okay?”

Fu Gui: Holy crap—this guy looked so innocent, but he’s trying to kill us?!

As soon as it finished speaking, the hedgehog spun around and launched a barrage of spikes straight at Ruan Xing.

But Ruan Xing was prepared. The moment the hedgehog got close, he kicked off the ground and vanished, reappearing right behind it.

The hedgehog’s face turned pale at Ruan Xing’s movement. It tried to flee but suddenly realized that it was already bound by a thin thread. As it struggled, the line cut into its leg, drawing blood.

It didn’t hesitate—it dropped to the ground and curled into a ball, trying to protect itself from harm.

Ruan Xing chuckled. Then, mycelium threads slid through the gaps in its curled-up body and forced it open.

The hedgehog trembled violently. “Don’t eat me… please don’t eat me…”

The mycelium wrapped around its limbs. Ruan Xing squatted down. “Start talking. Otherwise… I might get curious about what hedgehog tastes like.”

Fu Gui: This mage is so petty. Always scaring people for fun.