Chapter 373 - Chapter 369 – The Friendly Town

Before they knew it, the day had turned to noon. The fused sun climbed high in the gray sky, its light fiercer than usual perhaps because summer was approaching, or because Earth's expanded size after the merging of two planets made the sunlight feel more direct, more piercing. The thin mist that usually filtered the light had grown even thinner, making the landscape below appear sharper: dense forests with lush green leaves, clear rivers flowing slowly between rocky hills, and small towns appearing more frequently along the western horizon. The wind from Noir's flight, once refreshing, now felt warm, carrying the scent of dry leaves and sun-baked damp earth.