Lin Yu and Sleepless Sky Huole climbed the stairs and arrived before the main door.

Reaching the tower and looking at that heavy metal door, Lin Yu only felt the atmosphere growing increasingly oppressive.

Sleepless Sky Huole, however, seemed quite accustomed and at ease.

The two guards before the door wore pitch-black full-body heavy armor with helmets. Although the style seemed somewhat ancient, upon closer inspection, Lin Yu realized that beneath this armor were buried many neat lines of wiring, along with ventilation ports and numerous hidden openings and seams. Hidden within those gaps were probably many "handy tools" that could pop out.

The full-coverage helmets, seen up close, even revealed interfaces for "imaging devices" and "communicators."

Rather than "armor," it was more like "mecha"!

Seeing Sleepless Sky Huole and Lin Yu arrive at the door, the two heavy-armored guards bowed slightly.

"Young Mistress, Mr. Furbollo."

A muffled voice came from the helmet speakers, the tone showing the respect of the guards within.

Sleepless Sky Huole gave a slight nod.

"I've brought Furbollo to see Mother. Is she receiving visitors today?"

"She is. The Family Head has not given orders to seclude herself today," the guard said respectfully. "Shall the two of you enter directly, or should we announce you first?"

Sleepless Sky Huole waved her hand.

"Just open the door."

The two guards complied, then each took out a metal rod from their sides and inserted them into the keyholes on the door.

The keys turned, and a "clack" sound came from within the door, letting Lin Yu discern that this door seemed to use some kind of mechanical lock.

This scene made Lin Yu feel even more that this tower was more like a place imprisoning or containing the "Head of the Sleepless Night Family."

After all, the Family Head herself was inside. Why lock the door from the outside?

The large door slowly opened, revealing a spiral staircase winding upwards.

"Let's go."

Sleepless Sky Huole said in a low voice, walking inside with Lin Yu.

The two walked slowly up the stairs, and the sound of the large door slamming shut echoed behind them.

They climbed flight after flight of stairs almost without pause. The wall-mounted lamps beside each step would suddenly light up as they passed.

Lin Yu could clearly sense that Sleepless Sky Huole seemed somewhat nervous. Ever since seeing this tower, Sleepless Sky Huole had been gradually tensing up.

The closer she got to where her mother was, the more tense she became.

Lin Yu gently patted the young woman's back.

"Relax."

He said softly. Sleepless Sky Huole gave a soft "Mm" in response.

But clearly, this kind of superficial comfort was utterly useless for Sleepless Sky Huole.

So, Lin Yu used a more effective, and very "Fu Luo" method.

"No matter what, Dad is here."

Lin Yu spoke very seriously, as if he really were an old father comforting his daughter.

"No matter what happens, Dad will handle it."

Sleepless Sky Huole looked at Lin Yu and sighed. "What are you doing?"

"I thought you didn't mind," Lin Yu raised an eyebrow. "Didn't you actively play along with the family role-play gag before?"

Sleepless Sky Huole pursed her lips. "Even so, if you use this trick to comfort me every single time, how could it still be effective?"

"I think you just want to take advantage of me."

Hearing Sleepless Sky Huole's words, Lin Yu couldn't help but fall into thought.

"Every single time?"

In a sense, he really had succeeded in playing Fu Luo, accurately predicting what he would say in such a situation...

But what Lin Yu found even more remarkable was...

"To be able to say this every single time, Fu Luo, you're truly peerless."

After mentally complaining about Fu Luo, he smiled and looked at Sleepless Sky Huole.

"So it's still effective this time too... isn't it?"

As Lin Yu spoke, Sleepless Sky Huole didn't answer the question.

"We're at the seventh floor... let's see if Mother is at the prayer altar."

With that, she didn't continue upwards but walked to the door on this floor and pushed it open.

Compared to the tower's gloomy exterior and the ancient, dim spiral staircase... the scene inside this seventh floor appeared somewhat "holy."

The spacious hall was paved with neat floor tiles. The walls were hung with charts filled with formulas and complex symbols. Clean, soft overhead lights cast down warm illumination.

In the very center of the hall was a statue sitting cross-legged in a lazy posture.

The statue's overall form resembled that of a young maiden, but its face was a completely smooth, blank surface. Concentrating one's gaze upon it seemed to make many symbols rapidly emerge and disappear.

"This thing is probably the real deal, directly connected to a god..."

This thought flashed through Lin Yu's mind, and he quickly averted his gaze.

Beneath that statue was what looked like an altar table holding offerings—except those "offerings" were actually books.

Sleepless Sky Huole looked at the empty hall and shook her head.

"She's not on this floor. She should be in the 'study' on the top floor."

She said, closing the door, then led Lin Yu to continue upwards.

By now, Lin Yu couldn't help but feel relieved that he had put away Old Zheng and Hannah and had sent Stiller away early.

This place really was a bit too dangerous.

But at the same time, Lin Yu couldn't help but miss the two of them and Stiller.

"At least if they were here, they might be able to tell me which god's statue that is and what to watch out for."

Now, he could only take it one step at a time.

Under Sleepless Sky Huole's lead, Lin Yu and she continued climbing the stairs.

This time, the two of them climbed all the way to the end of the staircase in one go.

Sleepless Sky Huole pushed open the small door at the staircase's end again.

The two ducked inside. Because Sleepless Sky Huole had mentioned the "study" earlier, Lin Yu knew what the top floor was for.

But when he actually ducked inside, Lin Yu felt somewhat stunned.

Layer upon layer of bookshelves, as tall as a six-story building, were arranged in rows, each shelf dozens of meters high.

The entire roof was in the style of a glass skylight, with daylight pouring down unreservedly, bright and transparent.

This was no "study"... this was clearly an entire library.

Sleepless Sky Huole stood at the doorway, taking several deep breaths, as if preparing herself mentally.

Then, she called out clearly.

"Mother, I've brought Furbollo to see you!"

A few seconds after Sleepless Sky Huole finished calling out, a woman's voice drifted out faintly.

"I am aware."

This voice circled in the air above the library, as if there were some kind of amplification system.

Then, Lin Yu heard the "creak, creak" sound of wheels rolling.

From deep between two rows of bookshelves, a wooden mobile ladder, nearly three meters tall, smoothly rolled out. Seated atop it, wearing a white dress, with black hair cascading down like a waterfall almost to the ground, was...

A little girl.

Lin Yu looked at the other party and was caught off guard, stunned.

The figure sitting on the mobile ladder platform wore narrow-rimmed glasses and held a thick book. Judging by demeanor alone, she seemed like a formidable scholar. But that petite figure and youthful face, no matter how one looked, seemed like that of a child only about ten years old.

Her fiery red eyes gazed at Lin Yu and Sleepless Sky Huole as she spoke again.

"Huo Le, my most beloved daughter, why have you come to visit me today?"

Lin Yu's hanging heart finally died.

This person really was the Head of the Sleepless Night Family, the mother of Sleepless Sky Huole!