Inside the protective barrier of the Tiless City, the city's streets pulsed with strange veins, glowing runes flickering beneath transparent black stone roads like heartbeat rhythms in a living organism.
Buildings were never the sa shape twice. So floated upside-down, others folded like pages of a forgotten book, and lanterns hanging from invisible threads cast light with no warmth.
The city buzzed with forbidden activity. Strange cloaked shadows walked like phantoms, masked rchants, and silent assassins in dream-cloaks passed through smoke-filled alleys like ghosts.
A crooked bazaar stretched through the central market, where one could purchase anything. This spooky haven was for the mbers of ATLAS!
In the distance lood the most stable structure of all—a monolithic black tower that never changed shape, no matter how the rest of the city twisted around it.
The Tiless Tower was both anchor and throne, piercing through the chaotic ley lines of the Rift like a temporal needle. Ford from obsidian ti glass and etched with runes no mortal could decipher, the tower stood motionless amid chaos.
Inside, silence reigned. The interior walls glead like polished mirrors, but no reflection ever showed true. Each floor contained a different scene and design—one ancient, one futuristic, one dreamlike, one apocalyptic.
At the pinnacle of the tower, past countless illusionary floors, was a surreal library, where countless wisdom tos like stars hovered around a tall antique hourglass filled with neon black sand that flowed backward.
A small figure in black robes and a head covered in a long hood stood in front of this hourglass and seed frozen at the mont. But suddenly, another figure appeared right beside this frozen figure like a ghost—it was Jacob!
Jacob was astounded when he saw the surreal library and the tall hourglass. But at that mont, he suddenly felt an oppressive force emitting from the hourglass, and runes began to erge on the floor.
'A formation!' Jacob knew he had triggered so protective formation and quickly transferred Constant Baron-0's soul out of his mind.
Under the Eyes of Judge, he could clearly see the truth and how it instantly pulled the frozen small figure in front of the hourglass.
The mont the true soul returned to the Constant Baron-0's body, a static yet powerful voice rang, "Intruder detected!"
Constant Baron-0, who had finally regained her body, was elated, but she didn't have the chance to celebrate before that unexpected warning was heard. She also felt the protective formation had been activated.
She instantly turned around and saw a 'ghost' standing there. He was currently the target of the formation, yet he appeared very calm. The first thought ca to her mind: soone had broken through all the Tiless City's protective asures and successfully infiltrated the heart of the city, which was impossible for even a Quasi-Myth.
But then that ghost said sothing that made her shudder, "I'm the Lord's proxy directly sent to you. The Lord told you'll be my helper."
Instantly, everyone started to make sense when Constant Baron-0 thought about the Lord's power, and only the Lord was capable of bypassing these trivial formations.
Furthermore, with Nyx's 'education,' she had already 'known' this would happen, but she wasn't expecting it to happen so fast.
Nonetheless, she instantly responds before the formation obliterates the 'proxy' and draws the wrath of the 'Lord' into the entire Tiless City.
An hourglass appeared on her forehead, and she coldly ordered, "I'm the Tiless Overlord of the Legendary Plains, Constant Baron-0! I use my authority to grant this person Iron Constant level access to the Tiless City!"
The mont she spoke, the formation suddenly ca to a halt, and the static voice rang.
"Identity confird!
"Please give your final confirmation!
"Warning: This person does not have the 'Tiless Hourglass' and shouldn't be anywhere closer to the Tiless City!
"Warning: If you gave your final confirmation, any damage or exposure to the Tiless City will be your responsibility and will have severe consequences!
"Warning: To ensure the welfare of the Tiless City, it is strongly advised to plant a 'Tiless Parasite' into this person's soul!
"Warning: …"
Jacob was astounded when he heard those warnings, and he was also impressed by how ticulous this Tiless City was and how powerful its defensive system was.
Furthermore, all those precautions against a non-mber or soone without a 'Tiless Hourglass' were unimaginable. He finally understands why Tiless City was never exposed to the outside world, and people only knew about ATLAS. Even then, they thought that ATLAS was the na of Star Hackers' ground, while the truth was that it was a re branch of true ATLAS!
After hearing around 20 warnings, Constant Baron-0 replied without hesitation, "I give my confirmation!"
Once she gave her final confirmation, the oppressive pressure on Jacob finally vanished, and the static voice rang the next mont.
"The 'unknown personnel' has been registered under Constant Baron-0's authority and will be temporarily given an Iron Constant level access to the Tiless City!"
Thereafter, a black mass suddenly appeared in front of the hourglass, solidifying into a palm-sized hourglass-shaped token and hovering in front of Constant Baron-0.
She dismissively took it before she handed it to Jacob and solemnly said, "Please keep this 'City Pass' on yourself all the ti. Since you are the proxy of the 'Lord', I don't think I need to warn you about the rules of the ATLAS."
Jacob took the token and nodded, "Much appreciated!"
Constant Baron-0 also nodded in acknowledgnt before she deeply looked at Jacob and asked, "I think I've seen you before? Are you really the Faceless Ancient?"
Jacob impassively admitted, "This is a disguise from the Ghost Race, but I am the Faceless Ancient. However, I can't show you my face, it's instructed by the 'Lord'."
Constant Baron-0's eyes shimred in realization as she quickly nodded, "Of course, of course, forgive . I was just curious. Now, I told you to help you to the best of my abilities to complete the task of the Lord. How should we proceed?"
'She seed in a hurry to prove herself…' Jacob's eyes flickered as he asked, "Can I access the knowledge bank of the Tiless City? Especially anything related to Alchemy Professions."
"It's a small matter." Constant Baron-0 didn't even hesitate before she agreed instantly.
Jacob then made another request, "I was also searching for the Law Essences of different elents, which are the core of the Lord's plan. It'll be invaluable if you can help search for them or give their whereabouts."
Constant Baron-0 was surprised for a mont before she nodded, "Tell which elents you are looking for, and I'll get back to you as soon as I find them!"
'This suddenly reminds of my days as the richest person of my old life…'
Jacob suddenly felt like he had been wasting his ti all this ti, while he should've just done this much sooner!
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