The sky above was clear, but the water below glowed with an eerie green light, as if the entire ocean had transford into a magical potion.
Bubbles floated on the surface, and whenever they popped, small bursts of vitality erupted. It didn't seem like the ocean here had a current; it was more like a pool than an open sea.
The moon reflected off the water, casting everything in an eerie glow.
Asher looked closer and realized the object in the sky wasn't real—it was a massive illusion or light effect, created to give the city its unique erald glow.
The Storm Eagle flew closer, and more details of the city ca into view. While it wasn't as huge as Alarath in terms of land area, the sheer number of tall buildings more than compensated for the gap
All the structures were made of dark stone and tal, with countless towers rising toward the sky.
At the edge were ports, boulevards, and piers, all forming a complete circular pattern around the area.
The city's round shape was perfectly symtrical, with no flaws in its design. Instead of traditional walls, the boulevard acted like one large roundabout, with various types of vehicles moving through it.
They resembled stagecoaches but had no animals pulling them; instead, their wheels glowed, powered by magic. There were different sizes—so designed for personal use, while others were much larger and longer, ant for transporting goods from one place to another.
Huge tal boats covered in glowing runes floated by, transporting goods to selected piers.
Above, the sky was just as busy, with dozens of airships moving in different directions.
The hulls of each ship were made from polished tal. They curved carefully, creating a streamlined appearance.
From this central structure, multiple propulsion engines extended like limbs, each humming faintly as they propelled the ships forward in the air.
'Did I get teleported to another world?' he wondered. The difference between this place and Alarath was like night and day.
He had anticipated a more advanced city, but given everything he saw, he wouldn't be surprised if they had televisions in their hos.
"We need to land at one of the ports and get ourselves an emblem. That way, the city's golems won't activate and target us," she explained, guiding the beast into a slow descent.
"Golems? Are they the sa as the ones back at the academy?" he asked, recalling the bronze statues.
"No," she shook her head. "The golems here are more advanced. They're the size of a small child, but they can hover and fly. They can also fire concentrated flas, and Eryx has tens of thousands of them. No one would be dumb enough to cause trouble here."
Listening to her, he understood just how deep the waters ran in this place, and he was certain that what he was hearing was only the tip of the iceberg.
He made a ntal note to stay cautious; the danger level here was off the charts, probably the most perilous area he had stepped into so far—except for the void.
When the Storm Eagle landed on the platform, no one even glanced its way.
It looked completely ordinary, especially since the area was filled with airships, and there were even more impressive beasts around.
One of them was a golden roc, about one and a half tis the size of the eagle. Its yellowish feathers shimred, and its eyes appeared to be constantly burning with an intense fla.
Another was a massive, winged serpent, its scales glistening in shades of silver as it coiled through the air.
Its long, sinuous body twisted, its wings like delicate fins, allowing it to glide. Its eyes were a deep, glowing amber.
The third creature was a giant, armored bat with wings that stretched wide enough to cast a shadow over an entire building. Its leather-like wings flapped in slow, powerful beats, and its sharp claws glead nacingly in the light. The bat's fangs were visible even from a distance.
There were other beasts present, but those three were by far the most eye-catching.
THUD!
They stepped down onto the stone platform. The place seed to embrace the dark color in every corner, giving the entire area a depressing atmosphere, especially with the eerie green light filtering through.
"Is there morning here?" he asked, curious.
"No, this place has eternal night," she replied.
"Whoever designed this place must really hate the sun," he comnted.
But before he could say anything more, Lucia grabbed his hand. "Don't say anything bad about the king," she warned, her voice low. "They have eyes everywhere."
He didn't argue and just took her advice to heart. Trusting a local was the wisest thing to do when in a foreign place.
They continued walking, passing by other sorcerers who had co from outside to participate in the tournant.
Alongside them were people who moved with the familiarity of those who knew this place well.
Asher asked her about them, and she explained that they were Eryx scouts, traveling the land in search of talent.
They kept to themselves, so Asher didn't bother looking at them any longer, knowing it could lead to misunderstandings and unnecessary trouble.
When they reached a two-story building, they found clerks at desks handling paperwork. Read exclusive adventures at My Virtual Library Empire
Normally, it would have taken so ti, but since he was with Lucia, a local, she simply had to identify herself. With that, she registered him as a participant she was sponsoring for the tournant.
He went through a few other processes unique to this place, such as registering his palm print in so sort of artifact.
The emblem they gave him also acted as a kind of tracker. If he committed a cri, they could backtrack his location.
Additionally, if the emblem sohow strayed too far from him, it would trigger an alarm, aning he had to keep it with him at all tis.
The details in the emblem were too advanced, even for him, as he had never focused much on making artifacts back in the void. Tampering with it would be a bad idea.
"It's done," the female clerk said respectfully. "Sorcerer Lucia, Sorcerer Asher, you may head to the Origin Arena to complete your registration for the tournant. I advise you to proceed quickly, as the tournant will begin in a few days, and we are expecting participants from all over the world."
Lucia didn't reply and carried herself with an air of haughtiness.
The clerks, after all, were little more than slaves in this place, so it would have been unusual for sorcerers like them to treat her as an equal. She had already given Asher instructions, so he mirrored her and acted more aloof.
It wasn't difficult, considering this had been his real personality before he was thrust into one crazy event after another.
As they turned away from the clerk's desk and made their way toward the exit, a group suddenly blocked their path.
Two sorcerers, their faces hidden by the deep hoods of their cloaks, stood in front of them. Behind them, a woman with sheep ears, her long white hair flowing gracefully, stepped forward.
"Long ti no see, Lucia," the woman's playful voice rang out
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