Book Synopsis
Book Tags
Donation Rankings
Comment
0 Comments
You May Also Like
墨書 Inktalez
"The gate ahead is the entrance to the Lost City of Lothar. We need to go in here before entering the Demon Realm," Chiba said.
"This place is different from others, Xiaopu. You can't get distracted anymore; stay close to me," I said to Xiaopu behind me.
"Okay, don't worry, Xi Meng," Xiaopu replied, deliberately widening his eyes and forcing a smile to indicate he was fine.
"But, are there no guards here?" Xiaopu asked.
I had noticed that too. The gate was tightly shut, and compared to other places, this city gate seemed desolate, with not a single guard in sight.
"We don't need those things here. You'll understand soon enough," Chiba said as he stepped forward and knocked three times on the ancient iron-blue gate. With a nervous expression, he turned to me and Xiaopu and said, "Remember, when I say something, you both repeat it. No extra words."
Xiaopu and I exchanged glances, feeling our breaths quicken. We steadied ourselves and nodded at Chiba.
"Who are you?" a cold and cruel voice rang out, neither happy nor sad.
I shuddered; the owner of that voice must be an extraordinary expert to have approached without us noticing at all.
Could he be the guardian of the Lost City of Lothar?
"We three are being pursued with nowhere to run and have come seeking the protection of the master of the Lost City of Lothar," Chiba said earnestly.
"Pass through."
The city gate opened easily for the three of us. Of course, I knew this was not something to be happy about.
I followed Xiaopu and Chiba through the city gate.
"You only have one chance to consider this opportunity. Once the gate closes, you will never be able to leave," Chiba warned.
I saw Chiba's clenched fist finally relax, and it was only when the sound of the gate closing echoed that Chiba turned back to glance at the tightly shut door.
"Wood, why do you seem to know this place so well?" Xiaopu's voice trembled slightly.
"That elder has memories of this place," I replied.
I remembered; it was the one who had transcended the Supreme Lord, whose soul resided within Chiba from the Thunder Clan.
"But wait, wasn't it said that anyone could enter but not leave?" I questioned, puzzled.
"Yes, but there are exceptions. I mentioned that if we find the treasure and gain the Guardian Deity's approval, we can obtain some of his power. The only exit from the Lost City of Lothar is within the Demon Realm. If we can really get through the final challenge, we can leave here."
"Since Wood knows this, doesn't that give us hope?" Xiaopu said happily.
Chiba looked at Xiaopu with a foolish expression and scoffed, "You think you can just walk out based on my limited memories? Don't dream. Once you go in and see for yourself, you'll understand what I mean."
Chiba led Xiaopu and me through a blurry barrier. I wondered why I couldn't hear or see anything upon entering the gate; it turned out there was this barrier.
"If you want to survive longer, remember this: aside from the three of us, don't trust anyone," Chiba said as we passed through the barrier.
The scene before me was not as strange or terrifying as I had imagined; it was just an ordinary street. Aside from a few small shops with signs that resembled stores, everything else appeared flat and plain at a glance.
There weren't many pedestrians on the street, and they all walked alone, which made our trio stand out and drew frequent glances from those passing by.
"How terrifying," Xiaopu said, clearly struggling to accept the situation. After all, aside from her family, she had not encountered many different races at the academy, and the bizarre creatures around here made her shiver with fear.
"Look at them, all pale and thin, with hollow eyes, like dried corpses," Xiaopu remarked with a grimace.
"Don't be afraid; I don't sense much strength from them," I replied.
"Don't let your guard down. The demons here come in all sorts of strengths; the stronger ones have mostly gone into the Demon Realm to seek treasures," Chiba warned.
"Wooden, what does that treasure actually look like? What if I find it?" Xiaopu asked cheerfully.
"Dream on. Do you think there are that many treasures? And do you really think you can guarantee that it won't be snatched away by those hungry wolves lurking around?" Chiba said bluntly.
"But Chiba, is there really only one treasure?" I felt something was off.
"I saw only a Wooden Box in the elder's memories, inside which was a scroll. I couldn't make out what was written on it. Although I'm not sure what it is, the elder kept saying he found a treasure."
"And then?"
"The memories were too fragmented; I couldn't see clearly," Chiba frowned.
I see... I didn't think the guardian here would leave so many things behind, all labeled as treasures. If what the elder from the Thunder Clan or others obtained were merely some techniques or powers, then perhaps the real treasure was hidden away. Maybe that guardian didn't want anyone to find that treasure.
The number of people released from the Demon Realm is extremely rare; perhaps they are just a decoy, and the real goal is to spread news about the Lost City of Lothar to attract more people.
"What about those shops? Why are people still doing business here? What's the point of making money if they can't get out?" Xiaopu asked.
"Species that can't survive in the outside world have almost all come to this city seeking refuge; they don't plan to leave. Have you noticed those shops? They offer healing, weapons, and medicine—stores that are desperately needed here. Money is useless, but their purpose is to provide free services to the important figures here, just so they can establish themselves and survive."
"It seems they are all peculiar people," I remarked.
"What's so strange? There are so many shops outside, which one is smaller than this?" Xiaopu casually brushed it off.
Don't underestimate these shops; they don't even have raw materials here, let alone any refining or processing. So the only possibility is that those items are all created by them, complete and intact products.
Chiba shook his head at Xiaopu and stopped explaining.
"Let's go in and let someone broaden their horizons." With that, Chiba stepped into a weapon shop.
"You—hmph!" Xiaopu scoffed, unwilling to enter.
I didn't say anything and followed Chiba inside, as I was too curious about those strange beings.
"Xi Meng, why are you also—" Xiaopu became a bit anxious when she saw me enter.
"Come in; it's dangerous to be out here alone," I said helplessly as I turned around.
Only then did Xiaopu reluctantly follow me in. As soon as she entered, her big eyes widened in surprise.
Oh my, I couldn't help but gasp!
The shop was indeed small, and from the outside, there was nothing that would make someone stop. However, the interior was absolutely mesmerizing.
The table and shelves were filled with an array of weapons, and even the walls were lined with various types of weapons whose names I couldn't even pronounce. Moreover, there were no inferior products; any one of these weapons would be highly sought after outside, even the Supreme Lord wouldn't underestimate them, let alone this large collection!
These weapons were definitely not just scrap metal; the true quality ones exuded spiritual energy. You could feel their life force and easily sense the fluctuations of their energy.
Every weapon here has its own aura, and they seem to be competing with each other, displaying sharp glimmers of light.
Among all these weapons, I sensed a different aura that inexplicably attracted me.
In the corner of the lowest shelf, a dagger lay quietly. It appeared particularly old among the pile of weapons and seemed to be in a deep slumber, only faintly emanating a trace of energy that was almost easy to overlook.
This feeling was like a mysterious arrangement guiding me forward. Just as my hand was about to touch it, a sharp voice suddenly rang out.
"Hey, who are you guys?" A short old man stepped out from the half-open door on the right side of the shop, his tone unfriendly as he questioned us.
He scrutinized us up and down while speaking.
"We just want to take a look at the weapons," I replied.
"Newcomers, huh?" the Old Man said with an unfriendly tone.
"Yeah, how did you know?" Xiaopu foolishly responded.
"Don’t you know that our weapons are only available for selection by the top ten lords on the Dueling Spirit Rankings? What are you newcomers doing here?" The Old Man had an attitude that suggested he wanted us to leave.
"What's so fierce about it? Just a Reaper level. I wouldn’t want to step into your shabby shop!" Xiaopu retorted disdainfully.
Chiba and I remained relatively calm, standing in place and watching their bickering.
While they were arguing, another small head peeked out from the right door, round and plump like a little apple.
I waved at him, but the Little One seemed hesitant. I smiled and walked over to him.
"What is your name?"
Little One quickly hid back behind the door, but soon peeked out again to look at me.
"Doudou."
"Doudou, what are you doing here?" I asked.
"Making weapons."
I was taken aback. Could it be that this Little One made all the weapons in this room?
"Did you make all of these?!" I gestured around the room.
"Yes."
"Then who is Old Man, your grandfather?" I asked.
He certainly didn't look like one.
Doudou shook his head, his innocent big eyes looking somewhat sad.
"Then who is he?"
"I don't know."
"You don't know?"
"He said that if I didn't want others to bully me, I had to make weapons for him, constantly."
"How did you get into this city?"
"They're all dead. Mother sent me here," Doudou said simply. I could see that he had been oppressed here for a long time, and even speaking was difficult for him.
But I couldn't help him either; I might end up worse off than Doudou here.
I smiled at Doudou and pointed to the dagger in the corner, saying, "It's beautiful. I really like it."
Doudou stared at me blankly, not saying anything, but his big eyes seemed to express many emotions.
"What do you want to say?" I asked.
Doudou seemed anxious but couldn't get the words out.
"Who let you come out?! Hurry up and get back inside!" The Old Man finally noticed that Doudou and I were talking and strode over.
In the blink of an eye, Doudou hid behind the door and fell silent.
"Wow, you guys are really something. You dare to touch my treasure as soon as you arrive. Just wait; when Lord Robin gets here, I'll make sure you regret it!"
"Hmph, no matter who this Robin is, I'll still fight when she arrives!" Xiaopu shouted and lunged at the Old Man.
"Help! Someone save me!" the Old Man yelled at the top of his lungs.
Comment 0 Comment Count