"A change?"
Derrick looked at Afternoon Town right in front of him, confused. He didn't see anything unusual; it looked no different from the other ruined towns they had explored before, and he didn't sense any unusual aura.
Before he could withdraw his gaze, the dilapidated ruins in front of him were pulled away like a dark, decaying curtain, revealing the bustling Afternoon Town enveloped in a dim Yellow Light.
"This..."
"What is this?"
"Is this what 'Daylight' is, as described in the common knowledge textbooks?"
The sudden change in front of them sparked discussion among the City of Silver exploration team. As they spoke, they tightened their grip on their weapons, their gazes filled with vigilance as they watched the change unfolding before them, watching the short figure dressed in strange-styled clothing standing at the edge of Afternoon Town's street. Of course, this was only considered short in the eyes of the City of Silver's people.
The next moment, they saw the person standing at the edge of Afternoon Town speak. The person spoke in a language they didn't understand, but they could comprehend the intended meaning:
"Thankfully, I prepared some language comprehension charms in advance."
"My experiment seems to have affected your exploration?"
"I am very sorry. Once I perfect this illusion, I will withdraw it. Hmm... if possible, could I ask for some assistance from you? I am not particularly familiar with the past of this continent, and there are still many flaws in the illusion I created. I can pay for this, either with information you need, or Mystical Item materials and formulas."
Chief Colin, as the chief of City of Silver and the leader of this exploration team, did not reply immediately. He clearly knew that some Monsters could create terrifying effects by distorting language.
The members of the exploration team standing behind Colin also watched this strange, suddenly appearing person warily. For a moment, there was no sound except for the intermittent thunderclaps in the sky.
Derrick, standing in the center of the exploration team, frowned slightly as he looked at the figure standing at the edge of Afternoon Town. He always felt that the other party was somewhat familiar.
Have I seen him? Impossible. I don't know anyone outside of the City of Silver, and he certainly isn't from the City of Silver. That height alone makes it impossible.
Seeing no one speak, Leyton sighed helplessly and waved his hand behind him. A crystal ball with flickering starlight inside flew into his hand.
The starlight in the crystal ball quickly converged, and Afternoon Town, originally enveloped in the light of dusk, rapidly lost its color, becoming withered, dilapidated, and lifeless. The buildings also collapsed, returning to their original state.
After dispelling the illusion covering Afternoon Town, Leyton finally looked at chief Colin Iliad of the City of Silver, who was standing at the very front, with graying hair and prominent nasolabial folds. He smiled and said:
"Can we communicate now? As a Demon Hunter, you should easily be able to tell if I have ill intentions."
"Besides, I am stronger than everyone here combined, aren't I? If I wanted to do something to you, you would have no room to resist. A Giant Above the Sequence 5 would just be a bit more resistant to beating."
Perhaps Leyton's overly direct words made the faces of the City of Silver exploration team members not look too good.
Derrick, holding the hurricane axe, had two miniature Suns contained within his eyes. His vision was exceptionally clear in the Darkness.
Leyton, standing opposite him at the edge of Afternoon Town's street, holding a crystal ball emitting a faint blue glow, always gave him a familiar feeling. In his mind, the figures of the Tarot Club members floated by one by one, finally stopping at Mr. Tower.
He really looks like him! Has Mr. Tower come to the Forsaken Land of the Gods? But he never mentioned it. Should I ask him now, or wait until the next Tarot Club meeting to confirm with Mr. Tower?
As Derrick pondered, chief Colin, standing at the forefront, had already spoken in a deep voice:
"Are you from the outside world?"
Leyton nodded calmly and said:
"That's right. West of the Giant Kings Court, there's a sea of ruins that evolved from a war between gods. You can enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods from there."
"...The Forsaken Land of the Gods?" Colin murmured in a deep voice, then pressed on:
"So, as long as we cross the Giant Kings Court, we can leave here through that sea of ruins and enter the outside world?"
All the members of the City of Silver exploration team looked at Leyton, with a hint of anticipation in their eyes. Even if they didn't trust this suddenly appearing person, they already wanted a definite answer. At least, that would indicate their efforts were correct.
Leyton shook his head faintly and said:
"No, it's one-way. You can only enter, not leave."
Colin's face was expressionless; he merely tightened his grip on his straight sword and pressed on in a deep voice:
"Then you don't plan to leave?"
"Becoming an Angel, I naturally have the ability to leave here. Creating errors, utilizing errors—it's not just Amon who can do that."
He paused, not giving Colin a chance to ask further questions, then Leyton continued:
"You want to ask if there's a way to get the entire City of Silver out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"
"Of course there is, it's in the place you're preparing to explore. However, with the current strength of your City of Silver, you're not yet strong enough to explore there."
Chief Colin of the City of Silver's face suddenly became serious. The straight sword tightly gripped in his hand reflected a sharp radiance like the dawn piercing through Darkness. His gaze was locked tightly on Leyton. If anything seemed amiss, he would immediately strike, even if the other party hadn't shown direct malice, and even if the other party was likely stronger than him.
"Are you Mr. Tower?" Behind Colin, Derrick suddenly asked loudly, his voice a little nervous, still carrying the childishness of a youth that hadn't completely faded.
Leyton's gaze passed over Colin and locked onto Derrick in the center of the crowd behind him. He had brown-Yellow Light hair, a tall build, already approaching 1.9 meters in height.
After his gaze lingered on Derrick for a moment, Leyton suddenly chuckled and said:
"Congratulations, you got it right! But there's no reward."
Derrick didn't pay attention to the vigilance of the surrounding exploration team members or the distance they suddenly put between them. His gaze, somewhat puzzled, looked at Leyton and asked curiously:
"Mr. Tower, why have you come to the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"
"To seek an opportunity to advance to Sage, and also to find some high-level characteristics of the Paragon Pathway. In the outside world, most of the characteristics of this Pathway are controlled by the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. I can only place my hopes here, isolated from the outside world."
Leyton briefly explained, then looked at Colin, who was still wary of him, and chuckled:
"I've cleared out the remaining Monsters in Afternoon Town. If you're not afraid of me, you can stay or explore inside. At least it's much safer than camping in the wilderness."
"I won't be staying here too long. Once I perfect the illusion, I'll leave."
Having spoken, Leyton turned and walked deeper into Afternoon Town without waiting for a reply from the City of Silver's people.
Colin watched Leyton's retreating figure until he completely disappeared from his sight. Only then did he turn to look at Derrick, who was warily surrounded by the exploration team.
Looking at Derrick, who seemed a bit flustered and at a loss due to the isolation and vigilance of the others, Colin sighed softly and said in a deep voice:
"Derrick, how much do you know about Mr. Tower? Do you think he will pose a danger to us, to the City of Silver?"
"Chief, I..."
Derrick lowered his head, seemingly struggling with how to answer.
After a moment of contemplation, he recounted the information that didn't involve Mr. Fool, finally describing his observations and understanding of Mr. Tower during the Tarot Club meetings.
Colin nodded gently and, without much hesitation, said:
"Let's go. Enter Afternoon Town and continue this exploration mission."
With that, he took the lead and stepped into the boundaries of Afternoon Town.
Walking on the ruined and decaying streets, he remained vigilant of his surroundings while explaining in a hoarse voice:
"A Saint preparing to advance to an Angel must carry corresponding characteristics with him. Whether they exist as Mystical Item or as aggregated characteristics, this means he can temporarily exert Angel-level power to some extent."
"Just as Mr. Tower said, he is stronger than our entire exploration team combined. As long as he doesn't show malice, we can provisionally trust him. Of course, we must not let down our guard."
"Don't leave the team during this time, and we can slow down our exploration speed."
After walking for a while on the streets of Afternoon Town, they didn't encounter any Monster attacks. It seemed that the Monsters in this area had indeed been completely cleared out.
A silver-white lightning bolt flashed, and then dots of starlight began to shimmer around them, becoming increasingly dense, moving with a peculiar rhythm and outlining faint blue lines around the abandoned Afternoon Town.
Under the wary and uneasy gazes of the City of Silver's people, the starlight gradually became brilliant and hazy. Soon, it reflected a twilight hue, and the originally dilapidated and decaying Afternoon Town rapidly became new and bustling at a visible speed.
Shadowy, tall figures appeared on the surrounding streets. Their faces and clothing were indistinct, and the items sold by the surrounding shops and vendors were similarly, some clear, some blurry.
As the City of Silver's people observed, the blurry areas gradually became clearer, conforming to the subconscious images that flashed in their minds and were completed.
Colin's eyes deepened. He had noticed these changes around him from the very beginning.
His gaze swept around, then he took out a bottle of light green ointment from a multi-compartmented leather belt at his waist and applied it to his straight sword.
He plunged the sharp, silver-white straight sword into the gray-white stone-paved street beneath his feet. A silver-white light, like the morning glow, burst forth, sweeping across the surrounding streets, houses, and crowds.
Wherever the morning glow swept, a cold, indifferent eye containing countless stars was revealed.
These eyes, cold and devoid of emotion, watched the City of Silver's people, as if they could reflect the True thoughts in their hearts.
"What is this? Something that person left behind to monitor and influence us?"
"These eyes are so sinister. I feel like they can see right through me."
Beside Derrick, several members of the exploration team couldn't help but start discussing.
Chief Colin, walking at the very front, raised his free left hand. After the team quieted down, he spoke in a deep voice:
"It's similar to a 'Psychic Analyst's' ability. It can see what we're thinking and use that to perfect the people and objects within this illusion."
"It seems he really isn't from this place. Otherwise, just by reading some circulating books, he could restore many details that are missing from this illusion."
His gaze swept around the bustling street, then he continued:
"This illusion is half True and half false. Unlike illusions created by ordinary Monsters, when you are in here, these lights are True. You don't have to worry about Monster attacks in the Darkness, nor do you have to worry about suddenly disappearing into the Darkness."
"From the coverage of this illusion, it's entirely possible to establish a sizable city here to shelter humanity during the long Darkness."
"A change?"
Derrick looked at Afternoon Town right in front of him, confused. He didn't see anything unusual; it looked no different from the other ruined towns they had explored before, and he didn't sense any unusual aura.
Before he could withdraw his gaze, the dilapidated ruins in front of him were pulled away like a dark, decaying curtain, revealing the bustling Afternoon Town enveloped in a dim Yellow Light.
"This..."
"What is this?"
"Is this what 'Daylight' is, as described in the common knowledge textbooks?"
The sudden change in front of them sparked discussion among the City of Silver exploration team. As they spoke, they tightened their grip on their weapons, their gazes filled with vigilance as they watched the change unfolding before them, watching the short figure dressed in strange-styled clothing standing at the edge of Afternoon Town's street. Of course, this was only considered short in the eyes of the City of Silver's people.
The next moment, they saw the person standing at the edge of Afternoon Town speak. The person spoke in a language they didn't understand, but they could comprehend the intended meaning:
"Thankfully, I prepared some language comprehension charms in advance."
"My experiment seems to have affected your exploration?"
"I am very sorry. Once I perfect this illusion, I will withdraw it. Hmm... if possible, could I ask for some assistance from you? I am not particularly familiar with the past of this continent, and there are still many flaws in the illusion I created. I can pay for this, either with information you need, or Mystical Item materials and formulas."
Chief Colin, as the chief of City of Silver and the leader of this exploration team, did not reply immediately. He clearly knew that some Monsters could create terrifying effects by distorting language.
The members of the exploration team standing behind Colin also watched this strange, suddenly appearing person warily. For a moment, there was no sound except for the intermittent thunderclaps in the sky.
Derrick, standing in the center of the exploration team, frowned slightly as he looked at the figure standing at the edge of Afternoon Town. He always felt that the other party was somewhat familiar.
Have I seen him? Impossible. I don't know anyone outside of the City of Silver, and he certainly isn't from the City of Silver. That height alone makes it impossible.
Seeing no one speak, Leyton sighed helplessly and waved his hand behind him. A crystal ball with flickering starlight inside flew into his hand.
The starlight in the crystal ball quickly converged, and Afternoon Town, originally enveloped in the light of dusk, rapidly lost its color, becoming withered, dilapidated, and lifeless. The buildings also collapsed, returning to their original state.
After dispelling the illusion covering Afternoon Town, Leyton finally looked at chief Colin Iliad of the City of Silver, who was standing at the very front, with graying hair and prominent nasolabial folds. He smiled and said:
"Can we communicate now? As a Demon Hunter, you should easily be able to tell if I have ill intentions."
"Besides, I am stronger than everyone here combined, aren't I? If I wanted to do something to you, you would have no room to resist. A Giant Above the Sequence 5 would just be a bit more resistant to beating."
Perhaps Leyton's overly direct words made the faces of the City of Silver exploration team members not look too good.
Derrick, holding the hurricane axe, had two miniature Suns contained within his eyes. His vision was exceptionally clear in the Darkness.
Leyton, standing opposite him at the edge of Afternoon Town's street, holding a crystal ball emitting a faint blue glow, always gave him a familiar feeling. In his mind, the figures of the Tarot Club members floated by one by one, finally stopping at Mr. Tower.
He really looks like him! Has Mr. Tower come to the Forsaken Land of the Gods? But he never mentioned it. Should I ask him now, or wait until the next Tarot Club meeting to confirm with Mr. Tower?
As Derrick pondered, chief Colin, standing at the forefront, had already spoken in a deep voice:
"Are you from the outside world?"
Leyton nodded calmly and said:
"That's right. West of the Giant Kings Court, there's a sea of ruins that evolved from a war between gods. You can enter the Forsaken Land of the Gods from there."
"...The Forsaken Land of the Gods?" Colin murmured in a deep voice, then pressed on:
"So, as long as we cross the Giant Kings Court, we can leave here through that sea of ruins and enter the outside world?"
All the members of the City of Silver exploration team looked at Leyton, with a hint of anticipation in their eyes. Even if they didn't trust this suddenly appearing person, they already wanted a definite answer. At least, that would indicate their efforts were correct.
Leyton shook his head faintly and said:
"No, it's one-way. You can only enter, not leave."
Colin's face was expressionless; he merely tightened his grip on his straight sword and pressed on in a deep voice:
"Then you don't plan to leave?"
"Becoming an Angel, I naturally have the ability to leave here. Creating errors, utilizing errors—it's not just Amon who can do that."
He paused, not giving Colin a chance to ask further questions, then Leyton continued:
"You want to ask if there's a way to get the entire City of Silver out of the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"
"Of course there is, it's in the place you're preparing to explore. However, with the current strength of your City of Silver, you're not yet strong enough to explore there."
Chief Colin of the City of Silver's face suddenly became serious. The straight sword tightly gripped in his hand reflected a sharp radiance like the dawn piercing through Darkness. His gaze was locked tightly on Leyton. If anything seemed amiss, he would immediately strike, even if the other party hadn't shown direct malice, and even if the other party was likely stronger than him.
"Are you Mr. Tower?" Behind Colin, Derrick suddenly asked loudly, his voice a little nervous, still carrying the childishness of a youth that hadn't completely faded.
Leyton's gaze passed over Colin and locked onto Derrick in the center of the crowd behind him. He had brown-Yellow Light hair, a tall build, already approaching 1.9 meters in height.
After his gaze lingered on Derrick for a moment, Leyton suddenly chuckled and said:
"Congratulations, you got it right! But there's no reward."
Derrick didn't pay attention to the vigilance of the surrounding exploration team members or the distance they suddenly put between them. His gaze, somewhat puzzled, looked at Leyton and asked curiously:
"Mr. Tower, why have you come to the Forsaken Land of the Gods?"
"To seek an opportunity to advance to Sage, and also to find some high-level characteristics of the Paragon Pathway. In the outside world, most of the characteristics of this Pathway are controlled by the Church of the God of Steam and Machinery. I can only place my hopes here, isolated from the outside world."
Leyton briefly explained, then looked at Colin, who was still wary of him, and chuckled:
"I've cleared out the remaining Monsters in Afternoon Town. If you're not afraid of me, you can stay or explore inside. At least it's much safer than camping in the wilderness."
"I won't be staying here too long. Once I perfect the illusion, I'll leave."
Having spoken, Leyton turned and walked deeper into Afternoon Town without waiting for a reply from the City of Silver's people.
Colin watched Leyton's retreating figure until he completely disappeared from his sight. Only then did he turn to look at Derrick, who was warily surrounded by the exploration team.
Looking at Derrick, who seemed a bit flustered and at a loss due to the isolation and vigilance of the others, Colin sighed softly and said in a deep voice:
"Derrick, how much do you know about Mr. Tower? Do you think he will pose a danger to us, to the City of Silver?"
"Chief, I..."
Derrick lowered his head, seemingly struggling with how to answer.
After a moment of contemplation, he recounted the information that didn't involve Mr. Fool, finally describing his observations and understanding of Mr. Tower during the Tarot Club meetings.
Colin nodded gently and, without much hesitation, said:
"Let's go. Enter Afternoon Town and continue this exploration mission."
With that, he took the lead and stepped into the boundaries of Afternoon Town.
Walking on the ruined and decaying streets, he remained vigilant of his surroundings while explaining in a hoarse voice:
"A Saint preparing to advance to an Angel must carry corresponding characteristics with him. Whether they exist as Mystical Item or as aggregated characteristics, this means he can temporarily exert Angel-level power to some extent."
"Just as Mr. Tower said, he is stronger than our entire exploration team combined. As long as he doesn't show malice, we can provisionally trust him. Of course, we must not let down our guard."
"Don't leave the team during this time, and we can slow down our exploration speed."
After walking for a while on the streets of Afternoon Town, they didn't encounter any Monster attacks. It seemed that the Monsters in this area had indeed been completely cleared out.
A silver-white lightning bolt flashed, and then dots of starlight began to shimmer around them, becoming increasingly dense, moving with a peculiar rhythm and outlining faint blue lines around the abandoned Afternoon Town.
Under the wary and uneasy gazes of the City of Silver's people, the starlight gradually became brilliant and hazy. Soon, it reflected a twilight hue, and the originally dilapidated and decaying Afternoon Town rapidly became new and bustling at a visible speed.
Shadowy, tall figures appeared on the surrounding streets. Their faces and clothing were indistinct, and the items sold by the surrounding shops and vendors were similarly, some clear, some blurry.
As the City of Silver's people observed, the blurry areas gradually became clearer, conforming to the subconscious images that flashed in their minds and were completed.
Colin's eyes deepened. He had noticed these changes around him from the very beginning.
His gaze swept around, then he took out a bottle of light green ointment from a multi-compartmented leather belt at his waist and applied it to his straight sword.
He plunged the sharp, silver-white straight sword into the gray-white stone-paved street beneath his feet. A silver-white light, like the morning glow, burst forth, sweeping across the surrounding streets, houses, and crowds.
Wherever the morning glow swept, a cold, indifferent eye containing countless stars was revealed.
These eyes, cold and devoid of emotion, watched the City of Silver's people, as if they could reflect the True thoughts in their hearts.
"What is this? Something that person left behind to monitor and influence us?"
"These eyes are so sinister. I feel like they can see right through me."
Beside Derrick, several members of the exploration team couldn't help but start discussing.
Chief Colin, walking at the very front, raised his free left hand. After the team quieted down, he spoke in a deep voice:
"It's similar to a 'Psychic Analyst's' ability. It can see what we're thinking and use that to perfect the people and objects within this illusion."
"It seems he really isn't from this place. Otherwise, just by reading some circulating books, he could restore many details that are missing from this illusion."
His gaze swept around the bustling street, then he continued:
"This illusion is half True and half false. Unlike illusions created by ordinary Monsters, when you are in here, these lights are True. You don't have to worry about Monster attacks in the Darkness, nor do you have to worry about suddenly disappearing into the Darkness."
"From the coverage of this illusion, it's entirely possible to establish a sizable city here to shelter humanity during the long Darkness."