As far as Leilin knew, every single day, Dark Wizards from all corners arrived in the Sleepless City in disguise, conducting purchases, fencing goods, and carrying out all manner of shady transactions.
The city guards turned a completely blind eye to their activities.
It could be said that the Sleepless City's prosperity was largely propped up by the Dark Wizards.
As long as Dark Wizards didn't openly reveal their identities, no Light Wizards would come knocking to cause trouble.
So Leilin simply gave a faint smile and said to Jenna, "I long for a quiet life—that's why I came to the Trigones Plain. I intend to follow all the rules here faithfully…"
"The Sleepless City is a prosperous and beautiful city—you'll surely come to love it!"
Jenna answered with a smile.
Leilin chatted casually with Jenna for a few more moments and picked up quite a bit of inside information about the Sleepless City.
He had spotted the outline of the massive volcanic city in the afternoon, but it wasn't until the sky had gone dim that he finally reached the main gates.
Before the gates, dense queues of people already stretched in long lines.
Countless heads flowed like ants through several columns, filing in through different entrances.
Leilin noticed that beside the numerous small gates, there were also several enormous passages—each gate stood over a dozen meters tall—though they were currently sealed shut.
"Those are for giants and other large creatures—they're rarely opened!" Jenna explained from beside him.
"But we're official Wizards, so we can enter through the VIP passage over there!"
As she spoke, she led Leilin toward a quieter, smaller gate to the side.
Standing beside these gates were a dozen or so guards at the Third-rank Apprentice level, their bodies emitting faint fluctuations from Magical Items.
"Welcome, my lords. Are you here for permanent settlement or a temporary stay?"
The moment they saw Leilin and Jenna approach, the apprentices on guard immediately bowed respectfully.
Leilin noticed that the disc-shaped devices in their hands were emitting spell-light—the runes on their surface indicated they were some kind of energy-detection array.
Jenna simply extended her right hand and flashed a silver ring on her index finger.
The ancient-looking ring was entirely silver, inscribed with subtle runes that continuously shimmered with a fine luster.
"So you are already settled residents—please, come in!" The apprentices parted with reverent deference.
"This is my first time here—do I need to go through any procedures?" Leilin asked the apprentice who had spoken.
"Yes! For Wizards entering the city for the first time, we have a simple process. You can pay two hundred Magic Stones for permanent residency in the Sleepless City, or spend ten Magic Stones for a one-month stay!"
"Give me the permanent one." Leilin casually tossed over two high-grade Magic Stones.
"Very well, one moment please…" The apprentice quickly produced a sheet of parchment and began writing. "May I have your name?"
"Leilin Farell." This was Light
"Here is your token—please keep it safe!"
The procedure was surprisingly simple. The apprentice merely asked Leilin's name, registered it, and handed him a silver ring.
"This is your city entry token—please keep it safe! Also, after twelve at night, please do not linger on the streets. Otherwise, the enforcement squad will arrest you!"
The apprentice bowed and gave the reminder.
Leilin nodded to show he understood, then left together with Jenna, who had been waiting nearby.
"Jenna, I've been waiting for you for so long!" After passing through the tunnel-like passage—roughly five or six meters thick—before Leilin had even had a chance to take in the Sleepless City's architecture, a boisterous voice reached his ears.
A burly, golden-haired man who had been standing by the gate for some time immediately strode forward, worry etched across his face.
"Uncle Manla!" Jenna's expression softened into an affectionate pout as she stepped forward and hugged the big man. "Jenna missed you so much!"
"Haha… me too!" The man laughed heartily, then turned his gaze to Leilin.
"That stench of blood is thick—very much like those fellows from the eastern swamps!"
Clearly, the killing intent and blood aura on Leilin had put the man deeply on guard. His massive body positioned itself squarely between Leilin and Jenna.
"And who is this…?" The man looked at Leilin with open hostility, as if he might throw a punch at any moment.
"This is Leilin—a friend I met on the road." Jenna clung to Manla's arm. "Leilin is a wandering Wizard who plans to settle down in the Sleepless City."
"Is that so? The Sleepless City is a peaceful city—I hope you'll enjoy your stay. Here's a detailed map for you!" The man's face broke into a friendly smile, and he handed Leilin a rolled parchment map. The message—that he wasn't welcome to come along—was plain enough.
"Thank you!" Leilin returned a bright smile.
He understood the big man perfectly. If he were a parent and discovered his daughter consorting with someone who didn't look like a good person at all, he'd feel exactly the same wariness.
"Well then! Safe travels! Farewell, beautiful lady!" Leilin smiled at Jenna and gave a gentlemanly bow. Jenna responded with a slightly embarrassed smile of her own.
After taking the map from the man and giving it a brief glance, Leilin stepped into the South Coast's trading hub—the legendary Trigones volcanic city where night shone as bright as day.
Once Leilin had vanished from sight entirely, the man's expression turned solemn as he looked at the young witch.
"Jenna, you're usually not this friendly with strangers, are you?"
A trace of puzzlement crossed his face.
"I don't know either… it's just that I have some kind of premonition in the depths of my heart, telling me I should be close to him…" Jenna's eyes took on a distant, unfocused look.
"Perhaps this is the guidance of fate!"
"That's true!" The man scratched his head. "The advanced Meditation Method you cultivate may not have much in the way of power, but it really can sometimes catch a trace of destiny. If that Wizard gives you this feeling, do you want me to send someone to investigate—"
"No need! I have a premonition that if we did that, it would certainly provoke his ill will…"
Jenna's eyes suddenly turned completely white, devoid of any other color.
"Twice! You've sensed him twice!"
The man looked utterly shocked. "That Wizard will definitely have a profound connection with you in the future!"
"Not with me—with the entire South Coast!"
The young witch's pupils returned to normal, but cold sweat was pouring down her face in waves, as though every last drop of energy had been wrung from her body.
"Hurry, take me back—to Grandmother…"
Those were the last words Jenna managed before she lost consciousness entirely.
"Jenna! Jenna!" The man's face was grim as he scooped Jenna into his arms and hurried away from the spot…
Leilin, for his part, was completely unaware of any of it. At that very moment, he was strolling through the Sleepless City with a look of keen curiosity on his face.
The moment he stepped inside, his first impression was people—enormous numbers of people!
A sea of heads pressed together into a dark, shifting mass. Surrounding them were countless shops and haphazardly arranged stalls; the sounds of haggling and hawkers' calls drilled into his ears without cease.
Plenty of Wizards and apprentices in all manner of garb were red-faced and shouting matches with stall owners beside them.
It almost made Leilin think he had returned to the marketplace of his previous life.
But the bizarre array of species woven through the crowd jolted him firmly back to reality.
Sea-dwellers with scales on their faces, half-beastmen with fur and tattoos, small giants standing over five meters tall, and tiny green folk with translucent wings buzzing through the air above—every kind of strange creature the Wizard World had to offer was here, conversing in the Common Tongue laced with all manner of local dialects.
Among the crowd, Leilin even spotted a few ordinary people with absolutely no energy fluctuations whatsoever, brazenly hawking their wares on the street.
"Sir, is this your first time in the Sleepless City?"
Leilin's openly curious demeanor naturally attracted attention. A man thin as a bamboo pole approached and bowed with an obsequious grin.
"Would you like a guide or escort of some kind? My prices are the absolute cheapest, and my home is right here in Polar Night City—I know every inch of this place!"
"Are you one of the 'ears' around here?" Leilin asked, understanding immediately.
"Of course! If you need any information gathered, I can help with that as well…"
"What's your name?" Leilin asked.
"Shean! You can call me Shean, my lord." The bamboo pole's heart leaped—this looked like a deal that might actually go through.
"Good. First, I want to settle down long-term. Take me somewhere I can rent an apartment—with full facilities."
"For long-term stays, renting a Sleepless City apartment through the Public Center is the most cost-effective option!" Shean answered without hesitation.
As if afraid Leilin didn't understand, he quickly added, "The Public Center is jointly controlled by the major powers behind Polar Night City. They have all types of apartments for rent, and security and privacy are absolutely guaranteed…"
"Good—let's go there."
Leilin nodded. Shean's face lit up, and he quickly took the lead.
After pushing through the chaotic crowd and walking for another half hour, Shean brought Leilin to a small gate.
"The Sleepless City is divided into five layers in total. The outermost layer is for ordinary people and apprentices—the management is the most chaotic, and anyone with a temporary entry token can come and go freely."
"The second layer requires a long-term settlement permit, though official Wizards can enter as well!" Shean led Leilin to queue at the gate while continuing his explanation.
"As for the third and fourth layers, those are where official Wizards reside. Trading venues exclusively for official Wizards are also located there."
"The fifth and final layer houses the branches of the major powers. It's generally closed to the public—if you haven't joined one of them, you're not allowed in!"
Shean explained it all to Leilin.