The
Elemental beings, flesh-and-blood creatures, celestial angels, and demon lords alike all played their parts in these grand dramas of valor, passion, love and loss, and bloody tribal wars.
Among all of these, the Primary Material World—by virtue of its natural geographical position and other advantages—had become the most fiercely contested territory.
Whether they were gods of the Upper Heavens or devils and demons of the Lower Planes, all cast their greedy eyes upon it.
Even the Western Desert, the most barren stretch of the entire Primary Material Plane, could not escape such disputes.
Now, thanks to the spread and leakage of certain hidden intelligence, some unusual beings had already turned their attention to this place.
…
The Western Desert lay at the far western edge of the continent—a vast, desolate expanse of sand. Territory spanning several empires in size was buried entirely beneath yellow dunes, periodically swept by terrifying black sandstorms. It was a veritable death zone, where only bizarre desert races and the occasional oasis could sustain even a marginal existence.
The harsh environment had forged the native desert dwellers into a fierce and combative people. The strong men produced by this land were renowned for their iron will, terrifying resilience, and unquenchable thirst for battle.
Despite the Western Desert's extreme desolation and scarcity of inhabitants, scattered caravans still arrived each year to purchase desert specialties. There were also ascetics who deliberately came to test themselves against the punishing landscape—using the desert's merciless conditions to sharpen their faith and push past the limits of mortal life. Some ascetics even attempted to traverse the desert on foot; those who succeeded would break through to a truly terrifying level of power. Of course, far more died trying.
Most of those corpses were swallowed by the yellow sands, while others became fodder for the desert's native creatures.
And during this particular season, along with the annual caravan arrivals, a fresh wave of fortune-seekers—adventurers, petty merchants, mercenaries, and ascetics—poured once more into the harsh environment of the Western Desert.
All chasing the gold, power, and fiery dancing girls they believed awaited them…
Narvik! In the local desert tongue, it meant "edge" or "corner"—a peripheral town of the Western Desert, nestled within a small oasis.
As the gateway to the desert, it had once thrived on the business of passing caravans.
Especially during the annual trading season, caravans and travelers from every corner of the land converged here, packed so densely they nearly blocked out the marketplace. It teemed with every race and species imaginable, and even more merchandise from every corner of the world.
Some smaller merchants chose to sell their goods here outright, buying themselves more time to venture deeper into the desert—a practice that drew in yet more buyers.
Curved sabers forged from refined ore found deep in the desert, female slaves said to possess boneless waists,沙族 slaves of the native Sand Clans—above all, a chaotic mix of genuine and counterfeit relics all flooded into the market at once.
Just as this wave of prosperity was reaching its peak, a mage wrapped in white robes stepped into Narvik.
"The annual market-opening day, hm? It really is lively!"
Leilin glanced casually at the passersby and the various street stalls, walking past without breaking stride. He gave the so-called "relic treasures from deep in the desert" nothing more than a contemptuous look.
With his level of perception, he could tell at a glance that the overwhelming majority were fakes, and the remainder held nothing worth acquiring. If he were rash enough to buy, he'd be swindled blind.
Still, the exotic atmosphere of the city and the diverse array of powerful individuals were genuinely eye-opening.
[Warriors], [Rogues], [Assassins], [Bards]… even the rare [Mage]! And the Western Desert's own unique class—the [Blade Dancers]—mingled among the merchant escort squads and adventure parties. There were even solo wanderers, lending the entire scene a dangerous edge.
"Everyone's probably hoping to cash in on the black sandstorm's dissipation and push into the depths of the desert…"
Leilin shook his head inwardly.
According to legend, this desert had been created by the gods' great war. Before that, it had been a beautiful, fertile land that had given rise to several immensely powerful civilizations. Beneath today's yellow sands lay a staggering number of buried ruins. Each year, stories of lucky souls who unearthed ancient sites and struck it rich overnight—even becoming continental powerhouses—fired the imaginations of generation after generation of adventurers and explorers, driving them to risk death venturing ever deeper into the wasteland in search of prehistoric relics.
As for Leilin himself, he also needed a guide—someone who could lead him deep into the desert, all the way to Frostfall Canyon.
"I picked up a map earlier, but it's far too rough. And all the things to watch out for along the way can't possibly fit on a single piece of paper…"
Thinking this, Leilin pushed open the door to an inn.
A wall of noise hit him immediately, laced with the smell of ale, roasting meat, and women's perfume.
This was clearly a hybrid establishment combining bar, inn, and performance stage all in one. The din rose to the rafters, and at the center, a ring of oddly dressed musicians were pounding waist drums, producing a languid, intoxicating melody.
Before them, a dozen or so fiery dancing girls performed in barely-there outfits, exposing their snow-white midriffs. Gauzy veils of red silk covered the lower halves of their faces beneath eyes brimming with warmth, lending them an air of mystery and seduction.
Golden anklets flashed against porcelain feet as they traced out passionate steps. Bells and tassels swayed with every roll and sway of their bodies, rippling with endless grace and allure.
The exotic, Western-style dance drew cheers from the audience. Occasionally a half-drunk merchant would shower the stage with handfuls of silver and gold coins, pushing the atmosphere ever higher.
"Not bad…"
Leilin nodded slowly. He could sense the auras of powerful individuals scattered throughout the inn. Several of the wealthier merchants were obviously protected by high-ranked professionals.
Then his gaze swept past the crowd and settled on a large round table to the left.
There, a blade dancer completely enveloped in white robes had claimed the entire table, and no one had uttered a word of protest.
The figure wore a face veil and a white turban characteristic of the desert peoples. His eyes were narrow and sharp, radiating a cold, cutting edge. A scabbarded curved saber hung at his waist—the hilt bore a graceful arc, entirely unadorned, yet it gave Leilin a faint but unmistakable sense of danger.
"A [Blade Dancer] approaching [Legendary] rank? In this entire inn, he's the strongest…"
At Leilin's current level, he had already peered through the man's true strength without alerting him. He casually tossed a gold crown to the approaching server and was promptly escorted to a private seat with great deference.
"Bring me a lamb chop, vegetable soup, and fruit juice…"
Unlike the rich, savory heft of beef steak, lamb chops possessed a unique, crisp, fragrant quality. In particular, the pepper-like seasoning on top, combined with the natural texture of the meat, made the mouth water.
"Tell me where I can find the best guide, and this gold crown is yours…"
After finishing his meal, when the server came to clear the dishes, Leilin held a glinting gold coin between his fingers.
"Does the gentleman intend to enter the desert alone?"
A flash of greed crossed the server's eyes, but his expression quickly turned troubled. "The truly good guides have long since been hired by the big caravans. The ones left behind probably know less about the desert than I do… Going in alone is extremely dangerous. You'd be better off joining an adventure party or teaming up with other mercenaries—that would be much safer…"
He genuinely wanted that gold coin, but the server still offered his well-meaning advice.
"Is that so? …Well, regardless, I appreciate someone who isn't blinded by greed. You've earned this."
Leilin, who had held little expectation to begin with, nodded and pressed the gold crown flat onto the table.
"May the
"That won't be necessary!"
Leilin waved him off. At this stage, those low-ranked professionals would be nothing but dead weight. Besides, his objective was very specific—joining a group at random would only invite conflict.
After dismissing the server, Leilin picked up a glass of deep crimson wine and seemed to savor it slowly.
In truth, the Chip's detection systems were running at full capacity, collecting and collating intelligence from every direction, providing him with the data he needed to form judgments.
A place like this was obviously where information flowed most freely. Combined with the Chip's godlike ability to gather and organize data, Leilin soon had a rough picture of the identities and affiliations of nearly everyone in the main hall.
"…One month from now… Frostfall Canyon…"
But then, at that very moment, a fragment of extremely hushed conversation reached Leilin's ears, and his expression froze.
Using his wine glass as cover, his eyes flickered sideways, and he spotted the very blade dancer who had caught his attention. Now several people had seated themselves around him, whispering among themselves.
One of them—a [Mage] by every appearance—was quietly drinking plain water, but his right hand had secretly set up a sound-dampening barrier. Unfortunately, that level of concealment was no different from having no concealment at all where Leilin was concerned.
"One month from now… isn't that exactly when the
Leilin's expression slowly grew serious. "It seems I'm not the only one who's picked up clues about the Floating City. This could be trouble…"
Fortunately, Leilin hadn't been entirely without forewarning. After all, there were plenty of arcanists interested in the Floating City. It was entirely possible that others had likewise unearthed the secrets from historical records and successfully deduced the time and place.