Ten more li passed, and a giant dragon, as if lying on the horizon, appeared. It towered an astonishing forty meters high, straddling two mountains, and its heavy historical presence pressed down, a palpable aura of ancient weight. This was the wall of Aisinger, one of the greatest creations in human history.
The gray-white walls, reinforced with molten iron in critical sections, were inscribed with numerous defensive formations, ensuring that any attempt to scale them would come at a bloody price. During the tumultuous years of the abyssal invasions, even the mighty abyssal armies, because of this very wall, had not so much as glanced at Aisinger. No one, knowing they couldn't breach it, would stubbornly charge headlong.
The wall was densely packed with elite guards, with massive defensive siege weapons every hundred meters. Coupled with teleportation arrays that directly reached the wall during times of conflict, troop deployment was faster than any enemy siege. The defensive capabilities had reached their zenith, no wonder no enemy dared to water their horses here.
Outside the wall, ant-like figures flowed in and out of ten city gates, spaced two kilometers apart. Aisinger’s daily throughput could reach hundreds of thousands, a figure so staggering in this异世界 that it left one dumbfounded.
This was the wall that humans had spent millennia reinforcing, rumored to be unbreakable even by dragons, an eternal bastion, humanity’s last line of defense.
If the floating islands above Aisinger were a testament to humanity’s drive for advancement, then this wall was the enduring, unbreakable spiritual pillar for all humankind.
Throughout history, countless alien races had attacked at this wall, only to be repelled with bloody noses. It had protected humanity through repeated existential crises. Its significance transcended its physical form; it was the embodiment of humanity’s indomitable spirit.
It was no wonder humans had become the dominant race in the main world. With these two tribal artifacts, it was akin to an eternal passive buff for humanity. Other races could face extinction from one failure, and annihilation from two. Humans, however, had persevered time and again. This was their foundation, their ancestors’ foresight. Without the unimaginable sacrifices made to create these two national treasures, where would the descendants’ peace and prosperity be?
Li Xi took a deep breath. This was no mere city wall; it was a veritable mountain of gold and silver. Not to mention the precious materials consumed by the inscribed magic formations alone, which could buy one percent of the continent. Coupled with the tens of millions of tons of molten iron poured into its construction, Li Xi felt a pang of envy. The inexhaustible wealth in his spatial ring might not even be enough to purchase a few meters of this wall.
Nuo Han led the way, not joining the queue with ordinary people, but heading directly to a closed city gate. Upon presenting the black and white bear token, the gate commander immediately and respectfully opened the gate. Regardless of time or world, those with a higher status always enjoyed privileges.
The gate opened, revealing a thirty-meter-long gate passage. The magic formations inscribed within were twice as dense as those on the outside. If an enemy were to bypass the wall and breach the gate, they would be utterly annihilated here, leaving not even dust behind.
Beyond the defensive barbican lay the capital of the human empire, the true Aisinger.
There were many people. Li Xi wasn't unfamiliar with the sight of hundreds of thousands of people crammed together. In his previous life, the trains in his homeland’s third-largest country were a spectacle that even this world would have admired with inferiority.
But here, Li Xi found a sense of familiarity. So many people, shoulder to shoulder, their shouts echoing. There was even a simple system of left-hand and right-hand traffic. Unlike the decay of Kado City, here, everyone’s face radiated happiness and drive.
The air also lacked the foul odor present in other cities. Kado City had it – a stench rising from perpetually clogged sewers, especially in the commoner district where Li Xi had first resided, where the environment was even more dire. But the air in Aisinger, aside from being slightly stuffy, was no different from the wilderness. It seemed the officials of Aisinger had some sense, knowing to spend money on basic infrastructure.
Aisinger’s first impression on Li Xi was one of vitality and cleanliness, unlike the listlessness of the common folk elsewhere. While there were beggars, their numbers were very small.
In this异世界 where human lives were often cheap, Aisinger achieving this level was unprecedented, truly one of a kind.
Before the caravan had traveled more than a few steps, a guard in well-fitting attire stopped them, placing one hand on his shoulder and bowing his head, "Second Princess, the First Princess requests your presence."
The black and white bear’s crest was indeed the crest of the current Asyrian Empire’s Caesar royal family, and Philein was the current Second Princess. Li Xi had known these things all along. He had been feigning ignorance throughout the journey, thinking that finding a minor noble might be acceptable, but finding a princess was far too troublesome. It easily entangled one in royal power struggles, constantly being wary of who wanted to kill whom, who was plotting against whom. The effort far outweighed the reward, which was one of the reasons Li Xi had refused Philein’s affections. As a responsible man, he couldn’t do the dishonorable thing of taking and then leaving.
Philein slowly emerged from the carriage, looking like a child caught by their parents stealing candy. She gazed reluctantly at Li Xi beside her. Li Xi pretended not to notice, his eyes wandering to the distance.
"Brother Li Xi, come with me to see my sister. I believe she will look upon you with favor. She needs your help."
Li Xi shook his head resolutely. "My task was only to escort you safely to Aisinger. That mission is now complete, and it's time for me to submit my report."
Zuo Lin also stepped out of the carriage, persuading him, "Mr. Li Xi, you should still accompany us. Your skills are wasted in a small place like Kado City."
"Yes, Mr. Li Xi, I still want to learn from your combat experience." Nuo Han also didn't want to part ways so soon; Li Xi had taught him a great deal on their journey.
"No, mercenaries are destined to be rootless, wandering everywhere. Aisinger is good, but it is not my home." Li Xi’s attitude was firm.
"Then won't you go see Uncle Cameron, the Dragon Knight?"
"Lord Galidos and I agreed on this matter when we met. We will be undertaking a mission together." Li Xi once again refused Philein’s plea.
Earlier, Jamberg, the priest from the Kado City Mercenary Guild, had gossiped to Li Xi about the Caesar royal family. He said that the current Emperor Caesar XIII had only two legitimate children, the rest being outsiders, and these two were precisely the First and Second Princesses. Such royal secrets, once spread to the public, were bound to be distorted, but where there’s smoke, there’s fire. Li Xi knew he wasn’t destined to be a protagonist, so he preferred to avoid unnecessary trouble.
Galidos had also told Li Xi on the beach that Aisinger was like a powder keg, where it was impossible to distinguish good from bad. His implication was that Li Xi should stay out of the murky waters.
Therefore, no matter how beautiful a woman was, Li Xi had to keep his distance. The affairs here were too complicated. In his past life, weren't all royal successions in ancient times fraught with bloodshed, and that was in a world where combat power was limited to ordinary humans? In this异世界, the involved combat power reached the ceiling, capable of shattering continents with a disagreement. Thus, staying far away was the wisest course.
Seeing Li Xi’s unwavering refusal, Philein’s tears began to flow uncontrollably. She stopped trying to persuade him and instead took out a magic token from her spatial ring, different from the black and white bear tokens held by Nuo Han and Albert. It was inlaid with gems and gold thread.
"Since Brother Li Xi has matters to attend to, I will not detain you. This token is a symbol of my identity. Take it. If you encounter any inconvenient situations, with this, it can help you resolve many difficulties."
Philein extended her hand towards Li Xi. Seeing a beautiful woman cry, even Li Xi, with his supposed heartlessness, couldn't bear to refuse. He forced a smile and put the token into his ring. "Thank you, Your Highness, the Second Princess."
Li Xi then cupped his hands towards Zuo Lin and Nuo Han and quickly disappeared into the crowd.
However, Li Xi did not see that after he left, Philein, who had been crying moments before, instantly brightened, as if a clever fox had achieved its goal.
Zuo Lin, full of confusion, approached and asked, "Your Highness, the Second Princess, why did you give the magic beacon to Mr. Li Xi?"
Philein smiled. "You called it a magic beacon, didn't you? If not him, then who else should I give it to?"
With newfound confidence, she turned and went back into the carriage, her demeanor returning to that of a superior. "Let's go, to the First Princess's mansion to see my sister."
Li Xi quickly submitted his mission at the Mercenary Guild. Since he was already a B-rank mercenary, this mission counted as only one completion, and he received only one draw chance.
On the top floor of the Mercenary Guild, there were four private rooms permanently reserved for the four S-rank mercenaries. Li Xi arrived as arranged and saw two people drinking tea inside the room.
One was Galidos, the demon hunter he had met on the beach. The other was a man who looked devil-may-care, dressed like a noble’s son, but with a handsome appearance. Especially in middle age, his eyes held an unfading look of worldly experience and ancient wisdom, exuding a mysterious aura that could captivate countless innocent girls. What a handsome middle-aged man!
"Greetings to both lords."
Galidos immediately stood up and introduced him to Cameron beside him. "The one who rides dragons, this is the young brother Li Xi I told you about, who is even stronger than both of us. What do you think?"
Then he introduced Li Xi, "This is S-rank mercenary Dragon Knight Cameron. I call him ‘the one who rides dragons’ in private."
Cameron scrutinized Li Xi, even sniffing him. The doubt in his eyes lingered, as if he detected a familiar scent.
"Young brother Li Xi, have we met somewhere before? Why do I smell a familiar scent on you?"
Li Xi paused. "We have not met. However, because I am also an abyssal curse bearer, you and Lord Galidos have spent a long time together and are familiar with the scent of the abyss, which is why you feel this way."
Li Xi concocted an excuse. He knew very well what Cameron smelled. It was the scent of his dragon bloodline. Relying on the Kigan Jutsu, as long as Li Xi didn't actively transform into a dragon, normal people couldn't detect anything related to dragons on him, not even the scent, let alone the oppressive aura.
Only those who had dealt with dragons for a long time might be able to sense the dragon aura on Li Xi.
Among them, Demangar was the most outstanding. He had seen through Li Xi from the very first glance. Now, Cameron, a Dragon Knight, only had a suspicion and didn't even consider the possibility of him being dragon-blooded. This showed a gap in his strength compared to Demangar. Otherwise, Demangar, known as the Dragon Slayer, would have thoroughly researched dragons.
"Is that so?" Cameron was certain this scent was not of the abyss, yet it was so familiar, and he couldn't quite place it.
"Never mind that, let's talk about the matter of the Inferno Demon."
Galidos didn't dwell on it and directly changed the subject.