Li Yu walked at the vanguard with his Star Crusher staff resting lightly on his shoulder. He kept his senses extended and was scanning for ambushes that the captain had warned about.

  But nothing came.

  The silence was heavy. The mercenary captain, a gruff man named Hargo, was beside Li Yu on the final day.

  "You have a strange luck, guard," Hargo grunted as he was chewing on a piece of dried root. "Usually, we lose at least two guards to the beasts around here."

  "Perhaps they were full already," Li Yu said.

  "Maybe," Hargo said while chuckling to himself. Whatever it was, he was pleased that they had an easy time for a change. "Or maybe the heavens just decided to give us a break. Either way, we're here."

  Below them lay the city of Highland Reach. It was a fortress city but unlike Iron Wall it had a majesty to it. The city was built on a series of massive stone spires that rose from the magma lake like grasping fingers. Bridges of black steel and white stone connected the spires, forming a complex web of districts.

  The central spire was the largest. A flat topped plateau dominated by a white citadel that gleamed even in the smoggy twilight. It looked like a spear tip aimed at the heavens.

  "Highland Reach," Hargo announced. "One of the true shields of humanity."

  The entry process was efficient.

  The caravan rolled across the main bridge. The bridge was lined with rune towers that hummed with defensive Qi and was scanning every soul that crossed.

  Li Yu’s token, provided by the captain, flashed green as he passed the detection. Once inside the outer district, the caravan came to a halt in a bustling loading bay.

  "End of the line," Hargo said as he tossed a pouch of spirit stones to Li Yu. "You did your job. You're alright for a wanderer."

  Li Yu caught the pouch with a smile. "Pleasure doing business."

  He walked away from the caravan and blended into the crowd. Highland Reach was different. If Gorm was a chaotic brawl and Iron Wall was a prison camp, Highland Reach was a civilization.

  The streets were paved with smooth stone. Lanterns powered by spirit stones lined the avenues and were casting a clean white light that pushed back the gloom of the realm. The buildings were tall and architectural. They featured arches and buttresses that spoke of aesthetics and not just survival.

  And the people...

  Li Yu saw humans. Thousands of them. They walked with their heads up. Men in silk robes discussed philosophy in tea houses. Women in armor patrolled the streets with an air of authority. Children played games in the plazas using wooden swords.

  There were other races as well. Li Yu saw a golem repairing a wall and a Fox-Kin selling herbs. But they wore the clothes of the city. They bowed to the human officials. It was quite the difference to the other places Li Yu had been to here. It seemed more organized and just a little bit less chaotic.

  Li Yu moved through the crowds and was heading straight for the central spire. He crossed a bridge of glass and steel. Below his feet he could see the magma. Above, the white citadel loomed.

  He reached the gates of the City Lord’s Manor. It was less a manor and more of a palace. Guards in white and gold armor stood like statues at the entrance. They radiated the aura of the Late Foundation Establishment stage while their captain was a Core Formation expert.

  Li Yu approached the reception hall. It was a building adjacent to the main gate designed to handle administrative requests. The hall was quiet, smelling of ink and parchment. A clerk, an elderly human man with spectacles, sat behind a high desk and was stamping documents.

  Li Yu waited his turn and then stepped up to the desk.

  "I wish to request an audience with City Lord Taren," Li Yu stated politely. The clerk didn't look up.

  Thump. Thump. The stamp came down on two papers.

  "Name?" The clerk asked with his voice dry as dust.

  "Li Yu."

  "Affiliation?"

  "Independent cultivator."

  "Purpose of audience?"

  "Matters regarding the realm's history."

  The clerk stopped stamping. He looked up over his spectacles.

  "The City Lord is the disciple of Grandmaster Thorne," the clerk said. It seemed like this was a prepared lecture he had given many times. It was as if explaining gravity to a toddler. "He governs millions of souls. He manages the defensive arrays that keep the enemy beasts from eating us. He negotiates trade with other forces."

  The clerk leaned back.

  "He does not have time to discuss 'history' with wandering independents."

  Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

  Li Yu didn't flinch because he expected this. "I understand his time is valuable. Is there a procedure to purchase his time? Or perhaps a test of strength?"

  The clerk sighed. "You aren't the first and you won't be the last. Everyone wants to meet the Lord. Everyone wants a favor or wisdom or a job."

  He pulled a ledger from under the desk.

  "We do not sell audiences so easily. We operate on Merit."

  He pointed to a large crystal board on the wall behind him.

  "The City Lord grants audiences only to those who have proven their value to Highland Reach. You must earn City Contribution Points. Prove that you deserve his time and are on our side."

  "Contribution Points," Li Yu repeated and was familiar with the idea. Li Yu did the math. To get an audience he would need to kill a lot of beasts or demons that were deemed enemies of this place. Either that, or take on challenging tasks that were set up but other higher ups.

  "That seems... high," Li Yu noted.

  "It is designed to filter out the waste," the clerk said sharply. "If you are strong enough to earn the points, you are strong enough to be worth the City Lord's time. If you are not, then you are not."

  Li Yu smiled at the clerk. It was harsh but it was fair. It was a meritocracy. It was much better than empty promises.

  "I understand," Li Yu said. "Where do I sign up?"

  "The Commission Hall is in the Second District," the clerk said and promptly went back to his stamping. "Get a badge. Do the work. Don't die now."

  Li Yu bowed slightly and left the hall. He stood outside the administrative building and was looking up at the white tower where City Lord Taren resided.

  'It’s going to take a long time to earn those points.' Li Yu thought. 'Well, one step at a time. I can’t go anywhere but here anyways.'

  Li Yu also needed to be careful. If he showed too much power too quickly, Taren might see him as a threat rather than a guest. It would be odd to have someone so strong pop up out of nowhere and all of a sudden want to see him

  'I'll explore first,' Li Yu decided. 'Get the lay of the land. Understand this city before I start climbing its ladder.'

  He turned away from the central spire and descended into the city. As Li Yu walked the streets, he noticed the subtle details that separated this place from the chaotic towns of the wilderness. Every building corner was etched with a minor warding array to repel dust and heat. The streets were slanted perfectly to drain the rain into treatment cisterns.

  He found himself in the Market District. This was where he saw that things were not completely different from other towns and cities he’s been to. There were slave markets, gambling dens and arenas for fighting.

  This realm had molded these people and these were all common practices here. No one saw anything wrong with it and it was just another facet of life. Li Yu avoided those places and instead went towards the more traditional market offerings.

  "Spirit Steel ingots!" A smith shouted. "Forged in the caldera heat! Guaranteed to hold an edge against Demon hide!"

  "Alchemical pastes!" A woman in green robes called out. "Soothe your Qi deviation! Heal your meridian burns!"

  Li Yu stopped at a stall selling books. Books were something he didn’t see much of in the Demonic Realm. Paper was fragile and most demons transferred knowledge via jade slips or bloodline memories. But here, there were stacks of bound paper volumes.

  He picked one up. The Flora of the Cinder Peaks.

  "Three spirit stones," the merchant said. He was a Lizard-Kin but he was wearing reading glasses on his snout. Li Yu paid him and flipped through the pages. It was detailed.

  "You have a lot of books," Li Yu observed.

  "Humans like to write things down," the Lizard-Kin shrugged. "It helps them remember."

  Li Yu nodded and moved on. He found a food court near the edge of a plaza. The smell was surprisingly appetizing.

  He bought a "Magma-Bun.” A steamed bun filled with spicy meat and a glowing red sauce made from heat resistant peppers. He took a bite. It was hot enough to make his eyes water but the flavor was complex. Savory, sweet and intensely spicy. Too spicy in fact. Li Yu couldn’t eat the rest of it as his mouth was burning.

  He sat on a bench overlooking the plaza. In the center of the square stood three massive statues. They were carved from white marble. They were pristine and untouched by the ash.

  The Saviors.

  The statue on the left was a woman in flowing robes and holding a lantern. Saintess Elara. Her face was carved with an expression of infinite compassion.

  The statue on the right was a man with a sword and looking toward the horizon. Lord Jareth. He looked wild and untamed.

  And in the center stood an old man. He wore simple martial robes and held his hands behind his back. Grandmaster Thorne. Even in stone, he radiated a sense of immovability.

  Li Yu watched the people passing by. Nearly everyone who passed the statues stopped. Some bowed. Some touched their foreheads. Some just nodded. It wasn't worship, exactly. It was gratitude.

  Li Yu saw a group of children playing nearby. Human, beastkin and demons playing near the base of Grandmaster Thorne’s statue.

  "I'm Grandmaster Thorne!" A human boy shouted as he was waving a stick. "I'll punch the Demon Lord!"

  "No, I'm the Demon Lord!" A small Orc girl roared and charged him. "Rawr!"

  They wrestled in the dirt and were laughing. He finished his bun and stood up. Li Yu walked toward the Second District where the Commission Hall was located. The hall was a massive building. It was openair with huge boards covered in parchment postings.

  It was crowded. Mercenaries of every race jostled for position.

  "Need a healer for a drake hunt!" A man shouted. "Twenty percent share!"

  Li Yu stood at the back and was observing. He saw the desperation here, too. The "Merit" system was fair but it was also a grinder. People threw themselves at dangerous missions to earn the right to live in the better districts, to buy better cultivation resources or to gain the attention of the City Lord.

  He saw a team of wounded mercenaries limping back in. The crowd parted for them. There was no mockery. Only a somber silence.

  "Another bad run in the tunnels?" A bystander whispered.

  "Gaint Earth Rats," one of the survivors muttered. His armor was completely shredded. "They came out of the walls and swarmed in huge groups."

  Li Yu watched them go. He looked at the commission board.

  Hunt the Magma-Turtle King. (10,000 Points)

  Clear the Obsidian Mines of Ghost Bats. (2,000 Points)

  Escort Caravan to Iron Wall. (500 Points)

  Gather Fire Lotus roots. (50 Points)

  Li Yu rubbed his chin. To get enough points, he would be very busy. But he wasn't in a rush. He turned away from the board.

  'I'll find an inn first,' Li Yu decided. 'A real bed. A bath. Then, I'll start climbing.'

  He walked out of the Commission Hall and back into the streets of Highland Reach. The city hummed with life. The rune towers pulsed. The magma below glowed. It was slightly safer here.

  Li Yu let his guard relax slightly, he wasn’t on his near constant edge as he had been since arriving here. Fearing that a Demon Lord would appear out of nowhere and flatten where he was at. If a Demon Lord were to appear here, the giants of this realm would shoulder the sky. It felt good to have that little bit of security.