A whistle of pure awe escaped Cade’s lips as he gazed up at the city of Kettle. The stone walls weren’t just high; they were a geological event, rising a sheer two hundred feet and stretching to the horizon in both directions. Topped with massive ballistas that stood like silent sentinels, they made the distant entrance gate appear like a mousehole in a mountain.

  “Are such high walls really necessary?” he asked, his gaze sweeping across the age-worn battlements, noting the faint scorch marks and ancient chips in the stone.

  “Probably not anymore,” Gorgo mused, his own eyes tracing the ancient stonework. “But the city is very old. Who knows what they had to deal with thousands of years ago? Massive flying reptiles, apes as big as mountains, phoenixes burning the skies… There are so many myths it’s hard to tell what’s true and what’s not. But these things are always built for a purpose—to ensure whatever was outside, stayed outside.”

  All vegetation within half a mile of the walls had been systematically removed, leaving nothing but a vast expanse of barren, packed earth. A killing field, Cade realized, designed so that any attacking beast would have nowhere to hide from the ballista operators.

  Within the city bounds, a few tall towers rose above the wall, and next to the closest one, something resembling a sail-less ship floated in the air. Huge in size, the shining flier was covered in silver and gold metal plates that gleamed in the sun.

  “A flying ship!” Cade exclaimed, the sound boyish in his own ears.

  Gorgo chuckled, witnessing his friend’s childlike amazement. “That’s a fey-made passenger ship, and a fast beast at that. Not sure if you know this, but when a cultivator reaches Foundation Establishment, their qi reservoir grows by several orders of magnitude, enough to utilize various battle arts and even take flight. However, in this city, flying without a permit equals taking a shortcut to reincarnation. Just like the owners of that ship,” he said, looking up.

  Cade nodded mindlessly, still appreciating the view. Since he could only walk anyway, he wasn't concerned. Sacrament City was a dusty village compared to this sprawling metropolis.

  “This place looks like a proper fortress,” Cade said, imagining the sheer craftsmanship that must have gone into its construction.

  “It pretty much is,” the swordsman explained, happy to share his knowledge. “Because of the value of the goods, the six Trade Lords in charge can’t afford to underspend on security. Considering that each merchant has to pay a portion of their profits to the city coffers anytime a sale is made, it’s only natural they expect their interests to be protected in return.”

  As they approached the main gate, Cade noticed two huge, armored silhouettes protecting the entrance. They stood a good two heads taller than Gorgo and were likely thrice as heavy. These humanoid behemoths had tough, purple-green skin, beady eyes, flat noses, and short tusks sticking out from their bottom jaws. They were also bald. The two giants wore identical armor sets consisting of blackened metal chest plates covering their torsos, while their thick limbs were protected by leather armor overlaid with more metal plates. Large, spiked spaulders covered their massive shoulders. Each figure held an enormous, studded mace that looked heavy enough to pulp a cart.

  “Ogres,” Gorgo whispered, his voice a low rumble. “Mighty body refiners in the Muscular Enhancement realm, comparable to True Core cultivators. They aren’t the sharpest tools in the shed. Nod to whatever they tell you and they’ll let us through.”

  “You. Stop.” Just as Gorgo had finished speaking, one of the ogres stuck out a huge palm in front of Cade’s face. His voice was so low the young Asura could feel the ground vibrate under his feet.

  “You new?” The ogre spoke the Common language with a guttural depth that seemed to emanate from the very stone beneath them.

  Following Gorgo’s advice, Cade simply nodded. Being this close, he could sense the ogre’s immense spiritual pressure. It was a physical weight, heavy and suffocating, as if someone had placed four Gorgos on his shoulders. It made even breathing take a conscious effort. He could see how it would immediately discourage any potential troublemakers.

  The ogre breathed out heavily, a sound a blacksmith’s bellows would be proud of, then pointed a huge finger at a large metal sign next to the gate.

  “No. Messing. With. The. Merchants. Got it?” Each booming word was accentuated with a tap of a thick, gray fingernail that sounded like stone striking iron.

  Cade nodded calmly once again. He understood this monster wouldn’t even need to use a tenth of his strength to send him spinning back into the wheel of reincarnation, but some small, reckless part of him was excited by the thought of one day being able to beat such a powerful foe. He sighed internally. He had only just stepped onto the path of cultivation, and this encounter gave him a fresh, humbling perspective on how pitifully weak his current self truly was.

  “Good. Go in.” After this short interaction, the purple giant seemed to have completely lost interest, returning to staring into the distance while picking at his nose.

  “Let’s rent a couple of formation-protected rooms, split the crystals, then we can sell the rest of our stuff,” Gorgo rubbed his hands excitedly as he led Cade into the city.

  Infected by the gray giant’s enthusiasm, Cade’s lips curled into a smile. Once I complete the Blood Transformation realm, I should be ready to face the challenges of the Desert of a Thousand Lakes. According to Master Lao Ren, the First Chapter in the Book of Life consisted of two realms: Blood Transformation and Flesh Fortification. Rank-wise, they were roughly equivalent to Qi Condensation and Foundation Establishment respectively, but the First Chapter stood a touch above them in the hierarchy of power.

  Other than advancing in cultivation, his primary goal in Kettle was to find more information about Gris. Outside of a name, a voice, a face, and a set of clothes, Cade didn’t have much to go on. It would normally be extremely difficult to find one person in this huge world with so little information, but there was hope. Master Lao Ren said that considering where the disc carrying him had crashed, it was very likely flying towards Kettle. Probably not by accident.

  There were many types of exotic goods cultivators could purchase in Kettle, many of which were unattainable in most other places. Life diamonds were one of them. Those little translucent, diamond-shaped fruits could be used to create a body rejuvenation pill, which would help a cultivator retain their youthful physique and skin, even in old age. It didn’t prolong their lifespan, but it kept the body looking young—as long as they started supplementing it in their youth.

  There was also another type of special merchandise, always in demand: slaves.

  After passing through the gate, the duo was hit by a mixture of smells and noises not quite typical for a busy city. The scent of baked bread, fragrant spices, and clean, damp stone mingled in the air. What caught Cade’s attention at first glance was how clean everything was, in stark contrast to Sacrament City, which, especially in the poorer areas, stunk to the high heavens.

  Architecturally, Kettle was a blend of many styles Cade had never seen. What stood out to him in particular were a couple of tall, thin structures made entirely of silver, white, and golden metals, with tall, narrow windows of dark crystal. As these buildings reflected the orange light of the setting sun, they released a wonderful, warm glow. Gorgo mentioned they were built by the fey race, though its members were rarely seen in the north. A vast majority of buildings around them appeared to have been constructed a very long time ago, but only very few appeared abandoned.

  Another architectural marvel was present in the form of twisting spires built of gorgeous white stone and embossed with elaborate designs. Each spire was polished to perfection, glittering in the sunlight. These structures housed a tall, dignified race of gorgeous humanoids with pointy ears and almond-shaped eyes.

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  The women all appeared young and were stunning without exception. A couple even glanced at them with some curiosity, their gaze likely catching on their height and uncommon features. Being in a great mood, Cade couldn’t stop himself from sending them a mischievous wink. The elven maidens looked away sharply, loftiness and disdain flickering across their perfect features.

  He couldn’t stop himself from chuckling quietly. It seemed most women of higher social status acted in a similar fashion regardless of their race. Gorgo barely stifled a laugh upon witnessing this short interaction.

  “Congratulations, you’ve been looked down on by an elf,” the gray giant said, patting Cade on the shoulder. “Many elves are powerful qi cultivators skilled in battle arts thanks to the ancient inheritances of their race. Most are quite arrogant, as you see, but don’t worry—they generally disregard all other races equally, other than the fey, whom they consider equal. Their dislike for the dark elves is well-known, an old, unresolved enmity. Their nation lies in the deep south, so you might as well get used to seeing them around.” Gorgo flashed his two rows of white teeth at the group of beautiful elven women, receiving only a bunch of scoffs and sneers in response. For some reason, this only made his grin widen.

  As they continued deeper into the city, Cade found himself more and more in awe. Everything here was huge; almost no squat structures were found in Kettle due to limited space. The streets were rather narrow, laid with flat stone slabs that were somehow perfectly leveled. Walking through Kettle without a map was akin to navigating a maze.

  “I must say, this is not what I expected,” Cade remarked, impressed by the surrounding grandeur.

  “Let me guess, you thought the city would be drowning in shit?” Gorgo asked humorously.

  “I suppose so,” Cade laughed with slight embarrassment. Until today, he had only been to a single city in his entire life. Which, unfortunately, was at least partially drowning in excrement.

  “I’ve heard human cities aren’t the cleanest. Kettle even has a complex sewer system, and rubbish is collected from those corner barrels on a weekly basis. Every building is equipped with internal privies the elves call toilets. Additionally, there are severe punishments for littering, and don’t even think about pissing in the street. If you’re a repeat offender, losing a limb—or worse—is pretty much guaranteed. They like their city clean and not drowning in crap.”

  “Got it, no pissing in the street then,” Cade chuckled.

  “Good brother! Then we may yet keep our precious body parts intact,” Gorgo laughed heartily.

  They proceeded through the maze of narrow streets, tight corners, and dark alleyways, passing by crowds of people all heading in different directions. The two of them soon stopped in front of a tall, rectangular tower built of regular gray stone. The style of building was simple and brutal: all straight angles and flat surfaces. Its large double door was reinforced with metal, its windows narrow, resembling archer slits. A simple wooden sign over the doorway informed visitors of its purpose: TOWER INN.

  “Are you sure this isn’t a prison?” Cade queried half-jokingly.

  “Appearances can be deceiving,” Gorgo chuckled. “The Tower Inn has the best protective formations in Kettle, other than maybe some of the richest mansions. Here you will be able to cultivate in peace,” the giant was quick to dispel his friend’s concern.

  Cade’s face lit up upon hearing this. “Perfect. Without you, I’d probably choose a more inviting place, not knowing I was actually losing out.”

  “This is my fourth… no, fifth time in the city, so I can find my way around a small part of it. But as you have seen, this place is rather big. Without a detailed map, we’d both be lost sooner or later. Fortunately, they sell them everywhere,” Gorgo elaborated, knowing that Cade’s worldly experience was next to none.

  After walking in, they were greeted by an immaculately dressed woman with a gentle gaze and slightly predatory features. Her teeth were sharper than human, and her eyes held deep purple irises. This was unlike any inn Cade had ever been to—no common room, no stale smoke permeating the space, no drunks sleeping in a corner. It was tidy, clean, and mostly empty, the air smelling faintly of polished wood and clean linen.

  The woman turned out to be very pleasant and welcomed them warmly, promptly taking their payment and handing over two crystal keys. As they walked up the stairs, Gorgo explained the receptionist belonged to the beastborn race and their physical features were quite varied. Beastborn made up the biggest portion of the total humanoid population around these parts, which actually made Cade feel quite good, knowing his particular looks wouldn’t stand out too much.

  While the Tower Inn on the inside replicated some of its brutal simplicity, the rooms were the pinnacle of luxury by Cade’s standards. Large, comfortable beds, a privy with a reservoir for flushing, and a huge bathtub equipped with a ceiling-mounted water crystal with heating stones placed underneath. Each room was also equipped with numerous formations, from those gathering spiritual energy to defensive ones capable of restraining a peak True Core expert.

  After taking a bath and donning a fresh set of clothes, the two of them met downstairs and headed out to Pawn Street, where anyone could buy and sell goods of dubious origins. Many of the shop owners seemed to know the gray warrior quite well.

  “Gorgo the fucking Gray! Please, come in! How do you plan on robbing me today?”

  ...

  “300 crystals for three musty pills? Are you out of your mind, Gorgo?! My morning shit likely held more spiritual qi! I’ll give you 50.”

  “You want 200 for a couple of rotting shadowcat carcasses? Gorgo, my friend. Be sensible. How about I give you 40 and throw in one of my daughters?”

  And so it went. Shop after shop, Cade watched Gorgo haggle like a frugal old woman, squeezing every bit of profit from each piece of loot. He gained a decent understanding of their value: one spirit crystal was enough to feed a small family for a year. A used flying disc was around 800 crystals. They took two from the bandits and eventually sold them; they weren't in great shape, and both men needed reliable fliers.

  Towards the end, the young Asura was so mentally worn by the constant back-and-forth that all he desired was to shut himself inside the coffin. It was past midnight when they finally returned to the inn.

  “Over 17,000 spirit crystals! An absolute fortune!” Gorgo released a hearty laugh, slapping his thigh in delight. Not only didn’t he look tired, he actually appeared refreshed. “Cade, we’re rich!”

  “Brother, I’m happy just watching how happy you are,” Cade smiled, but couldn’t help feeling a little disillusioned. He always thought cultivators were lofty existences. Now he found it hard to be excited about their gains. Many low-ranked cultivators had likely lost their entire life savings for the bandits to accumulate this wealth. He shared this observation with his gray brother.

  “From what I have learned, the cultivation world is often like this,” Gorgo said, his tone sobering. “On the outside, it’s all peachy. Respectable sects with deep roots. Mostly bullshit. Most sects raise their disciples like venomous bugs in a jar, having them continuously fight over limited resources. Cultivators here rob each other all the time.” He paused. “You need to be very careful when you travel south; the average cultivation rank will be higher,” he warned, concerned for his friend.

  “I appreciate your concern. Luckily, my body is quite tough. If I can’t win, I’ll have a good chance of escaping. And it’s not that easy to con me. The last two years, my… seclusion… it has changed me. More than I imagined.”

  “Really? In what way?” the gray giant asked curiously.

  “I used to worry about everything. I rarely do that now. I also don’t seem to feel much fear anymore. For example, I understand how terrifying the ogres at the entrance are. I’m definitely wary of their power, but at the same time... I’m not afraid of them. My sense of fear has been greatly dampened. I’m not sure if that’s a good thing, to be honest.”

  “I think it could be quite useful, as long as you don’t become overconfident,” Gorgo said.

  “You’re right. I’ll make sure that doesn’t happen. But that’s not all.” Cade’s smile held a hint of melancholy. “I… I feel like I shouldn’t be able to sleep at night. I’ve killed people, Gorgo. Whether it was self-defense or not, I should feel something. But I don’t. I only feel happy that I’m alive—and satisfied that they’re dead. That’s been troubling me since the day I tore chunks out of that man-eating ape’s throat. Am I a monster who just can’t see what he’s become?” He looked somberly at his friend.

  Gorgo shook his head. “I’ve seen you act compassionately. A monster wouldn’t do that. No, Cade. I think if there were more people like you, this world would be a better place. If you don’t feel remorse, maybe it’s because those people weren’t worth it. All scum deserve to die—so that good people can live freely,” he said with conviction.

  “If I ever turn into something I shouldn’t… I know you’ll be the first to tell me,” Cade said solemnly.

  “You can count on me. But honestly, I don’t think it will happen. You’ve been badly hurt. You know what it feels like to be stepped on like a bug. I’ll never believe you’d do that to someone innocent.”

  “Thank you, brother. You put my mind at ease,” Cade said sincerely.

  “That’s what brothers are for,” Gorgo replied with a wide smile.

  They sipped wine in comfortable silence for a while, until Gorgo spoke again. “What about Gris? Do you need my help looking for him?”

  “Thanks, but for now I need to focus on cultivation. I’ll have a look around the Servitor Square in my downtime, although I won’t be holding my breath. Besides, you have your own matters.”

  After discussing their future plans and emptying two more jugs of wine, Gorgo returned to his room.

  Once alone, Cade pulled out his metal coffin for the first time since leaving Master Lao Ren, filling it with blood essence from his ring. After taking off his clothes, he entered the casket, submerging himself in the cold, thick liquid. He then shut the lid, triggering all the internal formations, and began to revolve his qi according to the Blood Transformation diagram from the Book of Life.