Chapter 1555: A Lone Visitor

In the last glow of twilight before nightfall, the ancient and enigmatic City of a Thousand Towers gradually emerged before the eyes of the world. This colossal city, suspended like an inverted shadow in the sky, spread over the vast barren plains like a dark cloud. Towering spires hung down from the heavens, pointing distantly toward the earth below. Just a stone’s throw away from this mythical city stood a mortal-made aerial fortress—the Dawn of the Mortal Realm—its towering steel walls and shimmering protective shields gleaming softly in the dusk. The faint particles emitted by its anti-gravity engines drifted around the fortress like a thin mist. Several Gorgon fortresses floated nearby like islands in a sea of clouds, guarding the sky fortress as it slowly patrolled beyond the city’s ancient walls.

Victoria gazed up at the two colossal cities in the sky, suddenly struck by a profound feeling. From this scene, she seemed to glimpse something deeper—an ancient “Divine Era City” from the mythic past standing side by side with a modern aerial fortress built by mortal hands. Two utterly different worlds coexisting in the same sky, seemingly opposed yet maintaining a strange harmony and balance. They stood like brothers, yet between them lay a chasm dividing two eras.

Was this some kind of fate? A sign or guidance from the Lady of Night? A deliberate act by His Majesty? Or merely coincidence—one that would leave behind a tableau for future generations to interpret a thousand times over?

Victoria’s mind swirled in a daze, but the hum of Maggie’s communicator soon snapped her back to reality. The Dawn of the Mortal Realm was sending a message: they were to board a dragonrider fighter arriving shortly on the surface and gather at the sky fortress.

Moments later, Victoria, Maggie, and Modir boarded a craft and arrived at a landing platform on the Dawn of the Mortal Realm. Accompanying them was Diana, a Typhon—one of the few on Gawain’s invitation list.

Only when she stepped off the craft and firmly planted her feet on the fortress’s deck did Victoria truly grasp the immense scale of this aerial stronghold.

Had she not known beforehand, had she not just witnessed the fortress growing larger in her view as they approached the sky, she might have doubted she was even standing on a flying vessel. The steel deck beneath her stretched out like solid ground. To her left rose a thick, towering shield; to her right, a neatly arranged cluster of buildings—factories, anti-air defenses, residential quarters—all orderly and precise. Nearby, dragonrider fighters took off and landed on another platform, while a black magi-tech vehicle rolled steadily down a straight road. The vehicle stopped, and Gawain and Amber stepped out.

“Your Majesty,” Victoria immediately stepped forward and saluted, then couldn’t help but exclaim, “This is truly a marvel.”

“Yes, a marvel—and one we built ourselves,” Gawain smiled, then glanced at Maggie and Modir standing behind Victoria. They returned his salute, and he nodded slightly. “You’ve worked hard these past days. The data you’ve sent back is invaluable to many fields of study back home. But most importantly, you’ve found the ‘window’ the Lady of Night left for the mortal realm.”

“It’s our duty,” Maggie bowed deeply. “And most of the credit goes to Master Modir—our entire expedition relied on his guidance and experience.”

“Oh, it’s nothing,” Modir chuckled cheerfully, clearly in good spirits. “Mostly, I’ve just gotten used to being cautious after running into so many troubles. Hardly any great wisdom there…”

“I didn’t expect you to invite me aboard this sky fortress,” Diana broke the silence once Gawain’s conversation with the others paused. She and Gawain were no strangers—in some ways, they could even be considered half-friends. But as the only Typhon present and leader of Rosetta Augustus’s special agents, she maintained a serious, no-nonsense demeanor. “None of the Lady of Night’s invitations included any Typhon. You really didn’t have to bring me up here.”

“The Dawn of the Mortal Realm is the Empire’s ultimate military power, but parts of it are open to outsiders. During the Tarash Conference, we invited leaders from across the alliance to meet here,” Gawain said with a smile, unfazed by her formal tone. “We fought side by side in the wasteland, Ms. Diana. Inviting you aboard now is a basic courtesy between friends. We’re about to head to the Shadow Divine Kingdom, and how long we’ll stay there is uncertain. Meanwhile, the Dawn of the Mortal Realm will remain in this area. You and your soldiers can come here to rest anytime. Life on the fortress is far better than camping out in the wild.”

Diana studied Gawain for a moment, her expression softening slightly. “Thank you for your kindness. But aren’t you worried that we Typhon might stumble upon secrets we shouldn’t see?”

“Not at all,” Gawain laughed heartily. “The Dawn of the Mortal Realm knows how to protect its secrets—it’s alive. The entire fortress is woven with its nervous system.”

Diana’s expression flickered subtly—perhaps it was nothing—but Gawain had already turned his gaze back to Modir. He pointed toward the barrier outside the fortress. Just beyond, the ancient, mysterious structures of the City of a Thousand Towers loomed. Among the shifting shadows, the ghostly outlines of houses and towers hovered like something between illusion and reality. “We just received a message from ‘over there.’ The City of a Thousand Towers will open a direct ‘pathway’ connecting the Dawn of the Mortal Realm to the Dark Court. Once the path appears, we’ll depart from here to keep the appointment.”

Modir took a slow breath, ready for a new adventure. Victoria, hearing Gawain’s words, grew curious. She wondered how the ghostly “Prince Nash” in the City of a Thousand Towers could communicate with the Dawn of the Mortal Realm—there was certainly no compatible magi-net terminal on the other side. After a moment’s thought, she guessed it must be the Lady of Night sending the message through some divine miracle.

“Ah? No…” Gawain was momentarily stunned by her suggestion, then seemed to realize something. He pointed toward the city’s center. Above the tallest tower, a massive luminous screen appeared. A line of shimmering text floated across it—though from the surface, the projection was invisible due to the angle: “Are you ready over there? We’re about to open the passage—Dark Court.”

Victoria’s face went blank for a moment (though that was often her expression). Then she heard Gawain giving instructions over the comms. Seconds later, a tower at the edge of the Dawn of the Mortal Realm lit up, and under Gawain’s direction, a line of text was projected: “Ready. Please open the passage to the agreed location in three minutes—Dawn of the Mortal Realm.”

Maggie, Diana, and Victoria exchanged silent looks.

“How convenient,” Gawain said, turning back to the expressionless group with a look of obvious satisfaction. “We’re so close, why bother with divine miracles? Just send a text. You all have such rigid ideas…”

A flood of thoughts and words surged through Victoria’s mind. She thought of the usual impressions of gods, the mysterious veil of the City of a Thousand Towers, and countless solemn things. But under Gawain’s candid gaze, all those thoughts shattered. The icy duchess, who always seemed so aloof, gave a weary nod. “You’re right.”

As they spoke, the moment to open the passage finally arrived.

At first came a low, resonant hum—like wind blowing through the towers of an ancient castle at night. Then a gentle yet brilliant beam of light, like the last glow of sunset, poured down from the center of the City of a Thousand Towers—from the summit of the tower called the Dark Court. The radiant arc stretched across the entire city, spanning the shadowy, mysterious streets, and connected directly to the edge of the Dawn of the Mortal Realm’s deck.

At that instant, on the distant horizon, the great sun slipped completely below the earth. The last rays of sunset faded, and deep night began to fall over the world. It felt as if the mortal realm’s twilight had been gathered into a single beam—a bridge between the City of a Thousand Towers and the Dawn of the Mortal Realm. Beyond that solitary light, all else sank into darkness.

The beam solidified into a long bridge glowing with a soft amber light. Before this bridge, Gawain’s relaxed smile faded into solemnity as he regarded the “invitation.” Amber quietly stepped closer to his side, cautiously watching the far end of the bridge. Nearby, Modir simply stared at the faint glow, his calm expression betraying a barely contained eagerness.

Victoria looked at the seasoned adventurer before her. After a brief silence, she finally spoke, “…Ancestor…”

“A new adventure lies before me.” Modir suddenly turned to Victoria, a strange feeling stirring within him. He vaguely remembered saying these words to someone—perhaps many people—long ago. He recalled bidding farewell to family on some distant afternoon centuries past. Faces flickered in his hazy memory, but none matched Victoria’s. Those centuries-old memories had long since faded. Now, before him stood this usually stern descendant, and their time together had been brief.

Yes, brief—too brief to forge deep familial bonds. Yet a vague, unspoken regret surfaced in his heart. He smiled apologetically—a smile he might have worn centuries ago to someone else. “I’m about to embark on a journey… Sorry, Victoria, it seems I’m leaving my family behind once again…”

“You needn’t apologize. You’re simply following your own path,” Victoria said softly, a faint smile in her voice. “I just wanted to check—have you been comfortable these past days?”

“Oh, absolutely. Very comfortable,” Modir’s lips curled upward, even his whiskers seemed to lift. “These might be the most comfortable days I’ve had in centuries… Though I don’t know how long I’ll remember them, I think I’ll remember them for a very long time.”

“That’s good,” Victoria nodded gently, then took a half step back. “I wish you a smooth journey.”

Modir smiled happily. After centuries, he was finally setting out once more, this time with the blessings and farewells of his family. Waving his hand, he turned and walked toward the long bridge glowing faintly ahead. Gawain and Amber followed alongside him—their figures gradually fading into a hazy radiance.

Walking on the bridge felt strange.

Gawain could sense he was stepping on a solid surface. Though it was formed from condensed light, he never once feared slipping or falling. A breeze brushed past him, a wind that should have stirred a terror of being blown into the abyss, yet his heart remained calm. His reason told him the scene and surroundings were enough to inspire fear and tension, but an inexplicable sense of peace propelled his steps forward without hesitation.

He kept walking, the inverted city of a thousand towers growing larger in his view. From beside him came Amber’s voice, chatting with Modir: “Old man, aren’t you scared? We analyzed this before—once you enter the Shadow Divine Realm and come into contact with your ‘other half,’ it could…”

“There’s nothing to hesitate over,” Modir replied with a smile. “There’s a voice urging me onward—telling me to keep moving forward. I’ve been stuck in this adventure for far too long. Only the last stretch remains, and I want to finish it, to witness sights I’ve never seen before. For someone who’s drifted through centuries in a daze, it’s far more important to see this journey through to the end than to keep wandering aimlessly.”

“Ah, you bookworms always talk differently. Old Mr. Gawain in the Imperial City is the same—always so formal and flowery. But I get what you mean. You’ve got a pretty open mind.”

Modir just smiled without replying. Gawain kept his eyes on the inverted towering city ahead—curious how he was supposed to enter a place turned completely upside down. The Thousand Towers City and the Dawn of the Mortal World ship were flipped a full 180 degrees. The sight was spectacular, but stepping inside, moving from one city to the other, stirred a strange unease.

Amid these questions, he took another step forward.

Then, the inverted city in his view suddenly righted itself.

He had no idea how or when it happened—he didn’t even notice the boundary between worlds. It was as if the city had always stood upright in the distance, and he was simply a visitor walking along an ordinary road to reach it.

Looking down, he saw beneath his feet not a shimmer of twilight light, but a solid, timeworn stone path. Fine gray dust lay scattered along the roadside, and in the gentle breeze, light particles floated above the dust.

Turning around, he saw rows of houses and towering spires stretching out before him. There was no sign of the Dawn of the Mortal World ship, nor the sky he had seen before. Instead, a thick, murky gray-white haze blanketed the city’s heavens. The source of this nameless light was unknown—no clouds, no stars.

He looked left and right, but neither Modir nor Amber was in sight.

He had arrived alone in the Thousand Towers City.

(End of chapter)