Chapter 498: Communication

". Change?"

Dai Lik looked puzzled toward the Afternoon Town right before him, seeing nothing unusual; it looked no different from the ruined towns they had explored before, and there was no abnormal aura.

Before he could withdraw his gaze, the ruined wreckage before him was ripped away like a black, decayed curtain, revealing the prosperous Afternoon Town bathed in a dim yellow glow.

"This"

"What is this?"

"Is this the 'day' described in the general education textbook?"

The sudden anomaly before them sparked discussion among the Silver City exploration team; as they spoke, they tightened their grip on their weapons, eyes wary as they stared at the phenomenon ahead, at the oddly dressed, relatively short figure standing at the edge of the Afternoon Town street—though 'short' was only in the eyes of the Silver City folk.

In the next moment, they saw the person at the edge of Afternoon Town speak; the man used a language they couldn't understand, yet they could grasp his intended meaning:

"Fortunately, I prepared some language‑understanding talismans in advance."

"My experiment seems to have affected your exploration?"

"I'm very sorry. Once I perfect this illusion, I'll remove it. Um… if possible, may I ask you for some assistance? I'm not well‑versed in this continent's history, and the illusion I created still has many flaws. I can pay you—information you need, or alchemical ingredients and formulas."

As the chief of Silver City and leader of this exploration team, Ke Lin did not reply immediately; he knew clearly that some monsters could produce terrifying effects by warping language.

The team members standing behind Ke Lin also watched the suddenly appearing stranger warily; for a moment, aside from the intermittent thunderclaps overhead, there was no other sound.

Dai Lik, positioned at the center of the team, furrowed his brow slightly as he stared at the silhouette on the edge of Afternoon Town; he felt the figure was somehow familiar.

Seen him before? Impossible. I don't know anyone outside Silver City, and he certainly isn't from Silver City—his height makes that impossible.

Seeing no one speak, Lei Kedun sighed helplessly, waved behind him, and a crystal sphere flickering with tiny star‑lights fell into his hand.

The starlight within the sphere quickly contracted; the Afternoon Town, once shrouded in twilight, rapidly lost its color, withering into ruin, its buildings collapsing back to their original state.

Having lifted the illusion over Afternoon Town, Lei Kedun finally looked at the figure at the front—Silver City chief Ke Lin Iriyat, his hair silvered and his law‑rune tattoos heavy—who smiled and said:

"Can we now communicate? As a Demon Hunter, you should be able to tell easily whether I have malicious intent."

"And I'm stronger than all of you combined, aren't I? Whatever I intend to do to you, you have no room to resist; Giants above Rank Five are only a bit tougher."

Perhaps Lei Kedun's blunt words made the Silver City team's faces turn sour.

Holding the Hurricane Axe, Dai Lik's eyes contained two miniature suns; his gaze was unusually clear in the darkness.

Opposite him, Lei Kedun stood at the edge of Afternoon Town holding a crystal sphere emitting a faint blue glow, constantly giving Dai Lik a sense of familiarity; in his mind, the figures of the Tarot Society floated by one by one, finally lingering on Bai Ta.

It really looks alike! Mr. Bai Ta has come to the Divine Abandoned Land? I never heard him mention it. Should I ask him now, or wait until the next Tarot Society meeting to confirm with Mr. Bai Ta?

While Dai Lik pondered, the chief at the front, Ke Lin, spoke in a low voice:

"Are you from the outside?"

Lei Kedun nodded calmly and said:

"Indeed. To the west of the Giant King's Court, out at sea, lies a sea of ruins formed from Divine War relics; from there one can enter the Divine Abandoned Land."

"... Divine Abandoned Land?" Ke Lin murmured low, then asked:

"So, by crossing the Giant King's Court, one can traverse that sea of ruins to leave here and reach the outside world?"

All members of the Silver City exploration team looked at Lei Kedun, their eyes tinged with hope; even though they didn't fully trust the sudden stranger, they wanted a definitive answer, at least confirming their efforts were justified.

Lei Kedun shook his head lightly and said:

"No. It's one‑way; you can enter but not exit."

Ke Lin's face remained expressionless, but he tightened his grip on his straight sword and asked in a low voice:

"Then you don't intend to leave?"

"As an Angel, I naturally have the ability to leave, to create mistakes, to exploit mistakes; not only A Meng can do that."

He paused briefly, giving Ke Lin no chance to continue, and Lei Kedun went on:

"You want to ask if there's a way to free the entire Silver City from the Divine Abandoned Land?"

"Of course there is. It's right where you plan to explore, but with Silver City's current strength you're not yet capable of reaching it."

His face suddenly grew serious; the straight sword in his hand reflected a sharp dawn‑like light that seemed to pierce the darkness. His gaze locked onto Lei Kedun; any sign of trouble and he would strike directly, even though the other showed no overt malice and was probably stronger.

"Are you Mr. Bai Ta?" Dai Lik shouted from behind Ke Lin, his voice nervous and still tinged with youthful innocence.

Lei Kedun's gaze passed Ke Lin and fixed on Dai Lik at the center of the crowd behind; he had brown‑gold hair, a towering stature, nearly 1.9 meters tall.

His eyes lingered on Dai Lik for a moment, then Lei Kedun chuckled lightly:

"Congratulations, you're correct! But there's no reward."

Dai Lik ignored the team's wary stares and the sudden distance, his gaze puzzled as he looked at Lei Kedun and asked curiously:

"Mr. Bai Ta, why did you come to the Divine Abandoned Land?"

"I'm seeking an opportunity to ascend to Sage, and also to find the high‑level traits of the 'Perfecter' path. In the outside world, those traits are largely controlled by the Steam Church, so I can only place my hopes here, isolated from the outside."

Lei Kedun gave a brief explanation, his eyes turning to the still‑watchful Ke Lin, and chuckled:

"I've cleared the remaining monsters in Afternoon Town. If you're not afraid of me personally, you can stay or explore there; it's far safer than camping in the wilderness."

"I won't stay long; once the illusion is perfected, I'll leave."

He said this without waiting for the Silver City members to respond, and Lei Kedun turned and walked deeper into Afternoon Town.

Ke Lin kept his eyes on Lei Kedun's back until the figure vanished completely from view, then turned to Dai Lik, who was surrounded warily by the exploration team.

Seeing Dai Lik, who looked flustered and at a loss due to the group's isolation and wariness, Ke Lin let out a soft sigh and said gravely:

"Dai Lik, how much do you know about Mr. Bai Ta? Do you think he poses a danger to us, to Silver City?"

"Chief, I—"

Dai Lik lowered his head, seeming to wrestle with how to answer.

After a moment of contemplation, he recounted all information that didn't involve Mr. Fool, and finally described his observations and understanding of Bai Ta from the Tarot Society.

Ke Lin gave a slight nod, without hesitation, and said:

"Let's go, enter Afternoon Town, and continue this exploration mission."

With those words, he led the way into the bounds of Afternoon Town.

Walking on the dilapidated, decaying street, he kept watch around while explaining in a hoarse voice:

"A saint preparing to ascend to an angel must necessarily carry corresponding traits, whether existing as a miraculous item or coalescing into a formed trait; this means he can, to some extent, briefly exert angelic-level power."

"Just as Mr. White Tower said, he is stronger than our exploration team combined; before he shows any hostility, we can tentatively trust him, though we must not let down the necessary vigilance."

"During this time, do not leave the team; you may slow the exploration speed."

After walking for a while on the streets of Afternoon Town, they encountered no monster attacks; it seems the monsters in this area have truly been cleared out.

A silver-white lightning flashed across, and suddenly specks of starlight flickered around, growing denser, moving with a peculiar rhythm, outlining the abandoned Afternoon Town with faint blue lines.

Under the wary, uneasy gazes of the Silver City folk, the starlight gradually became brilliant and hazy, soon casting a twilight hue; the once dilapidated and stale Afternoon Town transformed at a visible pace into something fresh and lively.

On the surrounding streets, tall, shadowy figures appeared, their faces and clothing indistinct; the goods sold by nearby shops and stalls were likewise partly clear, partly blurred.

As the Silver City people observed, the blurry surroundings gradually became clear, aligning with the images that unconsciously flashed in their minds and were filled in.

Colin's eyes sank; he had noticed these changes from the very beginning.

His gaze swept the surroundings, then he took a bottle of light-green ointment from the multi‑pocketed belt at his waist and smeared it onto his straight sword.

He plunged the silver‑white, sharp straight sword into the gray‑white stone‑paved street beneath his feet; a burst of silver‑white light like dawn exploded, sweeping over the surrounding streets, houses, and crowds.

Everywhere the dawn‑like light swept, an eye emerged—cold, indifferent, containing countless stars.

These eyes, icy and devoid of emotion, gazed upon the Silver City people, as if able to reflect the true picture of their inner thoughts.

"What is this? That person left it behind to monitor us, to affect us?"

"These eyes are so eerie; I feel they can see right through me."

Beside Derek, several exploration team members could not help but speak up, discussing.

Walking at the front, Chief Colin raised his idle left hand, and only after the team grew quiet did he speak in a low voice:

"An ability akin to a psychoanalyst's can see clearly what we think and thereby perfect the people and objects in this illusion."

"It seems he is indeed not a native of this place; otherwise, merely having read some passed‑down books would let him restore many details missing from this illusion."

His gaze swept over the bustling street, and he then said:

"This illusion is half‑real, half‑false; unlike the phantoms ordinary monsters create, the light here is real, so we need not fear monster attacks in the dark nor sudden disappearance into darkness."

"Judging by the illusion's coverage, we could certainly build a sizable city here to shelter humanity through the long darkness."

(End of chapter)