Chapter 832: Getan Observations

Year 2535 of the New Era Calendar.

Thump thump thump!

Kaluodi was startled awake by the knocking, his head splitting with pain; when he opened his eyes, darkness enveloped him, the air was damp and stifling, the bed frame and the whole room swayed slightly, and the cramped cabin made him momentarily dazed before he remembered he was no longer in his comfortable home.

He was hungover from last night and slept through the night without even taking off his clothes.

A voice sounded again from outside the door: "Kaluodi, are you awake?"

"I'm awake."

Kaluodi rolled up in one motion, and the first thing he did was check the submachine gun that never left his side, even in sleep. Its dark barrel was solid and reliable, reflecting a faint metallic sheen in the gloom; the grip was icy, yet it gave him a boost of confidence and security.

As a gunner, his soul gun was his second life.

The submachine gun looked identical to the mass‑produced models sold by the Mechanical Guild, at least on the surface.

In fact, it was a custom model equipped with an expensive, rare dimensional magazine that stored three types of ammunition, totaling twenty thousand rounds; its lethality, rate of fire, and range all surpassed ordinary submachine guns.

It is called "Black Star," a coming‑of‑age gift he received on his eighteenth birthday last year.

He stroked the barrel and was momentarily lost in thought.

"Kaluodi?"

Another crisp, lively female voice rang out: "The ship will reach Getan soon; we're all waiting for you."

Just from the voice one could tell its owner was a youthful maiden, certainly not old.

A pretty face flashed in Kaluodi's mind; he quickly slipped the submachine gun into the thigh‑side holster, patted it to ensure it was secure, and then went to open the door.

A man and a woman stood outside the door.

The man was about twenty‑five, strikingly handsome—more beautiful than most women—tall and slender, dressed in a light‑colored enchanted robe; at first glance one could easily mistake him for a woman. A second look, however, revealed no feminine affectation, his body constantly surrounded by a breeze, his pupils an uncanny cyan as if a cyclone were brewing within, ready to erupt.

Anyone with a modicum of insight could recognize him as a formidable Storm Sorcerer.

Beside him stood a younger woman, her pretty, lively face tinged with a hint of naivety; only seventeen or eighteen, yet well‑shaped, and even her dark‑purple leather armor could not hide her talent, her whole being radiating youthful vigor.

The two bore a striking resemblance, clearly siblings.

"Hamon, Feilaya."

Kaluodi scratched his head and apologetically said, "I drank too much last night; I've never had that much before, so I overslept."

The sorcerer Hamon nodded gently, indicating he understood.

Feilaya scolded, "We knocked three times; if you don't come out now we'll have to break the door down, fearing we might see something we shouldn't."

"There's nothing we shouldn't see…" Kaluodi, fearing a misunderstanding, quickly added, "You can come in and look around."

Seeing his flustered demeanor, Feilaya laughed, "Just kidding!"

Kaluodi breathed a sigh of relief.

Hamon earnestly warned, "Kaluodi, if you can't hold your liquor, try to drink less in the future. Supernaturals must stay alert at all times, even while sleeping. The ship is relatively safe, but accidents can happen; be wary of those with ill intent."

"Yes, I'll remember," Kaluodi replied solemnly, "Thank you, big brother Hamon."

He understood the advice, but as the ship drew nearer to Gotham City his nerves tightened; last night in the upper‑deck bar he tried to unwind, Feilaya was there too, and he couldn't help overindulging.

"Stop the talk, let's get to the deck quickly; if we're late we won't get a good spot," Feilaya urged.

Kaluodi, a little anxious, said, "Let's go."

The three exited the mid‑level cabin and boarded the ship's topmost deck.

When they arrived, the deck was already crowded, the prime spots taken; they could only stand on one side of the rail, fortunately the right side, which offered a decent view and would soon face directly toward Shield Island.

It was past mid‑morning, the sun high in the sky.

It was late autumn, the weather cool.

The sky was cloudless, the sea relatively calm, with only a light sea breeze brushing the face—very pleasant.

Ahead of the ship the horizon was already visible; as the vessel advanced, the horizon seemed to draw nearer and widen, soon becoming an endless coastline stretching west to east across the route.

"Shield Island ahead!"

"Shield Island is right ahead; we'll disembark soon."

Cheers rose from the crowd on the deck.

The three were also delighted; they had boarded at Albert Bay, sailed south along the New Continent's western coast, passed Laba Zi City, reached the Wind‑Thunder Archipelago near the southern continent, then traversed the narrow "Torihos" canal between the New and Southern continents, turned northward, and arrived at Kexiteluo City.

Kexiteluo is the human outpost farthest from the Empire; from there one heads north along the New Continent's eastern coast with no ports or settlements until Shield Island.

The entire voyage took three weeks.

Aside from three intermediate stops, Kaluodi had been living on the ship to the point of near‑vomiting.

They had boarded at Albert Bay and only traveled half the route; some passengers had boarded from the Empire and lived aboard for a month and a half— even supernaturals find the harsh sea life hard to endure, and many had lost a layer of flesh.

Feilaya cheered exuberantly, gazing at Shield Island ahead.

Soon the city's outline appeared on the horizon, with tall buildings gradually becoming discernible.

"Look!"

Feilaya pointed ahead, excitedly saying, "That must be Gotham City!"

Kaluodi and Hamon both widened their eyes; Kaluodi, a gunner, had fused his first Main Soul, Night Owl, granting him superior sight.

Then he noticed a massive shadow rising straight up from the distant horizon, like a curtain blocking that area. The shadow curtain lay on the western side of Gotham City, seemingly situated within a bay.

"What is that?"

Kaluodi was shocked; the ship was still dozens of miles from Gotham City yet the shadow was visible, indicating its enormous size.

As the ship drew nearer, others soon spotted the anomaly.

"What's that black shadow?" someone on the deck shouted, pointing at the curtain‑like shadow in the bay, drawing everyone's attention.

"Good heavens!"

"The goddess above!" some cried in fear, worrying, "Something must be happening to Gotham City, right?"

"It's a Dark Sky Curtain formation."

A crew member shouted an explanation, seeing everyone looking at him, a hint of pride on his face: "Two years ago, Chairman Lei En set up this formation on 'Truth Island' in the bay of Shield Island, covering the whole island and the sky, forbidding anyone to approach. It is said a magnificent magical temple is being built on the island and will be completed soon."

The passengers' expressions turned blank.

Most of them were ordinary people, coming to the New Continent for the first time.

They chose to take a ship rather than a teleportation array because they could not afford it, information was scarce, and they knew little about Getan; they were simply drawn by the growing fame of Gotham City and its many soaring success stories, and on a whim boarded, hoping to find a way in this emerging land.

Extraordinary beings like the three of Calodi were not many among the passengers.

"So that's where the magical temple is!"

Filaya was very curious.

She was a first‑rank Shadow Warrior, seeing more clearly than ordinary people; after looking, she was startled and, unable to hold back, said, "To be visible from so far, it must be taller than the Wizard Tower; this magical temple is enormous, isn't it?"

Hamon also sighed in awe, his eyes full of reverence.

He was a follower of the God of Magic.

Calodi whispered, "It should be over three hundred meters high and much wider than the Wizard Tower, several times the volume. If completed, it will surely be the goddess's largest temple on the mortal world, larger than Nuosiruier's Truth Temple, and by far larger."

"Calodi, have you been to Nuosiruier?" Filaya turned her head back.

"Uh, no." Calodi's face turned shy, "But I've seen pictures of the Truth Temple in books and have always wanted to go, yet never had the chance."

"I want to go too; if we get a chance later, let's go together," Filaya immediately suggested, her face full of longing.

Calodi gladly replied, "Sure!"

Soon the ship turned west, entered the "Lower Bay" of Shield Island Bay, which resembled a huge eagle's beak opening eastward; the ship sailed in the Lower Bay for half an hour, approached the northern tip of the beak, passed through a strait less than three li wide, and entered the "Upper Bay" of Shield Island Bay.

The right side of the Upper Bay was Gotham City.

A wall dozens of li long was built along the coast, stretching beyond sight; fortunately the ship's upper deck was high, and looking over the towering wall one could see skyscrapers rising from the ground, streets extremely wide, able to accommodate dozens of horses side by side.

The streets were bustling with traffic and pedestrians like woven cloth.

The city's architectural style was completely different from the Empire's, with few low houses; dozens‑meter‑tall buildings were everywhere, at least seven or eight floors.

Buildings of twenty or even thirty floors or more were also common, densely packed into massive neighborhoods.

In the city's commercial center, there were dozens of skyscrapers over a hundred meters tall, the tallest even over three hundred meters, only slightly shorter than the Wizard Tower perched on the high ground in the middle.

These skyscrapers had unique designs, none identical; many were clad in glass curtain walls, elegant and grand, sparkling in the sun like exquisite works of art, the crystallized wisdom of the architects.

The people on the ship stared with eyes wide open.

They had never seen a city like this; Gotham City differed from any city in the world, yet they could not describe its architectural style—only one feeling filled their hearts.

That feeling was awe!

It was exactly as they had imagined; Shield Island had previously been a blighted land overrun by undead, and in just a few years it could become what it is now.

They did not dare compare it to megacities like Mo Du or Nuosiruier; even a rough city foundation would have been good, and everyone had prepared themselves mentally for entering a shabby little town.

Yet they beheld a bustling metropolis beyond anything they could imagine even in dreams!

Sharp‑eyed Calodi made a new discovery.

In Gotham City, roughly every three thousand meters a hundred‑meter‑tall spire was built; their shape resembled the Wizard Tower but with a much smaller diameter, clearly just a higher pedestal, faint rune energy emanated from within, and a cannon platform sat atop.

Hamon also noticed these platforms and whispered, "Those should be the legendary Electric Light Cannons."

Calodi nodded.

He surveyed most of the city; within his view he could see hundreds of Electric Light Cannons, forming a massive fire‑power coverage net with no blind spots, able to strike every district of the city, both ground and sky.

As extraordinary beings, their information was certainly more up‑to‑date than that of ordinary people.

Since more than two years ago, after Chairman Lei En reclaimed the New Village Floating City, the Disaster Legion had never ceased its attacks on Gotham City. Battles occurred almost daily, and each month a larger undead offensive took place, with death‑knot sigil Liches participating, teleporting troops into the city for raids.

Yet the Disaster Legion never caused heavy casualties.

The vast majority of undead raids were detected instantly, then the Electric Light Cannons opened fire, easily eliminating the enemies.

It was precisely the existence of these Electric Light Cannons that ensured Gotham City's safety and development.

Of course, the Holy Spear Knight Corps also played an important role.

Calodi looked north toward Aibolaken; on the long, narrow Aibolaken Peninsula a series of towers had also been erected, covering the entire peninsula. Beneath the tower bases the city's foundations began to show scale, and two great bridges spanned the East Strait, linking to Shield Island.

Along the western coast of Shield Island Bay, many towers were also built; the land was purified, becoming endless fertile farmland.

Clearly, Gotham City was already expanding westward onto the New Continent.

Yet the most striking sight was the shadowy screen that stood right in the center of the bay, equidistant from Shield Island, Aibolaken, and the western continental coast.

At this moment the ship was already very close.

From the deck one had to tilt the head upward to barely glimpse its top; half the sky was blocked, as if a huge black patch missing from the view, impossible to see what lay inside, inexplicably pressing a massive pressure on the heart, making it hard to breathe.

Calodi and Hamon, brother and sister, exchanged a glance, seeing awe and confusion in each other's eyes.

This did not look like a temple at all!

While the three were conversing, the ship docked at the "Red Hook Pier" on the western side of the bay; after entering the berth, the crew shouted, "Gotham City has arrived, everyone disembark."

The passengers hurried ashore.

Calodi stood on land and instantly felt solid beneath his feet; after a few steps the light, floating sensation vanished quickly.

The Red Hook Pier stretched ten li long and several hundred meters wide; the pier's waters were surrounded on three sides by a tall city wall, roughly shaped like a gigantic hook, the wall's color reddish, hence the name. All berths and ships were protected within this great hook.

Beneath the wall were several wide passages, normally open, allowing cars and pedestrians to enter the city.

"Where are we going?" Filaya asked excitedly, looking around.

Hamon gave Calodi a look.

The siblings came to Gotham to broaden their horizons, to see if they could find comrades to hunt undead together; Calodi claimed the same.

"Let's first explore the city," Hamon said.

"Alright."

Calodi did not object; the three walked through the wall passage on foot. Instantly, a unique, prosperous, and freshly renewed beautiful city unfolded before them.

Observing the city from the distant ship felt completely different from being inside it.

The wide street is smooth and clean, with no bumps or potholes; cars, carriages, and pedestrians each have their own lane, perfectly orderly. At every intersection stands a tall traffic light with red, green, and yellow colors, and everyone and every vehicle must follow its signals.

Kalodi observed a few times and quickly understood.

Stop at a red light, proceed only on green, and yellow seems to be a warning.

No matter where you go, trees grow thickly on both sides of the road like a forest, and flower beds under the trees serve as road dividers and are also pleasing to the eye.

Every road and every block has a signpost.

Not far along the roadside are trash cans and street lamps, and these lamps are all crystal lights that consume magical energy.

Hamon, being well‑traveled, grew more and more shocked as he watched.

Maintaining these basic facilities requires a huge amount of manpower and the cost is definitely a massive figure; if the whole city were like this, a year without over a million Gold Shields would certainly be insufficient.

With such enormous investment, Gotham City's first impression is cleanliness!

Along the way there was not a hint of foul smell; occasional trash was quickly cleaned by uniformed workers with tools.

The second impression is speed!

Cars on the road travel at extreme speed, and pedestrians are also hurrying, yet everything remains orderly.

The whole city runs at high speed, everyone throws themselves into it and plays their part, but unlike the lower‑class citizens of Empire cities who look numb, they have rosy faces, vibrant spirits, and exude youthful vigor.

Leaving the port district leads to the trade district, and the buildings ahead suddenly rise a whole story higher.

"So far away!"

Filaya gazed at the Wu Shi Ta in the city center and sighed.

"There's no hurry anyway, we'll walk and look around," Hamon said with a smile; he was already fascinated by the city and wanted to see more wonders.

Kalodi agreed as well.

The three were about to continue when a green‑painted car stopped by the road; the driver rolled down the window, and it turned out to be a dwarf who politely asked in the Empire language, "Guests, need a taxi?"

"Taxi?"

It was the first time they had heard the word.

They then noticed many such cars on the road, all identical in model and painted green; the sign on the roof and the sides bore the words "taxi" in Empire, elf, and dwarf languages, very conspicuous.

The dwarf driver smiled, clearly accustomed to first‑time visitors to Gotham City, and explained enthusiastically, "Guests just pay, and I'll take you to wherever you want in the city—that's a taxi."

The three immediately understood; it was the Empire's public bus, only a private version.

A car this expensive can actually be operated.

Lafiya was very interested and asked, "How is the fare calculated?"

"The base fare is ten copper lisos; after three lis, each additional li costs three copper lisos," the dwarf driver pointed to a mechanical device on the car, indicating it was used for pricing.

This price is quite steep for ordinary Empire citizens, and few can afford to ride.

But for the transcendent it is very affordable.

Kalodi opened the door without hesitation and got in; Hamon and his sister sat in the back row, noticing a cushion under the dwarf driver's seat that raised him so he could see the road ahead, and he asked, "Where do the guests want to go?"

"Take us on a tour of the city," Kalodi thought for a moment and said, "Then recommend a good hotel, not too pricey, preferably in the inner city and close to the magic district."

"Alright!"

The dwarf driver replied cheerfully, pressed the meter in front of him, and the car set off.

The three noticed the meter's green light turn red, which should indicate that passengers were aboard.

"First time in Gotham?" the dwarf asked casually while skillfully driving.

"Yes…"

Kalodi, seated in the passenger seat, grew nervous; he found the car's speed too fast, overtaking other cars in a flash and leaving them far behind. In less than a minute there were several near‑misses with other vehicles; a slight slip would have caused a crash.

At such speed, a crash would likely be fatal even for a transcendent.

Kalodi hurriedly said, "Please slow down a bit."

"Don't worry, I'm an old driver; I've been driving for over two years and have never had an accident," the dwarf said nonchalantly, waving his hand and adjusting his posture.

Though he said that, the three still felt uneasy.

"We want to see Gotham's scenery; at this speed we can't see anything," Filaya said unhappily.

The dwarf glanced at the girl in the rearview mirror and slowed the car, asking, "Guests, shall we first stroll around the trade district?"

"Sure," Kalodi nodded.

The dwarf rolled down the window so the three could see outside more clearly and said cheerfully, "Besides the magic district, the most worth‑seeing part of Gotham City is the trade district. Ordinary people can't enter the magic district, the inner city is too crowded, and the trade district gathers many transcendent. In the past two years merchants from all over the world have set up in the trade district, and the city lord even built several sky‑high office towers, as tall as the Wu Shi Ta, uninhabited but rented to companies and merchants. They say a room the size of a bedroom rents for three Gold Shields a month, wow…"

As he spoke, the car entered the trade district.

Just as the dwarf driver said, the three soon saw the skyscrapers that pierced the clouds; up close they could truly feel the grandeur of the structures.

When the car passed beneath the buildings, they had to stick their heads out of the window to see the full view, feeling their own insignificance.

Traffic in this area is extremely dense, and there are many pedestrians.

Humans, elves, dwarves, orcs, and some rare intelligent races, each dressed either neatly or in transcendent attire, move in and out of the towers; their bearing and demeanor differ sharply from ordinary people, as if anyone who reaches this place is subtly superior, entering high society.

The three are transcendent, yet among them there is a slight lack of confidence.

The feeling is like a country folk's first trip to the city: initially novel, but the more they see, the more insecure they feel, as if they don't belong here.

The car fell silent.

Sensing their mood, the dwarf driver smiled, "Actually we Gotham folk don't like the trade district much; it's too upscale, everything's pricey, and conflicts happen often, making it rather dangerous. The inner city is safer."

Filaya asked curiously, "Are there fights in the trade district?"

"Of course there are!"

The dwarf scratched his great beard disdainfully, "Those transcendent from all over the world, all kinds of people, with eyes on the top of their heads, break rules for money, get drunk and pick fights, thinking Gotham City is a place to run wild like elsewhere, hehe…"

"What's the result?" Kalodi asked.

"They're all subdued by the Holy Spear Knight Corps. Minor offenses are locked up and later expelled; serious crimes are killed on the spot. Anyone who dares to use force in Gotham City meets a bad end," the dwarf said proudly.

"Don't they ever look at whose territory Gotham City is?"

"In Gotham City, the City Lord is the sole master; who would dare to defy? Even legends, when they come to our Getan, must honestly obey the rules." The dwarf snorted twice, "The trade district is only a little messier now, but safety is still assured; you needn't worry."

Feilaya's eyes sparkled as she sighed, "Chairman Lei En is really amazing!"

"Exactly!" the dwarf driver slapped his thigh, saying proudly, "I've even seen the City Lord, not once but three times!"

Mentioning the City Lord made the dwarf start talking nonstop.

He drove while spitting words rapidly, recounting from his encounters with the City Lord to the great battle over two years ago, and the time the Death Lord was frightened away beneath Gotham City, speaking animatedly as if he had seen it himself, along with all sorts of novel sights in Gotham City, future plans, legion secrets, and so on.

There was nothing in Gotham City that Kalodi and his companions didn't know; the three of them listened with great interest.

The taxi unknowingly circled the trade district several times, the odometer constantly ticking, and only after more than an hour did it stop in front of a luxury hotel in the inner city, where the dwarf driver reluctantly saw them off.

Kalodi, without even frowning, paid the twenty silver krones fare.

Hameng stared at the towering hotel of over a dozen floors before him; a red carpet lay at the entrance, and the welcoming lobby inside was opulent, several tiers above the inns they usually stayed in.

"Would staying here be too expensive?" Hameng asked, a bit hesitant.

Feilaya also felt a little uneasy.

"No problem, we'll only stay a few days, I'll pay." Kalodi waved generously and led the way into the hotel.

Hameng exchanged a glance with his sister, feeling a hint of doubt.

Why, being so wealthy, does Kalodi still take a ship to Gotham City instead of teleporting directly from the Empire?

A hotel attendant greeted them warmly; Kalodi immediately booked the most expensive penthouse suite, took the lift to the top floor, and the lavish suite opened the eyes of both siblings. The suite also featured a spacious balcony with an expansive view, facing the city's high ground, where the City Lord's fortress and the Wu Shi Ta could be seen.

Under the attendant's service, the three enjoyed a sumptuous lunch on the balcony.

Hameng saw the price of the meal; even though he is a third‑rank sorcerer, his power far exceeds that of ordinary people, and he was startled.

However, Kalodi's mood was low.

While dining, he kept glancing at the tower, seemed to have little appetite, and ate only a little.

"Kalodi, you…" Hameng began, then stopped.

My sister and I met Kalodi at Albert Bay; this handsome nineteen‑year‑old clearly was leaving home for the first time, got into a conflict, and we stepped in to help him out of it. After talking, we learned he was also heading to Gotham City, so we traveled together.

Kalodi is a second‑rank gunner, and on this journey he showed nothing particularly outstanding.

Sister Feilaya got along well with him; they are peers, only a year apart, and during the ship voyage a subtle mutual affection began to grow.

Hameng had no objection; he could see that Kalodi's character was upright, worth befriending, and, like himself, he was a devout follower of the God of Magic.

But upon arriving in Gotham City, Kalodi seemed different.

He has something on his mind!

It isn't just that he said he came to Gotham City to look around and gain experience; he surely has more important matters, and his background isn't ordinary, but that's his privacy, and Hameng shouldn't rashly pry.

In fact, Feilaya also noticed.

Ignoring her brother's glance, she asked directly, "Kalodi, are you an Empire noble?"

"I suppose so," Kalodi replied, unsure how to answer, "but…" before he could finish, the suite's door was knocked, and the hotel attendant's voice came in, "Honored sir, you have a visitor." The attendant's words trembled.

"What kind of guest?" Kalodi asked, standing up.

Hameng became alert; he sensed several people outside the door, all powerful transcendents.

The attendant outside gave no reply.

A few seconds later, a warm, melodious female voice said, "Sir Kalodi, the lord requests you meet at the high‑ground fortress."

The room's door opened automatically.

Kalodi and the two others saw the person outside: a stunningly beautiful woman of unparalleled allure stood there, and behind her were four transcendents clad in silver armor, their auras as scorching as sunlight, causing the hotel attendant to retreat, pale‑faced and trembling all over.

Hameng and Feilaya nearly jumped up; they recognized the identities of those transcendents.

Those four were Holy Lance Knights!

Nearly 8,000 characters; that should count as two chapters, I guess…

(End of chapter)