Chapter 13: The Tower Keepers
Talin Kingdom, White Sand Bay.
The blazing sun scorched the sky above. By the time Su Xiao arrived at White Sand Bay, it was noon on the sixth day since he had entered this world.
Just moments ago, as Su Xiao was preparing to head straight for Talin’s royal capital, the perpetually silent Qifu finally spoke. His words nearly got him killed on the spot.
“Why don’t we go to White Sand Bay? There’s a teleportation tower connecting to the royal capital there. We should be qualified to use it.”
That simple sentence nearly caused Qifu to meet his end right there. Baha was so furious his feathers stood on end. If he had known about the teleportation array earlier, they wouldn’t have had to travel for three days.
Su Xiao quickly learned that while teleportation towers did connect the major cities within the Talin Kingdom, there was no tower linking the Holy Guardian Kingdom to Talin.
Across the entire continent, there were only twenty-three teleportation towers. The core space stone slabs used for them were spoils of war obtained after the powerhouses of two great nations besieged and killed an ancient deity. These were irreplaceable treasures, only twenty-three in total. As the main force in that battle, the Talin Kingdom received fourteen space stone slabs, while the Holy Guardian Kingdom received nine.
One could imagine how difficult it was to use a teleportation tower. Aside from the royal family, high-ranking officials, and a few dozen registered powerhouses in the kingdom, only a handful of wealthy merchants were personally qualified to use them.
Looking at White Sand Bay from a distance, it was built against a mountain, with the vast ocean on the other side. The towering peak resembled a giant standing on the coastline.
Legend had it that the original location of White Sand Bay was a vast sea. An ancient deity enslaved giants, filled in the sea here, and established White Sand Bay to showcase its own nobility.
Su Xiao didn’t know how credible this rumor was. So far, he had seen no traces of giants ever existing in this world. Ancient dragons, however, did exist. The emblem of the Aydri royal family was the image of an ancient dragon.
In Su Xiao’s perception, this world had two distinct styles of civilization. First were the ancient deities and ancient dragons. These were likely from the same faction, and they were much older.
The other faction was the Tianba Clan. The Tianba Clan rose later, during the era of the ancient deities’ rule. This led to the Tianba Clan’s civilization style being completely different from that of the ancient deities.
The Talin Kingdom, on the other hand, clearly leaned more towards the civilization established by the ancient deities and ancient dragons. The Bamboo Village had inherited the civilization of the Tianba Clan. Therefore, the clothing, customs, and language of the two places were different. If Su Xiao hadn’t already mastered most of the languages in this world, daily communication would have been a problem.
Rows of spire-shaped buildings appeared ahead. White Sand Bay had arrived. Compared to the A-frame roofed architectural style of Bamboo Village, the buildings in White Sand Bay were much taller, mostly multi-story stone structures with semi-circular roofs to prevent water accumulation, a Byzantine architectural style.
White Sand Bay had no city walls. This seaside city was open to everyone. The constant flow of ships and travelers brought wealth but also chaos. Strangely enough, this city was not entirely under the jurisdiction of the Talin Kingdom. It was managed by local families and gangs, who paid tribute in money and resources to the Talin Kingdom every year.
A controlled chaotic environment could bring unimaginable prosperity. White Sand Bay was a prime example.
Walking down the street, the passersby all looked normal, even a bit leisurely, not worried about the local security.
In most cases, bullying commoners in this city would end badly. The local families and gangs wouldn’t let such people off. The royal sword hung over their heads. Once public outrage was stirred up, the royal sword above them would fall, severing their necks. Chaos and freedom both had their limits.
After days of roughing it, Su Xiao found an inn that also served as a restaurant to settle down. While resting, he also inquired about the location of the teleportation tower.
Upon arriving at White Sand Bay, Su Xiao realized how comfortable the people of Talin were. In this kingdom, where there were no wars between nations and the ancient deities had been dealt with, commoners could enjoy a very comfortable life as long as they were willing to work.
Inside the restaurant, a cacophony of chatter came from all around. While savoring a piece of steak, Su Xiao also looked at the map on the table. Talin had over four hundred major cities. Including towns and villages, the total population was over ninety-five million. More specific data was unknown.
Given the technological and medical levels of this world, having such a population was quite remarkable. Of course, this was also related to the basic physical constitution of the commoners. After all, this was a world with supernatural characteristics.
“Aside from royal status, are there no other ways to use the teleportation tower?”
“Of course there are.”
Qifu, his mouth stuffed with food, spoke up. This guy was a glutton, eating only slightly less than Amu.
“Go on.”
“If you have a large merchant guild certified by the kingdom, you can get one slot.”
“...”
Su Xiao ignored Qifu’s words. If it came to that, he might as well use his royal status to use the teleportation tower.
After a hearty meal, the group headed towards the city center. The teleportation tower was located underground in the city center, guarded twenty-four hours a day.
After passing through over a dozen blocks, Su Xiao arrived at the city center. Amidst numerous three or four-story stone buildings, a low, small stone building stood out conspicuously. Its blackened outer walls were covered in moss.
Standing in front of this small stone building were two people wearing black robes and bulky hoods. Their hoods looked like large black pumpkins hollowed out and placed on their heads, clumsy yet comical.
Seeing these two, Qifu’s eyes showed caution. For a brute like him, there were very few people who could make him cautious.
“What are these pumpkin people?”
“Shh!”
Qifu quickly stopped Baha from continuing. Seeing Qifu’s expression, Baha narrowed his eyes. Anyone who could make this reckless fool cautious, no, somewhat afraid, was definitely not simple.
“Those are the Tower Keepers. Don’t provoke them. If Lord Liu could gain their support, he might very well seize the throne. But the Tower Keepers won’t support anyone. They are only loyal to the king who wears the crown.”
Led by Qifu, the group walked towards the somewhat dilapidated small building.
“Gentlemen...”
Qifu had just started speaking when something he never expected happened. The two Tower Keepers in front of him suddenly dropped to one knee, raising their arms high as if to embrace the sky.
“Respected Tianba, we offer our highest respects.”
Watching the two Tower Keepers kneeling on one knee with arms raised as if to embrace the sky, Qifu’s mind went blank for a moment. After calming down, he said in a deep voice:
“We want to use the teleportation tower.”
“As you wish, owner of the Dragon Heart.”
Hearing this, Qifu finally understood what was going on. It was because of the long-handled battle axe on his back. Only now did he realize this axe was named Dragon Heart.
The two Tower Keepers stood up and walked into the small stone building. Their bulky, comical hoods might look ridiculous, but no one dared to mock them. This was the Tower Keepers’ self-imposed seal to prevent harming the beings they came into contact with.
The Tianba Clan drank the Source Water, using their powerful bodies to absorb the Source Force, and only after undergoing numerous trials could they call themselves the Tianba Clan. The Tower Keepers, on the other hand, were extreme. After completing their oath ceremony, they would inject the Source Water directly into their bloodstream. While gaining power faster, this also brought instability; losing control or Source Transformation were common occurrences.