They were escorted through the serpentine streets by a seven-foot-tall behemoth of a man who glared at anyone daring to stand in their way. The towering walls of every building made Jun feel claustrophobic, and there was always the vague sense of something watching them.
Despite its intimidating nature, the city was interconnected with nature like no other. Vividly-coloured mushrooms grew on top of wrinkly mahogany trees that bent in strange ways to catch bits of sunshine. Yet, it wasn’t only the trees. The moss, the vines, and the roots—everything here was desperately trying to fight the fungal infection. They were losing the battle, or so the mushroom trees and spore-covered streets would imply. And the freaky mushroom men. That too.
The first time Jun saw a one-foot-tall mushroom hopping alongside a cultivator, he nearly ran for his life. Long and thin and with a white cap, it wiggled every time it jumped, making adorable squeaky noises at the person accompanying it. He couldn’t properly see them when he was tens of thousands of feet above ground, but now, Jun realised that every single corner was occupied by these strange creatures. They even had a miniature society going on; three old and wise-looking mushrooms pretended to drink tea as they sat on little rocks and pebbles.
‘They call a rabbit a security risk yet the entire city is overrun by mushrooms. Mushroom privilege is real.’
When the soldier announced that they had arrived at the Black Wind Barracks, Jun didn’t believe it. A grand display of several menacing buildings spanned the length of a prison complex, surrounded by a thick wall constantly sparking with black electricity. Shouts and groans of pain could be heard even from here, and the explosions that rang out shook the ground unlike anything else. Above, great winged beasts that resembled men perched on top of the buildings, letting out low-pitched screeches.
Inside the courtyard was every type of sparring and training arena one could think of. One cultivator was balancing on top of a rope above a thousand sharp swords, while another was sitting inside a hole that burned with hellfire, absorbing the flame through his skin. Teams of five fought with each other inside deep pits, and when they were done, they fought against captured monsters and devils, often to the death.
‘What the hell? This is where they raise supervillains. We’re supposed to be the good guys! Why does everything here look so menacing?’
As they made their way inside the first castle-like structure, they were promptly escorted to someone higher up the chain of command, citing security reasons and all that. Greeting them was a young man with glasses, wearing every kind of weapon imaginable on him. Never let it be said that cultivators didn’t know proper fashion.
“Suspicious lot, is that right? From the Abyss Treading sect? I know just the guy. Qin Long has finally paid off his debt and has been promoted to Platoon Chief. Got every other sect but that one under him. I’ll send a Thrike and relay the message to them.”
And with that, he stepped outside, let out a whistle, and a winged man descended from the sky, curiously listening to what the officer had to say. Taking a small coin as payment, the creature noiselessly flew off, traversing half the city in seconds. For the next hour or so, the soldier watched over them, leaving the duo with nothing left to do but examine the courtyard and take in the strange atmosphere.
When the first person stepped through the gate, it was with surprise that both parties shouted out loud, recognizing each other at a single glance. It was none other than the bard who frequently played in the Half-Moon Inn before sleeping with everyone’s wives.
“Salutations. Chen Hao and Jun—I remember you both so vividly. Jun used to dance to my songs, and you used to ask me for lessons on how to make friends. Strange times those were, eh?” Yang Ming said in his familiar sing-song voice. Gone was the green cloak and feathered cap, replaced instead by the slim crystal armour that looked way more elegant than it should have.
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“The Lu family went crazy trying to search for you, but they said you were gone from the sect before night even fell. You escaped here?” the boy asked, his surprise more than evident.
“Of course! The delegation’s mission was to head here regardless. So what if I arrived a few months ahead of time? It only gives me more time to prepare for the opening of the Demon Prince’s Ravine and the Four Demonic General Inheritances. Say, which one will you be choosing to enter?”
Before Chen Hao could answer, three other figures emerged from the courtyard, all of them in similar armour. The one in the lead was an older-looking man with short ginger hair, sporting a magnificent moustache and beard alongside his bushy eyebrows and stern face. A sabre was loosely hanging by his side, and he had a similar ring on his pinky finger as Chen Hao. He walked with confidence, each stride the same distance as the one before it.
The second was a young woman with extraordinarily long black hair that nearly reached the floor. With wide eyes, a creepy smile, and a horrifying long tongue, she resembled a creature that would show up in Jun’s nightmares. While everyone here wore the same armour, she had made an effort to stand out—bone hairpins in her hair, a necklace trapping a dead insect inside amber above her armour, beaded amethyst bracelets on her gauntlets, a silver chain with bells and charms around her waist. Various dolls, tied up using strings, were hung upon the crystal armour, which was painted red with closed eyes.
Lagging behind the two others, a teenager with short, spiky blue hair stopped for a few seconds before shaking himself and quickly sprinting to catch up. Then, he did it again and again, seemingly stuck in a never-ending loop. The dark circles under his drooping eyes, which he struggled to keep open, overshadowed the boy’s feline features. His armour looked a few sizes too big for him, and he was tightly hugging an incredibly long sword, a purple and blue blade interwoven with gold, creating lightning motifs throughout.
The soldier keeping watch over them quietly whispered to the leader of the squad before taking off, leaving only the five of them to stand in a circle.
“Right. They’ve informed me you may be a security hazard, but if you’re here, you’re either innocent or way above my pay grade. Thus, I’ll just assume the former,” the stern man quickly said with his bass-like voice.
“Before we introduce ourselves and all that, let me lay down some basics. This is the City of War, a bastion that separates humanity from the devils. Everything from here till the ravine is our territory. Everything beyond that has been infected by devils, who have crawled out of their plane and are playing pretend by imitating humans and building their empires. All you need to know is that devils are evil, and their favourite food is human souls.”
Both Chen Hao and Jun nodded along like dutiful students. Here was someone who understood the importance of being on the same page.
“There’s a lot of history behind all of this that you may pursue in your own free time, but the crux of the matter is that at some point, the local sects banded together to contain the ‘infection.’ Thus, this city and all of its strict measures were born. A place where everyone is equal, no matter if you’re from the four big sects, from numerous smaller ones, or even if you’re a loose cultivator like me. We’re all united in our hate against those soul-sucking bastards.”
“And from the city, the military system was born. I am a Platoon Chief, and from this day, you are a Recruit in my squad. Be proud of that! Have fire in your hearts! I will do my best to protect you as long as you listen to my orders!” The man passionately shouted, looking both the boy and the dog in the eyes. Just the fact that the leader included Jun made the dog the happiest he had been in a while. No one usually included him.
“Where was I? Right. Five people per squad—one from each major sect, and another one from the rest. From time to time, we get assigned missions that relate to devils, and more often than not, we get to fight with them until one side is gone from this world. In turn, the badge keeps track of our kills, and we get rewarded valor points, which can be used to claim rare treasures and mythical artifacts. Get enough of them, and even you can become a leader of your own squad.”
At some point, the bard had begun stomping his feet against the ground to imitate drums, making them louder with each and every word of their leader. By the end, Jun’s heart was pounding out of his chest with excitement. He was ready to march to the beat and slaughter devils by the handful! Jun was not going to be a merciful emperor, nay! He was going to be a warlord!