Chapter 25: Everlite City

The Dawnstar Federation was notorious for its strict regulations and control. Lacking any official identification, Ain couldn’t enter Everlite City or any of the major cities for that matter.

With the Federation’s meticulous control, it seemed contradictory for unregistered citizens to exist.

To understand this, one must realize that mortals without power couldn’t threaten the Dawnstar Federation. And as long as newly awakened spirit masters were controlled, the slum outside the city walls was inconsequential.

Moreover, Sage and Livia were better informed. Would the city truly be unaware of who these unregistered citizens were?

“Ain, follow along. You are a spirit master now. Identification will no longer be an issue,” Sage stated calmly, commencing the short journey towards the city gates. Livia patted Ain’s shoulder as she walked past, beckoning him to follow.

After some brief consideration, Ain found their words to be reasonable.

With rising anticipation, he hurriedly followed behind Sage and Livia. At their leisurely pace, experiencing the soft breeze and swaying grass, it took them half an hour to reach the city.

Before them, the magnificent city gates were closed, reflecting a metallic silver luster, standing dauntingly tall. An orderly crowd formed at the numerous smaller gates nearby, awaiting the city guards’ routine inspections.

A rowdy atmosphere permeated the region due to the bustling traffic.

Ain was prepared to join the queue. However, Sage and Livia continued onwards, simply walking past everyone.

“Ain, keep up,” Livia called out, glancing back at Ain.

“Okay.” Although confused, Ain hastily followed behind. Glancing around, he realized no one paid them any mind. Even as they bypassed the guards, they remained unresponsive, as if they hadn’t seen them.

Could it be… we’re invisible right now? Ain suddenly realized. He turned towards Livia hesitantly, wanting to confirm. Would speaking now ruin everything?

Sensing Ain’s gaze, Livia chuckled, “You can speak. They will not hear anything.”

With this precedent, Ain was relieved and asked, “We’re invisible, right?”

“Correct. It is boring to wait our turn,” Livia responded with a smile.

“But shouldn’t I get an identification at the gate?” Ain asked.

“Spirit masters must register with the Spirit Master Association. You will only receive a temporary identification here,” Livia answered, well aware of the Federation’s system.

Ain nodded upon hearing this. It was obviously better to save some time.

Just like that, the trio simply waltzed into Everlite City, with the guards none the wiser of their presence.

Once Ain stepped inside, Wisdom Root immediately responded, sending him a stream of information.

[Quest: A Way Back Home (Completed)]

[Description: Lost in a dark forest, which path leads back home? Navigate the forest and return to Everlite City. Maybe the moon can be your guide.]

[Reward: Heavenly Whispers x1]

The quest is complete. Now I have three Heavenly Whispers. Ain noted internally before glancing around with immense curiosity.

The sights before him were vastly different from the dilapidation familiar to him.

The streets were wider and orderly. A multitude of unique and colorful buildings competed for his attention, rising high up into the clear blue skies. Giant shimmering screens and displays were plentiful, showing immersive promotions and welcoming messages.

The slums weren’t completely devoid of technology. Basic infrastructure existed to some extent, but technological luxuries were beyond Ain’s grasp.

Even the personal rovers, used for transportation, appeared much fancier and lavish here.

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All around, thriving people dressed in neat and fashionable attire busied themselves, reflecting the city’s tremendous vitality.

For the first time, Ain witnessed spirit pets casually accompany their spirit masters, strolling about with leisure. He saw unique birds, insects, reptiles, mammals, and even mechanical creations exuding aether fluctuations.

This sight couldn’t be imagined at the southern gates. Influenced by the slum, the proximal region was devoid of spirit masters, appearing like a completely different world.

Sage and Livia noted Ain’s bright eyes, allowing him time to fulfill his intrigue.

After strutting around for about ten minutes, Ain simply sighed. The disparity marked by the tall walls was immense. Fortunately, he was no longer the same.

When Ain recovered his composure, Sage said, “Livia, how about you accompany Ain while I attend to our business here?”

Livia readily agreed, “Go ahead, Director. We will head over to the Spirit Master Association.”

Ain watched on quietly, feeling a little speechless. So they weren’t going to let him go yet?

At this point, he’d stopped feeling apprehensive. Their company was unusually comfortable. They truly didn’t mean any harm.

As Sage’s back vanished into the crowd, Livia stared at Ain, humming to herself. “Hmm…”

Soon, just as Ain was growing uncomfortable, she nodded, “You need new clothes.”

Hearing her words, Ain glanced down, inspecting his attire. Indeed. A change of clothes was necessary.

Recalling his two spare outfits, he said, “I have some clothes at home.”

“No. We will get new clothes,” Livia replied, her strict tone disallowing any form of rebuttal. This stern demeanor harmonized better with her appearance than the gentleness she’d exhibited so far.

Sensing the invisible authority, Ain easily relented, “Alright.”

Upon further consideration, new clothes didn’t seem like a bad idea. He’d instinctively refused due to years of poverty, but things were no longer the same. He was now a spirit master, and he’d looted over 12,000 starcoins from Carl and Mason.

Moreover, despite living a destitute life, he’d always yearned for a neater appearance. This desire only propagated upon witnessing Sage and Livia’s elegance. From the depths of his heart, he yearned to be like them, unsullied and flawless.

“Let me search for the best clothing stores in the city,” Livia said, revealing excitement at the prospect of shopping.

With the flick of her fingers, a silver bracelet suddenly appeared on her wrist. After she touched its surface, a blue holographic screen emerged. Soon, Livia was immersed browsing through various clothing stores.

A hololink! Ain exclaimed internally upon witnessing this scene.

Hololinks were personal communication devices, most commonly in the shape of a bracelet. The holographic display served as both a screen and an interface. Hololinks possessed various functions, but their greatest significance was allowing access to Cyberspace.

Cyberspace was unique to the Dawnstar Federation, with its influence extending even beyond.

Dawnstar Federation was founded by Sovereign Auto Augustus, the most recent Sovereign in history. Within decades of its establishment, the Federation suppressed the entire world. This achievement was inseparable from Sovereign Auto Augustus, who single-handedly pioneered the path of machinists and mechanical pets, ushering in the Technological Age.

During his glorious reign, his proudest achievement was Cyberspace, a vast virtual network encompassing the entire Dawnstar Archipelago, allowing access to unending information, rapid communication, and much more.

Hololinks were relatively inexpensive, though still beyond Ain’s previous reach. He’d seen numerous wrists adorning these bracelets over the years.

He waited patiently as Livia fiddled with the holographic interface, glancing around at the lively city. Spirit masters were aplenty, a few visible with each casual glance. The regular people didn’t seem to mind, just maintaining a safe distance.

Ain saw a giant bear, almost four meters tall, dashing alongside some low-flying rovers, carrying a team of spirit masters towards the city gate. This fantastical sight brought an expectant smile to his face.

A few minutes later, Livia finally concluded her search before dragging him away for shopping. Of course, she didn’t really drag him, but directly teleported with him. Even so, nobody seemed to notice anything.

It wasn’t until they entered a colorful and luxuriously decorated clothing store, Penny’s Style, that their presence finally became known. Livia attracted countless gazes, some pausing mid-sentence to gawk. A nearby couple even erupted into an intense argument as the man’s secret glimpses were discovered.

The unwanted gazes brought immense discomfort to Ain. Accompanying the elegant Livia, he stood out like a sore thumb, garnering several disdainful eyes.

Under Livia’s lead, they ignored the gazes, venturing deeper into Penny’s Style. Soon, a vast display of clothes unfolded in their sight, encompassing various styles, serving to test Ain’s ignorance.

Types of garments he’d never seen suddenly appeared before him.

After glancing around for a while, in this elaborate confusion, any familiar piece of clothing brought tears to Ain’s weary eyes, like a drowning sailor discovering a lifeboat amidst a shipwreck.

“Ain, what do you think of pink? Do you like it?” Livia held up a vibrant pink shirt, comparing it against Ain. Strangely enough, the shirt lacked an arm with yellow tiger stripes covering the sole sleeve. There were buttons until about halfway as the bottom extended to his knees.

Ain stared at the bizarre shirt stiffly. What is this even…

Observing the skepticism in his eyes, Livia chuckled, “I was just joking. Pink does not suit you.”

Is that the only reason? Ain found himself retorting. From every angle, this shirt could only be seen as ‘strange.’

As he was becoming uncertain of Livia’s choices, she laughed and picked out five outfits in quick succession, “Then, what about these?”

Hearing this, Ain glanced over unsurely. Expecting to see some peculiar pieces, he was instead surprised at the clothes’ standard appearance.

The designs were simplistic, consisting of white, black, and shades of purples. With some astute observation, delicate embroidery could be discerned in the fabrics, adding hints of elegant charm while maintaining a youthful aura.

The clothes were refined and elegant, without being conspicuous.

A smile graced Ain’s lips as he touched the fabric, his hands unconsciously shifting towards the price tag. As his eyes glanced over the numbers, his smile suddenly twitched.

16,000 starcoins… just for one shirt.