Even after a long moment, Zeke was unable to tear his eyes away from the sight in front of him. This place was so very different from what he had expected — from what anyone would expect to find in a desert.

Why was there so much water here?

Zeke’s eyes traced the many canals and waterfalls that dotted the entire city. The crystal clear streams were accentuated by the verdant greenery that seemed to be present everywhere. The palm trees and leafy plants appeared to be completely wild and untamed at first glance. However, when looking at the city as a whole, the vegetation gave off the impression that it was neatly arranged by a meticulous planner.

The city was situated in a valley, surrounded by sandstone cliffs and high walls, completely hiding it from the outside world. From his position at the gate, Zeke could overlook the entire place. He saw the many towering structures that were chiseled into the very walls of the valley, blending in perfectly with the natural beauty of the place.

[https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1063583644020654080/1188758128238526546/0863dacb-4ea2-4234-933d-3519b03d3c33_1.png?ex=659bb047&is=65893b47&hm=ff1f7031646626425c3e9549a768383077c4ffe71c71012a628303520d245916&=&format=webp&quality=lossless&width=893&height=502]

Many bridges and walkways connected the towering buildings and spirals on all levels. The lowest level of the city seemed to be the busiest place, with its sandy beaches and countless street vendors. Zeke let his eyes roam across the entire place, fascinated by the intricate architecture.

To him, it was obvious that the city had not formed organically — it was too perfect. This had to be the work of an ingenious architect. Otherwise, the many interconnected structures and bridges would never be so methodical without ever disturbing the overall scenery. Zeke found this place to be the ideal combination of nature and civilization. He immediately liked the place.

From what he could see, only two structures didn’t follow the overall theme of the city. One was the huge palace in the center of the valley. It towered over everything else and didn’t seem to be connected to any other building. Its round roofs immediately drew attention because of their gleaming shine. If Zeke's guess was correct, then they were made from solid gold. This was a fortune that left even him breathless.

The other building that stood out was undoubtedly the famous Rings of Samsara. Even from here, he could hear the commotion from the countless spectators. The structure wasn’t actually a single building, but an interconnected complex of several ‘rings’. The smallest of them was only big enough to house a couple dozen spectators while the biggest circle was even larger than the main arena in Arkanheim, able to seat thousands comfortably.

“Quite impressive, isn’t it?” Rahul said as he came to a halt between Zeke and Leo.

Zeke wordlessly nodded. It was indeed impressive; this was the most beautiful city he had ever seen. Everything seemed to be clean and tidy. What’s more, even after looking everywhere, Zeke had not seen anything resembling a slum or poor area. The city appeared to be prosperous beyond belief.

Reluctantly, he tore his gaze away from the sight and turned to Leo. “This is where we part ways, Keo.”

Leo nodded, also turning to face him. “Don’t take too long, otherwise I might already be crowned champion.”

There was a fire in Leo’s gaze that was hard to miss. Zeke knew that his brother was looking forward to the day they would once again meet in the arena. Last time, Zeke had emerged victorious, but that only served to fuel Leo’s ambitions.

Even so, Zeke smiled leisurely. He was confident in his chances of winning again if they were to meet in the arena. After all, his new trump card was exceptional. “We’ll see about that.”

Zeke punched his brother’s shoulder playfully before making his way to the broad sandstone walkway leading down to the city. He would see Leo again soon, but for now, he couldn’t wait to explore this city.

***

Zeke had spent the last couple of hours exploring the city, and even from up close, it was just as beautiful. However, there was a sour expression on his face as he traversed the busy streets. The reason for that was obvious at first glance. Wherever he went, people stared at him. Often, they even pointed and whispered.

Whenever he tried to ask for directions, most would either ignore or actively avoid him. Because of that, it had taken him this long to even find out on what street the residence of the Gemkar family was. But at this point, he didn’t have much hope of being given an audience.

As he made his way down the idyllic street, he heard the now all too familiar giggling from his left. Turning his head, he saw a group of young women boldly staring at him. Zeke wasn’t self-conscious by any means, but there was something in their gaze that made him uncomfortable… and a bit angry. They seemed to be looking at him like he was some sort of rare animal to be gawked at.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Zeke stopped and looked back at them. The two women walking at the front had the typical brown skin and black hair of Korrovan natives. Their faces could be called average at best. One of them had small eyes and thin lips, while the other one had a huge nose. However, their flowing, silken dresses and tasteful jewelry made them appear rather elegant, despite their average appearance.

Behind them stood three other girls, all of them foreigners. Here in Swarnaloka, it wasn’t rare to see people with skin even paler than his. In fact, it was just the opposite. The city was quite diverse. It was just that all of them wore the collar.

Ever since entering the city, Zeke hadn’t seen a single foreigner who wasn’t wearing a collar. Furthermore, they never walked around unsupervised. By now, he was pretty certain there was a law here that forbade slaves from roaming the streets alone.

“What are you looking at, Paradashi?” the bolder of the two women asked.

Zeke merely shook his head and walked away. He knew better than to get into a fight right now. For one, he was just a lone outsider without any backing. But also, he didn’t know the laws of this place. Who knew what kind of trouble he might find himself in if the situation escalated?

Turning another corner, Zeke found himself very close to the middle section of the Rings of Samsara. The structure was simply massive. There were five rings in total, and their different sizes gave the building the shape of a horn. The ring Zeke was walking past appeared to be large enough to seat at least a couple hundred people.

From inside, he could hear the cheering of the crowd, much louder now. The noise reminded him of his time in the empire. He couldn’t help but remember those days fondly. Back then, he still had Maximilian at his side, sheltering him from the storms and rain. His only worry used to be how to perform well in his exams.

A wistful smile appeared on his face, but his resolve quickly swept it away. He could ill afford to get sentimental now, not if he wanted to make good use of the gifts Maximilian had entrusted to him. He would make his mentor proud, no matter the cost.

Just then, a solitary figure passed on his left. It was a giant of a man with dark brown hair reaching all the way to his lower back. Zeke stared up at him. He, himself, was by no means short, but this person towered over him by almost a step. However, it wasn’t only the man’s size that was abnormal. But the most surprising part was the way the other pedestrians treated this man. Different from how they looked at Zeke, their eyes lit up when they looked at the giant.

This was strange. Even though the man was wearing a collar, the locals seemed to have nothing but respect for him. Interested in his identity, Zeke decided to follow the giant but was barely able to keep up with the man’s casual stride. Thankfully, the mystery was solved right away as he entered through the nearby gate to the Rings of Samsara.

Zeke’s eyes lingered on the entrance for a while, deep in thought. So, the giant was a Rana Samrat. It seemed to be true that the famous fighters had quite the status in this city. This was good to know, as his backup plan relied on this fact.

Should he go in and watch a couple of fights? No, he had something more important to do. His primary goal was to search for the whereabouts of the liquid black metal, after all. If he got lucky, the Gemkar family kept their treasured fountain here in the capital. If he could convince them to sell it, he might not even need his backup plan.

Turning away from the entrance, Zeke continued on his way.

***

The day had grown late by the time Zeke finally approached the elegant sandstone building belonging to the Gemkar family. He had finally made it. With a spring in his step, he approached the front door.

The tasteful bell released a melodious chime as Zeke pulled on its string. Moments later, the door opened and a smartly dressed man emerged. His skin was tanned, but he was clearly not a native either, evidenced by the collar around his neck. The man looked Zeke up and down, before raising a single brow. “What can I do for you… sir?”

Zeke's brows furrowed. He got the distinct impression that even this doorman was looking down on him. Nevertheless, he plastered on a smile and looked him straight in the eye. “I am here for an audience with a member of the Gemkar family.”

“…Regarding?” the man asked.

“A business deal,” Zeke replied.

He had no intention of outright stating the purpose of his visit. There was no telling how much a savvy merchant would raise the price if they knew how far he had traveled just to acquire the fountain.

The man sighed. “I am afraid the master isn’t available.”

Zeke wasn’t deterred in the least. He had time, after all. “That is fine, I would be willing to make an appointment for a later date as well.”

The man sighed once again. “No, no, no. You don’t understand. The master isn’t available… for you.”

Zeke clenched his fist but relaxed it right after. He had expected this, after all. Still, it was too early to give up. “If it is a question of money, then I can assure you that—”

“It is not,” the doorman said, cutting him off and slamming the door shut in his face.

Zeke stepped back and glared at the building. But his gaze softened soon after. Honestly, this wasn’t the doorman’s fault. In Tradespire, people often came to his estate in order to propose some sort of business deal. Zeke had met with a couple of them during his early days, but it had always turned out to be a waste of time. After a while, he had instructed David to turn them away at the door. Unless it was someone of great renown, he hadn’t bothered to meet with them.

“I guess it’s plan B, after all.” With a tired sigh, Zeke walked away.

Even so, despite this latest setback, the day had not been a complete waste. Thanks to Akasha’s assistance, he was getting familiar with the city. Now, he knew where the Rings of Samsara were, the Gemkar family home, and even the rough location of the Lion’s Den.

His feet carried him back the way he came, straight towards an inn he had noticed earlier. It was close to the Rings of Samsara and one of the few places where foreigners were welcome. He still intended to lay low for a couple of days to give Leo a head start. His mind was already arranging his tasks for the next few days — research, training, information gathering.

As he walked, his gaze was inevitably drawn to the massive structure in the distance. Even at this hour, the roaring of the crowd could be heard. A smile spread across his face as he imagined himself standing victorious in the arena once more. Despite everything, he couldn’t deny that he was a little bit excited as well.

The roaring of the crowd lit a fire deep inside his chest.