Chapter 86: This City Is So Empty!

The entire city was broadly divided into three parts. The first tier was the trade district, with commercial streets branching from the main avenue, open-air markets built along the cliffs, domed auction houses, and even a grand theater that Dennis spotted. Statues in the styles of various races, observation decks, and rest areas were also indispensable features.

As they walked through, they could almost imagine the days when countless races gathered here, shoulder to shoulder, as half the wealth of the Dawn Continent flowed through this place.

The second tier was the residential district, separated from the trade area by a drop of several dozen meters. Here, stone staircases appeared, along with a variety of masonry courtyards, wooden lofts, stone houses, and tree dwellings. Nestled among lush trees, these homes were mostly in ruins, victims of the passage of time.

The third tier was the elven palace, perched atop the highest ground. This plateau was a small fault upon the grand barrier, with a drop of nearly five hundred meters down to Moon Lake at its base. Moon Lake marked the beginning of the Great Canyon, rising several hundred meters above the endless Wolfbane Plain. So in truth, the palace stood even higher above the world than it appeared from below.

The adventuring party wandered through the residential district and, as dusk fell, decided to make camp there. Leo gazed at the empty city with a hint of regret. “So many buildings going unused—it’s a shame. Look, if no one repairs it, that courtyard’s going to collapse soon.”

Al grumbled, “Let it collapse! It’s not for you to live in anyway!”

“I wouldn’t want to, it’s a deathtrap!”

A young deer came bounding down the hillside, blinking in confusion at the adventurers setting up camp in the square. The group found it amusing and left it undisturbed. This was the sacred Atrium; they would rather gnaw on dry rations than hunt its creatures.

The little deer watched as they settled in, locking eyes with Freya. Freya happened to be crouched on the ground, gnawing enthusiastically on some dried meat Leo had produced, savoring every bite. Leo was overcome by paternal affection and couldn’t help but silently chide Master Bobak: “How could you just leave, as a guardian? Kids need to eat plenty when they’re growing!”

Master Bobak’s voice drifted gently into his mind: “Elven druids’ shapeshifting doesn’t require sustenance. They survive by absorbing the magic of nature. If Freya says she’s hungry, it’s pure gluttony.”

“What? So those three big flatbreads I gave her were all for nothing?” Leo was dumbfounded.

Master Bobak’s voice was laced with laughter. “Not at all. That was payment for her labor.”

As the two conversed, the little deer in front of the camp suddenly lowered its front legs, leaned back, opened its mouth, and shouted to Freya in a clear voice, “Come catch me, you big oaf! Nyeh-nyeh-nyeh!”

With that, it hopped away. “I’m going to eat you!” Freya thundered after it.

The group exchanged looks. Leo reassured them, “Don’t worry, just kids playing around.”

Dennis couldn’t help asking, “Leo, have you been here before?”

“No, I haven’t.”

“But you seem so familiar with the place, and…” Dennis gestured at Freya’s retreating back. In their eyes, this earth-colored rodent, as large as a bear, must be some kind of Atrium guardian, much like the bearfolk—yet she seemed so close to Leo, even somewhat dependent on him.

“Oh, she’s an elven druid, used to visit the Riverbend,” Leo replied vaguely.

“That’s incredible. I envy your life, Leo. It’s like you live in a fairytale,” Dennis said, genuinely admiring.

Leo didn’t wish to shatter the young noblewoman’s beautiful illusions, so he simply smiled and said nothing. In the wilds, when your fists are strong, life really is a fairytale—neighbors are friendly, full of song and cheer. If not, the fairytale turns to horror, and you might end up as someone’s next meal.

Still, meeting Freya was a heartwarming, storybook encounter. And the little mouse, too!

The next day, they climbed the tiered stone steps, ascending to the high ground where the palace stood. The palace was more cozy than grand, embodying the classic elven treehouse style. Only the marble foundations and entryways hinted at its regal nature.

Leaning against the sheer cliff of the great barrier, the palace’s foundation was laced with countless intertwined giant trees and vines, forming its main structure. Vines spread out from the palace, weaving suspended bridges that linked to various sections carved into the rock face.

Unfortunately, the white-furred ursine chieftain blocked their entry at the palace gates. “This is the Lord’s palace. No visitors allowed.”

They could only wander the gardens outside.

Standing at the edge of the plateau, their gaze swept over more than a hundred miles of foothills, granting them a sweeping view of all Wolfbane Plain. Eight hundred miles of mountain and river lay beneath the dawn, with streams and waterfalls gleaming like strands of silver. Out amid the wilds, smoke rose from the camps of tribes—whether of other races or wild folk, it was impossible to tell.

If it weren’t for the ever-present mists shrouding Wolfbane Plain, Leo might have seen the rooftops of Isenpol in the distance.

Dennis exclaimed, “Most adventurers exploring Wolfbane Plain set out from the northern Varangell, then make their way south or north after entering. Who would have thought the Atrium was tucked at the southern foot of the mountains!”

“Of course! Anyone standing here would understand why Grand Lord Chiselle chose this place to build a city. It’s just too beautiful!”

The Wolfbane Plain stretched more than a thousand miles from north to south, and over three hundred from east to west—almost five hundred miles if you included the mountain flanks of the great barrier. Altogether, it spanned over a hundred thousand square kilometers, about the size of Fujian Province.

Trying to search, on foot, for a magic-sealed ancient ruin hidden somewhere in an area that size was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Despite days of trekking, they were less than a hundred miles from Riverbend as the crow flies, with the great Anzenor Falls visible in the distance to their right.

Leo even noticed a suspended aqueduct stretching from the palace high ground straight down to the lake at the foot of the falls. Sadly, the channel broke off after several hundred meters, the rest lost to a thousand years of time.

“It seems this place is level with the lake at the waterfall’s base. If the aqueduct had survived, we could have reached the wildfolk’s village just by following it—a straight shot.”

The adventurers spent a full day in the Atrium before Dennis reluctantly announced, “Let’s go back.”

Leo, too, was deeply reluctant to leave. He couldn’t help but ask Master Bobak in his heart, “Master Bobak, can’t anyone live here anymore?”

Bobak, clearly understanding Leo’s thoughts, explained gently, “After the Atrium was sealed, only a few people can enter or leave, and only with Al’s permission. To lift the seal entirely, you would need to expend vast amounts of magical energy to activate the city’s core—something far beyond your ability right now.”

“Besides, after Lord Chiselle returned to the High Court, he has slumbered for centuries. Without his permission, no one can claim this city as their own.”

His little scheme seen through, Leo could only smile awkwardly. Stumbling upon a city was rarer than a pie falling from the sky.

He didn’t expect such good fortune. To have explored and broadened his horizons was already more than enough.