When Shi Canghai returned to his residence in Angel City, the first thing he did was lock himself inside the room that belonged solely to him.
The entire room was decorated in a very austere manner. This very coldness happened to perfectly outline his state of mind.
Shi Canghai lay on the bed; beneath him was an extremely comfortable and soft mattress. Lying on it felt as though even his body relaxed along with the softness. A peaceful and serene atmosphere permeated every corner.
He remembered how, on the ride back, he sat in the car and looked out the window. People by the roadside would curiously look in their direction. There was not a trace of fear or panic in their eyes. Those were eyes possessed only by people who were fully immersed in a peaceful world.
Shi Canghai closed his eyes, as if he had returned to the library. Though their library served as a place of “teachers”, in reality, it was looked down upon by these mobile cities. The “students” who go there were arrogant and condescending, treating the intellectuals of their city like animals.
Either hitting or scolding.
Even when the upper ranks of these mobile cities came to the library, many people didn’t even dare to get close to them.
Shi Canghai had once visited other mobile cities as well, using his wealth of knowledge to offer guidance. At that time, he had also seen the residents of those other mobile cities. The fear those lowest-class people held toward him was the same fear their own people had toward the upper echelons of other mobile cities.
Heads lowered, shoulders hunched, as if trying to curl into the smallest shape possible to avoid being seen. What he could see was only the tops of their heads; he couldn’t even see their faces.
But in Angel City, everyone could look up and meet his gaze. Not only at him, but even at Yuan Sanjin as well.
He saw Yuan Sanjin, despite being the Deputy City Lord, able to easily play and joke around with the children in the city.
The upper ranks didn’t need excessive protection when they went out, because there was no danger within this city. Everyone was wholeheartedly protecting this city.
Maybe it was because there were so few people, and added to that, the despair of the apocalypse. As time went on, the differences in each person began to develop. By then, perhaps it would no longer be possible to maintain the same peace they had now.
When everyone else had been shocked by that world-shattering, heaven-destroying military parade, Shi Canghai had always kept his eyes on the City Lord, He Fang.
That man was not a bloodthirsty tyrant. His gaze was clear and pure, yet he even intended to overthrow the twisted regime of the apocalypse and recreate a world of peace.
And in fact, looking at the long term, if their mobility were to completely cease, then the resources in the places where they settled could all be put to use. For City Lord He Fang, simply collecting a little bit of tax held no real significance. In the future, they could even reestablish a nation of their own.
But the future would fall into another kind of conflict.
Shi Canghai understood deeply what kind of disputes would be triggered once land could be claimed again. People would certainly do countless irrational things to seize territory.
So He Fang made a promise—the right of protection. They would protect the friendly cities that paid taxes, fundamentally cutting off any possibility of conflict between cities within that region.
This wasn’t the art of empire.
This was… compassion.
Shi Canghai unconsciously wrapped his arms around himself. Only then did he realize that he was trembling all over from the overwhelming power. That apocalyptic scene—world-destroying, sun-extinguishing—spread through his mind. That was no longer just strength.
That was a true god.
Human beings could not possibly contend against a god.
In Shi Canghai’s eyes, that mech in the form of a Thunder Tiger had already completely surpassed the category of what could be called a mech. What was truly filling the inside of that machine should’ve been the soul of a god. But… but what about those two people?
That overwhelming force—vast enough to easily wipe out an entire city. Was that power something that belonged to this world?
However, not long after, Shi Canghai’s emotions gradually calmed down. And then, he laughed.
He laughed like a fool. He didn’t even know what exactly he was laughing at. He just laughed.
He remembered that when he was previously observing Hope City, he saw a school. Perhaps because they knew he was the City Lord of the Library City, someone had invited him to go in and take a look.
Inside the school of Hope City, the sound of teaching drifted out from the classrooms. He looked through a window and could tell the teacher was giving a lesson on learning to read. Sitting at the very front were children of the same age. He froze for a moment. He checked several different classrooms. Though the lessons varied, in every room, the children were all around the same age.
“If no one knows how to read, then why not just teach everyone in the same class together?” Shi Canghai had seen many classes where students of different age groups were learning the same material.
“It was the City Lord’s order,” the teacher accompanying him during the visit had replied. “He said children of the same age should study together. In the main city, this is how it’s done. Children of the same age attend the same classes, grow up together, take college entrance exams together, and learn different kinds of knowledge. This is also a form of communication and exchange.”
“Different ages might have difficulty communicating, so we try to keep children of the same age together as much as possible.”
“But… if they’re all allowed to study, then…” However, Shi Canghai didn’t finish that sentence in the end.
He would allow the people in his city to study, but he would absolutely not give them dedicated time for learning. It would only be through exposure, through moments of free time during the city’s maintenance, through self-study or instruction from those around them. A mobile city needed to function, and no matter how many people it had, it was never enough to keep such a massive city running.
In the apocalypse, the cheapest thing was labor.
“What’s wrong?” the other person asked.
“Nothing,” Shi Canghai replied as he looked at the long corridor of the school building, his gaze deeply complex. He unconsciously clenched his fists, feeling the narrowness of his own perspective. “It’s just… I was thinking, maybe if there hadn’t been the Nightmare Beast Seeds, the world wouldn’t have turned out like this.”
“Yes, this world is desolate. Though it’s ironic, in my eyes, if there were no Creator in this world, then there would be nothing at all.”
Shi Canghai’s heart stirred. The Creator? He immediately realized that this teacher was from Mirage. Of course—her appearance and bearing, it should’ve been obvious from the first glance.
“We truly… failed to protect our world.”
“That’s not it,” the exceptionally elegant female teacher gently adjusted her glasses and smiled as she said, “Every city has its own uniqueness. Some may appear extraordinarily prosperous, but in truth, they are nothing but empty shells. If a single part collapses, the whole thing will crumble. But the beautiful world the Creator made for us will not vanish just because one part falls.”
At the time, Shi Canghai didn’t fully understand what that teacher meant. But now, he did.
Shi Canghai returned from his memories and opened his terminal. On it was the Friendly City Agreement, and the terms written there perfectly illustrated He Fang’s thinking—as a city lord, and as the Creator of Mirage.
At the end of the Friendly City Agreement, he saw another contract. One that belonged solely to him. It was the Alliance City Agreement.
There was a knock on the door. His guard’s voice came through: “City Lord, Deputy City Lord Yuan Sanjin of Angel City is here. He says the vehicle to send us off is ready.”
Shi Canghai sat up. “Understood.”
He hadn’t expected that they would be sent away so quickly right after the military parade ended.
Originally, Shi Canghai had thought that, judging by City Lord He Fang’s character, they would be allowed to stay a little longer. But now they were being hurried out so soon.
He stood up, opened the door, and walked outside.
Probably to avoid trouble the longer things dragged on. If he were He Fang, he too would think that letting these unstable factors leave his city as soon as possible was the right decision. To protect one’s own citizens, even the gentlest person must carry a sharp edge.
“It was a pleasure to meet with you this time. I hope that you, City Lord of the Library, will seriously consider our agreement. Starting today, in fifteen days, the Divine Lord’s miracle will descend. Ordinary land will be transformed into holy land. After that, Hope City will begin clearing out all mobile cities that remain on the holy land to ensure its purity. So I hope you’ll make your decision soon.”
Yuan Sanjin smiled as he gazed at Shi Canghai. And from Yuan Sanjin’s eyes, Shi Canghai saw expectation.
At that moment, the voice of that teacher echoed in his ears: “I hope that after you become our teacher, you can guide these children with even more care. Each of them is the Creator’s most beloved… spark… of life. We’re also looking forward to your arrival, to teach us more knowledge we don’t yet know. I believe that will greatly reduce the workload of our City Lord.”
Shi Canghai’s expression softened. He felt that he could already make a decision.
“There’s also this.” Yuan Sanjin took something from the hands of the person beside him. It was a sculpture of the Divine Lord. Exceptionally exquisite, not large, and could be held in both hands. “This is a sculpture of our revered god, the Divine Lord. We hope you may forever keep your faith.”
Looking at the sculpture, Shi Canghai gave a wry smile. Unlike Angel City, they had always been pure atheists. Suddenly asking him to have faith in a god, even after witnessing it with his own eyes, was still something hard to believe in wholeheartedly.
At that moment, an anxious voice called out from the side: “Deputy City Lord! Deputy City Lord!”
Shi Canghai and Yuan Sanjin both turned their heads and saw someone rushing over in a panic. “One of our people suddenly started convulsing all over. It looks like something’s wrong. Can we take him to the hospital?”
Shi Canghai looked at Yuan Sanjin, and a sinking feeling rose in his heart. They want to use this method to stay a bit longer. But what exactly are they thinking? No one could say for sure.
However, Yuan Sanjin simply smiled and walked in the direction the man had indicated. Shi Canghai, as if under some unseen compulsion, followed along as well.
When he saw the man already convulsing on the ground, his eyelid twitched. This wasn’t an act. It was likely that some method had been used to deliberately trigger this reaction in him.
Yuan Sanjin looked at the man, then knelt beside him and began to pray toward the sky.
As Yuan Sanjin prayed, the man’s condition actually began to improve little by little. Everyone watched as the spasms ceased, his breathing calmed, and in the end, he lay half-reclined on the ground. The pain-distorted expression on his face gradually relaxed and returned to normal.
Shi Canghai was utterly shocked. The power of prayer?
“He should recover after resting for about half an hour. Please believe that the Divine Lord will not allow you all to die so easily,” Yuan Sanjin said with a smile. Under the stunned gazes of the others, he led Shi Canghai away.
Shi Canghai looked at Yuan Sanjin and couldn’t help but ask, “Just now… that was…”
“It was prayer asking the Divine Lord to cure illness,” Yuan Sanjin replied with a gentle smile.
“But… if illness can be cured like that, then what’s the point of medicine?” Shi Canghai felt as though his entire worldview had just been turned upside down.
Yuan Sanjin simply gave a faint smile and shook his head. “I’m telling you this only because you are City Lord Shi Canghai. Not everything can be asked of the Divine Lord. This time, because City Lord He Fang personally gave the order for us to safely escort all of you out of the city, we were granted the right to pray for the Divine Lord’s help.”
Shi Canghai instantly understood. His expression turned a bit strange. So in other words, it wasn’t that He Fang served the Divine Lord—
It was that the Divine Lord obeyed He Fang?
A human… commanding a god?
Shi Canghai’s mind was in chaos. No matter the moment, City Lord He Fang always managed to present him with an even greater surprise.
“We need to carry out City Lord’s orders perfectly, so I won’t allow any mistakes in the missions I’m given. That’s why…”
Suddenly, the usually gentle Deputy City Lord of Angel City, Yuan Sanjin, revealed a rare trace of pride. “I won’t let anyone interfere with my work. Even if they’re sick or even on the verge of death, I’ll make sure they stay alive until they’re outside the city. Only then can they die.”
Shi Canghai looked at Yuan Sanjin’s serious expression. At first, he found it a little cute, but thinking more carefully, he realized that this person was truly the deputy city lord of a powerful city. What had begun as a teasing smile slowly turned into bitterness.
“Your eyes are telling me that you’re envious of me,” Yuan Sanjin suddenly said, directly pointing out his thoughts.
“Mm,” Shi Canghai didn’t deny it.
“When we were first brought into the City Alliance, we were deeply afraid,” Yuan Sanjin said as he led Shi Canghai into the vehicle. “But then we saw faith. We came to revere faith. Once a person has faith, there is nothing left to fear.”
Shi Canghai’s expression turned a little helpless. He understood that Yuan Sanjin was trying to comfort him. “Thank you.”
But unlike the people of Angel City, who held to faith, his people only had an endless pursuit of knowledge.
Noticing Shi Canghai’s perfunctory reply, Yuan Sanjin continued slowly this time: “In City Lord He Fang’s city, the role of teacher is one that is deeply respected. Perhaps Angel City cannot offer you a wealth of knowledge, but it can give you respect and a stable life.”
Shi Canghai smiled. “No, Mirage can give me knowledge I couldn’t even imagine. That man named Zhu Yan… Just by looking at him, you can tell he has the eyes of someone who possesses great wisdom.”
Yuan Sanjin blinked and nodded. “If your goal is the Main City, then you’ll probably need to work much harder. Right now, countless people are hoping to obtain a main-city citizenship. And ever since Hope City was founded, only one person has received it.”
Shi Canghai held the sculpture of the Divine Lord in his hands, and his gaze softened slightly. At this moment, the two of them were simply chatting like friends. And in truth, his demeanor had already begun to show signs of yielding to Yuan Sanjin, something the latter could see. That was why he was now being treated so well.
“As long as you all can hold on until fifteen days later, we will come to help you.” Yuan Sanjin lowered her voice and said to Shi Canghai, “We’ve calculated the movement speed of the mobile city. Even if they want to drive the library beyond the boundary we marked, it’ll still take fifteen days. During this time, you need to stall as much as possible on your own.”
Shi Canghai nodded. Then, he suddenly asked, “Did City Lord He Fang designate the entire area just for the sake of the library?”
“I don’t know.” Yuan Sanjin didn’t know what He Fang was truly thinking, nor would she presume to guess. “But City Lord He Fang has always been committed to building a peaceful city.”
So… would it be fair to say he also wanted a peaceful world? Although Shi Canghai wanted to ask this, in the end, he said nothing and turned to leave.
At the frontier of Angel City, just as they were about to depart, Yuan Sanjin suddenly spoke behind him.
“The battlefield for the military parade was personally instructed by the city lord. It’s a place specially prepared for your city.” Yuan Sanjin’s smile didn’t change. She didn’t carry the air of a deputy city lord at all, yet there was a faint aura of authority around her. “I hope you won’t break your word to our Creator.”
Shi Canghai gave a nod.
Then he returned to the vehicle he had arrived in and left.
He fiddled with the sculpture of the Divine Lord in his hand. The sculpture was crafted with exquisite detail. If even such a small statue was made with this much care, it was hard to imagine how perfect the statue of the Divine Lord inside Mirage must be.
As long as he closed his eyes, he could recall that astonishing scene when the enormous statue suddenly appeared before everyone. It seemed capable of swallowing sunlight and saving humanity. On his terminal, he still had a rather roughly-made promotional video from Hope City, in which there was even footage of a human being resurrected.
All of this pointed to one thing: the world was already on the verge of transformation because of it.
It was said that Mirage was located deep within the endless Nightmare Beast Forest. But that area was, in fact, originally an ordinary city that had been swallowed by the Nightmare Beast seeds.
That place was once the most prosperous region in the entire world. A place belonging to a superpower that made the world tremble in awe. It had once held a population of twenty million people, but it also became the site where the largest Nightmare Beast seed outbreak occurred.
After parasitizing humans, the Nightmare Beast, driven by the instinct to reproduce, boarded airplanes and arrived in this, the world’s largest city. Then, it spread with terrifying speed. By the time humans realized what was happening, it was already too late. The entire city was swiftly swallowed by the Nightmare Beast Forest.
Because of the massive population, there were many available hosts. Humanity suffered its most devastating extinction event during that time. And this city became the very birthplace of the oldest Nightmare Beast Forest.
To prevent the countless revived nightmare plants in that city from spreading further, humans dug massive trenches around the entire perimeter and used all sorts of abilities to perform a complete chemical purge. This renders the area utterly inhospitable, to the point where no lifeform could ever grow again. At last, they sealed this uncontrollable Nightmare Beast Forest completely.
The surrounding cities quickly evacuated. At that time, no weapons against the Nightmare Beasts had yet been developed. The remaining soldiers used their own bodies to draw the Nightmare Beasts’ attention, using countless lives to completely bury this horrific Nightmare Beast Forest in that land.
It was the bloodiest first battle in human history.
All of this was recorded in the history books with detailed accounts of how many experiments were conducted in that forest. Even nuclear bombs had been deployed within it.
But the Nightmare Beast seed cannot be killed. As long as even a single seed can find a host, the Nightmare Beast Forest will inevitably grow again. Yet, that land, ravaged and desecrated, should no longer be able to sustain any form of life, let alone human life.
Shi Canghai narrowed his eyes. He remembered the people from Mirage. Each one possessed incomprehensibly powerful abilities.
In a place where no life should have been able to exist, such terrifying lifeforms had emerged. This had already surpassed the limits of human understanding and evolved into something unimaginable.
Was that how they were able to build a city within the Nightmare Beast Forest?
It was almost as if… they were true gods.
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