The guards at Blackstone City confirmed the identities of the four and allowed them to enter. As they had never been far from Eagle Eye City due to their daily study duties and societal responsibilities, it was their first time in such an unfamiliar place, and they couldn't help but feel excited.
Blackstone City was a bustling underground metropolis, home to a variety of civilizations. The streets were crowded with people of all races, and the market was full of all sorts of goods, making the four of them dizzy with amazement. The two young women, especially, slowed down as they saw clothing from various cultures displayed on the stalls. Meanwhile, Ber Yi, drawn in by the aroma of unfamiliar street foods, wandered off, drifting further and further away from the others.
Yuwang, although curious, believed that delivering the letter for help was the most important task. He called out to the others, "You three wait here in the market, I'll deliver the letter and come back to find you!"
"Sure! Yuwang, you're the best!" said Chang Xi, pulling Sofia quickly into the market. Ber Yi, already distracted by food, waved his hand without turning back, "Got it, you go ahead, I'll take care of things here!" And with that, he wandered off toward the food area.
Yuwang shook his head and continued following the guard who was leading him. After a short while, they boarded an underground transport, arriving at the Blackstone City council hall. (In addition to Ketu, there were six other major cities, each with a council representing different civilizations. Blackstone City represented the diverse civilizations of the former Asian region.)
Due to the recent appearance of the Giant race, all district leaders had gone to Ketu for a meeting. As such, Vice President Mahamoud received Yuwang instead. After reviewing the letter, Mahamoud explained that the mech army's raid was likely linked to the sniping of the Giant race's envoy. Since they had been repelled, another attack was unlikely to happen soon. He would send the letter to Ketu for further instructions and arrange support afterward. He asked Yuwang and his companions to wait, assigning them temporary lodging.
Five days later, a messenger arrived at the group's residence.
"Are you Yuwang, the envoy from Eagle Eye City?" a well-dressed figure, likely a council member, knocked on the door.
Yuwang invited the messenger inside and was about to offer tea when the messenger waved his hand, "I'm busy, I'll be brief."
"The President has replied," the messenger said, "The head of state has agreed to send an additional defense regiment to Eagle Eye City. One battalion will be drawn from Blackstone City. The Vice President says the troops need a bit of preparation, but they should be ready to depart in two days. You can wait here for two more days and travel with the troops."
With that, the messenger turned to leave. At the door, he glanced back and added, "And here's some good news. Ketu has formed an alliance with the Giants—well, no, the Gods. The rumors were true—they are not ordinary beings; they were sent by Myopithian, one of the three major gods of the Brahmanic faith, to save us! Now, all cities have received orders to build temples to the gods, and there will be a competition to select 'envoys' who will represent humanity in interacting with the gods. The competition begins tomorrow! It's going to be quite the spectacle, you should go see it if you have time."
"There's a competition? That's great! I've spent my whole life either fighting or preparing for battle, never had a chance to see a real competition like those from ancient times. Finally, I can witness one myself!" Ber Yi exclaimed after the messenger left.
The next morning, Ber Yi, who was not exactly an early riser, woke up early, ready to gather his companions. But when he looked around, he noticed Yuwang's bed was already neatly made. He thought to himself, "Looks like this guy is even more excited than I am, or maybe he's taken the two girls to the competition without telling me?"
With that, he hurriedly finished his morning routine and went to knock on Chang Xi and Sofia's door.
"Is that Yuwang?" Chang Xi's voice came from inside.
"Of course, it's your charming and handsome big brother, Ber Yi!" he said, slickly running his hand through his hair, though they couldn't see him.
"Got it, handsome, we'll be out soon!" Chang Xi replied, used to his teasing.
As Ber Yi waited for them to finish getting ready, he couldn't help but wonder, "Where's Yuwang gone off to this time?"
Two hours earlier, outside Blackstone City, at Mirror Moon Lake.
It turned out that Yuwang had woken up in the middle of the night and couldn't get back to sleep. He remembered the beautiful lake outside the city. After glancing at the soundly sleeping Ber Yi, he quietly dressed and headed out of the city. As a messenger, the guards didn't stop him, and he soon reached the lake.
He warmed up a little, then stripped off his clothes and jumped into the freezing cold water. The chill was even worse than he expected, and after a short swim, he climbed out to rest and warm up. Lying on the beach, he gazed at the stars—Ursa Major, Lyra, Sagittarius, the Cowherd Star, Vega—and as he stared at the sky, memories of his parents telling him stories about the stars by the lookout tower filled his mind. Before he knew it, he had fallen asleep.
About an hour later, the vibrations in the ground woke him. As he looked around, wondering if there had been an earthquake or a landslide, a massive head of a Tyrannosaurus rex appeared over a sand dune. Then, it took a few steps forward, and a red-haired princess appeared on its back.
Yuwang was startled. He looked at her huge, curious eyes, and then he glanced down, realizing with a shock that he was lying there completely naked, his clothes far off by the lake. Without wasting any time, he dove back into the water to cover himself.
Princess Sofia, seeing his comical movements, couldn't help but laugh behind her hand.
Shivering in the water, Yuwang felt frustrated: "I've heard all those stories about seeing a girl bathing, but today it's a girl watching me bathe. What kind of luck is this?" He looked at the giant princess still staring at him, then shouted, "Hey, don't... look at me! I... I'm coming out to get dressed! It's... so cold~~"
Just then, her attendants appeared behind her.
"How dare you shout at the princess!" one of the attendants shouted.
Sofia waved her hand, signaling them to back off, then smiled at Yuwang, "Do you remember me? I remember you're called Yuwang!"
"Remember… you're… Princess Theses!" Yuwang stammered, his mind distracted by the cold. Despite his discomfort, he was secretly eager to see this exotic princess again.
Noticing how cold Yuwang was, Sofia kindly said, "Alright, I won't talk to you for now. Just get dressed first!" With that, she dismounted the Tyrannosaurus rex and walked away, her figure shrinking as she went.
Once Yuwang had put on his clothes, Sofia, now the size of a regular person, returned and circled him. "Take off your shirt!" she said.
Yuwang instinctively crossed his arms, "Huh?" he called out, puzzled. Then he thought: "Is she really going to make me undress now? This must be some god logic at work, right?" But he said aloud, "Princess Theses, I'm really cold!"
Sofia seemed to read his thoughts and laughed, "Do you think I want to see you without clothes? This is a reward for remembering my name!"
"Reward? And I have to take off my clothes for it?" Yuwang thought. Of course, he also remembered that she was one of the legendary gods. The puzzle was starting to make sense.
"I'm in a hurry. Hurry up, you'll understand once you take it off!" Sofia urged.
Reluctantly, Yuwang shrugged and removed his shirt.
"There's another layer?" Sofia asked.
Yuwang sighed, and with a resigned face, took off his undershirt, revealing his well-toned muscles. Under the rising sun, his slightly tanned skin glowed with a golden hue.
Sofia took a glance, then appeared to stamp something behind him, before laughing and calling to her attendants, preparing to leave.
She muttered something under her breath, and in one smooth motion, mounted her Tyrannosaurus rex, growing to her full size again.
Yuwang stood there, staring blankly after her, processing what just happened. As he reflected on the strange "god logic," he couldn't help but wonder about the bizarre nature of it all.
Sofia turned around, looking at Yuwang still in shock, and smiled, "That's your reward! From now on, you belong to me!" With that, she gave a light whistle, and rode off into the distance.
As the morning sun rose, Yuwang remained frozen in place, his shadow reflected in the still waters of Mirror Moon Lake.