The silvery-white pillar of teleportation light slowly faded.
Benjamin opened his eyes again, yet remained where he was, slightly stunned for a moment.
The scene before him was completely different from every junction point he had passed through before.
Within Federation territory, even though Junction Points incorporated architectural styles from many civilizations, they still retained the distinct sense of order unique to the Star Ring Federation.
Nearly every junction point had broad, straight streets, clearly divided functional buildings, patrol units stationed at the teleportation plaza, and public Defense Arrays visible everywhere.
But this place seemed like another world.
At the edge of the teleportation plaza, not even a complete ring of floor tiles had been laid before it abruptly broke off, extending into a potholed gravel road.
On both sides of the street, buildings stood like fortresses poised for battle.
The thick walls were covered in layer upon layer of Defense Arrays. Hundreds of runes slowly circulated, weaving into visible layers of energy barriers.
Quite a few corners still bore scorched black marks, clearly left by direct hits from high-energy witchcraft or Alchemy weapons.
Every door and window had been deliberately reduced in size, leaving only gaps barely large enough for people to pass through.
What filled the window frames was not glass, either, but a layer of translucent protective force field that faintly glimmered with an eerie blue radiance.
In short, the shops lining the street before him looked less like businesses and more like bunkers ready to receive war at any moment.
Pedestrians hurried along the street. No one lingered, and no one was willing to stand outside and talk.
An almost imperceptible oppression hung in the air.
And just as Benjamin observed his surroundings, he could clearly sense several strands of spiritual power sweeping in from different