The Path to Heaven

Legend has it that on White Cloud Peak, not far from here, there is a staircase leading to the sky. As long as one can climb that path, one can reach the mysterious Sky City...

Doesn't it sound rather poetic?

But in reality...

"To be honest, I'm seriously starting to suspect this thing was made up to swindle people out of their money."

Looking at the bustling town at the foot of the mountain, Duanmu Huai was utterly speechless as he complained.

It was no wonder he said that. One only had to look at the signs to know.

"Sky City Stairway Expedition Tour," "Mysterious Sky City Relic Exhibition," "One Hundred and Eight Stories About Sky City You Never Knew"...

If triggering the "Sky City" quest hadn't happened while he was asking around at the tavern, Duanmu Huai would have really thought this was nothing more than a story made up to scam people.

It was like going sightseeing at Flame Mountain and then running into something like a "Classic Water Curtain Cave Tour Route."

The problem was that Water Curtain Cave wasn't even in Flame Mountain.

"...Forget it. We might as well go take a look."

With the thought that he had nothing better to do, Duanmu Huai took Okegis into the town's "Sky City Relic Exhibition" museum to see what exactly could be found inside this Sky City.

However...

"This is a sword that suddenly fell from the sky one day! It continued on its path without slowing down and even pierced the head of an unfortunate fellow!"

Wasn't this just throwing objects from a high place? Weren't they going to look for the culprit?

"Legend says this is a cup once used by the inhabitants of Sky City. Sky City periodically scatters these blessings across the mortal world, and collecting them is our duty!"

This was just an ordinary cup, wasn't it? And besides, was littering from the sky really a thing? If it was, then the inhabitants of Sky City weren't exactly very civilized.

After patiently looking around, Duanmu Huai declared that this was nothing more than a garbage exhibition.

They had only shown some excrement fossils because they still had a shred of conscience.

"Forget it. Let's go straight up the mountain."

Although Duanmu Huai hadn't seen any Sky City during the satellite scan, since the system had triggered a quest, that meant there definitely had to be a Sky City here.

The town naturally also offered a one-day "Sky City Stairway" tour, but it involved riding horses. With Duanmu Huai's build, riding was clearly impossible, so he simply took Okegis and walked step by step up the mountain road. He hadn't even bothered to find a guide. After all, those people who made up stories and spouted nonsense all day probably couldn't provide him with any useful clues anyway.

Fortunately, there was only one road up the mountain, so Duanmu Huai wasn't worried about taking a wrong turn.

Of course, he wasn't the only one heading up the mountain. Along the way, Duanmu Huai also saw quite a few people dressed like knights, wearing armor and carrying longswords. Some were on horseback, while others traveled on foot. Clearly, they had all come here to search for the legendary "Sky City."

"So, you're all here looking for Sky City? Does this have something to do with your trials?"

As he walked, Duanmu Huai struck up a conversation with a mounted knight beside him. He had nothing better to do, so he treated it like idle chatter while touring Mount Tai or Mount Huang.

"Of course, outsider."

The knight was quite talkative as well. Although Duanmu Huai looked rather intimidating with his helmet on, there were plenty of people around, so the knight wasn't worried that he would suddenly attack. Thus, he began chatting with him.

"Rumor has it that Sky City is a sacred city that only knights of upright character can enter. As long as we can enter the city and receive its blessing, we can display our strength and glory!"

"Then, has anyone ever succeeded?"

Duanmu Huai asked curiously. This kind of rumor had to have some basis. It couldn't have simply been pulled out of thin air.

"Rumor has it that the Green Knight, the guardian deity of Bartonia, once traveled to Sky City under the guidance of Lady of the Lake. His armor and weapons all came from that city!"

"Oh, I see..."

At this point, Duanmu Huai finally understood why all the knights were so excited. It turned out that every one of them wanted to become the second Green Knight.

Of all things, they want to become the Green Knight? He's green from head to toe. Who knows how many times he had to be cuckolded before he ended up like that... If I were Duanmu Huai, I'd never do it even if they beat me to death.

Before long, everyone reached the area near the mountaintop. They dispersed and searched everywhere for clues. Clearly, they weren't idiots. After all, the sky here was clear for thousands of miles, and there wasn't even a ghost in the heavens. But people in a magical world had strong powers of acceptance. It was quite obvious that Sky City might exist in Another World, so what they were searching for now was a way to reach that world.

One had to admit, these people weren't stupid.

Unfortunately, they were unlikely to find anything.

Duanmu Huai didn't join the others. He glanced around, and then a flash of light passed through his eyes.

Activate, Soul Resonance!!

In the next instant, the world before Duanmu Huai changed completely. Everything around him became illusory and hazy. Soon, Duanmu Huai raised his head and looked toward the mountaintop. At the sharp peak, where almost only one person could stand, a slender staircase pierced the firmament, leading to the pure BC City floating above the mountains.

Found you!

Seeing this scene, the corners of Duanmu Huai's mouth lifted slightly. He then let Okegis sit on his shoulder before moving forward, reaching out to grab the rocks and beginning to climb the cliff before him.

Duanmu Huai's actions naturally attracted the attention of the others, but they didn't think much of it. After all, there was only a platform about the size of one person at the mountaintop, and everyone had already searched it thoroughly. There was nothing on it. They assumed that this burly black fellow merely wanted to go up and enjoy the view. Some even worried that he might crush the mountaintop platform beneath his feet—the place couldn't withstand this black fellow's antics!

However, just as everyone resumed their search for clues, a voice suddenly rang out.

"Huh? Where did that Black Knight go?!"

Everyone froze at the scream and hurriedly looked up. They saw that the mountaintop platform nearby was completely empty. Not a single person was there. The enormous, heavily built Black Knight who had been there just moments ago had vanished without a trace!

Where had he gone? Could he have fallen off the mountain?!

Duanmu Huai had of course not fallen. In fact, he was currently walking among the clouds.

"Whew... This place really isn't friendly to people with a fear of heights."

As he walked along the staircase and looked around, Duanmu Huai couldn't help sighing inwardly. The staircase was more than three people wide, and its entire surface looked as transparent as glass. Walking across it reminded Duanmu Huai of those high-altitude glass walkways built at many tourist attractions. To make matters worse, there wasn't even a handrail beside the staircase. If one placed a foot wrong, the body would slip... and then one would fall straight down.

This really wasn't a place ordinary people could visit.

It was fortunate that those knights hadn't found it. Otherwise, who knew how many of them would have fallen to their deaths?

At this thought, Duanmu Huai raised his head again and looked toward the Sky City before him.

Rather than a city, it looked more like a mountain floating in the sky. The front half of the mountain had been hollowed out to build a huge fortress with semicircular walls and platforms. Deep inside stood a pure-white high-rise building constructed against the mountain. The entire Sky City exuded a strange aura and charm belonging to a mysterious civilization.

This wasn't the architectural style of the Old Ones. Where exactly had this thing come from?

As he carefully examined the Sky City before him, Duanmu Huai was also puzzled. In fact, quite a long time ago, many Soul Walker players had discovered that the settings found in many Soul Fragments had no corresponding records or accounts in reality. It was as if the worlds they found within the Soul Fragments had never existed in this world at all.

Thus, some players proposed a hypothesis: this planet might have been destroyed more than once. Before the Old Ones arrived on this planet, perhaps it had once possessed another powerful civilization, which later perished for some reason. Only afterward did the Old Ones come here and create species such as elves, Dwarfs, and humans...

One had to admit, this hypothesis had gained considerable traction.

As for what had really happened... he could simply go and see for himself!

At that very moment, Duanmu Huai also stepped onto the final stair and arrived before the gates of Sky City.