Terra Continent, Great Xia Fief, Two-World Trade Center.
Bright sunshine streamed down, and the air carried the woody fragrance of elves and the metallic scent unique to dwarven forges.
The streets teemed with people.
Great Xia tourists in outdoor jackets snapped pictures nonstop with their phones, beside half-orcs wrapped in fur cloaks and elf shop assistants wearing pointed-ear hats.
A little girl from Great Xia crouched outside a dwarven shop, watching an old craftsman carve levitation runes into the soles of her sneakers, her eyes shining like two stars.
A long line stretched outside the Holy Human Race's scroll shop next door, where several young people excitedly took selfies holding their newly purchased Healing Scrolls.
"Can sticking this thing on your forehead really cure a headache?"
"Obviously. It's a magic scroll, ten thousand times better than those medicinal patches of yours."
Lively, fresh, and full of everyday bustle.
There was not the slightest trace of tension here.
No one knew that in another world, Great Xia's thirty-six underground cities had already entered first-level combat readiness.
No one knew that on Blue Star's surface, the Demon Clan was crawling out of the craters left by nuclear explosions.
Lin Mo moved quickly through the crowd.
His gaze swept over the smiling tourists carrying bags of every size, and his heart felt heavy.
He did not know how long this bustle could last.
The news of Blue Star's invasion had not yet been made public.
But the truth could not stay hidden forever. Something like this would get out sooner or later.
Once the news broke, panic would spread like a plague.
When that happened, would anyone still stroll down this street, smiling as they shopped?
He dared not think about it, nor did he have the time.
All he knew was that