Chapter 256: Silvermoon City

“What kind of inspection?” Helag asked.

“It’s mainly to check if you’ve been contaminated. If you are, you’ll be immediately expelled and won’t be allowed into Silvermoon City,” Pruis explained.

“Expelled… wouldn’t that mean…” Helag glanced at the blackened land outside the protective barrier. That area was polluted by the Wasteland.

If someone were expelled here, it would be the same as being exiled into the polluted zone.

The outcome for anyone sent there wouldn’t be pleasant.

Pruis patted his shoulder. “Don’t worry, you’re wizards from the Barrens. There’s no way you’ve been contaminated.”

Helag nodded, outwardly appearing more relaxed.

But inside, he was still a bit anxious.

He had the bloodline of the Thunder God Ancestor within him, a power originating from the Abyssal Plane.

Helag wasn’t sure how the inspection would be conducted or what the criteria were for determining contamination, so he was nervous.

If his Thunder God Ancestor bloodline was mistaken for contamination, there would be no way to explain it.

But there was no turning back now. Running away would only make him look guilty.

Helag felt the planar coordinates in the palm of his left hand.

If things went wrong, he would activate the coordinates and escape to the Abyssal Plane.

Although that place was dangerous, it was better than the alternative.

Once the airship landed, long ladders were lowered from each deck.

Of course, Helag and his companions didn’t need to use the ladders. A simple Featherfall spell allowed them to float down easily.

A total of sixteen people disembarked from the airship. The rest seemed to be crew members and didn’t get off.

After they disembarked, the airship took off again, flying off into the distance.

Helag and the others stayed in place, following Pruis’s instructions not to wander off, waiting for the inspection to begin.

The others were chatting casually, as if they were used to this.

Helag glanced at Silvermoon City and only now realized how massive the city walls were.

From the air, they hadn’t seemed that imposing, but standing beneath them, he could truly appreciate their towering height.

The city gates, which had been closed, slowly opened, and a group of people in black robes emerged.

These people were completely covered in black robes, even their faces hidden behind black veils.

“Don’t resist,” Pruis whispered to Helag and his companions.

Helag was a bit startled by his words, but before he could react, the black-robed figures pulled out test tubes sealed with corks and tossed them at the group.

The test tubes shattered as they neared, releasing a pink mist.

The mist quickly enveloped Helag and the others. Helag caught a whiff of a fruity scent, though he couldn’t place the fruit—it was something he’d never smelled before.

Moments later, the pink mist dissipated.

Pruis looked at Helag and his companions. “All done. You can enter the city now.”

“That’s it?” Helag was dumbfounded. He hadn’t even had time to prepare, and the inspection was already over.

He had been ready to teleport to the Abyssal Plane if anything went wrong.

“Of course. What, did you want to stay outside?” Pruis laughed.

The black-robed figures had already turned and left. Their actions were swift and practiced, as if they had done this countless times.

Helag exchanged glances with David and Reese before following Pruis into Silvermoon City.

As they passed through the gates, Pruis explained, “That pink mist was called Dewdrop Reagent. It’s highly sensitive to the Wasteland and other sources of contamination. If you’ve been in contact with even the slightest bit, it turns blood red. Even if you have just a trace of contamination in your body, the reagent will detect it.”

“If you haven’t been exposed to any contamination, the mist simply dissipates, and nothing happens.”

Helag nodded. “No wonder they didn’t ask any questions and just left.”

Once they passed through the gates, the massive, heavy doors slowly closed behind them with a deep, resonant sound.

Helag looked around inside Silvermoon City. Everywhere he looked, there were tall buildings.

If it weren’t for the architectural style being so different from his previous life, Helag might have thought he had arrived in a modern city.

The streets were wide and clean, paved with white stone.

Buildings, some as tall as twenty stories, lined the streets.

Helag looked down the main road and was relieved to see that transportation was still by horse-drawn carriage, though the horses were clearly not ordinary.

These horses had the bloodline of magical creatures, with horns on their heads and muscles rippling as they ran. It was clear they were incredibly strong.

Silvermoon City was vast, much larger than any city Helag had seen in the Barrens. It was practically a small kingdom.

The streets were bustling with people, both wizards and ordinary folk.

In the short time Helag stood there, he saw many first-level wizards, and wizard apprentices were everywhere.

Of course, ordinary people made up the majority of the population.

Helag looked up and suddenly exclaimed, “What’s that?”

When he looked up, he saw a massive floating city hovering above Silvermoon City.

Pruis heard him and looked up as well, smiling. “That’s Lord Parker’s residence, the only floating city in Silvermoon City. Each floating city has a complete internal system. Even if the entire Land of Dawn were polluted, the floating city would remain safe. However, the cost of building a floating city is astronomical, so it’s not something an ordinary wizard can even dream of.”

Helag nodded and stopped staring. After all, it had nothing to do with him for now.

“Come on, let’s get your information registered in the Land of Dawn’s magic network system. Here, having an identity is important—and convenient,” Pruis said with a smile.

Although Helag and his companions didn’t fully understand, they obediently followed Pruis.

As they walked, Helag noticed that every so often, there was a tall tower in each district.

“Mr. Pruis, what are those towers?” Helag asked.

“Those? Those are Wizard Towers,” Pruis explained.

“Wizard Towers? There are so many!” Helag had thought each city would have just one Wizard Tower, but it seemed that every district had its own.

Pruis nodded. “Yes, those are all Wizard Towers. The design is meant to increase redundancy and the city’s resilience. If there were only one Wizard Tower, and it fell, the city would be doomed. But with many towers, each one operates independently and has its own functions.”