Once upon a time there was a greedy snake.

Chapter 320 The New City-State, Tahrir
Tatunbto, this name hasn't appeared for a long time.

Perhaps once upon a time, this land was called by that name, but that once miraculous city was ultimately reduced to ruins in a great war and then vanished into the annals of time.

Now, rising from the ruins of the past is a magnificent city called Tahrir, built in a new era.

Compared to the former Tatunbto, the new-era Tahrir is more magnificent and larger. On the towering walls built of bluestone, one can still faintly see old bloodstains that have dried up over time. Clearly, these wide and thick walls are not just for show, but have actually withstood attacks from foreign enemies. But there are things inside the city that are far greater than these thick walls.

That was the magic tower standing in the city. This towering building could be seen from afar, even outside the city. The crystals embedded on the top of the tower reflected a colorful halo under the sunlight. Some kind of inexplicable fluctuation was emanating from the top of the tower, covering the entire city of Tahris. Clearly, it was some kind of unknown defensive measure.

Beneath this layer of protection are rows of wooden houses. Unlike Tatunbto back then, it seems that building these two-story wooden houses is quite popular in Tahrir now. People live upstairs, and the downstairs is simply used as shops to sell weapons, armor, strange potions, or even magical items and handicrafts.

Of course, what attracted Du Yi's attention the most were the bakeries and butcher shops. The aroma of roasted wheat mixed with the fat of meat was so enticing that it was irresistible even from a distance.

"These are all good things made with heart."

At this point, Du Yi's judgment of things had reached another level. Compared to the ingredients or the taste, he could better feel the mindset of the chefs who cooked those ingredients.

Even with simple cooking methods, ingredients prepared with care can still bring out their flavor. However, if you simply follow the steps, even the best food will taste bland. Just like now, after directing two alien adventurers to buy bread, Du Yi only took one bite and could tell that the shop had rushed the dough preparation.

"You weren't focused on baking bread... I guess there's something else going on in your life?"

Du Yi has always been quite lenient towards such simple oversights.

However, being lenient with the bakery owner doesn't mean he'll be lenient with these four alien adventurers. Although he has shrunk to the size of a small snake, these four alien adventurers are still within his consciousness—as for why he's keeping such a close eye on them, it's because someone tried to escape earlier.

At first, the priest ran away once, but he was caught by Du Yi before he got very far. Then it was the mage's turn. This time, he was arrested by Du Yi as soon as he showed any signs of running away. Although the mage repeatedly claimed that he just wanted to go out shopping to buy some odds and ends, Du Yi, who had been torturing the Four Gods for a long time, could tell at a glance that the mage wanted to do something else.

If these four adventurers were all locals, Du Yi wouldn't be so strict with them. However, facing four alien visitors with their own agendas... Du Yi felt it was better to be cautious.

"So how did you four become adventurers? I haven't seen any aliens along the way."

"us……"

Wolf-headed swordsman Gekala wanted to say that they had been imprisoned for fighting, and that the young assassin, Ryus Enchantress, had paid a ransom for them before they were released. The ransom wasn't free, so the four of them naturally had to work to earn it. In addition, they also needed to integrate into local life, which is why they became adventurers.

But just as Gekkar was about to speak, he suddenly felt that something was not quite right.

Or perhaps it's not that something's wrong, but rather that everything is going too smoothly.

It was all going too smoothly. The four visitors from the Star Sea integrated into the local area almost without any obstacles. Although Ryus Enchantress certainly played a part in helping them with their disguises, it would have been impossible for them to do so smoothly with just the assassin's disguise skills.

“It’s like…” Wolf-headed swordsman Gekala racked his brains. He found it hard to describe that strange feeling. The words were on the tip of his tongue, but he just didn’t know how to express them.

Until the mage in the group spoke up.

"It's as if these locals are taking the initiative to welcome us."

Sass-Huanze's eyes narrowed.

"I've wanted to say this for a while, but I just haven't had the chance to... Haven't you guys noticed?"

The wolf-headed swordsman, Gekala, still looked somewhat bewildered. Clearly, this warrior, who only knew how to swing his sword, hadn't realized what was going on.

This forced Sass Fantasia to speak up and explain.

“In typical city-states, identity is verified as soon as you enter: where you come from, where you are going, what you are supposed to do, and what your background is… Indeed, these steps are cumbersome, but it is for security reasons. After all, even the strongest fortress can be breached from within. If someone tampers with the city walls or the mage tower, the city will immediately lose its defensive capabilities.”

After hearing this, Gekala realized what Sass-Huanze was referring to.

That is, the identity of an adventurer.

The identity of an adventurer is far too convenient. Not only can one enter a giant city without any scruples, but one doesn't even need to provide any information upon entering.

Such rules are perfect for infiltration. Whether it's the towering mage towers or the thick city walls, with these adventurers of unknown identity coming and going at will, all these perfect defenses become mere decorations.

But clearly, compared to the city's defenses, adventurers are the main theme of this city. Not only can you see warriors coming and going everywhere on the streets, but there is also the Adventurers' Guild, which leads all adventurers, located in the city.

"This is the headquarters of the Adventurers' Guild, right in front of Starfall Plaza."

The assassin in the group had been here before, so he was relatively familiar with the road conditions. Before long, he led the group to the entrance of the Adventurers' Guild.

However, people felt more connected to the name of the square than to the association itself.

"Starfall Plaza... Fallen from the sea of ​​stars?"

Sass-Huanze keenly grasped the meaning behind it.

"Just as I thought, this adventurer identity was designed specifically for people like us."

(End of this chapter)