...
What "Dee" didn't notice as he left the mission hall with slow, steady steps was that the young man with gray eyes turned to look back at him once more. He stared at Dee's back in long silence, as if his gaze was trying to pierce through the invisible wall separating that boy from the world.
He whispered in a low voice, barely audible even to someone standing beside him..
"Someone his age reaching the second tier.. no, ascending for the second time.."
He fell silent for a moment, as if he had understood something he couldn't explain, then turned his face and continued walking through the crowd.
As for "Dee", he felt nothing. He wasn't entirely present in his body. He moved with no destination, as if his feet were carrying him on their own, detached from everything inside.
When he stepped out into the city, the sun had reached its zenith, striking the sharp stone surfaces with blazing rays, reflecting like lashes that stung the eyes.
The city of Black Sand was no ordinary city.. it was a living, breathing, savage entity.
Despite its apparent chaos, it was secretly governed by a web of rival powers.. spiritual sects, blood clans, and commercial coalitions that possessed unimaginable wealth.
Every corner of the city had a hidden ruler, and behind every shadow, a sword waited to strike.
The city's streets didn't belong to people, but to ideologies, fear, and authority. Some alleys were under the control of the Flame-Shaping Sect, others under the Shadow Clan, while whispers spoke of a stone palace in the heights that housed a sect practicing sinister techniques..
The Blood Spirit Sect.
The Blood Spirit Sect reigned over almost the entire city.
Amid this tangled web of loyalty and betrayal, the city lived on.
And what a life it was.
Noise filled the air.. a mixture of merchants' shouts, trainees' cries, and the ringing of metal upon metal from blacksmith workshops. The air itself seemed thick with humidity and tension.
The pungent scent of spices mingled with the smell of old blood and rot seeping from the sewers. Horses, carriages, people, and small domesticated beasts.. everything moved. Nothing was still.
The old walls bore ancient carvings in long-dead languages, some of which had been etched by sects to assert their dominance, each claiming to hold the truth and the power.
Through it all, "Dee" wandered aimlessly, without intention, as if he existed outside the city's very fabric.
No one dared approach him, though he had no massive aura or lavish clothing. Something hidden within him repelled eyes, extinguished the urge to speak, or even to look at him for long.
He passed by an open combat arena. Young men fought under the gaze of onlookers, each hoping their talent might be noticed by a clan leader.
He passed by a woman screaming over her dead child in her arms, and an old man selling protective talismans on a tattered mat.
Everything in the city was loud..
..
"Dee" roamed without purpose, like a speck of dust caught in a windstorm. His feet moved on their own, guiding him without desire, without thought. His eyes captured everything and nothing, while the city roared around him like a restless beast.
After several turns, he arrived before a small shop built from dark, weathered wood. A brass sign above the door still gleamed oddly, as if polished each morning by a careful hand.
It was clear this shop was unlike the others.. it didn't sell weapons, healing herbs, or talismans.
It sold information.
Its wooden door opened and closed every few seconds. One man cloaked in shadow would enter, another dressed as a merchant or trainee would exit. No signs declared what was sold within, but the wary glances of those who left, and the cautious steps of those who entered, hinted at something deeper than trade.
In this turbulent world, where a person's life was often worth only what they knew, information was a precious commodity.
At times, a single piece of knowledge.. about the location of a secret gate or the identity of an assassin.. could alter the fate of an entire clan.
True, much of the information sold here wasn't entirely accurate, and some of it was carefully fabricated to serve one party over another, but that didn't diminish its value. Just as swords can break, and shields can fail, false knowledge could be more dangerous than a sharp blade.
Information.. even false.. was a weapon.
"Dee" stood before the shop, staring at it for a moment. His narrowed eyes held no hesitation, only quiet alertness.
Had he come here by chance? Or had his feet, without his mind's guidance, known their destination all along?
He reached for the cold metal handle.. then opened the door and stepped inside.
..
"Dee" entered with calm steps, pausing a moment to take in the dimly lit space, devoid of anything remarkable except for an old wooden table behind which sat an old man with sharp eyes.. eyes that seemed to search his soul.
The old man spoke without waiting for any greeting.. "Say what you wish to know."
"Dee" replied confidently.. "I want information about this city.. a map.. and everything known about a sect called the Blood Spirit."
The old man said nothing, simply reached into a small drawer and pulled out a small white stone, tossing it toward him without care.
"Dee" caught it and infused it with his spiritual sense.
Instantly, images and data flashed through his mind like flickers of memory, though the information was incomplete.
He looked up. The old man said in a flat voice..
"Just a glimpse. The full picture has a price."
"Dee" turned his focus inward, analyzing what he'd received.
The city of Black Sand was in constant conflict, ruled by rival forces that trusted no one. The ground itself seemed divided beneath them, and people's loyalties shifted with the wind. A fragile balance that changed with every moment.
The map showed only a small portion of the endless southern desert. Its price? Exorbitant.
The old man, noticing the look on "Dee's" face, said..
"Surviving the desert is worth more than gold.. and this map gives you one step ahead."
But what truly caught "Dee's" attention was the information about the Blood Spirit Sect.
Despite the few words, what was revealed was enough to spark dread.
"The Blood Spirit Sect.. the dominant ruler of the Black Sand City. They seldom appear, but every time one of their disciples shows up, the sands turn red with blood. Their presence is rare, but their impact eternal. It's said their leader is a Fourth-Tier Realm Lord.. someone no one has seen and lived to tell about."
"Dee" stood silent for a moment, then placed the stone back into his storage pouch. He slid the pouch to the old man, who took it quickly, curiosity burning inside him.
The old man handed him another stone. "Dee" took it and left the shop.
The Black Sands whispered countless secrets.. but he had only heard the beginning.
.....