It was a shame that the other MT Stations broke, with the exception of the Dwarves, but it's probably better this way.

Traveling far and wide like this indeed was fun.

It took about 30 minutes of sprinting as fast as we could to cross the vast ocean that separated the two continents.

And true to the pre-scouting information I received, the lands we stepped into were ones of heat and sand as far as the eye could see.

Perhaps if I was still just a regular person, I'd be desperate for some water at the moment. The heat itself would've been mostly fine, but that wouldn't have stopped me from feeling thirst.

Thankfully, that wasn't a problem anymore.

Food and water weren't really a need, as Qi could sustain me, and unless the environment was one that was enhanced with Qi, then it wouldn't really affect me either.

After taking in the sights of endless sand around us for a few moments, we finally took off running towards where the City should be.

On the way there, we saw a few different animals.

Something that resembled camels, giant dog-sized scorpions, some weird-looking reptilian creatures, and a few other things.

Part of me was glad I hadn't seen a single wolf.

I was genuinely getting tired of running into different variants of them everywhere I went.

Moving on, we finally reached the City.

I was going towards it with the expectation that I would find something similar to my own City or one of the other three I've been to, but to my surprise, it was a giant, hexagonal, brown dome that greeted me.

Huh.

That's new.

I couldn't quite see inside at the moment, but I think I'll be walking around a bit before I visited the local City Lord.

We made our way over to the City, and one quick scan with our senses led us to where the entrance was. One of the plates had a small metal door in it.

There were two people in the same type of clothing as the sand people guarding it. The same type of clothes one would expect to see in a documentary set in the Middle East.

Actually, it wasn't all that different from some of the robes I was gifted by Elder Zal and the Mavelia Merchant Union.

I wonder if the dome helped them to stop the Vamps?

Probably.

The two guards, which I assumed they were, tensed slightly as we approached. They were wielding spears, and the grips around them tightened the closer we got to them.

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Were they not friendly to visitors?

Though…I guess they probably don't get too many visitors, being the only City for thousands of miles on a desert continent.

Once I got close enough for them to finally make out my face and those that were with me, I waved at them to show friendliness. I know we looked pretty weird since we kind of just showed up out of nowhere dressed in all black, so I don't mind trying to diffuse the situation a bit.

They didn't wave back.

Fine, I guess.

I could tell Vrusha wasn't very happy with that, but it's fine. We looked weird. In their position, I'd be wary of us too.

"Hi there, how do we enter the City?"

They looked at each other briefly for a moment before the one on the left lowered the piece of scarf covering the bottom of their face.

It was a young man.

"Who are you?"

"Visitors. I came here from Black Cove City. Is an investigation needed to enter?"

I could play my hand early and tell them who I was, but I kind of didn't want to just yet. If push came to shove and they denied us entry, then I would have no choice. But for now, let's see how this goes.

"Black Cove City? Never heard of it. What do you want here?"

Hm, I guess they really aren't used to visitors.

"Do you all not get visitors often? I just want to visit the City. Something like a vacation."

"…No…we do not get visitors often… the last we got 'visitors', they tried to kill us. We don't really plan on accepting more."

Ah.

Welp, guess there goes my little incognito plan.

"Fine. My name is Raizen. I need to meet with your City Lord. Bring them here or bring me to them."

Both of them lowered their spears at me right then and there.

"Leave. Now."

"Listen, I don't want to have to fight you, or anyone else in this City for that matter. I will tell you right now that you will not win. Bring me to your City Lord or bring them here. I won't ask a third time."

"I said to leave! We don't want you here!"

Sigh.

Now I kind of feel like the villain, but it is what it is.

"Vrusha."

"Yes, Patriarch."

"Remove the door, enter the City, and bring me their City Lord. Don't kill anyone."

"It will be done, Patriarch."

He walked forward calmly towards the duo that were now frantically brandishing their spears toward him.

"Back up! Do not come any further! We will attack!"

Both of them were only in the Body Tempering realm, so their words really didn't mean much.

Vrusha didn't even lift his hands from underneath his robe, and the bodies of the two guards slammed into the ground.

Of course, that wouldn't kill them, but they would get a few bruises.

His steps didn't pause there, and the metal door was quickly no more as it crumpled into nothing before him.

I know he could've done far more damage than this, so I appreciate the fact that he was holding himself back.

He vanished into the City beyond, and alarms started blaring as he did so.

Alarms are… interesting.

Wonder how they'd set that up.

Anyway, it didn't even take 5 minutes for Vrusha to come back with a woman gripped by her neck.

He placed her down in front of me.

I don't know how he figured out she was the City Lord, but there were screams coming from inside the City, so I'm sure he had his own methods.

The woman was at the peak of Qi Refinement.

She looked up at me with a hint of fear in her eyes.

"Are you the City Lord?"

She nodded.

"Good, my name is Raizen. I'm assuming you received the notification about me becoming the Planetary Lord?"

She nodded once more.

"Then what will it be? Will you submit? Or will you fight?"

Her eyes drifted up at Vrusha for a moment, then they drifted past me at the couple hundred Infernals standing still behind me.

All of them dressed in full black.

Then she sighed and nodded again.

Ding!

City Lord Sasha of United Race City has officially submitted to your rule.

Do you accept?

Yes/No?

I accepted her submission.

Then I reached a hand toward her.

Hesitantly, she grabbed it, and I helped her to her feet.

"Good choice, City Lord Sasha. Don't worry too much. Your City is still yours to rule. Continue whatever it is you were doing for now. People will be back with instructions eventually."

"…I understand."

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