Caius’ POV
I opened my eyes to the loud metallic sound, feeling its echo reverberate inside my head.
Without delay, I pushed myself up into a sitting position on the bed before looking at the others.
Elliot was just getting up from his bedding, while Kyle—who hadn’t slept—stood by the window, staring outside.
I rubbed my face, driving away the remaining drowsiness.
"What is that sound?" I asked, my voice coming out slightly rough due to my dry throat.
Kyle did not hesitate to answer. "They’re waking up."
I got up from my place when I heard that.
After a few hours of sleep, my head felt lighter, but at the same time, there was still a bit of haziness in my mind... probably because of the exhaustion.
I moved closer to the window overlooking the city, only to see many houses lighting up one after another beneath the sky that was still dyed black, with fragments of the shattered moon floating there under a sea of stars.
After a few moments, the loud knocking sound began to fade until we could no longer hear anything.
"Maybe it’s time to see this strange city."
...
After some time, I found myself standing in front of Arthania along with the others on the ground floor.
"It seems you had a good rest." She spoke, her hazel eyes examining our condition.
Then, with a slight nod, she turned and walked toward the door leading outside before reaching out to open it. "Then let’s go... let me take you to someone who has the ability to help you return."
With that, she stepped out of the house, and we followed behind her.
I stepped outside, the cold night air hitting my face, while the city appeared a few hundred meters away from me.
The moment we went out, I activated my ability, and my sense spread through the space around me.
With unhurried steps, I walked beside Arthania. "So, are there many Awakened here?"
My question was out of caution, but Arthania answered without hesitation. "I don’t know if that’s a lot for you, but there are about 3,000 Rank 1 Awakened, 500 in Rank 2, and around 50 in Rank 3 and 4."
That was a very large number... no, an abnormal one compared to a city this small.
"So, has your strength stopped growing as well?" I asked again. It didn’t make sense that they would remain at this level even after living for hundreds of years.
As if confirming my guess, she nodded, her long hair swaying with the motion. "Yes... everyone’s strength has stopped growing, and even the residents’ ability to reproduce."
With every answer she gave, another question formed in my mind.
And with every passing moment, we got closer to the city until we reached the stone-paved ground.
We stepped onto it, entering the streets of this city for the first time.
The lamps at the door of each house lit the narrow path, with some trees and plants planted here and there along the stone road.
Through my sense, I felt dozens of souls moving inside the buildings around us, and in the next moment, the door of one of the houses in front of us opened.
From there, a man came out with dark hair and eyes, slightly tanned skin, and a sturdy build.
The faint glow of his soul showed that he was just an ordinary person.
He was wearing clothes similar to Arthania’s, which seemed like a mix between desert wear and modern clothing, so it was not very different from what we wore.
The moment he stepped out, he noticed us and turned his head in our direction. The first place his gaze stopped at was Arthania at the front, and a smile appeared on his face.
"Good morning, Lady Arthania... it seems you returned early from hunting this time."
With a smile, Arthania returned the greeting. "I came back early due to some unexpected matters."
When she said that, the man finally noticed our presence. His gaze stopped on us one by one before he asked, confusion clear on his face.
"Who are these?"
Arthania gave me a side glance while the rest of us remained silent.
"They are a group who lost their way from their homeland, so I invited them here to help them and find a way for them to return."
The man raised his hand to his chin.
"So there are other humans outside... that’s interesting."
He smiled as he continued, "You’re lucky you met Lady Arthania before getting eaten by one of those birds... so where are you from, and is the place very far from here?"
The man looked at me as he asked, but I remained silent, staring at him calmly, until Arthania noticed that and took over.
"They are from a distant island in the ocean and were somehow transported here."
The man nodded in understanding. "That sounds unfortunate for you... I hope you find a way to return, but if you can’t, you’re welcome to live here forever."
With that, he turned, waving to us and Arthania.
"Excuse me now, I need to go to the farm."
With those words, he walked a few meters before turning right and disappearing from our sight.
At the same time, Arthania’s voice sounded from beside me.
"Let’s continue then."
With that, we began walking through the city again.
...
It didn’t take long before we met another person, and this time it was an elderly woman with many wrinkles on her face.
She stared at us. "Who are these beautiful children, Arthania?"
And before she could even finish her words, two other young men, who looked about our age, appeared from one of the turns, while other people walked toward us from behind.
"Good morning, Lady Arthania... who are these people with you?" ...
We continued moving deeper into the city, led by Arthania.
Every time we met someone, she handled everything, so I didn’t have to speak to anyone at all so far.
And I didn’t want to.
In the end, every encounter always ended with the residents leaving, as if their curiosity had been satisfied after a few short questions, turning into indifference.
After meeting dozens of people, one thought filled my mind.
Too similar.
The way they spoke, the way they looked at us, and their reactions... everything was similar and strange.
I mean, those weren’t the reactions people who had lived for a very long time inside this maze should show after seeing other humans—especially since they believed they were the only ones alive in this world.
If I were in their place, I was sure I would react differently...
But that wasn’t all. Because aside from the interactions that felt shallow... there was something else that made me uneasy.
All the people we had met so far were different in appearance and outward age, but for some reason, they all felt like the same person to me.
It wasn’t just their behavior... even the aura around them.
I looked at Arthania’s back as she walked ahead of us, then glanced at the others around me.
"What do you think?" I spoke in another language so Arthania wouldn’t understand us.
Everyone looked ahead seriously, and Kyle was the first to speak. "They all carry the same aura... and their behavior feels artificial."
Elliot nodded at Kyle’s words. "I think so too."
Even Ellen spoke. "Being around them makes me uncomfortable."
Izel scratched her neck. "I thought I was the only one, but it doesn’t seem that simple."
Was it because of the long lifespan they weren’t supposed to have, or something else?
I stared at Arthania’s back ahead of us. "Anyway, we’ll see if there’s any clue that can guide us back before we leave."
Only a few more minutes passed before Arthania stopped in front of a house at the end of the street.
Like the rest of the buildings, it was made of beautiful white stone, and the only difference was that it had a large double door.
Arthania stepped up to the large door before raising her hand and knocking on it... well, perhaps "hitting" was more accurate.
Because with every movement of her hand, a loud echo rang out, and the door shook violently as if it might break at any moment.
And she didn’t stop there.
"Old man, are you there?" she called out loudly, as if knocking wasn’t enough.
"Umm, Arthania, don’t you think you’re overdoing it a bit... the door is going to break if you keep that up." Leona approached from behind to calm her down.
But before Arthania could respond, I felt the presence inside the house reach the door, and in the next moment, a faint creaking sound echoed as the door opened, revealing the owner of the house.
There, in front of us, stood an old man with graying hair and many wrinkles on his tired face, while his gray eyes were barely half-open.
But unlike his face, his body stood straight like a man in his prime. And within his body, a strong light shone, revealing that this old man was not just an ordinary human, but an Awakened—a very powerful one.
Peak Rank 4.
He looked at us, his eyes narrowing more with each passing moment.
"What did you find, you troublesome girl?"