The abyssal atmosphere inside the city walls is indeed much weaker than outside, but also more... refined.
This seems to be the result of some sort of filtering and purification, making it feel less oppressive, and giving a peculiar sense of comfort instead.
It feels like drinking ice water on a scorching day, refreshing and invigorating.
"Well then, welcome to Town 69, Wizard."
Ethan made an exaggerated welcoming gesture, with a hint of pride in his eyes:
"Our small town may not be as prosperous as the Central Lands, but it has its unique charm."
Ron’s gaze lifted, seeing that the scenes inside the town were indeed quite unique.
The streets wound and twisted, paved with dark gray stone slabs, flanked by buildings of various distinct styles.
Some were ordinary stone houses, while others seemed to be cast from living metal, with surfaces constantly changing in subtle patterns;
There were also some that appeared to be remodeled from the skeletons of giant creatures, emanating a pearly sheen under the sunlight.
The most striking sight was a tower soaring into the clouds, made entirely of transparent crystals, each crystal constantly changing angle, making the whole tower appear to be rotating slowly.
"That’s the Observation Tower." Ethan explained, following Ron’s gaze:
"The crystals at the top change color according to the abyssal activity, ranging from a calm blue to a dangerous red, with seven levels in total."
Ron looked at the top of the tower and saw the crystals emitting a calm light blue glow, indicating that the current abyssal activity was at a low level.
The residents walking on the streets were a mix of various races—aside from the gray-skinned humans like Ethan, there were different alien races.
The residents from these different races all bore similar abyssal mutation traits—gray skin, glowing eyes, unnatural limb extensions, or abnormal body patterns.
Noticing Ron’s observation, Ethan smiled and explained:
"Under the influence of the abyss, racial boundaries become blurred. Our shared mutation traits, in a way, bring us closer together. Here, there are no strict racial barriers like in the outside world, everyone is equally... marked by the abyss."
He shrugged, with a hint of dark humor in his tone: "It’s precisely this shared curse that has created our unique harmony."
As the two ventured deeper into the city, the streets became more crowded.
Voices of hawking, bargaining, and strange music intertwined, forming a noisy yet vibrant soundscape.
But as Ron passed by, an invisible repelling field seemed to form around him.
The crowd unconsciously parted, making way for him.
The originally noisy vendors and customers suddenly quieted, their gazes filled with awe.
Those close enough to see the badge on his chest immediately bowed in salute.
"Make way! The Wizard is here!"
A tall man with a scarred face, wearing an armband on his arm, called out in a low voice, helping Ron push aside a few young people blocking the way, his voice full of reverence.
As an Official Wizard, Ron’s presence itself was a silent deterrent.
His radiation field and magic power fluctuation were enough to make all those with a certain level of perception among the extraordinary aware of danger, instinctively choosing to keep their distance.
Ethan seemed to have anticipated this, a proud expression on his face.
Being able to guide a Wizard was a great honor, promising considerable gossip for him in the town for quite some time.
"We have reached our destination, Wizard."
The man stretched his hand towards an open plaza ahead:
"This is Town 69’s largest trading venue—the Abyssal Bazaar."
Ron’s gaze moved through the crowd, landing on the bustling plaza.
The Abyssal Bazaar covered a vast area, at least the size of several football fields, divided into dozens of zones, each selling different types of goods.
There were food vendors, equipment sellers, and potion merchants.
There was even a section offering various "special services," ranging from fortune-telling to ’therapy.’
"Today seems particularly lively."
Ron pointed out, noticing that the market was far busier than he had expected, with a wide variety of people bustling shoulder to shoulder.
"Ah, yes, the fluctuation of the Observation Tower you saw earlier indicates that we are in the trough period of the ’Abyssal Tide.’"