65 City of Ludan
The city of Ladun. Shaikai kingdom. Gilaahan.
This was one of the most bustling cities in the Shaikai kingdom. It housed various guilds and denizens from different worlds.
Humans weren’t the only known race in the Gilaahan. Many races resembled some of the early human fantasy entries. Then there were some that humans were yet to include in their old fantasy stories.
Of course, these races were called different than what humans used to know them as. However, after centuries of cohabitation with humans, the other races had come to familiarize themselves with humans’ way of addressing them.
Gilaahan was like a common world for many races located across the galaxies. These races had traveled to Gilhaan using the same means as humans– warp gates or present via synth bodies. Humans were the ones that had joined the party late.
The city of Ladun was as active as it used to be. This was the time of the summer here. The world of Gilhaan had all kinds of weather and weather patterns after all. Some were tamer than the Earth. Others not so much.
The current dwellers of Gilaahan couldn’t agree on who was the original resident of the world. Some said it was their race. The other claimed that they were here before anyone else.
All the races stopped fighting with each other eventually when they understood that the world of Gilahaan was too big to be had by any single race. There were resources to collect. Mana beasts to slay. And places to explore. The conflict immediately died down and eventually a more harmonious ecosystem was created.
The world of Gilhaahan could house so many races and still had resources to spare because of its giant size. It was up to 300 times more massive than the earth.
Such a baffling size was still nothing in the grand scheme of things that existed in the universe. After all, Gilaahan was a world considered to be reserved mostly for Meta and Awakened rankers. It was one of the worlds that each race’s foot soldiers used to visit.
Still, the world was a lucrative source of income for Meta and Awakened rankers. Something that wasn’t eyed by high-ranking entities didn’t make it less valuable for low-ranking existences.
A large population of humans and a few other races used synth bodies to reach this world. The rest had come here with their natal bodies. The synth bodies weren’t distinguishable from natal bodies in any way so it didn’t matter how one was present here. All that mattered was what one was doing here.
The city of Ladun featured many guilds as well as other organizations. It was governed by a newly emerged elf nobility. The Shikai kingdom was also governed by a large Elf clan, the members of which were sent to many cities as governors.
The city had a Victorian-era vibe reminiscent of Earth’s past. Yet, it still had many mana-powered technological wonders integrated into its lifestyle. A classic setting that was sprinkled with modern ways of living.
This Numbered Oasis followed the same logic at large, with just a few minor differences depending upon who was ruling a particular region of the kingdom.
The world of Gilaahaan had an official language called Giclee. Each race was expected to use this language when communicating in Gilahaan, no matter which place, kingdom, or the original world they belonged to.
The three months incubation period humans observed was to prepare Meta rankers for language and various other cultural studies observed in the worlds they were about to enter. With their enhanced intelligence, learning a language was no big deal for rankers.
Sunrise. Hustle Bustle. Noises of unknown origin.
The city of Ladun woke up when the first ray of light broke into the horizon. The adventurers started leaving the city using various mana beast mounts and mana-powered platforms.
The Stardust guild was a guild like any other in the city of Ladun. It was set up in the same main building as its earth counterpart with a few minor changes.
The guild had all the facilities and arrangements it had back on earth. Plus, it featured various other buildings meant for activities related to the world of Gilaahan. For example, there was a guild’s storage facility added to the guild premises, which wasn’t available on Earth.
Furthermore, the Stardust guild also had a guild-members-only lodging facility that was used to house the synth bodies of their members. It was a simple 4 story building that had been laterally expanded to house more and more guild members’ apartments.
One of the lodge room’s doors creaked and a white-haired young man stepped outside his apartment and into the world of Gilaahan for the first time.
He had worn a white t-shirt inside a brown leather jacket. There was a basic wind-element rune etched on the inside of the jacket that allowed for enhanced breathability. There was an imprint of a red Oni with tusks sticking out from either side of its mouth on the jacket’s back. This added extra appeal to its otherwise common look.
The jacket didn’t have any protective properties though. Resources like that had to be earned and not given for free.
The white-haired man’s brown leather pants paired well with his jacket. It was a simple outfit that didn’t stand out much. Particularly here in Gilaahan where every kind of outfit and wearable artifact was considered the norm.
The footwear this young man wore was special. It was a Rank 1 artifact set that looked like typical shoes. Except, it had lightning-element runes to support and enhance the white-haired young man’s movement spell. Of course, he had taken the artifact on credit from his guild.
He needed to start grinding in the world of Gillahan to clear the debt on his head. Because the interest rates weren’t in his favor.
The man opened the door and saw a young girl waiting for him. It looked like she was trying to spy on him because she had placed her ears over the door before it was unlocked. So when the man opened the door, she was caught unaware.
This young girl had pretty hair, an even prettier face, and attention-grabbing green eyes. Coincidentally, she had the word ‘green’ in her name as well.
It looked like spying on this young man was nothing new for this girl. It seemed that it was her daily routine that she had maintained even in Gilaahan. After being caught in a compromising situation, she immediately straightened herself up, adjusted her silky let-loose hair for no reason, and coughed.
“*Cough. You finally came out? What were you doing there for so long?”