Chapter 112: The Calm Before the Storm

"What kind of trouble?"

The guard hesitated.

For a brief moment he looked as if he was in doubt if he should speak.

Then he sighed.

"The Obsidian Dune Kingdom’s army is marching to the Suncloud Kingdom."

Victor’s expression changed.

The guard continued.

"They have already begun working to move toward the border."

His voice became grim.

"And they ain’t giving up anytime soon."

Victor stared at him.

"War?"

The guard gave a slow nod.

"Looks that way."

Victor’s eyes narrowed.

"How serious is it?"

"Alarming enough that the Suncloud Kingdom already sends reinforcements to the border."

The guard looked toward the distant horizon.

"If things keep this up, it won’t be a little war."

Victor remained silent.

The words settled heavily in his mind.

War.

He had expected danger in this world.

He had anticipated that we’d be greeted by powerful cultivators, monsters, ancient ruins, and a whole host of other dangers.

Was definitely different to hear two kingdoms the opposite of their hated enemy rising for war.

It didn’t matter how good or bad a person was in war.

Ordinary people would suffer.

Families would be separated.

Soldiers would die.

Cities could be destroyed.

And even those who had not been involved in it at all could find themselves drawn into it.

Victor slowly clenched his fist.

"Thank you for telling me."

The guard nodded.

"Stay alert."

Victor walked through the gate.

And the second he crossed the city limit...

Suncloud City was still bustling.

Merchants shouted from their stalls.

People moved through the streets.

Children ran between the adults.

Shopkeepers called out to passing customers.

Someone was laughing near a food stall.

Life continued as though nothing had changed.

But Victor could feel it.

Something was wrong.

The fear wasn’t obvious.

It didn’t need to be.

It lingered beneath everything.

A merchant speaking in a hushed voice.

Two soldiers talking to each other at a street corner.

A woman checking the road before entering a shop.

People were still living their ordinary lives.

But now the city was under a silent load.

Victor slowed his steps.

He looked around.

War...

He had been dwelling on cultivation for so long.

About becoming stronger.

About protecting the people close to him.

Concerning that odd place in which he had been placed.

But that was another aspect of that world.

A harsher one.

This wasn’t merely a place of cultivation and picturesque surroundings.

It was a world where you could lose it all in a single night.

A world where power might save your life.

Victor exhaled slowly.

His eyes hardened.

"I need to get stronger."

The words were quiet.

But there was determination behind them.

He couldn’t control what happened between kingdoms.

That he could not prevent a war just because he did not like the idea of a war.

But he could control himself.

He could become stronger.

Tough enough to stand up for those he loved.

Tough enough so that when it finally did come knocking at his door he would be able to stand there and watch his family bleed.

Victor looked toward the busy street ahead.

Then he continued walking.

Whatever happened next, he would be ready.

Victor wandered down the streets of Suncloud City as his eyes, seemingly glowing gold, inspected the newest environment.

It was difficult to see that this was the same city he had viewed earlier.

Once, these streets had been alive.

Merchants had called from their stalls. Buyers had argued over prices. Children had darted between the feet of shoppers, laughing as their parents tried to catch them.

Now, most of that was gone.

Many shops were closed.

Most of their wooden doors were bricked securely, some of their windows prevented from being opened from the inside. A few signs continued to flutter over deserted storefronts, jingling softly as the wind blew through the closely packed streets.

The streets themselves felt strangely wide.

Not because they had changed.

For the simple reason that there were so few pedestrians in them.

Those who remained moved quickly.

No one lingered.

No one stood around chatting.

Everyone was looking down and moving their eyes from side to side. It was a sort of fear that if they stood still they might attract the attention of those around.

Victor saw the same look on almost every face.

Worry.

Some tried to hide it.

Most weren’t very good at it.

More soldiers had gathered all around the city. They formed up at intersections and at significant buildings, reflecting the dull sunlight with their armor as they kept a close eye on each passerby.

Their hands remained close to their weapons.

Their eyes were sharp.

Suspicious.

Every so often, they stopped someone.

"Identification.""Where are you going?""Why are you carrying that?"

The questions came one after another.

At other times, the guards allow a person to go after conducting a few checks.

Other times, they searched them more thoroughly.

Victor saw out of the corner of his eye a middle-aged trader who was singled out and questioned for a few minutes. His face had turned slightly pale, and he nodded anxiously as he responded to the soldiers.

Victor didn’t slow down.

He just bowed his head a little and passed along in the herd.

Fortunately, no one stopped him.

Was it luck?

Maybe he didn’t seem exciting enough.

Perhaps the soldiers were simply overwhelmed.

There were too many of them to bother to check all that many of them, and the city was getting increasingly uneasy every minute.

Whatever the case, Victor didn’t think he should complain.

He kept moving.

But he didn’t hurry.

He only had time to observe and take it all in.

The grand buildings which had previously attracted his attention now appeared strange.

They were still magnificent.

The tall stone walls remained.

The elaborate carvings were still there.

The towers still reached toward the sky.

Yet something about them felt lifeless.

As if the buildings themselves had become silent witnesses of everything.

At last his eye fell upon the imperial palace far away.

From here, I could see nothing.

It towered over the adjacent structures, formidable and regal.

But no peace came from it.

If anything, Victor could feel the opposite.