Chapter 427: The City of a Thousand Sails
Chapter 427: The City of a Thousand Sails
The sun rose in the east, marking the beginning of a new day.
This journey, which was supposed to be a brief layover, had turned into an eventful one after the lively shipboard party and the harrowing encounter on Mermaid Island. Finally, they arrived at the City of a Thousand Sails, the very heart of the Seven Seas Alliance world.
"The contract ends here!"
"Young man, if you ever get the chance, come find me in the depths of the sea. It's been a while since I've had guests!"
The Red Sea Leviathan did not tow the ship into the harbor. Instead, it released the towing rope from a distance and descended into the depths of the ocean.
The fish boat, propelled by its remaining inertia, continued sailing towards the city ahead.
Lindsey stood at the bow, squinting slightly.
In the distance, the first sight that greeted them was seven towering structures, each adorned with a distinct color, perfectly matching the seven colors of the rainbow.
As they gazed upon the towers, intricate patterns adorned their surfaces, changing significantly in structure at regular intervals, yet the overall composition always complemented the beauty of the tower's corresponding color.
Among the seven towers, the red tower stood prominently in the city's center, towering over the others like a spear pointing towards the sun in the sky.
The remaining six towers, each in a different color, were arranged in a hexagonal pattern around the city.
This arrangement also subtly divided the city into distinct districts.
"The City of a Thousand Sails..."
Lindsey murmured softly to himself.
As the fish boat sailed forward, clearer scenes unfolded before their eyes.
The entire City of a Thousand Sails shimmered under the bright sunlight, with bridges, rooftops, and various architectural designs adorning the cityscape.
On the outskirts of this artistic city, countless ships were docked on the water's surface.
Colorful triangular flags fluttered in the wind, swaying with the undulating waves, creating a rhythmic clapping sound above the heads of the crowd, like a moving landmass shaking with excitement.
Lindsey and his companions approached the district where the Purple Tower stood.
Two artists strolling on the water's surface spotted them and walked over, shouting from a distance:
"Stop! Line up outside, there's a queue! Your number is 66, and there are still 65 ships ahead of you at the Purple Harbor..."
"Hmm? Is that a ship from Catal Island?"
"You're 17 hours late! And where are the Sea Folk who were towing the ship?"
Lindsey couldn't help but ask Wah Wah Wah beside him:
"Is it always this busy? We have to wait in such a long line to enter the city?"
"With 65 ships ahead of us, we'll be waiting until the year of the monkey."
Wah Wah Wah chuckled and explained:
"It's a normal occurrence."
"Usually, it takes quite some time to enter the City of a Thousand Sails, and now with the art festival approaching, there are even more visitors!"
As Lindsey and Wah Wah Wah whispered to each other, the captain of the fish boat made his way from the bridge to the bow, his red plaid handkerchief tied around his waist catching everyone's attention.
"Gentlemen!"
"My ship was attacked at sea, and the Sea Folk have met with misfortune!"
Hearing the captain's cry, a transparent curtain of water formed beneath the feet of the two artists responsible for guiding the ship, carrying them aboard:
"The ship was attacked, and the Sea Folk are dead."
"What happened?"
The captain hurriedly explained:
"Fallen artists have taken control of the Red Sea Mermaids!"
"We were lucky on our ship; everyone worked together, and we found a sea beast to pull us to safety."
"..."
"Fallen artists again."
"These people never seem to stay out of trouble, even with an art festival coming up."
The two artists guiding the ship exchanged a glance.
One of them sighed, jumped into the sea, and swam back towards the city's harbor.
The other artist remained on board to continue gathering information from the captain.
Soon, a loud and spirited trumpet call echoed from the distant harbor, causing the entire sea surface to tremble.
The ships waiting in line at the harbor didn't move an inch, but the seawater automatically parted, forming a straight channel.
The fish boat, without any propulsion, was pulled forward by a wave from beneath, sailing straight to the harbor's edge.
Lindsey teased Wah Wah Wah beside him:
"Does this count as cutting in line?"
The girl shrugged her shoulders.
"I guess this is some form of comfort after being attacked?"
Lindsey continued his questioning.
"In a situation like ours, will the inquiries be strict when we enter the city?"
Wah Wah Wah shook his head slightly.
"This kind of thing isn't that uncommon either. It's just a normal procedure."
"Besides, even if they search Mermaid Island, the previous artists have probably already fled by now."
Wuuu—
Another loud trumpet call sounded.
The summer breeze blew across the sea, transforming into two gentle giant hands that supported the fishing boat, securing it firmly with the mooring ropes taut on the water's surface.
With Lindsey's excellent hearing, he soon heard people outside whispering.
"How did they cut in line?"
"A bunch of unlucky folks attacked by fallen artists, come over to make a record."
"It seems like some of them were messed with by Red Sea Mermaids?"
"Well, we'll have to call for a doctor. I saw a man give birth last spring."
"..."
The passengers of the fishing boat, receiving special treatment, were quickly guided off the ship.
But this time, there was no display of special skills; instead, they obediently used the gangplank, allowing people to disembark one after another.
They were escorted to the port office.
Seven offices had their doors wide open, each handling the information registration for the group.
When it was Lindsey's turn, Wah Wah Wah promptly embraced his arm, and the two of them walked in together.
The person in charge of their reception was a young man.
On the left side of his desk was a thick stack of papers, and on the right were filled-out forms.
He looked up and asked Lindsey and Wah Wah Wah for their information.
But after asking only for their names, he couldn't help but complain:
"Lindsey is a pretty feminine name, but yours... Wah Wah Wah?"
"What kind of ridiculous name is that?"
Wah Wah Wah smiled and replied:
"I remember someone in the Purple Zone named Summer Grape, so my name isn't that bad, right?"
The questioning man raised an eyebrow:
"Are you both locals?"
Wah Wah Wah pointed to himself and then to Lindsey:
"I am, but he isn't."
Lindsey took the initiative to speak:
"I'm from a hidden frontier, an edge world opened up by an expedition team."
"Wow, that's rare. You, with a name like Lindsey, are from an expedition team?" The man skipped Wah Wah Wah and directed his teasing gaze at Lindsey. "Didn't you get pregnant when you were attacked by a mermaid?"
Lindsey naturally shook his head:
"No."
The man continued his questioning:
"Are you both Awakened?"
Lindsey replied:
"Yes, I'm a game player, at the 4th Stage."
Wah Wah Wah quickly introduced himself:
"Essence, 5th Stage."
"..."
The registration process went smoothly.
Just as Wah Wah Wah said, it was just a routine procedure.
It was only when the girl mentioned her skills that the man fell into a brief silence and asked her to stay a little longer, taking the initiative to get new materials from the neighboring office.
Lindsey stepped out first and waited outside the port office's entrance under the scorching sun.
He stood there for a few minutes, enduring the heat.
Pedestrians passing by the port had various appearances: warriors with armor and swords, unfazed by the summer heat; young men and women dressed lightly as if on vacation; and serious-looking passersby dressed in a strict manner, resembling ascetic monks.
"..."
At that moment, a voice sounded.
Lindsey turned his head and was surprised to see a stone statue at the edge of the port office's entrance speaking! The statue was in the shape of a human, crafted with exquisite skill.
Due to the excellent craftsmanship of a professional stonemason, the statue had gained Vitality.
It complained to Lindsey:
"Sir, do you know how long I've been standing here? Sixteen years! Not a second of respite from the wind and sun!"
"It's not a pleasant feeling at all!"
(End of Chapter)
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