Yu Zhou landed in a patch of grass, gazing up at the sky. Though the smoke from Fuhuo's fires still blackened the air, the heavens above were, for the most part, still blue.
However… in that blue sky, there was still no sign of the Giant of Light he'd been waiting for.
"Guess I should head into the city first."
Shaking his head, Yu Zhou climbed out of the grass and started toward the city gate.
The gate stood unguarded. Every soldier had gone to battle against Melba, leaving it completely unattended.
It wasn't hard for Yu Zhou to walk right in.
He could have slipped through one of the many cracks in the city wall, but he preferred to enter openly—better to appear legitimate than risk being mistaken for some sneaky troublemaker.
The moment he entered, the devastation struck him. Wounded lay everywhere, groaning in pain.
Medics carrying supply boxes rushed through the streets, tending to the injured.
One of the city guards, still trying to maintain order, spotted Yu Zhou entering through the gate and hurried over.
"Outsider? Where are you from?" the guard demanded, planting the butt of his spear on the ground.
"I came from Akaru City," Yu Zhou replied calmly. "I was transporting goods here to sell with my companion."
"Akaru?" The guard looked suspiciously behind Yu Zhou. "Then where's your companion? And the goods?"
"Uh…" Yu Zhou scratched his head awkwardly. He wasn't sure if Ria had made it down from the mountain yet—most likely, he was still somewhere on the trail.
"My companion will be here soon. You'll see her shortly."
The guard frowned. "Then you'll wait at the gate until your companion arrives."
Yu Zhou: "…"
He had no choice. He hadn't come to cause trouble—he was here to gather information. So, he followed the guard's instruction and sat on a broken stone slab by the gate.
Even after the battle, the gate was still crowded with movement. Builders, medics, merchants… and soldiers carrying the dead.
Bored, Yu Zhou decided to strike up a conversation.
"Hey, brother guard," he said casually, "you saw that giant who defeated the monster bird earlier, right?"
Of course, Yu Zhou asked on purpose, hoping to get some information.
"I saw it!" the guard exclaimed, his face lighting up. "Without him, Fuhuo would've been finished!"
"Then why didn't you treat that giant as an enemy?" Yu Zhou asked again.
"Why would we? The giant attacked the monster bird, not us! He didn't harm anyone in the city!"
The guard looked at Yu Zhou with admiration. "At first, we were cautious of him, but in just three minutes, he took down that monster and then disappeared."
"I see…" Yu Zhou nodded thoughtfully. "Do you happen to know who he was? Or… his name?"
"Name?" The guard blinked, then shook his head. "No one knows. That giant and the monster bird were both things I've never seen before. Never even heard of such massive beings."
Hearing that, Yu Zhou fell silent, lost in thought.
So… both the giant and Melba were firsts for them?
That meant Melba had never appeared in this world before…?
Or perhaps the guard was simply too limited to Fuhuo, never having travelled beyond the city walls—so he just didn't know?
Either way, if this world had never seen Melba, it made sense they'd never seen a giant like Tiga, either.
The sun began to set.
In the distance, Ria finally appeared, driving the dragon-drawn carriage toward the gate.
"Finally," Yu Zhou sighed, standing up and rubbing his numb legs.
Whirr… whirr… whirr…
The dragon cart rumbled to a halt before him, kicking up a cloud of dust.
"Ria! You're finally here!" Yu Zhou said with genuine relief, greeting him with an overly emotional hug before turning back to the guard. "See? My companion's here now—can we go?"
The guard inspected Ria and the cargo loaded on the dragon cart.
"…You can go," he said after a nod, allowing them through.
It was a chaotic time—no one had the energy to interrogate every outsider.
"Let's move," Yu Zhou said as he climbed onto the cart.
Ria nodded, steering the reins and guiding the dragon into the city.
On the way, Yu Zhou asked why he had taken so long.
Apparently, after seeing the black giant appear, Ria had hesitated for a while before finally deciding to move. But midway, the cart had jolted violently, sending the supplies tumbling down a slope—he'd spent ages gathering them back.
"Wait."
A deep, commanding voice suddenly rang out.
A burly middle-aged man stepped into the cart's path, holding a loaded crossbow.
The sound drew attention from nearby guards. Some looked ready to intervene, but the man waved them off with a single hand gesture.
"Is there a problem, sir?" Ria asked carefully, his years in trade telling him instantly that this man held authority.
"I want to speak to the young man riding in your cart," the man said evenly, his sharp eyes fixed on Yu Zhou.
"Oh, right—allow me to introduce myself," he added. "I am Anmon, the Lord of Fuhuo."
"City Lord?"
Yu Zhou's eyes narrowed slightly as he stepped down from the cart.
If he wanted to gather information, speaking with the city lord was the best opportunity he could ask for.
"Ria, go sell the goods first," Yu Zhou said after a thought. "I'll meet you at the gate later."
Anmon's sudden interest was unexpected—but perhaps it would lead to something valuable.
"Let's go somewhere quieter," Anmon said with a faint smile, his tone polite but firm.
"No problem," Yu Zhou replied with a nod, though inwardly he was wary.
Was this about his identity again?
Or… was the city lord secretly attracted to his face?
Just imagining that sent a chill down Yu Zhou's spine.
If this guy tried anything funny, Yu Zhou was ready to send him flying straight into the clouds.
Fuhuo lay in ruins, with only a handful of buildings still standing.
Anmon led Yu Zhou into one of the few intact pavilions.