Athens lay along the Mediterranean coast, on the southeastern edge of the Greek Peninsula between Europe and the Central Continent.
It was named after Athena—Goddess of Wisdom in Greek mythology.
Mountains embraced it on three sides.To the south stretched the Saronic Gulf.
A coastal city.
In Adam's previous life—
This place had been the cradle of civilization.A sanctuary of tourism.
But in this era—
It bore a far grander title.
"City of the Gods."
The giants of myth—those who once gazed down upon mortals from the cloud-piercing Mount Olympus—had descended to this world.
And here—
They built a new Olympus.
Across the mountain ranges surrounding Athens rose vast palace complexes.
In Adam's old world, the columned Greek temples survived only as ruins atop the Acropolis.
Here—
They encircled the entire city.
Colossal pillars.Marble sanctuaries.Golden domes.
At the center lay the human city—its buildings low and dense.
From above—
Athens resembled a sunken half-bowl.
Gods towering above.Humans living below.
To feed the terrifying appetites of the "gods"—
And sustain their extravagant daily expenditures—
Athens had constructed the most concentrated transportation network in the world.
It had also become the busiest trade port on the planet.
The powerful Greek Republic squandered wealth extracted from global colonies without restraint.
At the same time—
Athens housed the most developed slave trade on Earth.
Within its slave exchanges, one could purchase nearly any race—
Except angels, demons, and giants.
This was the most prosperous city in existence.
Envoys from every nation.Merchants from across the world.Lavish Greek estates.Eastern heavenly gardens.
Wars of the gods had brought Athens to the world—
And dragged the world to Athens.
It was also the most expensive city alive.
The price of one loaf of bread here—
Could buy a family feast in a small town.
There were no poor people.
Yet poverty was everywhere.
Because the nobles—
Were unimaginably rich.
Thus Athens became paradise for merchants.
They scoured the globe for rare treasures—
All to please noble patrons.
You could find solid-gold statues in roadside shops.
Or dine on supreme delicacies in humble taverns.
On fountain steps stood elite mercenary companies—
Waiting for contracts.
Any mission accepted—
If you could pay.
Masked balls unfolded nightly across the city.
Beautiful Greek women wandered among chandeliers and wine.
They worshiped strength.
They awaited conquerors.
To win their favor, countless Greek men followed giants to war—
Swords pointed at the world.
They conquered lands.Seized treasure.Chased glory.
And in doing so—
Brought disaster upon the world—
All to feed Athens' luxury.
A decadent city.A prosperous city.A city of dreams.A city built on flesh and blood.
The jewel of civilization—
And its festering tumor.
Yet compared to the restrained Eastern metropolises—
And the sparsely populated Eden cities—
Athens stood unrivaled.
The No.1 City in the World.
Night fell.
At the harbor, merchant ships sat docked in dense rows.
Among unclaimed cargo—
A muffled noise sounded.
Crates toppled.
A tall, muscular man with dark bronze skin and long brown hair tore his way out of the pile.
Adam.
Under Yuka's modifications, his appearance had changed completely.
"Help me!" Yuka's voice came from beneath the cargo.
He was buried.
As a 15th-generation vampire—technically closer to 17th—
His physical strength was barely above human.
Adam walked over, lifted the crates, and ripped one open.
Yuka crawled out, gasping.
"Ugh… the smell in there was awful."
Nearby—
Yinling had already kicked her crate open.
She stood staring toward the distant mountain temples—
Eyes filled with shock.
Those structures were taller than the skyscrapers from Adam's previous life.
"What's next?" Adam asked.
He knew nothing about this world's systems.
Yinling was a shut-in noble vampire.
Only Yuka—the drifter—had experience.
Yuka pulled a stack of documents from his pouch.
"I'm now Baron of Corsica. You're my servant and guard captain. Yinling is my—"
He froze under her glare.
"…Associate."
He coughed.
"Officially, we're here as special envoys delivering a report to the Greek Senate. First step is to report to the Corsican Embassy and secure lodging."
Yinling blinked.
"We're envoys now? How did you get that title?"
"My medical work. I treated a high official in Corsica. Otherwise, no way I'd get a barony for just 1,000 gold. Corsica is weak—but not that corrupt."
He looked proud.
"How do we get there?" Adam asked.
Flying was suicide.
A giant might swat him midair.
Yuka smirked.
"In Athens, transport is never a problem."
They slipped out of the bustling port.
Yuka raised a hand.
A carriage rolled over.
The driver, bearded, bowed slightly.
"Where to, sir?"
Horse carriages still existed here.
Adam found that amusing.
"Corsican Embassy," Yuka said.
The driver frowned.
"…Where's that?"
Yuka blinked.
"You don't know?"
"I'm confirming—Is it in the Embassy District?"
Respect had already faded from his tone.
Clearly, Corsica meant nothing to him.
"…Probably," Yuka muttered awkwardly.
They boarded.
Yinling suddenly said:
"The sunlight here is bright… but it doesn't shine everywhere, does it?"
A quiet jab at Corsica's low status.
Yuka's face flushed red.
Adam watched the city through the window.
Athens at night was still blazing with light.
Crowds flowed endlessly.
Shops remained open.
Far more prosperous than history records.
An hour later—
They arrived.
Embassy District.
After disembarking, Yuka nearly choked when settling the fare.
Three silver coins.
In Corsica, that could buy a horse.
Here—
Just a ride.
"Inflation exists in every world…" Adam thought dryly.
Good thing they hadn't converted all gold into sunblock.
They might not even afford transport.
Yuka began furiously bargaining.
Adam and Yinling watched roadside.
After intense verbal combat—
The driver accepted two coins.
Left with a whip crack—
And a look of disdain.
"I didn't know you were this stingy," Yinling teased.
"This isn't stingy. It's practical!" Yuka declared.
Aside from research spending—
He was frugal.
They approached the Embassy District gates.
A massive walled compound reserved for foreign powers—
Like embassy zones from Adam's old world.
But fortified.
Guards. Walls. Checkpoints.
Inside stood villas of every architectural style—
Two to three stories high.
Rare plants grew on moonlit balconies.
Yuka stepped forward, presenting documents.
"Hello. I'm Corsica's envoy."
The Greek guard took the letter.
"Corsica…?"
He turned and shouted:
"Biggs! Ever heard of Corsica?"
Adam suddenly felt—
A bad premonition.