[Planet 2722 - Silvermane] [M - class planet - middle realm] [Sovereign - Silvermane faction] Based on the text that appeared on the information cube, Emery could see that even though the planet was considered a middle realm world, it was only half the size of Earth. Moreover, in contrast to Earth, whose surface was predominantly made up of bodies of water, Silvermane was mostly covered by landmasses, having three large continents that were almost connected to one another. On the northern side lay undulating snowy mountain ranges filled with dense forests. On the opposite southern side existed a desert savanna that seemed to stretch endlessly across the horizon. Flanked by the two contrasting yet stunning landscapes, the center was the richest and most fertile area in this world. The lush green expanse as far as the eye could see was filled with countless varieties of flora and fauna, with one massive city looming in the sky yet not in dissonance with its surroundings. That was the Silvermane Kingdom, ruled by Marcus Silvermane, who was known as the Alpha King. As with many other middle realm planets, the existence of the Magus Universe would still be a secret to some. However, it seems it was part of the Alpha King's intention to leave the hundred million half-bloods, away from the advanced civilization. Some stayed within simple towns and villages, some in solitude deep within forests or mountains. With this rule in place, discretion was emphasized and all out-of-space visits were gathered in one place: the Grand Alpha City of Silvermane. "We are cleared to enter." After going through several identity checks, their ship was allowed to pass through the planet's atmosphere and descend through the thick billow of white clouds. It didn't take long before a city came into view. At glance, it was a city not smaller than Ouroboros City. A difference that Emery quickly noticed was that most of the buildings were built with natural stones, creating a unique atmosphere that exuded a modern yet medieval feel, making Emery recall a bit of his memory of home. [Visitor 1183, please head toward hangar C for landing] "Affirmative." The place where their ship landed was an airfield on top of a tall mountain, located a few miles away from the city center. There were already dozens of huge spaceships parked there, not to mention hundreds of other medium and small spaceships bearing various emblems. They could see several other ships arriving at the same time with them, while some appeared to be just about to take off from the airfield. "Alright, it's time to put on a show," Annara said with a playful smirk. As soon as the spaceship entrance opened, the red-haired girl stayed where she was and said, "After you, Master." Inwardly scoffing at her actions, Emery nodded and stepped out of the ship with her quickly following after. The two of them were soon approached by a group of half a dozen guards led by a magus-level captain. 𝐟𝚛𝕖𝚎𝕨𝗲𝐛𝚗𝐨𝐯𝐞𝕝.𝐜𝗼𝗺 After confirming their identities, the magus asked, "The reason for your visit?" "It's a personal reason," Emery responded curtly. The man looked dissatisfied with such a vague answer, but Annara quickly jumped in before he could speak again. "My apologies, Sir. What my master meant is that he has come to see a distant relative of his, while taking the opportunity to admire the greatest city of the Wolf bloodline." The answer seemed to satisfy the magus. Glancing at Emery, the man confirmed again there was nothing suspicious and let the two of them go about their business. After the guards left, Annara immediately turned around and narrowed her eyes at Emery. "I told you, didn't I? Play your part a bit, will you?" Looking at her, Emery casually replied, "I am. Can't you see? I'm playing the role of an arrogant master and his useful servant." "Haha..." She snorted mockingly. "Funny guy aren't you now?" The two of them then made their way out of the airfield. A little walk down the mountain, Emery could see a huge teleportation which is an alternate, more usual means people used to arrive on the planet. There were several dozen people that could be seen crowding the place. As they walked through the large stone gate, which was the entrance to the entire place, the two of them arrived at a road filled with several grandiose buildings that led directly to the main city. Hundreds of people in plain clothes were staring at Emery and others who arrived on their planet, the people who they called the Visitors. Some of them enthusiastically approached to offer their services, while some promoted the local products of Silvermane they were selling. Emery noticed there were several who possessed the Wolf bloodline features with overgrown facial hair on their bodies. However, there were also those who looked like ordinary humans. "That's because not all of them can be considered half-blood," Annara said as if she knew what he was thinking when she noticed his gaze. Due to the minuscule amount of wolf genes in their bodies, these people were not and would never be considered half-bloods. Not only that, they turned out to be considered the lower class of society. Taking one last glance at those people, Emery beckoned Annara. The two of them continued on their way into the large city of Silvermane, where they could see even bigger, taller stone buildings consisting of multiple floors and crowds that increased exponentially as more 'visitors' filled the streets. There were people who wore bizarre-looking clothes and had unique features more like hybrids than humans. Still, through his sense of smell, Emery could tell more than half of the crowd were still wolf half-bloods. "We will now go look for the assets that Ouroboros has planted here," Annara said in a low voice. "Follow me." Annara had never been to this planet before, but even so she was able to easily maneuver her way through the large city, entering a series of small alleyways with no hesitation as they made their way to their destination. Seeing their way here, Emery wasn't surprised to see them arrive at a shady underground tavern. He followed Annara into the place, whereupon the redhead walked to the bar and ordered drinks for the two of them saying some names to the bartender. When their drinks arrived and the bartender left them alone, Annara spoke to him. "Okay. The good news is that our cover seems solid. The not-so-good news is that the assets are currently away. So we may need to stay here for a few days." Emery had no issue with it, as he himself looked forward to exploring the unique city that felt much like his home. However, his idea was quickly shot down by the red-haired girl. "No, no..." She said, drawing a frown from Emery. "It's safer for us to stay out of sight until we meet the assets. We also needed to wait for the man" Unfortunately, Emery had no intention of sitting idly by. "Alright then, you can stay here and wait. I'll go explore a bit." He gulped the drink and stood up, ready to leave which left Annara no choice but to follow. Not to disappoint, the exploration was quite an experience for Emery. He enjoyed the unique atmosphere as he strolled through the busy streets of Silverman City filled with many attractions and markets. In the midst of this, they suddenly heard a loud commotion. When they tried to see what was happening, Emery and Annara saw a large group of people entering the city from the same gate they took earlier today. Thousands of half-bloods warriors, with dozens of magus-level, were marching into the city center. From their worn-out looks to their uniforms, these people were no doubt wolf half-bloods who had just returned from the battlefield. "It seems our information is correct," Annara said, her calculating gaze moving through the army. "The Alpha King is calling his allies back to the city. Something big must have happened, maybe something related to the item we need, I think we should find out." When the army finally passed through, the previous bustling crowds returned and once again filled the street. Emery took some more walks and cast his curious gazes at the various stalls he passed by. From clothing, weapons, potions, before long he found himself stopping in front of a stall that sold foods, baked pies to be specific. The situation suddenly brought him back to a certain memory deep inside and, as Annara called out screaming his name, her striking red hair appeared to complete the picture of someone else, someone he cared about. Then all of a sudden, he saw that person standing a distance away among the crowd. As he met her gaze, a name came to mind. "Morgana!" ---------------------------------- Written by Avans, Published exclusively by W.e.b.n.o.v.e.l, Join the discussion on discord through my website www.avans.xyz