One crisp morning, they finally reached their destination. The fog lifted to reveal the towering cliffs and sprawling docks of Grandmoon City.
It was a massive place, a sprawling beast of wood, stone, iron, and steam. Grandmoon City was comparable in size to Lonestone. It is the largest settlement in the island. Also the center of trade.
A few great chimneys belched soot into the pale blue sky. And the sound of hammering echoed across the water.
Unlike the other islands they had visited before, the Grandmoon Island was enormous. It actually had two cities, eight towns, and numerous villages. It was technically unaffiliated with other nations. Functioning practically as a sovereign kingdom. Led by its leader, known as the Moonlight Queen.
Once the ship was secured and the port fees were paid, Jack organized the shore leave. And, as usual, two unlucky crew members had to stay behind.
"Moby! Autumn! You're on ship guard duty." Jack commanded as he read two names from the random draw.
Moby groaned. But Autumn just sighed and accepted it. She was a healer. She didn't mind the quiet.
"The rest of you, split up." Jack said. "Gather intel, supplies, and don't create trouble. But feel free to act if others try to create trouble for you. We meet back here at dusk."
He turned to the tomboyish little girl, their newest and youngest recruit. "Aella! You're going with Reina and me."
...
Jack, Reina, and Aella headed toward the city center. Rune, the fairy guide, hovered near Jack's shoulder. Acting as Jack's silent radar. Her body was glowing a soft, curious violet. It was invisible to anyone without transcendent sight though.
The city was not that different from Lonestone. The streets were paved with cobblestones. Slick with a fine mist of oil and last night's rain. Steam-carriages rattled past. Their brass boilers hissing.
One thing that made the town unique was the building architectures. Jack could see that high above, there were suspended walkways. Ones that connected the taller buildings, where wealth and power resided.
Jack activated his [Eyes of Judgement].
The world was overlaid with multitudes of data. Most people he saw were standard, non-transcendent commoners. Only a few transcendent individuals could be seen here and there.
But, as they moved deeper into the trade hub, the numbers of the transcendent beings spiked high. Jack could see almost every single common transcendent class of power there. Steamrune Engineers. Mystic Scholars. Primal Sorcerers. Martial Monks. Eldritch Knights. Divine Acolytes...
"This place is crawling with transcendent beings." Jack muttered to Reina.
"It's a trade hub, Dear." Reina said, holding his arm. "And quite a wealthy one at that. Many materials transcendent beings required can be acquired here. As people say, wealth attracts power..."
"And power attracts troubles." Jack commented drily.
They reached a wide plaza. The site where the industrial aesthetic met the ancient stone architecture of the island's original inhabitants.
It wasn't a calm place though. Jack could see a crowd suddenly parted. Clearing the central place of the plaza. Forming a wide circle at the fringe of the site. They were all watching... a brutal fight.
Jack looked at the sight with an astonishment. That was a transcendent fight. In the middle of the city. And people were watching this...
Next to him, Reina also observed the fight. Aella tucked herself close to her side. Also observing without any sign of fear.
In the center of the plaza, two men were locked in a brutal struggle. One was an Eldritch Knight. Wearing an eldritch armor inscribed with glowing blue runes. He swung a heavy eldritch claymore with similar glowing blue runes. The weapon left trails of shadow in the air.
His opponent was a man who had clearly traded his humanity for machinery. His left arm was a massive steam-powered piston. And his eyes were replaced with glowing red lenses. He moved with an unnatural speed. Parrying the heavy blade with a metal forearm that sparked upon impact.
"Burn in the furnace, Filthy Gear-grinder!" The Knight roared. His sword was flickering with stronger intensity.
The cyborg laughed. A sound that was like grinding metal. "Like hell I'd do that before you, Eldritch Bastard. Your pathetic weapon is nothing special!"
The cyborg lunged. His mechanical arm unfolded into a high-pressure steam cannon. He fired a jet of superheated vapor. Turning the cobblestones to slag. But the knight had easily evaded it.
The fight was brutal and fast. And entirely... showy. The fighting duo had definitely entered the enhanced transcendent level. But they weren't that strong. Even Aella alone could probably handle both of them together without any problem.
Jack kept watching. Unimpressed but observant. They were skilled, but not enough to be a threat for any of his crew members. And they didn't seem to be fighting with a desperation that suggested an unresolvable personal grudge.
Suddenly, a sharp whistle pierced the air.
"City Guards!" Someone in the watching crowd shouted.
A group of six imposing figures descended from the rooftops. They were City Guards. Draped in heavy black capes. Each was wielding blades that pulsed with a blinding, white-hot light.
Jack noticed that each one of the guards was an Eldritch Knight. Slightly weaker than the fighting Eldritch Knights. But they had numbers. And seeing the uniformed weapons and attire, they might depend on military arcane formation.
The two fighters didn't stick around to argue. The cyborg turned and leaped onto a nearby wall. His legs turned into mechanical limbs that propelled him high into the air.
The Knight took an object and slammed it on the ground. A smoke bomb. He dissolved into a cloud of dark smoke. Reappearing several distance away in a crowded alleyway, before vanishing completely.
The guards didn't chase them. They simply took positions around the plaza. Their presence was a cold reminder of the city's order.
Jack turned to a nearby peddler. An old man selling roasted nuts from a cart. The man hadn't even flinched during the fight.
"A daily occurrence?" Jack asked. Tossing a silver coin onto the cart.
The old man caught the coin and handed Jack a leaf cone of nuts. "During the Battle Moon Cycle? Yeah. Everyone's got a temper. They all want to prove they're the strongest before the big show starts."
"The big show?" Reina asked. Leaning in.
"The Battle Moon Tournament, Missy." The peddler said. Pointing toward the direction to the center of the island. "It starts in ten days over in Sweetmoon City, only happens every five years. Fighters, mages, and those strange engineers come from all over to try for the prize."
He sighed. "The tournament isn't even done here. But the city's already full of 'em. And, half of them are pretty much looking for trouble."
Jack remembered the name. He had read about it in Aether Daily articles. The Battle Moon Tournament was called a legendary event in the newspaper. It was a set of brutal, high-stakes competitions divided into brackets for transcendent and non-transcendent competitors. The rewards were ancient artifacts, royal titles, and vast sums of gold.
"Sweetmoon City." Jack mused. "That's in the heart of this island, isn't it?"
"Yeah." The peddler nodded. "Only about three days walk from here. You seem capable enough. But, you still need watch yourselves. The closer we get to the opening ceremony, the bloodier the roads there get."
He chuckled. "The guards only care if you break the buildings too much or harm the uninvolved civilians. They don't mind if a few troublemakers kill each other in the gutters."
Jack looked at Reina and Aella... and Rune. He could see the spark of interest in Reina's eyes. Aella also looked excited by the prospect of seeing more fights. Rune flickered a bright, adventurous orange.
"Ten days, huh?" Jack said. "Well, we don't actually have tight schedule. Let's discuss with the crew later. Let's see if they want to take a detour to Sweetmoon City. A tournament is a good place to find information, and entertainment."
"Or more trouble." Reina added with a smirk.
"Trouble is just another word for adventure." Jack replied.
"Yeah!" Aella agreed. "Let's go and find some troubles, er... adventures."
Jack chuckled and led them away from the plaza. His mind was already calculating the information. A tournament. He needed to find out more details about that.
At the moment, he and his crew were treasure hunters. And treasures didn't just stay buried in ruins. Sometimes, a competition prize could be a worthy treasure. Just like his [Mysterious Fish Box].
As they walked, Jack focused his mind and felt the [Mark] in his mind. He could feel the rest of his crew scattered throughout the city. Leon, Chloe, and Serene were somehow wandering near the church district. Barnaby, Don, and Argust were still near the dock area. The baroness, Mirella, Bell, and Ned were moving to the market district.
The crew was safe. But the air in Grandmoon City felt heavy with the coming storm of the tournament.
Not even an hour later, they saw another conflict between transcendent individuals. A pair of martial monks against a group of primal sorcerers. This time the City Guards stopped them before they broke into physical fight though.
Jack kept activating his [Eyes of Judgement] as they were exploring the Downtown Zone. He detected more transcendent individuals. Some were even affiliated with troublesome groups. Purity Cult. Undeath Sect. Night Salvation Association. Eternal Soul Cult. Circles of Wealth. Black Market Syndicate. Glorious Pirates...
Jack narrowed his eyes as he realized one thing. It seemed that the tournament wouldn't be a peaceful competition.
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