The bottom of the elevator shaft was not a sealed space with a regular shape. As the height of the shaft descended, the walls of the shaft gradually showed a tendency to expand around. The boulders, steel, and pipes that made up the walls of the shaft gradually integrated into the buildings of the lower city. This was a transitional structure that evolved over thousands of years. Hao Ren felt that he had come to a block as he descended.
The lower city.
The deepest part of Twilight Capital, the foundation of the doomsday sanctuary, gave Hao Ren the first impression that it was dim, and then old and messy.
The place still retained a lot of the style of two thousand years ago. Huge stone buildings and cast-iron columns inlaid with runes could be seen everywhere. Humans two thousand years ago did not have the ability to build such a magnificent megalithic city, so several primitive city-states in Midgard were built with the help of the Norse gods (later generations saw various miraculous legends). It was precisely because of this that these ancient buildings could bear the responsibility of the cornerstone of Twilight Capital.
The old buildings were lined up next to each other, and the lower city was like a huge and complex labyrinth. No matter where you looked, you could only see layers of buildings and platform structures of different ages. The whole city was so heavy that walking among these buildings produced the greatest feeling of depression. The second was the fear that the whole city would suddenly collapse.
Hao Ren looked up and saw Twilight Capital was like a bloated nest. The crisscrossed city structure entangled above his head, extending into the endless darkness. There were disorderly lights between the city structures, but these lights could not dispel even the slightest sense of depression. His eyes widened as he tried to distinguish, and finally he saw a line of white at the end of the dark abyss. He guessed that it might be a little "light" coming from the upper city, but soon he found that he was wrong: it was just a cloud. As the city was stacked so high that there was a thick layer of clouds between the buildings.
If one was born and raised in Twilight Capital, one would know that it was the condensing tube area of the large boiler. Another 'people' who had degenerated in the harsh environment lived there. They were called 'Barnil'. It rained all year round on the platform where they lived. The rainwater from the condensing tube cloud contained some kind of slightly toxic substance, so that the skin of the residents on the platform would glow slightly.
"This place is more dilapidated than I thought." Vivian could not help but mutter looking at the situation in front of her.
"This is the urban area of two thousand years ago," Wendell shook his head. "The lower it is, the older and the older it is. But thanks to the power of the ancient sages, these things are still strong and durable. At least for now, the city will not collapse because of the heavy pressure."
Hao Ren cautiously observed the surrounding situation. He originally thought that he would encounter a certain degree of city defense here, but there was only silence. The battle on the upper platform seemed to be a matter of another world. He felt that it was a bit abnormal.
No matter how dilapidated the lower city was, it was still the residence of the ancient sage. No matter how loud the commotion Lily and the others made, it was unlikely that all the city guards would be attracted to the upper city. There should at least be some soldiers left here.
Wendell obviously felt that something was wrong. He vigilantly looked at the dark stone houses around him and said, "There should be a Twilight squad stationed here all year round. They will not leave their sentry post no matter what."
In the depths of the dark and messy city streets, several figures moved a few times. Hao Ren saw a few ragged civilians hurrying along. Two of them glanced at him, but their numb expressions did not change at all. They quickly left.
The whole lower city was so peaceful that it gave people goosebumps.
To figure out what was going on, Hao Ren and Vivian carefully moved to the Twilight Guard's outpost under the leadership of Wendell. The outpost was an independent square building 100 meters away from the lift. The terrain was slightly higher and the surroundings were unobstructed. Usually, there would always be two soldiers standing guard in front of the building, and the searchlight on the top of the building would be kept on, constantly sweeping around the entrance and exit of the lift. But now the outpost was completely shrouded in silence. There were no soldiers walking around, and even the searchlight was off.
"There are signs of life inside," Vivian sniffled. "The smell of living blood. People are alive, but they seem to be under control."
The situation was getting more and more strange. Hao Ren raised his vigilance and took the lead. But nothing happened until he reached the door of the outpost. Vivian followed behind him. She was shrouded in a black cloud with the smell of blood. The bats were hidden in the cloud, ready to attack at any time.
"Bang!"
Hao Ren kicked open the door of the outpost and dashed in with his spear. "Don't move!"
There were a few chairs in the outpost. Six soldiers in the uniform of the Twilight Guard sat stiffly on the chairs. They tried to move their eyes, looking at the plasma spear in Hao Ren's hand with horror and pleading eyes. But they could not even move a finger. They seemed to be under some kind of spell.
A mysterious person in a linen robe stood on the opposite side of the table. It was a young woman. Her skin was pale, and she was thin. She wore a strange headdress that looked like it was woven with thorns. The woman bowed slightly to Hao Ren. "Hello, strange traveler. Can I move?"
Hao Ren was stunned. "Who are you?"
"I am the servant of the ancient sage." The young woman's voice was very soft. It was hard to tell that she was a strong person who could control six soldiers with one hand. She looked at Wendell with a smile. "This old man may know us."
"You are the caretaker?" Wendell exclaimed. "How can a caretaker leave the sanctuary?"
"There is only one reason to change the oath of the caretaker, and that is the order of the ancient sage," the young woman called 'caretaker' continued softly. "In the world above, you should be the only one who can hear the voice of the ancient sage. So you probably guessed why I am here."
Wendell suddenly thought of the great voice that suddenly came into his mind when he was in the upper city.
"Are you here to pick us up?" Wendell looked excited. "How is the ancient sage doing?"
"There are many things that are not convenient to discuss here." The young woman bowed slightly and turned to the door. "Please come with me, strange traveler."
The mysterious young woman took them out of the square and quickly turned into a secret path. Following her through the complex and cramped buildings, Hao Ren asked Wendell curiously, "Who is this person?"
He saw that Wendell recognized the identity of the woman and judged that the woman should be a reliable guide who was inclined to the Lightseeker. But he still did not know much about the organizational structure of Twilight Capital.
Wendell glanced at the woman who was leading the way and nodded slightly. "This is one of the caretakers. They are responsible for taking care of the ancient sage. In the entire Twilight Capital, only they can often contact the ancient sage. If we want to meet the ancient sage, we have to go through these people. But I did not expect the caretakers to take the initiative to pick us up. They never leave the throne hall."
Vivian came to the woman and asked, "What is your name?"
"Angelica," the young woman said her name.
"Angelica? You seem to have a little Vanir blood in you," Vivian looked at her curiously. "It seems that your ancient sage is not in good condition?"
"You will know when you get there," Angelica lowered her eyelids and did not answer the question directly. "I don't know your origin, and I don't know why you want to see the ancient sage. I am just following orders."
"Since the ancient sage wants to see us, why did the city guards stop him? You should have ordered the guards to let us pass. We are still fighting with them over there." Hao Ren had another question that he could not figure out. "Since the ancient sage wants to see us, why did the city guards stop him?
Angelica paused slightly and said, "Do you think we can command the Twilight Guards after seeing the situation at the outpost just now?"
Hao Ren suddenly came to his senses.
"There used to be many people who could hear the voice of the ancient sage, but now, even among the caretakers, only a few still have this talent. And since five hundred years ago, the ancient sage has hardly said a word," Angelica's voice was very soft and emotionless. "In this case, the Iron Throne has become a symbol — supreme, but unable to issue orders."
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