Chapter 78: The City Of Uruk
Naturally, I was curious about other factions of the supernatural world, not to mention the races like elves, vampires, devils and even angels. All of whom I’ve heard in only stories. Now that I had a chance to meet them, I wanted them to be my friends too.
’As long as they’re friendly...’
Though, there was another reason for my question. I decided to take a different approach with my Sovereign Deck. Instead of building a team, I thought of making a deck filled with only my wives. A harem deck. And that also meant I was going to look for wives in other factions.
[Hehe~ I’m proud of your shameless growth, Host.] Paige giggled. [Goal updated. New goal is to have all kinds of wives in harem. Let’s collect them all!!]
’Of course.’
Alistair nodded at me, a faint smile hanging on his lips.
Cyrus leaned over his silver balcony, giving me a huge, enthusiastic thumbs-up with an approving grin. "You got it, Seth! As long as they pledge their complete, genuine loyalty to you and accept your authority, they can be bound to your Deck. You could have a dragon in your Hearts suit and an angel in your Spades if you wanted!"
Alistair rested both hands on his cane, nodding in agreement with Cyrus. "The Sovereign Deck system was explicitly created to bridge the gaps between realms, Seth. It fosters peace and cultural exchange. In fact, many supernatural beings reside right here under our jurisdiction on Earth, searching for Sovereigns or members to join, while human Sovereigns frequently recruit from foreign pantheons. It keeps the global balance strong."
"That sounds awesome," I said with a warm smile, bowing my head slightly to the Seven Seats. "I’m definitely going to explore everything and find the best of the best across every faction. Thank you for everything, everyone. Is there anything else I need to do here?"
Alistair waved his hand dismissively with a warm smile. "Our business in the High Council is concluded for today, my boy. Go down and enjoy your very first visit to the city of Uruk! I still have administrative matters to handle with the other Seats, so take your time."
Before I could turn around, Cyrus suddenly reached into his inner pocket, pulled out a sleek, matte-black obsidian card embossed with glowing silver runes, and tossed it through the air.
SWOOSH!
I caught the card effortlessly between two fingers.
"Consider that unlimited credit card a gift from your new friend!" Cyrus grinned shamelessly from his silver balcony. "Spend as much as you want in Uruk! Buy some rare artifacts, eat good food, and have fun! Want me to assign a high-tier royal guide to walk you around?"
"Thanks for the card, Cyrus!" I chuckled, slipping the shiny black card into my wallet. "And don’t worry about a guide. It’s way more fun to explore an entirely unknown magical city on my own."
"Fair enough! Have a blast, kid!" Cyrus laughed.
I offered one final, respectful bow to the Seven Seats, turned on my heel, and began walking toward the grand silver exit gates. But after taking three steps, I suddenly froze mid-stride, scratching my cheek in mild embarrassment as a realization hit me.
’Wait a second...’ I thought, looking around the massive, empty hall. ’How the hell do I get out of the Royal Citadel without the griffin?’
Across the sanctuary, King Hammurabi let out a quiet, amused chuckle from his bronze balcony. He casually snapped his fingers.
SNAP!
SWOOSH!
A shimmering, oval portal of translucent blue light instantly tore open in the air directly in front of me.
"Appreciate it, King Hammurabi!" I said with a smile, shooting him a quick wave before stepping straight through the glowing threshold.
FLASH!
The weightlessness lasted for a fraction of a second.
When my vision cleared, the grand stone sanctuary was gone. I was standing in the middle of a quiet, narrow stone alleyway lined with glowing crystal streetlamps. The warm, golden twilight sky of Uruk stretched above me, framed by ancient Mesopotamian stone walls.
I paused, smoothing down my dark casual shirt as I looked toward the mouth of the alley. ’Alright... let me see if I stick out like a sore thumb here.’
Stepping out onto the main paved avenue, I immediately burst out laughing.
"Stick out?" I mumbled dryly to myself. "Man, I couldn’t stick out here if I tried."
The bustling street before me was an absolute, chaotic masterpiece of inter-realm civilization.
To my left, a group of three towering, red-skinned Oni with massive horns and spiked clubs were standing beside a floating stone vehicle, loudly screaming and arguing with a floating parking-enforcement spirit over a parking ticket.
"What do you mean ’expired mana-meter’?!" one eight-foot-tall Oni roared, gesturing wildly with an iron club that shook the concrete. "We were gone for five minutes to buy meat skewers! Do you know who my father is?!"
The glowing blue spectral spirit simply hovered there in a tiny police hat, completely unbothered, tapping a floating clipboard. "Violation code 404: Unlawful levitation in a commercial zone. Pay fifty copper runes or your vehicle will be banished to the Nether Realm."
To my right, an extraordinarily beautiful elf woman wearing a sleek, modern business suit and high heels was walking past, completely ignoring the screaming oni while rapidly scrolling through a glowing holographic smartphone. She hit a bump on the stone road, spilled a tiny drop of her magical iced boba tea onto her blazer, and let out a sharp, ungraceful string of ancient Elvish curses that made two passing goblin merchants gasp in horror.
High above the avenue, a brilliant emerald dragon glided casually between two high-rise marble skyscrapers, adjusting its flight path to avoid a massive transit platform packed with beastfolk commuting home from work.
And right across the street, a gruff, bearded dwarf wearing a neon high-vis safety vest stood behind a wooden stall loaded with glowing magical drills, shouting at a prospective customer.
"Listen here, pal! This ain’t cheap goblin plastic! This is forged in dragon-fire! You want a discount?! Go buy some cheap knockoff from the Chinese immortals down the block, ya broke bastard!"