Chapter 125 A New City
Merely days have elapsed since Daniel's deft hand took the reins of both City and Sect, orchestrating their intricate symphony. Yet, this is but a prologue to the grand opus he envisions.
Although he started from being the Sect Leader of the Heavenly Harem Sect, his ambition now surges towards the macrocosm of the entire world.
His interest and ambition had gone from becoming the Sect Leader of his sect, the Heavenly Harem, to becoming the one who would rule the world one day.
Despite the power to swiftly conquer, Daniel's approach resonates with patience.
He thrives in the tapestry of time, savouring every brushstroke that paints his ascent.
Time bends to his will, there's no frantic race, no scripted timeline.
He carves his path with meticulous precision, crafting a legacy where dominance is not just claimed, but meticulously earned.
The stage is set, the world awaits, and Daniel stands poised at the helm of destiny, orchestrating a symphony of ambition that reverberates through time itself.
"Master, which city shall be our first conquest?" inquired Cecilia, her eyes alight with curiosity and eagerness for the imminent journey.
A longing to stand evermore by his side surged within her, and now, Daniel guided her to their inaugural target.
Meanwhile, as the twin tides of his sect and the amalgamated city advanced across the globe, he opted to leave their weight behind.
Amid his city-state subjugation odyssey, portability was paramount.
A sage smile curved Daniel's lips in response to his disciple's query.
"Up ahead is the City of Exolia where its ranking is above 1 rank higher than the city of Cetra. Moreover, Mecil lives there. Hence, this is an opportunity for me to"
The Xebec Continent holds approximately 59 Billion and Daniel discovered that the continent holds 1436 Cities in total.
However, each city was ranked and determined by 5 different grades which are Low Tier, Mid Tier, High Tier, Superior and Eventually, the Imperial where there's only 1 throughout the continent.
And of course, the City of Cetra and Exolia was Low-Tier City except that Exolid was one rank above Cetra. But none of this meant anything to Daniel as his sight was more about adventuring towards each city.
Moreover, Daniel had longed to want to have Mecil inside his harem, thus, he wanted to conquer the city as fast as possible.
"Exolia? Isn't that nestled close to the City of Cetra?" Her query was tinged with a sense of familiarity, memories of her birthplace flickering to life.
"You're spot on," he affirmed, his eyes holding a glint of recognition.
A subtle smile curved his lips as he continued, revealing a strategic design.
''I thought it'll be nice we'll conquer the nearby cities before moving to the higher ones and I don't plan on doing it on my own''
In those carefully chosen words, a world of implication unfurled.
A future lay ahead where his disciples, those he had meticulously nurtured, would venture forth into uncharted territories.
The air brimmed with the promise of adventure, alliances forged, and dominions reshaped. The tapestry of destiny began weaving threads of intrigue, hinting at the epic odyssey that was poised to unfold.
''In the future, the disciples would have the opportunity to discover life outside the sect, and depending on their performance, I could give them 'some' rewards'' He chuckled.
''Master that's unfair'' Cecilia puffed her cheeks, but she was joking and there wasn't any ounce of jealousy in her eyes. She just wanted his attention and being by his side had already fulfilled her desires.
A chuckle escaped his lips, a glint of mirth dancing in his eyes as he answered her jest.
"Ah, my dear disciple, perhaps you are a tad bit spoiled," he teased the camaraderie between them was a testament to the bond they shared.
At that moment, amidst laughter and banter, they stood as master and disciple, their dynamic an embodiment of mutual respect and unspoken understanding.
Currently, their steps carried them along a winding trail, a well-trodden path that beckoned toward the storied City of Exolia.
The air was charged with anticipation as they ventured forth, mere meters separating them from the city's vigilant guards who stood as sentinels at its threshold.
"Hold up!" A voice sliced through the air, halting Daniel and Cecilia in their tracks. Two imposing guards appeared before them, one extending a firm hand as if to bar their passage.
"Show me your token," the demand reverberated with authority. Their response was swift, proffering the required emblem, yet as the guard's eyes scanned the insignia, a furrow etched his brow.
"Outsiders, huh?" His words emerged with a note of concern as if grappling with an unexpected puzzle.
Daniel's curiosity spurred him forward. "Is there an issue?" he inquired, his tone a mixture of intrigue and readiness to address any hindrance.
The atmosphere crackled with unspoken tension, the trio locked in a dance of uncertainty that held the promise of untold revelations.
"Well, usually, there's no problem for us accepting outsiders as long as they have tokens with them. But currently, the city is facing a huge crisis," the guard's voice carried the weight of weariness, his exhalation a release of pent-up tension.
Cecilia's brows knit in concern. "What kind of crisis?" she pressed, her eyes reflecting an emotion of curiosity.
The guard's gaze held theirs as he began to unravel the tapestry of turmoil.
"A plague has erupted within the city's walls. Its grip is relentless, casting a shadow over every facet of our lives. The city's vitality wanes, and its economy buckles under the strain. The nobles, in their desperation, have proposed a toll for every citizen, a desperate bid to bolster our flagging resources."
Daniel's expression darkened, absorbing the gravity of the situation.
"It's a dire time," he acknowledged his words a mirror of the guard's deflated spirit.
As the words hung in the air, an unspoken understanding dawned – they stood at the precipice of a city in turmoil, its guardians stretched thin, their resolve faltering beneath the weight of an implacable adversary.
The crisis was woven into the very fabric of Exolia, a challenge that demanded courage, compassion, and perhaps the spark of change that their arrival might ignite.
"I've got no problem with the toll fee. So how much is it?" Daniel's words rang with a nonchalant air, his demeanour poised to embrace the city's customs.
For him, the weight of the coin was a trivial matter, a fact that emanated from his very posture.
"Well, it's one gold for each person," the guard replied, a shadow of distress crossing his features. The utterance felt like the revealing of a heavy secret.
The revelation hung in the air, a statement that equated to prying a precious gem from one's chest. One gold, a price seemingly simple, yet beneath its surface lay the toll of sacrifice, a small fortune that spoke volumes.
"Ah, so it's 2 golds for us to enter, then?" Daniel's query held a poised inevitability, his acceptance echoing as a testament to his standing.
The guard's voice wavered as he confirmed, bracing himself for the storm he anticipated.
"Y-Yes, that's right," he stuttered, mentally preparing for a storm of indignation he had grown accustomed to witnessing.
The echo of past encounters reverberated through his mind, raised voices, heated arguments, and even arrests.
Yet, what met his ears now was a revelation that stretched the boundaries of his expectations.
"Well, here you go. Two golds," Daniel's voice held a steady cadence, as he handed over the coins.
The gesture was fluid, a transaction that belied the enormity of its impact.
The guard, momentarily stunned, watched them pass, his eyes locked in disbelief on the retreating figures.
Their departure marked a profound anomaly, an enigma in a sea of reactions.
As the echo of their footsteps faded, he remained in a trance-like stupor, torn between his duty and the wake of astonishment left by a man who treated gold like mere pebbles.
''Please enjoy your time and stay in the city'' He said and after he had said that, he thought he was an idiot. After all, what could the city offer them when it's at its lowest?
At the same time, he can't help but wonder what kind of identity Daniel held to be able to take out 2 gold coins without batting an eye.
Whatever it was, the guard could only give his salute to Daniel before continuing his plain old duties.
On the other hand, the moment Daniel entered the city, he couldn't help but frown his eyes to his discovery. Although the guard had said it was a plague, he never expected it to be this bad.
He kept observing his surroundings and in the end, he felt like he was in the middle of a warzone where the citizens of the countries had suffered the cruelty from the nemesis military weapon.
Compared to the city of Cetra, the city of Exolia state was worse and Danie would confidently state that in less than 10 years, this city would cease to exist.
"Master, I never expected the city's state to be this dire," Cecilia's voice held shock and sorrow as her eyes traced the scene before her.
Memories of her own struggles in the slums echoed, now overlaid with the heartrending reality around her.
Her gaze was drawn to the makeshift tents, a poignant division between the stricken and the unaffected.
She didn't feel empathy, but she could feel some sort of connection with them.
The people ensnared by the plague's grasp, arms bound in makeshift bandages, eyes shrouded in darkness, life teetering on a fragile precipice.
Daniel's voice cut through the sombre air, injecting a glimmer of optimism. "Indeed, my dear disciple, this adversity holds within it a profound opportunity," he mused, his mind already crafting a solution as impactful as it was audacious.
"Opportunity?" Cecilia's brows knitted in inquiry, uncertainty etched on her features. Daniel's explanation was gentle, a beacon to illuminate his trail of thought.
"When people are at their lowest ebb, imagine the impact of someone who could sweep their woes away," Daniel's smile carried a hint of intrigue, a challenge that beckoned.
Understanding dawned on Cecilia's countenance, a smile gradually unfurling.
Eager to embark on this transformative journey, she inquired, "What should we do next, master?"
Daniel's response carried a touch of pragmatism, a blend of empathy and strategy.
"First, we must immerse ourselves among them, grasp their struggles, and only then shall we orchestrate change, but let's not be hasty, my dear. This is a symphony, not a reckoning."
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