The days passed without much action or frustration for Alex. He maintained his cover as a wondering Tamer who had simply stumbled upon Advent Garden, mingling with the locals and picking up snippets of information wherever he could.
Advent Garden, he discovered, was not merely a city – true to its size, it was effectively operated like a mega country. Although there wasn''t much outside trade due to the scarceness of any other cities or settlements in the vicinity, the trade within the city itself was bustling. Those who were strong enough and brave enough to brave the wilderness would bring back goods and those goods would then enter the cirction of Advent Garden, creating an almost never ending cycle due to the vast area ofnd that surrounded them.
The political structure of the city intrigued him the most, as it seemed quite developed and modernpared to other ces in the Primordial Expanse, where they tended to run on the traditional monarchical aristocracy where those in power were the nobles. But in Advent Garden, it was actually run simr to the Federation – it was a democracy with elected officials, and every citizen had the right to vote for the city''s mayor, no matter their level of power, or if they were even an awakened at all.
But of course, with a power structure where individual power triumphed over collective power, there would always be people behind the scenes pulling strings and manipting things to benefit themselves. It was the same as the Federation basically, only on a much, much smaller scale.
Alex learned quickly through his interactions with the locals that actually held some influence in the city, that there was a group of 10 A tiers who ran things behind the scenes. Nobody knew how strong these A tiers were, or what ssification they were, but there was also nobody strong enough to go up against them and so they were left alone to do as they pleased in this ce.
Of course, the wider public didn''t even know of their existence, so it wasn''t like they used their power to cause mayhem or force people into very etc. In fact, the city was quite prosperous under their leadership, so it was clear that they didn''t just funnel all of the goods and resources in their direction, and actually actively contributed to the growth of the city themselves.
This was refreshing to see, but it also seemed too good to be true.
Where there was power, there was bound to be some bad apples. It was just human nature, and Alex had seen and encountered more than enough situations to know that this ce couldn''t be any different, especially considering the scale.
The appointed time arrived on the third day though, and Alex made his way to the city''s south gate as the shadowed figure had instructed him.
The sun dipped low on the horizon, casting long shadows over the cobbled streets as Alex made his way over at dusk, just as they had requested. The gate itself resembled the east gate which he had entered the city from previously, with towering reinforced doors nked by imposing guards who stood at attention, scanning each passerby with their intense gazes.
Alex didn''t approach the gate directly, instead keeping himself to the edges of the square, observing the area for anything out of ce. He spotted a few figures lingering near the gate – merchants loading up their carts apanied by travelers getting ready to depart — but none seemed to be rted to the mysterious observer.
Then he saw them. The same cloaked figure from three days prior, leaning casually agains the gate''s outer wall, catching thest rays of sunlight with their golden eyes. They looked up, as if sensing Alex''s gaze, and a faint smile returned to their face.
"You came." They said simply, carrying just enough volume in their voice for Alex to hear.
Alex approached with caution, keeping his senses on high alert. Although he wasn''t actually that nervous, he had to keep up appearances with his meagre C tier Mutant ss aura.
"I was curious," he replied. "But I''m not here to y games. If this is a trap, you''ll regret it."
Although Alex''s threat was very real, because of the persona and background he''d already been building in this ce, the figure justughed Alex''s threat off, not thinking much of it.
Receiving a threat from someone you perceived as much weaker or less intelligent than you would make anyone not take it seriously, after all.
"Follow me." The figure spoke after a few seconds, leading Alex outside of the gate and into the wilderness.
The guards didn''t even give the two of them a second nce, making it clear to Alex that the other party had made an arrangement with the city guards at this ce in advance.
They walked for several minutes in silence until the city walls were just a silhouette in the distance. The figure finally stopped at a low hill, with the wind tugging at their cloak, revealing a little of the fair skin underneath.
''A woman, perhaps?'' Alex noticed this observation but paid it no mind, as it was only a minor detail.
The gender of the person who''d been observing him didn''t matter to Alex at all, only their reasons behind doing so.
Turning to Alex, they spoke.
"You might not have realised it, but you made quite an impression since arriving in Advent Garden." they began. "Few neers manage to draw this much attention so quickly."
Alex looked at them for a few seconds, not revealing any reactions, before responding.
"I wasn''t trying to," he replied. "And yet, here we are."
The figure nodded. "Indeed. You see, this city is a sanctuary, but its also a ce of secrets. Those whoe here have something to hide — or something to hide from. You, Alex, are an enigma. There is an unspoken rule for neers to Advent Garden – that they have to earn their ce in this city. You, my friend, have not paid the bargain we require yet."
The figure''s cryptic words hung in the air as they raised an arm, pointing to the base of the hill.
Alex followed their gesture without responding, and his sharp eyesnded on another figure standing alone under the setting sun''s rays.