Infinite Paths: The Raging Phoenix
Chapter 1179 - 1179: Castle

After confirming communications with the previous zone and telling Regis what they had found so far, the group began to march toward this castle town… much to everyone's surprise, they truly found a castle town that looked to be in a pretty festive mood.

At that point in time, Rain massaged his eyebrows, and his feelings were mutual among everyone… even after defeating the beasts, they were being treated like a joke.

"What are the chances of three thousand people marching to this city haven't warned the people there?" Terra asked.

"Slim to none," Rain said. "I didn't use my domain, but it would be close to impossible to hide the presence of so many people. Besides, we came here ready for combat."

"What can you sense from here?" Sealyn asked.

"Not many people are there… but it is hard to be certain since the mana levels in that place are absurdly high," Rain said. "It was definitely made using mana."

As the group approached the castle town, they couldn't help but analyze its composition. From a distance, it appeared to be constructed from ordinary materials—stones, bricks, and wood. However, as they got closer, the lack of any trees or stumps along the way caught their attention.

Instead, a vast expanse of grass covered the surroundings, even of the territory that they had searched before, reminiscent of the previous surface of Earth. The grass, however, seemed more vibrant and lush, bathed in an unusual, ambient light that gave the entire area an full of life quality.

The absence of typical signs of natural growth combined with the seemingly artificial radiance heightened the mystery surrounding this castle town. The group exchanged curious glances, uncertain about what awaited them within the confines of this peculiar place. The festive ambiance clashed with the group's expectations, and a sense of caution lingered among them.

"Let's go if this place is a trap, we will deal with it," Sealyn declared. "Until then, let's just observe and learn as much as possible. This has to become another stronghold for others that will come after us, after all."

Everyone nodded, and then those three thousand people began to march toward the castle town. Half an hour later, they reached the gate of the place, and it was completely open… there were no guards either. Beyond the gates, they could see an ordinary city with many stands of things being sold: food, drinks, clothes, accessories… it seemed like a real festival.

Sealyn stepped in to check the interior of the castle town, and everyone followed her. Before long, they had the chance to see some people behind the stands greeting them with warm smiles. Their appearance was pretty similar to theirs… some of them looked like demi-humans, and others were bipedal humanoid beasts.

They all studied the group, and they didn't focus only on those leading the group, so their behavior seemed pretty natural.

"It doesn't look like they are going to talk with us unless we talk with them first," Dana said.

"Let's explore the city first, and then we will ask questions later," Sealyn said.

The group walked around in the vibrant atmosphere of the castle town, exploring its various attractions for several hours. Stands offering games of skill and chance caught their attention. Some of the games seemed familiar, reminiscent of those from old Earth, while others were entirely new to Rain.

The variety was impressive, ranging from classic ring toss and shooting ranges to more exotic challenges involving magical elements and creatures.

They encountered a stand with a modified version of darts, where participants threw enchanted daggers at a target surrounded by mystical barriers. Another stand hosted a game similar to Earth's chess but with magical pieces that moved autonomously. A peculiar game involved participants navigating a maze filled with illusions and shifting pathways, testing both intellect and perception.

Rain was particularly intrigued by a game where contestants used magical abilities to create intricate sand sculptures, and their creations were judged by a panel of seemingly impartial ghost-like beings.

Despite the diversity of the games, one common theme prevailed – there were no apparent rewards for winning. The emphasis seemed to be on enjoyment and camaraderie rather than competition for material gain.

"This is truly unnerving…" Kei said.

"I recognize some of those games from my homeland," Orzlan said. "It seems that there are others who feel the same way…"

"Do you think that this stage is made to make people lose their will to escape the prison?" Jori asked. "When I look at that, it feels like that…"

There was a red light district in the castle town as well… while the women of the group looked at men with judging eyes, they were just thinking about the implications of that with no lustful thoughts whatsoever. At least that looked like the case, thanks to their poker faces.

"It is time to ask some questions…" Sealyn said. "But before that, let's head to the castle."

The group ignored the castle until now and just walked in circles around the city. Still, it was obvious that the castle was the most important place of it. Still, while everything else was open for them, the castle gate was closed, and there was also a magic barrier around it. Fortunately, there was a board with a message in front of it.

'To enter the castle and challenge the king, you must bet ten thousand points. You can also trade your points here for rewards. You can play the games freely, but all the other establishments in the castle town use points as currency. Any damage caused to the castle town will cause a deduction on your points. If your value drops below zero, you will be eliminated automatically."

Sealyn raised her spear and almost cut the board in two. There were the items that they could trade with points. Aside from a section of relics, items, and even skill books, there was a section for slaves and battle monsters…

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