The Rich Cultivator
Chapter 204. Dusk City

Chapter 204: 204. Dusk City

Dusk City stood in stark contrast to the vibrant, bustling City Tyler and his crew had just left behind. The city below appeared in shades of gray and muted tones, as if the very air was laden with a sense of melancholy. The streets, though wide and well-maintained, lacked the color and life of other cities. Buildings loomed tall, constructed with dark stone and iron, their facades weathered by time. This place felt old, much older than its modern elements suggested.

On the outskirts of the city loomed an enormous structure: an amusement park, but one that seemed frozen in time. Stretching over several blocks, it had once been a place of joy and excitement. Now, it was a ghost of its former self. The once-bright rides stood still, their colors faded by years of neglect. The Ferris wheel, which should have towered proudly above the park, was now a rusted, lifeless frame. A roller coaster with broken tracks lay dormant, vines slowly creeping over its supports. The sense of abandonment hung thick in the air.

The economy in Dusk City started declining, they couldn’t afford to maintain the park. It fell into disrepair, and now it just sits there, unused.

Near the old amusement park there is a Teleportation Hub. Like the rest of the city, the Teleportation Hub looked old and somewhat rundown. The dark stone and metallic structures made it blend in with its surroundings.

The tiles on the floor were chipped, and the air smelled faintly of dust and machinery. The main room had several large teleportation arrays on the floor, encased in rusted metal frames. At the far end of the room, an old dwarf with spectacles sat behind a cluttered desk. He was slumped over, snoring lightly, clearly in no rush.

*Beep beep*

"Hmm?" The dwarf stirred awake at their approach, blinking blearily. He adjusted his spectacles, then reached into a drawer to pull out a smaller pair of black lenses , which he clipped onto the larger ones.

The dwarf behind the counter scowled as he glanced at the monitor in front of him. "Got a signal coming through..." he muttered, his voice gravelly from years of use. He hit a few buttons on the ancient-looking control panel, and the room rumbled to life.

A group of kids with furry ears and tails ran across the room, squealing and laughing as they chased each other around the unused arrays. The dwarf growled, his face darkening.

"Out! Out, you rascals!" He waved a wrinkled hand at them, chasing them from the room. The kids scrambled out the door, giggling as they disappeared down the street.

Once the room was quiet again, the dwarf turned back to the console. "Always causing trouble, those brats. No respect for the station," he grumbled before focusing on the monitor.

The dwarf gave a brief grunt before pulling a lever on the console. A soft hum filled the room, and one of the teleportation arrays on the floor began to glow. Light swirled in a circular pattern, and faint energy crackled in the air. The hum of the array grew louder, and the light intensified until it filled the room with a soft, pulsing glow. With a sudden flash, Tyler and his group felt a familiar tug, and within seconds, they arrived to their destination—Dusk City.

"Finally, we arrived," Tyler said, stepping out of the glowing light of the teleportation array and dusting off his coat.

"Why is everything so dusty? Is this Dusk City or Dust City?" Lily asked, glancing around the Teleportation Hub with a skeptical look.

The old dwarf behind the counter gave a dry chuckle, his gravelly voice following them out. "Welcome to Dust cit—I mean, Dusk City," he said, his mouth twitching with the faintest hint of a smirk.

"Did he just say Dust City?" Lily whispered to Tyler, her eyes narrowing.

"He almost did," Tyler whispered back, unable to hide his amusement.

Tyler cleared his throat and addressed the dwarf. "We’re here to join the Elite Academy of Magic and Science."

The dwarf raised an eyebrow at them over the top of his spectacles, looking a bit surprised. "Oh... that academy. The city used to be bustling, and many students from all over the world studied there. Huh... never imagined there were still people out there wanting to join." He adjusted his spectacles, eyeing them curiously.

The mention of "people" clearly included every race, not just humans. Dusk City, despite its faded glory, had always been a melting pot of different species, cultures, and practices. Even the old dwarf himself, with his long beard and stout frame, was a part of that once-diverse population.

For a moment, the dwarf had a nostalgic look in his eyes, as though he were reliving the past glory of the city. Then, he glanced at his watch, snapping back to the present. "Take the tram," he said, pointing toward the exit. "It’ll pass through the road any minute now. It’ll take you to the Academy."

Tyler and the others thanked him and left the hub, stepping onto the gray, dimly lit streets of Dusk City.

As they walked toward the tram stop, the air seemed to grow heavier. Buildings lined the streets like silent sentinels, their facades crumbling but somehow still standing. It was a city of whispers, of memories clinging to the stones and shadows that filled every corner.

The tram rattled as it passed by without fully stopping. Tyler and his crew, quick on their feet, jumped in, boarding the tram with ease. Once inside, Tyler’s eyes lit up as he glanced around the interior.

"There’s no driver? Is this automatic, self-driving?" Tyler said, his voice filled with excitement as he scanned the controls, clearly already plotting something in his mind.

"Don’t you dare dismantle it," Lily said seriously, giving him a sharp look.

Tyler shrugged, but the gears in his head were clearly turning.

Meanwhile, Zuzia, sitting on Astrid’s shoulder, looked around curiously, her small eyes wide as she took in the city outside. Mathilda was busy teasing Darla, laughing as she pointed out a poster of some Dusk City event long past.

As the tram moved through the faded streets of Dusk City, the sky above remained a dull gray, the buildings around them casting long shadows. But suddenly, Tyler felt something strange—like a pulse from the sky itself. His head snapped up, eyes narrowing as he peered outside, sensing something powerful approaching.

"What happened?" Lily asked, noticing his sudden shift.

A golden light shot down from the sky, entering his body in a flash. Tyler’s eyes widened as his entire body tensed, his breath catching in his throat. The golden light seemed to pierce through him, flooding his veins with energy too intense to bear. His consciousness wavered, and he collapsed onto the tram floor.

┉┈ ◈ ◉ ◈ ┈┉

Meanwhile, in another galaxy far from the Boundless World, an elderly man sat alone, playing a quiet game of chess. His eyes, sharp yet serene, flicked from piece to piece, each move calculated with a precision that came only from centuries of mastery. This was no ordinary chess game—each piece on the board represented a living being, their fates intertwined with the moves he made.

Suddenly, the old man paused, raising his head as though sensing a shift in the universe. His eyes glimmered with a deep understanding of the unseen forces at play. After a moment, he began making calculations in his mind, his thoughts moving faster than lightning.

"Hmm... a body with a thousand years of lifespan," he murmured, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Good. He somehow survived that Immortal and is now thriving in the Boundless World."

The old man reached out with his wrinkled hand and delicately picked up a chess piece that resembled Tyler. He studied it closely, his eyes gleaming with an ancient and dangerous knowledge. "A Great Dao Body... perfect for my disciple. Since the calamity is approaching, I will send you a tiny portion of my luck—just like before."

With a gentle motion, he pinched a small piece of golden light from the air. The light shimmered, radiant and ethereal, like a fragment of pure fortune itself. The elderly man pointed at the chess piece, and the golden light flowed into it, surrounding it with a protective aura.

Behind him, a young man stood silently, watching his master’s actions with interest. The young man, dressed in elegant robes, was tall and lean, with eyes that sparkled with curiosity. He finally broke the silence. "Master, is that the body you’ve chosen for Senior Brother?"

The old man nodded, his eyes never leaving the chessboard. "Yes. He has the potential to become a powerful vessel. But unlike the Zi World, I cannot fully control his destiny in the Boundless World. His luck there is not solely mine to manipulate."

The young man frowned, his brow furrowing in concern. "Then... is it not risky to rely on him? What if he defies your will?"

A dark chuckle escaped the elder’s lips. "He will have no choice. The more he uses the luck I provide, the deeper the karma debt he accrues. It is a debt he cannot escape from. In the end, he will have to give me everything—his body, his soul, and his very Samsara."

The young man’s eyes widened slightly at the weight of his master’s words.