Rumble—!!!

The ground trembled.

Even with Luciel's control softening its weight by tenfold through gravity reduction, the enormous Rock Tortoise still thundered with each step, its movements shaking the air like distant thunder.

"What's that sound?"

Cheng Mao frowned, turning sharply toward the rolling hills in the distance.

"Captain, did you see something?" one of the hunters asked in a low voice.

They were part of the Tenth Floor City's hunting team, currently stationed half a day's journey away from the city walls.

"I heard something strange. Stay put— I'll go take a look."

Cheng Mao climbed up a large boulder in just a few agile steps. Narrowing his eyes, he squinted against the wind and dust, and then his entire body froze.

The mountain ahead… was moving.

No— not a mountain.

An ancient savage beast. A creature of impossible size, slowly trudging across the horizon.

"Not good… that direction— it's headed straight for the Tenth Floor City!"

Cheng Mao's face drained of color. He jumped off the rock and shouted to his team below.

"Move! Everyone, back to the city! There's an ancient beast approaching!"

"What?! Another one?!"

"The last one that passed by three years ago scared the whole city half to death!"

The group immediately bolted, panic spreading through their ranks like fire in dry grass.

"Captain, what if that beast attacks the city?" a man panted between strides.

"Don't panic! The ten masters are still in charge!" Cheng Mao barked, though his voice carried a trace of unease.

The Tenth Floor City had earned its name because it was governed by ten ruling factions, each with its own stronghold — tall, five or six-story buildings forming the heart of their power within the inner city.

"But Captain, our old master's been gone for three years," another man said anxiously. "The young one's… not exactly dependable."

"The young mistress will take command," Cheng Mao said after a pause, his voice firming. "She won't abandon her people."

Despite his frustration with her inexperience, he still held onto that fragile belief.

"We trust her!" someone shouted.

"Yeah! The young mistress won't let us down!"

The team fell silent again, only the sound of their hurried boots against the earth echoing between their gasps for air.

Suddenly, one of the hunters squinted and shouted, "Captain! There's a flag on the beast's back!"

Cheng Mao slowed down, glancing back sharply. "A flag?"

"Yes! A black flag— but I can't make out the writing!"

A thought as wild as it was terrifying struck him.

"Could it be… that beast is tamed? Controlled by someone?"

The idea sounded absurd— but the sight of that flag fluttering proudly in the wind made it hard to deny.

"Captain, what do we do?"

"Run! Back to the city— we'll report this immediately!" Cheng Mao ordered. "If it belongs to a force, we need to know what they want before it's too late!"

The hunters sprinted faster, kicking up trails of dust behind them.

They had to warn the city before the massive creature arrived.

---

Meanwhile, atop the Rock Tortoise's shell—

Luciel stood on a raised platform, his gaze calmly following the fleeing figures in the distance. He patted the railing once and gave a mental command.

"Little Black Tortoise, slow down."

He didn't want to startle them too much.

"We're finally here," Yue Qinlan said softly beside him, her eyes reflecting the hazy city skyline ahead. "The Tenth Floor City."

"Stay alert," Luciel replied evenly. "They might attack before they even ask questions."

Given the Rock Tortoise's sheer size, any city would be terrified before thinking rationally. A misunderstanding could turn into a battle before negotiations even began.

"You think they'll really attack us without warning?" Yue Qinlan frowned. "Wouldn't they try to make contact first?"

Luciel's expression didn't change. "There are plenty of impulsive people in this world."

If the city chose violence, all his careful plans would crumble instantly. He needed information— and he couldn't gather it from ashes.

"If that happens… do we retreat or fight?" Yue Qinlan's voice was quiet, her blue eyes uncertain.

"We try," Luciel said. "If it turns ugly, we leave."

He wasn't about to destroy a city over a misunderstanding or a handful of beast spars.

That kind of cruelty didn't suit him.

After all, he wasn't a native of this wasteland. He still carried the moral compass of the world he once called home.

"That's good to hear," Yue Qinlan sighed in relief. "For a moment, I thought you might do something reckless."

Luciel smiled faintly. "Everything prepared?"

"Yes. Just waiting for your signal to open the trade channel," she said with a sly smile.

If this trade went smoothly, they could earn thousands of low-grade beast spars in one go.

"When the time comes, you'll come with me," Luciel said, glancing at her.

She blinked, a little caught off guard by the request.

He needed someone poised and composed to accompany him— and among all the women of Black Tortoise City, Yue Qinlan was the only one who could truly play that role.

The bunny-eared girl was too shy, the red-haired one too brash, and Yu Fei'er… well, showing up with her face wrapped in bandages hardly screamed diplomatic partner.

Yue Qinlan tilted her head, a teasing glint in her eyes. "No problem."

Still, the way he said it made her heart flutter unexpectedly— like being formally chosen to stand by the master's side.

---

Time slipped by quietly.

The Rock Tortoise lumbered closer to the Tenth Floor City. From below, the streets were already in chaos— people were running, shouting, scattering in fear.

"Little Black Tortoise, stop here. Five hundred meters from the city walls."

Luciel's voice was calm, deliberate.

He wanted to show respect— not dominance.

"Won't that still be too close?" Yue Qinlan asked, looking down at the trembling guards scrambling along the wall.

"There's enough distance," Luciel replied.

From where he stood, he could see nearly the entire city— ten tall buildings rising above the others like uneven pillars, the supposed "ten floors" that gave the city its name.

"Smaller than I expected," Yue Qinlan murmured, studying the clustered rooftops and crooked streets below.

Luciel nodded. "Three, maybe four thousand people at most. A disordered layout… and filthy."

As the wind shifted, the stench of unwashed streets reached them.

"So what now? Just… wait?" Yue Qinlan asked curiously.

"Mm. Give them time to react."

Luciel sighed softly. He'd expected scouts, envoys, or even a warning volley by now— but the city's response was surprisingly slow.

They were already parked right outside their walls, and yet not a single leader had appeared.

Only a few flustered guards shouted meaningless orders from below.

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