A different world game? A different world game!

The rising sun.

The alchemical orb, modeled by the Night's Watch technology, cast a soft glow upon the newly laid rails.

A streamlined alchemical train traveled smoothly on it, its wheels humming softly against the rails.

The atmosphere inside the carriage was subtle, with a group of passengers of special status and impeccable attire gathered there.

Several burly orc nobles with jewel-encrusted fangs; although they looked different, it was clear that most of them were beast-type orcs.

At this moment, he was gazing into the distance through the thickened car window.

Several human men and women dressed in brand-new, varied styles, wearing badges symbolizing their new council affiliation, conversed in hushed tones, their eyes filled with curiosity and caution.

Of course, there was also an undeniable tension.

There were also three elf representatives, their postures elegant and serene, their silver hair shimmering in the light, their deep eyes seemingly able to see through everything.

What they have in common is their distinguished status, and the factions they belong to are cooperating with the Night's Watch more closely than ever before—either actively integrating or cautiously observing.

Besides these, there are other races.

The reason for the dwarves' absence is an open secret.

As the Night's Watch leadership stated, the main forces of the dwarves have long been deeply integrated into the Night's Watch system, and there is no longer a need for "communication" in this form.

Leading them was a young woman dressed in a silver-gray Night's Watch robe—Leah.

She looked to be in her early twenties, with a handsome and capable face, but the badge she wore at her waist silently proclaimed that she was a veteran Night Watchman warrior who had reached the level ten threshold.

At this moment, she is standing at the front of the carriage, ready to begin her guiding duties.

"Gentlemen, ahead lies our destination, the heart of the Night's Watch—the City of the Ring."

Leah's voice was clear and penetrating, with the composure characteristic of the Night's Watch.

"Please look straight ahead into the distance."

Everyone looked in the direction she pointed.

At the horizon, an unimaginably magnificent creation pierced the sky.

The first thing that catches the eye is a huge, almost vertical black shadow shrouded in a thin mist, as if it were supporting the sky.

Even from a great distance, the oppressive feeling that stretched across the heavens and earth was already overwhelming.

The human councilors held their breath, the orc nobleman's thick Adam's apple bobbed, and the elven representative's gaze instantly focused.

“That is the Tower of Trials,” Leah introduced solemnly. “We also call it the ‘Black Tower.’ It is the foundation of the city and a symbol of the Night’s Watch spirit.”

As the train sped forward, the dark figure rapidly magnified and drew closer in view.

The initial impression of the "tower" was quickly overturned.

It is no longer a slender structure pointing to the sky, but has become a pure black wall that connects heaven and earth.

Its width expands in the field of vision until it occupies the limit of what the front window can accommodate, and its sides extend to the end of the line of sight.

The smooth, mirror-like tower walls swallowed the light, and the surface, neither gold nor stone, flowed with extremely fine, almost living patterns.

The sunlight was completely cut off, and the train was speeding into a huge shadow cast by it.

A hush fell over the carriage, broken only by the hum of the moving train.

An indescribable sense of suffocation gripped all first-time witnesses.

"Now I understand why the Night's Watch built such a huge sphere of light here as an artificial sun."

In the city beneath the black walls, sunlight may not reach for most of the day.

This sphere of light can just make up for it.

"Beast King above..." the orc noble murmured to himself, his rough voice carrying a hint of barely perceptible awe.

“This… is practically a black wall that blocks out the sky…” A middle-aged human councilor adjusted his glasses, his voice hoarse.

The elf representative remained silent, his fingertips unconsciously twirling the edge of his sleeve. Even with the elves' long history and extensive knowledge, such a spectacle was enough to shake their souls.

These people came to exchange ideas because it was their first time here.

"A sense of oppression, right?"

Leah's voice broke the silence; she had experienced this kind of shock countless times.

"The height and size of the Tower of Trials are indeed beyond common imagination. Its enormity stems from its past – the period of the first war of evil gods and the subsequent war of evil rats."

The train entered the shadow of the Black Tower, and the light inside the carriages dimmed noticeably.

Leah turned on the interior lighting, the soft light illuminating her young yet determined face.

"The world was in turmoil at the time, and the Night's Watch poured all their efforts into building it. The initial purpose was somewhat concealed, but now there is no need to hide it."

She looked around at everyone, “One of its core missions was to provide a safe and controllable path for Night's Watch warriors who possessed the ‘Blessed’ ability to advance—a battlefield for gaining ‘experience’.”

Everyone held their breath and listened intently.

"The interior of the tower is not a series of physical floors, but rather divided into different levels of space."

Leah continued, “Depending on the challenger’s level, these tiers of space automatically connect to different otherworldly realms—planes known for their aggressive and powerful nature in the vast astral plane.”

"You all guessed correctly, the Abyss is among them."

A few soft gasps were heard inside the carriage.

“Of course,” Leah smiled reassuringly, “this doesn’t truly open a two-way, permanent connection. That would be a disaster.”

"The ingenuity of the Night's Watch's technology lies in the fact that it is a one-way, special form of summoning."

“We exploited the inherent characteristics of those intrusive planes—they always crave to expand outward and devour. We offered a certain ‘price’—usually chaotic energy or specific coordinates—to simulate a ‘bait’ entrance within the tower through special rituals and alchemical constructions.”

"The beings in those planes are attracted by this 'opportunity' and pay the price of some of their energy or projections to cross planes, so that they can be 'shaped' and temporarily enter the specific level space of the Black Tower."

"Challengers who defeat these projections will obtain 'experience stones' formed from condensed essence. This is the essence of the 'trial'."

"Using the invaders' greedy nature, they can, in turn, provide us with a whetstone for growth..."

The elf representative spoke for the first time, his voice ethereal and tinged with admiration.

"His Holiness the Prophet Cana... in those critical early years, he was able to conceive of such a novel and... wise method. It is truly admirable."

“Indeed,” Leah nodded, her eyes showing respect for the prophet Kana. “This mechanism laid the foundation for the Night Watch warriors’ rapid growth and remains one of its core functions to this day.”

A silver train shuttled back and forth. Soon, the train slowly pulled into a magnificent station.

The enormous dome is made of an alloy frame and transparent alchemical crystals, and is teeming with people of all races.

Leah led everyone off the train, through the spacious and bright station hall, to the exit.

The moment I stepped out of the station, the entire panorama of the southern city unfolded before my eyes like a scroll painting.

Standing on a high point and gazing out, everyone was once again awestruck.

What comes into view is an incredibly vast and dynamic urban architectural complex.

It spread out along the massive base of the Tower of Trials. As far as the eye could see, apart from the towering black base, there were almost endless rooftops, crisscrossing streets, and countless floating objects, stretching to the very edge of the field of vision.

The entire southern city resembles a magnificent anthill nestled at the feet of a giant, brimming with astonishing vitality and scale.

"Oh my God."

The orc nobleman couldn't help but exclaim in a gruff voice, "This is several sizes bigger than our orc capital!"

"This...is a completely different giant city..."

The human councilors were speechless, stunned by the sheer scale before them.

The elf representative gazed intently at the floating islands dotting the vast black background above the city.

Lia led the group along the wide and clean main road.

Soon, a magnificent yet simple and efficient giant city gate appeared before us.

The city gate is a hundred meters high, with its main structure made of silver alloy that gleams with a cold luster. The exquisite pillars and huge lintel are carved from pure white marble, without any complicated carvings or decorations, only the iron heraldic symbols that symbolize the Night's Watch's order and simple, powerful lines.

It acts like a giant gate, guarding a world of order.

The Night's Watch likes to make all their buildings very grand, especially the South City now.

This is the headquarters of the Night's Watch.

The grandeur is not about showing off, but about demonstrating—demonstrating the power of the Night's Watch, demonstrating the existence of the Night's Watch.

The more exaggerated it is, the more shocking it becomes, and the more it can attract those who come here for the first time.

Believe that the Night's Watch will fulfill their oath, and that by following them, success will ultimately be achieved.

And that is indeed the case.

Those who are neutral will become friendly once they arrive here.

When adversaries arrive here, they will begin to waver in their resolve.

A friendly arrival here will strengthen one's resolve.

At this moment, a large flow of people was coming and going under the wide doorway.

Orc laborers carrying enormous bundles, human merchants in fine clothes, elven mages in flowing robes, agile halfling messengers... all kinds of races coexist harmoniously, busy yet orderly.

“The Gate of Order,” Leah explained, “is one of the main entrances to the South City. Its design embodies the Night's Watch’s philosophy: practical, sturdy, and efficient.”

Passing through the Gate of Order, you enter the heart of the southern city—the main commercial district.

Straight and wide thoroughfares stretch into the distance, like the backbone of the city.

Buildings line both sides of the road, with all sorts of signs vying for attention.

The offices of various powerful organizations, such as the Mage Alliance Council and certain large chambers of commerce, were solemn and dignified.

The headquarters building of the well-known chamber of commerce is magnificent and luxurious.

Shops lined the street, each selling a dazzling array of specialties from around the world—Tate's elven handicrafts, Anveen's human delicacies, Bestar's orc furs, loot and ores recovered from the Abyss, and much more…

The air was filled with the smells of spices, leather, alchemical potions, and food.

Pedestrians thronged shoulder to shoulder, representing a diverse range of races.

A halfling merchant was enthusiastically trying to sell a strange ore, supposedly from the abyss, to a human adventurer.

Several elven mages stopped in front of a shop selling magic crystals and talked in hushed tones.

A group of well-equipped orc mercenaries were loudly haggling with the merchant guild's entourage...

However, what attracts the attention of first-time visitors most are the alchemical creations that move nimbly through the crowd without drawing any attention from passersby.

“Those are…” a human councilor asked, pointing to several small cylindrical devices that were rolling along the road and spraying a soft mist of water from their heads.

“Alchemy Cleaning Dolls,” Leah explained, “are responsible for maintaining the cleanliness of the main streets. They can sense litter, automatically pick it up and sweep it up, and spray water mist to clean the air when necessary. They are part of the city’s daily operations.”

There is no doubt that the Night's Watch's alchemical technology has far surpassed the current world average.

Especially after Kana returned a few years ago, he brought new theories and more advanced alchemical schemes.

As soon as he finished speaking, several enormous golems, each over two meters tall, covered in heavy armor, and with red glowing eyes, patrolled along the edge of the street with heavy steps.

Their arms were equipped with devices that were clearly weapon systems, exuding a deterrent aura, and the adventurers and pedestrians around them consciously made way for them.

“The guard golems,” Leah continued, “are responsible for patrolling the main roads. They possess formidable combat capabilities and a high level of vigilance.”

"These alchemical creations, from simple cleaning dolls to powerful battle golems, have long been a unique feature of the city of the Ring Tower, and a tangible symbol of His Holiness the Prophet Karna's alchemical passion, representing the efficient system of order established by the Night's Watch."

“Incredible…” the elven representative exclaimed softly, “Machinery and living beings coexist so harmoniously… Even in elven cities, such a perfect integration has never been achieved.”

She was deeply impressed by the ingenious design and practical value of those alchemical creations.

“The efficient order is truly admirable,” a human councilor nodded in agreement, but his gaze lingered more on the neat and well-planned buildings lining the main road and the clear road signs.

"The commercial district may appear chaotic, but it is actually very well-organized, with clear divisions between functional areas and smooth traffic flow. The council has a lot to learn from this level of municipal management."

He is clearly more concerned with urban management models.

"Hmph!" The orc nobleman snorted in a deep voice, pointing his thick fingers at the tall guardian golems.

“We orcs prefer to rely on our fists and battle axes! However…” he changed the subject, his copper bell-like eyes gleaming, “These iron lumps do seem quite strong. If we equipped them with the enhancement runes that our orc tribes produce, their ability to withstand beatings would definitely double!”

His idea was to integrate these technologies into the orcs' defense system.

Leaving the bustling main road, Lia led the group toward the southwestern edge of the city.

The closer one gets to the massive, pitch-black base of the Tower of Trials, which seems to devour all light, the more peculiar the scene becomes.

The space here is especially precious. (End of Chapter)