Man on the ark, forced to become king

To build an underwater city or a floating city like Agor, Iberia's technological reserves were far behind at the time, so they could only conduct research and plan construction simultaneously.

Saltwind City is one of the cities built under these circumstances. It was originally designed as an underwater city, so a dome structure was designed above the city to resist the pressure of the seawater.

But before these new cities under construction could be completed, a great stillness descended.

That horrific disaster nearly destroyed order in Iberia, bringing all ongoing projects to a halt.

Saltwind City has become what it is today, with only the inner city remaining intact and habitable. The outer structures are basically in a semi-finished state, and with no one continuing to build them, they have been abandoned.

Kal'tsit was familiar with the history of this city because at that time, these cities were quite well-known in Iberia, and Saltwind was even more famous for its geographical location closest to the sea and its fastest construction speed.

If this city is truly completed and opens into the sea as expected, perhaps Iberia's glory can reach another level.

Unfortunately, there are no "what ifs" in this world. A great silence destroyed the future of this country, and Saltwind City was ultimately frozen in time, forever stuck in its unfinished state.

Today, seeing this city is like seeing Iberia's past and present; its glory has faded, leaving only ruins.

"Have you been here?"

Warfarin asked softly, her brows furrowed as she stared at the ship-like outline. "I... I feel something's not right. That city gives me a very uncomfortable feeling."

"I've only heard of it."

Kal'tsit remained calm, showing no obvious emotional fluctuations, and continued driving the SUV closer.

This was one of the reasons they came to Iberia.

If you want to understand the current state of the Iberian coast, there is no better place than here. Its unique geographical advantages once brought great benefits to this coastal city, but after the Great Quiet, these advantages became the devil's death warrant.

Warfarin's feeling was not without reason; it was a very likely thing to happen. A city right next to the sea, with even half of its city located in the sea... even if you entered the city and found a lair occupied by monsters, Kal'tsit wouldn't be surprised.

"Hold on tight, we're speeding into the city."

As soon as he finished speaking, the SUV suddenly accelerated.

In the back seat, Skadi lowered her head, her hand gripping the hilt of the dark gold greatsword tightly. She had a similar premonition to Warfarin.

The difference is that Warfarin relied purely on her intuition, while she sensed something different.

That's... the taste of Haisi.

Chapter 233 The Deep Sea Church

From a distance, Saltwind City lies across the sea, which is quite spectacular. After all, it is a product of the Iberian Golden Age and was designed from the beginning to extend into the sea, so it naturally has a more imposing feel than a mobile city on land.

But when you get closer to it, it's not so appealing anymore.

Looking out the car window, Warfarin saw mostly dense scaffolding on the city's outer walls. The steel structures were riddled with holes, clearly indicating that the project was still far from complete. Now, weathered by time and corroded by the sea breeze, it looked even more dilapidated. It was nothing like a grand city; calling it a giant garbage dump wouldn't be an exaggeration.

However, the unfinished city did have some advantages for them, as it made it much easier for them to enter the city.

If it were a complete city, whether it was a mobile city-state of a land-based nation or a fortress in the Iberian Sea, one would have to enter through an open passage and go through several checkpoints to enter. Now that we have arrived at Saltwind City, which is already abandoned, we naturally do not need to go through that procedure again.

Kal'tsit drove the off-road vehicle at full speed, heading straight down the continent that was probably used to transport materials, without seeing a single person along the way.

"We'll get off here."

After entering the city, Kal'tsit stopped the car and did not go any further. The situation inside the city was still unclear, and it would not be appropriate to drive directly in.

Warfarin understood this as well. She put on her backpack, which she had packed in advance, and got off the bus as well, looking around at the scenery of Saltwind City.

After taking a couple of glances, she began to doubt whether anyone still lived in the city.

What one sees is that the construction inside the city is much more complete than that of the outer city. However, the houses and roads are completely neglected. They are not only dilapidated, but also full of mottled marks. They have been neglected for many years, and some houses have even collapsed halfway. They do not look like a place where people live.

"Is there really anyone here? Or is it a ghost town?"

After glancing at it a few times, she directly asked the question that had been bothering her.

"Yes, according to records, after the inner city was built, the Iberian royal family moved the residents of the surrounding villages and towns into the city. Unless all those people have now fled and died, this place will not become a ghost town."

Kal'tsit also saw the desolate scene in the city, shook her head, picked up a backpack, put on the hood, and walked into the city first.

It was a major city that Iberia had high hopes for, with tens of thousands or even hundreds of thousands of people migrating there. How could so many people have all died?

If a large number of sea creatures had indeed landed and slaughtered the city, then Iberia would probably have become a stronghold for sea creatures by now, full of monsters, unlike what they had seen along the way.

As for escaping, that's even more impossible.

After the Great Tranquility, even the royal family and the army collapsed in the disaster. Where could ordinary people go?

Establish a new settlement in the wilderness? It's safer to continue living in the city.

There are people here.

Skadi followed behind, carrying her greatsword, and muttered something that made Warfarin turn around and look at her, asking in confusion, "How did you know? Were you here before?"

"No, I smelled a human scent."

"The smell of a person? That's strange, I can't smell anything at all?"

These words stunned Warfarin. She sniffed the air like a puppy, only to find it slightly salty and fishy.

Logically speaking, she is a Blood Demon, and her perception of life should be extremely keen. How could she be less perceptive than this simpleton narrator?

"I can smell it."

Skadi didn't offer much explanation, not because she was unwilling, but because she didn't know how to explain.

She has never been good with words and finds it difficult to accurately describe her state. Combining the strengths of the Agorians and Haisi, and possessing the power of the furnace that gives birth to all things, her perception of life has been greatly enhanced, and she can now 'smell' the scent of city dwellers.

"Who is the Blood Demon, you or me...?"

It was one thing to be outmatched in terms of physical strength, but even the Blood Demon's signature skills were inferior to the Blood Demon's. This made Warfarin feel a bit like 'I'm useless' for no reason. Fortunately, she was a cheerful person by nature and didn't take it to heart. After muttering a few words, she put the matter out of her mind and started jumping around again. She ran a few steps forward, picked up a lantern from the roadside, and waved it a couple of times.

"Look at this, it's not rusty yet. Someone must have used it. It seems there really is someone here."

As she said this, she brought the lantern to her eyes, examined it carefully, and then tossed it to Kal'tsit, who was looking back.

"Take a look."

"It's a common design in Iberia. Judging from the marks on it, it was probably left here no more than a week ago. It's a recent incident. If we keep going, we should be able to meet some people."

Kal'tsit took the lantern in her hand, nodded, and continued walking forward.

Although Saltwind City looks like it has been abandoned for a long time, it was built by Iberia with great effort. Even though it has been unattended for many years, the main road is still unobstructed. At most, the road surface is a bit damaged and a few houses are broken. Combined with the dark clouds over the sea, it feels a bit gloomy.

But none of the three were ordinary people, so they naturally weren't afraid because of the environment. Even Warfarin, who was the weakest, was a blood demon and didn't feel any fear walking on the road. On the contrary, she was quite used to this dark environment. She even skipped and jumped as she walked, which made Kal'tsit's eyelids twitch. She almost couldn't help but hit her.

"There are lights up ahead."

Skadi ignored Warfarin's actions. She had no time for anything else and was focused on the journey. Ever since she sensed the scent of Hai Si, she had been on high alert and was even more focused than Kal'tsit. As a result, she was the first to spot the light on in the window of a house not far away.

Saltwind City is located by the sea, and without any maintenance, it has been eroded by the sea wind. The city itself seems to have many mottled marks. In the middle of the road, faint lights shine through the windows of houses that are also tinged with green, and they flicker gently in the eyes of the three people.

"Go over and have a look."

Kal'tsit saw this, thought for a moment, and was about to go over.

"I'm going, I'm going!"

Warfarin was faster, running over first and knocking on the rusty iron gate.

"Is anyone here?"

Seeing this, Kal'tsit frowned, her lips moved slightly as if she wanted to say something, but ultimately she didn't.

A house suddenly appeared on a deserted street where no one could be seen. Something seemed amiss. Logically, they should have observed it first. Warfarin's reckless behavior might lead to trouble. If it were just the two of them, she would have stopped this impulsive guy long ago.

However, with Skadi by my side, there are fewer concerns. Although Skadi is straightforward and somewhat naive, she is quite trustworthy in terms of combat skills. Even if we encounter some strange monsters, she can handle it and prevent any real trouble.

"Who?"

A hoarse, wary voice came from behind the door; it only asked questions and did not open the door.

"I--"

"We are travelers from out of town, passing through Yanfeng City, and would like to find a place to rest. I wonder if it's convenient for us?"

Kal'tsit covered Warfarin's mouth and pulled her back two steps before answering, making sure Skadi was right next to her.

"From out of town?"

creak~

The rusty iron gate was opened a crack, obscuring the figure inside. It seemed as if the person was observing, before finally opening the gate fully to reveal a slightly hunched figure behind it.

The owner of the house didn't look very old; he was a middle-aged man in his forties from Liboli. He was thin and bony, with bloodshot, cloudy eyes and a hoarse voice.

His gaze swept back and forth between the three, finally settling on Skadi, who was carrying a greatsword, and he nodded.

"Come in, it's been many years since we've seen any outsiders."

"Thank you."

Kal'tsit thanked her politely, then pulled Warfarin into the house, with Skadi following silently behind.

Once the three of them were inside, the middle-aged man closed the door again, carefully securing several bolts and attaching two thick iron chains. It seemed that these chains had been in place when the door was opened earlier, serving both as a means of observation and as a safety measure to prevent anyone from suddenly breaking in.

But is it necessary to be this careful even inside the city?

Kal'tsit's eyes flickered, and she began to speculate about the situation in Saltwind City.

"Where are you all from?"

After locking the door, the middle-aged man finally breathed a sigh of relief, managing a weak smile on his slightly pale face as he turned to ask.