C.C. agreed with Rulu's assessment: "Exactly. Only that big bird knows our location. As long as we shake it off, the other Strange beasts won't be able to find us."
Kallen hesitated. "But W.W. is still fighting that bird. If we leave and just abandon her here, isn't that a bit wrong?"
C.C. said, "It's fine. She can handle things here."
With that, C.C. called out loudly toward W.W. in the sky: "W.W., we're heading out first — we'll leave this to you!"
W.W., still battling high above, seemed to hear her. She glanced back in C.C.'s direction and gave a quick nod.
"Alright, let's move." C.C. said, then led Rulu, Kallen, and Six-Tail in a swift departure from the area, heading off in another direction.
In the distance, the Minotaur and the white-furred ape spotted Rulu and the others fleeing and immediately broke into pursuit.
"Stay close — we need to lose them." C.C. shot a glance at the monsters giving chase and pushed forward with all her speed. Rulu, Kallen, and Six-Tail followed tightly at her heels.
"This way!" Suddenly C.C. made a sharp turn and veered off to the left and behind. The others followed at once. Kallen watched the Minotaur and the white-furred ape closing in and said with growing alarm, "C.C., are we going the wrong way? They're going to catch up to us like this."
"We'll be fine — they won't catch us." C.C. said, and kept running without slowing. Kallen had her doubts but asked nothing more, and the group pressed on.
Gradually, the Minotaur and the white-furred ape drew closer and closer. When the two creatures were no more than ten meters behind them, Rulu noticed that the environment around them had changed. The Minotaur and the white ape that had been right on their heels were suddenly gone, and in their place stood an enormous cluster of massive boulders.
"Good. They shouldn't be able to find us now." C.C. stopped and leaned against a nearby boulder, breathing hard. Rulu and Kallen were exhausted too after the string of battles, and they paused where they stood to catch their breath.
"It looks like those two monsters didn't follow us in, and the big bird is gone as well." Rulu surveyed his surroundings as he spoke. The area around them was strewn with boulders taller than a person, and beyond the rocks, there was nothing else — no other features, and no sign of any Strange beast.
Kallen said, "C.C., how much farther do we have to go before we reach that place?"
C.C. pointed to the large stones scattered across the clearing. "Not far. We pass through this stone formation, then through a city, and it's just a short walk after that."
Kallen looked puzzled. "A city? There's actually a city in a place like this?"
"Yes, why?"
"If there really is a city here, does that mean there are humans inside it?"
C.C. said, "There are, yes. What of it?"
"If there are actually humans here, will they attack us like those monsters we just ran into?"
"They won't," C.C. said. "The humans here aren't all that different from the humans we're used to seeing. Once you meet them, you'll understand."
"Oh… I see…"
After a brief rest, the group set off again. They made their way into the clearing filled with massive stones, weaving through the gaps between them. They encountered no further attacks from Strange beasts. About twenty minutes later, they had passed through the boulder formation — and the environment shifted once more. Ahead of them stood an immense structure, tall as a city wall, stretching across their path.
C.C. approached the tightly shut gates set into the wall, raised her fist, and knocked firmly. The gate resounded with a deep, resonant boom. After a moment, the gate let out a series of creaking groans and swung open on its own. Two men dressed in coarse cloth garments stepped out from behind it.
"They actually appeared."
"There really are humans here?!"
Despite having braced themselves, Rulu and Kallen were still taken aback at the sight of the two men. The men, for their part, showed little surprise upon seeing Rulu and the others. One of them, wearing a grey robe, bowed to the group and said in a deferential tone, "May I ask… are you the envoys sent by His Imperial Majesty?"
Rulu and Kallen exchanged a glance, unsure how to answer. C.C. kept her expression composed and said in a deliberately solemn tone, "Yes. We have been sent by His Imperial Majesty to inspect the situation here."
"I see. Then please, honored envoys, come right in."
The two men quickly stepped aside. C.C. walked past them and entered the city through the gate. Kallen and Rulu were a little confused about what was going on, but kept quiet and followed behind C.C.
Once inside, Rulu and Kallen stopped and stared again. Beyond the gate stood rows of buildings of every kind, and the streets of the city were filled with people — young and old, men and women, even children. Their clothing and appearance were not so different from the people Rulu had seen in Yufei City, as though this truly were an ordinary city.
C.C. turned to the two men who had followed them in and said, "We're just having a look around. You can go back to whatever you were doing — there's no need to accompany us."
The man in grey said, "Of course. By the way — has His Imperial Majesty said anything about when he will take us away from here?"
C.C. deliberately put on an irritated expression and shot the grey-robed man a sharp look. "That is classified information. It cannot simply be disclosed to you. If you ask again, I'll make sure you stay here forever and are never permitted to leave."
A look of alarm crossed both men's faces. The grey-robed man hurried to reply, "Yes, yes — please, honored envoys, take your time. We won't disturb you further." With that, the two men quickly withdrew.
"C.C., what exactly is this place? Are these people actually human?!" Kallen stared at the buildings and the people moving through the city with wide, astonished eyes.
A thoughtful look came over C.C.'s face. "Well… how do I put this. This city is actually a cage. The people here are imprisoned within it. They are human — and yet they are not."
"What do you mean?"
"Some of them," C.C. said, "are people like us — individuals who wandered into this region and then became trapped here. The others were exiled and imprisoned here by the Emperor of the Sanctuary. Their behavior and consciousness are no different from ordinary humans, but in nature they are closer to the monsters we encountered before."
Kallen said, "I still don't understand."
"In any case," C.C. said, "there is one thing you both need to understand: the humans here are like the monsters we encountered — they cannot be permanently killed. Even if they die, they come back to life."