Chapter 647
Chapter 647
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Translator: Ebonarch
Chapter: 647
Chapter Title: Arcana Town (2)
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Unlike Si-woo, who had been dragged here unconscious and locked away in the Fragrant Moon Tower, Ye-bin had passed through the 'Gate' fully aware, traversing the city along the way.
Thanks to her, he had a rough idea of Hexennacht's layout.
Unlike Gehenna, which stretched out horizontally vast enough to see the horizon, Hexennacht was a vertical underground city, she said.
The Fragrant Moon Tower sat at the very top layer, surrounded by a dense bamboo grove, so there was no way to catch a proper glimpse of the surrounding cityscape.
Honestly, until hearing Ye-bin's rather skimpy description, he had wondered just how impressive it could be.
And for good reason—Si-woo had spent a long time in Gehenna, the city of radiant glory and unchanging eternity.
Just turning his eyes, every haphazardly standing building was on the level of a cultural treasure.
No need to go as far as Ars Magna Town; even Malkuth Gallery alone boasted splendor and luxury unmatched anywhere in the modern world.
If it was a fantastical scene, he was plenty familiar with them.
But when Si-woo emerged from the bamboo forest encircling the Fragrant Moon Tower and looked down at the city entrance, he was overwhelmed by a sight that surpassed his imagination.
"Whoa..."
A vast cavern reminiscent of a marble quarry.
At the vertigo-inducing depths below, a city stacked in layers like a dessert tower lay shrouded in rippling mists.
Towers piercing sharply upward from the impossibly distant ground.
Dizzying drawbridges connecting town to town.
Freight elevators rising and falling.
Enormous cauldrons bubbling with some unidentified liquid.
Gigantic gears turning everywhere to power it all, accompanied by steam hisses echoing like wailing ghosts, while the city lights infused into the fog glowed like deep-sea luminescent creatures, perpetuating an endless night.
For Si-woo, who had imagined something like an ant colony upon hearing 'underground city,' it was a breathtaking wonder.
And all this had been built in just over a year?
It gave him a glimpse of just how far countless witches could go when pooling their power.
"Follow me."
The spot they arrived at following Linne was an elevator.
Less like a proper elevator and more like a hoist car affixed to the outer wall of a construction site building.
For starters, there were no real walls, and the outside was fully visible below.
Smartly pulling the door shut, the elevator jolted roughly a few times before plummeting toward the city at a speed that brought a floating sensation.
Thus, they reached Arcana Town, situated around the middle of the deep underground city.
Stepping out, the first sights were long rows of brick houses, narrow streets crossing between them, and dimly glowing gas lamps.
He had sensed its immensity from afar, but descending into it made the scale hit home.
Even in this enclosed space flanked on both sides, there was no sense of claustrophobia.
Unless he looked up at the ceiling where the sky was neatly sliced into a circle, he might even forget this was an underground city.
If Tarot Town evoked a fantastical Renaissance and Lenormand Town a fantastical Belle Époque, Arcana Town sat right in the middle.
It resembled the gloomy vistas of the Industrial Revolution.
Of course, there were no coal-fired textile machines running all day here, nor workers exploited for over 18 hours a day.
Well...
The latter might exist, who knows.
"Do all witches live here?"
Just the houses lining both sides numbered around fifty at a glance.
Most had lights on in their windows, a sign people lived inside.
"Yes."
"Makes sense."
Even if Hexennacht was vast, it couldn't possibly exceed Gehenna.
In a space this wide, accommodating all those public figures and exiles inevitably meant densely packed living areas.
It newly confirmed that Linne, with her separate mansion at the top layer, held no small influence in this city.
To draw a Gehenna analogy, she was like one of the titled nobility.
"So, where are we headed?"
"Almack's Club. We've got time to spare."
A typical modern person might hear 'club' and picture thumping EDM and laser lights stirring the heart.
But Si-woo, with his fair share of witch society experience, guessed she meant a social gathering.
Like the Red Roof Salon, a place for witches to chat and mingle.
He had no clue what they'd do there, but for now, he followed silently.
Escaping at this point was impossible no matter how hard he tried.
At least, he memorized the surroundings as best he could, and soon spotted other witches.
Most wore modern clothes or simple dresses.
"Oh my."
"Huh?"
Their reactions upon seeing Si-woo and Linne were all identical.
First, eyes widening in a sharp gasp of admiration or freezing in place dumbfounded.
Then, their gazes filled with curiosity and desire, only to glance at Linne beside him again, muttering curses or sighing.
This was tame; one witch leaning on her windowsill smoking dropped her pipe, another walked into a lamppost.
"......"
He had anticipated—and dreaded—this attention.
In witch society, Si-woo was a celebrity known to all.
Considering the witches who swarmed him upon his first arrival in Gehenna, it was par for the course.
Even with his master beside him, it was like this; rogue public figures with fewer inhibitions might extend their wicked clutches right away...
Surprisingly, no advances came as they left the residential area.
Linne's silent presence undoubtedly served as a perfect ward.
Emerging from the uniform housing block, a drawbridge suspended in midair welcomed them.
The narrow bridge, barely wide enough for a single carriage, led to the plaza, and stepping onto it brought the sound of waves crashing.
"What's that sound?"
"Sound?"
"Like waves crashing."
"Hexennacht's lowest layer connects to the sea."
Even hearing the explanation, it was hard to grasp.
"Mind if I check?"
With Linne's permission, he leaned over the railing, revealing the other half of the scenery hidden by fog from above.
Enhancing his vision with magic, he saw not ground below but inky ocean waves churning at the city's base.
Hexennacht took the shape of a giant well.
Amid freighters laden with containers bobbing about, massive cranes spewed steam, hauling cargo to neighboring towns.
Encircling the round sea were enormous rings like the 'Gate' in Border Town—'Gates' over 2km in diameter, their majestic frames gleaming just as brilliantly.
The only difference was their vertical versus horizontal orientation.
Regrettably, too far to analyze the mana flow.
For a precise scan, he'd need to get closer and examine the structure up close.
"Nice atmosphere."
Strictly speaking, it was reconnaissance, but he played it off casually.
"I hate it."
He knew from experience that ending with 'I see' would kill the conversation dead.
To keep talking with her, he needed to take the lead.
"Why's that?"
"Too noisy."
It was a reasonable answer.
The ticking clocks from all directions, the constant steam hisses.
Soundproofing magic seemed essential for a good night's sleep here.
The drawbridge connected to a plaza carved into the cliff face.
The platform where Si-woo and Linne had taken the elevator was a residential annex; the tunnel-like space deeper in the cliff was the true entrance to Arcana Town.
The deeper they went, the more people and noise built up.
The residential zone had only about ten witches; here, they were everywhere.
Without Gehenna's obsession with the old ways, modern goods and witches' eclectic outfits created a distinctive vibe.
"Hey, cutie?"
"Whew~"
Emboldened by the crowds, or perhaps loosened by the drinks in hand, more witches whistled or catcalled upon spotting Si-woo.
Not his first rodeo, he ignored them appropriately.
By the way, he'd heard Hexennacht had no 'citizens' yet, but there seemed to be plenty here.
A Latin man setting up a street stall, a Black man touting a brothel with pink lights spilling out, an East Asian man pulling a rickshaw—none could be witches.
Months had passed since Ye-bin's capture; society was gradually taking shape.
At any rate, Arcana Town bustled like peak-season Myeongdong.
Music from everywhere mixed with chaotic footsteps, enough to make his head spin.
"Is today some special day?"
Si-woo picked up on the town-wide excitement and buzz.
"Auction day. That's why we're here."
"Almack's Club? There?"
"Yes."
Si-woo had never attended an auction.
Well, precisely once.
When captured in Gehenna, he'd stood on the block beside Takasho, sold off to a city hall clerk.
"This way."
Linne ignored the bothersome catcalls, sticking to her path.
They arrived at Almack's Club, packed with crowds.
The exterior resembled an armory bought out by a famous porn company.
While other witches queued their slaves, Linne bypassed the long line for a side entrance.
"That gentleman..."
The male ticket checker, puzzled by the sharply dressed man, guided them to the auction theater upon hearing 'with me.'
Si-woo and Linne's seats were the royal box at front-center, second floor.
Best view of the auction stage, and private with just the two of them.
"Enjoy your time. Ring the bell if you need anything."
The male attendant awkwardly popped champagne and waited by the door.
Only then did Si-woo fully relax.
Hearing 'auction' had sparked fears of 'getting sold again?'
Ridiculous, but past trauma lingered.
As the first-floor seats filled and lights spilled from under the stage curtain...
"A gift."
Linne spoke.
"Pick one thing you want."