Creation: The Path of a God (Updated Edition)

Chapter 5 - Part 4 (Book 1 - Fantasy World)

The worker continued to point to various areas that he believed would captivate Han and his creations. The man's mannerisms loosened and relaxed the longer he was around the group. If there had been an air of immobilized terror hindering his ability to effectively communicate with them, such an impression was slowly fading away. While the worker was unstrained in their presence, it did lead to his occasional furtive glances at Helania, Queen, and Brittany. The attempts were respectfully hidden, camouflaged by his looks at Han while he indicated the numerous elements inside the tunnel.

"I do respect his attempts of trying to not come across as too obvious," Han thought of others in the past few days who were more blatant in their desires to oggle his creations.

"If he is so concerned about us not knowing his thirst, I could remove his eyes," Brittany giggled, a smile widening across her face.

As the sweet twinkling of her laughter echoed through the enclosed space, a few nearby workers felt their cheeks flush with warmth. Her infectious giggle was a welcomed respite, akin to a refreshing breeze that invigorated their spirits amidst the slightly stifling atmosphere. There were audible sighs of regret upon seeing Brittany moving away from them.

Han couldn't help but stifle a smirk as he observed Brittany's nonchalant mention of such a savage punishment, despite the seemingly mild and harmless situation. While her appearance gave the impression of a gentle forest creature, like a delicate rabbit, the truth was a stark contrast, far removed from the surface level of things. Though her words may have sounded light-hearted, there was little doubt she would carry out her threat with conviction. It was precisely the stark dichotomy between her hidden depths and outward demeanor that he found so alluring.

As they made their way forward, the tunnel gradually surrendered to the dawning sun, allowing its rays to trickle in and dispel the darkness. Like a gentle shower, the light slowly grew in intensity and flooded the once-obscure passage with a warm, welcoming glow. The radiant beams of the sun washed over everything in their path, painting the world around them in a vivid palette of colors.

"And now we are entering the outer area of Illumin," The man spread his arms wide to welcome them into the city.

As they emerged from the tunnel, Han's eyes gradually adjusted to the light, but it wasn't long until he could see what could only be described as a canyon. The city was a layer of floors stacked on top of one another as though the people who built Illumin were trying to reach the sky. There were people walking about their day on each of the levels within close proximity of one another, a shadow of the world that he had left behind. Though it was nothing compared to The Stronghold, he couldn't help but be impressed by what humans could accomplish. He couldn't help but think the city was like a fantasy version of the cities he was accustomed to in the past.

"I must say, I can see why people are so impressed with this place," Queen's eyes slowly scanned the nearly awe-inspiring view before her. "This truly gives me pause beyond what I would have expected. I had envisioned something similar to Leaf Village, but the sheer amount of effort and dedication into creating this place exceeds every aspect of that quaint village." A corner of her mouth was slightly raised, faintly revealing a smile.

"Many have similar thoughts when entering our city. Though there may be other cities that are more glorious compared to Illumin, I do not think they could compare in terms of what we offer to the world. We are unique in how each resident in this city could someday become a member of the Student Council and lead everyone." The man's eyes sparkled. His joy was infectious, happy to have people witness what he believed to be the greatest place on the continent.

Han watched as wagons were raised to the higher levels, similar to elevators but on a larger scale. Even back on Earth, such a mechanism wasn't widely available and was limited in usage. The fact that the elevators were able to lift up the weight of such vehicles and rise or lower in such a smooth manner gave a sense of familiarity. A juxtaposition of modern technology and the appearance of ancient times back on Earth made him aware of what people are capable of, pushing boundaries with their innovative creativity.