One week later, Lonely Rock City, Beibu Gulf Port.
Rachel stood on the harbor pier, looking up at the traces of war left on the city walls.
A section of the city wall collapsed due to a dragon's breath. After repair, it was found to have a distinct shape and color compared to the surrounding city walls.
Around that city wall, there was a circle of prayer candles, and in the very center of the candles, there was a small stone altar.
Flowers, food, and coins were placed on the stone altar beneath the city walls.
A middle-aged woman dressed as a priestess stood before the altar, recounting the legend of the dragon god.
"When the sky plunges into the earth, when the sun disappears behind the clouds, the pagan army from the south appears before the city gates. Their muskets can pierce the strongest armor, and their cannons can blast down gates made of steel..."
Amid the gasps of the believers, Rachel turned her gaze back to the distant sea.
A sloop speeding toward the harbor caught Rachel's attention.
Two flags hung at the bow of the ship: one depicted a giant dragon breathing fire and spreading its wings, while the other featured a dark black protective umbrella pattern.
The helmsman was clearly an experienced fellow; with the help of the wind, the sailboat spun out and came to a steady stop at the end of the pier.
A wooden gangplank was lowered onto the deck, but no one disembarked for a long time.
Soon, another wooden plank was lowered, forming a wider road together with the previous one.
Amidst the screams of the crowd in the harbor, a humanoid creature, as large as a hill, slowly descended from the deck.
His body was so large and heavy that the walkway creaked beneath his feet, and the ship actually floated up quite a bit as soon as he left the deck.
The giant was shrouded in a black robe, with the only exposed parts being a pair of large feet that looked as if they were carved from granite.
Rachel looked behind the giant and saw a petite figure, which made her breathe a sigh of relief.
Karin Forman placed her right hand on Marcus's back and, led by him, slowly disembarked from the ship. Listening to the languages spoken by the surrounding crowd and the distant chimes of the clock tower, her heart, which had been pounding with anxiety, finally calmed down.
She finally returned to the land of the Dragon God.
"By the Dragon God! What exactly is this thing?"
The crowd at the port slowly gathered around Marcus and Karin, and the bolder ones approached, touching Marcus's robe with their hands.
Fortunately, Rachel had anticipated this, and a group of soldiers arrived at the port to maintain order, forming a human wall to surround Karin and Marcus.
Rachel walked toward the crowd, taking the dragon badge off her neck and holding it high above her head as she went.
Some well-informed citizens, upon seeing the dragon-shaped badge, widened their eyes and hurriedly knelt on the boardwalk; but most people stood there bewildered, only realizing who the newcomer was after being reminded by others.
"Those who possess that badge are either the Dragon God's personal guards or his messengers. Legend has it that as long as one possesses that badge, their soul can break free from the shackles of their body and directly enter the Dragon God's sacred realm."
Rachel walked over to Karin and whispered, "Welcome home."
Karin, who had been holding back her emotions, burst into tears the moment she heard those words, throwing herself into Rachel's arms without caring about the onlookers around them.
Rachel carefully lifted Karin's hood, and the severe burns on her face made her gasp.
Rachel gently lowered her hood and said to Karin in a voice only the two of them could hear, "Don't worry, as long as we return to Twilight City, everything will be alright."
Shifting her gaze to the enormous figure beside Karin, Rachel asked in a low voice, "Is he the strange man you mentioned before, the one who rescued you?"
Karin nodded gently: "I was fortunate to have his help along the way, otherwise I would not have been able to escape."
Rachel stared at Marcus and asked Karin, "You said he was with Myris?"
Karin said, "Yes, he and Myris are somewhat like master and servant, but not quite..."
Rachel didn't speak, but continued to look at Marcus, lost in thought.
Marcus desperately shrank into his robe, trying his best to avoid Rachel's gaze.
After a long while, Rachel looked away and said, "Let's go, this isn't the place to talk."
The three of them arrived at the hotel run by the Alien Association in Lonely Rock City.
Rachel had the waitress prepare a meal for the three of them, and then took Karin into the hotel room.
Marcus, on the other hand, sat obediently at the doorway, like a watchdog, unwilling to go anywhere.
“We’ll rest here for a day, and after lunch tomorrow we’ll head back to Twilight City.” Rachel helped Karin change her clothes, carefully examined her injuries, and then said, “The sooner the better.”
Karin touched the wounds on her face with concern and asked in a low voice, "Will my injuries heal completely?"
Rachel comforted him, "The Heterogeneous Society has the best healing experts. They can heal even those with broken bones, let alone someone like you... But the wound is minor; your eyes might be a different story..."
Karin lowered her head and said, "I feel incredibly lucky to have survived this time. If I were to lose my sight for the rest of my life, I don't think it would matter..."
Rachel was about to say something when a maid's trembling voice came from outside the door: "Rachel... sir, the food is ready..."
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