Nox stepped into a city unlike any he had ever seen—a vast metropolis that sprawled across the horizon, shimmering beneath a golden sky.
"Amazing," Nox gasped, his dark eyes sparkling in admiration. It was the first time he had seen a city as beautiful as this in both of his lives.
Towers carved from dark stone rose into the sky, their surfaces covered in intricate runes that pulsed with a faint, otherworldly energy. Each building was unique in its own way, and vines as thick as tree trunks twisted around the structures, sprouting vibrant flowers that glowed in hues of deep purple and fiery red.
Looking ahead, Nox could see massive statues of legendary creatures—dragons, griffins, and others—standing at key intersections. Their eyes gleamed with gemstones that gave off a faint glow, almost as though they were watching the inhabitants.
The streets of this beautiful city were filled with a variety of beasts. Gigantic creatures like the Ironclad Rhinox, towering over buildings with their armored hides, moved through the streets slowly, while nimble, more predatory beasts like the Shadowclaw Lynx leaped from rooftop to rooftop, always on the hunt.
Above the ground, floating islands orbited above the city, home to aerial beasts like the Thunderwing Falcons and the Sky Serpents, casting long shadows across the streets. These creatures swooped down from time to time, interacting with the other beasts before going about their day.
"So many elemental beasts," Nox gasped. Elemental beasts were very rare, but in just a few seconds of being here, he had already spotted more than one.
This place was amazing!
Nox looked at Terra beside him with a sparkling gleam in his eye as he alternated his gaze between the beasts and the feline goddess.
Before he could say anything, Terra beat him to it.
"No, you can't have them." Terra's voice shattered Nox's fantasy of taming all these creatures like a broken vase.
"There are several reasons why this is impossible," Terra stated after seeing the confusion in Nox's eyes. "First, your taming space would collapse because of your relatively low level... second, you're currently in your spirit form, which limits you to only basic skills like *Analyze* and *Beast Sense*."
Nox curiously checked his system status and confirmed that most of his skills were blurred out, with blinking red text stating "Restricted" hovering above them.
Nox felt depressed, but then an idea suddenly struck him, and his eyes sparkled once more as he asked in an eager tone, like a child, "What if I increase my levels and return here physically... would I have a chance?"
Terra hesitated, her mind drifting back to the past. Gustavo had also asked this question. She seemed dazed for a while before snapping out of it and gave the same answer she had given multiple times before:
"Mortals can't step into this place," she explained in a soft voice. "It's a rule set by the All-Fathers since time immemorial... the only way you can step into this place is by ascending and becoming a god, which is no easy feat."
"Becoming a god, huh?" Nox contemplated. If even Terra said it was hard, then truly it was hard.
"Don't be dejected." Terra winked and added in a low voice, "If you search wisely, you might find cities in the lower planes."
Nox put the thought in the back of his head as he continued into the city.
"Everyone, the vassal is here!"
A booming voice immediately called out as soon as Nox started walking through the streets. Several beasts of all sizes and shapes emerged from the comfort of their homes and rushed outside to look at the one who carried the fate of them all on his shoulders.
Nox was a bit alarmed when he saw all the creatures suddenly lunge at him, but they merely stopped in front of him, scrutinizing him to see if he was worthy of being the vassal.
These beasts were the normal citizens of the Sanctuary of Beasts, so they hadn't witnessed Nox's selection. The only ones allowed to witness such important events were the administrative body who aided the goddess in governing the pantheon.
"Such a handsome human."
"Although he's just a kid, I can feel the raw power emitting from him."
"He must be a hard worker... it's rare to see a human kid with such a toned body," one fox-like beast commented, feasting her yellow eyes on the boy.
Terra, who was standing close to Nox, glanced at him to see his reaction to the beasts' praises.
There wasn't even a single trace of nervousness on his face. Nox knew this was the right time to display his unwavering confidence. If he faltered here or showed any sign of nervousness, the beasts would lose faith in him.
Yes, he needed to be their beacon of hope.
Someone they could be proud of and brag about to the other pantheons.
His black eyes held the collective gaze of all the beasts, including the ones subtly releasing their aura, testing to see if he'd be intimidated.
"Thank you for coming out to receive me," Nox said, his voice steady and confident. "I'm truly honored to represent esteemed, noble creatures such as yourselves."
Immediately after hearing this, the beasts' eyes sparkled as they began to murmur amongst themselves once more. This time their voices were high-pitched and filled with excitement.
"He called us noble! It has been centuries since someone called us that."
"I like him already."
"This kid." Standing at the top of a tower, a fox woman was watching everything play out with a twinkle in her eyes. "With just a few simple words, he has won over the hearts of the citizens."
"Tsk, these validation-seeking beasts are always easily swindled with words," a huge panda, standing beside the woman, commented. Beside the panda was a short, sturdy creature that looked at Nox with an irritated expression.
"Look who decided to show up," the short creature smiled mischievously.