Chapter 280 (1/2)

Athens, the world’s most well preserved ancient city in existence. Humanity went from hunting to agriculture, and slowly tumbled into the gate of civilisation. When men did not need to worry about food, weather and wild animals, the more intellectual of men started to learn. When men started learning letters and used mystical icons to symbolise their thoughts and marvel of the universe, cities grew and kingdoms flourished.

Those intellectuals who escaped the shackles of basic survival could now focus their sharp minds on more monumental pursuits. Stone upon stone, rock upon rock were put in place, carved and chiselled, forming high walls, arcs, domes and steps as cities rose. They were symbols of humanity’s strength, with intricate statues and carvings of various religious connotations decorating them. Humanity had long moved on from building simple shelters. They created awe-inspiring monuments, which rose skywards, quickly becoming remarkable products of this planet.

However, humans were not the sole contributor to the rise of cities on this planet. There was another group of beings living side by side with humans. Despite being driven into the shadows and disappearing from the minds of current generations, they lived and thrived on Earth. Human records may not have included them, but another kind of record would never forget their existence: Cities.

The older the city, the more prominent the trail of these ancient creatures, so much so that the oldest cities became inseparable with the shadowy denizens. Earth was not only the home of humans, creatures of the shadows lorded over this land. While the demon hunters and churches may say otherwise, it was a fact that this planet still had lairs that housed many other unusual creatures. These lairs were built by the supernaturals through blood, sweat and tears. They were not about to give it up so easily.

In the age where lines between mythology and written history were blurred and cross-contaminated, very little unusual creatures lived openly with humans or developed cities alongside them. Most creatures viewed humans as inferiors who were meant to be brutally ruled over. The more benevolent kind that viewed humans as their flocks of sheep were in the minority. These “benevolent” ones were hence viewed as gods and worshipped. There were plenty of cities built in their worship and this lasted over several thousand years until humans obtained the aid of the demon hunters, breaking free from this “enclosure-like” existence. With that, part of these cities’ original founders were driven into the shadows.

Today, no one would believe that unusual creatures actually lived in those temple ruins a long, long time ago.

Even though things had taken such a turn, these cities were still home to a few supernatural beings . They built them, maintained them and even went to war for them in the past. Despite being driven underground or into the shadows, these unusual creatures never really left town. They simply rebuilt their hearth and fortress in places humans were unable to detect.

A ground of people were slowly approaching an entryway into one such fortress.

After having a good rest in the hotel, Hao Ren and the crew followed Vivian to look for the rumoured supernatural who came from the Mythological Era; a rare acquaintance by Vivian’s standards. She was living in one of the oldest areas of the city, and the group had been walking for quite some time ever since they got off their car.

“You sure we’re at the right place?” Hao Ren said as the surrounding area looked awfully familiar after the third time around. “If I’m not wrong, this is the third time we’ve passed by this stone wall.”

“Yes, it’s supposed to be like this—going in circles.” Vivian nodded. “Athens is a very special place, many supernatural survivors live here. But, we need to use a special method to find them. The demon hunters were always out looking for blood, and those who did not know how to hide their trails would be dead.”

Hao Ren could only nod as he followed Vivian, circling the oldest streets in Athens without knowing that they were getting closer and closer towards the heart of the of Athens’ ancient quarter. He occasionally looked around the structures that he passed through and could not tell if the structures were ruins or newly built or refurbished buildings. A sense of spatial and chronological dissonance then started to well inside him. He felt like he was going through a reverse slideshow of human history. The further he went, the more ancient the scenery looked.

In the present, there were no true ancient cities on Earth anymore. Even Athens, the cradle of human civilisation was now a modern metropolis. The city looked no different than any other with its busy streets and modern buildings, leaving Lily rather disappointed. But as they left the modern city centre and headed towards the more ancient areas of Athens, they finally saw the old Greek columns and statues—they were not sure if these were originals or replicas. As the items blended into the background of the modern metropolis, the sight invoked a feeling of historical nostalgia.