Chapter 9: Adal-Malik City

Walking a few steps along the dock, Liu Zhi’s vision suddenly opened up. Before him, in the pouring rain, stood a colossal city of at least seven layers towering upwards.

Like the other cities in this world, Adal-Malik was built layer upon layer. However, due to its prime location and earlier development, this city appeared exceptionally vast.

On the surface, the city seemed to consist of seven levels, but considering its land area of just 2,155 square kilometers, combined with the stacking of layers between fifty to seventy meters each, the true scale of the city was staggering.

According to the information Liu Zhi had gathered, this city was now divided into 117 administrative districts of varying sizes. Each district was equipped with its own resources—schools, libraries, churches, cemeteries, sewers, and more.

Some districts, long buried beneath others, even had dedicated water channels and sunlight illumination systems.

Liu Zhi was headed to the Bunir District, known as District 103, the main urban area of the Eastern Expansion Plan’s 17th sector. This district was overseen by a player named Bunir. Although Liu Zhi was unsure of Bunir’s actual strength, anyone entrusted with such a task must surely have attained legendary status.

The primary mission of the 17th Eastern Expansion sector was to push into the eastern marshlands, establish new urban areas, and maintain them undisturbed for a hundred years. During that time, the necromantic energies of the undead would permeate every corner, allowing the city to support the construction of yet another new district above it.

As for the daily lives of the residents or industrial development in these new districts during that century, there were no stringent requirements.

Nevertheless, these new districts attracted many ordinary people. Even just the living conditions alone were far superior to those in the older districts buried beneath other parts of the city.

Despite the relentless rain, at least one could breathe fresh air here—unlike the earliest districts, where residents had to endure hour-long tram rides to the city outskirts just to inhale a breath of clean air.

Upon arriving at Adal-Malik, Liu Zhi did not rush to report in. Cloaked in his scale-leather raincoat and clutching his Death Staff, he strolled leisurely through the rain.

Bearing a touch of the feathered serpent god’s divine nature, Liu Zhi felt a deep affinity for the rain. The downpour seemed not to hinder his progress but to guide him onward.

As he walked, he soon noticed that, like other places where trees formed the foundations, all the roads here were wooden plank walkways. Yet, compared to other locations, this place felt distinct.

The moss on the walkways had been meticulously cleared, and the rainwater flowed seamlessly through the drainage beneath the paths.

Liu Zhi observed that beneath the walkways, bricks appeared to have been crafted from fired silt. It was evident the city was not constructed entirely from wood.

He understood well that in this world, under such weather conditions, above-ground buildings were often less critical than the foundations, drainage systems, and planting infrastructure.

The extensive sewer network was crucial to ensuring the city’s safety.

If the sewers were built from wood like the walkways, Liu Zhi was certain they would rot within two or three days, leading to widespread leaks.

Thus, using fired bricks was a reasonable choice.

Fortunately, the southern marshlands were abundant in silt suitable for pottery-making. With some skill, firing bricks was comparatively straightforward. Judging by the current situation, the drainage beneath the walkways was not just a single layer but comprised several tiers.

“I wonder what’s down in those sewers,” Liu Zhi muttered to himself as he walked.

“You don’t need to wonder,” came a voice from behind him.

Liu Zhi turned to see a necromancer roughly his age approaching from the dock. He too wore a scale-leather raincoat but wielded a golden scythe.

Liu Zhi was momentarily puzzled before the necromancer spoke: “You’re here to report to Bunir District as a mortician, right? I’m Connor—Connor Gabriel.”

“Sandru,” Liu Zhi paused briefly before replying, “Sandru Errantz Eid.”

“Errantz? You mean the name you use for your official duties? That’s common—I used to do the same. But after experiencing too many game worlds, I eventually reverted to my original name,” Connor said, hesitating before understanding.

“How did you know I was here to report as well?” Liu Zhi asked curiously.

“That’s simple, though explaining it clearly is a bit complicated. I’m a detective. When I saw your silhouette earlier, I noticed you right away.

“At first glance, it’s clear you’re a noble-born player from a small place, but your family has some influence. Nobles like you usually have designated roles. So, why appear here in Adal-Malik at this time? That led me to think of the Eastern Expansion recruitment.

“I’m guessing your family pulled some strings to get you placed here, right?” Connor explained, outlining the deductions he’d made and sharing some intelligence he’d gathered.

Unlike smaller cities where surface and underground areas were controlled indiscriminately, in a vast city like Adal-Malik, this was impossible. Usually, each district had over ten fixed access points to the underworld, making it impossible for morticians to oversee everything. They had to choose their focus.

Compared to surface districts, underground sewers and gap fields were prime targets for players. These places were quiet and lucrative, perfect for researching forbidden spells without interference—essentially coveted feng shui spots, supreme yin tombs.

Because of this, such critical underground areas were often claimed during initial city construction. Morticians arriving from other cities usually ended up with less desirable locations.

Listening to Connor’s explanation, Liu Zhi was unconcerned and said, “It’s nothing to worry about. Being here already means we have strong backing. Do you expect the best spots to be handed over to you? You’re not the protagonist of this world, after all.”

Connor laughed in response. “Brother Sandru, you are truly magnanimous!”