"Welcome to the city that is hidden behind the mist. Before you step on to this land, I want to make some ground rules clear. No foreigner is allowed to step outside the city without taking permission. No foreigner is allowed to enter the forbidden zones within the city. No foreigner is allowed to start a fight within the city. If any foreigner is caught stealing, attacking, robbing, murdering anyone, that foreigner will be heavily punished."
Aditya and others looked at the man who was a beginner 3rd-order cultivator. Seeing the silver collar on his neck, Aditya understood that this man was one of the thousands of slaves owned by the Aether Dragon Clan.
Everyone who came to The Crystal Holm island knew these rules from the beginning. The Lost Pearl city was one of the most heavily guarded cities that Aditya has ever stepped into. Not even the capital of the Istarin Empire is that heavily guarded.
But despite the heavy security, Aditya can see corruption taking place right before his eyes.
As soon as they stepped into The Crystal Holm island, they had to wait in a long line before they could enter the Lost Pearl city.
The entire city was surrounded by 40 meters tall high walls. It was as if the Aether Dragons didn't wanted any foreigner to even see what goes on beyond these walls. These high walls show the Aether Dragons desire to trap everyone here and keep them under their control. The 40 meters tall high walls were made from iron. Skeletons of various magic animals, humans, beast-men, marine magic animals were embedded on the walls.
'These Aether Dragons truly want to show the foreigners what they are capable of. By the skeletons on the walls, they are creating fear in the hearts of the foreigners.' As the Dragon Monarch, it pains Aditya when he heard that one of his own kind if on the verge of extinction. But if that kind is the type of Dragons who would live a life like this, then Aditya would rather kill them with his own hands.
"When my father was alive, the walls used to be around 15 to 20 meters tall. Justice was equally served and no Aether Dragon was allowed to abuse their powers. But now everything has changed. This city now feels more like a prison." Leo slowly said while looking around. It has been only 7 to 8 months since Leo and his sister fled from this place. Yet within such a short span of time, so much has changed. The entire Lost Pearl city looked completely unrecognizable to Leo.
"I think this is too much. It's not like any Aether Dragon lived on this island. So why do they have to restrict the foreigners within a single city."
"I guess their understanding of freedom is completely different from ours. The race of Aether Dragon could really use some freedom." Aditya chuckled remembering a famous joke relating to freedom.
"Young master, are you planning something?" Watson couldn't help but ask.
"Who knows. Only time will tell."
After waiting for another 25 minutes, finally Aditya, Watson, and Leo's turned to enter the city.
The guards who stopped them were beast-men. They are slaves of the Aether Dragon clan. "I want the three of your names and your purpose for visiting the Lost Pearl city."
"My name is Khalid. This is my little brother Isaac. And this is our butler Ahemd. We're here from the Istarin Empire to trade rice and fresh vegetables." Knowing that without paying a few coins or giving them something, the guards would make it very hard for them to enter the city, Aditya grabbed a bag of rice from his storage ring and handed it to the guards.
Seeing this the two guards looked very happy. Both nodded their heads. Both of them moved out of their way and allowed the trio to walk in.
Just as the trio walked inside the city, they saw something that they will never forget. The cruelty of the Aether Dragon had reached a new level. Seeing this, the least drop of mercy that Aditya had for the Aether Dragons before also disappeared from his heart. Now he was sure that such a filthy race carrying the name of a Dragon must not be allowed to exist.
The fact that these Aether Dragons called themselves Dragons felt like a slap to all the Dragons and a slap to the Dragon Monarch's face. For the first time, the Dragon Monarch felt ashamed of a race calling themselves Dragon.
What was happening in the Lost Pearl city was very clear to everyone. The society of this place has been divided into two parts. The rich and the slaves. The rich became richer and the poor went on to become slaves.
Right before Aditya, Watson, and Leo's eyes, they could see hundreds of slaves. These slaves used to be the original residents of this city. Back when the Lost pearl city was created, these people came here to live first. But now, their life had become so worse that they had been turned into slaves.
Aditya could see slaves of different ages. To the rich, it didn't matter who the slave was. They didn't care whether it was an elder or a child. A slave is a slave in their eyes. And a slave must work.
Slaves regardless of their age and gender were being forced to carry very heavy goods on both of their shoulders and on their waists. Aditya can see some of the old people's legs trembling each time they try to take a step while carrying all these heavy loads.
Each time a slave dropped a good on the ground, a lightning whip would hit their back. The pain would make the slaves scream in agony. Each of their screams carried their pain, and their suffering. The lightning whip would leave behind a fresh long scar on their backs. The scars exposed their red flesh.
The ground would become the witness of their pain and suffering. The fresh red blood fell, rolled down and dripped to the ground.
Especially the old and the young ones who suffered the most. Every time they dropped something, the guards didn't hesitate even a second to hit them. Aditya noticed that some parents would try to help their child by carrying one extra bag of goods so that their child can keep walking without falling to the ground.
Some of the slaves were completely naked. Their bodies were filled with the scars of whip marks. Their clothes were torn by the lightning whip. Dirt mixed with their blood and covered their body. All the slaves were very skinny and malnourished.
Even Aditya who had taken the lives of millions was shaken seeing this. Leo and Watson were on the verge of exploding. Both of them held themselves waiting for Aditya's orders. It was clear that both of them were reaching the limit of their patience. At any given moment either Leo or Watson might go on a rampage and start killing all these bastards. Aditya wouldn't stop them even if Leo and Watson did something like this.
Although slave trading was legal, Aditya would never allow something like this to happen. It was not just Aditya, no matter how cruel a King or an Emperor was, they wouldn't allow slaves to be treated like this in their territory.
Ahh!
An 11 years old boy fell down from not being able to keep on carrying all the goods. As just as the guards were able to hit the 11 years old boy with the lightning whip, a hand grabbed the lightning whip.
At this moment, the whole area went silent. Everyone stopped and stared at the blue-haired young man in deep shock.
"I am not the type of person who loses my temper easily. But when someone does manage to anger me......I bring chaos and destruction." At the same time, the sky above Crystal Holm island began to darken.
Before anyone could react, under their horrified gaze, a crimson lightning bolt fell from the sky and instantly turned the guard to ashes.
The next moment Aditya let out a loud roar and spread the message to every Aether Dragon [All the Aether Dragons, I order you to bring your pathetic asses here.] As if responding to the Divine Crimson Storm Dragon's call, the atmosphere of the whole Autumnming islands began to change. The people around Aditya quickly stepped back in fear.
Meanwhile, Watson and Leo didn't bother to hide their identities anymore. Both Dragonians have been waiting for this moment. Today they were going to drown their entire city in blood. The cries of the Aether Dragon will be heard within the walls of the Lost pearl city.
The Monarch Dragon was here to bring his judgment. The entire fate of the Aether Dragon was in his hands.
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Thank you to reader Tom_Breitenborn to gift this novel with an ice cola
