The group pressed forward. At one of the great gates, they finally spotted figures from the Lance of Fury legion.
Phainon seemed to breathe a sigh of relief upon seeing the enemy. "Finally—some straggling soldiers."
And so.
The three arrived before a broken bridge—the only path leading to the gate.
Phainon glanced at the ruined span, then at Mydei. "Looks like the enemy isn't the only thing standing in our way. This bridge has fallen into serious disrepair. Even Castrum Kremnos's craftsmanship can be unreliable?"
Mydei snorted coldly. "Sorry to disappoint you. The outer city was built by convicts."
Phainon let out an enlightened "Ohhh." "Ah, no wonder it's so fragile. Maybe these people were getting revenge on you all along."
"Doesn't matter. Defiance has never been a source of shame here—not against enemies, nor against the condemned."
"But now it's blocking the people who want to kill Nikador. Times like this make me miss Teacher Tribbie's power."
At that moment, Caelus realized it was his time to shine—otherwise these two would keep bantering back and forth like a comedy duo and give him a headache from all the head-shaking.
"Perfect timing. There's an expert right here."
"Oh? Did Teacher Tribbie teach you?" Phainon gave Caelus an approving nod. "No offense, but performing 'miracles' relies heavily on talent. Without a priest's resonance, an ordinary person chanting a couple of prayers would just pass out. Since you volunteered, go ahead and show us what you've got."
Soon, Caelus invoked Oronyx's prayer and restored the broken bridge.
However, there appeared to be a time limit.
The three had to move quickly and finally reached the gate.
"Look—the gate's open!" Phainon shouted excitedly at the doors.
Mydei was unimpressed. "Genius. You could've stayed quiet and no one would've noticed."
Phainon ignored Mydei and strode forward on his own. "Let's go. We can take a detour up from the broken bridge."
[Hahahaha, these two.]
[Their dynamic is so entertaining!]
[It's just classic frenemy energy—constantly jabbing and hurting each other.]
[What a lovely pair of bickering soulmates!]
[These bros are killing me.]
[This reminds me of Penacony—two people nonstop roasting each other. Yep, Aventurine and Dr. Ratio.]
[So Amphoreus really is Belobog plus Penacony combined.]
[It's not just a combination.]
— —
After passing through the gate, the group looked up. A colossal sword hovered in the void, as though it could fall at any moment!
[That effect—holy shit!]
[It's not an effect. They actually built a sword that big in the interactive city.]
[Wait what???]
[Yeah, not quite as huge as in the video, but still over ten meters tall.]
[6/10. As expected of miHoYo—always dropping insane detail in places like this.]
[I actually really like the design of that sword.]
[Honestly, standing under something that massive gives you this overwhelming sense of pressure. Like when I stood at the base of a wind turbine—my heart just started racing for no reason!]
[Same. When I saw that sword in the interactive city I was genuinely startled. It's really imposing!]
— —
"Truly spectacular…" Phainon's gaze lingered on the giant sword, unwilling to look away.
Mydei exhaled deeply. "You haven't seen it at its most spectacular.
In the past, Nikador used that very blade to annihilate Aquila's sky kingdoms and one city-state after another.
It wasn't merely a weapon—it was the faith of every person in Castrum Kremnos. The souls of those who fell bravely in battle would temper the edge in Nikador's hand, becoming part of the God-King's might.
That was the Titan's conquest—Nikador, its followers, and all who believed in 'Strife.' Invincible, unstoppable. Even in death, they would embrace eternal glory."
Phainon frowned. He caught a different point. "That sounds a bit exaggerated. I can immediately recall three major defeats Castrum Kremnos suffered during the Chrysos Wars."
"Losing to schemes and poison isn't shameful. The ones who should feel shame are the feeble cowards who resort to such means."
"Fair enough. 'Better to die in battle than return in disgrace'—the people of Castrum are straightforward. They spent their whole lives rushing toward the battlefield. No wonder Zagreus loved toying with you all. But that's all in the past now. Guess what I'm thinking, Mydei?"
Mydei narrowed his eyes and glanced at Phainon. "Probably nothing good. Just say it plainly."
So Phainon proposed a full-on contest between the two of them—with the final blow against Nikador as the prize.
Mydei found the idea intriguing and readily accepted.
"What about me?" Caelus pointed at himself.
Phainon explained, "I know him. This guy only likes fighting one-on-one. There are two paths ahead. Trailblazer, you come with me on one side.
No racing—just competing for the number of trophies. Count on the honor system. Don't worry—I won't claim credit for any enemies he takes down."
"Doesn't matter either way," Mydei sneered. "You two know nothing about this place. I'll even give you a ten-step head start."
"Hahaha, completely underestimated. But I'm not going to hold back—let's go!"
[That damn competitive spirit!]
[The cursed male rivalry drive has been activated.]
— —
Phainon and Caelus charged forward in high spirits and quickly dispatched four soldiers of the Lance of Fury legion.
Phainon picked up a Castrum emblem and nodded in satisfaction. "Two down. Solid start."
Caelus pointed at the ground. "I count four…"
"That's because we worked together. If it goes on my tally, I only count half. That's fair competition."
"Why split into two paths?"
"Don't worry—Mydei is strong, and so am I." Phainon paused thoughtfully. "Did you see the look in his eyes earlier? He's feeling homesick and doesn't want to show it in front of others.
For Mydei, his people and his honor mean everything. Even in ruins like this, the only place where he can be truly free is Castrum Kremnos.
Right now we've sent him off on his own. He can cry his eyes out wherever he wants—no one will see."
[What a good brother!]
[All I feel is pure brotherhood!]
[These two are the ultimate best frenemies!]
[Phainon, you're genuinely so gentle!]
[Truly the perfect Deliverer—even his personality is flawless!]
[So sweet!!! I'm shipping this!]
[He really… I'm crying…]
— —
"You really… I'm crying…" Caelus couldn't help giving a thumbs-up at this display of brotherhood, and it reminded him of the little azure dragon back in the holy city.
"We've been like this ever since we met—half rivals, half friends. Whenever I act together with him, it always sparks my competitive side."
Just then.
Mydei's shout came from not far away. "Standing around doing nothing? Planning to surrender?"
Phainon immediately fired back. "What do you know? We're discussing strategy!"
He turned back to Caelus. "Let's go. Even though it's not strictly a race, I still hate losing."
…
Soon.
The two reached the interior of the city-state.
Two buildings were connected only by a pair of enormous iron chains—perhaps the sole passage.
And lightning periodically struck down along the crossing.
Just then, Mydei appeared on the opposite side.
Phainon shouted across to him. "Hey, when did you get over there?"
"I already told you—you know nothing about this city's layout. How could you possibly beat me?" The next moment, Mydei raised his palm in a six gesture. "By the way—six."
"Wow, looks like you got lucky. Our path was pretty lightly defended. Don't get cocky—once we cross this chain bridge, I'll catch right back up."
With Phainon's help, Caelus used a prophetic stele to dispel the lightning on the path.
Phainon and Caelus stepped onto the chains. On the other side, Mydei showed no intention of waiting for the lightning to stop.
Like a gust of wind, Mydei charged straight through the storm, sprinting across the collapsing chains and successfully reaching the far shore!
Phainon wiped cold sweat from his brow. "Whoa—moves that smooth?"
"Worry about yourself. There's bottomless abyss under here—that's what makes it exciting!" Mydei's manic voice gradually faded into the distance!
"Not just tough—he's got insane luck too. I'm almost jealous. That pass was really close… Good thing both of us have decent balance."
Phainon and Caelus reached the other side without major incident.
Before them lay a room full of lived-in warmth.
Phainon casually flipped over a stone tablet, but he couldn't read Castrum script at all.
Caelus volunteered again—thanks to the Synesthesia Beacon, any text would convert into something he could understand and hear.
That's why the entire universe speaks Chinese!
But when he picked it up and looked…
It might as well have been a heavenly scripture with no words.
"I overestimated myself…"
Phainon comforted him. "Don't worry. There's still an expert next door. Once we link up with Mydei, let him take a look. But speaking of which… I've always been curious. You clearly come from the outer realms—how can you understand Amphoreus's script and language?"
Caelus spread his hands. "Dan Heng and I still haven't figured that out either."
"Could the intersection between Amphoreus and the outer realms be far greater than anyone imagined? Yet historical records contain nothing about it. Perhaps your arrival… will upend many things."
…
Next, Caelus and Phainon helped each other navigate the already crumbling royal city.
Just as they drew closer to the Strife Titan, a large group of Lance of Fury legion followers blocked their path.
Phainon saw the number of enemies and showed no fear—on the contrary, he excitedly raised his greatsword. "As expected of the central zone. Quite the turnout."
Caelus chimed in. "Now's our chance to pull ahead!"
"Just like I thought—you've got the heart of a fighter too, friend. If the records are correct, directly beneath the 'Edge of Fury' lies the world-famous 'Castrum Arena.' The road beneath our feet leads either to glory or to death… Of course, glory belongs to us—and death is for them!"
With that, the two drew their weapons, faces alight with excitement, and charged toward the horde of enemies while shouting dramatically.
Phainon swung his sword and bellowed, "'Approaching now is the fearsome gladiator duo—the Dark Swordsman Phainon—'"
"'—and the Galactic Baseballer!'"
[Hahahaha, Bro Phainon's chuunibyou is acting up.]
[So he really is this sunny, cheerful big boy?]
[Didn't expect someone with Kevin's face to be this chuuni.]
[Anyone else cringing so hard they ascended? I'm honestly impressed the actor could even deliver that line!]
[Who introduces themselves as 'Dark Swordsman'? And he's the first local March 7th ever met.]
[Wait… is he secretly the final boss?]
— —
Caelus delivered a flashy home-run swing that smashed a soldier's head clean off.
Phainon couldn't help exclaiming, "'A brutal strike! The Baseballer leaves no survivors for his foes! Can you hear it—the thunderous cheers—'"
"'Mm… that one needs a little imagination.'"
"'Beautiful teamwork! These two gladiators—'"
At that moment.
Mydei's voice cut into their ears.
"You two and your delusions are giving me a headache!"
Phainon let out a sigh. "'…and now they must endure noise interference from the stands. Truly tragic.'"
[Hahaha, I'm actually dying.]
[Phainon's got some real flavor.]
[Yes, this is exactly what a sunny, cheerful big boy should be!]
[miHoYo still knows how to raise a Samoyed!]
[Hahaha, Samoyed—I'm actually crying from that comment.]
— —
"'With overwhelming strength and perfect synergy, the two gladiators defeated every opponent…'" Phainon looked at the field of Lance of Fury corpses and couldn't help cheering.
Mydei stood ahead of them, his feet likewise surrounded by bodies. "'…yet the glory they longed for never arrived.'"
[Chen Gong assimilation complete.]
[Mydei, how are you picking up the bit?]
[Mydei has been assimilated by Phainon.]
[Mydei: I hate it, but I'm joining anyway!]
— —
However, Nikador was nowhere to be seen in the arena. Phainon still felt a little disappointed.
Fortunately, Mydei pointed out a clear path forward—though he himself would take another route, since more Lance of Fury followers awaited him there.
The scenery here was indeed quite unique. Caelus took out the camera and deliberately recorded it.
At this point, Phainon and Caelus opened up again. The two had a discussion about whether the name "March 7th" was strange or not.
And the audience could feel how deeply Phainon cherished every companion he had now!
No more small talk—the two pressed deeper into Castrum Kremnos.
While pursuing Nikador, Caelus and Phainon ran into Mydei again. Phainon learned that Mydei had already taken down thirty Lance soldiers.
Phainon gave a knowing smile and silently noted the number in his heart.
Next, through murals, Caelus and Phainon discovered the secret behind the Lance of Fury legion's soldiers.
The process was to first carve stone statues, then infuse them with the Titan's golden blood to create soldiers.
That was why the legion never ran out!
Afterward, while fighting enemies, Phainon took the opportunity to give Caelus some lore about Zagreus.
The camera cut away.
Mydei seemed to have been waiting for a while.
"You're too slow."
"Sorry. Someone didn't bother clearing the obstacles on the road." Phainon shrugged helplessly.
"Less talking. Show me your results."
Mydei displayed the thirty Castrum emblems he had collected.
Phainon clicked his tongue. Also thirty. "A tie. How convenient."