The City of Forests and Bai Xia’s Arrival

After reaching level 10, players have only one city they can teleport to: the neutral metropolis collaboratively built by humans, demi-humans, and fairies—the City of Forests, Sen no Miyako.

According to the lore, the United Kingdom in the south and the Demi-human Empire were locked in perpetual conflict, with numerous large-scale wars erupting over several centuries.

Those caught in the crossfire of these wars were rendered homeless.

With the indifference of their respective nations’ upper echelons, these displaced humans and demi-humans had no recourse but to seek refuge in the boundless Forest Sea, a vast expanse of countless mountains and forests, hoping to escape further calamity.

Such an act, given the perilous nature of the Forest Sea, was tantamount to a death wish.

Fortunately, however, the nature fairies dwelling within the Endless Forest Sea took pity on their plight and extended their protection to these refugees.

Sen no Miyako was thus founded upon these very beginnings.

With the aid and sanctuary of the fairies, the exiled populace established their initial homes on the outskirts.

As word spread, an increasing number of humans and demi-humans were drawn to the burgeoning settlement.

Concurrently, due to its unique geographical location, this city, which had undergone significant expansion over a century of development, gradually garnered favor among adventurers.

For adventurers, the Endless Forest Sea represented an inexhaustible treasure trove.

Throughout history, countless adventurers had ventured deep into its tree-filled depths to hone their skills and hunt exotic beasts.

Legends whispered that within this boundless, ancient forest lay buried primeval ruins and untold riches, teeming with immeasurable wealth.

While some found extraordinary encounters here, acquiring precious artifacts, valuable experience, and even romantic connections, others ventured in never to return, or were discovered only as piles of bleached bones.

It was a place where opportunity and peril coexisted, truly an adventurer’s paradise.

As the sole major city on the periphery of the Forest Sea, Sen no Miyako’s value to adventurers was naturally elevated immeasurably.

Even the outermost reaches of the Forest Sea teemed with diverse dangers, forcing adventurers to remain perpetually on edge.

Previously, seeking relaxation and recuperation meant traveling to smaller towns closer to the forest.

In contrast, the fairy-protected Sen no Miyako was not only closer but also significantly safer.

Should any mishap occur, the fairies, wielders of natural power, would stand at the forefront, offering protection.

Consequently, whether for pre-expedition preparations or post-battle recuperation, Sen no Miyako was undeniably an ideal locale.

However, the true impetus behind its development ultimately came from various merchants.

Recognizing the commercial opportunities, they forged an agreement with the fairies, leading to the rapid construction of diverse shops, healing centers, entertainment venues, and even casinos.

Thus, the refugee settlement of a century past, propelled by these manifold forces, transformed into the vibrant City of Forests, the City of Adventure, now rivaling any major metropolis.

Sen no Miyako also marked the true starting point for players within the game world of ‘Otherworld’.

From here, they could choose to delve deeper into the Endless Forest Sea for exploration, or depart the Forest Sea region to embark on campaigns against human, demi-human, or even non-human nations.

This was an immensely vast and vibrant world, with countless mysteries and adventures awaiting every player.

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As the blinding white light dissipated, Bai Xia found herself standing in Sen no Miyako’s Revival Plaza.

The plaza, sprawling before her, was easily more than ten times the size of the newbie village.

Its overarching color palette was a delicate green, harmonizing with the surrounding forest.

At the heart of the plaza, a magnificent altar held aloft a colossal, polygonal Revival Runestone, flanked by six translucent screens displaying various information.

Four silver-white statues stood sentinel at the plaza’s cardinal points, representing the four nature fairies who safeguarded the city.

Yet, their forms were indistinct, as if veiled by a thin mist, preventing any glimpse of their true visages.

Bai Xia, intrigued, spent a good while observing the Revival Plaza, exploring its perimeter.

However, she noticed no other players apart from herself.

Checking her friends list, she saw that Tian Zheng still hadn’t logged on.

After a moment’s thought, she decided not to linger in the plaza, opting instead to seize the opportunity to explore this ‘starting’ city.

Opening the Sen no Miyako map provided by the system, Bai Xia confirmed her direction and location before stepping into a circular teleportation array at the plaza’s edge.

Given the city’s immense sprawl, traversing it solely on foot was impractical.

Thus, the teleportation arrays strategically placed throughout the urban landscape served an incredibly convenient purpose—though, naturally, they came at a cost.

Yet, the teleportation fees were relatively inexpensive, and with her finances steadily improving, she didn’t mind the small expenditure.

Departing the Revival Plaza, Bai Xia’s primary destination was, without a doubt, the commercial district.

While she didn’t expect to unearth any precious equipment or weapons, it was imperative to stock up on both healing potions and return scrolls.

Along the way, though still encountering few other players, the diverse array of demi-human NPCs certainly broadened Bai Xia’s horizons.

Cat girls, fox women, leopard women… not a single one was unattractive, making it a veritable paradise for enthusiasts of animal ears and demi-humans alike!

Still…

“This has to be intentional on the developers’ part, right?”

Observing several players in the potion shop, utterly captivated by a three-tailed fox-woman of mature allure, buying numerous unnecessary items without realizing it, Bai Xia suddenly felt a premonition that ‘this damn game was doomed to fail sooner or later’ (TL Note: A Chinese internet slang ‘chi zao yao wan’ (吃枣药丸) which literally means ‘eat jujube, medicine pill’, but metaphorically implies something will inevitably go wrong, or fail, often used humorously or sarcastically).

Shaking her head, she had no intention of warning them.

She purchased some potions that offered superior recovery and healing effects, and then acquired several bundles of return scrolls from the item shop.

As she wandered about, the young woman abruptly realized, ‘Holy crap!’ (TL Note: ‘Ma mai pi’ (妈卖批) is a strong, vulgar Chinese expletive, similar to ‘damn it’ or ‘holy crap’, used here to express shock and exasperation.) all the shopkeepers were either young, adorable, or maturely alluring demi-human females.

Even the blacksmith’s guard was an impossibly handsome half-elf ‘cool guy.’

‘This city must be cursed, right?’

Bai Xia was somewhat speechless, yet putting aside the excessively high NPC attractiveness, there was truly no comparison between the newbie village and Sen no Miyako.

Not only was the city vastly larger, but its offerings were also far more comprehensive.

Beyond the essential weapon, potion, and item shops, it boasted a quest center, an auction house, taverns, fighting arenas, training rooms, and even hot spring inns!

In short, the dazzling variety was overwhelming; aside from the stylistic differences, it felt remarkably similar to a real-world shopping street.

Bai Xia visited each establishment along the road, discovering that the goods sold in Sen no Miyako were generally far superior to those in the newbie village, though their prices were, naturally, more than double.

Next, she explored places like taverns, restaurants, and hot springs.

Initially, she assumed these were merely amenities for players to enjoy when bored, but upon entering, she discovered that drinking, dining, and soaking in hot springs could actually boost certain attributes for a short duration!

She sampled some of the food and drink, of course, but currently lacked the time for a hot spring bath.

Moreover, seeing the throng of demi-human girls preparing to enter the springs, Bai Xia didn’t quite have the resolve to join them.

After a comprehensive tour of the commercial district, she could confidently say her haul was substantial.

Not only had she updated her equipment and replenished her supplies, but she had also purchased numerous special potions that temporarily boosted attributes: Water of Nature.

This was a specialty of Sen no Miyako; consuming it granted a 10% increase in attack and movement speed for one minute.

While the attribute boost was significant, the price was far from cheap.

Fortunately, Bai Xia was, by game standards, something of a ‘small rich lady.’

Gritting her teeth, she bought some for future contingencies.

Just as she was about to explore other areas, Tian Zheng finally logged in.