Chapter 475: Owl Jones

While the human kingdoms below remained in the Middle Ages, the Floating City of Arcane Masters had fully entered a magically modified alchemical era. Driverless Arcane buses sped along roads, wires tangled like spiderwebs, and the central district even had a 3D projection made through some unknown method.

Zuo Meng wandered the city for hours, piecing together his understanding of the Floating City.

This colossal metropolis resembled a spell-forged realm more than a conventional city. Its systems far surpassed those below, governed by councils and academic institutions. These two powers branched into countless organizations controlling every aspect of city life.

The tin-can automatons Zuo Meng saw patrolling streets? Council-run enforcers. Not only did they assist citizens, but they also tracked suspects better than surveillance cameras. The floating advertisements? Academic optics departments showing off their latest papers.

The city teemed with citizens—Arcane Masters and their descendants. Generations of growth had made the Floating City’s population exceed even the Divine Eagle Empire’s, its area unimaginably vast. Zuo Meng failed to explore a single district in half a day, though locals boasted the city had eleven.

“Can’t even fake these wisdom coins.”

After hours of odd jobs (the tin-can watchers left no loopholes), Zuo Meng finally earned his first wisdom coin. He’d assumed counterfeiting would be simple for a Morning Star level being—get one, make infinite copies.

Reality struck when he examined the coin. Each bore encrypted Arcane symbols tied to unique bank codes. He could replicate the coin in his hand… but only that single code. Without knowing subsequent sequences, mass forging was impossible.

“Did these Arcane Masters have nothing better to do? It’s just money!”

Zuo Meng scowled.

“Stopped by poverty… again? Why ‘again’?”

He froze. As founding emperor of the Snow Wolf Empire, he’d never lacked wealth. Yet this unfamiliar poverty felt eerily recognizable, like reliving some half-remembered past life.

Shrugging off the déjà vu, he headed to a park. The Divine Eagle Empire’s citizens would’ve gaped—their legendary Aige family ancestor, reduced to sleeping rough in the Floating City.

“Sir, overnight stays aren’t permitted.”

Zuo Meng paused mid-sit on a bench. The voice came from empty air.

“Looking for me?”

An owl swooped down from a tree. Not just any owl—this one wore a black suit and monocle, tipping its hat like a gentleman.

“Article 1032 of the Municipal Code,” it recited, “defacing the Floating City’s image warrants 10-15 days’ detention. This includes public sleeping.”

“Ogaf Jones. Call me Jones.”

“Aige.”

The owl scribbled in a notebook filled with names. “Trouble, Mr. Aige?”

“Broke.”

Jones’ feathers ruffled. In centuries of meeting humans, none had declared poverty so shamelessly.

“No inn money means park sleeping.” Zuo Meng studied the owl—far smarter than the dumb birds back home.

“But you’re powerful! Earn some coins!”

Jones sensed the man’s strength, why he’d approached.

“Busy tracking someone all day.”

Aks’ “the world is fake” message nagged him. Even his system task remained incomplete.

“I could help find people!” Jones puffed his chest. “My Owl Clan handled information for centuries… before those tin cans stole our business.”

“Still broke.”

The owl sighed. “Then… let’s be friends.”

No profit here—but befitting the Floating City’s logic, even park benches cost something.