Chapter 174: The Circus of "Utopia"

(I had intended to rest for another day, but once I started writing the opening, I found I couldn't stop. Haha, it is better to finish what one starts. I am resuming the five-thousand-word daily minimum.)

"Toot-toot!" A brisk, cheerful horn blast echoed through the walled district of the Royal City. A small caravan wound its way through the narrow streets, the people riding in the wagons waving colorful performance props and blowing rhythmic, lively tunes on their horns.

"Hey, everyone! The traveling circus has arrived. For just half a silver coin, you can witness a spectacular show. We’ll be at the square nearby—don't miss it!"

A fellow dressed as a clown leaped atop the wagon canopy, joyfully announcing their upcoming show to the residents who poked their heads out in curiosity.

Inside the wagons beneath his feet lay the vibrant, colorful fabrics meant to raise the circus tent.

"Half a silver coin... that doesn't sound bad at all. It’s a rare treat; why don't you take the kids to see it?"

"A traveling circus during wartime? It’s quite an attraction. If we can't afford the Gilded Rose, a circus performance sounds like a fine alternative."

"Interesting. Though the troupe is small, they look well-prepared. Shall we go?"

The residents of the walled district were stirred. Unlike the typical citizens of the Royal City, these people belonged to the lowest stratum, struggling to survive, hoping only to remain in the city and find a stroke of luck in this place where risk and opportunity coexisted.

Compared to the city’s elite, who had long lost interest in such low-end entertainment, these residents—who spent every ounce of their strength just to get by—were quite intrigued by this obscure but well-equipped circus.

Seeming to notice the residents' interest, the clown added another enticing detail.

"If you have children, no problem—it’s free. Our circus is never stingy when it comes to kids."

Pinching his red nose-ball, the clown announced this powerful incentive with a cheerful, laughing voice.

"That’s truly generous. You should take the kids to see it."

"Right, the price is fair. We’ve never had the chance to show them anything fun; it’s been hard on them. Let’s take this opportunity."

"Agreed, let’s go."

The residents were clearly won over by the generous discount.

Adults might remain numb for the sake of survival, but children, naturally curious about the world, would never lose their passion for interesting things.

Parents, usually too busy to take their children to see the superior theater and entertainment found elsewhere in the Royal City, were unwilling to pass up this chance to bring joy to their little ones.

The circus caravan reached the square, which had been rebuilt after the Hellgate invasion, and set up camp.

The members of the circus appeared to be professionals with extraordinary powers. With the aid of spells and knightly strength, a rather impressive performance tent rose rapidly under the watchful eyes of the residents.

"Welcome, everyone! Don't miss this chance to see a spectacular show. Every member of our circus possesses a unique, one-of-a-kind skill!"

The clown stood before the tent entrance, performed a backflip, and introduced the troupe loudly. In response to his words, a fierce-looking beast, resembling a lion, poked its head out from the tent and swallowed the clown’s head whole.

The surrounding residents gasped; the sudden scene left them completely stunned.

"Don't worry, just a simple illusion. We’ll use this very craft to bring you a performance that will leave you in awe."

The beast's head suddenly split down the middle, and the clown’s hand reached out from within, prying the head into two halves. The gasping residents then realized the head was made of paper and frames, yet for some reason, it had looked impossibly real to them.

"Wow, not bad! Truly worth the price."

"Adding illusions to the performance? What a treat! Fantastic."

The onlookers recovered from their shock, immediately excited by the mention of illusions.

Everyone knew that incorporating illusions could greatly enhance a performance, but such displays were usually reserved for high-end venues.

That this circus, costing only half a silver coin, offered such high-level entertainment was a genuine surprise.

"Come on in, everyone! The show is about to begin." The clown tossed the paper beast head aside and gestured for the crowd to enter the tent.

The residents, already eager and expectant, tossed their half-silver coins—converted into copper—into a box at the entrance. Most of them, accompanied by their children, crowded inside.

However, a few individuals whose demeanor differed slightly from the locals, yet were well-hidden, mingled with the crowd, their eyes darting about to observe this circus that had suddenly appeared in the Royal City.

The crowd soon filled the tiered seating inside the tent. The stage lights had not yet dimmed, as if to heighten the audience's curiosity.

"Click!" A crisp, mechanical sound echoed, and a beam of light suddenly struck the center of the stage. The magical illumination was exceptionally bright, clearly revealing the scene.

"Wow!" The audience gasped. These ordinary citizens, lacking professional powers, were stunned by the spectacle revealed as the darkness faded.

A brawny man, bare-chested, raised his muscular arms to hold aloft a massive, terrifying beast.

The beast, several times the size of the man, tried to tear at him with sharp fangs and claws, but the man merely shook his raised arm, playing with the giant creature as if it were a ball.

No matter how the beast struggled or tried to flip its body, a casual flick from the man left it belly-up, its flailing limbs no different from a playful kitten.

"Hey!" The man suddenly shouted, tossing the beast to the ground. "Boom!" A muffled explosion accompanied a cloud of smoke, obscuring the stage.

When the dust settled, the man held a small, adorable kitten in his hands, which let out a soft, milky meow.

"Amazing!"

"Spectacular!"

"Oh, oh, oh!"

The audience cheered wildly. Such a performance was rarely seen even in the most upscale venues; the coordination with the illusions was truly masterful.

The man on stage bowed, then tossed the kitten toward a young boy in the front row. The boy was caught off guard, but the kitten seemed to have a mind of its own, pouncing and clinging to the boy’s clothes.

"Wow!" The boy's friends gasped. The man’s intent was clear, and the other children envied the boy’s luck, reaching out to touch the kitten clinging to his shirt.

"Hmph, it’s mine!" The boy held the kitten high, keeping his friends' dirty hands away.

The children pleaded persistently, their chatter and noise filling the tent with a warmth and joy that didn't require the silence of high-society venues.

The man retreated backstage, and a woman dressed in light attire stepped forward.

As a giant spider head popped from the top of the tent and shot out a "web" to ensnare the woman, she feigned panic while the audience cheered. The new act had begun.

"Not bad, eh? The kitten is quite cute, isn't it?" Charles nudged Edward, who was watching intently, and whispered.

"Hmm, the kitten is indeed cute. As of now, it’s just a circus with a very high level of performance. The use of illusions might even surpass those so-called 'high-end entertainments' that rely on soft charms to attract customers."

Edward watched the dancer flying back and forth on the "web," pondered for a moment, and replied to Charles.

"Is there any special reason to pay attention to this circus? It doesn't seem like there's any problem. Though, the fact that they managed to sneak in past the guards shows they have some skill. As it stands, nothing seems amiss."

Charles shrugged. He clearly didn't care for the entertainment venues Edward mentioned, and he seemed indifferent to the circus that Zig had asked them to monitor.

"Feel the surrounding environment. There is a formation interfering with the mind, though there is no trace of the Void. These illusions rely on subtly influencing the soul, but it’s very faint and harmless, so it’s easily overlooked. Charles, judge it more carefully."

Wang Yu, standing next to them, fiddled with a metal ring on his finger, engraved with a skull and sharp teeth. He sent out a ripple of detection to sense the surroundings.

"Is that so? Your senses are truly over-sensitive. Oh, right—if illusions don't work on you, the scene you're seeing right now must be quite awkward, right?"

Charles asked with surprise, then realized the truth. If illusions couldn't affect Wang Yu, the performance on stage must be, well, terrible.

Wang Yu nodded. Nothing could affect his "soul," so the performance was indeed awkward.

Where there should have been a woman in mortal peril under a spider's web, he saw only a woman in light clothing flipping around on ropes, with a paper-mache spider head—which looked realistic but was clearly fake—moving about.

The circus Zig had warned them about seemed normal for now. While the illusion work was unexpectedly high-level, it wasn't illegal.

What was worth noting was the "Utopia" circus itself. It was unclear where their organization was based; they generally chose opportune moments to tour places in various kingdoms that functioned like "slums."

While they occasionally performed standard shows, the most likely scenario was that they would conclude with a play called "Utopia," promoting a utopian state.

Shortly thereafter, for unknown reasons, large-scale riots would break out. It was unclear how they achieved this, and even if they were wiped out afterward, they never revealed any useful information about their organization.

"Hmm, there is indeed a spell affecting the mind, very faint. It doesn't involve guided mental control; it should just be to facilitate the illusions. This isn't how the 'Utopia' circus triggers riots."

Charles sensed the environment based on Wang Yu’s reminder and confirmed that the faint fluctuations were merely to create the illusions for the show, not a tool for inciting chaos.

"It must be the special power that made the city guards ignore such a large caravan. A very strange power; I’ve never seen it, but it’s not the power of the Void."

If it were not for the prayer communication network’s ability to partially buffer the mental toll of those forces, the Night’s Edge would likely never have discovered them.

Wang Yu rubbed his chin. The existence of these circus performers relied on a certain power that directly manipulated the sentries’ minds, causing them to overlook a caravan that, while not massive, was certainly conspicuous.

Had the members of the Night’s Edge not used the prayer network to dissipate a portion of that influence, they would have remained as blind as everyone else, and the information would never have reached Zig and, subsequently, Wang Yu.

"Forget it. This world is teeming with all sorts of chaotic forces; it’s not just battle aura, void energy, or mana. Astrologers draw from the stars, and then there are those geomancers—who knows what these circus freaks are using? As long as the prayer network can dampen the effect, it’s no big deal. Otherwise, you’d be the only one here, Wang Yu, since you’re the only one immune to such things."

Shale shook his head dismissively.

"For now, as long as this has nothing to do with those entities in Sewentan, it shouldn't be a problem," Edward added, his gaze fixed on the stage.

In truth, the Utopia Circus had appeared many times before the war between Sewentan and Alastair broke out, so it surely had no connection to Sewentan.

"True enough."

Wang Yu conceded to Shale’s logic, his eyes remaining locked on the stage. As the acts unfolded—men catching cannonballs, swallowing fire, reenactments of dragon wars—the crowd roared with delight. Wang Yu, however, remained profoundly bored.

But when the clown stepped forward to announce a surprise, Wang Yu’s expression sharpened, and he straightened the metal ring on his finger.

"Ladies and gentlemen, I shall now present to you the most magnificent performance: the perfect Utopia. I will show you a world of true beauty, a land where everyone lives in happiness. It may seem like a fantasy, but I believe it is a kingdom that will one day be realized."

"Ohhh!"

The audience had no idea what the clown was rambling about, but the earlier spectacles had whipped them into such a frenzy that they would have cheered for anything he said.

"Now, I require a volunteer from the audience to assist me. Are you willing?"

"Yes!" the crowd shouted happily. The gifts already distributed, like the kittens from earlier, had left them eager for whatever this participation entailed.

"Good!" The clown clapped his hands.

"Now... who shall it be?" With a feigned hesitation, he scanned the crowd.

"You, the handsome young man! Come on up!" The clown’s voice was jubilant, his gloved finger pointing directly at a member of the audience: Shale.

"Me?" Shale pointed to his own face, feigning uncertainty.

"Yes! Come along, my handsome friend! The performance to follow will certainly not disappoint." The clown laughed, his tone brimming with excitement and impatience.

"No problem. It’s consistent with standard procedure. Just stay safe; Edward and I will back you up."

Wang Yu’s voice reached Shale via a one-way ripple transmission, confirming that this aligned with the recorded behavior of the Utopia Circus: selecting a volunteer to showcase their so-called "Utopia."

"Stay alert. Keep your connection to the Tree of Night Sky open to prevent mental interference," Edward whispered.

"Is your inner-dive ready?" Wang Yu asked.

"Yes, standing by. Any attempt to threaten the lives of the audience will be met with force," Edward confirmed, the technique known as "Bulwark" already circulating within him.

"Alright, I’m going," Shale signaled.

"Heh, well, what an honor. Here I come!" Scratching the back of his head with his usual carefree air, Shale jogged down toward the stage.

Wang Yu pressed the metal ring on his finger, carved into the shape of a grotesque skull—the "Blood-Biting Ring," one of the compensations granted to Avia and him by the Academy following the disaster at the Great Library.

Wang Yu had chosen this item, which most considered useless, because it was perfectly suited to the new combat system he was developing.

The skull’s sharp fangs bit into the skin of Wang Yu’s finger. As blood welled up, the skull’s eye sockets began to glow with a faint, crimson light.

Activated by the blood, the ring opened a spatial rift designed to store it. Wang Yu’s living blood began to flow steadily from the mouth of the skull.

Guided by the secret arts of the Blood-Fury Knight and the ripples of his power, the blood began to seep through the gaps in the seating, spreading stealthily toward the perimeter of the circus...