Surviving The Beast World With My 'Sassy' System

Chapter 89: Bustling, Indifferent City

The ground beneath his feet was no longer rough stone. It was a flat, gray surface, perfectly even and incredibly solid. He shifted his weight, digging his heels into the material, but it did not give or crumble, then he lifted his gaze.

His body went still.

Before him stretched a world he could not place within anything he knew.

Tall structures rose into the sky, their surfaces smooth and reflective. Some were made of a clear material that caught the light and mirrored the surroundings, while others stood in rigid lines of gray and white, stacked in layers that reached far above his line of sight.

Light reflected off every surface.

A constant stream of humans moved past him on all sides, their steps quick and purposeful. The males wore fitted clothing that clung to their bodies, long trousers, and tops that differed from anything Mirek had seen.

No, he’d seen it before. Their upper garment looked just like the one Lavayla wore.

The females moved among them, their appearances varied. Some wore long dresses that swayed with each step, others wore shorter garments that revealed their legs. Their feet were covered in shaped materials that elevated their height or protected their soles.

Their hair was styled in ways that seemed unnatural to him, pulled back, braided, or left loose with objects woven into it. Some had thin frames resting across their eyes, tinted or clear, while others carried bags over their shoulders or in their hands.

Color surrounded everything.

The fabrics, the structures, the objects in their hands all held shades that stood out sharply against one another. Nothing blended into the environment. Everything was distinct.

Mirek stayed motionless, his gaze tracking each figure as they passed. His attention shifted from one detail to another as he tried to understand what he was seeing.

A group of humans walked past him, their voices overlapping in quick exchanges. One of them lifted a small, glowing rectangle object to their ear and spoke into it, their expression focused as if addressing someone who was not present.

Mirek turned his head.

More of those objects appeared in the hands of others. Some tapped on them, their fingers moving quickly across the glowing surface. Others held them up, looking into them as if observing something within.

A sudden, mechanical roar cut through the air. Mirek’s instincts flared, his muscles tightening as he pivoted toward the source of the sound. A large, metallic shell on four rotating wheels surged across the gray ground, carrying multiple humans inside. Its surface was a deep, glossy black that reflected the towering buildings as it sped past.

It moved with a speed that far exceeded any forest predator he had ever encountered. Another followed behind it.

Then another.

They moved in ordered lines, each one keeping distance from the next.

Mirek stepped back slightly, his gaze fixed on them as they passed.

He watched for a long time.

At first, nothing made sense.

There was no scent of beasts, no sound of wind moving through trees, and minimal indication of natural life. Everything was structured, controlled, and appeared in a way that defied his understanding.

Gradually, the constant movement began to form patterns in his mind. The large moving objects followed paths that were fixed. The humans moved in directions that aligned with those paths. The structures held openings where they entered and exited, repeating the same motions over and over.

He lowered his gaze briefly, then raised it again.

If this was part of the trial, then it was unlike anything he had experienced before.

It was a test of the mind, a glimpse into a world that defied every rule of the wild he understood.

As he stood there, one of the metallic shells slowed as it approached the edge of the path where he stood.

Mirek’s gaze followed it instinctively.

Through the clear surface on its side, he saw the interior and then he saw her.

Lavayla.

His heart hammered against his ribs, as he went rigid.

She sat at the front, her hands placed on a circular structure in front of her. Her posture was straight, her movements controlled as she guided the object forward.

She wore the same style of clothing as the other humans.

Dark trousers fitted closely along her legs, paired with a structured top that defined her frame. Her hair was arranged in neat, silky waves, falling in place without the loose strands he had grown used to seeing in the forest. Her feet rested within elevated shoes that added to her height, their shape precise and clean.

Her appearance was different.

Beautiful, refined, and entirely untouched by hardship.

Her skin was flawless and pale, free of the grime and dirt of the forest. There was no tension in her posture, no alertness in her gaze. She looked ahead calmly, her attention focused on the path before her.

Mirek stepped toward the edge of the flat path, his hand reaching out instinctively, but he stopped.

His eyes remained locked on her as the vehicle continued forward.

She did not look at him.

She did not react.

It was as if he did not exist.

The object passed him completely and continued down the path, merging back into the steady flow of movement.

She had not sensed his presence or acknowledged the man standing just feet away from her.

It was as if he were a ghost, a shadow that held no place in her clean, bright reality. He watched until the metallic shell vanished into the distance, leaving him alone in the center of the bustling, indifferent city.

The surroundings changed without warning.

The open space of the path abruptly vanished, replaced by the rising shadows of vertical walls. Mirek stood in a long, enclosed corridor constructed from a smooth, reflective material that caught the light filtering through the ceiling.

Doors lined both sides, evenly spaced. Each one had a flat surface with a handle fixed to its edge. Humans moved through the corridor in steady intervals, some walking past him, others stopping to push the handles down before stepping inside.

Mirek remained still, his gaze shifting from one movement to another.

Then he saw her.

Lavayla appeared at the far end of the corridor, walking toward him.