Duke waited calmly for permission to proceed. Soon after, the Swordfish started again, navigating the main channel. After passing under Butcher's Bridge, he saw more details of Bilgewater.
The rugged and fierce architectural style on both banks made Duke whistle involuntarily.
On the bare, steep cliffs, houses were built one after another with stones, wooden planks, and the huge bones of sea beasts, looking like a Hive at first glance.
What made it most thrilling was that towering perilous buildings and stacked tower-like structures were also built on the mountaintop, constantly "increasing" the height of the cliff.
At the same time, the inclination of these buildings was terrifyingly steep, giving a precarious feeling that they would collapse with a gust of wind.
Bilgewater fully demonstrated what it means to have a fierce architectural style that compensates for insufficient land by building upwards.
Duke and his companions saw the sea serpent reliefs on the cliff, which were among the few remaining traces after an ancient civilization vanished; every settlement in the city could be said to have been built upon the ruins of the old civilization.
Moreover, within the city, there were not many roads connecting the houses; instead, there were endless trestle bridges and cableways, in addition to interlocking staircases.
"This is even worse than Zaun!"
Jayce looked at Bilgewater, which was divided into two Worlds by Butcher's Bridge, and let out a sigh of emotion.
Duke rolled his eyes at his words: "Come on, both sides have their own merits.
You haven't even been to Zaun, so don't say such things."
"You're from Zaun; what do you think is the difference between Bilgewater and Zaun?"
Jayce temporarily let himself forget the unpleasantness that had occurred between him and Duke earlier.
Duke stroked his chin, "Instead of comparing Bilgewater to Zaun, it's better to compare Bilgewater to the Twin Cities!"
"Piltover and Zaun are twins; neither can exist without the other!"
"As for my opinion?"
"Bilgewater's Undercity is much more barbaric compared to Zaun; at least we still have traces of civilization there, but here?"
Duke and Jayce had just witnessed a murder; the victim was stabbed in the neck, then his valuables were ransacked, and his body was kicked into the Waterway, where a school of fish instantly devoured it.
Jayce's face turned White; Duke patted his shoulder: "The smell of the Jungle Law is even stronger than in Zaun, and they don't really like to use polite words; they prefer to speak with knives!"
"You need to be extra careful here.
Captain Lister will assign you guards, and you should also carry your own weapon; it's better to have your life in your own hands."
Butcher's Bridge connects Bilgewater's upper and lower cities.
The Undercity is a notorious slum, with winding dark rivers like a maze.
There is even no clear boundary with the sea they rely on for survival; stepping out means entering a Waterway, and occasionally, shark fins can be seen surfacing in the Water before disappearing again.
"What a terrible city!"
Jayce muttered with a White face, but Duke stood on the ship's railing, ready to go ashore at any moment.
"But it's very charming, isn't it?"
"Where are you going?"
"Sightseeing!"
By the time Duke's voice reached Jayce's ears, he had already leaped up, clearing seven or eight meters of sea, and landed lightly on the shore.
"Captain Lister, I'll be going alone from now on.
Remember to take good care of Jayce and don't let him get hurt!"
Captain Lister took off his hat and bowed respectfully to Duke on the shore: "Yes, sir!"
"See you later!"
Duke waved his hand and turned to leave without a trace of hesitation.
Jayce wanted to say something, but the pungent smell in the air made his face turn White on the spot.
He only saw the hem of Duke's trench coat fluttering as he disappeared from his sight.
"Ugh!"
Jayce was leaning over the ship's rail, throwing up violently. Captain Lister took a pistol from a crew member and handed it to Jayce, who had just straightened his back.
"Mr. Jayce, you'll need more powerful means of protection here!"
Jayce initially wanted to refuse, but remembering everything he had witnessed earlier, he silently accepted the gun and tucked it into his clothes.
"I should have chosen Noxus or Ixtal as the experiment location!"
Jayce leaned against the ship's rail, his face growing paler.
....
"This truly is a melting pot of cultures!"
Duke, who had met people of various races from different origins here, walked slowly through the streets with the flow of people, his hands in his trench coat pockets. In the corners of the streets, large rats watched the pedestrians, and the entrances to the alleys concealed gang members 5.0.
As Duke walked, he noticed that many shop fronts had people weaving a special plant, seemingly preparing for something.
Duke approached someone who was weaving a grass knot and quietly asked, "Excuse me, may I bother you for a moment?"
The other person glanced at Duke, then continued their work without a word.
Ding!!
A Golden Krakens coin trembled from Duke's fingertips. "Excuse me!"
The person quickly took the Golden Krakens coin, bit it to check its authenticity, and after confirming it was real, grumbled, "If only it were a Banshee! The Piltover gold coins are all hollow, damn Piltover folk!"
"What are you doing?"
"Weaving queen grass?"
"queen grass?" Duke raised an eyebrow. The people of Bilgewater firmly believed that queen grass and vigil candles made from whale oil could help them survive The Harrowing.
"Could it be..."
Duke asked again. The other person glanced at Duke, and with the Golden Krakens coin paving the way, their attitude was much softer than before: "Only fifteen days left!"
"Outsider, you've come at a really bad time. While you still have time, hurry and leave!"
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