"I don't know if Ethan's Transfer Talismans work in here." Duan's eyes were on the mountain of fur bearing down on them, and there was no fight left in them. "But if we jump, we may scatter. Play it by ear—we find each other after. The realm can't be that big."They pulled out the talismans and crushed them on hope. White light swallowed them. Above the roar of the enraged bear, eight shapes vanished.* * *Felix's boots hit solid ground. Something poked at the sole of his foot."Hey! What are you doing?!"He didn't see anyone. He looked around and took a step, and the voice came again, frantic and furious. "Enough! Who are you? How did you get here? Stop moving, you're going to knock our city over!""Stop it! Stop at once, you awful giant!"Felix looked down.A swarm of ant-sized people had swarmed onto his shoe. Tiny spears and swords hammered at his calf. They jumped as high as they could reach and still couldn't touch his knee. The sight was ridiculous—and, he had to admit, a litt

After a month and more inside the wormhole, the ship jolted.Something enormous grabbed the whole vessel and hurled it outward. A stream of craft was spat out behind it, thousands of them, vomited back into real space.Ethan caught his ship fast and steadied it.The pilots who didn't were less lucky. Their ships tumbled and crashed, and cursing candidates crawled out of the wreckage. Everyone who came here for the first time went through this—the Central Domain's welcome. You survived it and kept your dignity, and that itself was a kind of credential. It made walking the Central Domain easier after.Ethan stepped out, dismissed his ship, and scanned the wreckage with a slight frown.A man two ships over was digging himself out of a crumpled hull, swearing loud enough to carry. His ship hadn't survived the ejection at all. A woman further on was already on her comm, arguing with someone. Nobody offered help. Everybody who'd survived was too busy being furious.Greeters were already mov

"Bartering works." The dwarf didn't lift his head. "Top-tier ore. Fine metal. Bring me something that actually impresses me, and we talk."A new voice cut in, pleasant as silk and twice as thin. "You're interested in him?"Ethan turned. A man stood at his elbow—beautiful in a way that didn't settle on a gender. About two meters, built like a model, all lean, corded muscle under a fitted purple armor, a folding fan half-open in his hand. His skin was white as jade, without a single pore or visible vein, as if he'd been carved rather than born."That lot's marked sky-high," the man went on, sweeping the fan. "They overcharge for everything. The dwarves got hold of a divine forging manual back before any of us were born and decided they were the only smiths in creation. Fine work, terrible attitude, and they ask whatever number comes into their head. This junk—S-grade alloy, nothing special—he wants a whole Hunyuan coin for it. He's dreaming."The dwarf didn't bother answering. He closed