If the fortress was one of the Celestial Kingdom's defensive lines, then Alinru was undoubtedly one of its gateways. A free-trade city, a crossroads where commerce, intrigue, and ambition intertwined. Beyond it stretched the Dead Sea, a vast, cursed expanse, a silent witness to the ravages of time.
Now, maritime trade was impossible due to the demonic attack. The effects of the invasion were already being felt, weighing heavily on the city. Alinru had never truly been a military stronghold. Its role was far grimmer: a buffer, a sacrificial rampart meant to slow the enemy down, to weaken them before they reached the kingdom's heart. In truth, the Celestial Kingdom had never valued this place.