John hovered silently in the thin Martian sky, his long robe fluttering gently in the soft, dry winds. He floated 200 meters above the ground, arms folded loosely, his eyes calmly observing the world below. The once barren, lifeless stretch of red dust and jagged rocks had transformed completely — it no longer looked like the rough, unforgiving land he had arrived at weeks ago. Now, spread out beneath him, was the early image of a city that seemed like it had been plucked straight from paradise.
Inside the massive circular wall he had built — stretching across a 150-kilometer radius — the land was smooth, level, and carefully organized. In fact, the city itself was divided into two main sections, separated by an inner and an outer wall. Both walls were tall and strong, made from reinforced Martian rock and enhanced with powerful enchantments. The outer wall covered the full 150-kilometer radius, while the inner wall enclosed the central part of the city, protecting all the important buildings.
Inside the inner wall was the heart of the city. Wide stone-paved roads crossed one another in neat patterns, dividing the area into balanced sections that radiated outward from a large, circular plaza at the very center. The plaza sparkled under the butterscotch sky; its marble-like white tiles reflected the light softly.
Around the central plaza stood tall, beautiful buildings made of reinforced Martian rock and polished metal. Their smooth walls shimmered faintly, strengthened by John's enchantments. These were the housing quarters — sturdy, spacious, and lined up neatly with clean courtyards and wide walking paths. Close to them were the artifact workshops, large rectangular halls with tall chimneys. Here, future star wizards would forge and refine powerful tools and artifacts.
Further out inside the inner wall, John had built vast beast stables. Their long, arched roofs and open courtyards could house hundreds of contracted beasts comfortably. Beside them, market areas had been laid out with long rows of stone stalls and covered spaces where traders could one day sell rare resources and weapons.
Most impressive of all was the foundation of the city itself — John had embedded a complex enchantment deep beneath the soil. One enchantment absorbed the sparse energy from Mars' surface and thin atmosphere, converting it into a steady, breathable air bubble inside the walls. The city had gravity enchantments at every corner as well, making the ground feel almost Earth-like. All of these enchantments, John had carefully copied from the floating island of Babylon in Touya's world. And that wasn't all — with the help of water runes, John had created an unending supply of clean water. A powerful barrier also covered the entire city, keeping it protected from both natural and magical threats.
Between the inner and outer walls was the outer zone. Here, John had created wide open grasslands, clusters of big trees, and fields of hardy plants. The green landscape stretched all around the inner city, providing a beautiful, natural space inside the outer wall. The only thing missing were small animals — birds, rabbits, and other creatures — which John had yet to transport from Earth. He planned to bring them soon to complete the balance of nature inside the walls.
To gather many of the materials he needed, John had to return to Earth several times. His sister in law Pepper had helped him quietly during those trips, arranging supplies and equipment. Tony also knew that he was on Mars, but John never told him the full reason why. He had kept the purpose of his work a secret from everyone else.
From above, with the rich, warm colors of the Martian sunset spilling across the horizon, the entire place looked like a shining sanctuary in the middle of a desolate world — clean roads, neatly arranged buildings, shimmering walls, green grasslands, and tall trees surrounding everything. It was exactly as John had envisioned: a safe haven where star wizards and their future contracted beasts could thrive together in harmony.
As John slowly descended back to the ground, a small, satisfied smile touched the corner of his lips. He had spent almost two months tirelessly working day and night — manipulating soil, strengthening stone, carving intricate enchantments, modeling and building every structure with his own hands and magic. Black Dust, Red Dust, and their tribes had helped carry materials, scout underground resources, and guard the perimeter tirelessly.
Now, their hard work had paid off. The foundation of the first city on Mars was complete. And John had already thought of a name for it: Stardust City.
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Far away, on Earth —
NASA Headquarters, Houston, United States
Inside a quiet monitoring room filled with rows of glowing screens and softly humming computers, a lone drone operator sat lazily at his station. His name was Aaron Miller, a short, broad-shouldered man in his late thirties with slightly messy dark hair. His chin rested on one hand as his other hand lazily clicked through screen feeds. His job was simple but dull: monitor old satellite and rover feedback from Mars, cataloging geological activity or dust storms.
Today had been even slower than usual. No new movements, no interesting formations — just endless red dust and rocks, as always. Aaron let out a long breath of boredom, his eyes half-closed as he clicked to switch to the next feed.
The screen flickered once and then shifted.
His body froze.
In front of him, on the dusty rover feed, was something he never expected. The old, clunky rover's camera — positioned on a flat Martian plain — was facing directly at an enormous wall that stretched endlessly across the horizon. The structure was clearly artificial. Its surface was smooth and towering.
Aaron's breath caught in his throat. His hand, which had been lazily clicking seconds ago, now trembled slightly over the mouse. His eyes were wide, disbelieving.
"What… what the hell is this?" he whispered under his breath.
His fingers flew over the keyboard, trying to adjust the camera angle — but the rover was old, nearly twenty years out of date. Its motors had long stopped working, and all Aaron could do was zoom slightly and stare helplessly at the feed.
For minutes, he sat motionless, leaning closer and closer to the screen. The more he stared, the more details he noticed.
"This… this isn't possible," he muttered again, his heartbeat quickening in his chest.
Yet no matter how much he blinked or adjusted the feed, the image didn't vanish.
The wall… it was real. Someone — or something — had built it on Mars. And it was far beyond anything NASA or any other Earth agency had ever done.
Aaron swallowed hard, his mouth suddenly dry. His boredom was long gone, replaced by a tight knot of confusion, curiosity, and a growing sense of awe.
And as the faint static of the ancient rover's feed buzzed softly in the quiet room, Aaron couldn't take his eyes off the mysterious structure that had suddenly appeared before him on the red planet.