In a world where transcendent phenomena existed and the land was blocked by an endless ocean, with the City-State's guardians and anomalies engaged in endless struggles, how did ordinary people survive?
Duncan still lacked understanding of the City-State, but at least in the parts he had seen, the ordinary people still lived in an environment of order and stability—
They worked, studied, and rested; they ran shops and exchanged what they had; they would go out on rest days to theaters and restaurants, parks and ports; they would visit museums and chat with neighbors after dinner—they led lives that were not very exciting but were generally stable.