Chapter 47: The Ruins Quest

Yang Fan saw the academy guard step aside to let him pass. Smiling in acknowledgment, he walked inside. Pushing open the great doors, he found that the second floor was much the same as the first—identical décor, the same central screen suspended overhead. The only difference was the number of people present. On the first floor, Yang Fan hadn’t seen more than five people searching for tasks at once, but here, his eyes fell on thirteen.

He scanned the group; most were unfamiliar, but one face stood out—Zhou Ting. Yang Fan hadn’t expected to see her here. She had left the academy earlier to carry out a mission outside, rumored to have ventured into the Ruins. That he would encounter her here now was wholly unexpected. At the moment he saw Zhou Ting, Yang Fan instinctively wanted to flee. After all, he had put her sister in such a predicament; seeing someone so closely related to the main party involved made Yang Fan’s first impulse to run.

Zhou Ting noticed Yang Fan as well. She didn’t seem surprised to find him here. After all, Yang Fan’s status as an Awakened had been made public—a rank equivalent to a third-tier martial practitioner, a fact acknowledged by all. Yang Fan was, in fact, grateful. When his abilities were still weak, he hadn’t exposed them; otherwise, he would have had no idea how to explain the feeble power of his abilities.

Zhou Ting walked over to him. Yang Fan saw there was no avoiding her, so he stood by the door, unmoving. As she approached, Zhou Ting examined him up and down. Lately, Yang Fan felt that many people liked to look him over thoroughly; he didn’t know what was so interesting—did everyone share this peculiar habit?

Then Zhou Ting said, “When we were at the border, the night before we returned, not only was your qi sea half-open, but you had also awakened your abilities?”

Yang Fan replied, “Yes, that night I awakened my abilities first, then my qi sea half-opened.”

Zhou Ting nodded. “Hmm, the next morning, I sensed your qi sea was half-open. It felt a little different, but I didn’t investigate further. Seems that difference was because you had just awakened your abilities!”

Yang Fan was once again relieved. “That’s right,” he said. Thankfully, she hadn’t noticed at the time; otherwise, he would have been at a loss for how to respond. When he had just consumed the Lightning Fruit, his abilities were pitifully weak—about as powerful as the spark from a lighter, barely causing a slight tingling sensation, with no other effects.

Zhou Ting then motioned for Yang Fan to join her in reviewing the tasks.

As they walked toward the LED screen, Yang Fan pondered. Zhou Ting hadn’t blamed him—he truly hadn’t expected that. Comparing Zhou Haifeng and Zhou Ting, both from the same family, the difference was stark: one bullied the weak, while the other handled matters calmly. The more Yang Fan thought about it, the less he liked Zhou Haifeng’s character—too petty, lacking any semblance of a true strongman.

Upon reaching the screen, Yang Fan looked up and immediately understood why the second floor wasn’t open to first- and second-tier practitioners. Most of the tasks displayed were related to the Ruins.

For example:
- Ruins border: slay five enemies, reward: five Qi Sea Pills, 300 credits, 5 battle merit.
- Near North City in the Dark Realm: collect Cloudgrass, reward: 100 credits per stalk, 1 battle merit.
- Ruins, Blockade City: garrison for 30 days, reward: 50 credits, 3 battle merit.
- Ruins, Blockade City: participate in small-scale skirmishes, reward based on enemy slain, post-battle commendation.

Almost all the tasks involved the Ruins. Watching the scrolling screen, Yang Fan fell into a daze. This was different from the first floor, where tasks generally included an approximate assessment of the target’s strength. Even if details were vague, the local practitioner’s bureau could provide more information.

But the tasks on the second floor offered almost no information about adversaries, and descriptions were vague. Take Cloudgrass, for instance—Yang Fan had no idea what it looked like or where it grew, only that it was near North City. But where was North City? Yang Fan had no clue.

Everything was too vague. As the saying goes: “Know yourself and know your enemy, and you will win a hundred battles.” Yet now, as Yang Fan stared at the screen, not only did he not know the enemy, he barely had any basic information.

The rewards, though, were truly tempting—ranging from tens to hundreds of credits, with even the minimum at thirty, while the highest on the first floor was also just thirty. Moreover, every second-floor task granted battle merit, and though Yang Fan didn’t know what battle merit was used for, judging by the ratio, it seemed even more valuable than credits.

Zhou Ting spoke, “Yang Fan, it’s good for you to take a look, but the second-floor tasks are basically all related to the Ruins. The Ruins are fraught with danger. We and the Dark Realm have each built cities at the passage; they try to break through, and we must defend. Though no large-scale battles have erupted in the past two years, small skirmishes are constant.

Most third- and fourth-tier martial artists act with the corps. You’re only second-tier now, though awakened, but lacking in combat experience and without life-and-death trials. I don’t recommend you go to the Ruins yet. Stay at the academy, take on first-floor tasks to build your experience, and only go to the Ruins when you reach fourth-tier.

That’s how I did it myself. Going to the Ruins as a third-tier is cannon fodder; even fourth-tier doesn’t fare much better, but at least you have some ability to survive.”

Yang Fan listened thoughtfully. He hadn’t planned to venture to the Ruins just yet. When Li Tian took him as a student, he’d asked if Yang Fan wanted to go to the Ruins right away. At the time Yang Fan had no concept, but had already made up his mind—the answer was no.

If he now took up a Ruins task, he’d be contradicting his own decision from just days prior.

He said, “Senior Sister, I understand. I’m only here to take a look—I have no intention of accepting a Ruins task right now. I was just curious about what’s on the second floor.”

Zhou Ting nodded in acknowledgment.

Relations between humanity and the Dark Realm were delicate—irreconcilable enemies, yet both sides exercised restraint. Since the great war four years ago and the subsequent retreat of the Dark Realm, they hadn’t organized any large-scale battles.

The Dark Realm’s overall strength was greater, their top-tier combatants outnumbering Earth’s several times over. But Earth had technological weapons. Though ordinary weapons couldn’t threaten true high-level combatants, they were effective against large numbers of mid- and low-tier enemies.

Moreover, the Dark Realm lacked unity, divided into factions each seeking advantage without wanting to suffer losses.

Since the war began, Earth’s true experts may not be numerous, but they fight bravely, kill without hesitation, and are willing to die for the cause. This courage has frightened the people of the Dark Realm.

When eleventh and twelfth-tier powerhouses fight recklessly, they are terrifying. No one wants to stand firm for others and face such madness.

Earth, on the other hand, is fighting with its back to the wall. If they lose, the enemy advances unhindered—behind them are their countries, their people, their families. If they don’t fight desperately, mass slaughter will follow any Dark Realm invasion.

Under these circumstances, the Dark Realm has behaved more cautiously in recent years—still vicious, but more restrained.

Earth is striving to buy time—more time for spiritual energy to recover, for more practitioners and awakened to emerge. One day, the situation will improve.

Yang Fan didn’t know what Zhou Ting was thinking. He knew of the Ruins, but his understanding was shallow—he had no sense of the balance of power or the advantages and disadvantages of each side.

After a while, Yang Fan felt he could leave. If he stayed any longer, he might forget himself and accept a task, which would truly leave him with nowhere to cry.

Tasks accepted in the mission building could be abandoned, but there were penalties—deductions in credits or other consequences.

The rewards on the second floor were considerable; if he lost those, Yang Fan would be devastated.

He greeted Zhou Ting and departed the second floor.

Stepping out, he found the same youth still guarding the door. The boy smiled and nodded, saying, “Take your time, junior. No need to rush. Even though you’re awakened, you should pace yourself.”

This young man clearly understood what Yang Fan was thinking; he had once been the same—full of ambition, coming to the second floor eager to accept its tasks, but upon seeing they all involved the Ruins, he lost his nerve. He had just learned about the Ruins, realized their horrors, and how many had died in the war. Who would dare go there? He’d left dejected, wasting much time while his peers moved on, still hesitating at the door.

Yang Fan smiled back and went on his way. At that moment, he truly didn’t want to speak.

Although he didn’t know just how dangerous the Ruins were, the fact that the global authorities kept the truth from ordinary people meant the danger was no trifling matter.

Despite constant talk about Earth’s technological weapons being able to defend against invaders, Yang Fan knew that ordinary firearms were effective only up to fourth-tier—large-caliber weapons might threaten fifth- or sixth-tier at best, and even then, not always. He couldn’t judge how many tiers strategic weapons could threaten, but he suspected tenth-tier was immune. To be crowned as a monarch and still fear gunpowder weapons would make no sense.

Above tenth-tier were the Martial Saints and Martial Gods of the eleventh and twelfth tiers. Could technological weapons truly stop them? Yang Fan doubted it.

If they could be stopped, why bother cultivating martial arts? Just move the strategic weapons to the passage and blast any intruder—there would be nothing to fear.

But since they built cities at the passage, it was clear technological weapons alone weren’t enough.

Back on the first floor, Yang Fan casually accepted several tasks, all resembling pursuits of fugitives.

With his mind burdened, Yang Fan returned to his dormitory.