Chapter 56: The Desolate Abandoned City

The group had been traveling for days, enduring difficult terrain, climbing mountains, and cutting through thick underbrush. Although their journey had its dangers, especially after the perilous encounter in the cave, things went relatively smoothly from then on. No more hordes of monsters, just a few scattered ones that didn't pose a significant threat to their combined strength.

After about ten days of travel, they finally caught sight of their destination—Jinlin City.

The city was nestled in a mountain range, with a train tunnel cutting through the hills. However, the group opted to climb over the mountains rather than go through the dark tunnels, still haunted by their terrifying experience with the cave demons.

Reaching the summit of the mountain ridge, they saw a vast plain stretching westward, dotted with small hills that disappeared into the horizon. To the north, a river snaked past a city that had long since fallen into ruin, its buildings crumbling and overgrown with weeds. The river flowed eastward, eventually winding back toward the mountain range they had just crossed.

"That's Jinlin City. It's hard to believe it's only been fifteen years, and it's already fallen into such disrepair." said Zheng Bingxiao, gazing at the distant city.

"Demons must have infested it. Wherever they go, the buildings, streets, and roads get destroyed, and plants grow rapidly, feeding off the demons' waste. Vines, moss, and weeds cover everything." Jingjing explained.

"Let's survey the area first and see how many demons are lurking around." said Song Xia.

With that, the group made their way toward the outskirts of the city. Along the way, Mo Fan subtly altered the markings that Lu Zhenghe had left behind, throwing off the signals that were meant to guide his brother, Lu Nian.

While Mo Fan was eager to unleash his inner demon, he wasn't ready to use the Blood Orb before reaching a higher level of power. He knew that the higher his cultivation, the less backlash he would suffer from transforming into a demon.

As they approached the city's perimeter, they found only a few scattered, low-level monsters—nothing too concerning. Marking the outer forest on their map as a relatively safe zone, they colored it green, indicating that there were no major threats.

"Let's head in. The sooner we finish the job, the sooner we can get out of here. I'm sick of this place." said Luo Song.

Luo Song, clearly fatigued, had lost a lot of weight during their journey. He was ready to leave as soon as possible, but he knew they couldn't go back without completing their mission, especially since they needed the reward of resources that came with success.

Lu Zhenghe, on the other hand, wasn't in any hurry to leave. He was still waiting for his brother to show up and help him defeat Mo Fan, hoping to win the heart of his beloved goddess.

"Why don't you scout ahead on your own?" Mo Fan asked, directing his question to Lu Zhenghe.

"Why would I separate from the group?" Lu Zhenghe retorted.

"You're the captain, aren't you? Shouldn't you have the courage to lead by example?" Mo Fan teased.

"And you do?" Lu Zhenghe fired back.

"Of course." Mo Fan replied with a shrug, as if it was no big deal.

Seeing Mo Fan's confident attitude, Lu Zhenghe backed down. He knew that despite having a powerful battle wolf at his command, he wasn't as strong as Mo Fan.

"Don't act tough if you can't back it up." Mo Fan added.

Frustrated but silent, Lu Zhenghe clenched his fists and held back his anger. He couldn't even bring himself to look at Mu Ningxue, fearing her disappointment.

The group of seventeen finally entered the ruined city. The outer highways were choked with rusted, abandoned cars, remnants of the desperate evacuation that had taken place years ago. People had likely abandoned their vehicles in panic, fleeing on foot when traffic came to a standstill.

In the face of a real disaster, cars were practically useless, too dependent on clear roads to be effective in an emergency.

As they made their way past the highway and into the city, they noticed that the streets were cracked and split, with weeds and grasses pushing through the gaps. The buildings were covered in dust and thick vines. Creepers and ivy climbed the walls, some even growing into the broken windows of the buildings, where more dirt and debris had accumulated.

The trees, having grown unchecked for years, had formed a thick canopy overhead, casting the group in deep shadow as they made their way down the overgrown streets. Occasionally, a low growl echoed in the distance, causing everyone to tense up.

This residential area, just inside the city's boundary, was their first point of interest for surveying. Signs of past monster habitation were everywhere—heaps of dried monster dung and scattered animal bones littered the streets. The desolation of the ruined city weighed heavily on the group, a stark reminder of the destruction that had befallen it.

"The first thing we need to do is find a safe place to rest." suggested Song Xia.

"We should take over a tall building. If it has a rooftop that connects to other buildings, it'll be easier to make an escape if we're attacked." Lu Zhenghe chimed in.

"Right, a tall building will give us a good vantage point for keeping watch. We'll have a better chance of spotting monsters from a distance." added another team member.

Mo Fan looked toward the center of the city and pointed to a particularly tall structure. "That one looks promising." he said.

While the group knew they would encounter danger, they also knew there were rewards to be found in the city. The large gray building Mo Fan had indicated stood out from the rest, looking relatively clean compared to the surrounding ruins, thanks to the natural cleansing of rain over the years. More importantly, it appeared to be structurally sound, and its impressive size suggested that it had once been a significant municipal building.

Seeing that Mo Fan's choice made sense, the group headed toward the city hall.

The building was divided into three levels. The first was a massive rectangular base, covering an expansive area. The second was a square structure that jutted out from the first, with its distinctive architectural design contrasting with the base below. The third level was a tall, boxy tower that rose from the square, towering over the rest of the decaying city.

The group moved closer, ready to claim the building as their temporary headquarters.

(End of Chapter)