CHAPTER 49: 049 FORGOTTEN CITY

Pit Number Two.

Dense yin energy coalesced into a black pillar of smoke that soared straight into the sky, one end connecting to the heavens, the other to the depths of the earth.

The yin energy howled, sweeping through the surroundings.

Three figures clad in heavy armor stood at the edge, their bodies emitting a hazy glow, resisting the erosion of the yin energy. They remained motionless amidst the gale’s turbulence.

They were the backbone of the City Guard, the nominal rulers of Black City, the Knight Captains of the City Guard.

Through the thick yin energy, one could make out what looked like a shattered city at the bottom of the pit.

The city resembled a colossal beast entrenched deep underground; though wounded and ancient, it remained as majestic and imposing as in its prime.

"The Forgotten City."

The Commander of the City Guard, Hal, muttered, "Who would have thought there really is a Forgotten City here."

"Legends say that before the fall of the Moon Goddess, many cities were built in this world specifically to worship her," Squad Leader Barnard spoke up. "Within these cities lie endless treasures and infinite knowledge. As long as one receives the gods’ permission here, one may enter the Divine Domain and achieve eternal life."

His voice was full of envy.

"Hmph!"

Hal snorted, "Even gods fall. How can there be eternal life? But the Forgotten City certainly contains many treasures, so we cannot miss this opportunity."

He then waved his hand. "Bring the people in!"

"Yes, sir."

The Squad Leader acknowledged, gestured to those behind him, and immediately, over one hundred ragged miners were driven in.

"Move!"

"Move faster!"

SMACK!

A group of fully armed City Guard soldiers, wielding long whips, lashed out, driving the miners forward.

In the blink of an eye, the miners, with no other choice, stepped into the black smoke where the yin energy converged. The yin energy instinctively pounced on them, followed by sharp, despairing screams.

Visibly, the miners’ flesh began to wither, their eyes turned crimson, the vibrant aura of life faded, and a violent energy burst forth from their bodies.

"Release!"

Commander Hal, his expression stern, gave a slight wave of his hand.

TWANG! WHOOSH...

Behind them, bowstrings vibrated, and countless burning arrows rained down from the sky, falling among the miners.

Immediately, Fierce Flames engulfed the entire area.

The miners screamed as they fell one by one, ultimately turning to ash in the conflagration, scattering on the yin wind to vanish completely.

If one observed closely, they would see that the black smoke of concentrated yin energy had dimmed slightly.

The city within it had also become clearer.

"Still not enough."

Hal stated, his face devoid of expression, "Nowhere near enough!"

"Commander," Squad Leader Barnard said softly, "there aren’t many miners left. If this continues, I’m afraid it will incite resistance from our subordinates."

"Resistance?" Hal’s eyes showed disdain, but he did not insist. "How soon can we get the slaves?"

"Madam Butterfly said two months. The quantity we need is large, and procurement takes time; it can’t be rushed," Barnard responded.

"One month!"

Hal said in a low, firm voice, "Tell her I want to see a sufficient number of slaves within one month. As for the price... it can be raised."

"Yes, sir."

Barnard nodded and added, "One more thing. A few days ago, some strange giants escaped from the Forgotten City. I fear they might cause trouble for those above. Should we take care of it?"

"No need," Hal said, his gaze lowered. "If even this is beyond them, what use are they? Furthermore... send down those who meet the requirements too. The stronger they are, the more yin energy they’ll consume, and the sooner we can enter the Forgotten City."

"Yes, sir," Barnard acknowledged.

In their conversation, they decided Black City’s major affairs. It was as if Hal himself were the City Lord, or perhaps the so-called ’Mysterious City Lord’ had never existed at all.

* * *

Everyone had their specific tasks.

Ayala and five others took turns scouting ahead and drawing targets. Carl was positioned in the center of the group, providing fire support, ready to assist at any moment.

They began their sweep near the stronghold, gradually advancing deeper into the city.

"Be careful!"

On their way forward, Dana’s eyes narrowed as she warned, "It’s a pack of Earth Wolves!"

An Earth Wolf pack consists of at least four members, including a noticeably larger alpha.

Some alphas even awaken special Bloodlines, classifying them as Exotic Beasts.

"Slowly back away. Don’t panic."

Nan, whose injuries had mostly healed, now held a shield and retreated step by step.

From a corner of the ruins, the wolves’ whimpers died down as they stopped devouring flesh and turned to look at them.

Their cold, savage, green-glowing eyes were particularly striking in the darkness.

AWOOO!

Accompanied by a wolf’s howl, three Earth Wolves attacked first.

Two other Earth Wolves remained hidden in the darkness, circling around the group’s front to attempt a sneak attack from the side.

These Earth Wolves actually displayed a degree of tactical awareness.

"Retreat!" Nan shouted in a low voice. "Lure them back! Hausman, hold your shield tight! Don’t think about attacking. Just lure them out."

The three of them each held a shield, their backs pressed against each other, using the shields to protect themselves as they slowly moved back.

From a distance, the trio looked as if they were encased in a giant turtle shell; the charges of ordinary Earth Wolves were far from enough to breach their defense.

GRRR!

The alpha wolf growled, sounding impatient, then shot out from the darkness and slammed into Dana’s shield.

BANG!

The tremendous impact forced a grunt from Dana; her shield-holding hands went numb, almost devoid of sensation.

Just then, SWISH! SWISH! SWISH!

Several powerful arrows shot towards the wolf pack.

Two Fireballs were mixed among them, aimed straight at the alpha wolf.

PFFT!

The arrows pierced the Earth Wolves’ bodies.

BOOM!

The Fireballs exploded, knocking the alpha wolf to the ground, and the flames engulfed the Earth Wolves protecting their alpha.

"Charge!"

Carl waved his hand and charged, broad sword raised, at the alpha wolf as it struggled to rise.

Lesser Spell Force Field!

Eagle Body Step!

Furious Strike!

A lion uses its full strength even to catch a rabbit; Carl likewise dared not be careless, his broad sword cleaving fiercely at the alpha wolf.

Slash!

Slash!

Gale Slash!

A whirlwind of sword images swept past, the grotesque sound of shattering bone echoing continuously as the alpha wolf was blasted away.

It was lifeless when it landed.

The fight on the other side also concluded quickly. Ayala and her five companions surrounded the injured wolves, assailing them with arrows and heavy axes.

Before long, the wolf pack was reduced to a pile of corpses.

Ayala skillfully dissected the corpses, explaining, "Every Earth Wolf has an ’unnamed tooth.’ You can exchange it for goods with the City Guard. It’s a pity... Earth Wolf meat is heavy with yin energy, so not much of it is edible. Otherwise, the meat alone could sell for a good price."

"Ayala!" Dana called from nearby. "Come take a look!"

"What is it?"

Ayala halted her work and walked over with Carl.

In a corner of the ruins lay several mangled corpses, likely what the wolves had been devouring.

"Hmm..."

Carl crouched, examined the mangled corpses, and said gravely, "Their clothes have slits from a sharp blade. They weren’t killed by wolves, but by people."

"No wonder!" Dana slapped her forehead. "No wonder nothing valuable was left; they’ve already been looted!"

Having lived in Black City and witnessed countless killings, this sight didn’t surprise them; there were always plenty of people blinded by greed.

"Let’s go."

Carl stood up and said, "Valuables inevitably attract trouble. But with our numbers, I doubt anyone would be foolish enough to provoke us."

Hearing this, the group couldn’t help but smile.

True. With their party of seven, including Carl, a ’great expert,’ it was more likely they would be the ones causing trouble for others, not the other way around.