Chapter 172: City of Chaos

The seven-member team stood together as Elder Karen drew complex runes on the ground with a purple solution.

Helag and the others would be teleported near the Death Swamp Ruins, avoiding a long carriage ride.

During this time, Helag observed the others.

The two liquefied wizards, a man and a woman, seemed to be a couple, both in their thirties or forties.

The two gaseous wizards appeared older, around their fifties, and were there for menial tasks.

Helag would keep all his findings from the ruins, unlike the others, who had to hand theirs over.

An hour later, Elder Karen finished drawing and instructed, “Stand on the runes and don’t move, or I won’t be responsible if you lose your head.”

The group stepped onto the purple runes. Karen raised a staff, chanting.

The runes glowed, releasing a powerful magical wave.

Helag took a deep breath, adjusting his breathing as the space around them distorted.

He glanced at the distant potion garden, now a twisted, rainbow-colored ribbon.

After a brief dizziness, Helag found himself in a plaza.

He saw the others; the gaseous wizards were collapsed, and the liquefied wizards looked unwell.

Only Brack, Elder Karen, and Helag were unaffected, thanks to Helag’s strong physique and bloodline.

Helag surveyed the surroundings. The plaza was surrounded by barren land, the ground black and blood-stained.

This black soil differed from Blackrock Valley’s, stained by blood.

Elder Karen cast a spell on the collapsed wizards, quickly reviving them.

“Let’s go,” she said, leading the way.

Helag followed, glancing back.

He sensed something odd about the distant sky.

Brack noticed and explained, “Only teleportation can bring us here. The Death Swamp Ruins can’t be accessed normally.”

“We’re inside the ruins?” Helag asked.

“Not exactly, this is just the entrance,” Brack clarified.

Helag looked back again, noticing the sky seemed enclosed by a gray barrier.

They walked along the barren path, seeing a group ahead.

“Those are the other wizards entering the ruins,” Brack whispered.

Helag spotted an old man, Carl from the Moss family, with two liquefied wizards.

Carl noticed Helag, his expression souring.

Though Carl hadn’t seen Helag before, he recognized him from descriptions.

Seeing Helag again, Carl was furious.

“If not for this kid, our Moss family wouldn’t have suffered so much!”

Their plan failed, resulting in huge losses.

Since they were at fault, they couldn’t negotiate favorable terms.

Originally allotted five slots for the ruins, they now had three, with two given to the Terchy family.

The Moss family suffered greatly.

Seeing the Terchy group approach, Carl turned toward a giant purple light gate.

The gate stood ten meters tall, with a purple vortex inside.

Carl and his companions entered the vortex, disappearing.

“Is this the entrance?” Helag asked.

Brack nodded. “Yes, we just go in.”

“How do we exit?” Helag wondered.

“Three days later, we’ll automatically return here, if you’re alive. Many don’t come back. So stick with me,” Brack advised.

Helag, cautious by nature, wouldn’t wander off.

Other wizard groups and families were present, but Helag didn’t see anyone from Moonlight Woodland.

Moonlight Woodland and Green Cottage would also explore the ruins, but they hadn’t encountered them yet.

Besides the ruins’ inherent dangers, other wizards posed threats.

Valuable treasures often led to conflicts.

Elder Karen entered the gate first, vanishing.

Brack followed, with Helag close behind.

Entering the gate, Helag felt nothing, unlike the slight dizziness of teleportation.

As the purple glow faded, a foul stench hit him.

When the light cleared, Helag saw a dilapidated city.

Before him lay a decaying city, its buildings collapsed, untouched for years.

“This was once the City of Chaos, home to many,” Brack explained.

Helag activated Deep Blue’s environmental scan, staying alert.

“Let’s go. Our destination is the Black Forest,” Brack said.

This plan was pre-discussed, so Helag was aware.

The Black Forest, a vast resource-rich area within the ruins, lay deep inside.

The deeper they ventured, the rarer the resources.

But deeper meant more danger.

Their main goal was the Black Forest, with only three days, leaving no time for other areas.

The Terchy family knew the Black Forest well, choosing the safest approach.

The forest lay north of the city ruins, requiring them to traverse the ruins first.

The ruins were generally safe.

Karen led, followed by Brack, then Helag.

The liquefied wizards followed Helag, with the gaseous wizards at the rear.

As they passed the ruins, Helag saw many bones, remnants from years ago, indicating long-dead individuals.