Chapter 685: Calm

Clyde and Mina began exploring the Ruin, following the cracked stone road that stretched through the abandoned settlement.

They passed collapsed buildings and walls, occasionally stepping over piles of debris that had accumulated along the road.

Beyond the settlement, the remains of a forest spread across the valley. Trees standing quietly beneath the sky.

Strangely, the condition of this world was far better than Clyde had ever seen of a Ruin. Most Ruins that recently underwent the Selection Stage were left in a state of complete devastation. Monsters roamed freely, buildings scattered on the shattered pieces of land that floated aimlessly, the laws of gravity seemed nonexistent.

Clyde remembered the Ruin he and Mina had visited several months ago, where he discovered Seff’s remnant soul and acquired her power. That world was so unstable and chaotic, filled with small floating islands and dangerous creatures.

Compared to that place, this Ruin was a paradise.

The buildings largely intact, the ground was solid, the surrounding landscape showed no signs of the bizarre distortions.

Although the settlement had clearly been abandoned for a long time, the destruction seemed to have occurred gradually rather than through some catastrophic event.

However, the unusual tranquility made Clyde uneasy instead.

He had grown accustomed to the destruction. Seeing a Ruin that was relatively intact felt unnatural.

Clyde frowned as he surveyed the surroundings. Mina has a similar expression, her gaze shifting between the silent forest and the empty buildings.

They exchanged a glance.

"Something feels wrong about this place," Mina said.

Clyde nodded. "It’s too quiet."

"Do you think the report was inaccurate?"

"Possibly. Or perhaps there’s something here that the previous explorers never discovered."

He looked toward the forest, where the trees stood motionless in the still air.

There were no birds, rustling leaves, or monsters. Even the usual sounds of insects were absent.

"Let’s stay alert," Clyde said. "We don’t know what we’re dealing with yet."

Mina tightened her grip on one of her daggers and nodded.

Clyde glanced at the abandoned settlement once more and said, "Hopefully, this Ruin really is as peaceful as it looks."

"Let’s hope so."

They continued their exploration, moving through the forest and inspecting the abandoned buildings along the way.

They did not encounter any monsters, magical disturbances, even signs of recent activity.

"We should search a little farther," Clyde said. "I want to make sure there isn’t something dangerous hiding."

Mina agreed.

They decided to split up and investigate different parts of the surrounding area. Clyde headed toward the hills beyond the forest, Mina continued along a path that led to another section of the abandoned settlement.

They agreed to return to their meeting point after completing their searches.

Clyde traveled through the quiet woods, occasionally checking the magical energy around him.

The flow was stable. He did not detect any significant fluctuations that might indicate a hidden threat.

He eventually reached a shallow depression between two hills, where the trees grew thicker and the ground was covered with dry leaves.

That was where he finally encountered something alive.

Several figures wandered between the trees, their movements were slow and irregular at first glance. They resembled ordinary zombies, with decaying flesh, torn clothing, and pale skin stretched tightly.

But their bodies were far more robust than usual zombies. Dark crystals protruded from their shoulders, backs, limbs, growing directly through their flesh.

One of them suddenly raised its head. Its cloudy eyes fixed on Clyde, and its body tensed. The creature lunged forward with startling speed.

Clyde drew his longsword and met the attack. The zombie swung its arm toward his head, but he stepped aside and cut through its neck in a single motion and killed it.

The others rushed toward him, but their attacks were just as predictable.

Clyde killed them one after another. Within moments, the clearing fell silent again.

Clyde looked down at the zombies, his expression growing more puzzled than satisfied. These monsters were weak.

He crouched beside one of the corpses and examined a crystal protruding from its forearm. It felt cold beneath his fingers, and a faint trace of magical energy lingered inside it.

"So these are the monsters mentioned in the report," he muttered.

He collected the required materials from their bodies, placing the usable crystals and other components into his storage bag.

The mission had specifically requested materials from the creatures inhabiting this region, so he made sure to gather enough to satisfy the Council’s requirements.

The monsters were far weaker than he had expected. So then the mission was really very simple.

Clyde continued searching the surrounding hills, but he found nothing else. After exhausting the area, he returned toward the abandoned settlement.

Mina arrived at their meeting point around the same time.

She carried a small collection of materials taken from several crystal-covered zombies.

From the way she moved, Clyde could tell she didn’t meet any serious difficulties too.

"Did you find anything unusual?" he asked.

"Just the monsters mentioned in the report. They were stronger than usual zombies but not by much." Mina glanced at the materials she had collected. "I thought there would be something more dangerous hiding somewhere."

Clyde gave a small nod. "I found the same things."

"Do you think there’s something stronger deeper inside?"

"Maybe. But I searched the surrounding hills and didn’t find anything."

They exchanged a thoughtful glance before deciding to continue their exploration together.

There was still enough time to investigate the area farther from the settlement, and Clyde wanted to be certain that no hidden threat remained nearby.

Once again, they encountered only a few crystal-covered zombies.

They collected the necessary materials and continued.

Hours passed, yet the Ruin was still the same.

Eventually, Clyde decided they had done enough.

They returned to the abandoned settlement.

The mission requirements were satisfied, and their search had revealed no immediate danger. Although Clyde still suspected that something might be wrong with this world, he could not delay his plans indefinitely based on a feeling alone.

He turned toward Mina. "I think we should begin the ritual."

Mina looked at him for a moment before glancing toward the quiet settlement. "You sure?"

"Yes." He paused, his expression becoming more serious. "We can’t guarantee that every Ruin is completely safe. We need to work with what we have."

Mina understood his reasoning. "All right," she said.

"Once I begin, I won’t be able to pay much attention to my surroundings. I need you to keep watch and deal with anything that approaches us. You’ll have to handle it until I can stop the ritual or defend myself."

Mina tightened her grip on her daggers. The thought of facing an unknown threat while Clyde was occupied made her uneasy, but she didn’t let her hesitation show. "I understand. I’ll protect you."

Clyde studied her expression for a moment, then nodded.

Clyde began searching for a suitable location within the abandoned settlement. Mina followed him as he inspected several locations.

"Here it should be good," Clyde said.

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