Chapter 69: Into The Wilderness

"Hmm, I suppose you could say we know each other."

The tall armored guard’s surprise quickly turned into a smile.

"I’ve finally found you. It’s like this: our City Lord intends to grant you a City Lord Token and has asked you to meet with him when you have the time."

He paused before continuing:

"However, the token isn’t with me at the moment. I’ll inform my colleagues and have them transfer it to me. When you return to Ashfall City, you can come to me to collect it."

The guard hadn’t expected to finally encounter this young man named Ryan.

Speaking of which, the entire city-wide lockdown had been implemented because of him.

After City Watch Captain Silas received the City Lord Lucian’s order, he had dispatched his colleagues throughout Ashfall City to search for Ryan.

However, even after practically turning the entire city upside down, they still couldn’t find him.

It was as though Ryan had vanished into thin air.

Left with no other choice, Silas had resorted to his final measure.

He had Ryan’s portrait distributed throughout the city and instructed the City Watch members stationed at Ashfall City’s east, south, west, and north gates to uniformly announce that the city was under lockdown.

Everyone entering or leaving the city was required to remove their concealment shields.

The City Watch would then compare their appearances against the image of Ryan they had memorized.

Otherwise, Silas had no idea how long it would take to find Ryan, or when he would finally be able to deliver the City Lord Token in his possession and complete the task assigned by the City Lord.

Fortunately, his final measure had worked.

The moment Ryan was found, the so-called lockdown could finally come to an end.

Soon, all the tall armored guard needed to do was report to Silas, collect the City Lord Token, and keep it with him.

That way, whenever Ryan returned to Ashfall City, the guard would be able to deliver the token directly into his hands and successfully complete the City Lord’s assignment.

"A City Lord Token?"

Ryan was slightly surprised.

Seeing that the guard didn’t seem to harbor any ill intentions, Ryan finally relaxed completely. His tense body loosened, and he nodded.

"Although I don’t know why the City Lord is giving me a City Lord Token, I understand."

He paused before continuing:

"After I return to Ashfall City, I’ll come to you to collect it. Then I’ll find some time to meet with the City Lord."

Although he didn’t understand the City Lord’s true intentions, there didn’t seem to be any obvious malice behind the gesture.

Regardless, he would simply adapt to the situation.

He would naturally understand the other party’s intentions once they met.

"Alright, then there’s nothing else."

The tall armored guard nodded and gestured for his colleagues to retract their spears.

"You may leave through the city gate."

He then gave Ryan a customary warning.

"The wilderness is extremely dangerous, and the number of missing people has been increasing recently. Remember to be careful out there."

"It’s best if you can return before nine in the evening. If it gets too late, the city gates and protective formation will be locked down as usual."

"There may be high-tier exotic beasts roaming outside at night, so we have to take precautions."

Every night between 11 PM and 1 AM, Ashfall City routinely closed its gates and activated its city-protecting formation.

Between 5 AM and 7 AM the following morning, the formation would be deactivated and the city gates reopened.

This was done to prevent high-tier exotic beasts from sneaking into the city under the cover of darkness.

"Alright, I understand."

Ryan smiled and nodded at the tall armored guard.

He then strode through the East Gate and stepped into the wilderness without looking back.

The moment he left Ashfall City, a vast world of lush greenery appeared before his eyes.

Green grass stretched into the distance, with occasional large trees scattered across the landscape like stars against a green sea.

Birds chirped among the branches, and the entire area was filled with the vigorous atmosphere of life.

Puff! Puff! Puff!

From time to time, birds glided past, flapping their wings as they swept over branches and grass tips.

The fresh scent of grass and earth immediately filled Ryan’s nostrils, refreshing both his mind and body.

For a moment, he didn’t sense any danger.

However, Ryan didn’t dare to relax.

After having Mira reactivate the Gray Light Shield, he proceeded cautiously, quickly making his way forward.

Ryan was familiar with the maps of the areas surrounding Ashfall City.

Within a few miles of the city was a large expanse of green grassland.

Exotic beasts rarely appeared in this area, and even when they did, they were generally low-strength creatures.

It was considered the last relatively safe zone outside Ashfall City.

Many lone Bloodline Fighters and mercenary groups would gather here or temporarily rest before venturing deeper into the wilderness.

However, "relatively safe" didn’t mean completely safe.

Occasionally, more troublesome exotic beasts would still appear in the grassland.

Some inexperienced newcomers might even stop beside a tree to relieve themselves, only to make one careless mistake and lose their lives.

Therefore, despite this being Ryan’s first time entering the wilderness outside Ashfall City, he didn’t dare relax in the slightest.

This was the first time in his life that he had ventured beyond the city’s walls.

Ordinary civilians didn’t even possess the ability to enter the wilderness.

Before awakening his Bloodline, even the weakest First-Tier Madtooth Rabbit could have easily sent him back to his mother’s womb.

Everything outside the city felt fresh and exciting to Ryan.

Yet he didn’t dare linger in one place for too long.

Remaining in the same location for an extended period could easily attract the attention of an exotic beast.

Following the wilderness map in his mind, Ryan silently hurried forward.

His feet were clad in Ultimate-Grade Origin Realm divine travel boots, allowing him to move as swiftly as the wind.

His speed was astonishing.

Before long, Ryan finally reached the edge of the grassland.

Ahead of him stood a vast and seemingly boundless forest.

The Ashfall Forest.

Its depths were dark and profound, resembling a massive expanse of ink.

Dense branches and tangled vines intertwined throughout the forest, forming an impenetrable barrier that made it impossible to see what lay beyond.

Fortunately, there was an opening in the vegetation.

A tree-vine tunnel roughly two people wide and tall had been carved through the dense growth.

It was clearly the entrance to Ashfall Forest.

Ryan stood outside and looked inside.

The vine-covered entrance appeared deep and somewhat terrifying.

The edges were covered with thorny vines, and faint traces of cuts could still be seen among them.

It was obvious that Bloodline Fighters had repeatedly used sharp weapons to clear this passage.

The vegetation within Ashfall Forest was exceptionally lush and grew at an astonishing rate.

If completely neglected, this entrance would be swallowed by vines, bushes, and other vegetation within just a few days.

Therefore, Bloodline Fighters entering and leaving the forest would often cut the vegetation around the entrance whenever necessary, gradually keeping the passage open.

Otherwise, the dense plants would eventually cover the entrance completely, making it difficult for anyone to find.

After briefly observing the entrance, Ryan composed himself.

Then, without hesitation, he stepped into the dark and profound Ashfall Forest.

He proceeded cautiously.

After entering the forest, his field of vision gradually expanded.

What appeared before him was an almost endless sea of towering trees.

Ancient trees reached toward the sky, their enormous canopies blocking out much of the sunlight.

The air was filled with the fresh scent of leaves and earth, mixed with a damp, decaying smell.

It was as though life and death were intertwined here, inseparably entangled.

Ryan continued forward.

His feet stepped over countless withered branches and fallen leaves, producing crisp crackling sounds beneath him.

In the silent and expansive Ashfall Forest, those sounds seemed particularly clear.

It was noon.

Normally, the sunlight at this time should have been scorching.

Yet inside the forest, only scattered beams of sunlight managed to penetrate the dense canopy overhead, breaking through the gaps between the countless branches and leaves before falling onto the forest floor.

As a result, the forest was considerably darker than the outside world.

Although the daytime light was still sufficient for Ryan to see clearly, there was an inexplicable sense of gloom and chill permeating the surroundings.

From time to time, strange chirping and wailing sounds echoed through the forest.

The voices of unknown exotic beasts.

They sounded particularly eerie in the quiet surroundings.

Ryan’s expression gradually became solemn.

His pace slowed as he carefully advanced along the edge of the forest.

The path ahead was becoming increasingly open, which also meant that he could encounter an exotic beast at any moment.

He had to remain extremely vigilant.

Fortunately, there was still plenty of time before the Trap Banquet arranged by Owen.

Ryan planned to find a suitable location near the edge of the forest and cultivate there, further increasing his strength before the battle.

Once the appointed time approached, he would head to the agreed location.

Therefore, there was no need to rush.

Finding a suitable cultivation location was far more important.

WHOOSH!

However, just as Ryan was concentrating on searching for an appropriate place, a sharp sound suddenly tore through the air from his right.

Ryan’s ears twitched.

His expression changed instantly.

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A/N:

What do you guys think of the story so far