80: Chapter 80 Relics Mobilization

After Lu Cheng fell asleep, he soon had a dream.

There was no home in the dream, no bed, and none of that dim, yellow light from the living room.

Before his eyes was only an Abandoned City.

The sky was gray-black and hung very low, as if it might collapse at any moment.

The entire city was terrifyingly silent. High-rise buildings were fractured, glass lay shattered everywhere, and rusted cars were parked on the streets with their doors half-open. The wind passed through the cabins, emitting a hollow, wailing sound.

The ground had split into many fissures, from which dark purple mist oozed out bit by bit.

Lu Cheng stood in the center of the street and looked down at himself.

His body felt very light, and his feet had no sense of reality as they stepped on the ground, as if he had just been thrown in to 'take a look'.

The next second, the scene before him suddenly twisted.

An Ancient Ruins appeared before him...

Two massive stone doors were half-open. They were covered in dense, ancient markings, many of which had cracked, with faint blue light seeping from the fissures.

On either side of the stone doors stood black stone pillars, broken in half and wrapped in rusty iron chains. The chains were still swaying gently, emitting a low clashing sound.

The ground in front of the doors was paved with large swathes of broken stone bricks.

Blackened weeds grew between the gaps in the stone bricks, and the edges bore circular marks as if scorched by high heat.

There was a strange smell in the air.

The smell of dust, the smell of rust, and a hint of an indescribable, decaying odor.

Lu Cheng stared at the doors, feeling inexplicably creeped out.

Just then, he saw a man standing inside the doors.

The man stood in the deep shadows of the Ancient Ruins. His figure was slender and his outline blurred, his face obscured by a layer of gray fog, making it impossible to see him clearly. Yet, strangely, Lu Cheng could feel that the person was watching him.

The next second, the man spoke.

His voice was deep, as if it were coming from very far away, yet it landed clearly in Lu Cheng's ears.

"I am waiting for you here."

Lu Cheng's scalp tingled instantly.

"Who are you?"

He spoke subconsciously, but as soon as the words left his mouth, the wind around him suddenly picked up.

Woo...

The entire Abandoned City seemed to come alive all at once.

From the gaps in the high-rises, the end of the street, and behind the Ancient Ruins, low echoes came from all directions.

"Waiting for you..."

"Waiting for you..."

"Waiting for you..."

Lu Cheng took a sharp step forward, wanting to see the man's face clearly.

But the moment he approached, the markings on the stone doors of the Ancient Ruins suddenly lit up. Faint blue light spread out in waves, and his entire field of vision shook violently!

Boom!

Lu Cheng opened his eyes with a jolt.

It was already daylight.

He sat up in bed, his chest heaving slightly, a layer of fine sweat on his forehead.

The room was very quiet. Morning light filtering through the gap in the curtains fell onto the floor, and outside, he could vaguely hear people talking downstairs and the sound of vehicles passing by.

Lu Cheng raised a hand to rub his temples, taking a few seconds to calm down.

"What a weird dream."

But as soon as he said it, he frowned again.

He didn't know if it was just his imagination.

He kept feeling that the low voice was still lingering in his ears.

I am waiting for you here.

Lu Cheng sat by the bed in a daze for a while, when a thought suddenly popped into his mind.

Today...

I'm afraid the Ancient Ruins are about to open...

The thought came so abruptly that even he was stunned.

"Damn, I wasn't actually brainwashed by that dream, was I?"

He muttered to himself and got up to wash.

He had originally dismissed it as a strange dream, but after heading out that morning, the atmosphere on the streets made his sense of unease grow heavier.

There were more military vehicles on many of the roads.

There were more guards at the intersections than two days ago, and in the distance, he could see teams of martial artists and logistics personnel moving supplies.

Just as Lu Cheng passed an intersection, he saw a familiar face—the uncle who always set flags.

Lu Cheng's eyes lit up, and he called out directly.

"Uncle!"

The man turned around, and seeing it was Lu Cheng, the corner of his mouth twitched.

"It's you again, kid?"

Lu Cheng walked over and gestured with his chin at his surroundings.

"What's going on? Such a huge operation early in the morning."

The uncle lowered his voice, his expression somber.

"It seems like there's trouble at the Ancient Ruins again."

"Again?"

"Yeah." The uncle lit a cigarette, but just as he put it in his mouth, he remembered the rules and irritably stuffed it back.

The uncle glanced at him and continued, "We don't know what the higher-ups are planning right now. Anyway, you better stay away from that area, kid."

Lu Cheng gave a dry laugh.

"Am I that reckless in your eyes?"

The uncle snorted.

"Don't you have any self-awareness?"

After saying that, he checked the time, looking even more anxious.

"I can't talk to you anymore, I have to get back to the Military District!"

He jammed his helmet onto his head and turned to run. After a few steps, he turned back to add,

"The city hasn't been peaceful lately, don't run around!"

Lu Cheng stood where he was, watching the man's back disappear, the sense of strangeness in his heart growing heavier.

...

After returning to school, Lu Cheng had just entered the classroom when he saw that Su Wan's seat was empty. Under normal circumstances, this person wouldn't skip class.

After all, they were members of the same squad, so Lu Cheng sent a message to Su Wan on Super Chat, but he didn't receive a reply.

Lu Cheng sat back in his seat, his brow remaining furrowed.

On the podium, the teacher had already started the lesson.

Chalk scribbled across the blackboard, the sound very clear.

"Everyone, pay attention to this question..."

"In the records of martial arts history regarding the Ancient Ruins, the key point is..."

Lu Cheng stared at the blackboard, but his gaze drifted.

He hadn't taken in a single word.

"Lu Cheng."

On the podium, the teacher suddenly called his name.

Lu Cheng snapped back to reality. "Huh?"

The whole class looked over in unison.

The teacher adjusted his glasses. "Where was I just now?"

Lu Cheng was silent for two seconds.

"That the Ancient Ruins are quite dangerous?"

Meanwhile, the Military District had already begun to take action.

Starting from the morning, all the schools received a notification that the military was urgently recruiting students with detection talents, as well as some civilian martial artists.

The news spread quickly.

By noon, the entire student circle in Rong City was in an uproar.

"I heard there's trouble at the ruins."

"The military is looking for scouts to go in and scout the path first."

"That job is too dangerous..."

"No kidding, when has exploring ruins ever not resulted in deaths?"

It didn't take long for this news to reach No. 3 High School.

Just as the second class of the afternoon ended, the school broadcast system blared.

"All classes are to temporarily suspend their lessons. All students are to proceed to the playground to assemble."

"Repeating..."

The classroom erupted in commotion.

Lu Cheng followed the flow of people out. From a distance, he could see a group of teachers and school leaders already standing on the playground, and the figure at the very front was an old acquaintance.

Instructor Qin Feng was in full military uniform, standing straight with a cold, stern expression.

As soon as Lu Cheng walked closer, he heard Instructor Qin Feng speak.

"The Military District is now recruiting students with detection talents and civilian martial artists to participate in the early-stage exploration mission of the Ancient Ruins. The benefits are generous, resources will be prioritized, and merits will be listed separately."

The playground was silent.

Everyone was listening.

Instructor Qin Feng continued, "For all scouts participating in this exploration mission, the military will prioritize their safety. After the mission concludes, task records, merit declarations, and subsequent resource distribution will all be prioritized for registration."

As soon as these words were spoken, some people below shifted their expressions...

"If, unfortunately, one dies during the exploration, the military will provide generous allowances to the family, and the Military District will take full responsibility for subsequent pensions."

Everyone had heard something about the ruins; it was a place where opportunity and danger truly coexisted.

In the early years, some had obtained legendary cultivation techniques from unidentified ruins, allowing them to soar to success overnight.

Some had obtained Saint-level bloodlines, becoming invincible in the world...

That F-level powerhouse from the Military District had also entered the ruins, obtained significant opportunities, and eventually stepped into the Saint realm.

But... every opportunity was paved with countless blood; the vast majority of people could only become bleached bones!

Many students subconsciously lowered their heads, avoiding Instructor Qin Feng's gaze, fearing they might be called out...

Of course, Instructor Qin Feng wouldn't call anyone out; humanity hadn't yet reached the point where they needed to force people onto the battlefield by calling names!

A few civilian martial artists standing at the edge of the crowd also didn't look very natural.

Lu Cheng stood in the formation, watching Instructor Qin Feng on the stage, his eyes growing deeper by the moment...

He wanted to go... and it wasn't just because of last night's dream. Any transmigrator knew that every secret realm was a huge opportunity.

He hadn't gone before because he only had one life, but it was different now; the Hextech updated yesterday gave him the capital to take risks.

Combined with Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Bad Luck, Lu Cheng really didn't believe he could die inside so easily.

Moreover, yesterday's dream was clearly hinting at something. Having read plenty of novels like this in his past life, Lu Cheng felt that if he didn't make this trip, he would sooner or later cross paths with those ruins anyway.

Since he would have to face it sooner or later, he might as well take advantage of the military-led team and go in to see for himself.

Thinking of this, Lu Cheng raised his head and spoke directly.

"I'll go."

As soon as those two words came out, everyone in the surrounding circle looked over.

Instructor Qin Feng had been scanning the crowd, but upon hearing this voice, his gaze instantly locked onto Lu Cheng.

The next second, his eyes lit up.

The expression on his face was like he had finally caught a precious treasure that had taken the bait.

"Lu Cheng, step forward."

Lu Cheng stepped out.

Instructor Qin Feng looked him up and down, the corner of his mouth twitching upward, unable to suppress a smile.

"Good."

"Follow me."

A few teachers nearby opened their mouths, wanting to say something, but ultimately swallowed it back.

And just like that, amidst the complex gazes of his classmates, Lu Cheng was taken away by Instructor Qin Feng.

...

The atmosphere inside the Military District's temporary station was exceptionally tense.

The corridors were filled with people coming and going. The sounds of communications, footsteps, and orders were all mixed together, and the electronic screens on the walls were constantly refreshing data and maps.

Lu Cheng followed Instructor Qin Feng deeper inside, and the further they went, the more he could feel the tension.

Soon, the two arrived at a hall.

A few people were already sitting inside.

There were civilian martial artists in casual clothes, as well as people who looked like students carrying instrument cases. They weren't very old and all wore expressions of nervousness.

Quite a few soldiers had previously entered the Northern Ruins, but none of them had returned...

Clearly, these people had all been attracted by the conditions offered by the military.

Lu Cheng scanned the room; there were seven or eight people in total.

Instructor Qin Feng brought Lu Cheng inside and spoke directly.

"The new arrival, Lu Cheng from No. 3 High School."

Several gazes in the hall fell on him simultaneously.

Someone recognized him, and their expression changed instantly.

"Lu Cheng? That ruthless guy from No. 3 High School?"

"Is that the guy who led the students to clear the area during the Southern Ruins turmoil?"

"He's here too?"

Lu Cheng grinned and waved at everyone, surprised that he actually had some popularity now.

Just as he finished speaking, the door to the adjacent conference room was suddenly pushed open.

A tall figure walked out quickly.

Commander Ji Yunlan.

She had obviously heard that Lu Cheng had arrived and had rushed out of the conference room specifically to see him.

She was wearing a combat suit with a long blade hanging at her waist. Her eyes and brows were as cold as ever, but when she saw Lu Cheng, her expression was noticeably complex.

The hall became much quieter.

Many people's gazes followed her.

After all, a powerhouse of Commander Ji Yunlan's level wasn't someone everyone could see up close on a daily basis.

But after she came out, she barely stopped, walking straight up to Lu Cheng.

Lu Cheng looked at her and raised a hand in greeting first.

"Yo, I've arrived as invited."

Commander Ji Yunlan looked at him for two seconds before nodding.

Previously, at the Northern Ruins, she had invited Lu Cheng only because of his talent for Seeking Good Fortune and Avoiding Bad Luck, and because Instructor Qin Feng had constantly recommended him.

But... after Lu Cheng had repelled the black-clothed figures a few days ago, Commander Ji Yunlan no longer had that mindset.

If such a promising talent were lost in the ruins, it would be a loss for Rong City.

She hadn't expected Lu Cheng to come on his own...

The atmosphere in the hall was somewhat subtle.

Lu Cheng, however, didn't think that much and stood quite relaxed.

Instructor Qin Feng coughed from the side.

"The person is here."

Commander Ji Yunlan withdrew her gaze, turned around, and walked toward the front.

"Everyone, come over. We're holding a meeting."