The gray void stretched boundlessly, countless shattered fragments floating silently within it.
As they traveled, Zhao Yan and Li Lie could not endure the tedium of the journey and took turns questioning Guan Qing, who guided them at their side. Guan Qing answered every question, chattering on endlessly, most of his words steeped in pent-up resentment.
What he resented most was his term of service.
Back when he had enlisted and headed for the Returning Ruins Battlefield, the military orders had promised in black and white that after three years of garrison duty, he could remove his armor and return home.
But in the blink of an eye, seasons had turned, and this was now his fourth year. The fighting at the front grew more perilous by the day, while the possibility of returning only became more distant.
"Was the front line fighting every day?" Qin He asked.
Guan Qing shook his head, weariness pressing between his brows. "Not exactly. The battle lines are always fighting, then stopping. What truly wears people down isn't the slaughter—it's the hidden dangers beneath the surface..."
Halfway through, he forcibly swallowed the rest of his words, his expression turning grave in an instant.
"What is it?" Zhao Yan and Li Lie both turned to look, their curiosity immediately piqued.
Guan Qing turned his head and swept his gaze across the empty void. Only scattered broken walls and fragments floated nearby. Then he lowered his voice and whispered, "This isn't really a military secret, but if one lets their mouth run loose, it's all too easy to be charged with disrupting morale."
He paused, his fingers unconsciously rubbing the garrison soldier's neck tag at his throat. "There's an Interlayer hidden at the front line. A full hundred thousand Sky Demons are sealed inside. If those