Spending Money Makes People Grow Faster
The line reached Xu Huo soon. The inspection was actually quite simple. Ting City had arranged for several Players with especially keen senses of smell who could identify Cannibal Players by scent alone. There was no need for instruments or props, which greatly reduced Players' apprehension.
The city was very prosperous, and all kinds of convenient devices were already commonplace. Whenever a Player entered, a miniature device would approach and ask whether they wanted to visit the Ruins. Tapping confirm put them in line. The queue covered the entire city, and Xu Huo got number 235. He was expected to get in the next day, and the miniature signal card he received would alert him in advance when his turn came.
Entering the battle Ruins required one number per person, so the painted woman got a number too: 239.
Ting City had been rebuilt many times, and the entire city had been designed around the battle Ruins. It formed a series of concentric rings, with the central area given over entirely to the Ruins. But Ting City did not guard them particularly closely. Metal cables had been strung around the perimeter as a token barrier, and there were twenty-six entrances throughout the city. Players could enter from whichever was nearest, no matter where they were, but the Ruins were also clearly visible from outside.
This place was unlike the Evolution grounds rumored to be controlled by powerful factions. It held no great mystery; a walk around the perimeter was enough to see almost the whole site. It was simply a city destroyed by war. Much of it had been leveled, though a few ruined buildings remained. The area was vast, but from the outside, there was nothing particularly remarkable about it.
"No wonder it's