An Invitation to the Ruins

Yulan Calendar, 10003, summer.

When Akes came out of the cultivation room, Kaman had already been waiting at the door for a while.

"My lord, Sir Holman sent an urgent letter." Kaman handed him an envelope with both hands. It was sealed with wax bearing the Holman family crest.

Akes took the letter and opened it as he walked. Kaman naturally fell a couple of steps behind, keeping just the right distance.

The letter was short, but it contained plenty of information.

Holman wrote that there was definite news about the Southern Volcano ruins he had mentioned last time. An expedition led by a Saint-level expert had been assembled and was recruiting its last few members. They urgently needed a fire mage, and Holman had recommended Akes. If he was interested, he should reply within three days. The group would meet at the south gate of the Imperial Capital in five days and set out from there.

After reading the letter, Akes paused briefly, then continued walking.

A Saint-level leader. The Southern Volcano. Ancient ruins.

Those three things together were enough to tempt most eighth-rank mages—and enough to make most people think twice.

Akes entered the study, sat down, and placed the letter on the desk.

Kaman followed him in and stood by the door. "My lord, should I make any preparations?"

"No rush." Akes waved a hand. "Let me think about it first."

Kaman nodded and left, closing the door behind him.

Akes leaned back in his chair, his gaze settling on the garden outside the window. Old Tom was watering the Flame Flowers, moving at an unhurried pace, looking entirely at ease.

The Southern Volcano ruins.

He knew perfectly well what ruins could mean. Opportunities, treasures, inheritances—but also danger, traps, and death. There were plenty of ruins like this in the original story, and it was normal for nine out of ten people who entered not to make it out. Those who did survive either had incredible luck or formidable strength.

But on the other hand—

Akes stood up, went to the bookshelf, and pulled out Biographies of Saint-level Experts of the Yulan Continent. He flipped to the page about the Southern Volcano.

The book said very little, only that it was a famous gathering place for fire-type magical beasts on the Yulan Continent, and that there were rumors of ancient ruins deep within. They had never been confirmed. Saint-level experts had ventured in to explore; some had come out alive, while others had remained inside forever.

Most of those who came back alive later broke through their bottlenecks.

Akes closed the book and returned to his desk.

Strength could certainly be improved through diligent cultivation, but it was too slow.

He understood the principle that risk and reward went hand in hand.

Akes picked up the letter and read it again, his gaze lingering on the words "Saint-level leader."

With a Saint-level expert leading the expedition, the danger would be much lower. Experts of that caliber would not take risks lightly. If one was willing to lead a team inside, it meant they had a basic understanding of the ruins' dangers. As long as he stayed with the group, didn't wander off, and didn't get greedy, his chances of coming back alive were not low.

Besides, he was a fire mage, which gave him a natural advantage in volcanic ruins. The Fallen Heart Flame was also a treasure of the fire element. Perhaps it could prove useful.

Akes set the letter back on the desk and suddenly smiled.

He could think it over all he wanted, but there was only one question: Should I go or not?

He stood up, walked to the window, and pushed it open. The hot afternoon breeze swept in, carrying the fragrance of the garden flowers. Old Tom looked up and waved to him, and Akes raised a hand in reply.

He would go.

As soon as the thought came to him, he felt much more at ease.

He had spent ten years in this world and ten years collecting sign-in rewards. If he still didn't dare enter ruins led by a Saint-level expert after acquiring so many good things, he would be a real coward.

Akes turned back to his desk, laid out a sheet of paper, and wrote a reply to Holman. The message was simple: he was willing to join and would meet at the south gate on time in five days.

After finishing the letter, he sealed it and handed it to Kaman. "Send someone to Sir Holman's residence at once."

"Yes, my lord." Kaman took the letter but didn't leave immediately. "Are you going on a long trip?"

Akes looked at him. "How did you know?"

"Just a guess." Kaman smiled. "You don't usually make decisions this quickly."

Akes smiled too. "Yes, I'll be away for a while. At least a month, maybe two or three. Keep an eye on things at home. If anything urgent comes up, leave a message with the Dawson Chamber of Commerce. They'll find a way to pass it on."

"Understood." Kaman paused. "Please be careful, my lord."

Akes nodded and said nothing more.

Over the next few days, he began making preparations for the trip.

First, he took stock of his equipment and supplies.

His staff was an ordinary one. Its quality was decent, but it would be troublesome if it broke. After some thought, Akes decided to buy a spare at the market. Nothing fancy—just something usable.

As for pills, he had accumulated quite a few from signing in over the years. Qi Gathering Pills, Rejuvenation Pills, Barrier Breaking Pills, and a few bottles of Fire Spirit Pills he had brought back from the ruins would last him a while. He also went to the Magic Guild and bought some ordinary healing and detoxifying potions, just in case.

The most important thing was staying alive.

Ice Block could only be used once a day, and Teleportation had five marked locations: the Earl's Mansion, Ernst Institute, the old site of Fenlai City, the outskirts of the Magical Beast Mountain Range, and the Magic Guild in the Yulan Empire. If danger found him in the ruins, Teleportation could save his life as long as he wasn't killed on the spot.

Akes ran through the possibilities in his mind and checked his equipment one more time before he finally felt reassured.

Holman came by the night before Akes's departure.

Akes was a little surprised and invited him into the study. Holman had unusually come without wine. Once seated, he got straight to the point.

"You don't blame me for recommending you for this, do you?" That was the first thing Holman said.

Akes looked at him. "Why would I?"

"After all, I'm the one who put your name forward. If anything happens to you, I'll feel guilty." Holman was unusually serious. "I thought you were young, strong, and happened to be a fire mage, so this was a rare opportunity. But if you feel it's too much, you can still back out. I'll tell them to find someone else."

Akes smiled. "No need. I was going anyway."

Holman watched him for a while, making sure he wasn't just being polite, then breathed a sigh of relief. "Good. But I should make one thing clear: the Saint-level leader this time is Kallen. He used to be a general in the O'Brien Empire, but after breaking through to the Saint-level, he resigned and began taking on expeditions like this full-time. He's a decent man with a good reputation. Still, he's a Saint-level expert. While you're with him, do as you're told, don't stick your neck out, and don't try to steal the show. Staying alive comes first."

Akes nodded. "I'll keep that in mind."

"And then there are the others in the group." Holman continued, "I made some inquiries. Eleven people have been confirmed so far, which makes twelve with you. Most are eighth- or ninth-rank. Two specialists were hired to break formations, and there's a brother and sister who are ninth-rank warriors, responsible for close combat. It's a mixed group, but with Kallen leading, things should stay orderly."

Akes listened and committed the information to memory.

Holman gave him a few more reminders, mostly about staying safe and keeping calm when problems arose. Finally, he stood and patted Akes on the shoulder. "Come back alive. I'll be waiting to have a drink with you."

"Of course."

After seeing Holman off, Akes returned to the study and went over the information he had gathered that day.

A group of twelve, with a Saint-level leader, two formation breakers, and a pair of warrior siblings. The rest were probably a mix of professions. As the only fire mage, he would likely be a key fighter in the volcanic ruins. As long as he didn't hold the group back, he should be able to establish his place.

As for the two formation breakers, they had been hired specifically to deal with the ruins' mechanisms. That meant the ruins they were targeting were no ordinary place, and might be protected by complex magic arrays.

Akes thought for a moment, then took Basics of Ancient Magic Arrays from the bookshelf and reviewed the section on fire-element arrays. Cramming at the last minute might not help much, but it was better than doing nothing.

Night fell. He closed the book and walked to the window.

The night was clear, with stars filling the sky. The lights of the Imperial Capital glimmered in the distance, and the occasional bark drifted over.

Akes stood there for a while, then suddenly remembered something. A thought crossed his mind.

The system interface appeared in his mind, and the sign-in button was lit.

It was the perfect time to sign in before leaving. Maybe he'd get something useful.

He silently said, "Sign in."

"Ding! Congratulations, host. You have obtained: Immortal Sword: True Essence Body Protection."

A line of small text appeared in his mind: Active skill. Consumes magic power to create a shield. Its defensive strength increases with the user's power and can save the user's life at a critical moment.

Akes raised an eyebrow.

This was timely. Ice Block could only stop one attack and had a long cooldown. If True Essence Body Protection didn't consume too much magic power, it could serve as a regular defensive measure and greatly improve his chances of survival.

He immediately tried to activate it.

His magic power flowed through his body along a mysterious path, then formed a faint golden shield over his skin. It was so thin it was almost transparent, but when he reached out to touch it, he felt definite resistance.

Akes tested its strength. It didn't budge when struck with ordinary force. When he hit it harder, the shield trembled slightly but showed no sign of breaking.

With the strength of an advanced eighth-rank mage, could it withstand a full-power attack from an initial ninth-rank opponent? He made a rough estimate and got a sense of its limits.

With True Essence Body Protection, Ice Block, and Teleportation, he had another trick up his sleeve for staying alive.

Akes dispelled the shield, feeling pleased.

He left the study, returned to his bedroom, and lay down. He would be setting out early the next morning, so he needed to get enough rest.

He closed his eyes and soon fell into a deep sleep.

The next morning, Akes arrived at the south gate of the Imperial Capital right on time.

More than ten people had already gathered on the open ground outside the gate, representing all sorts of professions. At the front stood a burly middle-aged man, speaking with two people beside him.

Akes walked over, and the middle-aged man turned to look at him.

The moment their eyes met, Akes felt a pressure bearing down on him—the kind that came from being overwhelmingly outmatched. The man wasn't deliberately releasing his aura, but the natural presence of a Saint-level expert was enough to inspire awe in lower-ranked cultivators.

"Aikesi Yan?" the middle-aged man asked, his voice steady.

"Yes." Akes nodded. "Greetings, Lord Kallen."

Kallen looked him over, then nodded. "The one young Holman recommended. Advanced eighth-rank, fire element. Not bad—promising for someone so young."

"You flatter me, my lord."

Kallen said no more. He turned to the others. "Everyone's here. Let's move out."

The group set off. Akes followed behind, unobtrusively observing the others.

The two formation breakers looked rather old. One wore a gray robe, the other a blue robe, and both were dressed like mages. The warrior siblings stood near the middle of the group. The brother was tall and burly, while his sister looked bold and spirited. Both had greatswords hanging from their waists.

The others wore a variety of outfits. There was an archer, a thief, and two others dressed in mage robes like his—one was a water mage, the other a wind mage.

The group of twelve headed south.

Akes walked in the middle of the group, beside the water mage. The man looked to be in his forties and had a kind face. He nodded to Akes.

"Is this your first time entering ruins?" the man asked.

"Yes." Akes made no attempt to hide it.

"Then stay close to the group and don't wander off." The man smiled. "My surname is Chen. Just call me Old Chen. If you need anything, you can ask me."

"Thank you, Elder Chen."