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Biodata
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Name | Ruins Zone |
| Original Name | 废墟带 |
| Type | Fallen Zone; open cleansing area |
| Location | Eastern outskirts of City 61, beyond the Vigilance Line 21 |
| Risk Rating | Low Risk 8 |
| Recommended Level | Level 1–20 8 20 |
| Status | Officially cleansed; placed under lockdown and reconstruction 46 |
| First Appearance | Chapter 8 |
Zone Profile
| Feature | Details |
|---|---|
| Invasion Progress | 18% when listed on Gan Ming's exploration guide 8 20 |
| Later Progress | Fell to 6%, prompting a planned final cleanup operation if it reached 2% 39 |
| Final Outcome | Reduced to 0% and officially cleansed the following morning 46 |
| Operating Model | Unlike the West City Outskirts Woodland, it was not maintained as a beginner farming area; Awakened could kill without restriction to reduce invasion progress 22 |
| Hours | No listed closing time during its operation, though monsters became stronger after sunset 20 22 |
| Entry Control | A fortified Vigilance Line with barbed wire, an iron gate, concrete-and-steel roadblocks, and Second Tier Security Bureau officers 21 |
Terrain and Conditions
The Ruins Zone consisted of collapsed buildings, cracked asphalt, broken bricks, skeletal building frames, wrecked vehicles, and partially collapsed floors. Its dense rubble and vertical terrain made it substantially different from the open Woodland battlefield. 22 23
- Broken walls and rubble provided plentiful cover from ranged attacks, but severely restricted line of sight. 22
- Monsters could attack from elevated positions or emerge from underground. 22
- The deeper areas had fewer Awakened, denser ruins, and little to no audible combat activity. 23
- After sunset, monster strength increased by roughly 15–30%, depending on species. 22 38
- Equipment automatically manifested upon crossing into the Fallen Zone and returned to Stealth after leaving it. 22 39
Security and Entry Rules
- Entry required identity verification at the Vigilance Line. 21 22
- Security personnel warned entrants that Elite Monsters in the zone ranged from Level 15 to 22. 22
- Elite Monsters possessed greater health, attack power, and skill counts than ordinary monsters, and could summon additional monsters during battle. 22
- Security did not intervene in conflicts between Awakened; entrants bore responsibility for the consequences themselves. 22
- Unlike the Woodland, the Ruins Zone did not issue emergency communicators or impose mandatory evacuation procedures. 22
Inhabitants and Threats
| Threat | Documented Details |
|---|---|
| Rustclaw Hounds | Level 11 canine monsters encountered throughout the ruins; their corpses and materials were later sold through the Awakened Association. 24 46 |
| Rust-armored Scorpions | Scorpion-type monsters encountered in the deeper ruins; their shells and venom glands were valuable materials. 26 29 |
| Grayrock Giant Lizards | Level 15 monsters capable of disguising themselves among rocks; they possessed skills including Tail Sweep and Rockskin. 26 27 28 |
| Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion | A Level 15 Elite Monster that burst from underground and wielded six skills, including the specialization skill Armor-Shattering Pincer Strike. 29 |
| Hostile Awakened | The zone's lack of intervention in Awakened-on-Awakened violence allowed opportunistic teams to target weakened combatants or claim elite-monster loot. 22 31 |
History
The Ruins Zone was initially listed as an open, Low-Risk Fallen Zone with 18% invasion progress and a recommended range of Level 1–20. Its lower progress rate, unrestricted monster hunting, and lack of closing hours made it a more dangerous but more profitable alternative to the managed Woodland. 8 20 22
Gan Ming entered the zone at Level 8. He moved past the crowded outskirts, where guild teams had already cleared most monsters, and advanced into the quieter interior to hunt alone. 22 23 During his exploration, he fought Rustclaw Hounds, Rust-armored Scorpions, Grayrock Giant Lizards, and a Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion. 24 26 29
The zone also became the site of Gan Ming's conflict with four Iron Arc Guild members. After eliminating the group, he used local Rustclaw Hounds to consume their bodies and concealed evidence among the ruins. 35 36 38 The disappearance triggered an overnight search by the Iron Arc Guild and Security Bureau. 43 45
By the time Gan Ming departed, the invasion progress had fallen to 6%. The Security Bureau anticipated a final cleanup and subsequent sealing of the area. 39 The Ruins Zone was officially cleansed to 0% the next morning and entered lockdown and reconstruction, removing it from the exploration guide. 46 47
Notable Events
- Gan Ming's first Ruins Zone expedition — He entered alone at Level 8 despite the zone's Level 1–20 recommendation and warnings about Elite Monsters and hostile Awakened. 22
- Battle with the Red-armored Elite Giant Scorpion — Gan Ming fought the Level 15 Elite Monster for over ten minutes before hostile Awakened arrived near the battle. 29 31
- Iron Arc Guild team disappearance — Four Level 16–17 Iron Arc members disappeared within the zone, prompting their guild president, Lu Guangshan, to seek entry-and-exit records for an investigation. 43
- Final cleansing — The zone's invasion progress reached 0%, after which it was locked down for reconstruction. 46