[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":-1},["ShallowReactive",2],{"origin-the-ring-of-fate":3,"chapter-the-ring-of-fate-the-ring-of-fate-chapter-10":6},{"origin":4,"title":5},"chinese","The Ring of Fate",{"chapter":7,"nextChapterSlug":19,"prevChapterSlug":20,"totalChapters":21,"novelImage":22},{"id":8,"novel_id":9,"title":10,"slug":11,"index":12,"content":13,"wordcount":14,"created_at":15,"updated_at":15,"volume":16,"translator":17,"content_hash":18},2297979,4496,"Chapter 10: Blood","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-10",10,"\u003Cp>Out the front door, Lu Mi felt as if he had entered another world.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Before him was no longer the familiar village of Kerdou, but dark red peaks surrounded by concentric rings of collapsed buildings, together forming a bizarre ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thick, ghastly white mist filled the high sky, blocking out the light; the ground was shattered and littered with rubble. Lu Mi advanced cautiously, axe in hand, finding no place along the way to hide his form.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No grass grew here; no trees existed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi walked with growing dread, hunching his back to reassure himself—at least if any danger truly lurked here, it would be plainly visible, allowing him to spot it early.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, he reached the ruin and stood before a building half-collapsed by fire.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After observing for a while, Lu Mi preliminarily confirmed no other life dwelled inside, then stepped in carefully, avoiding the charred timbers Suishi  ready to fall from above, and began his search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His gaze swept across and caught a glimmer of gold inside a shattered clay jar in the corner of the room.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi approached slowly and realized it was a gold coin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>So realistic? Even the ruins in my dream contain treasure? He muttered as he picked up the coin and wiped it on his clothes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The patterns on the coin’s surface emerged.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Its obverse bore the carved portrait of a man—thin-faced, hair parted three-seven, mustachioed, gaze resolute; the reverse showed a cluster of iris flowers surrounding the number “20.”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi recognized the man—he was Levanques, the first president of the Intis Republic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It’s actually a Louis…” Lu Mi was astonished.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>First, he hadn’t expected the strange dream-realm to contain currency from the real Intis Republic; second, the thing he’d casually picked up was a Louis—a coin of considerable value.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The Intis Republic’s current legal tender consists of Ferkins and Copes, with 1 Ferkin equal to 100 Copes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Copes exist in both copper and silver forms: copper coins come in 1, 5, and 10 Cope denominations; silver coins in 20 and 50 Copes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Ferkins can be copper, silver, or banknotes: silver coins are issued in 1, 5, and 10 Ferkin denominations; gold coins in 5, 10, 20, 40, and 50 Ferkins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Banknotes come in even more varied denominations: 5, 20, 50, 100, 200, 500, and 1000 Ferkins.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In daily life, Intis citizens still commonly use old monetary units—for example, they call the most widely used 5-Cope copper coin a Rik.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Similarly, the 20-Ferkin gold coin is called a Louis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Of course, in the old monetary system, this coin was originally called a Louis-Rosel; after the Republic’s founding, to erase the influence of Emperor Rosel, it was renamed Louis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>According to Lu Mi’s knowledge, although impossible to cash in the city, in a backwater like Kerdou Village, one Louis could allow a poor family with land to live comfortably for a full month.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had Aurora not earned a decent income, he might never have seen what a Louis looked like; in all of Kerdou, only his sister and him, the parish priest’s family, and the administrative officer’s family had ever seen or owned one.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To any villager, this Louis was a treasure worth cherishing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Too bad… it’s just a dream…” Lu Mi sighed inwardly, slightly disappointed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This wasn’t a supernatural object—it probably couldn’t be “brought” out of the dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Still, Lu Mi carefully tucked the Louis away; his past life as a vagrant had made him cherish every Cope.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>One Louis equaled 2000 Copes—roughly equivalent to one pound sterling of the Ruin Kingdom, though slightly less; according to newspapers, 24 Ferkins exchanged for one pound.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi resumed his search.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He hoped to find written records to confirm the ruin’s specifics—whether it corresponded to a real location, whether it was some Intis Republic village entirely “moved” into the dream—the appearance of the Louis had planted this suspicion in his mind.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>As he moved step by step, Lu Mi noticed faint dark red stains along the edge of what had once been a stove.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Blood?” His pupils dilated; he quickly formed a hypothesis.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He immediately judged:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The blood wasn’t fresh, but neither was it old—it hadn’t blackened, appearing as if it had dripped only two or three days ago.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Perhaps even less!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His heart tightened, and at once, the surrounding light dimmed.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It was as if something had silently crept onto the half-collapsed roof, blocking the scant light piercing through the thick mist!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>His past experiences of ambush while wandering flooded his mind like a tidal wave, triggering an instinctive reaction.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He lunged forward, curled his body midair, and rolled upon landing.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Something heavy landed behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi rolled to the left of the broken stove, gripped a stone, and used it to pivot his body.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He raised his axe and saw a figure standing where he had just been.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>In the dim light, Lu Mi couldn’t tell if it was human or a humanoid creature.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“It” hunched over, naked and barefoot, its skin peeled away to reveal crimson muscle, blood vessels, and yellowish fascia; thick fluids oozed across its surface yet never dripped to the ground.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This was a monster.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Its” eyes—mostly white, faintly blue—seemed embedded in its face; its mouth stretched wide, teeth uneven, saliva dangling in long, sticky threads.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Over the years, Lu Mi had crafted many ghost stories—never imagining he’d encounter something so truly demonic.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Hush!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A gust of bloody wind struck him; heavy, wheezing breaths filled his ears.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi instinctively sidestepped, avoiding the crimson monster’s lunge.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had he not regularly trained under Aurora’s guidance, had he not spent years learning combat and brawling in the streets, his body and mind might have frozen in shock.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Regaining his composure, Lu Mi stepped forward one pace past the overextended monster, raised his axe, and slashed hard at its spine.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Crash!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster, turning to face him, was felled; pus and blood splattered everywhere.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without hesitation, Lu Mi dropped to one knee and raised his axe again.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He swung repeatedly; each blow sank deep into flesh, carving wide, gaping wounds that mangled the monster’s occiput, neck, and back.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Finally, the monster ceased struggling and lay motionless.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Phew… you’re not as terrifying as you look…” Lu Mi exhaled, muttering half in mockery.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He wiped his face with his left hand, smearing blood across his palm.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Could this monster’s fluids be poisonous? No burning or corroding pain yet…” Lu Mi began worrying about another problem.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Just as he mustered courage to search the monster’s body, the skinless crimson creature pushed itself up with both hands and surged back to its feet!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>It’s still alive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After being hacked to pieces like that, it’s still alive?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi was stunned and terrified.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had to admit—he was afraid. He was cowardly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>If he’d faced a normal human, beast, or monster—even if he couldn’t win—he wouldn’t have felt such dread; but this thing seemed utterly indestructible, his every effort useless!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Seizing the moment the monster seemed dazed and unable to locate its foe, Lu Mi acted decisively: he pushed off with both feet, drove his knees hard, and sprinted.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ran at his absolute best—but a steady stream of breath still hissed behind his neck; his ears rang with heavy, labored gasps.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster chased him relentlessly.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi gritted his teeth and felt fear suddenly grant him extra strength.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He ran faster than ever before.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>To his relief, the distance between him and the monster no longer shrank.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Thud! Thud! Thud!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi finally reached his own two-story, partially sunken house.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He yanked open the unlocked door and dashed inside.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Bang!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He slammed the door shut behind him.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Without pausing to rest, Lu Mi rushed to the stove and grabbed the steel fork leaning against the wall.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Then he fixed his gaze on the door.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster’s footsteps vanished nearby—but after ten seconds, it made no attempt to break in.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does it know I’m lying in wait?” Lu Mi couldn’t believe the monster possessed such high intelligence.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He inched slowly toward the window near the door and peered out cautiously.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>A face suddenly appeared on the glass!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>No skin, raw flesh, uneven teeth!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi’s heart nearly stopped; his body froze.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Yet the monster didn’t smash the glass or attack—it simply stared back at Lu Mi.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi snapped out of it, quickly retreated, and raised the long fork with both hands.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The monster immediately moved away from the window.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Lu Mi remained on high alert, watching carefully.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He saw the monster wander for a long while in the faint gray mist, then leave his house and slowly return to the ruin.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“…“ Lu Mi was utterly bewildered.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>He had prepared to trap the monster and escape the dream—but it just walked away…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>After thinking for a while, he considered a possibility:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Does the monster dare not enter my home?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Yes—the house shows no sign of damage…\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“In this dream, is this place an absolute sanctuary?”\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>With his suspicion confirmed, Lu Mi felt considerably more at ease.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>The next moment, he felt intense exhaustion.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Such a brief chase had tired him more than a whole afternoon of martial training.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Carrying his trident and axe, Lu Mi went upstairs to his bedroom and tried to sleep.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>…………\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Half-asleep, Lu Mi opened his eyes.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Outside the curtains, it was still dark; the room remained dim.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Had there not been no faint gray mist, had he not already changed into his nightclothes, Lu Mi could not have told whether this was reality or dream.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>“Startled awake too early?” He instinctively patted his nightclothes’ pocket—no gold louis there.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>This disappointed him, confirming once again a fact:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Money truly cannot be brought out of the dream!\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Gathering his thoughts, Lu Mi began to ponder a serious question:\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>How should he deal with that immortal monster?\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>Though he could avoid that area and sneak deeper, he still had to consider the possibility of encountering similar monsters later—he must prepare properly and not gamble with his life.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>PS: Thank you, Young Master Lang, for the Bai Yin Alliance tip.\u003C\u002Fp>\n\u003Cp>(End of Chapter)\u003C\u002Fp>",1690,"2026-06-20T06:22:34.374Z",1,"Qwen3-Next 80B","8275c63ea32f4591a843a5c57137792489948ab9d80ca0137de9bf6560c6d459","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-11","the-ring-of-fate-chapter-9",1000,"https:\u002F\u002Fnovelzhen.com\u002Fimages\u002Fcovers\u002Fthe-ring-of-fate-cover.jpg"]