Chapter 589: Mythic Ruins

Northern Europe.

At noon in Xia Guo, it was already evening dusk here.

The setting sun hung in the treetops, dyeing the whole sky a dark red.

The light grew darker, the tree shadows longer, like countless clawing hands reaching in from all directions.

This was an ancient forest.

The trees were tall and sparse, the ground covered with thick fallen leaves and moss.

The air was filled with a damp, rotting scent, mixed with a faint smell of blood.

Ning Ya was running.

She was running desperately.

The leaves under her feet rustled with each step, and the snapping of dry branches rose and fell.

Her breathing was rapid and heavy, her heart pounding wildly in her chest, as if it might burst out of her throat at any moment.

Only one female teammate remained beside her.

The girl looked to be in her early twenties, with blond hair and blue eyes, a typical Northern European appearance.

But at this moment, her face was filled only with terror and despair.

"Ning Sis!" she shouted, her voice choked with tears:

"Save me!!"

"You know the big shot, don't you? If we don't call for help now, we're done for!"

Ning Ya gritted her teeth, pulling out her phone from her pocket while she ran.

Her fingers flew across the screen, opening the chat app, finding that familiar avatar, and holding down the voice button.

"I'm going to die ah ah ah ah——!!! Come save me!!!!"

After sending it, she quickly pressed the photo button.

Click——

A blurry photo.

The frame shook violently, only vaguely showing her own face twisted from frantic running, and behind her——

Several dozen black humanoid creatures.

They had no facial features, no expressions, only pitch-black outlines and limbs.

But they moved with extreme speed, darting and leaping through the forest like a pack of wolves hunting prey!

Ning Ya glanced at them, and her panic grew.

She put away her phone, and while running, glanced back at the girl.

"I'm already calling for help!!" she shouted, gasping for breath:

"If I'd known we'd screw up, I wouldn't have come explore the ruins with these guys! Quit the noise, just run!"

The girl gritted her teeth and nodded desperately.

The two continued running.

But the monsters' speed kept increasing, drawing ever closer.

Ning Ya gritted her teeth, suddenly stopped, and turned around.

She formed seals with both hands, mobilizing the Authority within her——

Water!

A burst of azure light erupted from her!

The leaves on the ground were shaken apart, and countless water chains condensed in the air out of nowhere.

Those water chains, like living things, wound themselves toward the pursuing monsters!

At the same time, dozens of water curtains rose before her, forming a semi-transparent barrier!

"Go!" she shouted at the girl.

But the girl did not go.

She froze.

Because those water chains——

Wrapped around the monsters, but were broken in the next second.

That water curtain was torn open by a monster's claw, like ripping a sheet of paper.

Ning Ya's face changed.

She saw that after being attacked, the monsters' movements paused.

Then——

Their speed surged suddenly!

Faster! Fiercer! Crazier!

"Holy shit, are they cheating?!" Ning Ya cursed, then turned and ran.

But it was already too late.

Ahead——

Several more black figures darted out from the woods!

They blocked the way forward.

Ahead lay an ambush, behind were pursuers.

Ning Ya and the girl were trapped in the middle.

Several dozen monsters slowly closed in on them.

Their steps were light, almost no sound.

But that sense of oppression was like a series of great mountains pressing on their hearts.

Ning Ya panted heavily, standing in front of that girl, staring at those monsters, her teeth clicked.

All out!

She clenched her fists, mobilizing all the strength within her body—

Water Arrow! Water Blade! Water Explosion!

Countless attacks poured out from her body, blasting toward those monsters!

A Water Arrow pierced a monster's chest, leaving a bowl-sized hole.

But that hole—

healed at a speed visible to the naked eye.

A Water Blade sliced off a monster's arm.

But at the severed arm, a new arm instantly grew out.

Water Explosion detonated among the monsters, blasting them helter-skelter.

But they got up and continued walking forward.

Unscathed!

Ning Ya's heart sank to the bottom of the valley.

Those monsters kept pressing closer.

The leading one had already walked up to her.

It raised its claw and swung down at her—

Ning Ya closed her eyes.

It's over.

One second.

Two seconds.

Three seconds.

No pain, no blood.

She opened her eyes.

A figure stood before her.

That person's hand lightly gripped the monster's claw.

Though it was just a light grip, the claw was as if clamped by Iron Tongs, utterly unmoving.

All the monsters—

all came to a stop.

Not just stopping their steps, but coming to a complete standstill!

Their movements froze at that moment, as if the pause button had been pressed!

Yu Lin turned his head and gave her a grin.

"You look so miserable?"

"Come on, smile."

Ning Ya opened her mouth, wanting to say something, but couldn't utter a word.

Yu Lin's other hand pulled out a phone from his pocket.

Click, click, click.

He took several shots in a row.

Ning Ya: "……"

She stared for three seconds, then her face flushed bright red.

"Delete it, delete it!"

"Don't force me to kneel and beg you!"

Yu Lin had already put away his phone and winked at her.

"Don't rush, I'll give you back your hair."

Ning Ya took a deep breath, then another deep breath.

Forget it.

She pointed at those frozen monsters and asked:

"Do you know what this is?"

Yu Lin glanced back at those black silhouettes, shrugged: "You ask me, who do I ask? Didn't you summon them?"

"Anyway, it's nothing good."

Ning Ya: "……"

Isn't that nonsense?!

In the distance, the forest continually transmitted sounds of fighting and screams.

Those sounds rose and fell, some near, some far, making people's hearts go cold.

Yu Lin lifted his head to look in that direction, then looked at Ning Ya.

"How many are left?"

Ning Ya paused for a moment, then realized.

"Many! The local Awakeners and Cultivators of Northern Europe, plus our exploration team from Xia Guo and other countries that came together—at least thirty or forty people!"

Yu Lin nodded.

"Wait."

He stepped forward, heading that way.

After two steps, he turned his head back.

"Right."

He pointed at those motionless monsters.

"They'll stay here until I come back."

"Don't touch them; touching might make them move."

"Wait for me to come back and study them."

Ning Ya kept nodding.

Yu Lin turned, his figure flashed, and vanished into the woods.

In the distance, the fighting sounds gradually stopped.

Not a calm settling, but a sudden, abrupt halt.

As if someone pressed a mute button.

The blond girl lying on the ground lifted her head, stared blankly toward that direction, then glanced at Ning Ya.

"Sister Ning… he… who is he?"

Ning Ya tugged at the corner of her mouth and forced a smile.

"He is called Yu Lin."

The girl was stunned.

"Saint?!"

"Hmm," Ning Ya said, looking toward that direction, watching the motionless black monsters, and felt suddenly much steadier inside.

The despair and fear from earlier had already vanished.

He had arrived.

Then there was nothing to fear.

……

A few minutes later.

A rustling sound came from the forest.

Ning Ya looked up and saw Yu Lin walking out of the woods.

Behind him—

a string of black monsters floated.

Indeed, they were floating.

The monsters seemed tied together by invisible ropes, one after another, suspended in midair, faithfully following him.

Their postures were bizarre: some still held a claw‑swinging pose, some opened their mouths wide as if roaring, some twisted their bodies into unimaginable angles.

Yet they were all motionless.

Yu Lin walked up to Ning Ya, glanced back at the string of monsters, and flicked his hand casually.

The monsters drifted down lightly, lining up neatly in a row.

Like a line of trash awaiting disposal.

"They're all here," he said.

Ning Ya: "……"

Ning Ya looked at the line of monsters, then at Yu Lin, opened their mouth, not knowing what to say, and could only manage a single sentence:

"Brother, you're so awesome~~"

Yu Lin: "............ The taste is right."

"Why didn't you watch my videos before?"

"It's not.............." Ning Ya shrugged, about to explain that she had been on a mission during that time.

Footsteps sounded again in the forest.

A group of people came from all directions.

There were Awakeners native to Northern Europe, each looking disheveled, clothes torn, faces marked with blood, helping each other.

There were Cultivators from Xia Guo, and some wearing Civil Affairs Bureau uniforms, also grimy, some even limping.

When they saw Yu Lin and the row of motionless monsters, they were all stunned.

"Saint?!"

"General Yu?!"

"Hmm, it's me. That's all, don't get excited."

Yu Lin replied casually, then looked at Ning Ya.

"Speak, what happened?"

Ning Ya took a deep breath and organized her thoughts.

"We came to explore the Ruins."

"Ruins?"

"Right." Ning Ya pointed toward the direction behind her: "A few days ago, someone discovered an ancient Ruins there. Judging by its style and residual energy fluctuations, it could be from the mythic era."

"Northern Europe coordinated with various nations; anyone could come to explore, and I led the team here."

Yu Lin raised an eyebrow.

Then what?

"Then..." Ning Ya's expression became somewhat embarrassed, "Then we opened the ruins and went in to explore."

We hadn't walked far when these things came out of the shadows.

They're incredibly fast, can't be killed, have abnormal healing, and chase us all over the forest.

She paused, then added:

We tried every method: physical attacks, energy attacks, Authority Attacks—none worked.

After being injured, they recover in just a few seconds, and the more we hit them, the more excited and faster they become.

"Oh............" Yu Lin lowered his head and glanced at those motionless monsters.

Where are the ruins?

Ning Ya's eyes lit up.

I'll take you there!

She had just taken a step when she stopped again, turned to look at Yu Lin, her eyes full of anticipation.

"But... can you bring me along?"

Yu Lin looked at her.

Ning Ya felt a bit guilty under his gaze and gave a dry cough.

"I promise I won't hold you back! I just want to see what's inside..."

Yu Lin shrugged.

Fine.

Ning Ya was stunned for a moment.

Really?

Anyway, to me, it doesn't matter if it's just you or if I bring all the people of Northern Europe; if you want to hold me back, you'd better train more.

Ning Ya: "..."

Hearing that, how does it make people want to hit someone?

Forget it, that's just how good buddies are.

She turned and waved at her subordinates.

You wait here! I'm going in with him for a trip!

The subordinates glanced at each other and nodded.

Yes!

Ning Ya then looked at those Northern Europe Awakeners.

You also wait here, don't run around.

Those people nodded repeatedly.

Although we don't know what relation Ning Ya and Yu Lin have, seeing them like this, their relationship is definitely not simple.

Just listen and it's done!

Ning Ya walked up to Yu Lin's side.

Let's go.

Yu Lin nodded.

The two stepped forward, heading deep into the forest.

……

Behind them, the group stood in place, watching their silhouettes disappear into the dusk.

Silence lasted a few seconds.

A Northern Europe Awakener lowered his head, staring at the row of motionless monsters, unable to resist reaching out to touch one.

The person beside him quickly grabbed him.

Are you crazy?!

I just want to take a look...

What are you looking at! He said, touching it might make it move!

That person sheepishly withdrew his hand.

But they still couldn't help moving closer, carefully examining these monsters.

Pitch-black outlines, no facial features, no expression.

But that chilling aura, even when motionless, sends chills down one's spine.

What on earth is this?

I don't know, but a Saint could subdue them all with one hand...

The speaker swallowed.

That's way too strong.........

Nonsense, this is a Saint! A Saint!

"It's also ha............."