Chapter 160: The Dead Souls

  Xiao Qi and his companions were making reasonable progress, but to Han Ming, it was rather slow.

  The straight-line distance from Borderland City to Ghost City took these people an entire day and night.

  Back when Han Ming and his group traveled this route, it only took them a single day.

  "It seems that strong man was talking nonsense. Claiming we could reach the city before dark—clearly just spouting nonsense."

  Han Ming had been trailing behind the group at a distance, keeping a close eye on Xiao Qi, fearing that these mercenaries might suddenly turn on the boy.

  By the next morning, the group finally reached the edge of the gray, dilapidated ruins.

  "Once we're inside, follow my lead and don't act on your own. If you do, and something dangerous happens, don't say we didn't warn you."

  The strong man reminded them.

  Xiao Qi nodded repeatedly.

  The group took a moment to regroup at the edge of Ghost City, setting up a rotation for guards and resting for half a day. After a simple lunch, they stepped into the ghostly city.

  Han Ming, growing impatient, absorbed energy from magic crystals as he walked and followed the group into the city.

  This vast complex of buildings, comparable in size to a large city, was shrouded in a gray mist. Sunlight filtered through the haze, barely illuminating the ruins.

  Seeing that the architecture was distinctly different from modern structures, Han Ming guessed that this place was quite old. Occasionally, grotesque little creatures would jump out, but they generally posed no threat.

  Xiao Qi and his companions proceeded cautiously through Ghost City. The slightest noise nearby would send them into a defensive stance, only to relax upon realizing it was just a passing animal, and then they would continue on their way.

  "There doesn't seem to be anything of high rank here. It looks like these mercenaries are just here to hunt for magic crystals and beast hides to sell."

  Han Ming moved nimbly, weaving through the gaps in the buildings, following Xiao Qi's group.

  By the afternoon, the group finally encountered their first obstacle.

  It was a second-rank earth unicorn, roughly resembling a rhinoceros in shape.

  "Bad! Damn it, a second-rank earth unicorn! Why do we have to run into such a strong one first? Everyone, get ready to defend!"

  The leading strong man quickly warned them.

  The mercenaries hastily formed up, encircling Xiao Qi in the center.

  The unicorn pawed at the ground, its nostrils flaring as it exhaled heavily, looking extremely irritable.

  "He's coming!" the strong man shouted. "I'll face him head-on; you guys harass him from all sides!"

  Before he finished, the unicorn charged wildly at the group, its massive body pounding the ground with thunderous roars.

  The strong man bellowed, his aura flaring as a thin layer of earth armor formed around him—a fellow earth elementalist.

  The unicorn collided with the warrior, whose armor immediately cracked. The warrior was pushed back, his feet carving shallow trenches into the ground.

  The other mercenaries scattered, attacking the unicorn from all sides with their weapons.

  Xiao Qi huddled in fear, watching the battle unfold.

  After knocking the warrior back, the unicorn turned and charged at a first-rank warrior nearby.

  The warrior couldn't dodge in time, and the unicorn's horn pierced his abdomen. He screamed as he was thrown out, blood and intestines spilling onto the ground.

  Seeing this, the earth warrior didn't hesitate. He stepped forward and slashed at the unicorn's soft belly, cutting a deep wound into it with his considerable strength.

  Enraged, the unicorn dragged a trail of blood as it charged at the warrior again.

  The warrior dodged, slashing at the unicorn's belly again with his spinning blade.

  Furious, the unicorn realized this warrior wasn't easy to deal with and suddenly turned towards Xiao Qi, the weakest member of the group.

  "Watch out! Move!" the warrior shouted, his eyes bulging as he charged at the unicorn, his blade charged with even more intense aura.

  Xiao Qi, paralyzed with fear, stood frozen as the unicorn approached.

  Han Ming, hidden above, extended a single hand, his thumb and forefinger pinched together, and launched a tiny ice crystal.

  The ice crystal shot towards the unicorn at high speed, striking its heart and shattering it.

  The unicorn froze for a moment before the warrior could reach it. The warrior then plunged his blade into the unicorn's belly, spilling its innards onto the ground as the massive body collapsed.

  "That was close!" the warrior exclaimed, unaware of Han Ming's intervention, and wiped the sweat from his brow.

  "That's great! Boss, check if there's anything valuable on it!"

  The mercenaries cheered, indifferent to their fallen comrade.

  "Isn't anyone going to take care of him?" Xiao Qi asked, trembling as he pointed to the dead warrior.

  The strong man glanced at the body and casually said, "Get two people to bury him." He didn't look back and led the group to surround the unicorn, hacking at it with axes and blades.

  Mercenaries, accustomed to death, showed little emotion over their comrade's demise. Small mercenary groups often underwent complete turnover within two to three years due to constant deaths and new recruits. The name remained the same, but the members were entirely different.

  Han Ming knew this well; mercenaries were indifferent to life and death. They didn't value their own lives, let alone their comrades'. Friendship was fragile in the face of mortal danger.

  After much effort, the group finally dissected the unicorn, collecting its earth crystals, horn, limbs, and hide.

  "Boss, you're so brave! You shattered its heart!" a mercenary flattered.

  The strong man chuckled. "Of course!"

  Han Ming watched silently from the shadows.

  As night fell, visibility in Ghost City diminished.

  The mercenaries lit mana lamps, which provided light for nearly ten meters and lasted over ten days—essential for nighttime exploration.

  Over the next few hours, they encountered several waves of low-level magical beasts, easily dealt with by the group, thanks to their second-rank warrior.

  "Kid, where exactly is this place? We're going deeper and deeper."

  The strong man asked.

  "Not far, not far," Xiao Qi replied. "Just a little further down this road."

  Even Han Ming grew curious. Initially, he thought Xiao Qi was after beast hides and crystals, but that seemed unlikely given the fifty gold coins he spent. Where was the boy really headed?

  As the night deepened, daytime creatures retreated to their nests.

  "There! That's it!"

  Xiao Qi excitedly pointed to a massive, dilapidated palace ahead, supported by hundreds of massive stone pillars, with strange carvings on its walls.

  "That..." the warrior hesitated, seeing the hopeful look in Xiao Qi's eyes, but couldn't bring himself to refuse.

  "Let's take a look."

  The group approached the palace, but when they were about fifty meters away, the ground began to tremble.

  Skeleton soldiers, their bodies decayed, emerged from the ground.

  "Dead souls! Fourth and fifth-rank skeleton soldiers! Damn it! Run for your lives!"

  The warrior screamed, his face pale with terror.

  "Retreat! Fall back!"

  The mercenaries shouted, but it was too late. With only a dozen of them, they were quickly surrounded by the skeleton soldiers.

  These low-level skeletons were mindless dead souls, far less formidable than the demonic soldiers from the demon realm.

  The skeletons charged with their weapons.

  The mercenaries fought desperately.

  After a fierce battle lasting a meal's time, all the skeletons were defeated, but only five or six mercenaries remained, thanks to their second-rank earth warrior. Otherwise, the outcome would have been even worse.

  "Kid, we can't help you anymore. We can't enter there," the strong man said regretfully. He wasn't particularly concerned about Xiao Qi's feelings, but as mercenaries, they valued their reputation above all else.

  The warrior sighed. "We've lost nearly ten brothers because of you. Let's call it even." He signaled the other injured mercenaries. "Retreat!"

  "No! Don't go! We still have a chance! Please, take me with you!" Xiao Qi cried, clinging to the warrior's leg.

  "I'm sorry, we're powerless," the warrior said.

  "Don't give up! We can do this! We can break through!" Xiao Qi sobbed, clutching the warrior's leg as he watched the palace slip away, his emotions collapsing.

  "Ah... I'm really sorry. We have to leave. Either come with us or stay here alone."

  The warrior shook his head and prepared to leave.

  Xiao Qi sat on the ground, staring blankly at the palace, tears falling like broken beads.

  "Why give up? Why? Why give up?"

  Seeing Xiao Qi's state, the warrior said, "The kid's scared stiff. Drag him back. Leaving him here means certain death."

  As the skeletons began to stir again, the warrior knew they would soon regain mobility. Though incomplete, their bodies could still fight, and who knew how many more were nearby.

  The group hurriedly dragged the distraught Xiao Qi away.

  "No... don't pull me... let me in..." Xiao Qi woke up, crying out in agony.

  "What is he trying to do in there? The area outside is full of dead souls. What could be inside that's so attractive? I must find out!"

  Han Ming muttered silently from the shadows.