Shock was written across every face.
So people even rubbed their eyes or slapped themselves, trying to convince themselves that everything in front of them was an illusion.
Unfortunately, the pain told them otherwise.
This was real.
No one could bla them for losing composure. Even Zayne was staring ahead in disbelief.
Because after the Gate of Apocalypse opened, what appeared before them was Old Shipyard Port.
But it was clearly not the Old Shipyard Port they knew.
Towering city walls, winding streets, lush trees, all reduced to ruins. Broken ramparts and collapsed structures stretched as far as the eye could see.
Cold rubble littered the streets. Dust drifted through the air, as if the city had been wiped out by so cataclysmic disaster.
A gust of wind swept past, carrying an indescribable sense of desolation.
Everyone stood frozen, shock and confusion plain on their faces.
They had heard rumors that the world beyond the Gate of Apocalypse was dangerous and unknown, but none of them had imagined a scene like this.
"Is this Old Shipyard Port so kind of illusion?" Captain K muttered. "Or what exactly is going on here?"
"No idea," John said, shaking his head. "Maybe we will find answers if we go inside. There might even be survivors."
They suppressed their shock. Having co this far, there was no turning back, no matter what awaited them.
The Adventurers Guild took the lead, with Astrachior and the Investigation Bureau following behind.
As they moved deeper into this ruined version of Old Shipyard Port, they began to notice traces of battle everywhere.
It was obvious that a terrifying war had once swept through this place, reducing everything to rubble.
Fragnts of shattered equipnt were scattered across the ground. Broken blades and spears. Cracked staves, rings, spell tos.
Yet sothing was deeply unsettling.
There were no living creatures.
More than that, they had not seen a single corpse. Not human. Not monster. Not even a fragnt of bone.
A faint sense of unease settled over everyone.
The unknown was always the most frightening thing of all.
Astrachior crouched down and picked up a delicate piece of tal. Its edges were sharp, etched with ancient runes that seed to whisper of past glory.
"What is it?" soone asked quickly. "Did you find sothing, Astrachior?"
"Sothing minor," Astrachior replied, lifting the fragnt in his hand.
"This is a fragnt of a divine artifact. Unfortunately, ti has stripped it of all value."
Everyone sucked in a sharp breath.
In all of Old Shipyard Port, there was not even a single intact divine artifact. Yet here, in this ruined city, they had found fragnts of one.
What kind of battle could shatter divine artifacts themselves?
The mood grew heavier.
They searched the Adventurers Guild, the Investigation Bureau, Astrachior’s courtyard, and every famous landmark in Old Shipyard Port.
Without exception, everything lay in ruins.
And still, there were no bodies.
The entire city felt like a hollow shell.
No danger. No opportunity. Nothing at all.
Only barren land, a gray sky, and endless concrete wreckage.
Faces darkened across the group. This Gate of Apocalypse was nothing like what they had imagined.
"John," Captain K said with clear irritation, "you have the Apocalypse Ancient Key. Is it doing anything? No guidance at all?"
"I already told you, no," John replied, his expression equally grim.
"Shadowcaster," Astrachior said, lowering his gaze to Zayne. "Do you have any ideas?"
"No," Zayne answered calmly, shaking his head.
In truth, the Apocalypse Ancient Key inside his abdon had already grown restless. It was tugging insistently in a specific direction.
Zayne knew Old Shipyard Port too well.
If his guess was correct, that direction led straight toward the slums.
But he had no intention of telling anyone.
Whether it was Captain K, whom he had deliberately drawn here, or Astrachior himself, there was not a single person present that he trusted.
When interests were on the line, even brothers could turn on each other, let alone when an Origin Relic was at stake.
"Damn it," Captain K cursed. "Are you telling there is really nothing here at all?"
Entering the Gate of Apocalypse and leaving empty handed was sothing no one could accept.
Astrachior adjusted his glasses and spoke evenly.
"In that case, why do we split up and search individually? See if anyone finds anything. If there is danger, shout. This place is quiet. Sound will carry far."
"Sounds good."
John and Captain K both nodded, agreeing to Astrachior’s proposal. After all, this ruined city showed no sign of danger whatsoever.
The three groups spread out, each heading in a different direction.
Zayne finally had a chance to act alone.
And the direction he had been assigned just happened to lead toward the slums.
There were no coincidences in this world.
If sothing seed coincidental, it usually ant an unseen hand was pushing events along.
Zayne had reason to believe Astrachior had already begun to suspect him.
Because of that, he did not follow the Apocalypse Ancient Key’s pull right away. Instead, he searched thodically, entering every building he ca across as if looking for clues.
Gradually, the sky dimd.
Night fell over Old Shipyard Port.
Strangely, this ruined version of the city had no stars at all. Only an endless, suffocating darkness.
Zayne showed no change in expression. He continued his search diligently.
Then he turned and entered a public restroom.
The mont he stepped inside, he activated a skill.
"Burrow."
"Burrow. A mage uses ntal power to control nearby earth elents, allowing free movent underground within fifty ters."
"Absolute Ascension activated. Burrow has evolved into Spatial Translocation."
"Forbidden Spell. Spatial Translocation. The Forbidden Spellcaster sacrifices an organ to achieve short range spatial movent. During the process, the caster is immune to all physical attacks and most energy based attacks."
In an instant, space tore open.
A black, boundless void appeared and swallowed Zayne whole, erasing him from the spot.
Monts later, another figure entered the restroom.
The man wore a long coat, his build tall and slender.
He searched the room carefully.
When he found no trace of Zayne, a cold glint flashed across the gold rim of his glasses in the darkness.
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