Chapter 69: The Ruins Battlefield Encounter

Meeting point outside the Zhenjiang Security Zone.

A thin morning mist at dawn.

Standing on a weathered cement slab, a girl carrying a short bow kept scanning her surroundings:

“Bro, why hasn’t that second-tier advanced shown up yet?”

“Weren’t we supposed to meet at six o’clock?”

“And who knows what he looks like? I hope he’s not some crusty old guy in his thirties or forties again.”

Below the girl, a burly, bald young man clad in light armor gazed at his sister with a tender smile:

“He should be here any minute now.”

“What’s a 30 or 40-year-old? Awakening powers are at their peak at this age. By the time we level up, we’ll probably be around thirty too.”

“When someone shows up, mind your manners—nobody’s got your back out here.”

“Oh come on! Aren’t you the one who protects me? Besides, just dropping Grandpa’s name keeps everyone away!”

Seeing his sister making silly faces at him, Chen Yong let out a helpless sigh.

Though his sister was a bit childish from being spoiled her entire life, they were both second-tier novices.

Both in their early twenties and already considered prodigies, their family boasted three generations of awakened talents. Their grandpa, a third-tier powerhouse, was appointed as the Vice Commander of the North China Battle Zone and had a stellar record from the First Zombie War.

Under normal circumstances, no one would dare mess with them.

“He’s here.”

At the sound, Chen Yong, wielding a massive axe, turned his head toward the distance. A figure cloaked in a hunter’s cape was rapidly approaching.

Raising his eyebrows as he surveyed the stranger bundled up head to toe, an odd glimmer flashed in Chen Yong’s eyes.

The pace was impressive—no doubt, he was at least second-tier.

Charging straight toward them, he was clearly the second-tier advanced assigned to their team.

Within seconds, Yenir arrived before them. After a brief nod of greeting, he said nothing more.

As he scrutinized them, the siblings returned the glance, each sizing him up.

Extending his hand with a wry smile, Chen Yong broke the silence:

“Friend, we’re teaming up now. I’m Chen Yong and this is my sister, Chen Yao.”

“If you’re not familiar with the Ruins Battlefield, I can give you a quick rundown.”

“Of course, you know it best. Let’s get moving now.”

Reaching out, Yenir noticed that both were fully geared, instantly deducing that his rather budget-friendly teammates likely hailed from the Military or some major power.

“Let’s chat as we move.”

“I know a bit, but not much.”

His tone was calm—indeed, he didn’t know much. In his past life, all he knew was that the Ruins Battlefield was famous for its treasures, though the details eluded him.

“Huh? Your voice sounds so young! You’re not an old geezer, are you?”

“And aren’t you going to introduce yourself? That’s pretty rude.”

With a thud as she jumped off the cement slab, the girl peered curiously at Yenir, clearly trying to get a better look at him.

Moving in closer, Chen Yao ducked her head and even reached out as if to lift Yenir’s hood. She noticed his hands—immaculate and as delicate as any girl’s.

“Little Sister! Stop messing around!”

Seeing her behavior, Chen Yong’s expression tensed as he quickly scolded her. Despite their impressive backgrounds, their upbringing never allowed them to look down on anyone.

Especially when teaming up outside, who knew if the others would take their status into account?

After all, Yenir is a second-tier advanced while they are just second-tier novices.

With a slight pout, Chen Yao nonchalantly stood up and muttered under her breath:

“Bro, I’m just curious. Besides, what’s an awakened one going to hide?”

“Aren’t we supposed to test our strengths? He sounds way too young—what if he’s not really advanced?”

Hearing his little sister’s remark, Chen Yong’s eyes sparkled. Though she was impolite, she had a point.

Yenir’s outfit was oddly outlandish—bundled up tightly as if to hide his features. His youthful voice added to the mystery.

Noticing their suspicion, Yenir furrowed his brow and said:

“Just call me Ye Lin.”

“If you doubt me, there’s no need to team up.”

Fed up with Chen Yao’s constant chattering, Yenir found it all too bothersome. Rather than wasting time, he’d sooner switch teammates.

If it weren’t for the system’s requirements, he would have gone solo long ago.

Seeing Yenir’s displeasure, Chen Yong paused and forced a laugh:

“Brother Ye Lin, you’ve got it all wrong.”

“My sister is just naturally like this—please bear with her.”

Pushing aside his doubts, Chen Yong hesitated before deciding not to press further. Awakened ones rarely overstate their abilities, and the strength in Yenir’s aura only confirmed his capability.

Certain of his own judgment, he hurried ahead to introduce Yenir:

“Brother Ye.”

“The Ruins Battlefield is a special outdoor event—almost like a dungeon. It doesn’t come with set missions, and you can bail at any time by disengaging.”

“In terms of special events, the Ruins Battlefield is one of the safer ones.”

“Our main enemies are massive waves of undead and mutated creatures.”

“This event reenacts a period in history—it’s said to be linked to battles from the early days of the apocalypse.”

Listening to Chen Yong’s explanation, Yenir nodded slightly.

Special events, paranormal events, and meme events became the three major occurrences after the apocalypse.

Special events are hard to define—they’re usually borne out of supernatural forces, and you never know what you might encounter.

Paranormal events refer to past encounters with Li Zhiping, whose enemies were spectral beings.

Meme events are disasters that spread through thought, usually impossible to eradicate physically—much like paranormal events.

Before long, the group arrived before a vast expanse of ruins.

Scattered among crumbling structures were severely corroded tanks and artillery, strewn across the battlefield.

The ruins sprawled over a massive area; broken sections of a fifteen-meter-high city wall revealed that a brutal war had once engulfed this place.

At a glance, the Ruins Battlefield, shrouded in a faint light barrier, showed spacetime warping as if it belonged to another world.

Faint shouts and muffled roars of battle drifted in the distance.

“Brother Ye, let’s head in.”

Drawing their weapons, Chen Yong took a deep breath and pressed both hands against the light barrier.

Although the Ruins Battlefield is one of the safer special events, its difficulty was by no means low.

The tension before entering was palpable—even the ever-lively Chen Yao fell silent as she followed her brother.

Both pressed their hands against the barrier.

“Beep: Enter the Ruins Battlefield? Current difficulty: B Level!”

Without hesitation, Yenir confirmed as the system prompt rang out.

“Buzz!”

With a flash of white light, the three vanished from sight.