"Have you ever played games before? Basically, the safe zones are areas where those monsters can't reach us. There are a few scattered throughout the city," the woman stated. "Those zones appeared right after that creepy Ascension message a few weeks ago."
Xuan nodded. "And the skills?"
"Tsk..." She clicked her tongue. "Every week, there's an event where a strong monster spawns. The three people who deal the most damage to that monster get special skills. Oh, and so does the one who deals the last hit."
"Hmm... are all the skills the same?" Xuan asked.
"Somewhat... Ugh... hey, can you take this knife out... please?" the woman pleaded.
It seemed like that was enough to woo Yuelan as she grumbled and approached the woman.
She leaned down and yanked the knife out.
"AAAH! You little bitch! How dare you handle my legs so crudely!" the woman lashed out.
But before she could mutter another word, Yuelan suddenly threw the knife straight through the woman's hand, pinning her to the ground.
"AAAAAAH!"
A proud smirk appeared on Yuelan's face. "Answer big brother's questions, or you will rot on the streets, woman."
She innocently stood up and skipped over to the stunned Xuan, then waited for the woman to continue.
And after she finished screaming, she did.
"Ugh... you two fuckers will pay for this..." the woman muttered. "Skills... all of them are the same, but they are based on the monster you kill. So if you kill an Earth-type monster, you will get a rock-throwing skill or something, you understand?"
"Mhm." Xuan nodded. "Anything else you want to add? Because as it stands, we're not really keen on letting you leave here."
"Haaa? But you promised to let me go!" the woman shot back. "Tsk... why did I expect some maniacs like you two to follow through with your words? Just leave me be, I will rest up and leave this place myself."
Before he could speak up, his sister sent a message.
He raised a brow.
Yuelan let out a cheeky giggle.
Genius... Xuan thought, turning to the woman. We'd be using her as a ticket to get more loot... I'm in.
"Well, since you did help us a bit, we'll let you leave scot-free. As a token of thanks, you may keep the knife," Xuan said warmly as he approached and abruptly pulled the knife out.
The woman groaned, then staggered to her feet.
She glared at them for a few moments before waddling away, cursing them under her breath.
"Here I thought you would be a bit merciful, little sis," Xuan remarked with a chuckle, ruffling her hair. "So what do you want to do now? Go to the safe zone and cause a ruckus, or run around and wait for her to come back with loot?"
"The safe zone sounded interesting," Yuelan replied with a slight smile. "I think we should go there. Plus, if there are a lot of people gathered, we might learn how to spot those so-called events."
He ruffled her hair, then turned to the people they had moved away.
"Why aren't you all cultivating?" Xuan asked, puzzled.
One of the men present flinched, then spoke up.
"W-We can't... it takes too long..."
"So? Just huddle up somewhere and come out when you're strong enough...?" he said, turning to Yuelan. "Am I missing something?"
Before she could reply, the man continued.
"It's easy for you to say... We gain 1 Qi every 10 seconds. We would need to spend ages just to reach the Second Level of the Spirit Apprentice realm."
"It sounds to me like you're looking for excuses. So what if it takes you a month to achieve something others can in a day? If you intend to live like a coward, you will die like a coward," Xuan said with a scoff, then pointed at the abandoned buildings around them.
"Go inside one of these buildings. Don't come out until the ascension timer ticks down. If you survive, seek me out," he stated. "My name is Xiao Xuan, and my sister here is Xiao Yuelan. We would be happy to take those who are not cowards under our wing."
The man and the others were stunned upon hearing Xuan's words.
But bit by bit, they began standing up, limping over into a few nearby hotels until eventually, the streets were completely empty.
"That was a nice motivational speech, brother. Next time, I'll get you a megaphone," Yuelan said with a teasing grin.
Xuan gently bonked her on the head. "Smartass."
Without another word, they began walking in the direction the woman had fled.
After around fifteen minutes of weaving through cracked sidewalks and deserted cars, they finally arrived.
What stood before them wasn't anything like the ruined cityscape they'd gotten used to. Instead, a large, shimmering barrier stretched into the sky, enclosing what looked like an ancient jade palace. Its green roofs glinted faintly beneath the sun, showcasing its regal nature.
Dozens of people lingered near the barrier's edge. Some sat on crates, others leaned against rusted railings, but most importantly... they all seemed relaxed.
Xuan narrowed his eyes.
"So that's the safe zone..." he muttered.
"Seems a little too safe, don't you think?" Yuelan remarked sheepishly as she took one step through the barrier.
He followed right after and nodded. "Yep. For people who kill each other outside of the barrier, something must be going on there."
A smirk appeared on Yuelan's face as she pointed toward the main jade palace.
"Should we find out what?"