Kranos raised an eyebrow in astonishment. There are pictures on this planet? He was momentarily taken aback, but then he remembered that this was a magical world with a wide range of abilities, so it wouldn't be shocking.
In the picture wax a middle-aged man, a little girl that looked to be 4 or 5 years old, and beside them was a middle-aged woman. Kranos could guess that they were one happy family before, but seeing the streaks of bloodstains on the picture, he didn't know what to think.
With a sigh, he removed the second item from the box. It was a folded piece of paper. Kranos opened it, a letter was written inside. He began to read.
Jay, I've tried everything I can, but I can't make it through this. Fortunately, I was able to send everyone to a secure location. If this letter reaches you, I just want you to know how much I miss you. I apologize for not being able to see you again.
The letter continued, filled with heartfelt words and expressions of love for his family. After finishing it, Kranos retrieved the third item in the box—a scroll. Kranos opened the scroll.
It was old and worn out. Kranos saw a series of body motions and some writings that provided additional details about those motions from the scroll. Martial arts training? Kranos was surprised, a moment ago he was curious what kind of cultivation system this world had and now he was seeing a martial arts manual.
Sadly, I cannot decipher the writing on this scroll. If it's feasible, I'd like to put it into practice. Kranos let out an inward sigh and put the scroll away in his spatial ring before proceeding. After coming across a few more skeletons as he continued to explore the city, Kranos began to comprehend why there were no monsters.
From the letter and the remains, Kranos inferred that a fierce battle had taken place between the city's cultivators and the creatures of this city. with neither side being victorious, they all ended up dying, it seemed.
Kranos returned to the city to reassemble with the others after conducting a thorough search and discovering nothing else of interest.
After arriving at the gate of the destroyed city, Kranos waited for a while before the others began to arrive one by one. Soon, only three were still missing.
Kranos realized that something was amiss after waiting for the others for a long time. He turned to face Ross, who had a somber look on his face.
Before hurriedly returning to the city, Kranos muttered, "It appears the others have run into trouble." Since it was already getting dark, he decided to see if he could find the others before they found a place to rest for the night.
Before his silhouette disappeared, Kranos told Ross, "You and the others should wait here for me; I will find out what is causing the delay." With space teleportation, Kranos appeared every few meters, searching for the bodies of the three.
He soon came across one of them, but Kranos was horrified to see that the young man appeared to have become a mummified corpse. Kranos noticed a few holes in the man's body, as if his life had been drained out. He drew a long breath. Not good... there seems to be a monster in this city, and this one seems to have intelligence.
The previous monsters they had encountered acted with little to no intelligence. As soon as Kranos and the others approached, they acted on instinct, but now these monsters knew how to hide their traces and deceive, just like the female monster he encountered when he first arrived in this world.
I need to be careful.
With that thought, Kranos instantly flashed back to the group using his space element. He knew that since this villager could die, the others were most likely dead, there was no need to bother about it. Furthermore, protecting Ross was his top priority because, in the event that Ross passed away, he would not be able to return to the safe haven, which would further delay him and allow the monster to further corrupt the city.
In a few minutes Kranos reached the others. He let out a resigned sigh and shook his head. "The others seem to have encountered a monster, they are all dead. Let's find somewhere safe to stay for the night."
Hearing Kranos's words, Ross and the others' faces turned pale but there was nothing they could do, Gritting their teeth, they followed Kranos. since night was approaching, they had to find somewhere safe, surrounded by trees.
Even the trees were alive. As long as no one provoked them, they were harmless. They could also use the tree as a protective cover. The night was when the monsters were most terrifying.
After several minutes of walking, Kranos and the others eventually located a remote area where they could spend the night. Unfortunately no one was in the mood to sleep. Kranos sighed. he could see the grief in their faces but there was nothing he could do, the dead can't be brought to life.
Thinking so, Kranos recalled his own death. He would have been exactly like them had he not possessed the time ability of rebirth. I must get stronger! Kranos clenched his fists but relaxed them the next moment and began cultivating; meanwhile, his senses were spread to the max. Rather than saying he wanted to be stronger, it was better to put his words into action, becoming stronger one step at a time.
While resting, Kranos's ears perked up; he heard a twig sound, the sound of someone walking. Kranos muttered inwardly. He didn't react outwardly, maintaining his meditative posture. But his mana core had already begun to circulate, ready to use a spatial teleportation.
Soon, a figure emerged from the shadows., it was a middle-aged figure, judging by the looks of his body, though his face was hidden beneath a deep hooded black robe. Kranos was alert, his body tensed up, and he could feel a fatal threat from the man.
"Stop pretending. i know you're alert. For some time now, our master has been eager to meet you. After your many amazing feats, our master wants you to join his ranks." the figure spoke in a hoarse voice.