The dark red earth stretched towards the horizon, the surface covered in withered yellow weeds and low shrubs.

Rolling hill silhouettes could be seen in the distance, and even further away, the faint shadows of mountain ranges.

But the most striking sights were the traces of human civilization on the plains.

Within sight, dozens of ruined outlines were scattered about.

The closest few, no more than two or three li from the edge of the Stone Forest, were clearly the remains of villages: collapsed earthen walls, charred roof beam skeletons, and scattered pottery shards.

Slightly further away were three larger clusters of ruins, likely the remains of towns: crumbling stone walls, toppled watchtowers, and open spaces in the center that were clearly plazas.

And in the deepest part of the plain, about fifteen li away, a massive shadow crouched on the horizon—the ruins of Qingshi County.

Even from such a distance, the scale of those ruins was still palpable: broken city walls like the spine of a giant beast, several towers that hadn't completely collapsed piercing the dark red sky, and the silhouettes of large buildings further off.

The entire plain was shrouded in a deathly desolation.

No cooking smoke, no human voices, no neighing of livestock. Only the whimpering of the wind blowing through the holes in the ruins and the shrill cries of unknown birds in the distance.

"This... is the sphere of influence of Qingshi County." Jian Yan's voice was a bit raspy as he pointed at the nearest village ruins, "

"When I passed through here years ago, that village still had over a hundred households. There was an old locust tree at the village entrance, and children often played beneath it."

Now, only half of a charred black trunk remained of that old locust tree.

He pointed to the three town ruins in turn: "The one to the north is 'Qingmu Town,' famous for its wood processing;

"the one in the middle is 'Liangtun Town,' responsible for Qingshi County's grain reserves;

"the one to the south is 'Heitie Town,' which has a small iron mine and a forge."

Finally, he looked toward the huge shadow on the horizon: "Qingshi County... at its peak, it had nearly ten thousand permanent residents, walls twenty meters high, four city gates, and twelve watchtowers.

"The Lords Mansion was a three-story stone building, with barracks, warehouses, markets, and an artisan district next to it..."

His voice grew lower and lower.

And now, all of it had become ruins.

"After the Nightmare Tide, most of the survivors fled east."

Uncle Wu spoke up, his eyes dim. "Some died, and some... became bandits. In the Black Wind Camp, at least fifty percent of the people escaped from this area."

Lin Feng silently scanned the desolate land.

This was the norm in the Nightmare World: prosperity and destruction often happened overnight.

"Don't get sentimental yet," Zhao Hu broke the silence. "We're still on a mission.

"Uncle Wu, mark our current position. Jian Yan, observe the surroundings, especially for any signs of activity in those ruins."

Jian Yan climbed to a high point again and raised his monocular.

A moment later, he slid down. "There are no living things in the nearest village ruins, but I saw some skeletons, both human and livestock.

"The three town ruins are too far to see clearly. On the plains... there are scattered scavengers active, not high level, mostly Lv3-Lv5 Hyenas and vultures."

"What about the direction of Qingshi County?" Zhao Hu asked.

Jian Yan shook his head. "It's too far; I can't see clearly with the telescope. But above the ruins... there are flocks of birds circling, quite a lot of them."

Circling birds usually meant a food source below, possibly carrion, or... living creatures.

"Rest here for ten minutes," Zhao Hu decided. "Hydrate and check your equipment.

"Then we'll circle north along the edge of the plain, avoiding the main ruin areas, and approach Qingshi County from the flank."

"Why not go straight through?" Tie Dun asked. "We should be able to handle those Hyenas and vultures."

"Too much risk." Zhao Hu pointed at the plain. "Look at the distribution of those ruins: villages, towns, and the county seat, arranged in a radial pattern.

"If the Great Qin Elite Soldier Regiment really was stationed in Qingshi County, their patrol routes likely covered these satellite outposts."

He paused, his voice grave. "We don't know if they left guards behind, or... if they still have a habit of returning periodically."

Everyone felt a chill in their hearts.

"A detour might be a longer distance, but it's safer," Zhao Hu concluded. "Our mission is reconnaissance, not a frontal assault."

The rest period ended quickly.

The team began moving north along the border between the Stone Forest and the plain.

The terrain here was relatively complex: on one side were the stone pillars at the ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) edge of the Stone Forest, which could serve as cover;

on the other side was the open plain with good visibility, allowing them to spot danger early.

Uncle Wu continued marking the map: the Stone Forest exit, the distribution of the plain's ruins, and their current route.

After walking for about half an hour, Lin Feng suddenly raised his hand. "Stop."

Everyone stopped instantly and hid behind the stone pillars.

"What is it?" Zhao Hu asked in a low voice.

Lin Feng pointed to a patch of waist-high withered grass about three hundred meters ahead. "Something's moving. More than one."

Jian Yan immediately raised his telescope. "It's... humans? No, they're skeletons! At least ten of them, wandering in the grass!"

Skeleton Soldier!

One of the most common undead monsters in the Nightmare World, usually formed from the remains of fallen soldiers corrupted by dark energy.

They are generally between Lv3 and Lv5, with low attack power but large numbers, no sense of pain, and tireless.

"Levels?" Zhao Hu asked.

"Mostly Lv3, three Lv4s, and one... Lv5 Skeleton Captain, holding a rusty iron sword," Jian Yan reported quickly.

"Bypass or clear them out?" Shadow Snake asked.

Zhao Hu thought for a few seconds. "Clear them. Skeleton Soldiers usually have a limited range of activity. Their being here means there might be something worth guarding nearby, perhaps a burial ground for fallen soldiers, or a small resource point."

He looked at Lin Feng. "How about it? Ten skeletons shouldn't be hard for you."

Lin Feng gripped his Wildfire Spear and nodded. "Leave it to me."

"Don't be overconfident." Zhao Hu still arranged a tactic. "Tie Dun and I will draw them from the front, Jian Yan will provide long-range suppression, and Shadow Snake will roam and finish them off.

"Lin Feng, you're the main attacker. Take out the Skeleton Captain as quickly as possible, and the rest will be easy to handle."

The team approached quietly.

When they were about fifty meters from the skeleton group, the Lv5 Skeleton Captain seemed to sense something. Its hollow eye sockets turned toward the team, and its jawbone clicked open and shut, making a "clack-clack" sound.

The other Skeleton Soldiers immediately stopped wandering and turned in the same direction.

"We've been spotted! Charge!" Zhao Hu drew his long saber and was the first to rush out.

Battle broke out once again.

Tie Dun raised his shield and crashed into the front two Skeleton Soldiers. -40! -41! The skeletons were knocked into a jumble of bones but immediately reassembled, their bone claws scratching at the shield.

Jian Yan's Armor-Piercing Arrows fired in succession, accurately hitting the skeletons' eye sockets. -35! -38! The skeletons' skulls shattered, and their frames collapsed to the ground.

Shadow Snake cut into the flank like a ghost, her twin blades dancing, specifically attacking the joints of the Skeleton Soldiers. -23! -24! -22!

Lin Feng went straight for the Skeleton Captain.

This Lv5 undead wore tattered leather armor and held a rusty but still sharp iron sword. The soul fire in its eye sockets was eerie blue, more vibrant than the pale yellow of the other skeletons.

Seeing Lin Feng rushing over, the Skeleton Captain raised its sword to meet him.

The rusty sword and the Wildfire Spear collided for the first time!

"Clang!"

In the sound of clashing metal, the rusty sword was knocked aside, and the Skeleton Captain stumbled back.

Lin Feng stepped forward, his Wildfire Spear thrusting straight at its ribcage.

【Attack Check: 70】

【Target Defense: Skeletal Defense 8】

【Damage Dealt: 62】

-62!

Pierced through in one strike! Several of the Skeleton Captain's ribs snapped, and its soul fire flickered violently.

But it felt no pain; instead, it used the momentum to charge forward, its rusty sword stabbing at Lin Feng's throat.

Lin Feng sidestepped the attack, pulled his spear back, and swept it horizontally!

The spear shaft slammed heavily into the Skeleton Captain's waist. -61! The skeletal frame almost snapped in half.

For the third strike, Lin Feng aimed at the location of the Skeleton Captain's soul fire, the core of the undead.

The Wildfire Spear was like a venomous dragon emerging from its hole, piercing into its eye socket!

【Critical Hit! -62!】

The Skeleton Captain's skull shattered, the eerie blue soul fire dissipated like fireworks, and the skeletal frame collapsed to the ground with a clatter.

【Killed Lv5 Skeleton Captain, gained 40 experience points】

The remaining Skeleton Soldiers clearly became chaotic after their captain's death, their attacks losing any sense of order.

The team took the opportunity to clear them out, and in less than three minutes, all ten Skeleton Soldiers had turned into piles of broken bones.

"Check the battlefield," Zhao Hu panted.

The team searched carefully through the surrounding grass.

The Skeleton Soldiers had nothing but rusted weapons and tattered leather armor fragments.

But Tie Dun discovered something unusual in a depression in the ground: "There's a stone slab here! Half-buried in the dirt!"