Before setting off, Beiyuan went to the Forging Workshop in Yunshang Nation to check on the progress of his weapon’s creation.
Weapon forging in the All Races World was different from what Beiyuan knew in reality — it didn’t even follow common logic.
Here, the Scabbard was made faster than the Sword.
As soon as Beiyuan entered the workshop, he saw the elongated object placed on the sword rack.
It was overall pale gold in color, engraved with silver patterns, and there was a row of silver Energy Crystals embedded along the Scabbard’s body, emitting a faint glow. The Scabbard’s mouth was smooth and round, with two guard rings connected by a golden tassel.
This Scabbard looked like an exquisite piece of craftsmanship, yet the sharp, cutting arcs of light refracted from its surface clearly indicated it was ready to house a sword blade sharp enough to cut through the world.
Although the sword itself had yet to be completed, it was as if he could already hear the resonant clang of the sword and Scabbard coming together — an anticipation that made one eagerly await that moment.
Beiyuan touched the row of crystals installed according to his special request and felt unusually satisfied.
Old Hawke was still at the forge, hammering away without pause, sweat pouring down his brow, paying no attention to Beiyuan.
His heart was fully immersed in his work. “The sword will take some time to finish. Once it’s ready, I’ll inform you immediately,” he said.
Inside the furnace, special Energy Crystals burned with a bluish-golden glow.
Mechanical parts rotated and hammered inside the forge accompanied by the sound of chiseling, and every so often, there was a faint hum as if a sharp blade were singing.
The blacksmith’s attention was entirely on the forge, like a painter focused on the highest form of aesthetics.
Only because the visitor was Beiyuan, the sword’s owner, did he reluctantly squeeze out a trace of reason and acknowledge him with a word.
Beiyuan observed quietly. “I’m not in a hurry. I’m about to go on a long trip. If you can’t find me, just send it to the Western Corridor Plains to hand over to Sinsid.”
Beiyuan wasn’t sure if the old man heard him. After thinking for a moment, he walked forward and took down the Scabbard.
The moment he grasped it in his hand, for an instant, he felt as if the Scabbard was breathing—he almost believed it was alive.
The movement was too sudden. Old Hawke finally caught it out of the corner of his eye and barked hoarsely a moment later, “Watch out for your hands!!”
“My hands?” Beiyuan rotated the Scabbard in his palm, flexing his fingers nimbly. There was nothing wrong.
Old Hawke hesitated, then looked at him with a complicated expression and said, “Just yesterday, an apprentice curiously touched it and their hand got frozen. They’re still being treated in the Tianjing Clan.”
Beiyuan put his other hand on the Scabbard as well, feeling along its length with disbelief. “That strong?”
Old Hawke’s expression grew even more complicated. After a while, he recovered and said, “There’s no sword yet. What use is just having the Scabbard?”
Beiyuan wasn’t bothered. He measured the length with a gesture, slung the Scabbard on his back, patted it, and said, “It’s useful. This is my backup food supply.”
Ignoring the stunned and life-questioning looks from the old man behind him, he carried the Scabbard and stepped onto the Teleportation Array of Yunshang Nation.
At the Teleportation Array, the NPC guard barely waited for him to speak and said without looking up, “To the Ruined City, 600 gold coins for a single person, 1000 gold for two, and 400 gold 500 copper coins per person for teams of three or more.”
This… didn’t exist the last time he came. Could this be the special instance’s fee structure?
Beiyuan fell silent for a moment, inwardly regretting his oversight. He patted his empty pockets and stepped aside.
At that moment, the dozen or so players waiting behind him grew impatient and surged forward to pay without looking back, eager not to lose time.
A few glanced back at Beiyuan. Normally, they wouldn’t mind starting a “helpful side quest.”
But now, with such a huge and clear carrot in front of them, and no understanding of what kind of character Beiyuan was, they chose caution.
Better to trust the known than the unknown.
“I want to go to the Ruined City,” a deep voice came from behind.
“Collecting 1000 gold,” the guard counted the money and asked, “And your other companion?”
“Him,” the man replied.
After a few seconds of staring, until the guard’s gaze settled on him, Beiyuan realized the man was referring to himself.
Beiyuan then looked up, carrying the Scabbard, and turned toward the voice’s owner—
The first impression was his height. Nearly three meters tall, second only to the towering giants of the neighboring race. His ears were slightly pointed, but not as slender as those of elves.
A rugged-faced male clad in armor exposed a muscular chest, most of his body covered with crimson battle tattoos.
On his back hung a pair of massive double hammers, his weapons, linked by a chain between them.
All Races World had its own racial designs but retained corresponding racial traits.
So this distinctly featured man was a Titan — and a player at that.
The Titans were said to have come from a distant continent, carrying ancient bloodlines and worshipping the Ancient Gods. They were also among the earliest races in the All Races World.
Beiyuan, being well-versed in the Wanzu, had once played a young Titan character himself in a previous life; back then, he was quite famous.
“You are?” Beiyuan put away his enthusiasm and his gaze became slightly more familiar.
The Titan player’s voice was gruff and deep, “I’m Lu Luda. I want to team up with you.”
His eyes were bright and sincere, giving an impression of earnestness.
Beiyuan pointed and asked, “Aren’t you going with them?”
“No,” Lu Luda said. “My goal isn’t the Ruined City. I want to follow you.”
Lu Luda was one of the NPCs that Beiyuan could undertake tasks from in the Ruined City, and naturally, he hoped some follow-up content could be triggered by choosing Beiyuan. If not, he would just chalk it up to bad luck.
Almost everyone heading to the Ruined City now was part of a large Guild or a high-level expert teaming up. They came prepared.
Scattered individuals like Lu Luda could hardly compete—at best, they were there to learn and watch those top teams showcase their skills, while they relaxed and cheered.
The Teleportation Array guard finished collecting the money. Lu Luda looked at Beiyuan eagerly. After consideration, Beiyuan figured bringing one more person was no problem and did not refuse.
When the light of the Teleportation Array faded, Beiyuan found himself standing in an endless wasteland.
The legendary city stood in the very center, bound by countless chains, resembling a black, terrifying giant beast with an abyssal maw, waiting for prey to enter.
The wasteland was already filled with players.
A nearby group saw the two of them and one red-haired player cursed under his breath, “Damn! Two more came? The morning peak on Stellar Avenue isn’t even this crazy. Everyone’s acting like they’ve never done a Raid Dungeon before!”
Lu Luda frowned. The Titan’s appearance was imposing, and he deliberately glared fiercely at the other player.
The red-haired player wanted to retort, but his companions hurriedly pulled him away, though he clearly remained dissatisfied. “What? Not gonna say anything now?!”
Lu Luda was about to reply when Beiyuan said, “He’s got a point.”
Lu Luda: “?”
Beiyuan: “There really are too many people.”
No sooner had he spoken than the ground beneath them started violently shaking.
The tremor came suddenly and fiercely, instantly transmitted to everyone on the wasteland.
“Did you feel that? Did you feel it?” Lu Luda’s pupils shrank, forgetting his earlier grievances.
The shaking was so intense it felt like tens of thousands of beasts were charging wildly, like war drums pounding on their chests—heavy, oppressive, and relentless.
Strangely, he even seemed to hear countless creatures’ roars in his ears, as if a vast army was about to arrive and trample this world flat.
Beiyuan looked southwest. He hadn’t just sensed it—“I already see it.”
The sky suddenly darkened; the air currents twisted chaotically.
“Hurricane, hurricane!”
Someone finally turned back to look at the southwestern horizon. A massive wind vortex appeared.
It stirred up dust and dirt, immediately becoming as fierce as a sandstorm, shrouding the entire area in gloom as if trying to uproot the earth beneath and charge toward them with a roar.
“Shit, shit, shit! The hurricane’s really here! Everyone run!!” Eyes wide, everyone sprinted toward the city.
Team commanders quickly reacted, yelling, “Quick, get into the castle! Everyone retreat toward the castle! Forget supplies—drop everything!”
“Did you hear? Stop picking things up! Run now!”
“Run!!”
Countless players immediately used Skills and Talents.
Those who had flight Talent spread their wings and shot forward like lightning. Their numbers were so vast that they blotted out the sun like a sudden flock of crows.
Though tall, Lu Luda was quick on his feet. His pupils shrank, and he was about to grab Beiyuan and run.
“Wait.” Beiyuan gestured for him to look ahead.
Ahead, some players nearing the castle were suddenly violently tossed upward by a huge force erupting from below! The red-haired player who had just been shouting was among them, flung into the air.
To those watching from behind, it looked like the massive head of a giant beast burst out from the ground.
The monster opened its abyssal maw and swallowed all living things within range, including players, in one gulp.
Then the creature sank back underground like a beached whale, leaving not even a hole on the surface, as if it could walk through walls and earth itself.
The entire sequence was as sudden as death’s arrival—everyone had no time to react and simply vanished on the spot.
Survivors couldn’t even find remnants of those devoured. Although death in the Wanzu was not permanent, the pain and fear were real.
Faced with the suddenly half-empty wasteland, everyone’s faces turned pale.
Lu Luda looked down at Beiyuan, who was smoothing his wind-tousled clothes and calmly raised his chin. “Now we can go.”
After waiting a moment and seeing Lu Luda remain still, Beiyuan stopped and turned back. “What’s wrong? The hurricane’s almost on us.”
Lu Luda looked at him with mixed feelings. “I suspect you might be the boss of this instance.”
Beiyuan: …?
Nonsense. He’d just predicted the hurricane and monster in advance—that was called good foresight.
However, when the two entered the castle, Beiyuan looked at the strangely familiar carvings on the wall and suddenly said, “I was wrong.”
Lu Luda looked confused.
Beiyuan: “Maybe I really am the boss of this instance.”
A damp, corroded smell of age hit them. A chilly, bottomless corridor gusted cold wind, whispering along the cracks and rusty chains covering every surface.
This was obviously a centuries-old building—maybe even over a thousand years.
Inside, the roads twisted like a labyrinth, filled with traps and mechanisms everywhere.
Just standing there, Beiyuan felt countless different energy fluctuations beneath his feet and was certain that innumerable monsters were asleep inside, all quite powerful.
But now, his attention was fixed on the carvings on the walls—some wavy lines, some straight arrows, some three parallel line symbols.
The meaning of these symbols aside, Beiyuan clearly sensed his own energy signature from the carvings, which only meant one thing — the symbols were carved by him.
Yet this was his first time here.
—So what was going on?
At that moment, a “click” sound like a huge machine activating echoed, and the entire castle suddenly shook.
From deep within the corridors came a furious shout from a player, “Sifenkesi, damn it! I told you that’s a mechanism that can change the whole castle’s layout, and you still pressed it!!!”
The roar was loud and clear, echoing through the reverberant castle like thunder, revealing the culprit behind the new anomaly.
At the same time, confused players realized the ground beneath them began to rumble and rotate.
Some floors flipped over suddenly, and those caught unprepared screamed as they fell to the lower level.
Some walls slid open, revealing hidden passages.
Some floors acted like automatic slides, sending people unexpectedly through winding new spaces.
The entire area was like a giant Rubik’s Cube being wildly twisted, with those inside turned into helpless ants, whisked away without warning or chance to hesitate.
Lu Luda, shaken by hearing “Sifenkesi,” saw Beiyuan rush toward him.
The golden-haired, golden-eyed boy’s expression was serious as he hurriedly said, “I’m entrusting my body to you for now. Please take care of it.”
“What?!” Lu Luda stammered, clearly struggling to keep up with the sudden changes.
Beiyuan had no time to explain, only instructing, “Find the places with the Three-Line Mark on the wall and follow their directions.”
Lu Luda didn’t understand, but Beiyuan knew from now on, the “Three-Line Mark” was his symbol of safety. If his “past” self was marking, he would also use the Three-Line Mark as a sign of security.
From now on, this was Beiyuan’s own rule—no reasons needed.
The next second, Beiyuan suddenly felt a pull on his spirit, as if someone wanted to drag his spiritual body out of his current flesh and throw it elsewhere.
The energy contained the essence of time, extraordinary yet not hostile—in fact, it felt safe.
Having anticipated this, Beiyuan did not resist.
Lu Luda noticed the golden boy’s movement halt and saw him close his eyes, falling into unconsciousness.
Panicking, Lu Luda caught his falling body but barely relaxed before the floor beneath him cracked open.
“Wait!!” Lu Luda cried, still holding the boy as he suddenly fell through the broken floor to a lower level, vanishing along with a desperate wail, “Is the instance challenge starting already? I’m not ready—”
Meanwhile, Beiyuan’s detached spiritual body slowly opened its eyes.
At that instant, countless white doves fluttered before his eyes, followed by a rapidly reversing pocket watch. But when these visions vanished, he found himself in a familiar yet strange castle.
Familiar because he had just seen this Ruined City.
Strange because it was no longer the same point in time—something obvious from the scene in front of him—
The walls were more intact than in his memory, without a single crack. Crumbling corners were whole again, and even the ubiquitous black chains looked brand new.
The bustling players who should have been everywhere were nowhere to be seen.
Most importantly—
“This is quite a grand welcome,” Beiyuan said with a smile, staring at the dense, almost endless monsters before him.
Unlike those hidden or dormant in other instances, this time, in this castle where he was alone, they all appeared at once.
The golden-haired, golden-eyed boy was surrounded in the center by countless monsters. The obscure world had only him, as if the end was already in sight.
“Hopefully Lu Luda takes good care of my body,” he said, removing the Scabbard he had brought on his back.
Then he added casually, “I’m running out of time. Let’s go together.”