CHAPTER 266: CHAPTER266-THE ANCIENT RUINS

Owen’s gaze flickered.

The Ancient Ruins were perilously dangerous, with many of the Sanctuary’s elders never returning from their ventures.

After pondering for a moment, Owen looked at Anderson and said, "Let’s take on this task."

Despite the high risk associated with this mission, it wasn’t entirely a death sentence.

The task merely required investigating the cause of an elder’s demise, suggesting that with caution, survival was possible.

Moreover, Owen’s decision was driven by more than just the inherent danger of the mission.

Since acquiring the life fruit, he had been eager to test the capabilities of his avatar in real combat.

Additionally, he harbored a strong premonition that a significant crisis was imminent.

He needed to ensure Alison and her companions improved their strength before this looming catastrophe, or else they wouldn’t even qualify as cannon fodder in the face of such adversity.

"Alright, then we’ll accept this mission." Anderson smiled, sparing no further words, and headed straight to the registration desk.

"Anderson, are you truly willing to take this risk with me?"

While Owen had his suspicions, he still sought confirmation from Anderson.

Anderson nodded earnestly, "I am a Catastrophe Sacred Body, and it’s been a while since my last calamity. I see this as an opportunity to advance further."

Owen remained silent.

If he was willing to face death for the sake of Alison and the others, then Anderson was prepared to confront it for his own path.

The registration required not only their disciple tokens and Anderson’s Saint Decree but also their soul power imprints, ensuring that any information could be promptly relayed back.

"Shall we depart now?" Outside the task hall, Anderson looked at Owen and inquired.

After a moment of thought, Owen nodded.

"You go on to the plaza first. I’ll entrust Olivia with some fruits that enhance physique for her and the others."

Those were gifts from Teacher Renat to Owen, which he intended to share with Alison and her companions.

"Alright, hurry back," Anderson waved, heading to the plaza first.

Owen turned and made his way to Anderson’s place, where Olivia and Marchello had been just moments before, likely still there.

In less than fifteen minutes, Owen arrived at Anderson’s residence, finding Olivia and Marchello indeed still present.

He immediately approached them.

"Owen, you’re back!" Olivia greeted Owen with joy upon seeing him.

"Olivia, I need a favor," Owen said, ruffling Olivia’s hair and taking out the physique-enhancing fruits.

"When Alison and the others come out, could you give these to them?"

"Of course, leave it to me!"

Olivia’s face lit up with happiness upon hearing Owen had a task for her.

"Anderson and I will be away for a while. Don’t get into trouble while we’re gone."

Olivia nodded obediently, not prying into where Owen and Anderson were headed.

Without further ado, Owen waved goodbye to Olivia and headed towards the plaza.

Reaching the plaza, Owen’s soul power swept the area, spotting Anderson and noticing some female disciples sneakily glancing in his direction.

Owen smiled and walked up to Anderson.

"Anderson, let’s go."

...

After just three days on the road, Owen and Anderson were attacked over a dozen times during the night but managed to fend off all assaults.

They even amassed a considerable fortune from those who attempted to rob them, turning the tables on their attackers.

Three days later, Owen and Anderson finally arrived at a city near the Ancient Ruins.

This city was bustling with activity.

Named Fallen Sky City, it was said to be ruled by a rare and powerful figure.

...

"Could you two friends spare a moment to listen to us?" A rugged voice reached Owen and Anderson just as they were half-stepping into the tavern, coming from their left.

Owen and Anderson halted, turning their heads with a hint of curiosity in their eyes.

Three people approached them, one man and two women.

The man’s appearance was particularly rugged.

Among the two women, one had average looks while the other was quite attractive.

"Friends, what brings you to us?" Owen asked, puzzled why they were approached amid so many others.

"Let me introduce myself first. My name is Yashum, this is my sister Perini, and this is Norma, who has just teamed up with us," the rugged man introduced himself and the two women to Owen and Anderson.

"Owen."

"Anderson."

Seeing Yashum’s polite introduction, Owen and Anderson naturally returned the courtesy.

Yashum then asked, "Would you two be interested in going to the Ancient Ruins?"

Owen and Anderson quickly understood the situation; it was about forming a team.

It seemed the other party considered their strength to be neither too low nor too high, just right for teaming up.

Owen and Anderson exchanged glances and nodded.

Anderson asked Yashum, "How will the treasures found be distributed?"

"Based on strength," replied Norma, the attractive woman, somewhat impatiently and without mincing words.

"Norma..." Yashum appeared a bit embarrassed but didn’t say much else, explaining to Owen, "Actually, we explore the treasures according to the order of strength; those with higher strength face greater risks, hence, they receive a larger share of the resources."

"I see," Owen nodded.

He had merely asked out of curiosity.

With his current wealth, he wasn’t particularly interested in ordinary treasures.

"I’ll head into the tavern first, you guys take your time talking," Norma dropped the remark and strode into the tavern that lay before Owen.

Yashum’s expression turned even more awkward as he scratched his head apologetically, "We’ve been teamed up with Norma for half a month now. That’s just her character, please don’t take it to heart."

After saying this, Yashum turned to his sister Perini and instructed, "Perini, prepare four rooms for us."

Perini obediently headed into the tavern to make the arrangements upon her brother’s request.

"Friends, what are your thoughts?" Yashum, noticing no change in Owen and Anderson’s expressions, felt slightly uncertain.

"No problem at all. Going to the Ancient Ruins just by the two of us would be overly dangerous. It’s good to have a team for support," Owen replied with a smile, not bothered in the slightest by Norma’s attitude.

"When do we set off?" Anderson inquired.

At this, Yashum immediately showed a look of delight.

He had approached many warriors before, but they either found the arrangement unsuitable or were outright driven away by Norma’s temper.

Yashum smiled and clapped Owen and Anderson on the shoulders.

"Since you both are willing to team up with us, let’s go inside the tavern and talk it over. It’s getting late, we can set off tomorrow."

"Alright." Owen and Anderson nodded in agreement, following Yashum into the tavern.

Once in Yashum’s room, Owen and Anderson took seats at his invitation, with Perini also present, though she sat quietly to one side.

"Perini, where did Norma go?" Yashum furrowed his brows slightly.

Perini pursed her lips and whispered, "Brother, she said she wasn’t feeling well."

Hearing this, Yashum took a deep breath, his chest rising and falling as if to ease the displeasure in his heart.

"Yashum, may I ask which part of the Ancient Ruins we’re heading to?"

Owen sensed their relationship dynamics but chose not to comment, as it would only make things more difficult for Yashum.

Yashum sighed with relief and apologized to Owen and Anderson, "My apologies for any embarrassment."

Seeing Yashum openly addressing the issue, Owen and Anderson simply shook their heads and smiled, offering a few words of comfort.

Aside from the matter with Norma, Yashum seemed quite generous, especially when discussing the division of resources, sacrificing his own interests to favor Owen.

Owen and Anderson’s impression of him improved significantly, leading to a serious discussion between them.

The trio’s insights were uniquely valuable, and their discussion lasted an entire day.

To Owen’s surprise, Yashum’s sister remained attentively listening to their conversation.

"Like brother, like sister," Owen mused internally.

Although Perini’s demeanor wasn’t as forthright as Yashum’s, she was equally commendable.

From their meeting until now, Perini had been very well-behaved, not shy but rather seemed understanding.

As daylight fully broke, Owen and the others finally concluded their discussion.

After a night of deliberation, they seemed somewhat reluctant to part ways, having grown more familiar with each other.

"Let’s go. We’ll fetch Norma and then head out," Yashum laughed heartily, having not enjoyed such a lively conversation in a long while.

Especially after meeting Norma, the journey had been exceptionally dreary.

Compared to that, his fondness for Owen and Anderson had grown significantly, almost wishing to befriend them and engage in daily chats.

As they set off for the Ancient Ruins, Norma didn’t show any displeasure.

She silently joined them for breakfast and then accompanied them to the Ancient Ruins.

Although Fallen Sky City was located near the Ancient Ruins on the map, it took them half a day’s journey to approach the actual site.

Yashum’s tone became solemn, "We’ve now entered the vicinity of the Ancient Ruins. Remember to be cautious."

Owen and the others nodded in understanding, even Norma was on high alert.

The Ancient Ruins were deep within a vast forest, and it was unknown how many bandits were lurking in the trees.