The market district looked old and broken, but it still retained some shape. Stone lanes stretched between collapsed stalls, and faded signs hung above abandoned shopfronts. Empty carts sat half buried in dust, as if merchants had only recently walked away.

Helen walked beside Zich carefully, scanning the storefronts as they moved. "This place must have been busy once," she said softly. "There are still labels on some of the stalls."

Zich gave a small nod and approached a broken notice board near the center of the market lane. The board had split in half, yet several faded notices still clung to it beneath rusted nails. He leaned closer to examine them.

The papers were old and brittle, but parts remained readable.

[Escort Caravans]

[Dragon Stable Repairs]

[Missing Patrols]

[Ration Orders]

[Curfew After Blood Mist Sightings]

Zich narrowed his eyes slightly. Beyond the board, he spotted sealed shopfronts, storage locks, and old vault doors buried behind collapsed counters.

He continued down the lane, inspecting every lock along the way. His fingers brushed across metal handles and sealed hinges with a habit so meticulous it almost made him seem picky even inside a ruined city.

Helen stayed near the notice board for a moment longer, though her attention occasionally shifted toward what Zich was doing.

"Dragon stable repairs?" she asked. "So this place really had dragon riders."

Zich did not respond immediately. He stopped near a broken counter and crouched after spotting something heavy hidden beneath the debris. Once he pulled the rubble aside, a locked merchant chest appeared with the Ashen Dragon crest engraved into the lid.

Old coin slots lined the front of the chest, and the metal looked far sturdier than the other storage boxes nearby. Zich examined it briefly before tugging on the lid once, but it refused to move.

Helen leaned slightly closer. "You found something already?"

"Maybe," Zich replied as he inspected the coin slots. "Only one way to find out if it’s worth it."

Meanwhile, on the other side of the city, Jayden and the shorter Velhari searched through one of the ruined administrative buildings.

Dust covered the maps hanging from the walls, still pinned there by rusted hooks.

The shorter Velhari stepped forward before suddenly pausing at one of the wall maps. Jayden followed his gaze, and several red markings immediately caught his attention.

Lower Market. Dragon Stable Quarter. Civilian Shelter Row. Bell Tower. Blood Hall Access.

The Bell Tower district had been marked in red.

Before Jayden could move closer, motion flashed across the roofline outside. A strange figure darted between broken houses before landing on the opposite wall.

"Enemy," the shorter Velhari warned, tightening his grip on the weapon.

The next second, something leapt across a gap in the rooftops. Its body was thin and skeletal, moving with almost beastlike agility. A small bracketed screen flashed briefly across both Jayden’s and the Velhari’s vision.

[Knight Skeleton — Lv28]

The skeleton showed no intention of fighting. It turned its head toward them once, spotted Jayden, then instantly retreated across the rooftops toward the Bell Tower district.

Jayden’s expression darkened. "Go after it!"

FWOOOSH!

The short Velhari moved like a blur, cutting down one scout attempting to slip behind a wall. The blade tore cleanly through bone and rusted armor, but two more figures had already scattered into the ruined streets and vanished.

One of them dropped something bright. A blue crystal rolled across the ground before stopping near Jayden’s feet.

He looked down at it for a moment before raising his eyes back toward the Bell Tower district with a frown.

Back in the market district, Zich inserted one of the ancient gold coins he had collected earlier from the knight loot into the chest slot.

A dry click echoed as the lid unlocked.

Inside rested preserved trade documents tied with black string, a pouch of old gold coins, several monster cores, and a few folded treasures wrapped in cloth. Zich ignored everything else and carefully picked up the nearest item.

[Ashen Drake Harness Buckle]

[Rank: Elite]

[Details: A reinforced buckle once used on lesser war drake harnesses. Effect: Can be used to strengthen beast type or dragon type undead summons.]

A faint light appeared in Zich’s eyes. He stored the item immediately without hesitation since it would be useful for his summon, Tiamant.

Right then before he could proceed to check the rest of the items, a faint scratching sound echoed beneath the floorboards.

Zich immediately raised a hand, signaling Helen to stop. She fell silent at once and shifted her attention toward the broken floor near the back wall. Even the Elite Undead Knight tilted its visor downward.

Several skeletal figures crawled out from beneath the shop floor.

They were smaller than the knights, with thin bodies built for speed. None of them attacked. Instead, each one attempted to flee while carrying a small crystal clenched in its mouth.

Zich clicked his tongue softly and ordered his summon to pursue them.

One skeleton rushed toward the back exit.

Before it could escape, the Elite Undead Knight smashed through the side wall with brutal force and intercepted it mid run.

The impact split the wall apart, sending fragments of stone across the floor as the skeleton was crushed beneath the summon’s sword.

Helen immediately blocked the rear exit with fire, turning the path into a wall of intense heat. 𝐟𝕣𝗲𝕖𝕨𝗲𝐛𝗻𝗼𝐯𝗲𝚕.𝗰𝚘𝐦

BOOM!!!

The flames exploded through the doorway and forced the remaining scouts backward, but one still managed to squeeze through a narrow pipe behind the counter before vanishing into the street toward the Bell Tower district.

Zich watched it disappear before turning his attention toward the fallen skeleton.

He picked up the small crystal that had dropped from its mouth, only to pause once he recognized the color.

It was a soul stone.

"Why are they carrying soul stones?" Zich muttered quietly, more to himself than to Helen. "And where were they taking them?"

...

Thanks to all those who support this novel with their valuable golden tickets and power stones. I really appreciate it! One more Chapter and I’m done! Stay tuned.a