“Ancient Civilisation Ruins?”
Luo Feng felt as if a bucket of ice water had been poured over his head. His whole body jolted awake in an instant. He was no longer joking around. His expression turned serious, his eyes sharp like lightning, staring at the message on his communication watch. He said softly, “Open the email.”
Beep.
The inbox title opened, revealing an email written in Chinese characters.
“Inspector Luo Feng:
Please arrive at the headquarters of the Global Extreme Limit Dojo in Hongning Base City before 6 pm on September 29. At that time, many War Gods will gather and proceed together to the ‘No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins’.
Please note the following three points:
- As the relatively low danger ‘No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins’, it is the only place where the ‘Black God Set’ can be obtained. The death and injury rate for War Gods entering is approximately 72%. The success rate is 28%. Before deciding to enter, please consider carefully. Once you enter, there is no turning back.
- Each person only has one chance to enter the ‘No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins’.
- Martial artists entering the ‘No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins’ are prohibited from using the Black God Set and other special defensive equipment. Only combat suits manufactured on Earth are allowed.
Please think carefully before deciding whether to enter.
If you are prepared to enter, please make arrangements and arrive at the designated location before the specified time.
Extreme Limit Dojo
31 August 2057”
At the end of the email was a seal-like emblem of the Extreme Limit Dojo. It was such a simple message, yet it made Luo Feng fall completely silent. He lowered his head and stared at the three warning points. It felt as if the temperature in the room had dropped several degrees.
“72% death and injury rate?” Luo Feng frowned. “And a 28% success rate, meaning… if you fail, you die or are crippled.”
“Four people go in, and about three die or are injured.”
Clearly, those who dared to enter the No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins were confident in their abilities. Yet even so, the death rate still reached 72%. This meant one thing. Humanity on Earth had not discovered any reliable pattern for success. If they had, the casualty rate would not be this high.
“And you cannot use Black God Sets or other special equipment?” Luo Feng frowned even deeper.
“What kind of place is this? You even restrict equipment.”
That night, Luo Feng sat silently on the sofa in the viewing room, his brows tightly furrowed.
He knew nothing about the No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins. Knowing your enemy and knowing yourself leads to victory. But charging in blindly like a blind man feeling an elephant, and even being forbidden to use the Black God Set, meant he would lack sufficient protection. He might even lose his life.
“Luo Feng, how about this one?” Xu Xin appeared on the screen wearing another outfit.
“Mm, not bad,” Luo Feng replied, forcing a smile.
“What is wrong?” Xu Xin noticed something was off through the video.
“I still have something to deal with. I will talk to you later,” Luo Feng said.
“Alright, but do not put too much pressure on yourself. You have already done very well,” Xu Xin encouraged.
Beep.
The screen went dark.
The viewing room fell into darkness. Luo Feng sat alone on the sofa in the silence of the night.
After thinking for a long time, he made a decision.
Beep, beep, beep.
He dialled an internal Extreme Limit Dojo number. It was a bit rash, but he could not just walk into the No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins blindly.
“Hello,” a deep voice answered.
Although Luo Feng had spoken to this mysterious person several times before, he noticed the voice was always cold and low. Only once, when he said “thank you, sir”, did the tone change slightly, even laughing briefly.
“Hello, I am Luo Feng,” he said.
“I know. Inspector Luo Feng. What is your issue?” the voice remained cold.
“I just received a ‘Ancient Civilisation Ruins Departure Notice’. It states the target is the No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins, with a 72% casualty rate, and that Black God Sets and similar equipment are prohibited. Is that correct?” Luo Feng asked.
“Yes,” came the short reply.
“I want to know, do all War Gods face the same challenges and dangers once inside?” Luo Feng continued.
“Not the same.”
“As long as one has War God level physical ability, they can enter the No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins. Initial, intermediate, and advanced War Gods face different levels of challenge and danger. Some advanced War Gods may die, while some initial War Gods have succeeded,” the voice said without hesitation.
Luo Feng’s expression changed slightly.
This was the worst case. If difficulty varied unpredictably, then it came down to luck. Even strong ability might not matter if one encountered extreme danger.
“However, statistically, advanced War Gods have a higher success rate than intermediate War Gods, and intermediate War Gods higher than initial War Gods,” the voice added.
Luo Feng frowned.
When he had spoken to the dojo master Hong before, it sounded as if entering the ruins would easily lead to obtaining a Black God Set, with little danger. But now, the death rate was 72%, and Black God Sets were even prohibited.
“Why is the Black God Set forbidden?” Luo Feng asked.
“If you wear the Black God Set, you cannot enter,” came the simple reply.
“What are my chances of success?” Luo Feng asked.
“Based on previous cases, the ruins contain uncertainty. No precise answer can be given. A rough estimate is that success exceeds 80%,” the voice replied.
Luo Feng fell silent.
Yes, ancient civilisation ruins were called ruins precisely because of their unpredictability. Humanity had not fully understood them.
“When I spoke with the dojo master, it sounded quite easy,” Luo Feng said.
“I do not know,” the voice replied.
“To enter the No. 9 Ancient Civilisation Ruins, one normally applies personally. But you, Inspector Luo Feng, were directly appointed by the master. Whether it is truly easier for you cannot be confirmed. You should ask the master himself,” the voice added.
Luo Feng nodded slowly. “Understood. Thank you.”
He hung up.
In the quiet viewing room, Luo Feng sat silently.
Even after speaking with the mysterious figure, he still felt uncertain. The ruins were unpredictable. No one knew what would happen inside. Since each person could only enter once, even Hong likely could not explore it repeatedly, otherwise there would be no need to send War Gods in like this.
“If the master has arranged it, I will ask him again at the headquarters on the 29th,” Luo Feng thought.
For other War Gods, the Black God Set might be worth risking their lives for.
But for Luo Feng, it was not necessary to take such a risk blindly. Only when there was at least some certainty would he consider it. With no certainty at all, stepping in would simply mean death. High risk must come with high reward. A Black God Set alone was not enough for him to gamble his life.
On the night of September 1st, the sky was already dark.
Inside Mingyue Community, patrol soldiers with live ammunition occasionally glanced toward the grass field in the distance. A dark blue triangular flying warship was parked there, surrounded by thirty soldiers guarding it.
Luo Feng, dressed in a black suit, walked toward the aircraft.
“Sir!” the thirty soldiers saluted.
Because he had been granted the rank of Army Major General, Luo Feng had a 900 man personal guard unit. The soldiers in Mingyue Community were part of the security force, and he had simply divided his guards into shifts for patrol duty.
He nodded.
The cabin opened. Like a gust of wind, Luo Feng entered the intelligent aircraft. It rose rapidly, leaving the city defence system and turning into a streak of deep blue light that disappeared into the sky.
In Jiangnan Base City, within the large residential area of the Extreme Limit General Headquarters, about ninety percent of the city’s Extreme Limit Dojo members lived here.
Music echoed through the air.
In a three storey white villa, preparations were underway for the grand welcoming banquet of the new Inspector. A red carpet stretched from the gate to the entrance, with a hundred metres of cleared space around it.
At this moment, all the city’s elites had arrived, including military commanders, government officials, special agency representatives, and top HR Alliance figures. It was the highest level gathering in Jiangnan Base City.
“Haha, Commander Li, welcome.”
“Has Inspector Luo not arrived yet?” Li Dawei asked with a smile.
“He is the main character today. It is normal to arrive a bit late,” Chairman Zhou Zhengyong said with a chuckle.
In a quiet corner, Li Dawei held a glass of wine. A young man in a suit approached and whispered, “Commander, everything is proceeding according to plan. A major event should occur within an hour.”
“Oh?” Li Dawei showed a faint smile.