I have an Apocalypse City - Chapter 247

Chapter 247: Chapter 247: Stone City

Translator: 549690339

Song Jian had now confirmed that the pyramid marked on the map was indeed the Kantelu Ruins. However, it seemed that the ruins were a great distance from where he and Jierna were. It had taken them more than six hours to get there.

Annoyed at Song Jian’s slow pace, Jierna had another one of the Red-tailed Beasts carry him. The beasts raced through the desert without encountering a single monster, which Song Jian found peculiar.

Half a day later, a Stone City appeared before them.

Having dismounted from the Red-tailed Beast, Jierna pointed at the city before them and explained, “That is the main city of the Kantulu Clan, the place now known as the Kantelu Ruins. The prayer altar is at the center of the city. You can see a corner of it from here.”

Looking in the direction Jierna was pointing, Song Jian indeed saw a towering pyramid within the city. It was far taller than the other buildings, and its point could even be seen several miles away.

The Stone City before them wasn’t that big. Its walls were built from stone bricks, many of which had collapsed. Dark red plants, resembling cacti, were plentiful and their sharp thorns stood tall.

The city looked simple and dilapidated, which disappointed Song Jian. It appeared that the Kantulu Clan wasn’t as strong as he’d imagined. The city’s size was similar to a small district within a Zombie Town. This disadvantaged size was likely why the entire clan had faded into history, leaving behind only these city ruins.

As they moved towards the Stone City, after a few steps, they both glanced to the left. A billowing cloud of sand was rising in the distance, seemingly stirred up by someone running at a high speed.

“Humph, 1 had expected that little green dwarf to run fast!” Jierna huffed with a cold snort.

Song Jian started to laugh as he recognized the running figure to be the Goblin merchant Canaan. He looked just as he did when Song Jian first met him, carrying his large bundle on his shoulder.

This was the first time Song Jian had seen Canaan running. Canaan was impressively fast and had good endurance. Seeing Song Jian and Jierna, Canaan changed his course to run toward them, and in no time at all, was standing before them.

“Phew, phew-. I finally found you guys. The desert is riddled with monsters. 1 was almost surrounded by them,” Canaan wiped the sweat from his forehead, looking completely worn out.

“Coward! We’ve only encountered a single monster all this time. The desert isn’t teeming with monsters as you say! Your problem is that you’re a scaredy-cat!” Jierna scornfully remarked.

Just as Canaan was about to retort, Song Jian suddenly pointed in the direction Canaan had come from and asked, “Are those the monsters you were talking about?”

Jierna looked up and saw the cloud of dust created by Canaan’s run was beginning to settle. Behind it were hundreds of Desert Scorpion Beasts lined up densely, looking like a dark tide, heading toward them.

“You good-for-nothing! How could you draw so many monsters toward us!” Jierna roared in fury, her combat axe itching to chop Canaan in half.

“I, I was just saying…” Canaan gasped for air while trying to defend himself.

“Let’s run! Into the Stone City, or we’re all going to die here,” Song Jian said, darting towards the Stone City.

These Desert Scorpion Beasts were just ordinary Level 15 monsters and not the Level 15 Elite Boss they’d encountered earlier. Despite this, the sheer number of beasts was overwhelming, and two people, no, three – even considering Canaan, it was not a fight they could win.

All around them was a blank canvas of yellow sand. Only by entering the Stone City could they have a chance to escape.

Although the city walls had collapsed considerably, lacking defensive strength, most of the buildings inside the city were still intact. Provided they could find a stone house to hide in, out of sight from the beasts, they might be able to wait out until the monsters left on their own.

Jierna also discarded her resentment for Canaan and dashed toward the Stone City alongside Song Jian.

Jumping over a collapsed stone wall, the three of them rushed into the city, heading towards the city center. Most of the buildings near the stone wall had either collapsed or been buried by the sand. The stones towards the center of the city, the closer they were to the central pyramid, better they were preserved.

“These stone houses are too small; they can’t serve as hiding places.” Jierna looked around and frowned.

Song Jian looked around and found that the stone houses near the city center were mostly two or three-story stone towers. They didn’t take up much ground area, and these stone towers wouldn’t be able to withstand an onslaught from a group of Level 15 monsters.

“Let’s go to the prayer altar. Only there can we find a place to hide.” Canaan yelled, pointing at the massive pyramid at the city center.

“Right, that place!” Jierna’s eyes lit up, and she quickly gave her approval.

Song Jian had come here for the first time and naturally had no say in the matter. He followed Jierna and Canaan towards the massive pyramid.

The pyramid stood several tens of meters high, constructed from huge rocks each over a meter in diameter. Building such a structure was more challenging than constructing ten stone cities. Song Jian wondered how the Kantulu Clan had managed to construct it.

Moreover, surrounding the giant pyramid were dozens of smaller pyramids. The shortest stood about seven or eight meters tall while the tallest was no more than fifty meters high. Compared to the central pyramid, they were as insignificant as jackals to an elephant.

“What are these smaller pyramids for?” Song Jian asked while running.

“They all seal demons. Don’t approach them too closely. Only the giant pyramid that hosts the prayer altar is safe,” Canaan urgently warned, his face growing pale as he saw Song Jian pointing at the smaller pyramids.

“Hmph, demons my foot! They’re nothing but Level 30 Elites!” Jierna snorted, her face filled with disdain.

“Level 30 Elite bosses?” Song Jian’s body trembled involuntarily, immediately dropping the idea of exploring the smaller pyramids.

Underneath the giant pyramid was a stone corridor about two meters wide, leading directly inside the pyramid. The three of them followed this corridor and soon felt a shift from bright to dim light, indicating they’d entered the pyramid’s interior.

Behind them, sharp shrieks from the Desert Scorpion Beasts could be heard. They seemed to fear this pyramid, staying put at the entrance to the stone corridor, continuously screeching.

“Phew! We’re safe! They dare not enter,” Canaan said, collapsing onto the ground and panting heavily.

Jierna too threw her weapon aside and sat down leaning against a Red-tailed Beast. She didn’t have any speed boosting skills and had relied purely on her physical stamina to reach safety. Now that the danger had passed, she too started to feel fatigued.

Song Jian frowned. If this pyramid was as safe as Canaan said, why did the Scorpion Beasts fear it?

“It seems there are secrets within the pyramid that they haven’t discovered yet.” Song Jian glanced at Canaan and Jierna, secretly speculating.