Chapter 533: The Path of Survival
Chapter 533: The Path of Survival
"First, tell me your approximate location."
"Where exactly are we?"
As the sun set, a group of people sat before Lindsey, as obedient as a flock of well-trained ducks.
Among them were still the two young men sitting at the front, directly facing Lindsey.
Upon hearing the first question, their expressions were filled with confusion, but the older one on the left tried to answer:
"This place... is the Desolate Land?"
"..."
Lindsey was momentarily speechless, almost coughing it out.
He tried to calm his tone:
"I mean, a more specific name."
"Like, what's the name of the mountain? What's the name of the river? Surely this place has an official name?"
"Oh, and do you know about the teleportation array?"
"I came here from another world, using the teleportation array to directly traverse space."
This time, the two young men finally reacted.
The young man named Iron Jade, who had fought with a spear earlier, immediately replied:
"We know about the Teleportation Courtyard, but it's occupied by a group of bandits!"
"Occasionally, when someone from another world arrives, they either kill or sell them!"
Bandits?
Lindsey raised an eyebrow.
So, everyone in the teleportation courtyard was a bandit.
In that case, he hadn't stumbled upon a crime scene; instead, he had inadvertently served justice! Lindsey pondered.
Meanwhile, Kate, the swordsman with a shield who had been beaten earlier, remained on high alert:
"You... you managed to escape from them."
"Are you planning to capture us and sell us too? You... you can just sell me; I'm an Awakened, worth more food than an ordinary person!"
"..."
Lindsey's head spun from such accusations, and he felt a bit exasperated:
"Hey, how did I become a human trafficker?"
"What's with your attitude towards me?"
"We've never met before, and I took the initiative to save you first. If you can't show gratitude, at least don't treat me with such hostility!"
Lindsey's words were indeed reasonable.
The young men's experiences and their simple emotions conflicted, leaving them speechless for a moment, unable to respond:
"Iron Jade, Kate, that's enough."
The two young men struggled to find words.
At that moment, a man in his thirties from the crowd stepped forward and took their place, sitting before Lindsey.
The middle-aged man, upon seeing Lindsey, slightly bowed his body as a sign of respect. His weathered eyes held a hint of steadiness:
"Sir, please forgive us."
"If you truly came from another world and are unaware of the situation here, you can ask me anything."
Seeing that there was someone he could communicate with normally, Lindsey was naturally very welcoming:
"Then please, tell me what's going on here first!"
The middle-aged man nodded:
"We call this place the Desolate Land."
"However, several decades ago, this place was known as the Moon-Weeping Mountain Range World."
"Over time, the climate here became increasingly desolate and barren, with very few habitable areas left. For survival resources, people resorted to scheming, murder, kidnapping, and fighting against each other..."
The middle-aged man paused as he spoke.
He looked at the two young Awakeners behind him, his tone turning slightly wistful:
"These two, they're both around twenty years old this year. They didn't experience the prosperous times of the past, so it's natural they wouldn't know about these things."
In their twenties, and they were already unaware of the past.
For a moment, Lindsey was speechless.
He was well aware of the intense battles taking place in the Law Capital, but he never imagined the situation to be this dire, to the point where even in a world separated by another, it had escalated to a level that threatened the continuity of civilization.
Lindsey carefully reconsidered the information he had gathered.
Decades ago, during the tail end of the Law Capital's golden era of talent, Hansi Ke also left during that time.
And then, the old king suddenly passed away.
The old legal system managed to hold on for over a decade before completely collapsing.
According to Elini's account, the official turmoil in the Law Capital had been ongoing for over twenty years, even before these two young people were born!
"..."
At this moment, Lindsey re-evaluated the group of disheveled humans before him.
This was essentially a small human settlement.
The oldest among them was only in their thirties, perhaps a reflection of the average lifespan in this world.
Lindsey's mood suddenly grew heavy, and his tone softened, "Have you ever thought about the issue of preserving civilization?"
The middle-aged man smiled bitterly and shook his head, "Just surviving is already a struggle; how can we afford to think about such things?"
"These days, even I can barely manage to teach them to write their own names."
Lindsey continued, "Why are all of you traveling together now?"
The middle-aged man replied, "Two weeks ago, our settlement was attacked. They had overwhelming numbers, so I had no choice but to flee with these children. Many have already died on the journey..."
"Please forgive their rudeness; it's just that..." The middle-aged man's voice choked up, unable to continue for a moment.
Lindsey's anger dissipated.
In a world with an average age in the twenties and thirties, and with extremely scarce resources, he couldn't expect the residents to be well-mannered and educated.
He waited for a while, giving the middle-aged man time to compose himself, before continuing, "So, what do you plan to do next?"
"Keep wandering in the wastelands until we find a new place to settle down?"
"This world has no order at all." The middle-aged man shook his head again, "I've heard that the world to the west is even worse than here, and the one to the east, closer to the Law Capital, is still filled with warring factions."
"I think that even in a land of turmoil, if there are resources, we might find a glimmer of hope for survival..."
At this moment, Iron Jade spoke up, taking advantage of Lindsey's presence to voice his concerns, which he had been hesitant to challenge authority about for the past two weeks, "Grandpa, isn't the place in the east called the Dark Abyss, where no one has been able to pass through for decades?"
The middle-aged man glared at Iron Jade, "Then tell me, what should we do? Go back and die, or take over someone else's settlement?"
Iron Jade fell silent, and Kate, standing beside him, tried to speak, "Green Marsh..."
Before Kate could finish, the middle-aged man's expression changed, and he scolded her, "Don't even think about it!"
"If you go there, you'll only end up as someone else's meal, forget about becoming some high and mighty Awakened!"
Kate lowered her head, silenced by the rebuke.
The middle-aged man suddenly realized Lindsey was still there and quickly lowered his posture, "Please excuse my behavior!"
"Oh, I forgot to ask, what brings you to this desolate place?"
Lindsey calmly stated his purpose, "I plan to go to the Law Capital."
(End of Chapter)
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