Tomorrow, he would set out once more.
There was little left to explore within the ruined city. After all, this was the place where he had been born and raised.
Every alleyway.
Every courtyard.
Every street.
Most of them were already etched into Nian Lin's memory.
Even so, he could not stop searching.
He had only one goal.
To become stronger.
More specifically, he wished to become a cultivator.
The method of cultivation was something countless people desired.
Perhaps his father possessed such a method.
Perhaps his elder brother did as well.
Otherwise, how could they have escaped the catastrophe that had descended upon the world four years ago?
Nian Lin did not know.
He only knew that cultivators possessed extraordinary power.
Before the catastrophe, his father had been one of them.
Whenever his father appeared, ordinary people would instinctively lower their heads. Some did not even dare meet his gaze.
Even now, the memory remained deeply engraved in Nian Lin's mind.
Cultivators were powerful.
Powerful enough to command respect.
Powerful enough to survive.
And powerful enough to uncover the truth.
Tomorrow, Nian Lin planned to return to the old Clan mansion.
If a cultivation method still existed within the city, there was a good chance it would be hidden there.
However, that place was also among the most dangerous locations in the entire city.
The creatures that wandered near the mansion were far stronger than ordinary mutants.
Many times, Nian Lin had observed the area from afar.
Many times, he had abandoned the idea.
Yet now, he could wait no longer.
As for why he had survived when so many others perished, Nian Lin had never found an answer.
Perhaps it was luck.
Perhaps something else had protected him.
Whatever the reason, it no longer mattered.
The living had to continue moving forward.
With these thoughts in mind, he lowered the book in his hands and glanced toward the narrow crack in the cave wall.
Outside, darkness still ruled the world.
In the days that followed, Nian Lin spent most of his time observing the old Nian Clan Mansion.
From afar, he had seen many mutated creatures roaming the area—beings corrupted by the explosive energy that had once transformed the world.
Some had died instantly during the mutation, their bodies twisting into grotesque forms of monstrous strength.
Others survived.
Most spent the daylight hours sleeping, only awakening when disturbed. Once awakened, they became violent and extremely dangerous.
Fortunately, Nian Lin had already mapped out the surrounding terrain and several possible routes into the mansion. As long as he remained careful, he could avoid most of the threats.
After many days of observation, his resolve gradually hardened.
It no longer mattered whether monsters lurked inside.
It no longer mattered whether traps had been left behind.
He had to enter the mansion.
That was the only path forward.
Nian Lin understood one thing clearly: if he wished to survive, he had to be fully prepared.
His gaze shifted to the stone dagger in his hand before moving to a small container filled with poison he had painstakingly collected over many days.
Cultivation had existed since ancient times, long before the catastrophe that reshaped the world.
Though much had changed, the foundations of cultivation still remained.
Nian Lin did not understand the details.
He only knew one truth.
If he became a cultivator, he would become stronger.
Strong enough to rival the monsters.
Strong enough to survive.
Strong enough to uncover the truth behind the destruction of the world.
Cultivation was said to be dangerous.
Yet danger no longer mattered.
He lived in Anagetha, a world consumed by destruction.
Human lifespans were short.
Disease was rampant.
Every day was a struggle for survival.
Few died peacefully in their sleep.
Most perished in silence and despair.
Nian Lin had long since understood one thing.
In this Age of Armageddon, the weak were prey and the strong were hunters. If he wished to survive, then he had to become stronger. No matter the cost.
At last, after several days of preparation, the opportunity arrived.
Night descended.
The mutated beasts left their territories to hunt.
Nian Lin immediately made his move.
Following the route he had carefully planned, he slipped into the Nian Clan Mansion.
The once-grand estate had become a ruin.
Collapsed pillars littered the courtyards.
Broken furniture lay scattered across the halls.
Dust and decay filled every corner.
Nian Lin moved silently through the darkness.
One room.
Then another.
Then another.
Eventually, he discovered a hidden passage leading deep beneath the mansion.
Years ago, this place had been known only to the clan elders.
Now, there were no secrets left.
The underground chambers had been thoroughly ransacked.
Broken shelves covered the floor.
Fragments of shattered artifacts were scattered everywhere.
As Nian Lin ventured deeper, he suddenly stopped.
Skeletons.
Adults.
Children.
Their remains lay where they had fallen.
Nian Lin stared silently.
Perhaps some of them had once been his relatives.
Perhaps some had known him.
He did not know.
Four years had passed.
The faces of many people had already faded from his memory.
Still, he was certain of one thing.
His father.
His elder brother.
The strongest members of the Nian Clan.
They could not have died so easily.
Somewhere in this vast world, they had to be alive.
Silently, Nian Lin continued forward.
Soon, he entered another hidden room.
Like the rest of the underground complex, it had been thoroughly searched.
He searched every corner.
Every shelf.
Every box.
Just as he was beginning to lose hope, he found two scrolls buried beneath a pile of debris.
One appeared mostly intact.
The other had been damaged, its lower section torn away.
Nian Lin immediately picked up the first scroll.
Slowly, he unrolled it.
Inside were illustrations of a person seated in meditation.
Thin lines flowed throughout the figure's body.
Numerous symbols and writings filled the margins.
Page after page displayed different postures and movements.
Though he could not understand the words, instinct told him this was something precious.
This was exactly what he had come for.
Carefully, he rolled the scroll back up and stored it away.
Then he secured the second scroll as well.
Afterward, he continued searching.
Soon, he entered a vast chamber unlike any he had seen before.
The room was surprisingly clean.
There was no debris.
No broken furniture.
No signs of destruction.
At the center stood an enormous nest.
As he drew closer, Nian Lin realized its size was far beyond anything he had imagined.
Three enormous eggs rested within.
Each one was nearly half his legs
His eyes widened.
These eggs were undoubtedly treasures.
Just as he was deciding how many he could carry, something beneath the nest caught his attention.
A faint silver glow.
Carefully moving aside layers of feathers and branches, Nian Lin uncovered a strange object.