Post-Apocalyptic Survival Modpack

Chapter 7, Section 07: How did the Empire become like this!

"run--!!!"

At the entrance of Imperial Capital University, in the shade of a large tree.

Ian suddenly turned his head to look inside the school.

Wang Ji then slightly raised his head.

"You heard that too?" Ian asked in a low voice.

Wang Ji nodded.

"go!"

The two immediately abandoned their luggage and ran straight towards the direction they had come from, which was the city gate.

Boom!
At the entrance to the waiting room, a tall man wearing a uniform different from that of ordinary guards punched Ryder in the stomach with a dark expression.

Ryder's stomach suddenly clenched, and he uncontrollably staggered back several steps, almost vomiting up his stomach acid.

The tall man looked at the two guards who had been knocked down on the ground and sighed:

"As expected of an outstanding graduate, he is indeed quite capable. He was able to handle two armed guards with his bare hands, even though they were both lazy good-for-nothings who were used to a life of ease."

“You just shouted ‘Run,’ right? That means they’re still nearby.”

Ryder gasped for breath, suppressing the acid in his stomach, and didn't say a word.

"team leader!"

At this moment, a squad of guards came to their aid and saluted the strong man.

“Go look for them, especially at the school gate. They don’t have the right to pass through, so they won’t be inside the school; they’ll most likely be waiting at the gate.”

"Bring the child back safe and sound; the others are free to do as they please."

The captain of the guard began giving orders, then pointed at Ryder and said:

"Leave two men to tie him up tightly and send him to the master's residence without making a sound."

"Yes!"

A group of about twenty guards immediately began to move.

These guards immediately attracted the attention of some people on campus.

The captain of the guard stepped forward and loudly explained, "Please don't be alarmed, everyone. We are catching a thief who has infiltrated the academy!"

These words were clearly very effective, and some people's furrowed brows immediately relaxed considerably.

Some people, to avoid being caught in the crossfire or running into the thief, immediately moved away.

After a while, the guards brought out Ryder, who was bound with strong ropes, had his head covered and his mouth gagged.

No one cares.

...

Footsteps gradually approached from behind.

At this moment, Wang Ji was certain that magic was not widely available in the empire. The strongest individuals at the top might be incredibly powerful, with earth-shattering might, but most people probably had no access to such things.

Just like the guards behind him, they were only slightly stronger than ordinary people in terms of physical fitness, and the materials of their weapons were also slightly different, but they never managed to use anything that allowed people to directly feel magic and miracles.

His thinking was somewhat different from Wang Jiping's.

At this moment, Ian was extremely anxious. He was certain that something had happened to Ryder, but he didn't know exactly what had happened.

He only knew that he and Wang Ji absolutely could not be caught, otherwise nothing good would come of it.

That's nonsense—can good things be obtained by grabbing them?
"stop!"

A loud shout came from the front of the alley. Ian stopped abruptly and shielded Wang Ji behind him.

He was a guard.

"Don't do anything unnecessary, it will save you from suffering."

The guard looked warily at the middle-aged man in front of him and the child behind him.

The order was to prevent injury to the children; others could do as they pleased.

The guard drew his sword and stared intently at Ian.

As for Wang Ji behind him, he was completely ignored.

What threat could a child who looks only six or seven years old pose, with empty hands?
He probably couldn't even lift a sword if given one.

clang!
Ian drew his short sword and fought with the guards; clearly, he had no intention of surrendering.

"Hurry, child!"

Despite the pressure from the guards, Ian urgently told Wang Ji to leave.

However, the next moment, a breeze swept by, and with a thud, a small fist fell from mid-air and hit the guard on the head, making him dizzy and knocking him back several steps, with blood starting to come out of his nose.

Ian paused for a moment, then quickly seized the opportunity to knock the guard down, expertly finding the right spot to knock him unconscious, and then threw him into the pile of debris and buried him.

"Child, you..."

"I'm naturally strong," Wang Ji offered what he considered a reasonable explanation.

Although that attack, since it was a bare-handed strike, didn't do much damage even with a jumping slash, it still had some impact.

Today, even a heavily armored knight would have to stop here, let alone a lightly armored guard.

The question is about the mechanism.

*Thud.* Without standing still, Wang Ji started digging on the spot, and in less than a second, a large, square pit appeared in the ground.

He can destroy anything in this world that is theoretically destructible, even if he is empty-handed.

The speed of destruction may vary depending on the tools used and the hardness of the materials.

Hearing the unusual footsteps approaching from in front and behind, Wang Ji gestured, "Come down quickly, Uncle Ian, let's dig out."

Ian's mouth was slightly open, but he didn't move.

Looking at the child in front of him who showed no sign of panic, Ian suddenly realized something.

He took a deep breath and said:
"Take care of yourself, Wang Ji. Don't trust anyone."

"I have to go find Ryder."

After saying that, he turned around and rushed to a conspicuous spot, shouting, "Come on, you bastards, I'm right here!!"

thump!
A guard came up and elbowed him, knocking him to the ground. Then several other guards came over, pinned him down, and quickly tied him up with rope.

"Bring back!"

"Where's the kid?"

"I couldn't find it. It should be nearby. I bet this old guy came out on his own to attract attention."

The noise outside continued.

A sound came from above, and some people stopped to search carefully.

But the land was still the same land, blending seamlessly with its surroundings, with nothing unusual about it.

The soil that had just been dug out was put back in.

Underground, Wang Ji remained silent, his brows furrowed.

This is truly... baffling and inexplicable.

From beginning to end, he had no idea who was arresting him or what had happened.

Everything was fine when you arrived, so why is this happening?
Forget it.

We'll know when they come back next time.

"You're the ones who kicked me out."

Wang Ji recalled his location and, following the direction in his memory, began digging in the soil, heading straight for the outskirts of the city.

He had no idea how long he had been digging.

It was very dark underground, and you couldn't see anything. Occasionally, you would dig up some particularly hard foundations, so you had to take a detour.

Wang Ji kept digging until his hunger level was almost gone. He hadn't found anything like a foundation for quite a while before he started digging upwards.

Just when he was starving and about to start losing health, Wang Ji finally saw the sun again.

Perhaps this is already the second day of the sun.

"Wow, they've dug this far out."

Standing on the small hill, gazing once more at the majestic capital, Wang Ji felt that his own village was still the best place.

There are so many tricks in the city.

But now he can't go to either place.

...

"call--"

a few days later.

Deep within a private estate prison where no one could find him, Ian took a deep breath.

The fact that there has been no movement for so many days indicates that Wang Ji is still safe.

As for myself...

Ian looked at the large, bloody scars on his body and realized that his training hadn't been in vain.

Bang!

The door next door was slammed shut.

Ian's eyes flickered slightly; he knew Ryder had returned.

Although he couldn't see the specifics.

"You didn't betray that child, right?"

"nonsense."

A weak voice came from next door.

“If I were that kind of person, I wouldn’t have been sent to a remote border town in the first place.”

"Furthermore, I can now confirm that my teacher did not receive any of my letters at all; all our communication has been cut off."

"These scumbags are even worse than before."

"Damn it, how did the empire become like this!"

　I apologize. After finishing my last book, I was busy with other things for several months. When I started writing again after that, I felt a bit rusty and regressed. Please don't doubt that there are some unsatisfactory parts; it is indeed my fault.

　　I've gotten a bit back on track and am currently refining the later chapters.
　　
　
(End of this chapter)