The march went on for hours. Hours spent on edge, bracing for an ambush that never came.
Still, the fatigue built up slowly on most of them. They looked like they'd fought for weeks… not a single day.
Eventually, when they were at their limit, they stopped—because, for the first time, they saw something that didn't belong to the endless wasteland.
"Am I hallucinating?"
Ragna Claude blinked, unsure if his eyes were deceiving him.
Before them stood a city—its tall buildings made from jet-black stone resembling obsidian.
It was still far away, but clearly visible.
"It's not an illusion."
Phoenix placed a hand on Ragna's head, confirming what they saw.
"Everyone, get ready. We're blending in."
At his signal, everyone pulled out the tattered clothes and black cloaks they had looted earlier, dressing in them one by one.
"Ugh…"
Some of the girls grimaced at the filthy clothing they had to wear, but none dared complain.
"The plan is simple. We blend in. Try to gather as much information as possible—especially about the teleportation gates. If we can get supplies, great. But don't engage with anyone. Keep your heads down at all times. Understood?"
"Yes!"
The students answered in unison, prompting a nod from Phoenix.
"Good. Ghost Umbra and Prince Aegon will come with me. The rest of you stay back until we know what we're walking into."
Phoenix had intentionally split the group, placing Snow and Frey among the rest of the students. Both of them were strong enough to fend off most of what the Ultras might throw at them.
Meanwhile, he chose Ghost—the best in stealth—and Prince Aegon—highly intelligent—to accompany him directly.
Phoenix's plan was sound, and no one objected, so the trio immediately set off ahead of the others.
Thanks to their exceptional speed, it only took them a few minutes to reach the city's crumbling outer walls.
"Try to stay out of sight as much as possible."
Both Ghost and Aegon nodded simultaneously. Ghost was about to suggest using his shadow manipulation ability to sneak in, but he stopped short as a strange realization struck him.
"Those walls… are empty?"
There were no guards on the ramparts—no signs of life where the city's first line of defense should've been. Ghost questioned his senses, but Phoenix's reaction mirrored his own.
"I don't sense anything..."
An SS ranked Awakened like him couldn't be fooled easily—ordinary people had no hope of escaping his perception. The fact that he sensed absolutely nothing confirmed it: something was definitely wrong.
"Stay sharp. We're going in."
Following Phoenix's command, they cloaked themselves in aura and lightly tapped their feet against the ground, launching themselves toward the top of the wall that separated them from the city beyond.
Upon reaching the summit, the trio took a moment to process what they saw.
The sun's rays bounced off the old obsidian-like walls, revealing the entire city in haunting clarity. The sight was majestic, yet the deafening silence was unsettling.
"This isn't what I expected to find here..."
Aegon remarked with a soft smile as he stepped forward.
"This place is completely deserted..."
With every step they took deeper into the land of the Ultras, things only grew stranger.
"It's too early to jump to conclusions."
Phoenix moved forward with a stern expression, followed closely by Ghost and Aegon.
"Let's scout the area."
There was no logical reason for a city of this size to be abandoned. It simply didn't add up. But no matter how hard they searched, the result was the same: it was a ghost town.
"This throws our entire plan out the window..."
It was like walking through an empty graveyard. There was nothing to give them even a sliver of hope. The land itself felt like a yawning abyss, ready to swallow them whole.
"We shouldn't have expected anything from this barren wasteland to begin with."
Aegon spoke while slicing through one of the city's buildings, revealing its interior.
A bare room with a rotting wooden table and a few broken chairs.
"How charming..."
As they wandered through the vacant streets, they found empty shops, scattered belongings, abandoned homes...
"It's as if everyone left at the exact same time,"
Aegon said aloud, earning a nod from Ghost, who was still investigating the scene.
"Not just that—it happened recently. Very recently."
From freshly extinguished campfires and recent footprints, Ghost reached a firm conclusion.
"I'd wager this city was fully inhabited less than 24 hours ago."
"You're saying they left just a few hours before we arrived?"
Phoenix asked, frowning—then froze, as realization hit him.
"The army from before…"
Ghost nodded.
"We can't be 100% certain, but it's likely that army came from here."
The wretched ones—those walking corpses who had eaten human flesh—had in fact emerged from this very place.
"But that makes no sense. Are we supposed to believe that those miserable fighters were the city's entire population?"
To their knowledge, cities weren't built like this.
Where were the women? The children?
No matter how they tried to reason it out, something crucial was missing from the picture.
But they couldn't figure it out—no matter how hard they tried.
"For now, let's continue exploring before we call the others."
Even if it wasn't what they hoped for, the abandoned city was a decent enough place to set up a temporary base.
But first, they had to confirm that it was truly empty. So they swept through the area methodically.
Wherever they went, the result was the same—empty homes, desolate streets…
The only "food" left behind was rotten human flesh and a few scraps of grass—not even enough to feed a starving infant.
The same scene repeated itself throughout the city.
Except for one place.
Standing before a massive structure at the city's center, Aegon finally found what he was looking for.
"I knew it. Even filthy places like this have their command post."
The building before him was noticeably more intact and refined than the others. Aegon naturally assumed this was the place everything had been coordinated from.
"If there's anything worth looking at in this trash heap, it's definitely in there."
"I see you've found a lovely place, Aegon."
The prince turned to find Phoenix and Ghost had caught up. Still smiling, he gestured grandly toward the building.
"Be my guests—after you."
Phoenix ignored the flirtatious prince and made his way toward the building's massive iron doors, which he shattered with a single punch.
The three entered simultaneously and began their search.
To their surprise, the interior was relatively organized. There was furniture that was at least usable, desks filled with old documents and files, and rooms that contained relatively clean beds.
But aside from that, no matter how many floors they searched, they found nothing of true importance.
As for the documents themselves—they were written in a strange language that none of them could read.
"What the hell is this language?!"
Phoenix muttered, glancing toward Aegon, who was staring blankly at one of the papers.
For a moment, it seemed like the prince had understood something. That's what Phoenix hoped, judging by how focused he looked. But Aegon suddenly smiled and tossed the document aside.
"Don't look at me like that. I didn't understand a thing—just like you."
"I see…"
Phoenix was about to give up, until Ghost called from below.
"You two, come downstairs. There's something you'll want to see."
Responding to Ghost's call, Phoenix descended at once, followed by Aegon—who gave one last glance at the paper he had discarded.
His eyes were fixed on the bold title that adorned it.
"Third-Generation Contracts."
Then he turned his back and followed Phoenix down.