Chapter 158 Palo City's Ruins

In the forest, bare branches stretched out in a desolate display of winter's remnants.

Cobblestone paths led in various directions through the forest, with many clean lakes scattered throughout the area. There are several wooden cabins next to almost every lake, which are the residences of Babu Town's inhabitants.

These wooden cabins built near the lake were highly sought after during the tourism peak season and often rented out at exorbitant prices. It is normal that they are in short supply.

But since it is the off-season now, several sets of cabins are idle.

Before going to the ancient city ruins, Law rented a wooden cabin by the lake as a temporary residence.

"What exactly are you planning to do?" Sanbica couldn't help asking after hearing Law ask a string of questions about the ancient city ruins.

Before coming here, Law had asked her to look up the relevant information. Now, instead of recalling it himself, he was essentially using her as a walking encyclopedia.

On the forest's gravel path, fallen leaves scattered across the ground in a patchwork of light and shadow. The serene surroundings exuded a tranquil beauty, with sunlight filtering through the trees in soft beams.

"Tearing down walls."

Law replied. As he stepped into one of the light beams, his figure appeared almost ethereal.

However, the words he spoke sent a chill through Sanbica.

"What did you just say?" Her eyes widened and she said in shock.

'Tear down walls at the ancient city ruins? These were well-preserved cultural relics. According to the laws of the Yorbian Continent, even intentionally chipping a corner of a relic could land someone in prison for years, let alone tearing down walls.'

Law scratched his head and said seriously: "There's no need to be so agitated. I just want to find something inside one of the walls at the ruins. Since I don't know the exact location, I may have to demolish a lot of places."

"You're crazy." Sanbica muttered, her mouth slightly agape, though her mask concealed the expression from Law.

"I'm just tearing down the wall to see if there's anything inside. I can use my Nen to restore it afterwards, so it's no big deal, right?" Law added with a look of genuine confusion.

"…"

Sanbica suddenly realized he had a point. With Law's Nen Ability, even if he tore down walls for fun, he could restore them perfectly afterward. She hadn't thought of that.

"Anyway, let's go take a look first. If the ruins are heavily guarded, even if I can restore it to its original state afterwards, it will be useless if I can't touch it. If it doesn't work during the day, this visit will just be reconnaissance, and I'll come back at night to dismantle the walls."

Law walked towards the beam of light, speaking seriously.

"You seem oddly experienced at this." Sanbica remarked as she walked beside him.

Law chuckled awkwardly and explained: "I'm just trying to avoid unnecessary trouble?"

Sanbica snorted lightly, feeling as if she had boarded a pirate ship. First, they went to Meteor City to steal a sword, which at least justifiable under the circumstances.

But this time, Law was chasing some vague rumor to search for something in the ruins of an ancient city.

'Even if there were any good stuff, it would have been discovered by archaeologists long ago, right? After all, the ruins of Palo City are several centuries old.

Many ancient ruins have been discovered in various places on this world's six continents. Of the known historical sites, more than 90% are under the strict protection of the countries on each continent.

Even in cases where nations didn't allocate resources to restore or develop these ruins, they would never allow outsiders to access them easily.

For outsiders to gain access to such ruins, they would first need to meet eligibility requirements, followed by sufficient funding. Even then, they'd likely only gain reputation rather than tangible rewards for their efforts.

The ruins of Palo City, however, were fundamentally different from those protected by national governments. This site, eroded by the passage of time, was open to anyone and served primarily as a tourist attraction.

Its archaeological value paled compared to those globally recognized heritage sites.

Nevertheless, while its archaeological significance was limited, its monetary value cannot be underestimated.

Every year, there is an endless stream of tourists who come here to visit. The annual ticket revenue is far higher than the maintenance cost, making it one of the important places for local officials to make money. Therefore, the official protection of the ruins is very strict.

At the end of the trail, the density of trees was obviously much sparser, and there were more people, all of them seemed to be heading for the ruins of Palo City.

"It seems like most of them are couples."

Law observed the people around him and found that they were basically couples wearing winter clothes and walking together. Many of them are young couples, though there were also middle-aged couples among the crowd.

Palo City was once known by another name in ancient times: The City of Love. Many legends about love had been passed down through the generations, with some of the more famous ones adapted into stage plays.

While these stories couldn't always be verified, they were widely believed to have a high degree of truth.

One well-preserved statue in the city, regarded as a symbol of Palo City and its central belief, which now served as a pilgrimage site for countless couples.

Most of the tourists come to Palo City for its romantic legends.

In addition to this, there is an even more famous legend, which is the location of the tomb of the Palo City's lord. It had long attracted the attention of archaeologists and treasure hunters alike. According to the ancient records, the burial objects of the lord include the most beautiful gems of that era.

Anyone who knew of Palo City was likely familiar with these associated tales, but before arriving here, Law asked Sanbica to look up some information. Then, after learning the location of the Palo City's ruins, he was no longer interested in other information.

This single-minded focus was strange, and Sanbica couldn't help but whisper, "Your understanding of the Palo City ruins is so shallow, but you're so determined to find something there?"

It was a contradictory impression. He knew so little, but was utterly convinced there was something hidden in one of the walls.

Law didn't know what Sanbica was thinking. He looked ahead, and without hiding anything, he said softly, "A piece of music score."

"Music score?" Sanbica asked in surprise.

"The Sonata of Darkness. Have you heard of it?" Law replied as he spotted scattered groups of people and the outline of the ruins in the distance. They were almost at their destination.

"Yes, I've heard of it." Sanbica's eyes showed a solemn look, and she said, "My Master once told me that there are many strange objects in this world. As long as the conditions are activated, the objects can produce unknown powers, which are very similar to Nen. The Sonata of Darkness is one of those objects."

"Moreover, according to rumors, the Sonata of Darkness was created by Satan itself. It is also a very dangerous piece of music. When it is played, it will bring disaster. What do you want to do by looking for that music score?"

The Sonata of Darkness was a legend well-known among Nen Users, and is considered a mythical artifact.

Among many Hunters in this world, Music Hunter is considered an unpopular profession, and every Music Hunter is interested in this rumored Satan's composition.

This interest and curiosity are the same as the nature of other Hunters. For example, Ruins Hunters will pursue ruins that have never appeared in the world, and Gourmet Hunters will be interested in ingredients that have never been seen before.

Though Sanbica is not a Music Hunter, she has a general understanding of this area, which surprised Law.

"You know a lot." Law said.

Sanbica frowned and said, "You still haven't answered my question."

"I know that song is dangerous, but I want to find it in order to get rid of the Nen that's on it." Law explained.

In essence, he really meant to get rid of the Nen attached to the music score, and he was not lying.

The Sonata of Darkness was extraordinarily unique, and was by no means comparable to the ancient artifacts that he had absorbed before. It might be an unparalleled opportunity for him.

"You can also exorcise Nen?" Sanbica asked, clearly shocked, after all, Nen Exorcist is a very rare profession, 'Law had actually been able to exorcise Nen as well? How many other talents did he have that I didn't know about?'

"Yes, if you ever need that kind of help in the future, I can give you a 10% discount." Law joked.

"…"

As the two were talking, they arrived at the entrance of the Palo City's ruins.

At this time, there were many people standing outside, queuing.