Novel's Extra: I Awakened The Strongest Physique From The Start - Chapter 173

Chapter 173: CHAPTER 172 – The Ruined City.
In the plot of the novel—I Shall Dominate My Favorite Novel—not much was told about Keryu’s trip to the desolate, but from the moment the main arc of Lilia’s search starts, it was written in as much detail as possible.

It was a long arc as Keryu had to come here, search for her, and then help her solve a problem—or more like a trial—that she was facing.

The start was always from an eerie forest with disgusting demonic creatures.

Alex passed through such a forest, but he didn’t find any ruins that were supposed to be there. He didn’t know that this part of the desolate was filled with forests and that all of them were identical.

In every forest he went to, he would be attacked by the same disgusting demonic creatures, making him think that he was in the right place.

But only after searching through five forests did he find the one with ruins where the first part of Lilia’s search arc had started.

“Let’s go in, shall we?” He muttered as he stepped carefully into the ruins, his boots crunching against the stone below him. The ancient structure had long since been claimed by nature, its crumbling walls overgrown with vines and moss.

It was once supposed to be a gateway—a gateway to a majestic city.

Waving some spider webs in his path, he stepped deeper and soon found himself standing in a ruined city.

“How time works,” Alex sighed as he looked around him.

He was now underground—the place where the majestic city was supposed to be. His sharp eyes took in the crumbling structures and the dim glow of lanterns hanging from rusted iron hooks.

The streets were uneven with cracked stone and dirt, making every step a careful one. But what stood out the most was not the state of the city—it was its inhabitants.

Demons. They made up most of the population here, their horns, tails, and eerie eyes marking them apart.

Among the residents, some humans moved cautiously, their wary gazes scanning their surroundings. There were also demi-humans—beastkin with furred ears and tails, scaled folk with reptilian eyes, and even winged individuals whose tattered feathers suggested they had long lost the ability to fly.

They were all either slaves—slaves who ran away from their masters and sought asylum in the desolate, hoping to survive—or criminals who didn’t want to be caught by anyone.

[Well, it is a place hard to come by. So, it’s not a bad hiding spot.] Sophie commented as she observed things just like Alex.

What she said was true. Coming across this forest was hard as every forest was identical, much less the ruins situated at the center of the forest.

‘I guess I should start my search now.’ Alex adjusted his hood with that thought, nodding to himself, keeping his expression neutral as he moved toward a line of market stalls.

The air was thick with the scent of damp stone, mixed with something more unpleasant—hunger. People here were starving. They weren’t just poor; they were barely surviving.

Unlike what people hoped when they rushed into the desolate, they barely survived.

[I’m sure many of them are regretting their decision,] Sophie uttered as if knowing Alex’s thoughts.

Alex’s eyes moved to a crumbling corner as he heard Sophie’s words. People with stick-like bodies and sunken cheeks could be seen lying naked.

They had no light left in their eyes. Waiting for death but too scared to die. ‘True,’ he acknowledged Sophie’s words as his eyes met with one of those people.

Alex was a new entrant to this place; anyone could tell that since he wore clean clothes devoid of any dirt. But the person whose eyes he met just turned away without a change in their expression.

Shaking his head, Alex moved toward one of the stalls in the area.

None of the stalls here sold anything of much value, but to make a living, they had to do something.

He stopped at a stall run by a burly demon with jagged horns, inspecting the wares—dried roots, brittle leaves, and something that seemed like meat but was probably tree bark.

The demon vendor eyed him with suspicion, observing for a while before growling. “You buying or just looking?”

Alex remained calm, tapping a few copper coins on the counter. “I’m looking for someone. A girl with purple hair and purple eyes. Have you seen anyone like that recently?”

The vendor snorted. “You think I’d give out information for coins? This place runs on survival, not charity. If you don’t have something valuable, you’re wasting my time.”

The demon had no interest in money. That wasn’t worth anything in a place where people were cut off from the outside world.

People traded items with other items here. Alex knew that as well, but he was trying to test if it would work.

Alex smirked. “I thought you’d say that.” He reached into his inventory and pulled out a small package, unwrapping it just enough for the vendor to catch a glimpse of the fresh, red meat.

It was something he had brought from the system’s shop. It was raw meat, so it didn’t cost him much.

The demon, however, had his nostrils flare, his eyes darkening with greed. “Where did you get that?”

“Does it matter?” Alex replied smoothly. “You help me, and I’ll share. Otherwise, I’ll take my business elsewhere.”

Many people were already looking their way—the demon knew that. He knew if he let this chance slip by, someone else might grab it.

So, the demon hesitated before lowering his voice. “I don’t know about any purple-haired girl, but… there have been rumors. Someone unusual arrived a few days ago, but whoever they are, they’re being kept out of sight. Might be worth asking around the abandoned quarter.”

Alex nodded and slid a small chunk of meat across the counter. The demon snatched it up immediately, wrapping it in cloth and tucking it away before anyone else could see.

Nodding to the demon, Alex moved on, stopping by a woman selling faded, torn fabrics. “Same question. Purple-haired girl, or anyone out of place?”

The woman’s lips pressed into a thin line. “Meat first.”

Alex sighed but obliged, handing over another piece. She sniffed it before tucking it away. “There’s been whispers of newcomers. But no one’s seen ’em.” The woman paused, her gaze darkening as he glanced at the ring in Alex’s hand. “People like you don’t last long here without something to trade. If you want real answers, you’ll need more than just food.”

Ignoring the woman’s advice, Alex moved, going for another vendor.

From one vendor to another, from some beggar lying on the ground to children running around, Alex asked everyone, but he didn’t get a response that satisfied him.

Everyone just wanted more. It was strange seeing small kids who were supposed to have mischief filled in their eyes growing and asking for more meat.

In the end, he decided to take a different approach. Standing in the middle of the marketplace, he raised his voice just enough for those nearby to hear. “I’m staying at the inn for the night. If anyone has real information about the person I’m looking for, find me there. I’ll pay in meat.”

With those words, he turned and made his way to the inn. He didn’t even wait for their responses. He knew what he was doing, and he was sure that people would try to gather more information for meat. After all, meat was a luxury no one in this area had.

The inn he came to was as dilapidated as the rest of the city, its wooden beams sagging and walls patched with uneven planks. The innkeeper, a hunched man with missing teeth, accepted his payment—some meat—without question and handed him a rusted key.

Yawning, Alex climbed the creaky stairs to his room, oblivious to the greed that flashed past the innkeeper’s eyes the moment he left.

However, it wasn’t just the innkeeper; many people sat around—more than usual—all because they knew Alex would come here, and they had the same greed filling their eyes.

All of their eyes, filled with hunger and desperation had turned toward him.

“Hope someone has something useful tomorrow. Otherwise, this was a waste,” muttered Alex as he opened the door of the room allotted to him. His voice was low, but enough for the people close enough to hear.

Then, with a lazy expression, Alex closed the door behind him, trying to get some rest.

… it was going to be a long night for him, though.