Chapter 1255 Bridge

Chapter 1255: Chapter 1255 Bridge

A few more minutes passed before they finally arrived at a massive city.

Towering stone walls surrounded it, stretching high into the sky like an impenetrable fortress.

The enormous gates at the entrance were several stories tall, forged from dark, weathered metal and engraved with intricate symbols that seemed to shift subtly when looked at for too long.

The city felt ancient and older than anything they had ever known, yet still standing with oppressive authority.

As they approached, the giant gates slowly creaked open on their own.

The sound echoed across the silent landscape, long and drawn out, as if the city itself was breathing.

The newcomers flinched instinctively, a few even stepping back, but there was nowhere to run.

No one spoke.

The atmosphere beyond the gates was suffocatingly still.

The streets inside were wide and paved with black stone that glistened faintly under an unseen light source.

Rows of buildings lined the roads, their architecture foreign and some resembling medieval structures, others defying logic entirely with slanted roofs, floating ornaments, and carved pillars that seemed to hum with faint energy.

Yet despite all of this grandeur, there was not a single living soul in sight.

Not a guard. Not a merchant. Not even an animal.

It was as though the city had been frozen in time, waiting only for them.

No one dared to question it aloud. Fear had long since replaced curiosity.

The old man leading them had that effect and his mere presence was enough to silence even the most outspoken survivors.

To them, he was no different from a shepherd guiding sheep toward a slaughterhouse, and none of them had the courage to resist or stray from the line.

Once the entire group had passed beneath the towering gates, they slammed shut behind them with a thunderous boom.

The sound reverberated through the empty streets, shaking dust loose from ancient rooftops.

Everyone turned instinctively.

Still, there was no one there.

No mechanism. No guards. No visible force.

Only the realization that this world did not obey the rules they once knew.

A few years ago, such a sight would have shattered their understanding of reality.

But that version of them no longer existed.

The zombie apocalypse had already stripped away their innocence, and the awakening of strange abilities had burned what remained.

Now, they simply accepted what could not be explained.

“You will stay here from now on,” the old man said calmly in the same alien language.

His voice was quiet, yet it carried through the entire city as if the air itself amplified it.

“You may hunt for food and resources outside the city walls. But remember this… do not travel more than a thousand meters beyond the city’s boundaries.”

He paused, letting his gaze drift over the group like a blade passing over fragile glass.

“If you do, you will not live long enough to regret it.”

No one questioned him.

Not because they agreed but because they understood that questioning would change nothing.

The old man’s expression remained indifferent, as if he were speaking to something beneath notice.

His eyes carried the same look one might give to insects crawling on stone.

To him, they were no different from ants.

Some among them had awakened abilities back on Earth like fire manipulation, enhanced strength, minor regeneration, etc. but in this world, such gifts were laughably insignificant.

Compared to true Dao cultivators, their power was like a candle flickering against the sun, or mud trying to rival gold in purity and worth.

The gap was not small.

It was absolute.

A crushing divide that no amount of effort could easily bridge.

Without waiting for any response, the old man turned away. His robes fluttered slightly as an unseen wind picked up around him.

“Whoosh!”

A flying sword materialized beneath his feet, its blade shimmering faintly with cold light.

In an instant, the air around him rippled as if reality itself were being cut apart.

Gasps erupted from the crowd despite their fear.

Before anyone could react further, he ascended.

The sword carried him upward with terrifying speed, shooting into the sky like a streak of silver lightning.

In mere seconds, he pierced through the clouds, leaving only a fading trail of energy behind.

And then he was gone.

Silence swallowed the city once more.

The survivors stood frozen beneath the towering gates, surrounded by empty streets and unknown buildings, their minds struggling to process what they had just witnessed.

Only now did it fully settle in….

They had not been brought here for safety.

They had been dropped into something far more dangerous than the world they had escaped.

And in this place, survival was no longer guaranteed.

When the old man disappeared into the sky, the people from Earth finally exhaled the breath they had been holding for what felt like hours.

For a brief moment, there was silence.

Then chaos erupted.

“What are we going to do now?!”

“Who will lead us?!”

“Should we appoint a leader?!”

“I think that’s a good idea. Let’s vote immediately!”

The voices overlapped and collided, swelling into a frantic storm of sound that echoed through the empty streets of the ancient city.

Fear, confusion, and adrenaline mixed together, turning rational survivors into desperate crowds within seconds.

Some people tried to take control, stepping onto elevated platforms of stone and waving their arms.

“Everyone calm down! We need structure! We need order if we’re going to survive in this world!”

But their voices were quickly drowned out.

“Order?!” someone shouted back. “Earth is gone! The dead walk in our cities, people have powers, and that old man just flew into the sky on a sword! We don’t even know where we are right now. What order are you talking about?!”

Another survivor raised his hand, and a flicker of fire ignited in his palm.

The flame danced unnaturally, bending without fuel or wind.

“If we’re talking about survival,” he said loudly, “then strength decides everything now. I can already feel it… this world respects power!”