The raft slowly landed on the open space inside the fortress.
A squad of fully armored warriors immediately blocked their path.
Betty stepped forward and showed the North Wind caravan badge.
After checking it, the guard waved them through.
Under Betty’s lead, Lin Gui drove the raft.
They sailed into the interior of this massive fortress that dominated the northwest of the Royal Capital.
Inside the fortress, the atmosphere was so heavy it was almost suffocating.
Fully armed warriors and mercenaries could be seen everywhere, their expressions solemn.
Formed adventure groups gathered in their respective areas, communicating in low voices.
Machinery and equipment prepared for war were piled as high as mountains.
Alchemy cannons shimmering with cold light, barrels of fire oil, heavy chariots, steel anti-cavalry spikes...
The entire fortress felt like a bow pulled to its limit, filled with a sense of suppressed tension.
Under Betty’s lead, Lin Gui and his group arrived at the North Wind caravan’s campsite.
Before they even got close, they saw a gargantuan object.
It was a massive train composed of ten carriages.
However, it was not a train in the traditional sense.
Instead, it consisted of massive, wheel-less steel carriages linked together.
The joints between the carriages were wrapped in thick rubber for shock absorption and noise reduction.
The steel hulls were engraved with many complex magical circles that shimmered with faint light.
Lin Gui recognized this kind of thing; it was a vehicle specifically designed for large transport teams, known as a “Wheelless Train.”
Its advantages were strong concealment and massive internal space, which could be used for both storage and living quarters.
At the moment, the door of the first carriage was wide open.
The figures of North Wind caravan members could be seen moving around inside.
Seeing Lin Gui and the others arrive, the people inside filed out one after another.
The Vice Leader of the North Wind caravan was a spirited old man named Aubrey.
He warmly approached them, his face carrying an apologetic expression.
“Mage Lin Gui, you’ve finally arrived.”
“The caravan changed its schedule unexpectedly and failed to notify you in time. I am truly sorry.”
Lin Gui skillfully exchanged a few polite words with him.
Both sides introduced themselves.
The composition of the caravan was complex.
In addition to the members Lin Gui had already met—Freya, Betty, scout Alvin, and assassin Dulu—there was also a male priest named Silas.
There was an exceptionally burly barbarian warrior from the far north named Barton.
Two taciturn beastkin brothers, Grom and Magrom, who carried totems on their backs.
A scholar named Eli, wearing glasses and clutching a thick book.
And a female Forest Elf ranger named Laisa, who had a cool temperament and carried a longbow.
Laisa’s hair was green, and two streaks of red and green paint were drawn across her handsome cheeks.
She was clearly a Forest Elf.
When she saw the Forest Elf Laisa, Theia’s body instantly stiffened.
She subconsciously shrank behind Lin Gui, trying to avoid the other’s gaze.
Lin Gui immediately noticed Theia’s abnormality.
Clearly, Theia knew this Forest Elf and did not want to be recognized by her.
His mind raced, and during the introductions, Lin Gui casually made up a fake name for Theia: “Vera.”
When introducing the Saintess Eve, he also used the pseudonym “Emily.”
After the introductions were finished, Lin Gui got straight to the point.
“When do we set out?”
“We might have to wait a bit, half a day at most.”
Vice Leader Aubrey explained the current situation to him.
Twilight Fortress was the only passage leading toward the northwest of the Royal Capital.
To get to Shield City, starting from here was the fastest route.
If they took a detour through Eagle Fortress, it would take at least an extra month.
However, the current situation was as follows.
The front line of defense at Twilight Fortress had been breached by demons because the resident Duke Sam had been assassinated.
Right now, the Carter Royal Capital’s army was struggling to hold the second line of defense.
Therefore, they could not leave for the time being.
The situation seemed extremely dire.
However, everyone in the North Wind caravan was very relaxed.
“By the time the demons break through the second defense line and get here...”
“The leader will have solved everything.”
Aubrey smiled, his grin appearing somewhat out of place in the heavy atmosphere.
“By then, we can also set out.”
“So, there’s no need to wait too long, Mage Lin Gui.”
He cast his gaze toward Freya, who was standing on the distant city wall.
Lin Gui followed his gaze and nodded.
“Fine. Can you tell me about the arrangements for us?”
“Where will my companions and I stay, and where should we put our things?”
“What are the plans for us on this journey?”
Aubrey smiled and said, “Of course. But before that, could I ask you to first give us a demonstration?”
He pointed to the massive Wheelless Train.
“This big guy is loaded with nearly a hundred tons of cargo. It’s not the same as your small raft.”
“This journey is dangerous. We need to confirm the limit of your ability.”
Lin Gui nodded without saying much.
He picked up his oak staff and pressed the head against the cold steel plating of the train.
He sank his mind into it and began to feel the weight, which was as heavy as a mountain.
one hundred tons... This was his first time attempting to levitate something this heavy.
The sharp increase in weight meant that the requirements for the precision of the Levitation spell and for mana skyrocketed.
The consumption, which originally belonged to a Novice spell, was now comparable to a Transcendent spell.
Unlike before, when a single thought could make things float, Lin Gui’s movements were now exceptionally slow, and fine beads of sweat seeped from his forehead.
The members of the North Wind caravan surrounded him, watching quietly.
Aubrey walked up to Betty and asked in a low voice.
“Little Betty, do you think he can do it?”
Meeting the inquiring gazes of her teammates, Betty hummed softly, her tone carrying certainty.
“Don't worry. He’s much stronger than me.”
As a fellow mage, she knew the depth of the Levitation spell well.
Lin Gui’s previous speed of one-second chanting had already explained everything.
The only question now was whether his mana reserves were sufficient.
After all, even if the other party was only a High Rank mage...
Time passed bit by bit, yet both the train and Lin Gui remained motionless.
Some members of the North Wind caravan frowned and began to have doubts.
Just as someone thought this young mage was powerless to move this steel behemoth...
Lin Gui slowly lowered his staff.
He turned his head, looked at Aubrey, and asked calmly, “Is this sufficient?”
Aubrey and the others looked puzzled and were about to ask what he meant.
However, the Forest Elf Laisa took a step forward, leaned down to the ground, and looked sideways at the bottom of the train.
Then, she looked up at everyone with a strange expression.
“It’s floating. About one centimeter off the ground.”
Hearing this, the others also crouched down to check.
Sure enough, between the bottom of the massive Wheelless Train and the ground...
A gap had appeared, so fine it was almost impossible to detect.
When everyone stood up, the way they looked at Lin Gui had become somewhat strange.
Aubrey coughed and said to Lin Gui.
“Could you... go a bit higher? When crossing the Silent Sea, we need to be at least twenty meters above the sea surface.”
Lin Gui frowned slightly.
To keep this hundred-ton weight suspended, his current mana consumption had reached nearly fifty points per second.
In addition, with the restrictions of the buildings inside the fortress, it was quite difficult to perform.
“Do you need help?” Saintess Eve’s soft voice came from behind him.
Lin Gui nodded.
Then, a sequence of ethereal and solemn chanting rang out.
The soft glow of Mana Restoration enveloped Lin Gui.
Feeling the rapid recovery of mana within his body, Lin Gui took a deep breath and said loudly.
“Make way!”
The people surrounding the train instinctively stepped back a few paces.
The next moment, the silent steel train seemed to have been injected with life.
Following the guidance of Lin Gui’s staff, it emitted a low hum and began to rise steadily.
Like a waking dragon, it spiraled and soared straight into the clouds!
This shocking scene instantly attracted almost all the eyes inside the fortress.
The originally dull and oppressive atmosphere was broken.
Soldiers, mercenaries, and adventurers all swarmed into the open space.
They looked up at the massive object flying freely in the sky.
On the fortress wall, the Guardian Knight watched the train moving nimbly in the air.
He couldn’t help but praise Freya beside him.
“Your caravan is truly a place of hidden talents! Such exquisite Levitation, it’s my first time seeing it.”
“He is truly a worthy disciple of yours, Lady Freya!”
However, Freya beside him frowned slightly.
A worthy disciple??
If Betty could do something like this...
She wouldn't be Freya's disciple; she would be Freya’s teacher.
Freya narrowed her eyes, her heart filled with shock.
This control distance...
It far exceeded the judgment for the maximum range of the Levitation spell in the City of a Thousand Towers.
To what ridiculous extent did this little fellow’s understanding and mastery of Levitation reach?
Lin Gui’s unintentional display made Freya realize...
She might have accidentally recruited a truly extraordinary fellow.
Rate on N.U.
