The Wheelless Train circled above Twilight Fortress for a full half-hour.
At times, it turned as nimbly as a swimming fish, and at others, it hovered motionless, resembling an aerial fortress.
It wasn't until fine beads of sweat seeped from Lin Gui’s forehead and his face turned slightly pale that he stopped.
Behind him, Eve’s breathing had also become hurried; she had clearly consumed quite a bit of energy.
Half an hour of high-intensity manipulation had allowed this hundred-ton steel behemoth to move flexibly in the sky.
This had consumed more than just Lin Gui’s mana.
Even Eve, who had been continuously restoring his mana, felt exhausted.
When the train finally descended slowly to its original position and let out a heavy thud as it landed, the crowd finally woke as if from a dream.
Lin Gui wiped the sweat from his brow and looked at the stunned members of the North Wind caravan surrounding him.
“How was that? Do you still need to test my abilities?”
His voice was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable confidence.
Eli the scholar pushed up his glasses and exchanged an astonished look with the Forest Elf, Laisa.
Laisa’s lips curled slightly, her tone carrying a hint of teasing.
“Why don't we just kick Betty out?”
She deliberately glanced at the huffing Betty and continued.
“Compared to the little mage’s Levitation...”
“A certain someone’s Levitation has an activation speed as slow as a crawl.”
“And her control is always unstable, veering off direction at the drop of a hat.”
Betty immediately put her hands on her hips and retorted.
“Hey! Sister Laisa! I'm not that bad!”
“I practice every day, okay!”
Laisa shrugged and said with a smile.
“Is that so? It seems to me like you haven't made any progress at all.”
Betty gave a soft hmph.
Her eyes darted around as she thought to herself.
I just asked the little mage for many tips on the way here.
In a moment, I'll show you my brand-new Levitation!
The two of them laughed and joked back and forth, and the atmosphere instantly lightened considerably.
The other team members all wore smiles, their gazes toward Lin Gui now containing several more degrees of recognition.
The strength Lin Gui had shown with the Levitation spell brought them an unprecedented sense of security.
At least on this perilous journey, they wouldn't have to be constantly on edge.
They no longer had to fear that Betty would lose control and send the entire team crashing into a cliff or plunging into an abyss.
Vice Leader Aubrey stepped forward with a smile and patted Lin Gui on the shoulder.
“Good, very good. Your Levitation has truly opened our eyes.”
He turned and made a gesture of invitation.
“Please follow me. I will show you to your temporary quarters.”
The last carriage of the Wheelless Train was exceptionally crowded.
Heavy wooden crates were densely nailed to the floor, filled with goods prepared for trade with the dwarves.
The space originally set aside was fairly spacious, but the Vice Leader clearly hadn't expected Lin Gui to bring so many supplies of his own.
Once Lin Gui had neatly stacked the crates from the raft inside, the remaining space became quite cramped.
It would have been one thing if it were three men squeezed together, but it was an awkward combination of one man and two women.
Aubrey looked at the narrow space and suggested.
“Should we adjust the lodging arrangements?”
“Let your two female team members stay with Betty and Laisa.”
“As for your side, I can move scholar Eli and barbarian warrior Barton over?”
Lin Gui shrugged helplessly; he had indeed overlooked this issue.
Just as he was about to nod in agreement, Theia suddenly spoke first.
“No need! I don't need to switch!”
Lin Gui looked at her with a frown, only to see Theia clutching his arm tightly, her eyes shining.
“Don't worry, Lin Gui. I won't mind you!”
The joy in her tone immediately made Lin Gui understand her intentions.
Recalling a certain night in the Royal Capital when she had tried to drug him, he couldn't help but shake his head in resignation.
Theia leaned close to his ear and spoke in a voice only the two of them could hear.
“Please, I really don't want to live with her.”
Lin Gui knew “her” referred to that Forest Elf ranger.
He had no choice but to give the Vice Leader a helpless smile.
“There is no need for her to move. She and I... are in that kind of relationship.”
Aubrey’s gaze shifted between Theia and Lin Gui, and he gave a meaningful smile.
“I understand, I understand. Then this one...”
To his surprise, Eve elegantly folded her hands in front of her and said with a faint smile.
“He and I are also in that kind of relationship.”
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow at Eve and met her smiling eyes.
He remembered her unusually close actions and her elusive attitude after the assassination had ended.
This time, he didn't speak up to refute her.
Perhaps this was a good opportunity to properly ask this Saintess why she was so special toward him.
Inside the narrow carriage, the atmosphere between the three of them suddenly became subtle.
Vice Leader Aubrey scanned Lin Gui and the two women beside him with a strange expression.
In the City-State Era, polygyny or polyandry was indeed not rare.
However, looking at Lin Gui’s slightly helpless expression, he felt that things weren't quite so simple.
Just as he was about to speak, the ground beneath them suddenly shook.
The Wheelless Train swayed along with it, and the faint, indistinct roars of demons echoed from the distance.
Aubrey’s expression turned serious as he looked toward the city walls.
“It seems we will be able to set out soon.”
He turned to Lin Gui. “Would you like to come and see?”
“The sight of Captain Freya casting a spell with all her might is not something seen often.”
Lin Gui nodded and led Theia and Eve to follow.
The scene on the city wall was rather strange.
Archers, mages, and even alchemical cannons were stationed quietly below the walls.
Fully armed warriors stood guard outside the fortress gates.
Only Freya and Rhode stood side by side atop the wall.
Theia curiously pointed to the ranged classes standing guard below the city.
“Why aren't they up on the wall?”
Lin Gui answered calmly.
“Because there is no need for them to take action.”
“They only need to wait for the battle to end and then clean up the battlefield.”
He paused, his voice carrying a hint of deep meaning.
“On the battlefield, no other class’s role can compare to a mage going all out.”
At this moment, Freya’s chanting drifted in with the wind.
It was an ancient and melodious rhythm, every syllable containing powerful magic.
Her ice-blue long hair flowed without wind under the agitation of magic, like a moving glacier.
Those azure eyes were now even deeper, as if they contained ice and snow that had not melted for ten thousand years.
As she chanted, fine ice crystals faintly emerged around her, highlighting her exquisite face as if an Ice-Snow Goddess had descended to the mortal realm.
Her voice was as cold as ice, yet carried an unquestionable majesty.
Rhode stood with his sword drawn, alertly guarding her.
Meanwhile, the scene in the distance was suffocating.
A mass of black demons swarmed like a tide, their hideous roars deafening.
The demons at the very front suddenly stopped, wanting to retreat in terror.
But the torrent of demons surging from behind ruthlessly pushed them forward.
The demons frantically charged at the stone walls, stacking higher and higher like building blocks.
The grimoire in Freya’s hand bloomed with a brilliant blue light.
A massive magic circle with a diameter of over twenty meters appeared before her.
As the chanting grew more high-pitched, the circle spun and expanded rapidly.
Piercing cold and biting winds leaked out from within it.
Lin Gui, standing on the city wall, could clearly perceive it—
The wind and ice mana in the air were becoming wildly turbulent.
The demons at the very front let out cries of despair.
They trampled over each other, yet could not stop their forced advance.
In an instant, the foremost demons had stacked up and climbed the city wall, lunging toward Freya while she was still chanting.
Golden light flashed as Rhode swung his longsword, instantly tearing the pouncing demons to shreds.
However, more demons climbed the fortress, including many powerful individuals with massive bodies that radiated terrifying auras.
The city wall began to vibrate under their impact, and stone fragments fell away.
Just as it seemed the defensive line was about to be breached—
At this critical moment, Freya’s chanting reached its peak.
“Glacial Tempest.”
She softly whispered the magic’s true name, a flash of cold light passing through her azure eyes.
In an instant, the entire valley was enveloped in a blinding blue-white light.
A freezing storm swept past, instantly freezing thousands of demons.
The sound of ice crystals shattering was continuous, echoing through the heavens.
The frozen demons shattered bit by bit like fragile glass.
The once noisy battlefield instantly fell into a dead silence.
Only the howling of the cold wind blowing across the icy plains echoed in the valley.
The fortress gates slowly opened.
Fully armed mercenaries, adventurers, and knights swarmed out.
They charged toward the few surviving demons that were still struggling, pouring down blades and magic.
Theia looked at the instantly white valley in shock.
She gently patted Lin Gui’s shoulder.
“When will you be able to cast such a powerful spell?”
Lin Gui watched the ice crystals still drifting in the distance and smiled slightly.
“Don't worry, it won't be long.”
His tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable certainty.
Snowflakes falling from the sky gently landed on his shoulder.
In the glow of the setting sun, the entire frozen valley shimmered with a faint gold.
This menacing demon tide had been completely terminated by a single Legendary spell.
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