The train wobbled as it floated through the valley like a clumsy giant bird.
Not only was its speed infuriatingly slow, but the carriages also swayed back and forth, making ear-grating creaks.
These sounds were subsequently absorbed by the magic array on the train’s surface.
Lin Gui let out a sigh.
To wobble this much, it seemed Mage Betty’s Levitation still had a long way to go.
Theia felt dizzy from the swaying. Struck by a sudden inspiration, she moved several wooden crates into the corner of the carriage to brace herself.
She plopped down onto the floor, her feet kicking firmly against the crates.
This was her way of resisting the turbulence.
Seeing this, Lin Gui fished out several sturdy hemp ropes from the supplies.
He nimbly tied himself and Eve up, securing their bodies to the carriage wall.
Eve quietly cooperated with his movements, her ginkgo-golden short hair swaying gently with the carriage’s rhythm.
Advancing in this unsteady manner, the train gradually approached the second defensive wall of Twilight Fortress.
Through the narrow windows, one could see Rhode leading his soldiers in a fierce battle against the remaining demons.
Amidst the flashes of sword light, demon limbs flew in all directions, and blood stained the mottled city walls.
As Theia watched intently, the train suddenly turned into another remote fork in the road.
The path from Twilight Fortress toward the Silent Sea was not in the same direction as the main defensive line.
This fortress was primarily built to defend against demons from the direction of a Dark Tide branch ten years ago.
The enemies it defended against were those dark-red-skinned horned demons.
They had been driven out of Giant's Canyon by more powerful demons.
To survive, they were forced to invade south toward the Carter Royal Capital in search of new nesting grounds.
In other words, the demons that caused so much trouble for the capital were actually just the weaklings who had failed in the struggle for territory.
After the train entered the winding fork, the outline of the fortress was soon obscured by layers of mountains.
Theia could not help but open the carriage window, sticking her head out to gaze at the steep cliffs along the way.
"When will we reach the Silent Sea?"
Her voice was somewhat faint in the wind.
Lin Gui unfolded the crumpled map, the paper immediately flapping wildly in the gale blowing into the carriage.
Eve silently reached out, her slender fingers gently pressing down on the edge of the map.
The route displayed on the system light screen was as concise as ever:
Route: Carter Royal Capital → Twilight Fortress → Silent Sea (Forbidden Zone) → Blackwater Port → Shield City.
In reality, going from Twilight Fortress to the Silent Sea required passing through a dense forest known as the Umbral Forest first.
Then they had to bypass the Broken Blade Mountains.
The linear distance was at least forty kilometers, similar to the length of the Withered Rift.
However, unlike the rift where the terrain forced a relatively fixed route, the North Wind caravan had to carefully avoid the territories of all Epic-rank demons.
This made the actual journey exceptionally long and tortuous.
Since he had not been able to buy a specific Golden Route map, Lin Gui could not calculate the exact time.
He could only estimate based on their current speed.
"At the shortest, half a month. At the longest, a month."
Thump!
The train shook violently without warning, as if it were swerving to avoid some obstacle.
Theia, not sitting steadily, hit her forehead hard against the cold iron plating.
"Ouch!"
She rubbed her rapidly reddening forehead and grumbled while wincing, "This junk train wobbles way too much..."
"By the way, Lin Gui, why are we following a caravan?"
"Didn't we always act on our own before?"
"With the Shroud of the Gloomy Night, it would definitely be faster and safer than catching this ride, wouldn't it?"
"At the very least, on our little wooden raft, we wouldn't be slamming into walls."
Lin Gui sighed helplessly.
"If we were on land, it would indeed be more convenient, safe, and comfortable for us to travel alone."
"But Theia, don't forget that this time we have to cross the entire inland sea."
"On the vast ocean, there is no place for me to stop and rest to recover mana."
"Moreover, from this coast to the other side, the linear distance alone is over three hundred kilometers."
"To say nothing of having to pass through that eerie Forbidden Sea."
Theia covered her head and pointed at Eve, who was sitting quietly to the side.
"Can't you just let the Saintess Miss replenish your mana?"
"She can rest to recover after she finishes topping you off, and then she can replenish you again when your mana runs out."
The method Theia suggested was, in fact, the way the North Wind caravan intended to cross the inland sea.
Lin Gui shook his head helplessly.
"When I agreed to join the North Wind, I didn't expect so many things to happen afterward."
"The Saintess Miss joining us was purely an accident."
"I was originally hiding from the Holy Church of Light; I even had you go to the mine to avoid the heat."
"Who knew the Saintess would show up at my door on her own?"
"And... don't I need to sleep?"
Of course, part of it was also due to the agreement.
Lin Gui had successfully opened his post office using the reputation of the North Wind caravan.
Naturally, he had to repay them with his Levitation.
It was just that Mage Betty’s Levitation was worse than he had imagined.
Setting aside the stability, this speed...
By the time they reached Shield City, it would probably be nearly two months later...
And what he lacked most right now was time.
The Special Long-Term Commission to take Theia to Avalon had a time limit of four months.
About a month and some change had already passed.
The time seemed sufficient, but the journey was long, and he did not know the exact location of Avalon.
Beside him, hearing Lin Gui mention her, Eve gave a shallow smile.
A hint of mystery flashed in her dark brown, disguised eyes.
"Perhaps this is simply fate."
At the mention of fate, Theia could not help but blink.
She remembered that significant title Eve had mentioned back at the mine.
She had wanted to ask for clarification, but it was inconvenient with Lin Gui present.
She could only suppress this question in her heart for the time being.
Time passed slowly amidst the swaying.
Theia watched the monotonous scenery from the window for a while.
Finding it truly boring, she closed the carriage window.
The train shook so frequently that she didn't even have the desire to read a novel.
She was afraid she would vomit right in front of Lin Gui.
With Theia closing the window, darkness instantly swallowed the enclosed carriage, with only a few streaks of light seeping in through the gaps.
Lin Gui casually snapped his fingers, and several soft light orbs lit up out of thin air, dispelling the darkness.
Eve’s eyes widened slightly, a flash of surprise crossing her face.
This was her first time witnessing Lin Gui perform Light Magic with her own eyes.
Furthermore, the spell he used was the one she was most familiar with—Glimmer.
And it was chantless casting again...
Levitation, Shroud of the Gloomy Night, and now Glimmer...
A hint of astonishment flashed in Eve's eyes, and then the corners of her lips curled up almost imperceptibly.
She suddenly spoke in a soft voice, her words ringing clearly in the dim carriage.
"Mr. Lin Gui, what kind of girls do you like?"
She tilted her head slightly, her hair shimmering with a soft luster under the light orbs.
"What do you think of someone like... me?"
Before Lin Gui could even react, Theia jumped up first.
"What the heck?! You've only known each other for a few days!"
"You've already fallen for Lin Gui??"
Before her words could settle, suddenly—
Rumble!
The train slammed into something, and it began to flip and roll violently, turning their world upside down.
Lin Gui and Eve were firmly secured by the safety ropes.
Although they tumbled with the carriage, at least they were not injured.
Theia was less fortunate. She was like a piece of clothing tossed into a drum washing machine, helplessly slamming back and forth inside the carriage.
When the train finally stopped rolling, the entire carriage was turned upside down on the ground.
Lin Gui and Eve hung suspended in mid-air because of the ropes, feeling only a slight dizziness.
Theia was slumped at the top of the carriage with a gash on her forehead.
Blood flowed down her cheek, and she was left in a daze.
Bang!
The iron door facing upward was suddenly yanked open from the outside.
The beastkin Grom’s anxious roar reached their ears.
"Get out, quickly! The demons have found us!"
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