Under Lin Gui's control, the Wheelless Train was demonstrating the true essence of Levitation in the dark of the night.
The entire twenty-meter-long steel train glided as smoothly as if it were sliding on ice.
Every single turn was incredibly fluid and breathtaking.
The wheels maintained a constant gap of ten centimeters from the ground.
It was as if the entire train were suspended on an invisible track.
Compared to the bumpy ride when Betty was at the controls, this was like night and day.
When Betty controlled it, the train stumbled along like a drunkard.
The carriages constantly made harsh, grinding noises.
But now, even on the sharpest turns, not a single bump could be felt.
It felt like riding on a feather carried by a gentle breeze.
“M-Mr. Lin Gui...”
Betty timidly crept up to the front of the train, clutching her magic notebook tightly.
“Could I ask you something? Why is there absolutely no swaying when you make a turn?”
Lin Gui calmly replied while maintaining precise control over the train.
“The key lies in anticipation.”
“You need to sense the subtle changes in the airflow ahead and begin adjusting your mana output before the turn.”
He extended his left hand, a pale green magical glow swirling at his fingertips.
“See? Like this. Start fine-tuning your direction thirty meters in advance, rather than making a sharp turn when you actually reach the bend.”
Betty widened her eyes, trying her best to commit every detail to memory.
Not far away in the middle of the train, Freya appeared to be focusing on maintaining her concealment magic, but she was actually pricking up her ears.
The staff in her hand tilted slightly, positioned just right to hear Lin Gui's explanation more clearly.
“Th-then how do you maintain such a stable height?”
Betty pressed on, her voice filled with eagerness.
“Imagine that what you're holding in your hand isn't a train, but a bowl of water,” Lin Gui explained patiently.
“You have to keep the water's surface completely level at all times. Any sudden rise or drop will spill the water.”
He demonstrated as he spoke, and indeed, the train didn't experience even the slightest tremor.
Freya nodded unconsciously, a flash of understanding crossing her ice-blue eyes.
She pretended to tidy her long hair, which had been ruffled by the night wind.
But in reality, she leaned her body a bit closer to the front of the train.
Just as this teaching session was underway, Theia's voice drifted back from the front.
“Heads up. Three hundred meters ahead, there are three ancient trees arranged in a triangle.”
“The canopies are exceptionally dense, and there's a lot of fallen leaves on the ground.”
The scholar Eli immediately bent over to search the map, his finger quickly tracing across the parchment.
“The triangular ancient trees... We are approaching the Sleeping Woods.”
“I suggest increasing our altitude to avoid the nocturnal magic bats in the canopy.”
Lin Gui nodded slightly, and the train smoothly ascended, perfectly avoiding the dangerous zone.
“Incredible...”
Betty murmured to herself. Feeling Lin Gui's magical trace, she scribbled in her notebook at lightning speed.
Freya finally couldn't help but speak, her voice still maintaining the authority of a team leader.
However, it carried a hint of curiosity she couldn't hide.
“Little mage, where did you learn these techniques?”
Lin Gui replied without turning his head.
“I figured them out myself.”
“When you have to rely on this spell to travel every single day, you naturally study how to make it more efficient.”
This was indeed the truth; the system had provided him with a max-proficiency Levitation spell.
And Lin Gui, during actual use, constantly pushed its limits.
He continuously developed its various applications.
Whether it was making a raft float quickly and stably, or piecing back together shattered clumps of earth in mid-air.
Just then, Theia reported a new development.
“There are a lot of claw marks on the right rock wall, about two fingers deep, and the rock is dark red.”
The scholar immediately became alert.
“The territory mark of a Blood-Claw Demon... Turn left immediately, we've veered off our planned route.”
Under the perfect coordination of Theia's night vision and the scholar's geographical knowledge, Lin Gui navigated the train gracefully through the dense forest, cleverly bypassing several dangerous areas.
By the time the first light of dawn pierced through the canopy, they had already passed thirteen major landmarks during the night.
Behind Lin Gui, Eve had already retired to rest.
Replacing her was the caravan priest, Silas, who continued to provide mana support.
Betty still clung to Lin Gui's side, asking new questions from time to time.
And although Freya refocused on her spellcasting, there was a bit more contemplation in her eyes.
This night's journey had been far smoother than expected.
When the rising sun fully broke over the horizon, spilling its warm, golden rays across the entire forest, they had already safely passed the twenty-first landmark.
A wooden post marked by the North Wind caravan.
At some point, Freya had silently made her way to the front of the train, standing beside Lin Gui.
Her ice-blue eyes held a trace of concern, and her voice was much softer than usual.
“Do you want to take a break?”
This question was clearly directed at Lin Gui.
As the primary controller of the entire train, he bore the heaviest mental burden.
A full night of intense concentration was enough to leave any mage mentally exhausted.
Seizing a moment when no one was paying attention, Lin Gui lightly flicked his finger at his side.
A low-tier soul spell, 【Clarity】, quietly sank into his body.
The fatigue from casting spells for so long instantly dissipated, and his mind cleared once again.
He shook his head gently and turned to look at the scholar Eli, who was carefully studying the map.
“Can you keep going?”
The scholar took out an old-fashioned clay pot from his bag, which was filled with a thick black liquid.
The liquid looked a lot like black coffee, but it emitted a strange herbal aroma.
It also had a faint, refreshing hint of mint.
He tilted his head back and gulped down a large mouthful, then gave a gentle smile.
“I can.”
Saying so, he gently nudged Betty awake, who had fallen asleep on his shoulder at some point.
The young girl had been sleeping soundly, and she rubbed her eyes groggily as she woke.
“Go have a good sleep in the carriage first,” the scholar's voice was exceptionally tender.
Betty nodded in a daze. Suddenly, she leaned forward and planted a loud kiss on the scholar's cheek.
Only then did she wobble toward the carriage, nearly tripping over her own magic robe along the way.
Watching this from the side, Theia's eyes widened in surprise.
She couldn't help but lean in toward the scholar and ask curiously in a low voice.
“What on earth is the relationship between you and that mage?!”
The scholar pushed up his glasses, his gaze behind the lenses warm and candid.
“We are lovers.”
Theia's gaze darted back and forth between the departing Betty and the scholar.
Recalling Betty's affectionate gesture just now, a trace of envy unconsciously slipped into her eyes.
It was a longing for intimacy, a yearning to be able to express one's emotions without any hesitation.
Her fingers unconsciously twirled the hem of her clothes.
There was both curiosity and a hard-to-describe restlessness in her gaze.
Suddenly, she turned and leaned close to Lin Gui's ear.
Her warm breath gently brushed against his ear, her voice deliberately soft.
“I'm tired too...”
Lin Gui didn't even turn his head, still focusing on navigating the train through the forest ahead as he spoke flatly.
“Then go get some rest. The sun is already up, so we don't need your night vision anymore anyway.”
Theia stamped her foot in a huff, her silver hair whipping in a beautiful arc in the morning light.
“Hmph! Men, you really don't understand romance at all!”
With a nimble flip, she leaped toward the last carriage like a graceful swallow.
Her figure quickly disappeared through the carriage door.
Watching this unfold, the scholar pushed his glasses up slightly, a meaningful smile playing at the corners of his mouth.
The morning light fell perfectly upon his smiling profile, adding a touch of warmth to this early morning.
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