The air in the cold, damp dungeon was thick with the smell of rotting straw and a faint scent of blood.
Dim oil lamps flickered on the stone walls, casting distorted, swaying shadows.
Lin Gui was roughly shoved into a narrow cell, and the iron door clanged shut behind him.
He steadied himself and quickly swept his gaze over to the neighboring cell.
Theia was sitting on a pile of straw in the corner, her knees hugged to her chest. She looked up at the sound of his arrival.
Her silver-white hair remained striking even in the dim light, and her red eyes held a clear trace of frustration.
However, she did not appear to be injured, though her spirits seemed somewhat dampened.
When she realized the newcomer was Lin Gui, her eyes instantly widened.
“Lin Gui?!”
She sprang to her feet and rushed to the bars.
Her voice carried disbelief and a subtle hint of panic.
“Why are you here?! Weren't you supposed to have already...”
She cut herself off, and then, as if realizing something, her face was instantly swept with rage.
She whipped her head around to look at the two fully armored guards standing outside the cells.
Her voice rose in anger.
A sliver of her aura as a Transcendent expert leaked out uncontrollably.
The air in the dungeon seemed to freeze.
“Why did you arrest him?! This has absolutely nothing to do with him! He's just a messenger!”
Almost at the exact moment Theia's aura flared, the two silent guards also took a sudden step forward!
Two far more solid and oppressive auras abruptly surged.
Like invisible boulders, they precisely and forcefully crushed Theia's aura right back down!
Theia let out a muffled groan, her body swaying as she was forced to take half a step back.
A look of shock and uncertainty flashed across her face as she swept a sharp gaze over the two guards.
These two...
She had never seen them in Caran City, and their strength had definitely reached the Transcendent Rank.
Moreover, their coordination was seamless. They were definitely not ordinary city guards!
Where did the City Lord find such experts?
Lin Gui took in the entire scene, his eyes shifting imperceptibly.
Yet, a relaxed smile appeared on his face, as if he hadn't felt the lightning-fast clash that had just occurred.
He walked over to the bars and waved at Theia in the adjacent cell.
“Yo, we meet again, Theia. Looks like we're quite fated to be neighbors even in a dungeon.”
Theia was in no mood for jokes. She urgently lowered her voice.
“Are you stupid? Why didn't you leave? They're clearly after me! Getting involved will only drag you down!”
“I wanted to leave too, but who knew I'd be invited here right after delivering my last letter?”
Lin Gui shrugged, his tone casual.
But his gaze bypassed Theia, thoughtfully glancing at the two guards.
Just then, a somewhat noisy clatter of footsteps echoed from the entrance of the dungeon.
The City Lord walked in, flanked by a crowd of people.
Walking beside him was a haughty young man clad in ornate knightly armor.
His eyes were sharp, and a faint, mocking sneer played at the corners of his mouth.
The City Lord used a white silk handkerchief to cover his nose and mouth in disgust.
His gaze swept over the two people inside the cells, finally landing on Theia.
“Theia Windrunner.”
The City Lord spoke, his voice carrying a condescending, interrogative tone.
“Regarding the fact that you are the sole survivor of the seven Gold Rank adventure groups wiped out in the Black Demon Forest, do you have anything to add? Have you colluded with the demons in the forest?”
Theia took a deep breath, suppressing her anger, and recounted her experience once more—a story she had already repeated countless times.
How they accepted the commission, and how they cooperated with the other teams.
How they encountered Moragus and the demon tide, and how she had narrowly escaped using her speed and stealth as a ranger.
And how her meeting with Lin Gui on the way back was a mere coincidence.
Her explanation was clear and calm, but the young knight impatiently cut her off.
“Coincidence? A chance encounter? Good luck?” The knight sneered.
“When so many coincidences pile up, it ceases to be a coincidence!”
“Why was it that you, of all people, managed to escape?”
“Why is it that you happen to know the very person who delivered Barnard's final letter?”
“Your explanations are simply too flimsy!”
Theia's expression turned grim.
“But that is the truth! If you don't believe me, you are welcome to send people into the Black Demon Forest to investigate!”
“Investigate?” The City Lord slowly lowered his handkerchief.
“The depths of the forest are currently teeming with demons. How are we supposed to investigate?”
“We only need a clear outcome to give the deceased heroes closure.”
“And to appease the restless public.”
Leaning against the cold stone wall, Lin Gui quietly watched this “interrogation,” the outcome of which had been decided long ago.
The City Lord and the knight had no intention of finding the truth.
All they needed was a “culprit” they could throw to the wolves to absorb the public's fury and divert attention.
Or... a useful “tool.”
Sure enough, the City Lord lost his patience. He cleared his throat and pronounced his judgment.
“Based on the current evidence and heavy suspicion, I hereby sentence both of you to death.”
Theia's fists clenched tightly, her nails digging deep into her palms.
The City Lord's tone shifted, suddenly becoming “magnanimous.”
“However... I am not an unreasonable man.”
“If you can prove your value, perhaps... I can reduce your sentences at my discretion.”
Theia whipped her head up, a trace of wariness flashing in her eyes.
The City Lord continued.
“What I need is the 【Umbral Tree Flower】 growing on Moragus's head.”
“As long as you retrieve it, I will not only pardon your death sentences, but I might even grant you unexpected rewards.”
Theia's heart sank.
Of course! It's this again!
This was a suicide mission! Sending just her and Lin Gui to pluck a flower from a Legendary Demon's head?
It was pure fantasy!
She instinctively assessed the feasibility of forcing her way out.
Her gaze swept once more over the two guards and the young knight standing beside the City Lord.
The young knight sneered as if reading her mind.
“Theia, or should I say, 'Crimson Thorn,' we know all about you.”
“You have a record of seven successful jailbreaks across three city-states, and you excel at utilizing the environment to create chaos.”
His voice suddenly turned cold, and a powerful aura far exceeding Theia's pressed down on her without reservation.
It made it difficult for Theia to breathe.
“But I advise you to put away those little schemes of yours.”
“I am a High-tier Transcendent Knight, only a single step away from the Legendary Rank.”
“Before me, your newly attained Transcendent strength is not even worth mentioning. What's more...”
The knight's gaze turned maliciously toward the seemingly harmless Lin Gui, his tone dripping with threat.
“You wouldn't want this 'friend' of yours to be instantly slaughtered on the spot because of your foolish actions, would you?”
“He looks like... just a Low-tier High Rank mage? Pitifully fragile.”
Theia's body went rigid. The desperate urge to fight to the death that had just flared up was forcefully suppressed.
She glanced at Lin Gui, who still showed no expression in the cell opposite her, and a deep sense of helplessness washed over her.
It's happening again...
No matter where I run, I always end up cornered in the end, and I even drag others down with me...
Right then, Lin Gui, who had remained silent all this time, suddenly spoke. His voice was abruptly, startlingly calm.
“Does the City Lord mean that only the two of us are to go retrieve the flower?”
The City Lord frowned, seemingly displeased by the interruption, but he answered anyway.
“Of course not.”
“To 'assist' and 'protect' you, Knight Lyon will lead a squad of ten Transcendent experts.”
“They will 'accompany' you deep into the Black Demon Forest and ensure that you... focus on completing your mission.”
The young knight named Lyon raised his chin haughtily.
Hearing this, Lin Gui let out a soft chuckle.
He turned his head, his gaze passing through the tiny window of the cell.
Looking out at the deep, dark night, an indescribable flash of... anticipation seemed to flicker in his eyes.
Retrieving his gaze, a harmless smile appeared on his face.
He nodded slightly to the City Lord and the knight, his tone even carrying a hint of eagerness.
“I see. Then without further ado, shall we depart right away?”
“I can't wait... to present that beautiful Umbral Tree Flower to you, my lords.”
He smiled with narrowed eyes, appearing utterly submissive.
Yet, when the corner of his eye swept over the City Lord, the knight, and the two guards...
...it was freezing cold without a trace of warmth, as if he were looking at a group of... dead men.
Rate on N.U.
