Returning to the crude inn.
Pushing open the creaking wooden door, Theia immediately came to meet him.
"How was it?"
Her emerald-green eyes were filled with urgency and anticipation.
Lin Gui smiled and took the map from his chest to unfold it.
"Basically confirmed."
His slender finger landed on a spot on the map.
It was a point within the gray area representing the Wall of Sighs, near the marked location of the Blackwater Ruins.
"Right here."
Theia took the map, her fingertips lightly tracing the texture of the paper.
Her expression, however, was not as ecstatic as expected; instead, it held an indescribably complex emotion.
That beautiful city-state from the children's nursery rhymes—
Freedom, equality, mutual aid.
No discrimination, where half-demons and mortals could coexist in peace.
She had fantasized about such a place countless times.
Ever since she was exiled from the Elven Forest and wandered to Caran City.
She had tasted the bitterness of being ostracized, slandered, and pushed away by the entire world.
Every instance of baseless malice had been like a cold vine strangling her throat.
That nursery rhyme she had happened to hear, however, was like a faint but persistent light.
After hearing it only once, it had been deeply engraved in her mind, impossible to forget.
Once, she had longed intensely to reach that city-state that existed only in legends.
And now, the goal was right before her eyes.
There was no joy as she had imagined.
Instead, a strange sense of... reluctance rose from the bottom of her heart.
"Theia?"
"Theia?"
Lin Gui's voice rang in her ears, pulling her back from her scattered thoughts.
She snapped back to reality and tilted her head toward him, somewhat bewildered.
"What is it? You suddenly spaced out. I called you several times, and you didn't react."
"Ah?" Theia pulled an awkward smile. "Maybe... because I'm just too happy."
She rolled up the map and tucked it behind her waist.
Looking up at Lin Gui, she tried to make her voice sound lighthearted:
"Because I'm about to go to a place... that can truly accept me."
Lin Gui gazed at her, a gentle smile appearing in his eyes.
"Don't worry, it won't be much longer."
"Wait until I've roughly scouted out the situation inside the Wall of Sighs."
"Then I'll try crossing a few times to confirm it's safe—"
He paused, his voice soft yet exceptionally clear.
"Then we'll set out."
"I'll send you to a place where you can live a steady life..."
"A true home."
Theia stared at him blankly.
That phrase "true home" was like a stone thrown into the lake of her heart, causing ripples to spread.
She suddenly realized—
The reluctance in her heart might not be toward Avalon itself.
But because...
Arriving there would mean the end of the journey.
It would mean saying goodbye to Lin Gui.
...
Theia nodded heavily, then remembered something and said to Lin Gui:
"By the way, the dwarf the dwarf leader told us to contact..."
"He returned to the Bounty City about a week before you left."
"I've already given him the Fortress Lord's letter and token."
"He said he'll be waiting for you at any time in the 'Anvil and Ale' in the city."
Since he couldn't dissuade Lin Gui from heading to the Wall of Sighs.
Balin could only do his best to provide him with all possible help.
The Bounty City was originally an outpost born from the commissions of the Dwarven Kingdom.
For many years, the dwarves had been highly involved in all exploration efforts aimed at the Wall of Sighs.
With Balin's token, the dwarven forces here would assist Lin Gui with everything they had.
But Balin had also reminded Lin Gui not to get his hopes up too high.
Ever since the massive crossing failure decades ago that shook the continent but ended with the total annihilation of the force...
The dwarves of the Royal Capital had essentially given up on the idea of opening a route.
Following Theia's directions, Lin Gui quickly found the wooden tavern called "Anvil and Ale."
Pushing open the heavy oak door, the clamor mixed with the aroma of ale rushed toward him.
By the bar, a dwarf with a thick, pitch-black beard that almost covered half his face was wiping a copper wine cup.
He was surrounded by seven or eight similarly robust dwarven companions.
When Lin Gui walked in, the entire tavern fell silent for a moment.
The gazes of all the dwarves shifted in unison.
The Blackbeard dwarf put down the wine cup and squinted his eyes to size Lin Gui up for two seconds.
Then he grinned, revealing teeth slightly yellowed by smoke.
"You're here?"
He gestured.
Lin Gui walked over, and the surrounding dwarves naturally gathered around him.
They only reached Lin Gui's waist, yet they radiated an aura as solid as a mountain.
Dozens of eyes stared curiously at Lin Gui, carefully scrutinizing him from head to toe.
Those looks were as if they were observing some rare creature they had never seen before.
Blackbeard jumped down from his high stool and stood before Lin Gui.
He looked up, his eyes sharp as he asked point-blank:
"You..."
He paused, his voice booming and filled with unconcealed confusion and inquiry.
"How exactly did you do it?"
"How did you lug back a mountain-like amount of Black Crystal from the Blackwater Forest in just a few hours?"
As soon as these words were spoken, the surrounding dwarves immediately began buzzing with discussion.
"Yeah! I heard he didn't even take the Golden Route?"
"That ghostly place is crawling with demons. How did he bypass them?"
"Did he fly over? But flying vehicles make even more noise..."
"Even when the boss escorts the cargo personally, it takes two days. This speed of his..."
Voices of doubt, astonishment, and speculation merged into one.
All the dwarves stared at Lin Gui, waiting for his answer.
Lin Gui looked at the suspicious gazes of the surrounding dwarves and shrugged.
"Just... whoosh, flew over the demons' heads."
"After taking the ore, whoosh again, flew back over their heads."
He spoke casually, as if describing something perfectly mundane.
The dwarves froze in unison.
Then, they burst into dissatisfied grumbling.
"Who would believe that!"
"If you don't want to say it, just say so, Human. Why bother with such clumsy lies to fool dwarves!"
"Do you think we're three-year-old runts!"
Standing behind Lin Gui, Theia and Eve glanced at each other.
The same helplessness flashed in both their eyes.
On their way to the Bounty City, they had indeed "whooshed" over the heads of all sorts of powerful demons like that.
Blackbeard raised his hand and pressed it down firmly.
The clamor gradually subsided.
He stared at Lin Gui for a long time, his rough face showing complex emotions.
Eventually, he let out a heavy sigh.
"Fine."
"Since it was personally ordered by the Fortress Lord—"
Blackbeard puffed out his chest, his voice becoming solemn.
"I, Blackbeard, and all the dwarf warriors within the Bounty City."
"Will do everything in our power to help you find that 'Avalon' thing."
He paused, every word sinking like stone on iron:
"Even if..."
"We have to charge into that damned Wall of Sighs with you."
Rate on N.U.
