In the end, Lin Gui still bought all the potions in Blackbeard's possession intended for crossing the Wall of Sighs.
This transaction nearly drained all the remaining gold coins he had on him.
Even half of the small stash that Theia had saved up over the years was taken as well.
However, the usually money-grubbing silver-haired ranger was beaming this time, proactively handing over her bulging money bag.
Afterward, she pinched a newly written debt note and waved it in front of Lin Gui's eyes.
Her emerald eyes curved with her smile:
“Lin Gui, remember that you absolutely, absolutely have to pay me back~”
Lin Gui took the debt note, looked at the neat handwriting and the long string of zeros at the end, and smiled helplessly.
“Don't worry.”
“When I reach some wealthy human city-state—”
He spoke half-jokingly: “I'll return a mountain of gold to you, principal and interest included.”
He carefully stored away each bottle labeled as “Iron Will” and “Clarity Elixir.”
Eve quietly helped from the side, sticking her own hand-written labels onto every bottle, noting their usage and duration of effect.
Even though Lin Gui himself was the “foolish mage” who knew the Clarity spell...
Why buy these expensive potions?
To be safe, just in case.
And also to provide a layer of cover for his unique ability.
Once the transaction was completed, Blackbeard, having gained a massive sum of money, was clearly in a much better mood.
He patted his bulging coin pouch and grinned at Lin Gui:
“Pleasure doing business, human lad!”
“Alright, what else do you want to know?”
Lin Gui pondered for a moment before asking the critical question:
“How should one deal with spectral demons?”
Blackbeard stopped smiling.
“Two ways.”
“First, brute force.”
“As long as you are strong enough and your defense is high enough—”
“Unless you're unlucky enough to step into the nest of an Epic or Legendary demon...”
“The attacks of other spectral demons will feel like nothing more than a tickle.”
He looked Lin Gui up and down and shook his head.
“However, to use this method, you'd need the strength of at least a Mid-tier Legendary.”
“And you'd have to be in a specialized defense class, like a knight or a shield warrior who can continuously tank damage.”
“Kid, you're still far from that level, including the two lasses behind you.”
“So, you'd best stick to the second option.”
Blackbeard extended a second finger.
“Bring an old man who is ‘about to be claimed by the Netherworld Sea’ to lead the way.”
“As it happens, in three days, the Bounty City will be conducting a new round of the ‘guide test’.”
“At that time, you can pick a suitable one.”
He paused, his tone turning a bit heavy.
“However, regarding the price... it starts at at least 400,000 gold.”
“After all, the families of these old men rely on that money to leave this godforsaken place.”
Blackbeard looked out the window at the figures huddled in the shanties and let out a sigh.
“So... when the time comes, give a little more if you can.”
Lin Gui nodded thoughtfully.
Then, he asked the most crucial question:
“Since there are ways to deal with all the obstacles...”
“After all these years, there should be a few relatively safe ‘Golden Routes’ that have been explored, right?”
This time, Blackbeard nodded without hesitation.
“Correct.”
“Although the Wall of Sighs has a terrifying reputation abroad—”
“To us old-timers who have dealt with it for years...”
He tapped his temple.
“It hasn't reached the point of being ‘hopelessly unsolvable’.”
“This area near the Bounty City has basically been mapped out.”
“We know where the territories of powerful spectral demons are and where the relatively safe ‘corridors’ are.”
“The terrain, the patterns of the mist's thickness, and even the sources of certain fixed ‘sighs’...”
Blackbeard pulled a map of the Wall of Sighs from under the bar and spread it out on the counter.
On it were twisted lines and scrawled markings sketched with a charcoal pen.
“Over these years, through experience built on lives and gold—”
“There are indeed a few routes made public that barely meet the standard of a ‘Golden Route’.”
His thick, short finger moved along a path marked with a red line.
“This one, we call it the ‘West Ridge’.”
“It hugs the base of the wall. The mist is relatively thin, and there are fewer spectral demons.”
“But the downside is that it's a detour; you have to travel at least two hundred kilometers more.”
He then pointed to another blue line.
“This ‘Central Rift’ is closer, but you have to pass through Whimpering Canyon.”
“The density of spectral demons there is terrifyingly high. You’d better not touch it unless you have Epic strength.”
Finally, his finger stopped on a thin line lightly traced with gold powder.
“As for this one...”
Blackbeard's voice lowered.
“This was explored by Shadow Blade Lynn's team back in the day, and it's currently the deepest one.”
“But I don't suggest following this path.”
“Because an Epic expert fell on this road.”
“To this day, we don't know what they encountered.”
Lin Gui stepped forward, but Blackbeard covered the map, staring at Lin Gui with a serious expression.
“But kid, let me make this clear—”
“These routes are merely relatively ‘less lethal’.”
“Once you go in, those meant to die will still die.”
“The only difference is whether you die knowing why, or die in a daze.”
Lin Gui nodded.
“Don't worry, I understand that myself.”
Blackbeard sighed in relief.
He was genuinely afraid the other party would think this was an absolutely safe path and let down their guard after entering.
One had to know that even a team as strong as Shadow Blade Lynn's was following a path they had already mapped out when they entered the Wall of Sighs for the eleventh time.
In the end, they never came out.
Lin Gui carefully examined the map provided by Blackbeard.
His finger landed on the marking for the “Blackwater Ruins,” then pressed down on the nearby location he had calculated for “Avalon.”
Next, he found the nearest so-called “Golden Route.”
As his gaze followed that route—
Lin Gui's expression suddenly froze.
The Golden Route taken by Shadow Blade Lynn and her team...
Actually passed right through the location of Avalon?
He stared blankly at the intersection of the two trajectories on the map and whispered involuntarily:
“How... is this possible?”
Blackbeard gave him a strange look.
“What's impossible?”
Lin Gui didn't explain. Instead, he pointed to where the marked point for Avalon overlapped with the Golden Route.
His voice tightened slightly: “This place... did Shadow Blade Lynn and the others go here?”
Blackbeard leaned over to take a look and nodded.
“Yeah, I remember they reached the vicinity of the Blackwater Ruins during their ninth crossing.”
Lin Gui immediately followed up: “The ninth time? Then after they returned, did they mention encountering anything on the way? Like—”
He paused.
“A city-state?”
“A city-state?”
Blackbeard's expression became even stranger.
“You're talking about the ‘Blackwater Ruins,’ right? That empty city.”
“Of course they went there. Many bounty hunters use those empty cities swallowed by the Dark Tide as temporary outposts.”
“After all, they have high walls and concrete buildings to provide cover. And strangely enough—”
He stroked his beard in thought.
“In those dozens of abandoned city-states that were swallowed, the number of spectral demons is actually very low.”
“They are quite suitable for camping and resting.”
“Though I don't know why...”
Blackbeard lowered his voice.
“People who spend the night inside always hear some inexplicable... giggling, whispering, and even footsteps.”
Around them, the dwarves chimed in one after another, clamoring to add various eerie rumors about the “ghostly empty cities.”
But Lin Gui was no longer in the mood to listen.
Shadow Blade Lynn's team... had indeed been to the vicinity of Avalon.
They might have even been right at the “city gates.”
But they didn't see a city-state?
Could the location from Eve's prophecy be wrong?
A surge of cold panic suddenly rushed into his heart.
He forced himself to take a deep breath and suppressed the emotion ruthlessly.
No.
It was too early to draw a conclusion.
Eve's prophecies had never been wrong.
Avalon had to be there.
It was just...
Perhaps it was “hidden” by something.
Hidden in a place where even Epic powerhouses could not perceive it.
Regardless.
Lin Gui had to personally investigate this location.
Whether Avalon truly existed or not.
Whether it was being “hidden” by some force.
Whether Shadow Blade Lynn's team had simply overlooked it.
He needed to confirm it with his own eyes.
After solemnly thanking Blackbeard, Lin Gui carefully stowed the hand-drawn map that marked various danger zones.
He then left the tavern with Eve and Theia.
Rate on N.U.
