Lin Gui hovered in the air, carefully sizing up the middle-aged man.
He looked to be in his thirties, with a gentle and handsome appearance.
He did not exude any particularly powerful pressure.
But Jesse and the others instantly tensed, their hands instinctively drifting toward their weapons.
Furthermore, the gray-robed men abandoned their blockade without hesitation, quickly falling back into defensive positions.
This alone made Lin Gui realize that this man was by no means simple.
He was formidable enough to make Jesse's group, who had captured a Legendary Rank Demon Hunter alive, so incredibly wary.
Gero... Roger.
If you reversed the syllables of Gero, wasn't it Roger?
His age, appearance, and strength all perfectly matched the description Fal had once given.
Lin Gui looked up, glancing at the unguarded broken window where sunlight streamed in.
He temporarily suppressed the urge to escape immediately.
If this man really was Roger...
...then he might not have to struggle to forge a path to Avalon himself.
He could just quietly follow him.
As long as the other party wasn't an Epic Rank expert specializing in perception, they shouldn't be able to detect him.
While he was lost in thought, the situation below silently shifted.
The expected fierce clash did not break out.
Jesse silently locked eyes with the middle-aged man for a moment.
Then, she actually waved her hand decisively.
She led all the gray-robed men away, escorting Cass and Maren.
They turned and quickly retreated through the exit that had just been torn open.
It was clean, swift, and completely without hesitation.
In the corner, Rosa watched helplessly as her father and brother were taken away.
She bit her lower lip so hard it nearly bled, her eyes burning with fury.
She waited until the figures of Jesse and the others had completely vanished.
Only then did Rosa suddenly rush out from the shadow of the pillar.
She stumbled to a halt and shouted at all the hunters inside the cathedral.
“Everyone! Listen to me!”
“Those people just now were demons! Vampires and their lackeys!”
“They are plotting a terrible conspiracy inside the Wall of Sighs!”
“If we don't stop them, all the city-states around the wall will face utter destruction!”
She took a deep breath, suppressing her injuries, her voice carrying a desperate resolve.
“Blackwood! Your squad is good at containment. Cut in from the left flank in a moment!”
“Iron Fist! Take your men and block their retreat on the right!”
“I've already figured out their weaknesses and movement patterns!”
“As long as we cooperate, we can definitely keep them all here!”
However, her impassioned exhortation did not receive any response.
The hunters, whether sitting or standing, looked on with cold, almost mocking expressions.
A male Night Elf leaning against the wall even let out a scoff.
Twirling a dagger in his hand, he retorted mercilessly.
“That sounds nice.”
“But who knows if what you're saying is even true?”
“Even if it's all true—”
He looked up, his gaze as sharp as a blade.
“Why should we risk our lives for your 'righteous cause'?”
“Even if there is a conspiracy, what does it have to do with us?”
“This isn't some bard's tale of a heroic legend.”
“No one is going to throw their life away to 'save the world.'”
He paused, his voice turning even colder.
“If you really want to save your family, figure it out yourself.”
“Want to use us as your tools? Save your breath.”
Although the surrounding hunters didn't voice their agreement, their eyes spoke volumes.
They were all seasoned veterans who lived on the edge.
Anyone could see through Rosa's little scheme of "using everyone to save her family."
The atmosphere grew completely cold.
Rosa looked around with a dark expression.
Her heavily injured body trembled slightly from agitation as she forced out a hoarse, harsh voice.
“You have absolutely no idea how serious this is!”
“The people hunting us are after 'Gusion'!”
“The Eleventh Pillar Demon King, Gusion!”
She gasped for breath, her eyes bloodshot.
“For eight years, my father has been tracking him inside the wall.”
“And Gusion has always been hiding deep within the Wailing Corridor.”
At the mention of this name, the faces of several veteran hunters changed slightly.
The Wailing Corridor was the place where Shadow Blade Lynn and two other Epic Rank experts had suffered severe casualties during their second expedition.
The Barbarian King and Blood Butcher, both Low-tier Epic experts, had died right there.
“My father's preparations all these years were to cross that corridor.”
“He wanted to find Gusion, and... kill him.”
Rosa's voice warped with pain.
“But just two months ago, Gusion suddenly moved.”
“He left the Wailing Corridor and headed straight north.”
“He is heading toward the Voiceless Rift.”
Several suppressed gasps echoed inside the cathedral.
The Voiceless Rift...
An unexplored, forbidden zone that existed only in rumors.
“And there...”
Rosa's gaze swept across every face, emphasizing each word.
“...is highly likely to be the source of 'The Silent End' from over a decade ago.”
“It is the sleeping place of that Demigod demon who triggered the Dark Tide.”
“What does a Demon King want by suddenly going to a place like that?”
“I don't think I need to say any more, do I?”
She looked at the gradually freezing expressions of the crowd, her tone mocking and despairing.
“Those demons captured my father to force him to lead the way.”
“They are in a hurry to find Gusion, so something must have happened on his end.”
“If we just let them go and they awaken or ally with that Demigod...”
Rosa let out a cold laugh, her voice echoing in the empty cathedral.
“Once 'The Silent End' erupts from the Wall of Sighs again—”
“none of the living beings in the Blackwater Corridor will survive!”
“The Elven Forest, the Dwarven Royal City...”
Her gaze swept over the rough-faced hunters.
“And you—the bounty hunters who are gambling your lives here to save up enough money.”
“All of you who hope to send your families to the Central City-States.”
“Transcendent... Heh, Transcendent Rank is truly an awkward stage.”
“You might be able to cross the wilderness on your own, but you have no real power.”
“You cannot escort your powerless families through countless dangers to reach the Central City-States.”
“If the lands outside the wall also become a dead zone like the Wall of Sighs, your families, your hopes...”
“...will all cease to exist.”
Rosa's voice finally faded.
The atmosphere inside the cathedral suddenly became heavy and suffocating.
The cold indifference and mockery on the hunters' faces gradually faded.
In their place came suspicion, calculation, and a deep-seated fear.
A few hunters sitting by the bonfire exchanged looks, their fingers unconsciously stroking their weapons.
Someone cursed under his breath, while another looked out at the sunlight outside the door, his face pale.
The Silent End...
was a nightmare known to everyone in the Blackwater Corridor.
If it truly happened again, all life outside the wall would be extinguished.
That would not just be a disaster for the dwarves or elves.
It would be an absolute dead end for people like them, who risked their lives inside the wall just to carve out a path of survival for their families outside.
It would be a complete and hopeless dead end.
Meanwhile, in the corner, the bard had put away her lute at some point.
She quietly retreated to the wall, standing beside Gero.
Their eyes met, exchanging a swift glance.
Then, they both looked toward Rosa, who was panting heavily in the center, nearly unable to stand as her injuries flared up.
In their eyes, there was none of the suspicion or fear of the other hunters.
Instead, there was a distinct, unmistakable trace of anxiety.
Rate on N.U.
