“A reason! Give me a solid reason!”
Theia grabbed Lin Gui's arm, her emerald eyes staring intently at him.
“Unless you can convince me.”
She said, emphasizing every single word.
“Otherwise, I will absolutely not let you put yourself in danger!”
She raised her eyebrows, her gaze sharp as a knife.
“Are you planning to sneak off alone again?”
“And then come back to get us after you succeed?”
Lin Gui: “...”
He had to admit, she really was a companion who had been with him for a long time.
She had seen right through his thoughts in an instant.
He had indeed thought of doing exactly that.
Lin Gui's eyes darted around, and he immediately adopted a relaxed tone:
“Ah, I was actually just joking just now.”
“I actually plan to go look for Gusion.”
He tried to pull his arm away.
“Come on, Theia, let go first. Let's hurry and catch up to Gero—”
Instead of letting go, Theia gripped him even tighter.
Energy flowed through her fingers, and a faint trace of black demon energy even began to seep out.
Lin Gui's mouth twitched slightly.
Theia stared at him, her voice terrifyingly calm:
“Don't even think about sneaking off using the Shroud of the Gloomy Night.”
“Lin Gui... let me tell you right now.”
She suddenly leaned in, until their noses were almost touching.
She pinned Lin Gui against the ruined wall behind him.
They were so close that they could feel each other's breath.
Theia looked straight into his eyes, her gaze filled with an unprecedented seriousness.
“I won't allow you to make a joke out of your own life.”
Her voice was very soft, but every single word hammered into Lin Gui's ears.
“If you really must go—”
“—then you must take me with you.”
She paused, her emerald eyes reflecting Lin Gui's stunned face.
“If we die...”
“...we die together.”
In the end, Lin Gui agreed to Theia's demand.
There was no helping it; she dragged him along and dug out a thick, long iron structural rod from the ruins.
Then, with a serious look on her beautiful face, she grabbed both ends with her hands.
Right in front of Lin Gui, she began to exert her strength.
It was accompanied by a teeth-gritting screeching sound.
That sturdy iron rod was twisted by her bare hands into a pair of crude handcuffs.
Why did she have to bend it right in front of his face?
She wanted him to witness the terrifying power erupting from those slender arms.
Lin Gui's eyelids twitched wildly, indicating that he didn't know either.
The handcuffs locked their wrists together, severely limiting their range of movement.
Now, there was basically no way he could slip away quietly.
Helpless, Lin Gui could only take Theia with him.
And attempt this highly risky first crossing.
As for Eve—
—long before Theia went to find the iron rod, she had already boarded the flying vessel.
She had securely strapped herself into her seat, demonstrating her stance through her actions.
Once on the flying vessel, Theia immediately hugged Lin Gui tightly from behind.
Peeking her face over his shoulder, her breath lightly brushed against his ear.
She said to Lin Gui, whose body had gone slightly stiff:
“Don't get the wrong idea, it's just that the chain is too short.”
“I'm worried it might affect your control of the flying vessel.”
He felt the softness and warmth pressing against his back.
Lin Gui hesitated for a moment, but ultimately did not push her away.
He took a deep breath, trying his best to suppress the inexplicable restlessness in his heart.
Just then, a moist, warm whisper from Theia suddenly reached his ear:
“Actually, feel free to get the wrong idea.”
“I don't mind it at all.”
Lin Gui was taken aback.
He subconsciously turned his head and glanced sideways.
He happened to lock eyes with Theia, whose face was incredibly close.
Her long silver hair was stirred by the airflow, strands of it brushing against his neck.
Those emerald eyes, which usually held a mischievous glint, were now crystal clear.
They reflected his image, filled with an unblemished focus.
The afterglow of the setting sun pierced through the mist, casting fragments of golden light upon her eyelashes.
Her lips were slightly pursed, yet the corners of her mouth curved into an extremely gentle arc.
There was no trace of her usual playfulness or cunning in that smile.
Only pure, unreserved affection.
The flying vessel swept across the sky above Blackwater City, finally hovering over the towering city walls.
Looking down from here, they had a panoramic view of the entire dead city.
In the distance, the faint sounds of clashing weapons and roars could be heard.
They sounded exceptionally harsh in the silent ruins.
Theia leaned over to look and asked softly, “What's that sound?”
Lin Gui swept his gaze over that direction and replied calmly:
“Those hunters are fighting over 'the dying' that Ryan brought.”
“The protection range of a guide is limited.”
“It's not enough to let all the hunters stranded in Blackwater City leave.”
He didn't look any longer, steering the flying vessel to turn around.
He headed straight toward the churning gray mist outside the city walls.
From the back seat, Eve suddenly spoke up to remind him:
“This direction... is not toward the Wailing Corridor.”
Her tone was very certain.
Hearing this, Theia's eyes lit up:
“Lin Gui! Have you finally come to your senses?”
“Are we going to look for Roger and Gusion?”
Lin Gui shook his head.
“No.”
He stared at the wall of mist drawing closer in front of them.
“It's just that, before we cross the Wailing Corridor—”
“—I need to verify something first.”
“Verify what?” Theia pressed.
But Lin Gui didn't answer.
He merely said in a low voice:
“You'll find out in a moment.”
The flying vessel did not slow down, plunging headfirst into the vast expanse of gray and white.
This time, they had no protection from "the dying".
They sailed into the thick fog completely exposed.
And Lin Gui did not activate the 【Eyes of the Netherworld】 either.
The flying vessel had only traveled forward for a few minutes.
Suddenly, the bizarre sighing sounds, seemingly coming from all directions, began to echo around them.
The sound was hoarse and lingering, sometimes distant, sometimes right next to their ears.
It felt like countless invisible hands scratching away at their sanity.
Theia instantly tensed her body, reversing her grip on her dagger, her emerald eyes warily scanning the surroundings.
Eve knitted her brows slightly, her right hand unconsciously rising to her chest as she softly chanted a strange magical incantation.
They flew into the nearest forest.
Lin Gui quietly reduced the speed of the flying vessel.
Ultimately, he brought the flying vessel to a complete halt in mid-air.
Hovering right there in the middle of the mist.
His left hand gripped the control lever tightly, and his right hand held the activation button for the wind pressure cannon, his knuckles turning slightly white.
He prepared himself in case any unexpected trouble arose during his verification.
he would immediately retreat at full speed.
Although the two girls were puzzled, neither of them spoke up to ask.
They only braced their nerves even tighter.
Stopping inside the Wall of Sighs was no different from exposing themselves to invisible dangers.
The sighing grew closer and clearer.
It began to be mixed with a teeth-gritting grinding sound.
It sounded like something sharp scraping against rocks or dry bones.
Fine sweat broke out on Theia's forehead, her dagger held horizontally in front of her.
Eve's chanting grew more rapid, a faint light shimmering at her fingertips.
The sound felt as if it were pressing right against the outer hull of the flying vessel.
a sharp, ear-piercing screech suddenly rang out!
“Screeech—!”
Three deep claw marks abruptly appeared on the side panel of the flying vessel!
A phantom, hideous ghostly face suddenly materialized out of thin air!
Theia's pupils contracted, and she instinctively stabbed forward with her dagger.
It was at that exact moment.
Lin Gui, whose eyes had been tightly shut all this time, suddenly snapped them open.
Within his gray eyes, the faint light of the soul silently flowed.
He did not look toward the source of the attack.
He simply remained calm, his expression even carrying a trace of scrutiny.
He gazed straight into the empty, dense fog ahead.
In the next second—
“Aaaaargh—!!!”
A shrill, distorted shriek exploded without warning!
It was not a sigh, but a scream laced with absolute terror!
Immediately afterward, all the grinding, scraping, and whispering sounds from all directions...
were instantly choked off as if by an invisible hand.
Coming to an abrupt halt.
The thick fog continued to billow.
However, those spine-chilling noises within it were gone.
They had vanished without a trace the moment Lin Gui opened his eyes.
The entire forest fell into a dead silence.
Only the low humming of the hovering flying vessel still echoed softly.
Theia froze mid-air, maintaining her dagger-thrusting stance.
Eve's chanting also ceased, her eyes wide as she looked around.
Lin Gui slowly withdrew his gaze.
Beneath his gray pupils, those hideous spectral demons seemed to have witnessed something terrifying, fleeing into the distance.
Lin Gui let out a soft chuckle.
Re-tightening his grip on the control lever, he turned the flying vessel around.
And accelerated in the direction of the Wailing Corridor.
Rate on N.U.
