Lin Gui sat sideways on his oak staff.
Eve sat quietly behind him, her hands gently grasping the hem of his robe.
The staff rose silently from the ground, ascending smoothly under the lift of 【Levitation】.
On the street below, Morpheus led several elite warriors, quickly following on foot.
Their eyes were fixed on the sky, their expressions solemn and anxious.
Only Theia's figure was nowhere to be seen.
She did not appear for this final farewell.
Because...
At this moment, she was burying her entire face in the pillow of her bedroom on the second floor of the post office.
Her silver hair was messily scattered across the bedsheets, and her exposed ear tips were so red they looked ready to bleed.
She... simply couldn't face anyone anymore.
Just now, inside the post office...
At the thought of being separated from Lin Gui for so long...
Especially after giving herself to him for the first time, their honeymoon phase—which should have been filled with clingy bliss—was abruptly cut short.
This caused a sudden rush of impulse to overwhelm Theia, drowning out everything else.
What beautiful girl's modesty? What about Eve being right next to them? What about Morpheus and the others waiting outside?
All of it was thrown completely out of her mind.
The only thing left in her eyes was Lin Gui's face, so close to hers and filled with shock.
And then... and then, relying on her raw strength as a Transcendent Ranger...
...she had taken Lin Gui for a second round.
Lin Gui's repeated warnings only met with Theia's even more fierce offenses.
In the end, Lin Gui gave up.
He could only helplessly...
...lie flat and let her do as she pleased.
Submitting to the...
...dominance of this beautifully proportioned, stunningly gorgeous, white-haired elf.
Until it was all over.
Until their heavy panting subsided, and her burning mind slowly cooled down.
Until she heard the voice of the Sage Kilian, sighing slightly about how wonderful it was to be young...
...did Theia suddenly snap back to her senses.
What... what had she...
...just done?!
Immediately after, the conversation filtering in from outside the door made her wish she could vanish on the spot.
Especially Sage Kilian's old but undisguisedly amused and surprised voice:
“Oh my... hearing that commotion...”
“that young mage has really... had a rough time.”
His words were filled with a newfound appreciation for Theia.
The implication was all too clear.
Just from the sound of it, Lin Gui was definitely the one on the bottom.
And the one being thoroughly bullied at that.
While Theia, a dignified, white-haired, red-eyed, beautiful elf...
...behaved like an insatiable novice who had just tasted forbidden fruit.
This image...
Right now, let alone seeing him off...
Theia probably didn't even want to step out of the post office's door.
At least not for a week.
And at this moment.
High in the air, Lin Gui, riding on his staff, seemed to sense something.
He turned his head and glanced back at the tightly closed window on the second floor of the post office.
The corner of his mouth twitched almost imperceptibly.
Then, he turned back and let out a soft sigh.
“Let's go.”
The staff adjusted its direction slightly and accelerated.
Carrying him and Eve, they flew smoothly and resolutely toward the Wailing Corridor, heading into the hazy dawn light beyond Avalon.
Below, Morpheus and his group followed closely, quickly disappearing through the city wall exit as well.
The morning breeze swept through the quiet streets.
Leaving behind only a thoroughly mortified elf in the second-floor room.
And in the air, the faint, lingering scent of their intimacy that had not yet fully dispersed.
The staff passed through a gap in Avalon's low city wall.
The hazy daylight of the outside world was replaced by a swirling, pale purple curtain.
This was the barrier that separated the inside from the outside.
Lin Gui steered his staff to land slowly.
Morpheus and his three companions were already waiting there.
They were all fully armed, carrying heavy rucksacks that were nearly as tall as themselves.
Morpheus pointed toward the swirling, grayish-white fog outside the curtain.
“This is the best entrance identified by the Demon King Pillar.”
“We've also found the optimal route to cross through the connection with the Demon King Pillar.”
The Demon King Pillar did more than just provide concealment for Avalon.
It could also faintly sense the energy fluctuations of the powerful spectral demons inside the Wailing Corridor.
Therefore, Lin Gui didn't need to risk high-altitude scouting like he did when he first arrived.
Morpheus and the others had already completed the scouting in advance.
Lin Gui leaped down from his staff and patted his robe.
“Show me the map you marked.”
A trace of doubt flashed in Morpheus's eyes.
In his view, Lin Gui only needed to use his
concealment artifact
to cover them.
Route planning was supposed to be their job.
But he didn't ask further questions; after all, he was the one asking for help.
He pulled a rolled-up, tanned leather map from his chest and handed it to Lin Gui.
Lin Gui took it and spread it flat directly on the grass beneath his feet.
Several nearby warriors gathered around curiously.
They formed a small semi-circle, surrounding the crouching Lin Gui in the center.
Their eyes fell upon the map and the young mage.
Wondering what he was about to do.
Lin Gui's finger moved slowly across the map.
His fingertip traced over areas circled in deep red paint and labeled as
Extremely Dangerous.
Those were the nesting grounds of Epic spectral demons.
His gaze was intensely focused.
Sometimes he cross-referenced the annotations on the map, and sometimes he looked up toward the fog.
It looked as though he was verifying something over and over.
His brow furrowed slightly, as if he had noticed something strange about certain
information.
A barbarian warrior with a massive shield on his back and bulging muscles couldn't hold back any longer.
His name was Ruger, a Low-tier Legendary.
To him, Lin Gui's actions seemed like he was questioning Morpheus's route.
He even looked like he wanted to seize leadership.
In Avalon, Legendary powerhouses could sit at the same table and play chess with commoner elders.
The atmosphere was equal, with no airs of superiority.
But right now, they were at the Wailing Corridor.
Here, there was no difference between a Legendary and a commoner.
Any tiny mistake could lead to the instant death of the entire party.
He could not tolerate such interference from an
amateur.
Just as Ruger was about to speak...
...a weathered but steady hand pressed down on his arm.
It was the foxkin Sage Kilian.
He shook his head gently at Ruger, gesturing for him to stay calm.
“At least,” Kilian whispered, his face wearing his habitual faint smile, “he has successfully crossed this place before.”
“Let's see what he actually wants to do first.”
Everyone's eyes focused on Lin Gui once again.
Lin Gui asked for details about several key nodes.
Morpheus answered them one by one.
After confirming everything was correct, Lin Gui nodded.
Then, under everyone's watchful eyes—
...he reached out, dipped his finger in some nearby soil.
Starting from the
entrance
marked on the map...
...he drew a line.
A line completely different from Morpheus's winding, meticulously planned route.
Straight.
It cut almost brutally straight through several areas labeled as
Dangerous
or
Requires Extreme Detour.
Set against that cautious curve, this straight line was exceptionally jarring.
...
A brief silence fell over the surroundings.
Even the smile on Kilian's face stiffened slightly.
He couldn't help but point at the straight line and ask:
“Young mage, what is this?”
Lin Gui did not answer directly.
Because he knew that if he told the truth, these terrifyingly powerful guys would in all likelihood disagree.
He stood up, patted the dirt off his hands, and turned to the group.
“What are your specific strength levels, everyone? Would you mind sharing?”
Kilian raised an eyebrow.
Soon after, he began to introduce them with a smile:
“Morpheus, High-tier Transcendent Magic Swordsman, our captain.”
“This is Ruger, a Low-tier Legendary Shield Warrior, a barbarian.”
“That is Hugh, a Mid-tier Legendary Assassin, a human.”
“As for this old man, Kilian, a Low-tier Legendary foxkin. I know a bit of magic and strategy.”
Lin Gui glanced at Morpheus with some surprise.
He hadn't expected that as the core of the team, his nominal rank was actually the lowest.
Kilian seemed to read his confusion and smiled:
“Strength is not directly proportional to leadership ability.”
“In Avalon, the resident clerks responsible for coordination are much better at this than us guys who only know how to fight and kill.”
Lin Gui nodded in agreement.
He swept his gaze across the four of them once more.
This lineup was powerful enough to overthrow the Carter Royal Capital.
He took a deep breath and asked the most crucial question:
“If...”
“...you were to suffer a direct attack from an Epic spectral demon.”
“With your physical constitutions, can you take one or two hits?”
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