As soon as this thought arose, Lin Gui shook his head and let down his guard.
There was no other reason.
Mainly, these "residents"... were simply too weak.
The strongest among them only had the strength of a Mid-tier High Rank in life.
Even if they truly lost their reason and turned into evil spirits like that merman’s soul...
Even if there were a great many of them.
For the current Lin Gui...
Well, for Eve, who was hiding her true strength.
They were probably just a bunch of "nobodies."
Moreover, Eve could forcibly raise herself by an entire major rank for a short period.
A slap from a Legendary Priest carried genuine lethality.
As for himself?
If he couldn't win, he could at least outrun them.
So, whatever.
He would focus on finishing this mountain of letters first.
And—
Although his right hand was writing until it was nearly numb, his wrist aching as if it didn't belong to him.
Looking at the number of "Pending Letters" on the System panel, which was snowballing at a frantic pace...
A hint of... strange anticipation actually rose in Lin Gui's heart.
He silently did the math.
If the commissions from these tens of thousands of ghosts in Blackwater City could all be accepted by the system as valid delivery tasks.
Then his long-stagnant "Messenger's Advancement Quest"...
That long-term goal of successfully delivering ten thousand letters...
He might actually be able to...
Complete it in one go right here.
Though he had been busy to the point of dizziness today, and even with the parts that the other ghosts helped transcribe, he had only processed over six hundred letters.
But this was only the first day.
The glass beads waiting outside to hand over letters still stretched as far as the eye could see.
Lin Gui roughly estimated that before his right hand was completely ruined...
He could collect at least four thousand letters.
Added to the 5,686 letters he had already accumulated from Avalon, the Royal Capital, Shield City, and other places...
Though it was still a bit short of the ten-thousand mark...
One shouldn't forget that after these letters were delivered, there would likely be replies.
And other city-states might send letters to different locations.
Furthermore, most of the destinations these ghosts wanted to reach were concentrated within the Wall of Sighs.
Namely, the nineteen city-states that had also been swallowed by "The Silent End."
Though the distance was far, Lin Gui had the flying vessel and the Eyes of the Netherworld.
A round trip might not even take a full day.
If he truly could complete the hardest part of the advancement quest—the ten thousand letters—right here...
As well as the final Special Commission he needed...
Then the system's rewarded magic extraction pool would be upgraded from Novice to Intermediate.
When that time came...
He might be able to shed the title of "squishy little mage."
He wouldn't be easily knocked out by a single brick either.
At that thought, even with his shoulders aching and his right hand stiff.
Lin Gui couldn't help but hum a vague yet upbeat little tune through his nose.
"What is it that's so making you so happy..."
Eve, who was reading nearby, looked up, her purple eyes filled with a hint of curiosity and a faint smile.
"That has made you... suddenly so cheerful, Mr. Lin Gui?"
Lin Gui's hand didn't stop, his pen tip continuing to rustle against the paper.
He shot a slightly resentful glance at Eve, who was leisurely reading her book nearby.
This lady, who should have been the "best support," the Saintess herself.
She had been huddled in the lounge chair in the back all day.
Holding that copy of 《The Domineering Magic Dragon's Sweet Little Wife》 left behind by Theia and reading it with great relish.
It wasn't that Lin Gui hadn't tried to "hire" her to help.
He had even promised that he was willing to pay this "poverty-stricken" Saintess a "generous" wage out of the private stash Theia had given him.
But the moment the suggestion left his mouth...
It was sternly and excitedly interrupted by several ghosts who had always been standing respectfully by her side—spirits who had been Church clergy in life.
"Absolutely not!"
The old priest ghost was the first to float forward, his soul body rippling with agitation.
"Her Highness's holy body is precious and noble. How could she engage in such... such tedious transcription work?"
"This is sacrilege!"
A nun ghost also nodded repeatedly, her voice urgent:
"That Her Highness can personally visit this filthy place is already our supreme honor!"
"How could we dare to let Her Highness labor her heart and strength further?"
Another ghost, who looked like a former Church scribe, was even more logically sound:
"Her Highness currently needs to maintain her energy and divine purity."
"To be tainted by too many worldly obsessions might affect her perception, which would be detrimental to her future 'mission.'"
They argued one after another with firm attitudes, and they even faintly shielded Eve behind them.
It was as if Lin Gui weren't asking for help, but was instead attempting to defile some sacred relic.
Eve herself closed her book and gave Lin Gui an apologetic, slightly mischievous smile that she couldn't help.
Her eyes clearly said: "See? It's not that I won't help."
And now, hearing the Saintess's question.
Lin Gui didn't even look up, his pen tip never stopping as he replied in a slightly playful tone:
"It is because, of course..."
"I'm thinking about how I'll soon be able to 'race' with you through the Wall of Sighs again."
"That's why I'm happy."
Before the words had even fully landed.
The leisurely smile on Eve's face in the corner... froze at a visible speed.
She unconsciously shrank back a little, her fingertips tightening on the pages of the book in her hand.
She had still not adapted to Lin Gui's "insane" driving style.
Every time she sat on the flying vessel, she felt like her soul was about to be flung out of her shell by the speed.
Before, Theia had been there at the front to suppress Lin Gui's speed.
Now that Theia wasn't here...
Was she... the only one left to endure it?
She silently looked at her slender wrists.
Then she imagined the feeling of being pinned to her seat by G-force and her stomach churning.
Suddenly, she felt like...
This melodramatic novel in her hand wasn't so enjoyable anymore.
Soon, the sun sank below the end of the ruins, and night once again cloaked Blackwater City.
The last glass bead in the post office...
Also rolled off the track reluctantly amidst Lin Gui's hoarse voice saying, "Please come back early tomorrow."
Lin Gui let out a long breath and leaned back against the chair, nearly exhausted.
His right wrist had swollen, his fingertips were trembling slightly from holding the pen for so long, and his palm was rubbed red.
By the table, the sorted and sealed letters were neatly stacked into seven half-person-high "mountains."
A rough count showed that over eight hundred and thirty letters had been written today.
And Lin Gui had written over two hundred of them himself...
The efficiency far exceeded expectations.
He stood up shakily and closed the several smooth stone tracks in front of the counter.
He locked the main door, preparing to head upstairs for a good night's sleep.
He had just stepped onto the stairs.
"Mr. Lin Gui."
Eve's voice came from behind him, very soft.
He turned around.
He saw Eve standing within the soft halo of the Glimmer spell.
Her hands were behind her back, and her toes were unconsciously scuffing the ground.
She turned her gaze away slightly, her ear tips appearing a bit red under the light.
Then, she stepped closer, stood on her tip-toes, and quickly whispered a sentence into his ear:
"Can I... sleep with you tonight?"
Lin Gui: "...???"
Rate on N.U.
