This time, circling the seventeen swallowed city-states was much easier than the first.
Lin Gui no longer needed to deliberately search for ghosts or open post offices.
At every arrival, he would drop off the wooden box corresponding to that city-state.
Then, he would turn and fly straight to the next stop.
Upon arriving at Shadowmoon City, Lin Gui made a point to stop.
He issued a warning toward the wooden box containing the elven spirits.
"Shadow Blade Lynn is inside, and in spirit form."
"According to Clotina’s description, she might be hostile toward you."
The wooden box fell silent for a moment.
Then, several elven voices spoke up one after another.
"Life and death... we grew indifferent to them long ago."
"We just want to see our homeland again."
Another voice added softly:
"We have already died once."
"If we can see our home again, see the traces of our families..."
"There is nothing to fear in dying once more."
Lin Gui remained silent for a few seconds and stopped trying to persuade them.
He placed the wooden box steadily on the edge of the ruins.
Then, he slammed the steering lever of the wind pressure cannon.
The flying vessel suddenly accelerated, shooting into the sky like an arrow released from a bow.
Lin Gui had no desire to encounter that terrifying elven assassin again.
Even if she were just in a spirit state.
Throughout the journey, Lin Gui maintained the fastest stable speed possible.
At first, Lin Gui considered the feelings of the "passengers" in the wooden boxes.
He deliberately kept the speed gentle.
But before long, those spirits who had been idle for sixteen years...
Actually began to urge him on excitedly in his mind.
"Faster! Too slow!"
"Make it more thrilling! Little Mage Messenger guy, I see those cannons on the back of your flying vessel haven't been fully opened yet!"
"Yes! Accelerate! Charge!"
"This is so much fun! It’s just like riding a giant eagle!"
The corner of Lin Gui’s mouth twitched slightly.
This familiar feeling...
Made him dream back to the day at the Fortress City of Shield when he was test-flying and being shouted at and urged on by the dwarves.
Then, the corners of his lips turned upward slightly.
The customer is king.
How could he refuse the demands of kings?
Naturally, he could not.
Lin Gui no longer concerned himself with Eve’s pale face behind him.
Ignoring Hannah’s sudden, high-pitched scream.
He pushed the wind pressure cannon to its maximum.
The flying vessel turned into a blurred gray shadow, tearing through the mist.
At maximum speed, he covered the remaining distance.
Until finally, he landed slowly outside Mirror-Shadow City.
The moment the flying vessel came to a steady halt, Hannah stumbled and rushed off.
Supporting herself against a section of a broken wall, she began to dry heave violently.
Eve was still sitting in the second-row seat.
Her hands gripped the armrests tightly, her knuckles white.
Her pale-gold short hair was somewhat messy, and her purple eyes stared blankly ahead.
It was as if her soul had yet to catch up after the recent wild ride.
Hannah rested by the wall for a good while before she finally straightened up.
She turned to look at Lin Gui with a complex gaze.
The speed of that flying vessel... was truly terrifying.
When she and Roger had traveled north, it had taken them a full week to reach this place.
But Lin Gui’s flying vessel had done it in less than a day.
And that was after taking a huge detour around the Wall of Sighs.
A truly... monstrous speed.
Her throat tightened, and she couldn't help dry heaving a few more times.
Lin Gui waited for her to recover before speaking:
"Do you need me to take you inside Mirror-Shadow City?"
Currently, the flying vessel was parked outside the city walls.
Looking down from the sky earlier, Mirror-Shadow City was massive in scale.
Though not as exaggerated as Blackwater City, it was not inferior to the Carter Royal Capital.
Hannah shook her head, her voice still a bit hoarse:
"No, dropping me off here is fine."
She looked toward the towering city walls before her, her gaze gradually becoming guarded.
Then, she pulled a piece of paper from her bosom and quickly wrote a few lines.
Folding it, she handed it to Lin Gui.
Lin Gui looked down.
It was a personally written letter of asset transfer.
Hannah stated in the letter that she was transferring all the supplies belonging to her and Roger in Avalon...
All of it was being gifted to Lin Gui and the "white-haired elf Theia."
To prove its authenticity, she reached into her bosom and pulled out another object.
It was a small pillar, exquisitely shaped and faintly glowing with shimmering light.
One could tell at a glance it was no ordinary item.
She handed the pillar to Lin Gui:
"Give this to the governing officials of Avalon."
"This is the voucher. With it, you can claim the assets I’ve given you."
Lin Gui took the pillar and looked up:
"Didn't you say it was only Roger’s private stash?"
"This extra... is?"
Hannah smiled, and in the sunlight, that smile held a trace of desolation.
"Just consider it... compensation for my lover tricking you."
She waved her hand and turned toward the city wall.
"Alright, it’s time to say goodbye."
As the words fell, her body leaped nimbly.
Using both hands and feet, she climbed the high wall like a cat.
With a few bounds, she disappeared over the top of the wall.
Lin Gui and Eve watched her leave.
Eve leaned in, looked at the letter, and said softly:
"This... looks like a testament."
Lin Gui nodded.
"Yes, she... plans to seek death."
He paused, his voice low:
"It seems Kilian, Roger, and the others failed. They might have already perished in the Voiceless Rift."
Worry appeared in Eve’s eyes:
"Will that affect the safety of Avalon? If Demon King Gusion is dead, will the veil that allows Avalon to exist in this terrible corridor..."
Lin Gui fell silent for a moment.
As someone who eavesdropped on Morpheus’s meetings in Avalon every day...
He naturally knew about the many contingency measures Gusion had left behind.
If those measures were truly effective, then even if Gusion and the northern powerhouses were completely wiped out...
Avalon would not collapse. Its defenses would even be reinforced and become safer.
But... its top-tier combat power would be severely compromised.
He did not answer, turning toward the rear of the flying vessel instead.
He unfastened the steel chains binding the Mirror-Shadow City wooden boxes and opened the lids.
Glass beads drifted out one by one, spinning excitedly.
"Home! We’re finally home!"
"Thank you, little Mage Messenger guy! You are truly our lifesaver!"
The spirits excitedly surrounded Lin Gui, their soul light leaping with joy.
Just as they were about to scatter impatiently to find their kin.
Lin Gui called out to them.
"Wait."
All the beads froze simultaneously and turned toward him.
Lin Gui looked at the spirits, his voice calm:
"Could I ask you to help me with a small favor as well?"
The glass beads immediately surged forward, soul light flickering.
"Of course! Just say the word, lad!"
"As long as it’s something we can do, we’ll help for sure!"
"Yes! Even if we can't do it, we'll find a way!"
Lin Gui looked up at the towering walls of Mirror-Shadow City.
"Help me ask around with your families in the city."
"About everything involving 'living people' that has happened in Mirror-Shadow City within the last four months."
"Also, that Ms. Hannah from just now."
He paused before adding:
"If possible, help me track where she’s going."
"When I return, take me to find her."
The glass beads agreed without hesitation.
"Don't worry! Leave it to us!"
"We'll go ask right now! We'll definitely find out!"
"Wait for us, benefactor, we'll be back soon!"
They excitedly circled Lin Gui a few times before scattering in all directions.
Through cracks in the walls, drainage ports, broken window openings...
They silently slipped into Mirror-Shadow City and vanished.
Eve walked to Lin Gui’s side and asked softly:
"Do you intend to intervene?"
Lin Gui looked down at the small pillar in his hand.
In the vision of the Eyes of the Netherworld, it was emitting...
An exceptionally intense, nearly solid soul force.
The eerie light flowed slowly within the pillar, breathing as if it were alive.
He gripped the pillar and looked up at the city wall.
After a long silence, he spoke in a low voice:
"If I have the ability to intervene."
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