Lin Gui was extremely reluctant to get involved in the matters of the Voiceless Rift to the north.
For him, dealing with Gorn, a Low-tier Legendary, was already the absolute limit of his abilities.
That legendary absolute dead zone where even sound was swallowed was also far beyond his capacity to handle.
Furthermore, Theia was not by his side right now.
Nor could he allow Eve to burn her life away just to serve as a bargaining chip for him to take risks.
Hannah's actions, the deep, lingering sorrow etched between her brows...
...all clearly told Lin Gui one thing.
Gusion, Morpheus, and the others who had headed north had likely failed.
Avalon had sent one Epic, four Legendaries, and two High-tier Transcendents.
If even a lineup like that had failed...
...Lin Gui did not believe that he, a mere High-tier High Rank mage, could do anything to turn the tide.
This gap was not something his abilities could bridge.
The only thing he could do...
...was perhaps rely on the speed of his flying vessel and his own concealment abilities...
...to try and save a few people.
This would prevent Avalon's top-tier combat power from being completely wiped out, which would destabilize its defense system.
And in turn... threaten Theia's safety.
It wasn't that he hadn't thought about taking Theia away from Avalon.
And returning to Caran, the city where he planned to spark a revolution.
But when Theia was in Avalon, she had smiled from the bottom of her heart, feeling truly accepted. Lin Gui did not want that smile to vanish.
For a half-demon like Theia who had awakened her demon energy, Avalon was the home she truly wished to live in.
Besides, Caran was like a runaway train.
It could crash and burn along with him at any moment.
He did not want Theia to be dragged into his dangerous plans, which were riddled with thorns and conspiracies.
Setting off from Mirror-Shadow City, Lin Gui flew past Valley Town, Highwall Town, and Silverstream Town.
After dropping off all the wooden boxes at their respective city-states.
He finally turned around and returned to Blackwater City.
He had originally intended to fly right past and circle the seventeen city-states once more...
...to pick up the spirits who had decided to move and settle in Blackwater City, along with their families.
However, behind him, Eve's face was pale from the long, grueling journey, and fine beads of cold sweat lined her forehead.
Moreover, he himself had not closed his eyes for several days. His energy was nearly depleted, and a dull, throbbing pain pulsed in his temples.
Everything was telling Lin Gui:
He had to rest.
Furthermore, their mana was on the verge of running out.
The flying vessel did not run on nothing.
It required the pilot to provide about three thousand points of mana to activate the magic gathering crystal at its core.
The massive amount of energy stored within the crystal would then power the wind pressure cannon.
With Lin Gui's current mana reserves, he could activate it three times at most.
Yet along the way, he had activated the wind pressure cannon as many as twelve times.
This was because he had the "Eve Power Bank" continuously supplying him with energy.
Now, even Eve's mana was almost completely drained, and her fingertips trembled slightly.
They had to stop and recover.
This state of near-total mana depletion was extremely dangerous.
Even an opponent at the Low-tier Transcendent rank...
...could easily finish them off.
Therefore, no matter how urgent things were, they had to rest.
Lin Gui did not want to follow Hannah's trail and find the people of Avalon...
...only to end up making a useless trip due to his lack of mana, or worse, becoming a burden that needed saving.
Having decided to rest, Lin Gui steered the flying vessel after returning to Blackwater City.
He slowly descended toward the post office.
Before they even reached the entrance, the surrounding spirits gathered around them.
Their translucent bodies shimmered with a pearlescent glow in the afternoon light.
Warm, excited mental ripples washed over him.
“The young Messenger is back!”
“Was the trip smooth?”
Lin Gui nodded in response, preparing to land.
One of the spirits suddenly remembered something and said hurriedly:
“Oh, right, young man! An elven spirit guest has arrived at the post office!”
“It seems... she specifically asked for you.”
Lin Gui was taken aback.
An elven guest? And a spirit at that??
Hadn't he already sent all the elves in Blackwater City to those three elven city-states?
How could there be one left behind?
The spirit's tone turned peculiar:
“She... doesn't seem to be an elf from Blackwater City.”
“I've been floating around here for seventeen years, and I've never seen her before.”
The surrounding spirits chimed in one after another:
“Yes, yes, I haven't seen her either.”
“If I had, I definitely wouldn't have forgotten. She is so beautiful, on par with the Holy Saintess.”
“Even Miss Anna, the former socialite of Blackwater City, couldn't compare to her.”
“And the way she looks at people... it's like she's a high-and-mighty noble, completely out of reach.”
Lin Gui frowned:
“She specifically asked for me. Does she want me to send her home?”
The spirits shook their heads:
“We don't know... We asked her, but she didn't answer.”
“Instead, she asked a lot of questions about you.”
“Oh, just go and see for yourself, young man!”
Surrounded by the spirits, Lin Gui parked the flying vessel, took the hand of the exhausted Eve, and walked toward the post office doors.
He raised his hand and pushed open the familiar wooden door, which creaked on its old hinges.
A slender figure sat on a chair in front of the counter.
It was an elf.
She wore form-fitting, pitch-black armor designed for easy movement. Its clean lines traced a slender yet powerful silhouette.
The surface of the armor was dull, seemingly absorbing the surrounding light.
Her hair flowed like cold moonlight, and her skin was pale to the point of being nearly translucent.
Her features were stunningly beautiful, yet like an ice sculpture, they carried not a hint of warmth.
Shadow Blade Lynn.
A pair of indifferent eyes lifted slightly, her gaze as cold and aloof as an eagle soaring over an icy wasteland.
It was steeped in unconcealed arrogance and a faint trace of...
...derision.
She stared with a half-smile at Lin Gui, who had just pushed open the door.
It was as if she had been waiting for a long time.
The moment Lin Gui's eyes met hers...
his scalp prickled with intense dread, and his entire body felt as though it had been plunged into an ice cellar.
It was Shadow Blade Lynn.
Lin Gui's and Eve's pupils contracted in unison.
They reacted instantly.
A staff materialized from the void, falling into Lin Gui's palm as the light at its tip flickered urgently.
Eve's purple eyes turned cold, and obscure syllables were already on the verge of spilling from her lips.
But in the next second...
all their movements ground to a sudden halt.
A freezing, sharp edge silently pressed against their necks, feeling like the kiss of the Grim Reaper.
Shadow Blade Lynn's head slowly emerged from between their shoulders.
Her hair fell forward, brushing against the side of Lin Gui's ear and bringing a touch of inhuman coldness.
Her arms pinned their necks like iron bands, her grip precise and merciless.
The tips of the twin black daggers in her hands were pressed firmly...
...against the most vulnerable skin over their carotid arteries, sending a faint, paralyzing sting through them.
Another half-inch forward, and blood would spray on the spot.
Lin Gui hadn't even seen how she moved.
It was as if a mere shadow had swept past, and death was already brushing against his skin.
Eve's chant froze in her throat, her breath catching as she felt the chill of the short blades seeping into her skin.
The absolute sense of oppression froze every thought of resistance.
“Heh.”
Shadow Blade Lynn chuckled softly.
Her breath brushed against Lin Gui's ear, cold as a snake's tongue.
“Don't move.”
Her voice was very soft, carrying a playful chill, as if she were playing an amusing game.
“Move one more time...”
“...and blood will blossom right out like a little flower, 'poof.'”
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