The elven longbow was drawn taut like a full moon, its string groaning softly under the strain.
Theia's emerald eyes were locked dead onto the wolf demon that was the first to poke its head through the magical barrier.
Her pupils contracted into dangerous, narrow slits.
The air at the cave entrance seemed to freeze solid like iron.
The Knight Commander and the surviving guards didn't dare to breathe.
Cold sweat trickled down their temples, dripping onto the cold, rocky ground.
They knew all too well what a terrifying chain reaction would be triggered if they were exposed.
Outside was a demon tide! A bottomless abyss of eternal damnation.
Lin Gui continued to chant in a low voice.
While maintaining the Wall of the Gloomy Night, another shorter, more profound incantation was already prepared.
It was the activation incantation for the Shroud of the Gloomy Night.
He had already prepared for the worst-case scenario.
If Theia missed her mark, or if any of the wolf demons raised the alarm...
Before the demon tide could completely overwhelm the cave,
he would drag Theia away without a moment's hesitation, activate the Veil, and flee into the distance.
As for the Commander, the guards, and the young lady?
He had already done more than enough.
Unfortunately, the Commander's actions in throwing the wood ash were just a fraction of a second too slow.
The pungent stench, like a beacon in the dark, provided the giant wolf with the clearest possible guidance.
Its hideous head suddenly thrust through the shimmering light barrier.
Its crimson pupils instantly reflected the terrified figures of the humans inside the cave!
Its bloody maw gaped open, exposing razor-sharp fangs, and a bloodthirsty roar was about to shatter the silence.
“Swish... Thwack!”
An elven arrow that had been drawn for a long time, carrying the sharp battle qi of a Transcendent, shot forward at a speed faster than the eye could follow!
With absolute precision, it instantly pierced the beast's hard skull!
The arrowhead burst out from the back of its head, dragging with it a spray of red and white brain matter, and embedded itself deeply into the dirt wall behind!
The roar was forever choked back in its throat.
The giant wolf's massive body stiffened before collapsing limply.
Theia moved like a phantom. Before the wolf's carcass could even hit the ground,
she rushed forward and kicked it hard into the deep shadows of the cave, preventing it from attracting the attention of the demons outside.
Immediately after!
Her figure blurred, and she actually charged out of the protection of the Wall of the Gloomy Night on her own!
Outside the cave, the other four Hurricane Wolf Demons had just noticed their companion's scent vanish.
They were just about to let out warning howls.
A crimson light flared in Theia's eyes. Without a moment's hesitation, she bit her slender fingertip.
A drop of dark red blood welled up, but it didn't fall.
Instead, under the control of her mana, it instantly condensed in the air into four long, thin, eerie crimson needles!
With a violent wave of her right hand,
the four blood needles shot silently through the air, embedding themselves precisely between the brows of the remaining four giant wolves!
“Whimper...”
The four giant wolves stiffened simultaneously.
The frenzy and bloodlust in their crimson pupils quickly receded, replaced by a look of dazed submission.
Under Theia's silent command, the four giant wolves acted like docile house dogs, lowering their heads and emitting low, garbled rumbles from their throats.
They turned around one by one, quietly and mechanically leaving the cave entrance to blend back into the chaotic demon tide outside.
Inside the cave, there was a deathly silence.
The Knight Commander and the guards stared slack-jawed at the unimaginable scene before them.
Their faces were masks of shock and utter disbelief.
Even Lin Gui's eyes flickered with deep surprise.
He hadn't expected Theia to have such a card up her sleeve.
It seemed...
the ancient rumors that those with demon bloodlines could influence or even control demons were not entirely groundless.
With the giant wolves gone, the immediate crisis was temporarily averted.
Theia let out a soft breath, the crimson glow in her eyes slowly fading as her pupils returned to their natural emerald color.
With a graceful leap, she returned to the interior of the cave.
Her footsteps seemed to falter slightly, but she quickly steadied herself.
What followed was a long and agonizing wait.
Lin Gui and the others huddled inside the outpost.
They listened as the roars and heavy stomps of the demons surged past outside like a raging tide.
The ground trembled continuously, causing loose gravel and dust to rain down.
Every second felt like dancing on the edge of a blade.
Only when the suffocating noise gradually faded and was finally swallowed by the howling wind of the canyon did Lin Gui slowly stop channeling his mana.
The Wall of the Gloomy Night quietly dissipated.
He instantly lost all his strength, collapsing weakly onto the ground in an exhausted heap.
His forehead was drenched in cold sweat, and he panted heavily.
Maintaining such a large-scale concealment spell while resisting the chaotic energy fluctuations from the outside had taken a massive toll on him.
Theia walked over and silently handed him a waterskin.
Lin Gui took it, gulped down several mouthfuls, and said hoarsely, “Thanks.”
Theia shook her head. She squatted beside him, hugging her knees as her gaze drifted elsewhere.
The City Lord's daughter had woken up once again.
At first, she blinked blankly.
Then, she realized she was covered in dirty wood ash and a pungent stench of urine, and her face was burning with pain.
After a brief moment of daze, an unprecedented sense of grievance and terror completely overwhelmed her.
“Waaah—!!!”
An even louder and more piercing wail suddenly erupted.
It echoed repeatedly inside the cave, grating on everyone's eardrums.
The Knight Commander broke out in a cold sweat, scrambling forward to soothe her but having no idea where to start.
The guards all wore expressions of undisguised disgust and annoyance.
Yet they dared not voice their anger, only able to turn their heads away.
Theia withdrew her gaze and looked back at the exhausted Lin Gui.
Her emerald eyes seemed exceptionally deep in the dim light.
“Well?” she asked softly, a trace of imperceptible tension in her voice.
Lin Gui was taken aback, not quite catching her drift. “What do you mean, 'well'?”
“Seeing me control demons.”
Theia rested her chin on her knees, staring at him without blinking.
“Don't you... have anything you want to say? Or ask?”
Lin Gui stared blankly for a long time upon hearing this.
He looked into her emerald eyes, which she no longer hid. They seemed to hold a cautious probing, along with the anxiety of someone awaiting a verdict.
Finally, as if he had finished thinking it through, he solemnly delivered his assessment:
“Nice job???”
Theia froze, her emerald eyes widening slightly. She clearly hadn't expected this answer at all.
After a long pause, an incredibly complex yet deeply relieved smile slowly blossomed on her beautiful face.
She suddenly raised her hand and gave Lin Gui's shoulder a playful, gentle punch.
Her tone carried a hint of mock annoyance, but there was an indescribable lightness to it:
“Honestly... if you keep acting like this, I might actually fall in love with you in the future, you know?”
Lin Gui immediately pulled his trademark face of disgust and recoiled slightly.
“Sorry, but I'm someone who plans to travel the entire Akara Continent in the future. The venture capital is too high. If you don't want to be dragged onto my pirate ship, you'd better nip that dangerous idea in the bud as early as possible.”
Theia only laughed, not taking his words seriously at all, her emerald eyes curving into lovely crescents.
It wasn't entirely unreasonable for people to fear half-demons.
Possessing half-demon blood naturally meant one could inherit the power of the Demon Race, which originated from the abyss and shared the same source as the demons.
To be able to communicate with demons, and even exert influence over them...
This ability itself could easily lead people to associate them with the destructive Dark Tide.
When she decided to reveal this long-hidden ability,
she had actually prepared herself to be shunned, or even feared.
Fortunately...
she looked at the man still sitting beside her with a speechless expression.
The calm and understanding in his eyes were not feigned.
He still treated her just like a normal person.
And that was enough.
Rate on N.U.
