Just as Grom had said.
At this critical juncture where things were so urgent that it felt like their eyebrows were on fire, the Fortress Lord was still beating around the bush with Lin Gui, hesitant to get to the point.
The main reason was a matter of pride.
He was willing to pay any price for the safety of Shield City.
But...
Asking a High Rank mage for help?
Was it not... a bit too...
He was an Epic expert, after all.
Although he was usually approachable and kind, he still possessed the pride of a Title Rank expert.
Furthermore, the other party had already helped him many times.
Whether it was delivering the letters for the dwarves of the Stoneheart Clan.
Or giving him that priceless Barrier Stone.
Or even retrieving enough blackwater stone from the Blackwater Forest to power the magic crystal cannons for an entire day.
One could say that, leaving aside his status, Lin Gui had already helped him immensely.
The Fortress Lord simply couldn't bring himself to speak up at this moment.
To persuade someone who had helped him so many times...
To risk their life for something that didn't even concern them much...
He couldn't open his mouth.
So, after reuniting with Lin Gui and exchanging a few pleasantries, Balin stood there awkwardly.
He opened his mouth as if to say something.
Then he closed it.
He opened it again.
In the end, he still couldn't say a word.
He just stood there, his gaze drifting aimlessly.
One moment he looked at the ceiling, the next at the letters on the counter, then down at his own boots.
The dwarves behind him also fell into a tacit silence.
Grom looked down and started picking at his fingernails.
Among the others, some looked at the walls, some at the floor, and some stared out the door, thinking about who knows what.
Only Barna, who didn't know much about the help Lin Gui had given the dwarves, was restless with anxiety.
The roar of cannon fire continued to drift into the post office.
Boom. Boom. Boom.
Inside the post office, however, the atmosphere grew incredibly awkward.
Lin Gui watched this group of dwarves who had suddenly fallen silent, his brows furrowing slightly.
His gaze swept over Balin's conflicted face and then to Grom's nail-picking.
He remained silent for a few seconds.
Then, he spoke.
"Did you guys... come here for something?"
Balin's expression stiffened.
He opened his mouth.
"Well..."
Then he closed it.
He scratched his head.
"It's just..."
He still couldn't say it.
He turned his head and looked at the group behind him, as if asking for help.
Barna watched him, his brows furrowing so tightly they could have crushed a fly.
Finally, he couldn't take it anymore.
He took a step forward.
"Forget it. If the Fortress Lord can't say it, I will."
He looked at Lin Gui and took a deep breath.
"We need your help."
He paused.
"We need you to help us accomplish something."
"It is very dangerous."
His voice halted at the word "dangerous."
The momentum that had driven him forward stalled right then and there.
That was because...
Chantless Levitation had masked everything, leading him to subconsciously overlook the rest.
Even if there really was a mage capable of chantless Levitation...
That would only solve a small portion of a massive problem.
How were they supposed to safely deliver him—the person controlling the flight of a vast amount of supplies—to the island dozens of kilometers away?
That was the biggest issue.
Dozens of kilometers of ocean.
A sky filled with demons.
Countless eyes watching.
Once entangled, even a few High Rank demons would be enough to exhaust them to death.
Just now, even with the Fortress Lord leading the way, they had nearly been worn down by those endless hordes.
Even with Levitation, this was almost impossible without a Legendary concealment mage or someone of that caliber to escort them.
Barna got stuck halfway through his sentence.
He looked at Lin Gui, this young human, and didn't know how to continue for a moment.
Lin Gui looked at his hesitant expression and then at the Fortress Lord, who looked like he was suffering from constipation.
He raised an eyebrow slightly.
He pointed to himself.
"Help?"
"You're asking for my help?"
His voice carried a hint of oddness.
With his High Rank strength, what kind of help could he possibly provide in this situation?
Even if he could replicate the dust explosion from Mirror-Shadow City, it would only clear out some fodder.
Against those Legendary and Epic demons, it would be useless.
Thinking it over, there was only one possibility.
He looked at Barna.
"Do you want me to take a few people and leave?"
Barna shook his head.
"No, it's about carrying some mater—"
His words suddenly cut off again.
Wait.
He suddenly looked up and stared intently at Lin Gui.
His eyes were wide as if he had suddenly discovered some shocking secret.
"Wait!!"
He shouted.
"You!! You..."
He pointed at Lin Gui, his finger trembling.
"How did you get in here?!"
Lin Gui was startled.
"I slipped in through the opening you guys tore in the barrier's defense to go out and fight,"
He replied casually with a natural expression.
Barna's voice grew even louder.
"That's not what I mean!!"
He was almost screaming.
"I mean... how the hell did you get through the demons outside?!"
"Outside is a sea of demons!!"
"Never mind a Legendary transport team—not even an Epic expert could do that!"
His spittle sprayed everywhere, a few droplets landing on Lin Gui's face.
Lin Gui blinked.
Then, he silently raised his hand and used his sleeve to wipe the spit from his face.
His movements were slow and natural.
His expression was slightly speechless; even now, he couldn't get used to the loud voices of the dwarves.
"It's not that exaggerated,"
He said.
"If you watch for the perception flaws between the Epic demons, even a Legendary Assassin can slip in from the outside."
Barna stared at him as if he were a madman.
He pointed at Lin Gui, his voice shaking.
"But you're just a High Rank mage!!"
Lin Gui fell silent.
He silently wiped away the remaining spit on his face once more.
Then, he looked up at Barna helplessly.
"Consider it my little personal secret."
He paused and looked around.
Reminded by Barna, the surrounding dwarves were all stunned now.
Shocked faces and wide eyes were all fixed on him.
Lin Gui continued:
"Anyway, I can get in safely..."
He paused.
"And I can... get out safely."
Watching the dwarves' reactions, he furrowed his brows slightly.
"Don't you guys already know about this ability of mine?"
Barna was dazed.
He suddenly turned his head to look at Balin.
Balin was the dwarf most familiar with the black-haired human before them.
Balin opened his mouth.
"We... do we know?"
His voice carried a hint of uncertainty.
Lin Gui raised an eyebrow.
"Didn't I nab those blackwater stones from the Blackwater Forest for you all on my own?"
Mentioning this incident made the surrounding dwarves remember instantly.
Back then, the matter had caused quite a discussion in Shield City.
If it hadn't been the Fortress Lord and Grom themselves who said it, no dwarf would have believed it.
A High Rank mage had nabbed enough blackwater stone to power the magic crystal cannons for an entire day from the Blackwater Forest?
That place was a Forbidden Zone where even Legendary experts didn't dare to tread lightly.
The dwarven pillars all looked toward the Fortress Lord in unison.
Balin's expression became even more peculiar.
He scratched his head.
"Wasn't that because of the speed of that little flying vessel of yours?"
Lin Gui looked at him wordlessly.
"The flying vessel is fast, but the speed of speed-type Epic demons isn't much slower."
He paused.
"Did you think I have a death wish, just flying past an Epic demon in plain sight?"
Though he actually had flown right past an Epic demon back then.
But that was thanks to the protection of the Shroud of the Gloomy Night.
While it couldn't completely block the perception of an Epic demon, it could weaken his presence.
By the time the Epic demon realized what happened and intended to give chase, he had already slipped away.
Balin looked at him, his brow deeply furrowed.
"Then... how did you do it?"
Lin Gui opened his mouth.
Then, he spoke calmly:
"That is my personal secret."
He paused.
"Anyway, Lord Balin, what exactly is it that you've come to see me about at such a critical moment?"
Since Lin Gui had been the one to bring it up first...
Balin could only let out a sigh.
A trace of complex emotion flashed across his resolute face.
He remained silent for several seconds.
Then, he spoke with difficulty.
Rate on N.U.
