Balin smiled and said to Lin Gui:
"Without that resolution, the Alliance won't actively expel half-demons—at least not openly."
He paused, his eyes filled with mirth.
"So, you can bring that elven companion of yours out now. I'm sure she'll be very happy."
Lin Gui was stunned for a moment.
His hand holding the mug tightened slightly.
In an instant, he thought of that beautiful and chatterbox elf.
A surge of emotion called longing rose within him.
It made him desperately want to agree with Balin's suggestion.
But.
In his mind, he recalled Theia's week in Avalon.
That was a time when she was truly happy from the bottom of her heart.
It was a smile of indulgence, relief, and freedom that he rarely saw.
He also thought of his own future adventures.
Dawn City.
World Tree.
Demon God's fortress.
No matter which path he took, they were all far more dangerous than anything he had faced before.
And there was his own... revenge.
He didn't want Theia to be too involved in his affairs.
He let out a soft sigh.
"We'll talk about it later."
Balin looked at him and said nothing.
He could see Lin Gui's hesitation.
He could see that behind this figure, which seemed weak to him, Lin Gui carried a heavy burden.
He poured himself a mug, raising it.
"Kid."
His voice was deep, carrying a certain weight.
"Some things aren't meant to be carried alone."
"You've helped us so much. If there is ever a need, the dwarves will never forget this kindness."
Lin Gui looked at him and nodded.
Then, he raised his mug.
The two clinked mugs and drained them in one go.
...
After several rounds of drinks.
Lin Gui set down his mug and looked at Balin.
"Lord Balin, I crossed through the rioting demons to return to Shield City because of one other thing."
Balin arched an eyebrow.
"Speak."
"My flying vessel needs to replenish its mana. The magic gathering crystal is almost depleted."
He paused.
"Could you replace it for me?"
Balin was stunned for a second.
Then, he burst into hearty laughter.
"That's it?"
He slapped Lin Gui on the shoulder, hitting him so hard he staggered.
"You've helped us so much; even if you wanted a divine artifact, I, Balin, would give it to you without hesitation!"
"And you're just asking for a magic gathering crystal?"
He stood up.
"Come, follow me to the warehouse."
However, he was a bit puzzled.
It had only been just over a month since Lin Gui had left his side.
The magic gathering crystal he had provided Lin Gui back then was expected to last at least four months.
How could it be nearly used up already?
...
He led Lin Gui into the dwarven precious goods warehouse.
It was a massive underground space, surrounded by stacks of various supplies.
But now, most of the shelves were empty.
Lin Gui brought out the flying vessel from his storage space.
Seeing that strangely shaped vehicle abruptly appear before his eyes, Balin's mouth fell open in shock.
Barna, on the other hand, remained calm.
"Little guy, don't tell me you've been carrying this thing on you all the time?"
Having witnessed Lin Gui's concealment magic and Levitation, he wasn't particularly surprised by this feat.
Balin scratched his head.
"Is it concealment magic? How could I not see it at all?"
As an Epic Rank individual, his perception was naturally extraordinary, yet he truly hadn't sensed the existence of the flying vessel.
He gave Lin Gui a curious look, but it wasn't his place to ask too much.
Lin Gui's previous evasiveness clearly meant he didn't want others to know too much about his abilities.
He walked over to the flying vessel and began to inspect it.
Soon, his expression changed.
He snapped his head up, staring at Lin Gui.
"You..."
His voice had changed pitch.
"You kept the wind pressure cannon running the whole way here?!"
Lin Gui's expression remained calm.
"Yeah, why else would I install it?"
Balin stood with his mouth wide open.
For a long time, he didn't know what to say.
Keeping the wind pressure cannon running the whole way.
Was he treating the demons in the wasteland as if they didn't even exist?
In the end, he gave Lin Gui a thumbs up.
"Fine."
"Impressive."
He stopped talking and went to work himself, starting the maintenance on Lin Gui's flying vessel and replacing the magic gathering crystal.
...
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Lin Gui curiously looked around.
Magic gathering crystals were extremely precious and were kept in the warehouse for Shield City's most valuable assets.
Normally, this place was heavily guarded, but now it was basically wide open.
The supplies inside were almost entirely exhausted.
Lin Gui knew why.
It was because the materials used to build Second Shield City had been moved out from here.
That was right—Lin Gui himself was the one who had emptied out these precious materials.
And now, only a few scattered pieces of Stellar-tier gear remained.
And...
Lin Gui's gaze fell on a corner.
There, a massive skyship was parked.
It was so huge that even just sitting there quietly, it occupied more than half of the warehouse's space.
The hull was forged entirely from a dark-gold metal, covered in complex runes that glinted with a cold light in the dim environment.
The bow was carved into the shape of a roaring dwarven battle-axe, and the wing-fins extending from both sides were lined with over a dozen magic crystal cannons.
The cannon muzzles were dark and gaping, inspiring awe and fear.
It was magnificent.
It was mighty.
It was massive.
It embodied the pinnacle of dwarven craftsmanship.
Barna walked over and stood beside him.
"That thing right there is our treasure."
"It is the finest vessel we have here."
His voice was filled with pride.
"Equipped with levitation stones from sky islands, it can float freely without needing the assistance of a Levitation spell."
He pointed at those muzzles.
"The weapons mounted on it are powerful enough that even a Legendary Rank warrior would have to avoid the brunt of its power."
He smiled at Lin Gui.
"Do you want it?"
Lin Gui looked at the gargantuan beast.
Then, he nodded.
And then he shook his head.
"It's not for me."
He sighed.
"I just want a vessel that can carry a few more people."
Although Barna had said so many great things about its power, it truly wasn't suitable for him.
It was too big.
Those weapons required many people to operate.
It wasn't for someone who worked alone like him.
The only thing that tempted him was its capacity to carry many people.
While the flying vessel was perfect for him, its transport capacity was very limited, though the storage space solved that problem.
However, his Storage could not solve the issue of transporting living people.
Occasionally, he would need to transport a group of people.
When that time came, it wasn't as if he could bind them all to the outside of the flying vessel like he did with Morpheus and the others when they left Avalon, right?
Lin Gui voiced his requirements, and when Balin heard his thoughts, he said without hesitation:
"In that case, do you need me to forge a new vessel for you, one suitable for multi-person transport and equipped with a wind pressure cannon?"
Lin Gui was tempted.
But he still shook his head.
"No, if it's too big, it won't be easy to keep with me."
In reality, it was because the flying vessel alone filled his storage space to capacity.
If he switched to something larger, he would truly have to do as Barna suspected.
He would have to use Levitation to control it and the Shroud of the Gloomy Night to hide it, and then have it following his ass around at all times.
That would be far too troublesome.
Balin looked at him but didn't press the matter further.
He fished a token from his robe and handed it to Lin Gui.
It was a metal plate the size of a palm, engraved with dwarven runes and the emblem of a forge hammer.
"Take it."
Lin Gui was stunned for a moment.
Balin explained:
"In the future, regardless of where you are, if you want to repair a vessel or forge a new one..."
"...you can take this token to the nearest dwarven smithy to receive a very good discount."
A flash of surprise crossed Barna's eyes.
A discount?
It was far more than just a discount.
But remembering Lin Gui's help, giving him this thing didn't seem like much at all.
Lin Gui hesitated for a moment.
But under Balin's urging, he accepted it.
"Thank you."
Balin patted his shoulder.
"We are the ones who should be thanking you, little guy."
Rate on N.U.
