After leaving Withered Wood Town, Lin Gui flew toward the eastern wilderness in his flying vessel with Elvia.
The eastern part of the Withered Wood Wasteland was far broader than the western side.
It was also much more dangerous.
The density of demons along the way was nearly four times that of the west.
Legendary auras often swept past in the distance like lighthouses in the dark night, reminding travelers of who truly ruled this land.
Lin Gui steered the flying vessel through the gaps between demon territories.
The number of times they had to stop to restore mana was double what it had been before.
On one occasion, a Legendary-tier shadow demon swept past below them, its black mist nearly touching the bottom of the flying vessel.
Elvia held her breath, her fingers clutching Lin Gui’s clothes tightly.
Lin Gui did not move.
The Shroud of the Gloomy Night enveloped the entire vessel. The shadow demon’s perception swept over them but did not linger.
Another time, they were forced to hide in a withered forest for half a day.
Two Epic demons were in a standoff ahead, and their terrifying pressure covered dozens of kilometers around them.
Relying on the Messenger's Chart and the map provided by Dalton, Lin Gui took a long detour and barely managed to avoid them.
There were many scares, but no actual harm.
Day ten.
The expanse of Serpent-Spine Ridge finally appeared at the end of their vision.
The date had reached...
March 9th, Year 43 of the Dark Age.
There were five days left until the transport team selection in Coppergate City.
Time was still ample.
Serpent-Spine Ridge was a range of continuous low hills, named for its ridge that wound like a serpent.
The mountains were grayish-brown with sparse vegetation, and exposed rocks and dried-up gullies were everywhere.
The activity of demons here was significantly lower than in the Withered Wood Wasteland.
However, it was by no means a safe place.
Occasionally, dozens of Hero Rank demons could be seen wandering on the ridges, their cold gazes scanning the valleys below.
Atop the oak staff, Elvia looked back at the wilderness behind them.
That hazy, boundless Withered Wood Wasteland.
She let out a sigh of lingering fear.
“I swear—”
“I never want to enter a Forbidden Zone like that again.”
They hadn't encountered any fatal dangers along the way.
But the scares were far too many.
Once, they were resting under a dead tree, and Elvia leaned against it.
Then the tree moved.
It was a tree demon disguised as dead wood, a High-tier High Rank creature.
Its eyes, located less than half a meter above Elvia’s head, slowly opened.
At that moment, Elvia nearly fainted from fright.
Lin Gui used his Shroud of the Gloomy Night to separate her from the tree demon and then led her back slowly.
It wasn't until they had retreated dozens of meters that the tree demon closed its eyes again and resumed its disguise.
Another time, they flew over a swamp.
Under the water’s surface, it was packed with eyes.
There was no telling how many demons were lurking in the mud, waiting for prey to land.
Lin Gui’s flying vessel swept over the water, and those eyes followed their movement, but none launched an attack.
Because Lin Gui didn't land or stop.
Every time Elvia thought back on it, her back broke out in a cold sweat.
These weirdly disguised demons were still within Elvia’s limit of endurance.
What troubled her most were those Epic and Legendary demons with their absurd strength.
Epic demons were usually hard to find in the wilderness.
In just one crossing, Elvia had seen four.
They only had to stand there, and even if they did nothing, they were the source of Elvia's greatest terror.
Lin Gui, at the front, spoke with a flat voice:
“Then I might have to disappoint you.”
“The Forbidden Zones we have to cross later...”
“Are not just minor child's play like the Withered Wood Wasteland.”
The Withered Wood Wasteland wasn't much among Forbidden Zones; it was publicly recognized as bottom-tier.
It was so low-tier that a city-state could actually operate within its borders, which was ridiculous.
But that didn't mean it wasn't dangerous.
If the Gold Rank adventure group that had taken Monica to the Magic City had tried to cross this wasteland...
They likely would have been wiped out within hours.
The staff continued to descend.
Eventually, it landed on a patch of gravel.
Lin Gui took out the map from his storage space, unfolded it, and looked at it.
“We are about to reach the delivery point.”
“From here on, let's walk.”
“I can also recover some mana while we're at it.”
He put the staff away and stepped forward.
Elvia followed him.
After a few steps, she looked at the stack of letters in Lin Gui’s hand with a strained grimace.
“I say...”
“Do you really plan to deliver this letter?”
“To go see another Inspector?”
“To deliver a letter that might report us as rebels...”
“Straight into the hands of another Inspector?”
Lin Gui said calmly:
“What is there to be afraid of?”
Before he could finish, his footsteps paused.
His right hand rose, and the Shroud of the Gloomy Night instantly enveloped the two of them.
Less than fifty meters ahead, three demons were sweeping past the ridge.
Hero Rank.
They were covered in dark red scales, and their blood-red eyes scanned the valley below.
They passed by close to Lin Gui and Elvia.
The nearest one was less than ten meters away.
Elvia ducked her head and held her breath.
The three demons didn't stop, continuing forward until they disappeared behind another ridge.
Lin Gui retracted the Shroud of the Gloomy Night and continued walking.
“We haven't done anything out of line.”
“And we don't plan to do anything out of line in the early stages.”
“Besides, we have the transport team backing us up...”
“What are you afraid of?”
Elvia’s mouth twitched.
“A transport team derived from a story.”
“And you freaking take it seriously?”
“I know, you've been vanishing in front of others, showing off Levitation, and throwing money around at the gambling house.”
“All of these can indirectly support the fact that you have someone behind you.”
“But the fact is, you don't.”
“This won't stand up to scrutiny.”
Lin Gui said calmly:
“So, we make it real.”
Elvia was confused:
“Huh?”
“How do we make it real?”
Lin Gui pulled out a newspaper from his storage space.
He handed it to her.
Elvia took it and scanned it casually.
Then her expression became strange.
“You're going to participate in the transport team selection?”
Lin Gui said:
“Is that not allowed?”
Elvia looked at him:
“Do we have a Legendary?”
“No.”
“And what about teammates?”
“Scout, warrior, ranger, priest, assassin...”
“Do we have any?”
“No.”
The atmosphere became somewhat stiff.
Elvia took a deep breath:
“Then who else...”
“Is participating in this grueling selection with us?”
Lin Gui didn't speak.
He looked at Elvia.
Elvia’s mouth twitched.
She pointed at herself and then at Lin Gui.
Lin Gui nodded silently.
Elvia slapped her forehead.
As ridiculous as it was...
For some reason, it felt perfectly natural.
It was likely because of the speed.
In little over a month, they had traveled from Whitecliff City to the edge of the central city-states.
If they had followed the fastest route Elvia had suggested...
Even for a top-tier transport team or an Alliance messenger with zero load and extreme speed, it would have taken at least three months...
And that wasn't even counting the time Lin Gui had spent in various city-states.
This guy...
With that flying vessel, probably no transport team could compare to him in speed.
As long as they could sign up...
It would be a miracle if they didn't pass the selection...
In fact...
Elvia paused slightly, looking at Lin Gui’s not-very-broad back as he walked ahead.
Her eyes filled with a sense of expectation and excitement that even she didn't realize she had.
Perhaps this guy really could pass the selection and skyrocket in status in a single bound...
There were three ranks for transport teams.
Morningstar, Brightmoon, and Blazing Sun.
As long as they became a Brightmoon Rank transport team...
Elvia’s heartbeat accelerated steadily.
Brightmoon.
In the Carter Royal Capital, their status was equal to that of a king.
When invited to a banquet, they did not have to kneel to the King.
Instead, the King would need to lower his head to show respect.
Her footsteps quickened as she caught up to Lin Gui.
“Hey.”
Lin Gui turned his head slightly and looked at her.
Those black eyes held a calmness that seemed to see through everything.
He spoke, his voice flat:
“The requirement for the selection is a heavy load.”
“It starts at at least a hundred tons.”
“The limit load of a transport team—”
“Did you forget?”
Elvia’s excitement instantly deflated.
She knew the weakness of Lin Gui’s powerful transport capability all too well.
Too little mana.
Which led to a lack of stamina.
“Does that mean—”
“We might not even pass the lowest Morningstar Rank assessment?”
Lin Gui was quite honest.
“We can.”
“The Morningstar Rank ten-ton load is within my capability.”
“And its time limit is very long, at least four months.”
“Anyone could complete it in four months.”
Elvia rolled her eyes at him wordlessly.
The immense status of transport teams led countless adventurers and even nobles to sign up.
Every year, thousands of transport teams registered, but in the freaking end, only a dozen or so succeeded.
She remembered that last year she had followed the news.
Excluding those transport teams aiming for promotion, only nine new teams successfully passed the selection.
Eight were Morningstar, and one was Brightmoon.
This guy talked about becoming Morningstar as if it were so easy...
Although for a freak like Lin Gui, it really was.
“Well—”
She sighed.
“Morningstar it is then.”
“At least the status is higher than that of the Whitecliff City Lord.”
“It’s enough for us to walk with our heads held high in small city-states along the way.”
As they spoke, Lin Gui slowed down.
He pulled out the letter and checked the address again.
Serpent-Spine Ridge, Moonlight Valley, Forward Supply Outpost, House No. 3.
Inside the envelope was also a very detailed map.
He compared it to the map and turned into a dried-up riverbed.
The steep rock walls on both sides of the riverbed soared into the clouds, blocking the sunlight.
The ground was covered in gravel, making a “shashasha” sound under their feet.
After walking for about a quarter of an hour, the end of the riverbed met a rock wall.
There was no road left.
Lin Gui looked at the map and then at the rock wall.
Then he pushed aside a patch of withered grass on the right.
Behind the grass was a narrow crack.
Only one person could pass through sideways at a time.
Lin Gui turned and squeezed in.
Elvia followed behind him.
The crack was very long and winding. Rock walls loomed above, hiding the sky.
After walking about a hundred paces, light appeared ahead.
Lin Gui pushed aside the final patch of grass.
Then—
He was stunned.
Before his eyes, it wasn't just a few tents.
Nor was it a few caves.
It wasn't even a small settlement like the one at Audo Canyon.
It was a city-state.
A city-state of significant scale.
Grayish-white city walls, high watchtowers, and fully armed guards standing at the gate.
Flags fluttered atop the walls, embroidered with an unfamiliar crest.
The buildings inside were at various heights, and streets intersected in a grid.
The faint sound of people could be heard, noisy and lively.
In this remote land surrounded by demons, at the end of a dried-up riverbed.
A city-state stood there quietly.
Rate on N.U.
