Lin Gui departed with Irene aboard the flying vessel, vanishing from sight in the blink of an eye.
The long, narrow flying vessel left a faint azure trail across the sky.
It moved so fast that almost the instant eyes locked onto it, it shrank into a tiny dot and vanished completely.
Standing before the attic window, Morgan could not hide the sheer shock in his eyes.
"That is..."
His voice sounded dry.
Such speed... was something even the Legendary Assassin beside him could not achieve.
In fact... Morgan suspected it might even surpass Epic Rank.
Elvia walked up beside him, following his gaze toward the empty sky, her tone casual.
"A flying vessel equipped with a wind pressure cannon."
She paused briefly.
"A... defy-the-heavens vehicle that only he can control."
Morgan turned his head to look at her, his brow furrowing slightly.
Elvia did not elaborate.
After riding the flying vessel for the first time, Elvia had wondered whether it could be mass-produced.
A speed surpassing Epic Rank, speeding across the wasteland.
As a former princess who held actual power over transport, Elvia knew all too well what that signified for the transport industry.
She had no doubt whatsoever.
The powerful, noble supreme ruler of the Transport Guild, who held decisive authority within the Alliance—
Director-General Raymond Axter.
If he knew about the existence of this flying vessel...
Elvia couldn't even predict what absurd measures he would take.
Instantly granting someone speed beyond the Epic Rank.
This flying vessel was comparable to a divine artifact... and most importantly, it could be replicated.
Elvia had certainly considered whether this ridiculous speed could be mass-produced.
While wind pressure cannons were valuable, they were not as rare as demi-artifacts.
As long as there was enough money, one could always commission the dwarves to build several more flying vessels like it.
Yet every time she recalled that sensation of losing control, she gave up on the idea.
She might be able to craft many similar small flying vessels capable of reaching Epic speed once their wind pressure cannons were fired.
However, she could never produce people capable of controlling them.
The key reason the flying vessel could speed across the wilderness at a pace surpassing Epic Rank was not its speed, but its controller.
It was the person driving it.
Only he, who had mastered chantless Levitation, could pilot that vessel when its speed ran out of control.
Anyone else would have crashed straight into a mob of demons long ago.
Vessel destroyed, driver dead.
As for chantless Levitation...
Elvia estimated that across all of Akara, Lin Gui was probably the only one who could achieve it.
Regarding this, Elvia felt both regretful and proud.
She gave a soft chuckle and turned to look at Morgan.
"Rest assured. He will return with your half-demon warriors."
Morgan looked at her, fell silent for a moment, and let out a sigh.
"I hope so."
Witnessing the flying vessel's speed firsthand had indeed given Morgan a bit more confidence.
However... recalling Cedric and the others...
Before Lin Gui had even arrived, Cedric and his group had already departed half an hour earlier.
And the time it took for Lin Gui to bring them back to Withered Wood Town...
...was more than enough for Cedric and the others to reach their position and strike.
Their rescue attempt was bound to draw Edwin's attention.
That man was extraordinarily powerful; during their negotiations, Morgan had felt an overwhelming pressure radiating from him.
Morgan was certain that old man would break through to Epic Rank before long.
Even if Edwin stood alone, joining together all the Legendaries from the sanctuary might not be enough to beat him.
Cedric and the others' actions would create an opportunity for that bizarre little mage.
Yet no matter what, even if Lin Gui and Freeman managed to rescue all the captured half-demons...
...it was impossible for them to face Edwin and rescue Cedric and his group.
Morgan began to regret letting Cedric and the others go.
Yet back then, how could he have known that a High-tier High Rank mage would appear?
How could he have known that in a desperate situation surrounded by a magic perception veil and the elites of eight High-tier Transcendent magic families—
—such a mage would pack up over five thousand helpless half-demon commoners, escaping the encirclement and returning to a human city-state within a single hour?
It had solved Morgan's greatest burden.
Thinking back on it now, Morgan still felt dazed.
One moment, he had intended to trade his own life for the Thousand Towers' mercy toward these commoners.
The next moment, a black-haired mage easily scooped up every single commoner and escaped with a whoosh...
Shaking off the dizzying confusion in his mind,
he refocused his gaze on the wilderness beyond the town walls, worry and anticipation intertwined in his blood-red eyes.
Morgan closed his eyes, bade farewell to Elvia, and headed downstairs.
The half-demon commoners were settled in the space beneath the post office.
The original basement was far too small to accommodate over five thousand people.
However, expanding underground space was child's play for a Mid-tier Legendary mage.
Heading all the way down, Morgan opened the wooden door and stepped inside.
The basement was packed shoulder to shoulder and back to back, leaving almost no room to step.
The air was thick with sweat, earth, and the warm wheat scent of bread; the temperature was much higher than outside, creating a stuffy heat.
Those half-demon commoners who had flown all the way from the sanctuary had suffered a heavy physical strain from the speed surpassing Epic Rank.
Many were still pale with bloodless lips, leaning against the walls with closed eyes as they gasped for breath.
Yet their eyes were bright.
In those blood-red eyes, there was no exhaustion or pain—only a near-burning excitement.
Morgan knew why.
Because they had left the wasteland.
They had returned to a city-state—a place where living beings gathered, safely within high walls.
Life at the sanctuary had been far too harsh.
Demon attacks, food shortages, and a bleak, uncertain future.
Every single day had been an agonizing struggle, spent in constant fear.
Inside a city-state, they didn't have to worry about those things.
They didn't have to worry about demons breaking through barriers in the middle of the night, what they would eat for their next meal, or whether they would survive until tomorrow.
As long as they were within high walls, under the city-state's protection, they were safe.
At least, it used to be that way.
Morgan's steps faltered for a moment.
Regrettably, human city-states no longer had a place for them.
Watching the vibrant life returning to the half-demons' eyes, an indescribable emotion suddenly swelled within his heart.
In those gazes lay a longing for the city-state, a yearning for high walls, and an expectation of a peaceful life.
They believed that returning to a city-state meant safety.
Yet they had perhaps forgotten why they had fled those high walls in the first place.
Morgan stood amidst the crowd, silent for a long time.
Then, he recalled the Avalon Lin Gui had described.
He remembered that black-haired mage standing on the elevated platform of the sanctuary, facing over four thousand pairs of blood-red eyes, and the words he had spoken:
"Leave this place with me, and we will build Second Avalon."
That was no spur-of-the-moment rhetoric.
It was a promise.
If it could truly be realized...
Recalling the Avalon the young man had painted in words...
A long-absent hope resurfaced in Morgan's heart.
It was a feeling he hadn't even experienced when escaping the City of a Thousand Towers.
Perhaps that young man really could fulfill the lifelong wish he had been unable to accomplish...
Meanwhile, atop the town walls...
Elvia had also begun serving as a scout, just as Lin Gui had instructed.
To put it bluntly, she was acting as an errand girl for her invisible mentor.
Namely, Shadow Blade Lynn.
Although Lynn had lost all of her High-tier Epic strength, her nature as a spirit remained intact.
A spirit's vision shared the same effect as Lin Gui's Eyes of the Netherworld, allowing her to clearly see the form of souls.
As long as the field of view was sufficiently open, no one could hide from her eyes.
Thus, Elvia's scouting duties were far easier than expected.
She only needed to wander aimlessly along the perimeter of Withered Wood Town's walls.
She strolled around lap after lap, the wind on the walls howling fiercely and blowing her golden hair wildly in the air.
At first, she could still use the Transmission Stone to check on Lin Gui's situation.
"Where are you?"
"Still flying."
"About how much longer until you arrive?"
"Soon."
"Is Irene's body soft?"
"?????"
"Don't go silent on me! I refuse to believe she didn't instinctively wrap herself around you at that speed."
"I put a partition between us. Other than holding hands, there's no contact."
Elvia complained speechlessly.
"Spineless man."
"What the hell..."
The casual banter made Elvia exceptionally happy.
However, as the distance grew, the voice coming from the Transmission Stone began to cut in and out.
Static buzzes grew more frequent, and Lin Gui's voice became increasingly faint.
In the end, nothing remained but a constant rustling noise.
These special Transmission Stones pinched from those magic family members...
...already had an exceptionally wide range, spanning over a hundred kilometers.
Yet the distance from Withered Wood Town to the sanctuary was at least five hundred kilometers.
Elvia stuffed the Transmission Stone back into her robes and curled her lips.
Likely only the legendary Thousand-Voice Stone could reach someone five hundred kilometers away.
She secretly resolved that once they reached the City of a Thousand Towers, she would buy a pair no matter the cost.
This was the first time she had been so far away from Lin Gui.
Before, whether traveling through the wilderness or staying in a city-state, Lin Gui was always by her side.
Even when out of sight, she knew he was nearby, just like back in Coppergate City.
But now, he was five hundred kilometers away.
Elvia felt an empty void in her heart, as if something vital was missing.
She walked another lap along the wall, letting the wind toss her hair into a wilder mess without bothering to fix it.
Ever since losing connection with Lin Gui, her heart had been growing restless.
Although the Transmission Stone could no longer reach him, she had another method.
Namely, the Thread of Affection.
The thickness of the Thread of Affection could indicate the distance to the other person.
The City of a Thousand Towers had located the sanctuary using this exact method.
And Elvia could also use it to gauge Lin Gui's direction.
However, Elvia lacked the ability to clearly see spiritual entities.
Fortunately, her mentor did.
"Master."
Elvia called out in her mind.
No response.
"Master?"
Still no response.
"Dear Master Shadow Blade Lynn?"
"...Speak."
Shadow Blade Lynn's voice finally sounded, laced with clear impatience.
"Where is Lin Gui now?"
"Still flying."
"Specifically where?"
"To the north, three degrees west, about two hundred kilometers out."
"Your Thread of Affection is stable with no erratic shifts, meaning he's perfectly fine."
"Relax."
Elvia nodded, her heart settling slightly.
Yet less than fifteen minutes later, she couldn't resist speaking up again.
"Master, where is he now?"
"...Still flying."
"Has he arrived?"
"No."
"Then—"
"Can you quiet down for a moment?"
Shadow Blade Lynn's voice carried a hint of gritted teeth.
"Your Thread of Affection hasn't snapped; he isn't going to die."
"I'm just asking..."
"You've already asked eighteen times."
Shadow Blade Lynn cold-heartedly cut off her excuse.
"From the moment you stepped onto these walls until now, less than an hour has passed, and you've asked eighteen times."
"It's only been a few hours apart. Can't you be a little more sensible, like back in Coppergate City?"
Elvia shut her mouth sheepishly.
She couldn't help but whisper a low complaint.
"Coppergate City had so many exciting things to do; why would I spend time missing that stink-man? Besides, back then you dragged me off to the fighting arena anyway..."
Another half hour passed.
"Master..."
"Shut up."
Shadow Blade Lynn's voice slashed down like a blade, ruthlessly severing her thoughts.
Elvia had no choice but to walk dutifully along the wall, her golden eyes occasionally gazing into the distance.
As time slipped by, the agreed return time passed.
Lin Gui did not return.
Morgan began coming over frequently to ask for updates.
"Any word?"
"Not yet."
"Can't reach him with the Transmission Stone?"
"Lost connection long ago."
Morgan's brow knitted tighter, his blood-red eyes filled with concern.
He said nothing more and turned back to tend to the commoners, but Elvia noticed that his visits were growing increasingly frequent.
Every so often, his short silver-white hair would flash at the top of the stairwell.
Elvia also began to grow anxious and restless.
She paced back and forth along the wall, her steps quickening as her brow furrowed deeper.
"Master."
"He's fine."
Shadow Blade Lynn's voice cut in before she could even finish her question.
"The Thread of Affection is stable. Not a single thing is wrong."
"Could you stop pacing back and forth on the wall like a woman waiting for her husband to return?"
Elvia choked on her words, her face turning slightly red, though her feet didn't stop moving.
She was still uneasy.
Even knowing Lin Gui was safe and that, according to Shadow Blade Lynn, everything was fine...
...her heart simply could not settle.
The sun began to sink in the west, painting the edge of the sky in a golden red hue.
The setting sun hung on the horizon, bathing the roofs of Withered Wood Town in a layer of warm light.
Elvia stood on the north wall, her long golden hair fluttering in the evening breeze, her golden eyes fixed intently on the distant horizon.
She had been standing there for a long time.
"Still not back?"
Morgan's voice came from behind her.
Elvia didn't turn around; she merely shook her head.
"No, but it's fine. He must have been delayed."
Morgan stood silently beside her, his gaze also turned toward the distance.
Neither of them spoke.
The setting sun sank below the horizon bit by bit, as the gold at the sky's edge slowly shifted to orange-red, then to deep purple.
Darkness crept in from the east, devouring the last remnants of light.
Elvia dug her fingernails into her palms.
Right at that moment, Shadow Blade Lynn's voice resonated in her mind.
"The thread is thickening. He's heading south."
"He's back."
Elvia's heart leaped into her throat, and the heavy stone weighing on her chest finally dropped.
She let out a long breath, her shoulders relaxing.
"As long as he's back..."
Before she could finish her sentence—
Shadow Blade Lynn's voice echoed again, its tone suddenly shifting.
It was no longer lazy or impatient.
Instead, it was grave—even icy cold.
"They... have come too."
Elvia's smile froze on her face.
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