Steering the raft, they slowly passed through the layer of light that served as the entrance, and their field of vision suddenly opened up.
Lin Gui did not linger. He immediately steered the raft close to the rugged dome above.
He drifted toward a hidden natural crevice on the side, formed by massive stalactites.
He carefully hid the raft and the wooden crates inside.
Only then did the three of them manage to catch their breath.
They carefully surveyed this so-called 'ruin' hidden in the deepest depths of the rift.
The sight before them was completely different from the glorious ancient city or mysterious temple they had imagined.
Nearly a hundred meters below the stalactites where they hid lay an incredibly vast underground space.
And in this space, countless massive, trapezoidal tombs stood densely packed together.
These square tombs were constructed from massive black rocks.
Each was as colossal as a small mountain, arranged in neat rows, radiating an ancient desolation and heaviness.
This... was not an ancient ruin at all!
It was a mausoleum complex of terrifying scale!
But as for its size... they looked out as far as the eye could see.
The area occupied by this mausoleum complex was almost half the size of Caran City!
Elvia and Theia were both so shocked by this grand yet eerie sight that they were temporarily lost for words.
“Something's not right,” Elvia was the first to snap out of it, lowering her voice.
“Where is this light coming from?”
Lin Gui pointed to the dome and the towering cliffs around them.
Innumerable fist-sized stones emitting a soft glow were embedded there.
“Those are magic glowstones.”
“A special ore that can automatically absorb surrounding mana and convert it into light.”
“Oh~” Theia's eyes lit up slightly, as if she had remembered something.
“I remember those ridiculously expensive luminous pearls that nobles show off. Aren't they made of this too?”
Elvia cut off her budding greed and reminded her.
“The raw ore itself is worthless.”
“What's truly expensive are the high-end light fixtures meticulously carved by master artisans using them as bases.”
“If it's just the stones, you can buy a whole basket of them for a single gold coin.”
The light in Theia's eyes dimmed instantly.
“Never mind that for now.” Lin Gui turned his gaze toward the vast mausoleum complex below.
“Do you see any sign of the Holy Knight order?”
At this height, only Theia, with her transcendent vision, could barely make out details on the ground.
Theia's emerald eyes were like the most precise eagle eyes.
She slowly swept her gaze over the massive trapezoidal tombs and the wide pathways between them.
After a moment, she shook her head.
“It's too big here, the layout of the tombs is complex, and my vision is blocked. We need to move and find another angle.”
Understanding, Lin Gui pulled out his oak staff and straddled it first.
Elvia watched this.
She recalled the witches and mages she had seen in the Magic City, flying freely through the sky on brooms or staves.
Her curiosity was piqued, and she was about to join him.
A slender but powerful hand pressed down on her shoulder.
Turning around, she saw Theia giving her a “friendly” smile.
“You sit in the back. That spot is mine.”
She completely ignored Elvia's bewildered expression.
Theia took the initiative to straddle the staff, her hands naturally wrapping around Lin Gui's waist.
Then she turned her head, proudly lifting her chin at Elvia in a victorious gesture.
Elvia instantly understood, letting out a couple of laughs with a hint of playfulness.
“How old are you, still acting like a little girl fighting over candy?”
Theia snorted coldly, her silver hair fluttering slightly in the faint light.
“Elves have long lifespans. If you convert my current age to human terms, I'm a beautiful and charming eighteen-year-old girl!”
Elvia smiled and stopped arguing, deftly straddling the staff behind Theia.
She reached out and wrapped her arms around Theia's slender, soft waist.
She deliberately leaned close to the elf's pointed ear and whispered in a sultry voice.
“I'm twenty-seven this year. In human terms, shouldn't you call me Big Sister Elvia?”
Theia's ears instantly turned bright red, and even her neck flushed a delicate pink.
“Y-You... what nonsense are you talking about! Who wants to call you sister!”
She was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nearly jumping off the staff.
Fortunately, Lin Gui reached back and held her down just in time.
Feeling the subtle 'war' and the shaking behind him, Lin Gui sighed helplessly.
“Hold on tight, we're descending.”
“Theia, focus. Find the Holy Knights' position quickly.”
Theia took a deep breath, suppressing the heat on her face, and refocused her mind.
As the staff drifted slowly and descended, her emerald eyes scanned the area.
She continuously searched every corner of the ruined giant mausoleum complex below.
Finally, in front of the most grand and massive square tomb at the very center of the complex, she spotted their target.
“Over there!”
She guided them in a low voice.
Lin Gui controlled the staff, silently hovering by a towering stone pillar.
He looked in the direction Theia pointed.
They looked toward the bottom of the massive steps leading up to the central square tomb.
Ten knights clad in gleaming armor with powerful auras were gathered together, seemingly discussing something.
The leader was exceptionally burly.
Even from a great distance, one could feel a mountain-like, heavy pressure radiating from him.
It was none other than the Mid-tier Legendary Holy Knight, John.
And not far from John's side, Lin Gui's group of three saw the target of their trip.
Rona.
She looked rather disheveled.
Her leather armor was covered in dust, and her face was pale.
Her body was pierced with steel needles, and she was guarded by a knight.
Something else made their hearts tighten even more.
At Rona's feet lay another girl, covered in blood and on the verge of death.
Theia's pupils contracted slightly.
“That's the Dreamweaver scout, Linno... probably the missing team member Luo Youyou mentioned.”
Elvia's tone was low.
“It seems she had bad luck when she went out scouting and was caught by that lunatic Gorn.”
“Under severe torture, she revealed the matter of Rona and this ruin.”
“That's why they entered this ruin.”
Elvia looked at Lin Gui.
“What do we do now? Are we really going to charge straight down and run away with Rona?”
“At this distance, your concealment magic can't possibly go unnoticed by a Mid-tier Legendary knight, right?”
“There are only a few steps between Rona and John, and Gorn is right next to them.”
“Naturally, it would be impossible not to be noticed,” Lin Gui said with certainty, his gaze still fixed below.
“Unless... I can immediately break through to a Mid-tier High Rank mage and max out my mastery of Shroud of the Gloomy Night.”
“Huh???” Elvia almost bit her tongue.
“So how are you going to break through?? Now? Here?”
Lin Gui did not speak. He silently pulled an ordinary-looking letter from his breast pocket.
He asked silently in his mind.
“System, how is a letter determined to be signed and received? If I control the letter and make it float to Rona from a distance, does that count as a successful delivery?”
【Ding! The recipient must personally confirm 'receipt' either verbally or with clear intent.】
【Physical contact alone does not meet the criteria.】
“In other words, simply having the letter touch her isn't enough?”
【Correct.】
“...Alright.”
Lin Gui sighed softly in his mind and put the letter back into his breast pocket.
It seemed they could only bide their time.
They needed a perfect opportunity that would allow Rona to 'sign' for the letter and let them escape safely.
Lin Gui's gaze shifted toward the entrance of the massive square tomb.
Rate on N.U.
