Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The massive city gates of Karan slowly opened, revealing a sea of ​​people already gathered outside the city.

News of the city lord's campaign against the legendary demon Moragos spread like wildfire.

The news spread throughout the city overnight.

At this moment, countless civilians, adventurers, and merchants gathered outside the city gate, eagerly awaiting their arrival.

The air was filled with a mixture of curiosity, fear, excitement, and a hint of unease.

The city lord stood on a makeshift platform, his magnificent robes almost blinding in the dim morning light.

His face was filled with grief, and his voice, amplified by amplification magic, resonated throughout the entire hall, tinged with just the right amount of emotion:

"People of Karan! Not long ago, we suffered a great tragedy!"

"Our valiant Golden Adventurer Team—the Sword of Heavenly Punishment, the Golden Griffin's Heart, the Immortal Bulwark, the Dawn Vanguard..."

"Seven teams in total, our heroes, fought to the death in the Black Magic Forest."

"But they were tragically killed by the devil, and the entire army was wiped out!"

A suppressed gasp and sobbing erupted from the crowd.

The Golden Adventurers are the top fighting force in Karan City.

Their demise was undoubtedly a heavy blow to the entire city.

The city lord clenched his fists, his face showing anger and determination.

"This is an immeasurable loss for Karan! It's a provocation against all of us!"

"We cannot let the blood of our heroes be shed in vain, nor can we allow the evil demons to continue to run rampant!"

"Therefore, I have decided to slay the legendary demon Moragos, to use its head to honor the fallen heroes, and to defend the dignity of Karan City!"

His words were highly inflammatory, igniting the emotions of some people who cheered.

But most seasoned adventurers and experienced citizens remained silent, their brows furrowed.

The simultaneous annihilation of seven Golden Legions is highly unusual, and there may be a deeper conspiracy behind it.

Moreover, they all knew that the city lord greatly disliked adventurers born into commoner families.

The high-profile condemnation at this moment feels somewhat... deliberate.

The city lord seemed oblivious to the suspicious glances. He stepped aside and solemnly introduced the situation.

"For this, we received powerful assistance from the capital!"

"This is Sir Lyon, and his loyal and valiant Royal Knights!"

"They will inject tremendous power into this campaign and will surely bring us victory!"

Ten knights, dressed in uniform armor that gleamed with magical light, stood in neat rows.

The leading knight, Lyon, stood proudly, accepting the gaze of the crowd.

However, the crowd didn't only erupt in applause; there were more whispers.

"The capital? The Kingdom of Carter? It's been almost twenty years, and we haven't seen anyone from the capital. Why now of all times..."

"Their armor is so shiny, it looks really impressive... but why do I feel a little uneasy?"

"Seven regiments have all been wiped out, and we're left with only ten or so...can they manage?"

The doubts echoed softly.

Although Karan City is nominally under the jurisdiction of the Kingdom of Carter.

However, the long history of city-state autonomy and geographical isolation had long since made the authority of the royal family vague and distant.

The sudden appearance of this royal knightly order did not bring only reassurance.

Under the "escort" of the Knights, Lin Gui and Shia were sandwiched in the middle of the group, looking particularly out of place.

Shea lowered her head, her silver hair falling down and partially obscuring her profile.

She nudged Lin Gui beside her with her elbow, her voice filled with guilt and resolve:

"I'm sorry... Lin Gui, I've dragged you into this."

"But... but I swear, if there's a chance, even if it costs me my life, I'll get you out of here!"

Lin Gui turned his head to look at the elf beside him, whose body was tense and seemed ready to burst out at any moment.

Suddenly, he asked a seemingly unrelated question.

"If you survive, what are your plans for the future?"

Xia paused for a moment, a bitter smile spreading across her lips.

That smile was filled with so much bitterness and wandering.

"Intend?"

She repeated it softly, as if it were a completely unfamiliar word.

"What...can I possibly plan?"

"From the moment I can remember, from the moment my half-demon bloodline awakened, I was seen as a stain on the Elf Forest, banished, and exiled."

Her voice was very soft, as if she were talking to herself, or as if she were confiding in the only person who might listen.

"I have wandered through many cities... The people of Grayrock City threw stones at me and called me 'Red-Eyed Calamity'."

"When the plague broke out in Baihe Town, the town mayor did not hesitate to pin the blame on me and almost burned me to death."

"I finally became an adventurer in Iron Shield City, and I've been working for three days."

"Just because a noblewoman said my eyes gave her nightmares, I was driven out of the city by the guards..."

"All the way to Karan."

She paused, a faint, long-lost hope in her voice.

"Here... at least at first, they were just afraid of me."

"I thought...maybe I could live here, like a rat in the gutter, cautiously surviving."

"Unfortunately... it still ended up like this."

"Sometimes, I really think that maybe my birth was a mistake in itself."

Lin Gui listened quietly, then suddenly asked a question.

"Why not try to cover it up? Like using magic to change your eye color?"

"This shouldn't be difficult for you."

Shea remained silent for a long time.

She remembered the one who also had red eyes, and who would tell her stories about the starry sky before bedtime.

Her demon father, who would clumsily weave flower wreaths for her.

These eyes were the culprit that caused her to live such a painful life, and also her only way to mourn her dearest loved ones.

In the end, she simply shook her head slightly.

She changed the subject, her voice carrying an almost unreal longing:

"I have heard that... in the deepest part of the continent of Akara, beyond countless forbidden lands and mountains, there is a legendary city-state."

"They said it was a place where all races came together, where there was no discrimination, no oppression, only freedom and equality..."

"Even a half-demon can find a place to live."

"I want to go there and see it, even if... just for a glimpse."

Her voice was soft, yet it was like a pebble thrown into a lake, creating ripples in Lin Gui's heart.

Almost the instant she finished speaking.

The system's voice rang clearly once again deep within Lin Gui's mind:

[Ding! Special long-term commission has been updated]

[Content: Escort the half-elf ranger Shia to the legendary free city of Avalon.]

[Route: Kalan City → Withered Rift → Kingdom of Carter, Royal Capital Roland → Silent Sea (Forbidden Zone) → Fortress City of the Shield → Wall of Sighs (Forbidden Zone) → Free City of Avalon]

[Time Limit: 4 months]

[Basic Reward: For each path node safely traversed, a magic reward is given based on the distance and the level of danger.]

[Final Reward: Basic Spatial Magic - Storage]

[Bonus Reward: Unlocks the Spatial Magic Advancement Tree]

[Risk Warning: Areas marked "Forbidden Zone" on the route have extremely high demon activity and unknown risks. It is rumored that ancient ruins and lost civilizations slumber within them. It is strongly recommended to be fully prepared or simply take a detour.]

May every wandering heart eventually find its home.

Lin Gui: "..."

He had originally intended to complain about how the system had expanded from mail delivery to "person delivery."

But his gaze was instantly drawn to the final reward.

Spatial magic? Storage?

He had fantasized about it on his way to the magical city.

Those novels where the protagonist has a standard personal space, a spatial ring, or a spatial teleportation device.

But he searched through the entire collection of the Karastan City Library.

I couldn't find any reliable records about spatial magic; it seemed to exist only in fantasy.

And now, the system is telling him that completing this task will grant him true spatial magic?

Although it's just a basic "storage" solution.

But this means that you won't have to carry a heavy travel bag anymore.

No more holding the staff in your hand or clipping it to your waist all the time?!

After the initial excitement, Lin Gui frowned as he looked at the route and the time limit.

He pulled out a map of the continent of Akaran (Dark Ages 24 edition) from his backpack.

Referring to the map, Lin Gui pointed to the city of Kalan in the southwest.

Crossing hills, through forests, and through the infamous Withered Rift Valley of the New Testament City...

Finally, they entered the Roland Mountains and arrived at the capital of Carter.

The most dangerous place on the journey is the Withered Rift Valley.

The terrain is narrow and fraught with danger, and the demons within are extremely powerful, including epic demon lords.

Moreover, the size of the Withered Rift Valley is not something that Augu Canyon can match.

In the southwest of the mainland map, Lin Gui could even see a crack that was visible to the naked eye.

Given its size, Lin Gui could already imagine a scene where a bunch of demons were huddled together inside.

However, it is much safer than the unexplored areas outside.

Moreover, there should be a golden route that avoids most of the dangers, since the royal family is able to come to Karan.

However, only members of the royal family know this route, and exploring it alone would take a very long time.

"This is a bit troublesome."