Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Without saying a word, the dwarf leader grabbed the forest ghost and dragged him inside.

The scorching air, mixed with the smell of metal and coal smoke, hit us in the face.

"My name is Grom Stonehammer!"

His voice boomed, and he patted his breastplate.

"Current captain of the west gate guard of Fortified Shield City!"

"That old bastard Copper Hammer is my brother, we practically grew up together!"

He patted Lin Gui hard on the back, so hard that Lin Gui stumbled.

"Since he entrusted me with taking care of you in his letter, then I, Grom Stonehammer, will keep my word!"

"I'll take care of everything you do in Stronghold!"

Lin Gui was being held by him and tried to break free.

"Thank you for your kindness, but we do have urgent business and must get to the Wailing Wall as soon as possible."

Upon hearing this, Grom's thick eyebrows immediately furrowed into a knot.

"Oh dear! You little mage, why are you in such a hurry!"

He stopped and turned to face Lin Gui, his thick fingers almost poking Lin Gui's nose.

Do you know what's inside the Wailing Wall?

"Do you know which path you should take to live a couple more days?"

"Do you know which ghostly things you shouldn't touch, and which shadows you should avoid?"

He fired off a barrage of questions, then waved his hand dismissively.

"Knowing nothing at all! Just charging in with the recklessness of a hothead?"

"That's not bravery, that's courting death!"

He put his arm around Lin Gui again and, half-pushed and half-forced, led him deeper into the area.

"Listen to me, let's settle down in the city first!"

"Take a good rest, gather some intelligence, and replenish some necessities."

"Once everything is ready, I'll find a few experienced drivers who know the roads well to give you directions."

"I guarantee it will be a hundred times better than your current reckless and aimless approach!"

Lin Gui was tucked under his arm as he looked at the bustling and enormous mountain city before him.

The clanging of forging came from all directions, and huge gears slowly turned overhead.

He remained silent for a moment, and finally sighed softly.

In fact, Lin Gui wanted to enter Jian Dun City to rest and recuperate more than anyone else.

Besides alleviating the fatigue of the long journey, establishing a new post office, and gathering intelligence on the Wall of Sighs,

There is one more important thing that can only be done in Shield City.

That was to modify his raft.

I've witnessed the wheelless train accelerated by legendary magic.

At an inhuman speed, they crossed a black reef in a single day.

Lin Gui also wanted to increase the speed of his vehicle.

Although he was still unable to cast Freya's legendary wind magic that accelerated vehicles,

But he knew very well.

The dwarves possess unique craftsmanship, enabling them to create devices that convert magic into stable wind power.

If such equipment could be installed, the speed and stability of the raft would see a qualitative leap.

There are very good reasons to stay in Shield City.

However, one key factor kept him hesitant.

That's Shia.

She is a genuine demon capable of wielding demonic energy.

Lin Gui was unsure whether the city-state alliance's inspectors were lurking within this seemingly pure dwarven city-state.

Shia's Thousand Illusions could fool Freya, a mid-tier legendary figure.

But it might not be able to fool those censors who specialize in investigations.

This is not a matter of ability, but a matter of professionalism.

Take Lin Gui himself as an example.

He's the kind of person who'll stick to one path no matter what.

He almost abandoned other directions of magical practice, focusing solely on the art of concealment.

This gave him a powerful ability to hide, but it also made him the weakest mage of his rank.

In the City-State Alliance, people like Lin Gui are not uncommon.

Although I may not reach his level, it is still very possible for me to see through Shia's disguise.

He looked at Shia beside him.

She looked around curiously, her emerald eyes sparkling with wonder at the magnificent underground city.

Lin Guixin made up his mind that Avalon was imminent and no further accidents could be allowed; he had to get her out of there as soon as possible.

He slowed his pace and whispered to Shia:

"You and Eve go and settle in on the road first, and keep an eye on our raft and luggage."

"I have some things to take care of in the city, and then I'll go out and meet you."

He planned to let Shea and Eve leave first.

Resting in the wild.

Dwarves regularly cleanse demons near Shielded City.

There isn't much of a threat.

Even without Lin Gui, I believe Shia can protect Eve well.

Grom Stonehammer heard their conversation, and a hint of doubt flashed across his rugged face.

Then, as if suddenly realizing something, he slapped his head and let out a loud laugh.

"Hahaha! I get it! Kid, that's what you're worried about?"

He patted Lin Gui on the back forcefully, his voice lowered but filled with absolute certainty.

"Don't worry! There isn't a single inspector in Shield City right now!"

"They're all our own dwarf brothers inside!"

"So, this little demon girl with long ears is safe here!"

The word "Demon Race" struck like a thunderbolt.

Lin Gui's eye twitched suddenly.

Shia was so frightened that she shrank back and instinctively gripped the quiver at her waist.

The two exchanged a shocked glance, both seeing the same astonishment in each other's eyes.

Lin Gui lowered his voice, his tone filled with disbelief:

"It was Copper Hammer...did that guy 'sell us out' in the letter?"

A fleeting hint of embarrassment crossed Grom's face as he scratched his thick, braided beard.

"Well... cough cough... Copper Hammer is also to help you enter the city smoothly..."

"After all, because of what happened a few years ago, we've never had a very good impression of humans."

"The reason I let you in is because you are friends of Copper Hammer."

He quickly changed the subject, waving his hand dismissively:

"In short! You don't need to worry about this at all!"

Shea hesitated for a moment, but couldn't help asking again:

"But... what if an inspector disguises himself as a dwarf and sneaks in?"

"Like me, I've also changed my appearance with props."

Upon hearing this, Grom laughed even louder, as if he had heard the funniest joke.

He straightened his sturdy body and stomped his foot forcefully.

"Hahaha! Little girl, you're overthinking it!"

"Those skinny guys, trying to disguise themselves as dwarves?"

"Unless they cut off half their own leg and stuff their clothes with solid muscles!"

"Otherwise, we'll give ourselves away as soon as we start walking!"

His exaggerated statements and confident attitude

This made Xia burst out laughing.

She glanced at Grom, whose height barely reached her waist.

Then I looked at his bulging muscles, which seemed about to burst through his leather armor.

I found his words to be very convincing.

While appearance can be faked with magic, body shape and details cannot be faked.

She turned her head and looked at Lin Gui, asking for his opinion.

Lin Gui and Grom stared at each other silently for a moment.

Grom added with a laugh:

"Don't worry, with the Lord of the Fortress here, even if an inspector is hiding in that rat hole inside,"

"We've discovered the true identity of this long-eared person."

"At most, we'll drive you away, not kill you on the spot."

Lin Gui sighed, then nodded to Xia.

The last trace of tension on Shia's face finally disappeared, and she smiled happily.

Like sunlight dispelling the last gloom.

She was not happy to be able to enter this magnificent city built in the mountains.

Instead, they were happy with the dwarf leader's attitude.

This was the first time she had been accepted by a city-state after her identity was exposed.

If only the Elven Forest were like Shield City.