Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The entrance to Odo Canyon resembles a gaping maw ready to devour its prey, shrouded in an ominous silence.

Knight Commander Lyon ordered the group to stop, his cold gaze sweeping over Lin Gui and Shia.

"For efficiency and safety, we will operate in groups."

"You, you, and the two of you, are in a group. You..."

His finger pointed at Shia, then at a burly knight at the other end of the group.

"...I'm in his group."

The intention couldn't be clearer.

The goal is to separate Shea and Lin Gui and control them separately.

"No!" Xia reacted instantly, standing firmly in front of Lin Gui with a resolute look in her eyes.

"I have to be with him!"

She didn't know what Lin Gui would encounter after they separated, but it certainly wouldn't be a good thing.

"snort!"

Lyon's face instantly darkened, and he placed his hand on the hilt of his sword.

The overwhelming pressure from the extraordinary superiority pressed down on Shia as if it were a tangible force.

"Do you think you have the right to bargain here?"

The atmosphere suddenly became tense, as if blood would spill out at any moment.

Shea gritted her teeth, refusing to back down an inch, the elven longbow already quietly in her hand.

At this critical moment, the anger in Leon's eyes slowly subsided.

He took a deep breath, and reason regained its advantage.

He needs this half-demon ranger.

She managed to escape from Morague's clutches.

This ability to sense danger and conceal it is the best, irreplaceable bait.

Moreover... his cold gaze swept over Lin Gui; this kid seemed to be her weakness.

As long as you keep him under control, you don't have to worry about her not giving in.

"snort,"

Lyon snorted coldly, forcibly suppressing his anger, and changed the allocation.

"In that case...you two will be in my group."

Speechless all the way.

Shea's attention was mostly focused on Lin Gui.

She stared intently at him, anticipating some unexpected move he might make.

However, Lin Gui remained unusually quiet.

He would occasionally tidy up his bulging backpack and check the letters inside.

His focused expression made him look more like he was on a picnic than about to enter a den of demons.

The team continued until they reached the hidden outpost located on a cliff in the middle of Odo Canyon.

Upon entering this chaotic den filled with the smells of alcohol, tobacco, and cheap perfume...

Many male knights' eyes immediately widened.

They practically couldn't wait to rush into that tiny bar.

Soon, they embraced several scantily clad dancers.

They led him, laughing and joking, to a dark, secluded room at the back of the bar.

Even Commander Lyon only frowned and did not stop it.

Instead, she gestured to Priestess Martha, and the two walked together in another direction of the stronghold.

It seems they went to handle some "matters".

Only four knights, who were clearly unlucky and assigned to guard duty, remained on the spot.

They looked in the direction where their companion had disappeared, their faces filled with resentment and envy.

They sat around a wooden table, grumbling and cursing, and pulled out cheap beer and a dirty deck of dice.

Taking advantage of their complete focus on alcohol and gambling, Shia quickly leaned close to Lin Gui's ear.

A warm breath brushed against his earlobe, and he asked urgently in a very low voice.

"What exactly is your plan?"

Upon smelling the faint fragrance wafting from his ear, Lin Gui's ears turned red at a visible speed.

He turned his head away awkwardly, but did not answer.

He simply placed a finger lightly against his lips, making a shushing gesture.

Then, out of the corner of his eye, he glanced meaningfully at the knight next to him, who was frowning and cursing because he had lost the game.

Xia's heart sank; she couldn't understand.

The knights indulged in unrestrained revelry at this stronghold for two whole days.

Leon finally ordered the troops to assemble and prepare to enter the truly dangerous place, the Black Demon Forest.

At the edge of the forest, a scout dressed in light leather armor, exuding a sharp and capable aura, had been waiting for some time.

He is the only remaining extraordinary-level scout in the Adventurers' Guild of Karan City.

He respectfully reported the latest developments in the forest to Lyon.

It specifically points out the exact location of the legendary demon, Moragos.

Upon hearing the exact location, Lyon smiled with satisfaction.

He turned to Shia, his tone carrying an unsettling disdain.

"Alright, it's time for you to come in handy."

The team ventured deeper into the forest and finally stopped on the outskirts of a forest depression that smelled faintly of sulfur.

Through the sparse trees, you can see a murky spring in the center of the depression.

A huge, twisted, terrifying figure covered in moss and thorns is sleeping soundly by the spring.

Each breath caused a slight tremor in the ground.

It was Moragus.

"Its flower is right above your head."

Leon lowered his voice and pointed above the demon's head to a strange plant emitting a dim, eerie glow.

Your task is to sneak up, cut it off, and bring it back.

We'll be watching you from the outside; don't even think about trying to escape.

Shia's heart pounded; she knew this was almost certain death.

She took a deep breath and made her only request.

"Okay. But you must let Lin Gui leave! I'll go as soon as I've confirmed he's safely out of the forest!"

Lyon frowned, about to refuse with a cold laugh, but Lin Gui spoke first.

"No! Shia!"

Lin Gui suddenly grabbed Xia's hand, his face filled with "deep affection" and "resolute determination".

"How could I let you go on this adventure alone? We'll die together! I will never abandon you!"

His voice wasn't loud, but it was loud enough for those around him to hear clearly.

His eyes were so "sincere" they were almost dripping with tears.

From an angle unseen by everyone, he quickly winked at Shia.

Shia's heart skipped a beat and then began to pound wildly.

She instantly understood, though her heart was still filled with fear and doubt.

But her face betrayed a mixture of emotion and struggle as she gripped Lin Gui's hand in return.

"Lin Gui...you..."

Lyon's suspicious gaze swept back and forth between the two men.

He had seen Lin Gui's behavior along the way.

Sometimes cowardly and ingratiating, sometimes strange, he absolutely did not believe the kid's "deep affection" at this moment.

But after thinking it over, he decided on a high-ranking low-level mage and a newly ascended ranger.

What tricks can they possibly pull against their elite squad?

Could it be that this kid really thinks his little hiding technique will come in handy?

"Bringing him along will only hinder your actions and slow you down."

Lyon said coldly, trying to break them up.

"Knight Commander!"

Lin Gui looked "grief and indignation".

"I know advanced concealment techniques! Although I can't maintain it for long, it can at least provide some cover for Shia to approach and retreat!"

"Please let me go! What's the point of my life if I can't live and die with her!"

His performance was exaggerated, yet it perfectly captured the image of a young man blinded by "love".

Lyon stared at him for a long time, his doubts still unresolved.

But the current situation and the priorities of the task led him to make a decision.

He snorted coldly.

"Hmph, since you're determined to die, then so be it! Remember, don't try anything funny, or you'll suffer a terrible death!"

"Thank you, Commander Knight!" Lin Gui bowed deeply, tears streaming down his face.

Just before setting off, Lin Gui seemed to suddenly remember something and casually asked a question.

"By the way, Scout Brother, wasn't there more than just this legendary demon in the forest before?"

"Where is the other 'Iron King,' Golog Ironjaw, located now?"

The scout glanced at Lyon, and seeing that he did not object, pointed in a general direction.

"Near the ruins of a mine deeper in the northwest."

"It's relatively quiet over there. As long as you don't attack or make a lot of noise, that person generally won't pay attention to outsiders."

"Oh, okay, thank you." Lin Gui nodded, his face showing no sign of anything amiss.

Then, he took Shia's hand.

The two exchanged a glance and took a deep breath.

They turned and cautiously crept towards the terrifying, sleeping behemoth in the depression.