Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The reason Eve specifically told Lin Gui to "drive slowly" was...

It's simply because... the speed at which this mage controlled the flying boat was ridiculously high.

Especially with her continuously supplying magic from behind.

On the way from Shield City to the various observation nodes, there is a treacherous path known as the "Blackwater Corridor."

The straight-line distance is over a hundred kilometers, filled with canyons and lurking high-level demons.

Normally, even experienced teams would need several days of careful traversal.

And Lin Gui...

The entire race was completed in a single day.

They didn't even bother looking for any "markers of the golden route," they just drove straight over it.

Along the way, they even disturbed a sleeping epic rock troll.

The enormous creature roared as it rose from the mountainside and strode after it.

As a result, Lin Gui unleashed a series of unbelievable sharp turns, climbs, and wind pressure bursts.

They were so strong that you couldn't even see their shadows.

When they finally arrived at the nearest "bounty city".

At the foot of the city wall, two girls, their faces pale and vomiting violently, were leaning against the wall.

Even Shia, who once excitedly controlled the magic crystal cannon and shouted "Fire!" in the city of Shield, was among them.

She also raised her hand, trembling, to indicate that she would not participate in the subsequent observation tasks.

She'd rather wait in Bounty City.

"I...I'll be right here...waiting for you to come back..."

The voices all carried the exhaustion of drifting.

The initial novelty and excitement I felt when I first boarded the airship had long since vanished.

All that remained was the purest fear of the airship.

Now, one hour later.

On the desolate hillside outside the bounty city,

Eve was bent over, hands on her knees, gagging softly into the grass.

His short, light golden hair clung awkwardly to his sweat-dampened forehead, and his face was pale.

Lin Gui stood to the side with his arms crossed, looking at her with some confusion, and muttered to himself:

"I'm already driving slowly enough..."

This time, even the usually gentle Eve has truly "stayed in Bengbu".

She raised her eyes and gave Lin Gui a silent, light glare with her purple eyes, which were still glistening with physiological tears.

Yes, he did slow down.

It took me fifty-five minutes to get there.

It took me an hour to get back.

Mr. Lin Gui did so because of her special request...

They "thoughtfully" slowed things down for a full five minutes!

Five minutes!

Once Eve has caught her breath.

Lin Gui led her into this border outpost known as the "Bounty City".

A city-state born entirely from the dwarf king's enormous bounty.

The scene before us was rather desolate.

The streets were deserted, with few people around; you could only catch a glimpse of one or two figures passing by once in a long while.

The houses are mostly low and simple, with walls made of rough wooden planks or rammed earth.

What's most alarming is that so-called "city wall."

It was basically just logs of varying thicknesses hastily nailed together, barely tall enough for a person to pass.

The gap is so large that an arm can fit through it; even a low-level demon probably couldn't stop it.

This city-state was similar in size to the city in the New Testament.

But its state of disrepair far surpasses that of that small border town.

But who would have thought that this place once had its glory days?

When the dwarf king issued his bounty, powerful figures from across the continent flocked to him.

Legends, epics, and even some reclusive organizations have all lingered here.

Inns were packed, taverns were bustling all night, and weapon shops and apothecaries were thriving.

The entire city was abuzz with excitement because of this vague hope.

It rose to prominence because of bounties.

It also declined because of the bounty.

Decades have passed, and countless powerful individuals have perished within the walls, none of them succeeding.

Hope was ignited time and time again, only to be extinguished time and time again.

Ultimately, enthusiasm waned, and hearts were scattered.

All that remains is this empty shell, abandoned on the edge of the forbidden area.

Still silently waiting for that "successful person" who may never appear.

The atmosphere grew increasingly oppressive on the way to the hotel.

Along both sides of the street, many poor families in tattered clothes were sitting directly on the ground in the open air.

They built a makeshift shelter using rags and planks to barely keep out the wind.

A small fire was lit, and a dark earthenware pot was placed on it, cooking a thin, mushy food.

Almost every family has an elderly person.

They huddled in the corner under a tattered blanket, emaciated and breathing faintly.

Some were already in a state of confusion, and some couldn't even turn over, relying entirely on their families to feed them liquid food.

They were all "people who were about to die".

Lin Gui immediately understood why these families had gathered there.

They are using the last breath of their loved ones to exchange for a reward.

Those who arrive in Bounty City seeking to win the dwarf bounty are all quite powerful.

And the one thing these people have in abundance is money.

Lin Gui felt a churning in his stomach. He forced himself to look away and quickened his pace.

Eve, standing to the side, silently lowered her eyes.

He lightly drew a symbol on his chest and murmured something under his breath.

It seemed like a prayer, yet also like a lament.

Just as they were about to cross this settlement,

Several figures emerged from the alleyway ahead.

Lin Gui subconsciously stopped in his tracks.

The other group also stopped at the same time.

The two sides met briefly.

When you see clearly the face of one of the other people who is not hiding it,

Lin Gui's pupils suddenly contracted.

How could it be her?

"Why did you suddenly stop, Jessie?"

The young man opposite, dressed in flashy clothes and with handsome features, asked with a smile.

His gaze swept lightly over Lin Gui and Eve.

He lingered for a moment longer on Eve's striking beauty.

"Are these two people... people you know?"

The girl called Jesse raised her eyes and glanced indifferently at Lin Gui.

There was no surprise, no hostility, not even the slightest ripple in his eyes.

It's like looking at a complete stranger on the street.

"I don't know him."

She uttered three words in a flat tone.

Without looking any further, he led the group behind him and walked straight past Lin Gui and Eve.

Their steps were unwavering.

Watching those people disappear around the street corner,

Lin Gui slowly released his grip on Eve's wrist.

He turned around and looked solemnly in the direction they had left.

"Who...are they?" Eve asked softly, her eyes filled with confusion.

Lin Gui remained silent for a few seconds, then shook his head.

"have no idea."

He paused, then added:

"Someone I only met at the Withered Rift Valley."

That's right.

The girl named Jesse,

It was precisely when Lin Gui rescued Luo Na and left the ancient tomb ruins.

One of the three "Guardians of the Relics" encountered at the exit.

Carl and Isaac were with her at the time.

The three men called themselves guardians and spoke in a friendly tone, but Lin Gui knew they were definitely not simple.

Some even suspect that the Knights of John, who died mysteriously after they left, were killed by them.

Eyes that give the impression of being watched in the passageway of the ruins.

When Lin Gui was discovered and fled, a mechanism was inexplicably activated.

Unsurprisingly, it was Karl and his group who did the dirty work.

Lin Gui did not delve into these strange occurrences.

He thought they would never see each other again.

But who could have imagined it?

In a remote city-state so far from the Withered Rift.

I will see them again.

If you claim to be a guardian of historical sites, why are you here instead of protecting them?