Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Lin Gui's eyelids twitched wildly.

Is his strength evenly matched with Shadow Blade Lin?

Epic rise to the top?

He instinctively gripped his staff, the power of the Night Veil ready to be unleashed at any moment.

His current concealment is enough to fool even the legends.

But in the face of epic status, it's no different from being naked.

Just as Lin Gui was hesitating whether to go in, a sound came from inside the antique shop.

"Since you're here, come in."

It was a female voice.

She's very young, sounds like a girl in her early twenties.

But that tone, that nonchalant ease, gave people a very strange feeling.

It seemed as if the one speaking was not a young girl.

Instead, he was a person who had lived for a very, very long time.

That sense of vicissitude wasn't something he deliberately put on.

It comes from the very core of one's being, like a stone that has been washed by a river for thousands of years.

Its surface is smooth, but its interior is filled with the sediment of endless time.

The voice was clearly clear, yet it seemed to penetrate something.

It's like looking through a thin layer of mist.

It's like an echo across a long period of time.

Lin Gui took a deep breath.

Push open the mottled wooden door.

The door hinges creaked dryly, the sound particularly jarring in the deathly silent street.

He went inside.

The antique shop was dimly lit, and the windows were completely covered by heavy curtains.

Only a few magic stones emitted a cold, eerie light in the corner.

Lin Gui spotted Elvia at a glance.

She sat in a worn-out armchair in the corner.

She was tense all over, her hands gripping the hem of her skirt, her knuckles turning white.

Those eyes were filled with unease, like a little mouse locked in a cage.

The moment her gaze fell upon Lin Gui.

The unease in those eyes instantly turned into shock.

Then came the disbelief.

Then--

Tears welling up in my eyes.

Lin Gui could clearly see that her eyes were red.

Tears welled up inside, threatening to fall.

She opened her mouth as if to say something, but nothing came out.

She just stared at him intently, as if he were a hallucination that shouldn't be there.

Looking at her disheveled appearance, Lin Gui felt inexplicably relieved.

It's good that you're still alive.

Elvia's lips moved, and she finally managed to squeeze out a sentence.

"You...you really came to save me?"

Her voice was terribly hoarse and trembling noticeably.

She never expected that Lin Gui would actually enter the Carter capital because of her.

This is no longer the prosperous capital of Carter, but the center of the Black Tide, a city-state destined for destruction.

Lin Gui hadn't had a chance to answer yet.

Elvia glanced away guiltily.

Following her gaze, Lin Gui saw another person.

a woman.

She was a young woman who looked to be in her early twenties.

Her long, golden hair cascaded down her shoulders, the ends curling slightly.

It gleamed with a faint, cold light in the dim light.

Her features were extremely delicate.

It was so exquisite that Lin Gui felt it looked somewhat familiar.

On that face, one could even vaguely see a resemblance to Elvia.

Her skin was so white it was almost transparent, and her lips were so pale they were almost bloodless.

But what Lin Gui cared about most was her eyes.

Those eyes were golden.

Light gold.

Like melted amber, or like solidified sunlight.

She just stared at Lin Gui, her gaze as calm as a stagnant pool.

There was neither hostility nor goodwill in that gaze.

Just... watching.

Like watching a stranger who happens to pass by.

But that calm was more unsettling than any kind of pressure.

It was too quiet.

So still it was as if no one was alive.

Lin Gui's gaze shifted from her face to his head.

Then, his pupils suddenly contracted.

She wore a gold ring on her finger.

The ring had a very simple design; it was just a smooth gold band.

Lin Gui recognized the ring.

He found it in Reinhardt's remains; it was his keepsake and his wedding ring.

And at this moment, that ring was on this woman's ring finger.

Lin Gui narrowed his eyes.

He stared intently at the ring, making sure he wasn't mistaken.

Not the same one.

But... they're exactly the same.

An utterly absurd idea popped into his mind.

She is……

No, it's impossible.

The dates don't match up at all.

Katalia, the lover of the hero Reinhardt, lived in the same era as him.

Ancient times.

The conservative estimate is several thousand years ago.

How could something that lived thousands of years ago possibly survive to this day?

Lin Gui's mind was in complete chaos.

Just then.

The woman spoke.

She seemed to see right through Lin Gui's thoughts.

Directly reveal the truth:

Please keep this a secret.

She looked at Lin Gui, a slight smile playing on her lips.

"I had Warren stop them from leaving because I didn't want the secrets here to be revealed."

Warren Jr.?

Stop them from leaving?

Thinking of the nobles being slaughtered outside, and of Warren's first royal decree upon becoming king, Lin Gui instantly flew into a rage.

He gripped his staff tightly, magic surging wildly within him.

I've already adjusted my footing, ready to retreat at any moment.

The woman sensed his wariness.

But she didn't move.

He simply remained seated in that wicker chair, maintaining that casual posture.

"Don't be afraid."

Her voice remained very soft.

"I'm waiting for you here, not to do anything to you."

"I just wanted to express my gratitude in person."

She paused.

"If it weren't for you, I might not have... seen him one last time."

Her voice trailed off.

Lin Gui noticed something flickering slightly in her golden eyes.

It was just a fleeting moment.

Then it was suppressed.

It was so fast it felt like an illusion.

"That's the last thing I have."

Her voice was very faint, as if she were talking about something that had nothing to do with her.

But she lowered her head, her gaze falling on her right hand.

Lin Gui followed her gaze.

She wore another ring on the ring finger of her right hand.

The ring was exactly the same style as the one on my left hand.

The ring should have some minor scratches; it's the one Lin Gui gave to Carlyle.

Her fingers gently stroked the ring.

The movements were very gentle.

Very soft.

It's like caressing something precious and fragile.

But there was no expression on her face.

Only deep within those golden eyes lay a faint, almost imperceptible sadness.

That sorrow is too mild.

It was so light that she wouldn't have noticed it at all if Lin Gui hadn't been watching her closely.

Like an undercurrent beneath the ice.

They were suppressed for a thousand years.

Lin Gui looked at her.

I'm quite certain.

This woman is Katalia.

Carter's last queen.

The person that the hero Reinhardt dedicated his entire life to protecting.

but……

Lin Gui's mind was full of question marks.

Based on his dating of the ancient tomb, Katya and Reinhardt were people from at least several thousand years ago.

How did she survive from such a distant era to the present day?

Too many questions filled his mind.

But he didn't dare ask.

I didn't dare ask a single question.

Because this woman's strength is simply too terrifying.

She sat there, without making any move, without any sense of intimidation.

You can't even feel any energy fluctuations.

But it was precisely this "absence" that sent chills down Lin Gui's spine.

Like a rabbit that suddenly stumbles upon a sleeping dragon.

Lin Gui even felt that she was more terrifying than any epic demon he had ever seen.

Elvia, standing nearby, had already made the right choice the moment Katalia spoke.

She covered her ears tightly.

He kept repeating:

"I didn't hear it."

"I don't know anything."

"Don't kill me..."

The whisper, bursting with a desperate will to survive, was trembling noticeably.

This left Lin Gui, who was on high alert and ready to flee at any moment, in a state of bewilderment, both amused and exasperated.

He could actually understand Elvia.

If he could, he would also like to close his ears.

The more you know, the faster you die.

This is an irrefutable truth in the post-apocalyptic city-state.

Katarina looked at Elvia's expression and a slight smile appeared on her lips.

There was a hint of helplessness in that smile.

There's also a hint of... indulgence.

She raised her hand and gently waved it at Elvia.

"Alright."

"Stop covering it up."

"If I wanted to kill you, you would be dead already."

Elvia froze for a moment.

Katalia didn't look at her again.

Instead, they turned their attention back to Lin Gui.

"You've come back to take her away, haven't you?"

Lin Gui nodded.

Katalia looked at him, a faint hint of doubt flashing in her eyes.

Do you know what calamity means?

Lin Gui's expression froze slightly.

Calamity?

Katalia explained calmly:

"That's what you call... the Kuroshio."

Lin Gui paused for a moment, then nodded.

"Of course I know."

Katalia looked at him.

"If you already knew, why risk your life to save someone whose death was practically certain when the Black Tide was born?"

She stared at Lin Gui, her golden eyes holding a scrutinizing gaze.

"What... made you willing to risk your life to save her?"

Her voice was calm.

But the problem is serious.

Lin Gui could sense that she was genuinely asking.

It's not a test, not a mockery, and not a trial.

It's just... a simple question.

Lin Gui remained silent for a few seconds.

He glanced at Elvia, who was still covering her ears in the corner but was clearly eavesdropping.

He then turned his gaze back to Katalia.

Why?

Did he just happen to select the rescue side when he tossed the coin?

What Katlia didn't know was that, for almost everyone, the Black Tide meant death.

But for someone who possesses a flying boat and can reach speeds even faster than an epic-level assassin…

The success rate is actually quite high.

But he couldn't say any of these things.

Even he himself didn't quite believe it when he said it.

A high-level mage, relying on a flying boat he built himself, dares to venture into the heart of the Black Tide?

It sounds like I've gone crazy.

But now time is short.

Although Katalia did not show any hostility, Lin Gui could sense that she might change her mind at any moment.

In order to get through this quickly and take Elvia away from this troublesome place...

Lin Gui had no choice but to go against his conscience.

He looked at Elvia.

His gaze was "serious".

"Because I love her."

Elvia's eyes widened instantly.

Lin Gui continued:

"So when she asked me for help."

"Without hesitation, I followed the assembled demons here."

He paused, then looked at Katalia.

"I think, if one day you find yourself in a similar situation..."

"The hero will do the same as me."

Lin Gui meant it sincerely.

He firmly believed in the love between the hero and the last queen.

Even he himself would be moved by the tragic and loving words inscribed on that tombstone.

That was an obsession that transcended life and death.

Katalia looked at him.

Something was trembling slightly in those golden eyes.

It was just a fleeting moment.

Then it was suppressed.

She remained silent for a long time.

Lin Gui thought she would never speak again.

Then, she nodded slightly.

"yes."

Her voice was very soft.

"He can too."

She lowered her head, her gaze falling on the gold ring.

My fingers gently caressed the face of the ring.

The movement was very slow.

It's very light.

It's like stroking a face.

After a long while, she finally raised her head again.

He looked at Lin Gui.

"I heard from little El that there is a letter he gave me next to his tomb."

Lin Gui was taken aback.

Little El?

letter?

He immediately realized what was happening.

It is the inscription carved by the hero next to his coffin.

The inscription that records everything between the last queen and the hero.

The words that moved him deeply.

Lin Gui said to Katalia with a hint of regret:

"I'm sorry, the hero only instructed me to bring out his remains."

"As for that inscription..."

He paused.

"It must have been damaged when the mechanism was activated."

"Because Sir John and his men touched the hero's equipment."

"The entire tomb was then destroyed."

He said it very naturally.

It even carries a touch of just the right amount of regret.

Katalia's expression remained unchanged.

But Lin Gui noticed that she paused for a moment while rubbing her finger on the ring.

It was only for a very short time.

Then, she continued to gently stroke the ring.

"Um."

She simply responded with a faint "yes".

No further questions were asked.

No disappointment.

There wasn't even a trace of expression on his face.

It was as if I was listening to something that had nothing to do with me.

But as Lin Gui looked at her, he always felt that something was suppressed beneath that calm.

It's pressed too deep, too heavy.

She's gotten so used to it that she's become accustomed to it.

He quickly added:

"However, if the lady doesn't mind."

"I can record it in a letter."

"My memory is still pretty good."

In fact, almost every magician has an excellent memory.

After all, even a mistake in a magic spell loop can lead to the failure of the spell.

Although Lin Gui wasn't the kind of genius with a photographic memory, he was more than capable of memorizing a section of inscription.

Katalia looked up.

Those golden eyes were looking at him.

"You remember?"

Lin Gui nodded.

"Remember."

He pulled a crumpled piece of paper and a charcoal pencil from his pocket.

"I can write it down right now."

Katalia looked at him without saying a word.

He simply nodded slightly.

Lin Gui wrote very quickly.

His ability to copy thousands of letters for the residents of Blackwater City honed his extremely fast writing speed.

The price is that the handwriting is so messy that it has an abstract beauty.

Many spirits who received the letter had to carefully compare and decipher it before they could understand what it said.

But Lin Gui wouldn't dare use those kinds of words to fool Katalia.

He slowed down, writing each stroke carefully and neatly.

Katalia sat there quietly watching him write.

He didn't speak.

There was no rush.

Just watching.

There was no emotion in those golden eyes.

But it also seems like something is hidden.

a long time.

After Lin Gui finished writing the last stroke, he handed the paper over.

Katalia took it.

Her gaze fell on the paper.

I read it word by word, sentence by sentence.

very slow.

Very meticulous.

It's like wanting to engrave every word into your heart.

Lin Gui looked at her and suddenly spoke.

"Madam, it's getting late."

"The third phase of the Kuroshio Current could begin at any time."

"I have to take her with me."

Upon hearing Lin Gui's words, Katalia did not reply immediately.

She remained silent.

Those golden eyes stared intently at the words on the paper, unmoving.

Lin Gui and Elvia's hearts jumped into their throats.

one second.

two seconds.

three seconds.

Every second felt like an eternity.

Elvia held her breath, staring intently at Katalia like a frog being watched by a snake.

a long time.

Katalia finally folded the paper and put it in her bosom.

Then, she turned her head.

Look at Elvia.

Those golden eyes remained devoid of any emotion.

It was as calm as a stagnant pool.

She reached out her hand.

He gently stroked Elvia's face with his fingers.

The movement was very gentle.

Very soft.

Like an elder touching a younger person.

Elvia shuddered, froze, and even forgot to breathe.

Katalia looked at her and asked:

"Little El".

"Do you want to go with him?"

Her voice was very soft.

It was as indifferent as asking, "How's the weather today?"

Elvia was stunned.

She looked at Lin Gui.

Then look at Katalia.

His lips moved, but no sound came out.

Then, as if finally realizing something, she asked in a trembling voice:

"If I said yes..."

"Will you kill me?"

Katalia looked at her.

There was still no emotion in his gaze.

"Won't."

she says.

Elvia's eyes widened instantly.

"Then...then I..."

Katalia withdrew her hand.

"Let's go then."

Her voice remained faint.

"Before I change my mind."