Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Elvia, carrying the Forest Ghost on her back, staggered through the forest.

The ground was covered with gravel and dead branches, which crunched underfoot, and every step could cause you to twist your ankle.

She didn't dare stop.

But she didn't know where to run.

It was completely dark all around.

There is no way.

There is no direction.

There is no sign.

Only the distorted shadows of the trees and the occasional howls of demons echoed from afar.

Each roar made her heart clench.

She had never truly traversed the wilderness alone.

In the past, she was always accompanied by an entire knightly order when she traveled.

The silver-armored knights led the way, the golden adventurers guarded the area, and the logistics personnel were responsible for setting up camp and cooking.

All she had to do was sit in the carriage and wait to reach her destination.

wilderness?

That's scenery.

It's a distant view, something you peek at while passing by, something that has nothing to do with you.

But now.

She carried Lin Gui on her back, panting heavily, sweat mixed with dirt plastered on her face.

She glanced down at the bundle slung over her shoulder.

plant ash.

Dry food.

Herbs.

spices.

This is what Lin Gui pulled out before he fainted.

What did he say again?

Wood ash... to mask the smell of blood...

Herbs...applied to the wound...

Spices... sprinkled around... to scare away low-level magical beasts...

Do not light it...

Don't make a sound...

Waiting for her...

When she wakes up...

Elvia tried desperately to recall.

Those words swirled in her mind, like a tangled mess.

She was stunned.

Seeing Lin Gui fall from such a height, covered in blood, with broken bones, lying unconscious on the ground.

Her mind went blank.

She heard what he said.

But how much of it did he actually listen to?

How much did you remember?

What is wood ash used for again?

To cover up the smell of blood?

How to cover it up?

Just sprinkle it on?

Or should I apply it to my body?

What about the herbs?

Apply to wounds. Which herbs are used as wound poultices?

She didn't recognize any of the pile of leaves, roots, and dried grass that Lin Gui had pulled out.

What are spices?

Will scattering it around ward off monsters?

What spices?

What should I do?

How much should be sprinkled?

Countless question marks flashed through Elvia's mind.

She thought of those adventurers from the past.

Those seasoned veterans who served under her, having crawled out of the wilderness.

When they drink, they always like to boast about their experiences in the wilderness.

What do you mean by "If you encounter a pack of wolves, you must run north, not south"?

What about "not being able to light a fire at night, and covering the smell of blood with wood ash"?

What do you mean by "this herb can stop bleeding, that root can relieve pain"?

Did she listen at the time?

I listened.

But what were you doing while listening?

Drinking red wine.

I'm thinking about which dress to wear tomorrow.

They were figuring out how to squeeze more commission out of those adventurers.

just now.

Now she just wants to strangle her past self.

She ignored all those things, those matters of life and death.

Elvia gritted her teeth and kept running forward.

As she ran, another question popped into her head.

How did they get out?

From the withered rift valley.

Surrounded by so many demons.

From the scene of that demigod demon's awakening.

How did they escape?

She remembered that white light.

A blinding, all-consuming white light.

And then they appeared here.

This is where?

do not know.

But at least.

She glanced back at the south.

That darkness still lingers.

But it seems we're not that close anymore?

Have they escaped the radiation range of the Kuroshio Current?

Lin Gui said, "I'm out of the radiation zone."

How did he know?

Can that thing be seen with the eyes?

and.

One thousand kilometers.

At least a thousand kilometers.

The straight-line distance from the capital of Carter to the northern borderlands is definitely over a thousand kilometers.

What kind of magic can instantly teleport a person a thousand kilometers?

Unheard of.

Elvia's mind was in complete chaos.

Just then.

Roar! ! !

A roar suddenly came from the side and behind.

The sound was frighteningly close.

It was so close that Elvia's hair stood on end.

She turned her head abruptly.

A figure emerged from the darkness.

That was a demon.

It was humanoid, but hunched over, on all fours, like a wild beast.

Its head resembles a dog's, but its mouth is full of fangs, each one sticking outwards.

Its eyes.

Blood red.

Crazy crimson.

Those eyes were fixed on her.

She stared at the blood-covered man on her back.

Elvia's mind cleared instantly.

She suddenly squatted down and put Lin Gui on the ground.

Then he grabbed handfuls of wood ash from the bundle and sprinkled them on himself and Lin Gui.

The grayish-white powder was applied to the body, face, and wounds.

It choked her so much that she almost coughed.

But she covered her mouth tightly.

The demon moved.

It took a few steps forward.

Its nose twitched, as if it were searching for something in the air.

Elvia held her breath.

She stared intently at those blood-red eyes.

The madness in those eyes sent chills down her spine.

That was the madness unique to the demons within the Black Tide radiation zone.

That was a madness that only wanted to kill, only wanted to destroy, only wanted to tear all living things to shreds.

Its appearance means...

The Kuroshio Current is catching up.

Damn.

Damn it, damn it, damn it.

Her worst fears came true.

The direction the Kuroshio was moving was the same as the route she was taking to escape.

It is spreading northward.

They are chasing after her.

She couldn't see the so-called radiation circle at all.

I don't know where it is.

I don't know how far away it is from me.

I don't know when it will catch up with me.

What should I do?

What to do, what to do, what to do?

Elvia's mind went blank.

She looked down at Lin Gui.

He is still unconscious.

His pale face was covered in blood and ashes.

He won't wake up.

No one can help her.

No one could tell her what to do.

She was alone.

In this damned wilderness.

Carrying this damn idiot on my back.

Facing the approaching Kuroshio Current.

What should I do?

Just then.

A voice suddenly rang in her mind.

"Run east."

Elvia's body suddenly stiffened.

The voice didn't come from beside my ears; it rang directly in my mind.

Fear surged up my spine like ice water.

She dared not utter a sound.

dare not move.

I dare not breathe.

The demon is still nearby.

Those blood-red eyes in the darkness could look back at you again at any moment.

She clenched her teeth and forced herself to remain silent.

But then the sound rang out again.

"If you don't want to die, run east."

It was a woman's voice.

Calm, indifferent.

Elvia's heart pounded.

Who? Why?

But the next second, her thoughts stalled.

"If you go any further north, the Black Tide will catch up with you, and if it does, you will die."

"It doesn't matter if you die, but he can't die."

he.

Lin Gui.

I recognize Lin Gui's voice.

Countless possibilities flashed through Elvia's mind in an instant, but she didn't have time to think about them.

She had no other choice.

In the darkness, those blood-red eyes still lingered not far away.

Elvia gritted her teeth.

She crouched down and picked Lin Gui up on her back again.

Then, she turned her head and looked eastward.

There was an even deeper darkness there.

But she did not hesitate.

She started running in that direction.