Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

There is no way to retreat.

Monica gripped her staff, staring at the two blood-red eyes in front and behind her.

Those eyes darted in the darkness, drawing ever closer, and a cacophony of screeching screams surged forth like a tide.

"Commander!"

Ada roared and swung her sword, slaying two demon rats that pounced on her.

But even more had already reached his feet.

Old Tom raised his shield to block the way, and instantly the shield was covered with magic rats.

The claws of those things gripped the iron shield, making a harsh scraping sound.

His legs were trembling, and blood was flowing down his trousers. He didn't dare to take a single step back.

"Back up! Retreat!"

Monica shouted as she raised her staff.

But before she could even begin the incantation, a demonic rat pounced on her.

She instinctively turned to the side, and the thing flew past her face.

The claws left a bloody scratch on her cheekbone.

Monica gasped as her spell was interrupted.

She frantically pulled a dagger from her waist and stabbed it into another attacking demon rat.

Warm blood splattered on her hands, emitting a pungent stench.

She didn't have time to feel nauseous, because more demon rats were already swarming over.

This is the mage's fatal weakness in close combat.

Without her teammates' protection, she didn't even have time to chant.

Every time she tried to cast a spell, demonic rats would pounce on her, forcing her to use her dagger to defend herself.

Her dagger was wielded haphazardly, nearly missing its mark several times.

The claws of those demonic rats left bloody scratches on her calves, causing her to gasp in pain.

"That way! At the fork in the road!"

Old Tom roared, shoving aside several demon rats with his shield, and pointed to a side path on the left.

That's the only way out.

Monica gritted her teeth and moved toward that direction while brandishing her dagger.

Eda charged at the front, hacking and slashing with his sword, tearing a gap in the swarm of rats.

Old Tom held the rear, using his shield and body to block the surging demon rats from behind.

Lily was caught in the middle, crying as she ran away, having already run out of arrows.

ten meters.

five meters.

three meters.

The fork in the road is right in front of us.

Then, Monica saw it.

On the other side of the fork, demon rats also emerged.

It's the passage they just blocked.

The magic rat circled around from both sides of the stone wall.

"Damn it!"

Ada cursed and abruptly stopped in her tracks.

All around me were demon rats.

They were completely trapped in this short pipe, which was less than ten meters long.

Monica looked at those blood-red eyes.

Looking at the dense swarm of black rats.

Seeing his teammates covered in blood and panting heavily...

Her mind suddenly went blank.

Damn it, she knew this request was beyond her capabilities.

But how come they were trapped in a desperate situation as soon as they entered?

Ada was still desperately swinging his sword, but his movements were getting slower and slower, and the wounds on his body were increasing.

Old Tom could no longer raise his shield, so he used his body to shield Lily, letting the magic rat jump on him.

Lily crouched in the corner, clutching her head and screaming.

Monica gripped the dagger, her fingers trembling.

Just when I was about to fight to the death.

A sharp whooshing sound suddenly rang out from behind.

laugh------

A transparent wind blade shot out from the darkness.

The wind blades were incredibly fast.

It grazed past Monica's ear and struck precisely at the demon rat that was about to pounce on her.

The demon rat was cut in half and thrown to the ground.

Monica was stunned.

Wind Blade Technique?

Intermediate-level magic?

She turned her head abruptly.

Then, she saw it.

The dark sewers behind them were illuminated by streaks of wind.

Those wind blades were translucent, gleaming with a faint bluish light in the darkness.

One, two, three.

Ten, twenty, fifty.

Densely packed, covering the sky and the earth.

It flew past them in an instant.

They shot in from the same direction, like a reversed storm.

Wherever the wind blades passed, hordes of demon rats fell.

Cut in half, beheaded, or chopped in half.

Black rat blood splattered on the walls, the floor, and the tops of the pipes.

The squeaking screams instantly turned into desperate screams.

In the blink of an eye.

The swarm of rats that surged in from the fork in the road was completely wiped out.

Inside the pipe, only the corpses of the demon rats remained.

The smell of blood was so strong it made me want to vomit.

Monica stood there, stunned, staring at the scene before her.

Do not......

This is not a mid-level spell, Wind Blade.

Instead, it's a high-level wind magic—Blade Storm.

Monica stood there, stunned, staring at the scene before her.

No, this is not the intermediate-level magic Wind Blade.

This is a high-level wind magic – Blade Storm.

A single high-level spell easily dispelled the swarm of rats that had driven her to the brink of despair.

A complex mix of emotions welled up inside Monica.

No wonder this advanced quest requires the adventure team to be at least Silver rank.

The Silver Adventurer's Guild requires at least one high-ranking member.

One high-level spell solved all the problems.

It's that simple.

That's how cruel it is.

Ada plopped down on the ground, panting heavily.

Old Tom leaned against the wall, his shield tossed aside, and looked down to examine the wounds on his body.

Lily was still crying, but she wasn't screaming like before.

Monica gripped her staff, looked at the corpses of the demon rats scattered on the ground, and slowly turned her head.

In the darkness, a figure slowly emerged.

That was a man.

Black hair, black eyes, and a frighteningly pale face.

He was leaning on an oak staff, practically hanging from it.

His left arm was twisted at an odd angle, and his robe was tattered, revealing skin covered in bruises and abrasions.

He walked very slowly, limping, each step as if he were enduring immense pain.

But he still made it through.

He walked up to Monica and stood still.

He looked up and glanced at her.

Those eyes were calm, as calm as a stagnant pool.

Then he spoke, his voice soft and weak:

"Are you alright?"

Monica was stunned.

She looked at the man in front of her.

He saved them.

They saved her and her teammates.

If it weren't for him, they might be dead here by now.

Logically, she should thank him.

But Monica knew she couldn't.

She slowly turned her head and looked at the waterway behind her.

The ground was covered with a thick layer of dead demon rats.

The black corpses were piled up together, and blood flowed down the ground into the puddles, turning the entire waterway red.

The number is at least several hundred.

The quantity has exceeded the requirements of the order.

Monica's fingers tightened slightly as she gripped the staff.

Suppressing her conscience, she spoke first:

"This is our commission."

Her voice was cold.

"What you're doing is a violation of the Adventurers' Guild's rules."

Ada, standing behind him, was stunned.

He opened his mouth, as if to say something.

But old Tom grabbed his shoulder and shook his head.

Old Tom watched Monica's retreating figure and sighed.

He spoke up as well:

"My esteemed monk, our task is not yet complete."

"Your interference is putting us in a difficult position."

Monica did not turn around.

She knew that old Tom was helping her.

She knew what she was doing.

This commission is their only chance to advance to Silver rank.

Most of the powerful adventurers in the guild have left because of the Black Tide, leaving only this one advanced quest.

If this one can't be finished either, we'll have to wait for the next one, and I don't know how long that will take.

She can't wait.

She must arrive in the City of a Thousand Towers before March.

So, this was the only way she could do it.

Even if the other party had just saved their lives.

Lin Gui looked at the young mage in front of him.

Looking at her tense face and her evasive eyes.

He didn't speak.

He simply leaned on his staff and limped forward two steps.

Then he spoke, his voice still calm:

"I'm not here to steal your commission; I'm here to find a mage named Monica."

I want her to treat me.

Monica was stunned.

find her?

treat?

Lin Gui raised his hand and tugged at his tattered robe.

The twisted left arm was exposed, with bruises covering the skin and wounds that were still bleeding.

"I was seriously injured in the wilderness and need magical healing."

"The priests of Dragonbone City have all left."

"I heard there's a mage named Monica who can cast spells beyond her level and can perform healing spells."

"That's why we came here."

He paused, looking at Monica.

"Can you do it?"

Although the other party did not introduce himself, his young face, mid-level strength, and the staff in his hand inlaid with magic crystals all told Lin Gui something.

She is Monica, the magical genius of Dragonbone City.

Monica's eyes suddenly lit up after hearing Lin Gui's request.

She nodded quickly:

"Yes! I can!"

Then she looked at the corpses of the demon rats scattered on the ground, and then at Lin Gui.

"I can help you with your treatment."

"But could you...?"

She paused for a moment, then spoke with some difficulty:

"Could we take these demon rats to complete our mission?"

"I hope you won't expose me."

Lin Gui glanced at her.

Then he nodded.

"Can."

He wasn't there to steal commissions in the first place.

Only apprentices and low-level adventurers would do something like snatching commissions.

After all, as long as you can carry a hoe and have the strength, that's all that matters.

I'm willing to spend a silver coin to get a bronze badge from the Adventurers' Guild.

Then you are now an apprentice adventurer in the Adventurers' Guild and can accept commissions.

This has resulted in a large and rampant number of low-level and apprentice adventurers.

This resulted in more novice adventurers than available commissions, leading to a situation where commissions were contested.

Those who post commissions don't care who accepts them first.

It's not about who finishes it in the end, but about who completes it last.

Lin Gui had his commissions stolen before, but that was many years ago.

He is not short of money now, nor does he need to improve himself in the conventional way that mages do.

Therefore, Lin Gui doesn't really value adventurer commissions.

Since the other party was willing to treat him for this reason, he naturally agreed.

Besides, there's the reward for that advanced commission.

He glanced at the order form just now; it didn't even contain a single gold coin.

This is really like giving alms to a beggar.

Seeing that Lin Gui agreed, Ada, who was behind Monica, jumped up.

Old Tom also breathed a sigh of relief and stood up, leaning against the wall.

Lily stopped crying and looked at the corpses of the demon rats scattered on the ground with bright eyes.

"Quick, quick! Put it away!"

Ada called out, ignoring her own injuries, and squatted down to pick up the corpses of the demon rats.

Old Tom joined in, stuffing the halved or even pieced-together rats into bags.

Although most of them were cut to pieces by the wind blades, a magic rat is a magic rat, and as long as there are enough of them, that's fine.

Ada grinned as she picked them up:

"That's enough! This amount is more than enough!"

Old Tom nodded with a smile:

"Adding what we killed before, it definitely exceeds the requirements of the commission."

Lily was jumping around happily beside them:

"Great! Our Thousand Towers Guild can finally reach Silver rank!"

"From now on, every commission will start with a minimum payment of one gold coin!"

"One gold coin!!"

"That's a gold coin!!"

"My father might not be able to save up even after working for half a year."

Old Tom smiled, then looked at Monica and congratulated her:

"Captain, it seems your wish to go to the City of a Thousand Towers will come true this year!"

Lin Gui, who was standing next to him, was stunned for a moment when he heard this.

The City of a Thousand Towers?

A magical city?

He looked at Monica.

The young monk was bowing his head, a faint smile on his face, and longing in his eyes.

Lin Gui frowned slightly.

Given their strength, they couldn't even traverse the wilderness alone, let alone reach the City of a Thousand Towers.

There are many dangerous places to cross along the way.

Although it wasn't as ridiculously dangerous as the road from the Infinite Desert that Lin Gui came from.

But it's still not a place that Monica, at an intermediate level, can get involved in.

He couldn't help but ask:

"You're planning to go to the magic city?"

Monica looked up at him.

"Yes."

Her voice was soft, but firm.

"The City of a Thousand Pagodas is the dream of every mage."

"I've always wanted to study there."

"I want to become a student at the magic academy."

Lily chimed in from the side:

"Our guild leader is amazing! She's the most talented mage in Dragonbone City!"

"A place like the City of a Thousand Towers is perfect for a genius like her!"

Monica blushed slightly:

"Don't talk nonsense, I just want to go and study."

Lin Gui looked at her still childish face and her longing eyes.

He had seen that look before.

I've seen it on the faces of many wandering monks.

When they mentioned that holy city of magicians.

Their eyes were full of longing and yearning.

And endless fantasies about that legendary magical holy land.

Lin Gui was silent for two seconds, then asked:

"If I may ask, how do you plan to get there?"

Monica did not hide anything.

The other party saved her entire adventure team and indirectly helped her complete the advanced quest.

There's nothing to hide.

"The leader of a golden adventurer's guild has taken a liking to my talent."

"He is a powerful being at the lower level of the extraordinary realm."

"He told me that as long as I could get the Thousand Towers Guild to Silver rank, he would take me to the Thousand Towers City when he returned in a week."

Monica's eyes shone as she said this.

After listening, Lin Gui subconsciously asked:

"Did you sign a contract with him to join the Golden Adventurer's Guild after you complete your training?"

As soon as the words left his mouth, Lin Gui knew he had said the wrong thing.

really.

Monica was stunned.

The magic rat that Ada had just picked up fell to the ground with a thud.

Old Tom's smile froze on his face.

Lily stared wide-eyed at Monica.

The pipe fell silent instantly.

Only the occasional squeaking sounds from afar were particularly clear in the darkness.