Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The route marked on the system map is incredibly simple: Karan City → Withered Rift Valley → Carter Capital.

However, if you zoom in and take a closer look at that border map...

You will then discover that between these seemingly simple two points and a line...

Several crucial nodes are also hidden within.

Apart from the incredibly long and terrifying forbidden area, "The Withered Rift," which occupies almost three-quarters of the journey.

Starting from Karan, the first thing you need to do is traverse the "Moran Hills," a region with expansive views and undulating terrain.

And a dense woodland known as the "Whispering Forest".

After crossing the withered rift valley, the journey doesn't lead directly to the capital. Instead, one must pass through an abandoned military outpost—"Eagle Fortress."

According to Elvia, there is no longer a single living person there; it has been completely turned into a lair for a group of ferocious sky demons.

Starting from Karan, the floating rafts sailed into the Merlan Hills.

This place was once an important grain-producing area of ​​Karan City, but now it is only desolate and haunted by evil spirits.

From this expansive viewpoint, the monstrous scene is horrifying.

A pack of rotting, bloodshot-eyed demon wolves is frantically chasing and tearing apart a type of "Bloodhorned Sheep Demon" with dark red horns and an equally violent temperament.

Since the arrival of the demon, the original ecosystem has been brutally destroyed.

Instead, a brutal new ecosystem has emerged, characterized by chaos and bloodshed.

Lin Gui was manipulating the [Levitation Technique] with intense concentration.

If you encounter the aura of a powerful demon or a patrol, immediately activate [Night Veil].

The entire raft, along with all its presence, was concealed from view.

Find a short resting place in an open area where the terrain allows.

He then maneuvered the raft to descend, racing against time to restore his nearly depleted magic.

Shia's sharp gaze was like the most accurate radar, constantly scanning the surroundings and giving early warnings.

Guide the raft to avoid most of the powerful demon hordes.

Elvia, relying on her memory, continuously revised the general direction of their journey.

Ensure the team always stays within the safe zone of the "golden route".

This path was opened by the Holy Knight John.

Its core value is not the shortest length, but rather the ability to bypass those terrifying lairs centered around legendary demons to the greatest extent possible.

Avoid plunging headlong into the heart of the demonic forces.

Just like when I first met Shia.

Even with Shia's exceptional eyesight, Lin Gui was still nearly surrounded by the sudden surge of demons.

The large-scale disturbances of the demons were not solely due to human attacks.

More often, it stems from territorial disputes among demon lords, the appearance of high-energy treasures, or their spontaneous group hunting targeting certain objectives.

Therefore, a reliable and safe route is invaluable.

Elvia's importance is now undeniable.

Of course, the "golden route" is not a foolproof guarantee.

It has an expiration date.

The core sphere of activity of legendary demons is not static; their will defines the boundaries of their territory.

According to the agreement of the City-State Alliance, this type of gold route intelligence should theoretically be updated every two months.

Forty-one days have passed since the paladin embarked on this path.

This means that the route for the first part of the journey is likely still valid.

But the further they go, the greater the variables become, and Lin Gui and his group must be even more careful.

In the latter part of the Muran Hills, on a secluded hillside where demonic traces are relatively scarce.

The dense grass swayed slightly.

The last few blades of grass seemed to be smoothed out by an invisible hand, perfectly concealing the last gap.

Beneath the grass was a hole that had been artificially created, in which the raft rested quietly.

Lin Gui put away his staff, leaned against the wooden box, and let out a long sigh.

He never imagined that he would one day need to use these seemingly useless basic spells.

[Basic Earth Magic - Loosening Soil], combined with [Basic Wood Magic - Growth Promotion].

He insisted on using local materials in this open hilly area.

They created this cave that was covered by grass.

Beside her, Elvia's gaze grew increasingly complex and indescribable.

Magicians often specialize in one or two, or at most three, magic systems in their training, in order to gain a deeper understanding of them.

But this guy in front of her has shown her more than five different types of magic since he left Kalan.

The wind-based [Levitation], the darkness-based [Night Veil], the light-based [Illumination], the water-based [Water Creation], the fire-based [Ignition], plus the earth and wood-based spells from before...

I've explored almost every common magic system!

Although they were all basic spells.

But look at the casting speed, the precision of control, and... the bizarre combination of ideas.

It is clear that he devoted a great deal of energy to this.

What kind of monster is this guy?

Just as Elvia was pondering.

Lin Gui stood up and said.

"Let's rest here for a bit today."

After saying that, he started a fire and began to cook.

Elvia and Shia felt a chill run down their spines.

Even with Lin Gui's repeated assurances, they were still very uneasy and their hearts were pounding.

Shea peered through the gaps in the grass, which was disguised as her gaze.

The disguised emerald eyes were fixed on the wandering demon figure in the distance, not daring to relax for a moment.

Elvia hesitated, wanting to speak several times to stop the other party's almost suicidal behavior.

Cooking in a demon-infested wilderness?

Even the elite knights led by Holy Knight John wouldn't dare to do that!

Kelin Ghost did just that.

A tiny Fireball spell precisely ignited the dry wood.

[Levitation] manipulates the iron pot, seasonings, and ingredients to float out of the supply box.

Among the ingredients, there were even a few pieces of bright red pork!

In the city-state era, livestock breeding was almost exclusively the domain of the great nobility.

For ordinary people and adventurers to get a bite of meat, the price they have to pay is extremely high.

For example, one hundred gold coins.

These few pieces of meat were what Lin Gui had casually "snatched" from the wealthy families when he had no money.

It has been carefully preserved using cryopreservation.

Lin Gui tossed a piece of meat to Elvia and then had a kitchen knife float in front of her, giving her instructions.

"Chop the meat into small pieces."

Elvia stared blankly at the pork in her hand, then at the gleaming cleaver in front of her, her lips twitching.

"I'm a princess! I've never done such a thing! Let that half-demon do it!"

However, Lin Gui only gave him a cold glance.

Elvia immediately backed down.

Silently, he picked up the cutting board and meat, and awkwardly began to chop them.

He muttered a silent complaint.

Pork, various spices and seasonings, and Lin Gui's rapidly improving culinary skills, honed under duress after years of being forced to hone them in this world...

He figured out all the seasonings and ingredient preparation himself, all by trial and error...

Soon, an indescribable, rich aroma filled the small space.

The aroma made Shia and Elvia's mouths water.

But at the same time, it made their hearts jump into their throats.

Staring intently at the wisp of smoke rising from the chimney!

Smoke and aromas drifted out of the cave along the air currents.