Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Arthur tore open the levitation scroll.

A pale blue light emanated from the scroll, wrapped around his ankles, and lifted his body slowly into the air.

The night wind brushed past my ears, making my robes flutter loudly.

He closed his eyes, and in his soul's vision, a thin thread of light meandered in the darkness, like a fleeing silver fish.

The other end of that filament of light was connected to the woman who had escaped.

Arthur's lips curled slightly as he traced an arc in the night sky, chasing after the light filament.

The dead trees rushed past beneath my feet, and the moonlight bathed the wilderness in a stark white light.

He walked through one barren forest after another, and crossed one ravine after another.

He encountered many powerful demons along the way, but he evaded them all using Edwin's stealth magic scroll.

He was somewhat surprised.

That woman, who was only of a high rank, was still alive.

He thought she should have been torn to pieces by some passing demon long ago.

But that thin thread of the soul remains clear, and it continues to move.

Although the speed has slowed down considerably, it is still moving.

A cold smile curled at the corner of Arthur's lips.

That guy got lucky.

Suddenly, my field of vision opened up.

The trees were sparse and bare, and the moonlight shone down without obstruction, illuminating a clearing of jagged rocks.

A figure stood in the open space.

The soul thread that Arthur was following was connected to her.

Arthur was somewhat surprised that the other party had stopped running.

His gaze swept across the clearing and towards the dense forest in the distance.

It was a dark, dense forest, impenetrable to moonlight.

Deep within the dense forest, a chilling sense of oppression emanated from within.

Legendary rising demon.

Arthur's soul perception lingered on that aura for a moment, and then he understood.

That woman didn't not want to run away; she simply couldn't.

There's no escaping it now.

Arthur turned his gaze from the depths of the forest to the center of the clearing.

Elvia was standing there.

Her long golden hair gleamed dimly in the moonlight, her armor was shattered, her skirt was torn, and her cheeks were stained with blood and dirt.

Arthur hovered a dozen meters above the ground, looking down at her.

His robes fluttered in the night wind, and three semi-divine artifacts slowly rotated around his body, emitting a cold, eerie light under the moonlight.

The distance between him and his opponent was enough for Arthur to tear open the scroll of extraordinary magic and blast the opponent and the open space into dust.

But Arthur did not do that.

If it ends so easily, wouldn't all his hard work along the way be for nothing?

He sneered, floated over, and faced Elvia in the open space, speaking sarcastically.

"Run!"

His voice wasn't loud, but every word carried a playful, cat-and-mouse-like ease.

"Why did you stop running?"

Elvia stood there, her golden eyes looking at him, her lips moved slightly, but she didn't speak.

Arthur's gaze swept over her tattered armor and then fell upon the dark forest behind her, impenetrable to moonlight.

"I thought you could run away somewhere."

His tone was laced with undisguised sarcasm.

"So there was nowhere left to run."

"So, just stop and wait to die?"

Elvia did not respond.

She simply stood there, her golden eyes calmly watching him.

Arthur chuckled, looking down at Elvia, his robes fluttering in the night wind.

"I heard from Edwin that you are from Avalon, the Wall of Sighs."

His tone carried a nonchalant, condescending casualness.

"When he mentioned you, his tone was somewhat wary."

"I am wary of the so-called... Demon King inside."

Arthur emphasized the word "Demon King," a slight smile playing on his lips, as if he were savoring something interesting.

"He said that if any mage could surpass him in stealth, it could only be the demon king Gusin of Avalon."

His gaze fell on Elvia's face, with a playful look, as if he were examining prey.

"So, the one who came to rescue those half-demon legends and ascend to power was Guxin, right?"

Elvia was taken aback.

Guxin?

Demon King?

A legendary rise to power?

A series of question marks popped into her mind.

When did Avalon's Guxin start doing this?

Moreover, as long as one is given the title of Demon King, their strength cannot be lower than that of an Epic.

A legendary figure rising to power could never be a demon king.

What the hell is this guy talking about?

She raised her eyes and looked at the young man in front of her, who was lost in some kind of bizarre delusion.

She squinted, sensing something on the other person...

A long-lost yet incredibly familiar aura of foolishness washed over me.

Like a nouveau riche who has risen from the lower classes, wanting to integrate into the aristocracy, so he flaunts his flawed aristocratic knowledge everywhere.

This guy seems to be an idiot; we can stall him for time.

Elvia's lips curled up, and she chuckled in agreement.

"You're right, sir."

Her voice carried a perfect balance of humility and adoration.

"That sir... is indeed formidable."

"Have you seen him?"

Arthur's gaze sharpened.

"I've seen it before, I've seen it before!"

Elvia nodded repeatedly, a smile plastered on her face.

"His stealth skills are simply... simply unpredictable."

"We didn't encounter any powerful demons along the way, all thanks to him."

As she spoke, she lowered her head slightly, adopting a respectful demeanor.

His eyes, however, peeked out from under his lowered eyelids and quickly scanned Arthur's equipment.

Three semi-divine artifacts slowly rotated around his body, their colors deep blue, dark silver, and golden yellow, exuding an extraordinary aura.

Deep blue crystal.

A dark silver pocket watch.

A golden badge.

Elvia's gaze swept over the three and a half artifacts, finally settling on Arthur's waist.

There hung a small, luxurious pouch.

The leather is made of the finest lizard skin, with intricate patterns embroidered in silver thread at the seams, and the buckle is made of pure gold and inlaid with a dark red gemstone.

Elvia became suspicious.

Shadowblade Lin told her that the other party was casting spells using magic scrolls.

But the size of this waist pouch doesn't seem like it can hold many rolls.

The higher the level of the magic scroll, the larger the scroll size.

Elvia knew this basic fact.

She instinctively reached into the large mailman's package at her waist, then felt something was off.

That waist pouch on the other side can hold up to four magic scrolls...

What's going on?

Just as Elvia was lost in thought.

A gaze was fixed intently on her.

Elvia quickly snapped out of her reverie and put on a forced smile again.

"Sir, please continue, I'm listening."

Arthur did not respond.

Elvia was startled and looked up.

Arthur's eyes remained fixed on her.

But the scrutinizing gaze has changed.

It has become...soft.

His voice was no longer sharp, but carried a deliberate, feigned depth and gentleness.

"You're quite the smooth talker."

His gaze slid across her face, landed on her collarbone, and then returned to her eyes.

The moonlight streamed down from above, illuminating Elvia's face clearly.

Even with blood, sweat, and dirt on her face, it couldn't hide her delicate features and fair skin.

Her long, golden hair gleamed dimly in the moonlight, and her thin shoulders and collarbones were visible beneath her tattered armor.

Arthur's voice became even softer.

"What's your name?"

Elvia found it all very strange.

The topic changed way too quickly.

But she still answered obediently.

"Elvia".

"Elvia..."

Arthur repeated it, as if savoring something.

"What a nice name."

He floated forward a meter, getting closer.

"A woman as beautiful as you, suffering in the wilderness to save those lowly races, don't you feel wronged?"

Elvia's eyelid twitched.

She got it.

It was that familiar, long-awaited... conversation starter.

A barely perceptible hint of annoyance flashed in his golden eyes, but his smile remained obedient.

"The adult is right...it's quite unfair..."

"Then why don't you come back to the City of a Thousand Towers with me?"

Arthur's voice carried a generous, altruistic quality.

"The maids at my place are all more presentable than you are now."

"If you follow me, you'll live a life of luxury, you won't have to run through the wilderness anymore, and you won't have to wear this tattered armor anymore."

His gaze swept over her body, with a naked and undisguised scrutiny.

Elvia almost lost her smile.

She cursed under her breath, but continued to agree verbally.

"You are so kind, sir... I... I am flattered..."

Arthur's smile widened as he looked at her.

He began to describe the size of his mansion in the City of a Thousand Towers, the number of his maids, and the value of his collection of treasures.

Elvia listened and responded only half-heartedly.

"You're amazing, sir..."

"Really? That's amazing..."

"You are truly amazing..."

"How could someone as lowly as me be worthy of entering the home of an adult?"

But in her heart, she was counting down the time.

almost.

Lin Gui should be back soon.

If we can just delay a little longer...

That bastard, even with the help of the lower-level Shia, could cripple a legendary archer.

With a legendary assassin by your side, you'll have to treat the other legends like footballs.

And at that very moment.

Arthur's voice suddenly stopped.

Elvia was startled and looked up.

Arthur's eyes were fixed intently in her direction.

I wasn't looking at her face, I was looking at her chest.

Below the collarbone, a thin ray of light extended out and disappeared into the darkness of the north.

Romance storyline.

Arthur's expression suddenly changed.

Just now, he showed Elvia his wealth and told her how noble ladies vied to be sent to his mansion.

He casually recited a few illustrious surnames, and her reaction was perfectly timed.

His eyes widened slightly, and a look of shock and longing appeared on his face.

He kept saying, "You're so amazing, sir," and "You're right, sir," his admiration almost overflowing.

He thought he had won her over.

He believed that this knight, whose beauty surpassed that of all his women, had been captivated by his wealth and charm and had become his.

Then he saw the romance line.

She already has a man.

All those things she said—admiring his wealth, respecting his abilities, and claiming she was forced to join Avalon—were lies.

She was never conquered from the beginning; she only saw him as a ridiculous fool.

Arthur felt a surge of anger, a burning sense of pride that had been crushed, rising within him.

His voice rolled out from his throat, somber and sharp.

"What is that?"

Arthur's voice deepened, as if it were being ground out from his throat.

Elvia's smile froze.

"What...what is what?"

"Don't play dumb."

Arthur's voice was as cold as ice.

"The thread of fate that runs through you."

"Who are you tied to?"

Elvia opened her mouth, her mind racing.

"That...that's...it might be a relative I've never met."

"lover?"

Arthur's lips twitched, and the smile reappeared, but it was no longer frivolous; it was sinister.

"Do you think I'm a three-year-old?"

"That's the love line!! I used it to lock onto that lowly race!!"

His voice rose, filled with a sense of anger at being deceived.

"That's something only couples bind themselves to!"

"You already have a man, yet you tell me you admire me!"

His gaze sharpened, scraping across Elvia's face like a knife.

"So you were just playing me?"

"You lowly knight, do you dare to mock me?"

His voice grew louder and sharper.

"Do you know how many noble ladies want to get into my bed?"

"Who do you think you are?"

"A used slut like you dares to pretend to be innocent in front of me?"

Arthur's voice carried a sense of humiliation and anger.

He stared at Elvia, waiting for her to beg for mercy, waiting for her to cry, waiting for her to kneel down and explain.

Elvia's expression changed.

That timid, admiring, and lovestruck look, like a shell, peeled away from her face little by little.

A slight upturn of her lips, and her golden eyes no longer held fear, but rather... disdain and contempt.

"Are you done?" Her voice was calm, even slightly nonchalant.

"I've said my piece, so what?" Arthur's voice remained sharp.

Elvia tilted her head and looked at him as if he were an idiot.

"Have you ever thought about...?"

"Was I just kidding you from the beginning?"

"Looks like you, and you think you can flirt with me!"

Elvia looked up, staring arrogantly at Arthur in the air, and said coldly.

"Take a piss and look at yourself! With that boar-like appearance, you should go find a sow to mate with!"

Arthur's pupils contracted sharply.

"you!!"

"You damn thing!"

His fingers ripped the scroll open.

The moment the scroll ripped open, a blinding blue light burst forth from within, like a wild beast being released.

A huge magical ring suddenly appeared in front of him, with bluish-purple light flowing around its edge and electric arcs crackling in the air.

[Lightning-based extraordinary magic - Azure Lightning Technique]

The energy condensing at the center of the ring grew stronger and stronger, causing the surrounding air to tremble. Withered leaves were swept up by the airflow and swirled and danced around the ring.

Elvia looked up and stared intently at the ring, her golden eyes reflecting a bluish-purple light.

She did not back down.

Her body sank slightly, her center of gravity lowered, and her toes gripped the ground tightly.

The moment the magical attack was launched, bluish-purple lightning poured out from the center of the ring, like a roaring thunder dragon, rushing towards her.

Elvia's body suddenly rolled to one side.

Her movements were as fast as lightning; she landed on her shoulders, rolled, and stood up, her body tracing an arc in the moonlight.

Lightning struck the spot where she had just been standing, blasting a crater half a meter deep into the ground.

Gravel and dirt flew everywhere, withered grass was burned to charcoal, and the air was filled with a pungent smell of burning.

Dust flew everywhere, and smog filled the air.