Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

The leaping flames cast a warm glow in the abandoned storage room, dispelling the cold, damp air deep in the mine tunnels.

The meat broth simmering in the iron pot bubbled and gurgled, filling the limited space with a rich aroma.

The three sat around a wooden crate that served as a makeshift dining table.

Elvia held a bowl of steaming hot meat soup, eating with great relish, occasionally letting out a satisfied sigh.

Although Shia was also holding a wooden spoon, she seemed to have no appetite, her bloodshot eyes gazing at the firelight, appearing preoccupied.

Lin Gui knew what she was thinking—about Avalon, about the impending separation.

But he didn't offer much comfort, saying that every journey has an end and separation is inevitable.

While sipping his soup, he distracted himself by manipulating a weak [Wind Spell], silently guiding a few wisps of smoke that were trying to drift out of the cave towards the cracks in the stone wall, allowing them to slowly dissipate.

After taking a sip of soup, Lin Gui suddenly raised his head and spoke softly to a shadowy stone wall that appeared to be empty not far away.

"Would you like some food, members of the Haoliners group?"

The air fell silent for a moment.

Immediately, a slender and agile figure clad in black tight-fitting leather armor emerged from the shadows as if melting away.

It was the same emotionally charged female assassin from the Dream Weaver Team.

She stared at the blazing fire, her eyelids twitching wildly, her voice filled with disbelief and terror.

"Aren't you afraid of attracting demons?!"

"Although this is the boundary between the forest and the rift valley, where demonic activity is relatively scarce, there's no guarantee that a large group of high-ranking demons won't suddenly appear from nowhere!"

She added rapidly, seemingly trying to emphasize the seriousness of the matter.

"Especially in places like the Withered Rift Valley!"

"The poisonous fog that permeates the valley floor can corrode flesh, and the rock walls are home to hordes of 'Rift Crawlers' that can traverse the vertical cliffs at breakneck speed!"

"And then there are the 'Crypt Spiders' hidden deep within the abandoned mines; their webs are incredibly tough and contain paralyzing venom!"

"Even more terrifying are the 'Burning Winged Demons' that occasionally fly up from the depths of the valley; their flames can melt armor!"

"So...you actually dared to start a fire?!"

"So," Lin Gui seemed not to have heard her series of dangerous descriptions, but simply shook the steaming bowl in his hand and asked again, "Would you like something to eat?"

The assassin girl paused for a moment, her nose twitching involuntarily.

The irresistible fragrance filled her nostrils, causing a spasm in her empty stomach.

She hesitated for a few seconds, but ultimately couldn't resist the temptation. She carefully stepped forward and entered the small aura deliberately maintained by Lin Gui's [Wind Summoning Technique].

The rich aroma of food instantly enveloped her.

"Waaah..."

She let out a suppressed whimper, her eyes widened instantly, and her pupils burst with an astonishing light.

He practically snatched the bowl of meat soup from Lin Gui, not caring that it was hot, and immediately started slurping it down like a starving ghost.

After finishing a bowl of hot soup, she seemed to come back to life, excitedly waving the empty bowl and blurting out.

"It's so delicious, meow!!!"

This exclamation, with its peculiar ending, drew Lin Gui's gaze to the pair of black cat ears on her head that trembled slightly with her excitement, and the cat tail behind her that swayed unconsciously back and forth.

I initially thought it was some kind of special decoration, but now it seems that the other party is actually a rare demi-human.

"Name?" Lin Gui served her another bowl.

"Um, I'm Luo Youyou, an assassin from the Dream Weaver Adventurer Group, and the most trusted partner and younger sister of Sister Rona!"

As she took the bowl, the cat-eared girl, Luo Youyou, mumbled a self-introduction, her tail tip curling happily.

The territory of the demi-humans was far removed from the borderlands, almost at the two extremes of the continent.

Lin Gui couldn't help but feel curious.

How did you get here?

Luo Youyou's ears drooped slightly, and her tone became somewhat low.

"My parents were captured by slave traders and sold to Karan at the end of the Golden Age."

"It was later bought by the Rona family."

"The Rona family was very good to our family. Even after the family declined, they often helped us out."

She sat cross-legged on the ground, with an empty bowl between her legs, her hands wrapped around her knees, her face filled with sorrow.

"Lorna and her family were all good people... It's a pity they all died in that world-ending blood rain, including my parents..."

"Boss Lorna considers me her only family, and she is also my only reason to live."

At this point, Luo Youyou suddenly stood up, took a few steps to Lin Gui, and knelt down straight down.

Large tears welled up in her eyes and slid down her cheeks.

She looked up and pleaded, her voice trembling with tears.

"Please! Save my sister!"

"I'm willing to pay any price for this! Even... even become your slave!"

She seemed to have made up her mind, raised her head, revealing her pretty face that, though covered in dust, was still clearly delicate and beautiful, her ears pressed tightly against her scalp with nervousness.

"Although I can't compare to your partner... I've studied a lot in that area... I'm sure I'll satisfy you!"

As she spoke, she actually moved closer and tried to rub her body against Lin Gui's arm.

However, a fair hand, yet possessing astonishing strength, gripped her shoulder like an iron clamp, preventing her from moving forward even an inch.

Luo Youyou winced in pain and turned around, only to be met with Xia's cold, smiling face.

"Meow!!!"

Luo Youyou was so frightened that her hair stood on end. She screamed and jumped back a long distance like a startled wildcat, looking at Xia with great fear.

"Half-half-demon! What do you want to do?!"

Shia frowned, her bloodshot eyes filled with an undisguised warning.

"Don't come near Lin Gui. What if you're here to assassinate him? Don't forget, you're an assassin."

"I didn't!" Luo Youyou hurriedly protested, even spreading her arms and spinning around to show off her lightweight leather armor. "I didn't even bring any weapons! Look!"

"Who knows if you've hidden weapons somewhere?" Shia retorted defiantly.

"That's prejudice! You're bullying the cat!"

"I was just protecting my comrades!"

The two immediately started arguing back and forth, their meows and the elf's cold rebuttals echoing through the cave.

That's enough.

Lin Gui spoke up and stopped the escalating argument.

He looked at the still-shaken Luo Youyou and asked the crucial question.

"Didn't your deputy commander, Catherine, say that Commander Lorna had already been killed in action?"

Upon hearing this, Luo Youyou immediately reacted like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, excitedly and loudly refuting it.

"No! My sister didn't sacrifice herself!"

"It was that wretched Catherine who deceived everyone!"

"She was determined to stop Sister Rona's plan to explore the ruins and find a breakthrough, and to that end, she fabricated lies and deceived the entire team!"