Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Same identity, similar experiences.

This eased the tension between Shia and the dwarf considerably, making them less hostile than before.

Perhaps it was also because of the "good reputation" that Lin Gui had gained from delivering the letter through Karan that it had an effect.

The dwarf seemed willing to believe that he could travel with such a good person as the Forest Ghost.

Shea is most likely a demon prince descendant who is just like him... a "righteous" one.

That's what he himself claimed.

Looking around, the dilapidated shacks in the landfill were filled with the acrid stench of waste and garbage.

But the interior of the dwarf's dwelling was surprisingly well-organized.

Tools, materials, and daily necessities are categorized.

Although simple, it exudes a unique dwarfism—a dedication to order and cleanliness.

At this moment, the three of them sat around a low table made of discarded wooden crates.

In order to entertain this rare guest who could know his secret.

The dwarf solemnly crawled under the bed and carefully carried out a wooden barrel that looked quite old.

He took out several cups that were wiped clean and looked like they were made from some kind of metal parts.

He poured a murky liquid with a strong grain smell onto Lin Gui and Xia Ya.

He poured himself a full glass.

Then he awkwardly covered the rim of the cup with his thick fingers.

It was as if some kind of ritual was being performed.

"Ahem!" The dwarf cleared his throat, a proud blush creeping onto his face, and began to formally introduce himself:

"Listen up! I am the Fifth Demon King, the seventy-ninth son of His Majesty 'Master of Machinery' Marbas, the Copper Hammer Stoneheart!"

"He is also a certified master blacksmith of Shield City! Runner-up in the 37th 'Fire and Hammer' Blacksmithing Competition!"

"And... the bronze medalist in the drinking contest at the 45th Shield City Beer Carnival!"

He spoke eloquently, rattling off a string of titles and honors as if they were his own treasures.

When he got excited, he even turned around and took out his precious tin box.

They took out medals and badges that were carefully wrapped in soft cloth and polished until they shone.

He picked up a badge engraved with an anvil and a warhammer.

He recounted with great enthusiasm his legendary experience of winning it, a battle that lasted three days and three nights against an old rival;

He then held up a small brass plaque shaped like a beer mug.

He vividly described that year's beer competition.

He showed how he outdrank one burly opponent after another.

The "tragic" story of losing by a mere half a cup in the end...

It's easy to see that those days in Shield City were the happiest and most glorious years of his life.

It seemed like it had been a long time since he had been able to talk to someone so freely.

He poured out his heart and soul until his mouth was dry, then suddenly picked up the glass of turbid wine in front of him, drank it all in one gulp, and slammed the glass down heavily on the table.

"Ha!" He let out a long breath, looked at Lin Gui and Xia who were listening intently, and then belatedly scratched his messy beard.

"Um, did I talk too much? Also, I still don't know your names?"

Lin Gui and Xia looked at each other in bewilderment.

Finally, Shia, mimicking the dwarf's solemn tone, cleared her throat and introduced:

"I am Shia the Wind Chaser! My mother is the leader of the Elf Forest Ranger Guild! My father... is the Demon King, but I don't know which pillar he belongs to."

Then, she began racking her brains to add "honors" to her resume:

"I am... a regular on the Karan City wanted list! My bounty is a whopping 5000 gold coins!"

"A survivor of the Whispering Forest demon rampage!"

"He even...he shattered a legendary archer's protective aura with a single arrow!"

She even actually pulled a crumpled wanted poster from her pocket and slammed it on the table.

This bizarre "list of honors" caused Lin Gui's lips to twitch almost imperceptibly.

Finally, both of their gazes fell on Lin Gui.

Facing those two pairs of eyes filled with expectation and inexplicable excitement.

Lin Gui silently picked up the metal cup.

He took a sip of the bitter and unpleasant liquid and swallowed it without changing his expression.

He put down his cup and calmly began to explain:

"Lin Gui. Born a homeless child. Hmm... just a postman."

"..."

A brief silence fell over the shed.

Lin Gui timely changed the subject, looking at the dwarf copper hammer:

"By the way, Copperhammer, you seem to really like your hometown, Shield City."

These words were like flipping a switch.

The dwarf Copperhammer's eyes lit up instantly, and he began excitedly recounting the extraordinary nature of Shield City.

Through his narration, which was sometimes passionate and sometimes somber.

In Lin Gui and Xia's minds.

It was as if the ancient war songs and the boisterous clinking of glasses echoed from within the city of Jian Dun.

It was as if one could hear the deafening roar of the magic crystal cannon firing and the heart-wrenching wailing of the city's defense alarm bells.

It was as if one could smell the unique aroma of sulfur, blood, and ale permeating the air.

It was as if I could see scenes interwoven with sacrifice, praise, and glory...

A massive and sturdy fortress city, hollowed out from the mountain and relying on natural defenses.

A war-torn city-state defending against the cursed demons of the deep sea.

It was as if they had traveled through time and space, appearing before their eyes.

Lin Gui and Xia were both engrossed in listening.

Finally, Shia couldn't help but ask, "Then... why did you leave there?"

As soon as the words left her mouth, Xia regretted it and covered her mouth.

The excited look on Tongchui's face was instantly replaced by a deep sense of desolation.

He said in a low voice.

"My father, the Demon King, Marbas, is the second-ranked nameless hero on the 'Heroic Spirit Shield Monument' in the Fortress of Shields."

"Back then, in order to save his beloved city-state, he perished together with five epic demons from the deep sea, each carrying a terrifying curse."

"I am proud of him and have always been proud to be his son."

"But... he is ultimately a 'demon'."

"In order to allow Shield City to continue to use the city-state alliance's transport network."

"He received aid from the Dwarven capital and other human central city-states... all his achievements were concealed."

"His great achievements were known only to the fortress lord and some administrators at the time, the heroic dwarves."

"About ten years ago, the City-State Alliance's review committee sent people to Shield City."

"They will never allow 'half-demons' to exist in Stronghold; the location of this fortress is too important."

"If the city of Fortified Shield falls, those demons carrying the curse of the deep sea will advance unimpeded through a natural canyon corridor that leads directly into the heart of the central city-state..."

Copper Hammer dipped his stubby fingers in the wine and drew a winding line on the table.

"Spread that terrible deep-sea curse to the central city-state."

"The damage it would cause would be no less than the diversion of the Kuroshio Current."

Shia asked softly, "So... it was the dwarves of Shield City who drove you out?"

Copper Hammer paused for a moment, took a swig of wine, and shook his head:

"No. The soldiers at the time wanted to hide us in the 'Root Tunnel,' a place known only to the dwarves."

"But the Alliance's auditors have already infiltrated Stronghold. We don't know who the auditors are, and it's only a matter of time before they're discovered."

"At that time, the conflict between the Strong Shield City and the City-State Alliance will be completely ignited."

Lin Gui asked thoughtfully.

"Why not use the threat of abandoning the city to force the central human city-state to compromise?"

"You're dwarves, do you really care about the lives of tens of millions of humans?"

Copper Hammer was taken aback and looked at Lin Gui in surprise.

"Human boy, your idea is very 'demon-like,' but I like it!"

He then gave a wry smile: "Indeed, what does the death of tens of millions of humans have to do with us dwarves? But if we really did that, the most likely outcome would be that we would be diverting the trouble elsewhere."

"The combined power of the central city-states is not much less than the demon tides we are fighting against."

"If ten 'title-level' powerhouses who can alter the terrain joined forces, they could forcibly change the landscape."

"It is not impossible to redirect the torrent of cursed demons toward our own core sphere of influence as dwarves."

Lin Gui fell silent.

He understood that if it were a genuine "Kuroshio" (Black Tide), such methods would be useless.

In the face of the Black Tide, any human-made alteration of the terrain will be flattened.

But what the fortified city of Jiandun was ultimately defending was the Black Tide that triggered the "Great Evacuation" of the border regions back then.

After the mainstream subsides, a relatively limited number of demonic forces remain.

Their numbers are still terrifying, but not to the point of utter despair.

But in this day and age...

Although racial concepts were largely destroyed by the descent of the demon god.

However, the most basic ethnic interests are still preserved among the major ethnic groups.

Dwarves, for example, suffered extremely heavy losses when the "blood rain" fell.

Their strength is not what it used to be.

They certainly didn't have enough confidence to directly challenge the human-dominated city-state alliance.

At least the elves have the protection of the World Tree, specifically the high elves.

They retained some of the legacies of the Golden Age, enabling them to contend with the massive human population.

With a sigh, Lin Gui looked at Tongchui and asked another crucial question.

"Then how did you cross the 'Silent Sea' to get here? Your strength... doesn't seem sufficient to allow you to cross the forbidden area."

Lin Gui could sense the strength of the copper hammer.

He was a level higher than him, probably in the upper-middle rank, but still far from being extraordinary, let alone able to cross dangerous forbidden areas.

Copper Hammer replied, "He was personally escorted by the Fortress Lord. He is an epic master, whose title is 'Heart of the Mountains'."

"Six years ago, he secretly sent dozens of us brothers and sisters to the vicinity of the Carter capital in a remote border region."

"After that, the other brothers and sisters left the capital one after another."

"They each hid in the relatively closed city-states on the frontier that were not yet fully connected to the alliance network."

"For example, New Testament City, Karan City... those city-states are weak and their censorship is lax."

"These might be among the last few places that can barely accommodate half-demons hiding."

"And they also have a hard time seeing through our dwarfs' eye-disguising magic."

Lin Gui's expression turned somewhat strange.

Feelings, for the dwarf "Bronzebeard" who wrote him a letter in the New Testament City.

Could he be Tongchui's brother?

I never imagined that such a small place as New Testament City would harbor a demon prince's offspring.

It was the letter from the "Bronzebeard" brother that led to the appearance of the bronze hammer.

This cause-and-effect connection was truly unexpected for him.

Meanwhile, the time mentioned by Copper Hammer is "six years ago," which does not match the time when Rogge left the capital.

It seemed that the two were indeed unrelated, and Lin Gui's last glimmer of hope was extinguished.

Shia asked curiously, "Then why didn't you leave Carter's capital like your brothers and sisters?"

Upon hearing this, Copper Hammer awkwardly scratched his messy hair, his face turning bright red.

"Because...because...I had saved up some money and planned to hire a platinum-level adventurer team to escort me away..."

He covered his head in despair and protested:

"In the end... he lost it all at the underground casino run by the rebels in Carter's capital!!"

"Sigh!" he sighed deeply.

"Right now, I can only barely make ends meet and save up for travel expenses by crafting beginner equipment for those novice adventurers..."

Xia and Lin Gui's lips twitched simultaneously.

This guy could never be the one who guided Rogge; he's too short.

After confirming once again that the gambling dwarf in front of him had no connection to the Rogue incident,

Lin Gui then completely gave up the idea of ​​getting clues from him.

He started casually asking Tongchui about their next destination.

The specific situation of the Fortified Shield City.

After learning that Lin Gui planned to go to Jian Dun City to deliver a message.

Copper Hammer's eyes widened in surprise:

"You, a high-ranking mid-level mage, intend to cross the Silent Sea? Wait a minute... we're all really curious, how exactly did you get here from Karan City?"

"The minimum requirement for traversing the wilderness should be a platinum-level adventure team of three exceptionally skilled members, but you only have one."

Lin Gui didn't want to explain the secret of the "Night Veil" too much.

He simply pulled out the badge of the North Wind Caravan.

"I hitched a ride with the North Wind Caravan to get here."

When Copper Hammer saw the North Wind emblem, his pupils contracted slightly.

Lin Gui raised an eyebrow: "What's wrong? Is there something wrong with this caravan?"

If the North Wind Caravan truly has problems, then traversing the dangerous forbidden zone with them would undoubtedly place both myself and Shia in extreme danger.

In the wild, a backstab from a teammate is often the most deadly.

Lin Gui himself had used this method to destroy the Knights of Lyon, and he was well aware of its danger.

Copper Hammer's eyes were serious, and he lowered his voice to say:

"Kid, you better watch out for that woman named Freya in your transport team!"

Lin Gui's heart skipped a beat: "What's wrong with her? Could there be something wrong with her?"

Copper Hammer nodded heavily, his tone extremely solemn:

"This woman... once took down fifteen of our dwarven brewmasters at the 'Heart of the Forge' tavern in Strongshield!"

"She's also the champion of that year's 'Lava Beer Cup'!"

"So, if you ever have a drinking contest with her, be very careful! It could kill a dwarf!!"

Lin Gui: "..."

He rolled his eyes speechlessly, feeling like all his earlier vigilance had been wasted.

After chatting for a few more minutes, Lin Gui and Xia got up to say goodbye.

The copper hammer seemed reluctant to leave.

As a half-demon, and a weak one at that.

He dared not easily contact others, fearing that his identity would be exposed, and he was usually very lonely.

It's rare to meet someone you can open up to and talk to.

He really didn't want Lin Gui and Xia to leave like this.

But it was already late, and he couldn't insist that he stay.

Before saying goodbye, Copper Hammer looked at Shia and earnestly reminded her:

"Hey, little Shia, remember not to linger in the Carter capital!"

"The Cult of Light is coming in four days!"

"Those lunatics always kill and burn everything related to the demon race, good or bad!"

"If you don't want to be tied to the gallows, you'd better get out of here!"

"I heard that the saintess leading this team possesses prophetic abilities, making her very difficult to hide from."

"If you want to leave, go hide in one of the city-states in the city-state alliance."

"The Alliance Council is preparing to expel all the semi-magical cities by the end of the year."

Shea was speechless. Through the copper hammer, she learned of the City-State Alliance Council's proposal to expel the half-demons.

He looked very downcast.

Finally, she asked with concern, "And what about you?"

Copper Hammer chuckled and patted his muscular chest:

"Don't worry about me! I've saved up gold coins for almost five years... enough for me to leave the capital and find a secluded place to hide!"

"I plan to sell the rest of my equipment and then set off immediately!"

"Oh! Right! Lin, you little devil, wait for me a minute!"

After he finished speaking, he turned around and went back into the shed.

A moment later, he came out carrying a large wooden box that was stuffed full.

Lin Gui stared in disbelief at the box full of letters.

Copper Hammer scratched his head a little embarrassedly:

"Sorry, I have more brothers and drinking buddies in Shield City..."

Lin Gui took the heavy box with a wry smile.

Meanwhile, I waited silently in my heart.

After waiting for a while, no system notification sounded.

Lin Gui couldn't help but complain in his heart.

"System, this person's background is so 'powerful,' shouldn't his letter trigger a 'Special Request: The Demon King's Letter'?"

The system did not respond.

Lin Gui sighed helplessly, but still accepted Copper Hammer's letter.

And the large bag of copper coins he forced on me... as postage.