Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

At the cliff in the middle of Odo Canyon.

An extremely well-hidden cave entrance, cleverly embedded in the rock wall, would be difficult to find unless one is familiar with the path.

The cave was surprisingly well-equipped, serving as a temporary base.

The stalls selling simple hot food wafted out an enticing aroma.

A prop merchant selling supplies is wiping his goods.

The middleman who bought the materials shrewdly scanned every passing adventurer.

There's even a mini-bar.

And several dancers dressed in sparsely made clothes, flirting with customers, and engaged in shady professions.

The air was filled with the smells of food, tobacco, alcohol, and sweat.

Adventurers roamed among them, creating a noisy yet vibrant atmosphere.

Lin Gui leaped off the back of the giant lizard that he used for transportation.

He dusted himself off, slung his heavy backpack over his shoulder, and headed straight for the makeshift bar.

"Dear guest, would you like something?"

The bartender wiped the glasses without looking up, speaking in a flat tone as if he were talking about the weather.

Lin Gui looked up at the price list, which was nothing short of robbery, and his lips twitched involuntarily.

He wanted a glass of ale to relieve his fatigue, but the price of three gold coins made him hesitate.

"A cup of... 13 silver coins' worth of water."

In the end, he reluctantly chose the most basic option.

As expected of a shop located in Augu Canyon, the prices are simply outrageous.

"Would you like to order any 'special services'?"

The bartender raised his chin, gesturing towards the group of dancers swaying gracefully.

One of them happened to blow a kiss to Lin Gui, who responded with an undisguised look of disgust.

"No...no need, thank you."

He carried the cup of crystal-clear "holy water" worth 13 silver coins.

I found the most inconspicuous corner to sit down.

The bulging backpack on his back attracted many glances from the shadows.

Before he could even settle in, a businessman with a smirk approached and sat down opposite him.

"Sir adventurer, you look travel-worn, but you've certainly made a good haul. Would you be interested in selling the 'goods' you're carrying?"

The businessman rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice.

"I guarantee that the price I offer here will be 10% higher than those unscrupulous recycling shops in the city!"

Lin Gui didn't speak, but silently took a sip of the expensive water.

Then, in front of the merchant and several people around who were listening intently, he swiftly opened his backpack.

It was stuffed full of envelopes, some yellowed and some brand new.

The merchant and those around him who were casting curious glances were instantly dumbfounded.

They originally thought it would contain priceless magical materials or rare ores.

The result... was actually letters?! And so many of them!

Upon closer inspection, aside from the letter, there were only ordinary dry rations, water bags, and other essential items for wilderness survival.

And a book whose name was not visible and a medicine bottle.

"Uh..." The merchant's smile froze. "Sir, you... you don't mean to believe me, do you?"

"Yeah, right," Lin Gui said matter-of-factly, "Is there a problem?"

"No, no problem..." The businessman smiled awkwardly.

"Then... do you have any other materials you need to sell? Anything is fine, I'll take them all!"

Lin Gui's eyes flickered slightly, as if he had remembered something.

He reached into the back of his backpack and rummaged around for a while.

He took out the few dark stones with strange patterns that he had taken from the Iron King.

The merchant excitedly approached, but after just one glance, his eyes dimmed instantly, and he lost interest.

"Ten silver coins, will you sell them?"

Lin Gui almost choked on the water, pointing at the rocks.

"Hey! Look closely! This is a treasure dropped by the legendary demon Iron King! I risked my life to get it!"

The businessman looked at Lin Gui as if he were a fool.

"Sir, this thing is everywhere in Karan City."

"Newbies who go to the Black Demon Forest to try their luck will only pick up this stuff from the sleeping king if they really can't find anything else decent."

"It's completely useless except for building walls and houses."

A life-or-death crisis?

That old man slept for half a year.

Unless you bombard it with magic, it won't even acknowledge you if you kick it; there's no danger whatsoever!

In the end, Lin Gui sold the few space-consuming stones for 12 silver coins.

After resting for a while, Lin Gui carefully sorted out the letters in his backpack.

After double-checking that nothing had been missed, he got up to leave the expensive base.

However, just as he was about to walk towards the cave entrance...

The sight of a slender figure outside the door instantly changed his mind.

He turned around abruptly and quickly pulled down the hood of his robe to cover most of his face.

He shrank back into a corner, silently praying that the other person wouldn't see him.

Who else could it be but Shia, the silver-haired, red-eyed, and breathtakingly beautiful elf standing at the door?

Xia's appearance was like a pebble thrown into a murky pond.

Instantly, ripples spread throughout this small outpost.

Those of low strength stared intently at her stunning beauty, their eyes gleaming with greed and desire.

However, upon seeing the other person's eyes, he instantly wilted and hurriedly left the base.

Some experienced and skilled adventurers, however, showed signs of wariness.

He gripped the weapon beside him tightly without making a sound, his heart filled with fear.

Ignoring the various stares from those around her, Shia looked around.

The crimson eyes precisely locked onto the corner, at the figure trying to hide himself with his robes.

He then smiled knowingly, walked over, and sat down elegantly opposite Lin Gui.

"I knew you wouldn't fall for it so easily."

She rested her chin on her hand, looking at him with a smile.

"It's truly intriguing; how did you manage to escape from such a desperate situation?"

"well......"

Lin Gui reluctantly pulled down his hood and sighed resignedly.

"I should have just gone straight through Odo Canyon instead of wasting time resting here."

How did you find me?

He took out his dry rations and began chewing them with that exorbitantly priced glass of water.

"Hmm~"

Shea blinked.

"I originally planned to wait until the demon tide subsided a bit, then see if there was a chance to go back and pick up some leftovers."

"We had just finished our ambush when we saw you sneaking out like a ghost."

"Really? What a coincidence!" Lin Gui's tone was full of suspicion.

Shea smiled and added.

"I'm just stating the facts."

"There are only three truly safe routes from the depths of the Black Magic Forest to the Aldor Canyon."

"Standing atop that big tree at the intersection, it would be impossible for me not to see you."

"So you just followed me here?" Lin Gui raised an eyebrow.

"Weren't you going to slay that legendary demon?"

"A campaign against them??" Shia chuckled in surprise, as if she had heard a funny joke.

"How could a mere extraordinary archer like me have such unrealistic thoughts? Especially on its home turf."

This is strange.

If it's not for the purpose of subjugation, then what is the purpose of gathering so many experts from the Golden Adventurer Guild?

Lin Gui's expression turned somewhat strange as he recalled yesterday's harrowing experience.

Through Xia's subsequent narration, Lin Guicai roughly understood the ins and outs of this incident.

It's not a raiding mission, but a gathering mission.

What the client needs is the extremely rare [Shadow Tree Flower] that grows on top of Morragus's head.

It is said to be the core alchemical material for formulating a certain top-grade potion.

The commissioning party is of extremely high status, originating from the current royal family.

Although the city-state era greatly weakened imperial power, the royal family that controlled the megacity of the capital still possessed considerable strength and influence.

For the lord of Karan City, the demands of the royal family members still need to be met with great effort.

The main reason is that the strength of Karan City itself is far weaker than that of the capital.

The royal family is fully capable of dispatching high-level combat forces to "supervise" the process.

Therefore, the Lord of Karan City was extremely enthusiastic about the task of collecting Shadow Tree Flowers.

They even increased the original royal reward of one million gold coins to one hundred thousand gold coins.

However, money is not the only attraction for the Golden Adventurers.

What truly drives the seven golden adventure groups to venture into perilous territory is the royal bestowal of titles.

Having a title means being able to secure a place in the royal city.

That giant city-state was hailed as the safest in the southwestern frontier of Akara.

The next Black Tide to sweep across the mainland will arrive in just six months.

There have been 20 Kuroshio Currents, but only the southwest region hasn't directly faced them...

Ten years ago, a tributary of a river caused hundreds of small city-states in the borderlands to be ravaged by demons.

Not to mention the mainstream.

No one could guarantee that their city-state would survive this catastrophe.

......

After listening to Xia's story, Lin Gui fell into deep thought.

Why would the royal family use such tempting conditions to almost slaughter the top adventurers of Karan City?

To control Kalan? But Kalan has no value; it's not even in the 3-city alliance.

Regardless, something big is definitely going to happen in Karan.

We must act swiftly and decisively.

With this in mind, Lin Gui immediately got up, intending to set off right away.

He looked at Shia, who had also stood up, and couldn't help but ask.

"...You're not planning to go back to Karan City next, are you?"

"Yes," Shia nodded matter-of-factly.

"Am I, a mere extraordinary ranger, supposed to go back and deliver snacks to that big guy?"

"I'm so charming and cute, I'm sure I'll drive him crazy. I'd better stay away."

"Then take care and don't see me off." Lin Gui immediately sat back down.

Seeing this, Xia chuckled softly and sat down gracefully again.

"Hey...you wouldn't happen to have a crush on me, would you?"

Lin Gui looked at her, his tone carrying a hint of teasing, but more so a sense of wariness.

Upon hearing this, Xia's face lit up with a smile so sweet it could make someone sick of it.

"Hmm~ Not yet~"

"However, if we spend more time together, there might actually be a tiny, albeit slight, possibility~"

"Since it's not about liking each other, we've only known each other for less than a day, and I really have something very urgent to do."

Lin Gui sighed and decided to make things clear.

"Therefore, we shall part ways here, and meet again in the world of martial arts."

"You hate me that much?"

Shea pointed to her almost perfect face, feigning surprise and hurt.

Lin Gui took a sip of cold water and asked in return.

"Let me ask you, what if an incredibly handsome guy, after a chance encounter, inexplicably keeps pestering you and following you around?"

He paused, looking at Xia's stunningly beautiful face, and added.

"And you are an ordinary freckled girl with no money, no looks, and no talent."

"Should you be happy that someone as attractive as you has a top-tier handsome guy clinging to you, or should you be wary, wondering if he has ulterior motives?"

Lin Gui's words were almost explicit, and his eyes held an undisguised scrutiny and distance.

The smile on Shia's face gradually faded.

She remained silent for a moment, then looked sincerely at Lin Gui with her eerie red eyes.

"The lie is..." she began softly.

"I want you to be my... in human terms, a 'lapdog,' to obey my every word and be at my beck and call."

"The truth is..."

A hint of loneliness flashed across her eyes, and her voice lowered.

"I feel relaxed and happy chatting with you."

"I just... simply wanted to be friends with you."

"A true friend is one who doesn't look at me with prejudice."

"With your strength and looks, I think many people would be willing to be your friend," Lin Gui said.

"Yeah?"

Shea tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping over the surrounding eyes that were filled with greed, fear, or wariness.

"My natural vertical pupils and red eyes, I think you probably already guessed it. That's right, I'm not a pure-blooded elf."

Her voice was calm, but carried a slight, almost imperceptible tremor.

"I am half-demon and half-elf, at the very bottom of the discrimination hierarchy in the entire continent of Akara."

She raised her eyes and carefully observed Lin Gui's reaction.

She has seen too many eyes since she began wandering in the Elf Forest.

Fear, hatred, greed, lust, and aversion to it all...

Only this man before her showed her, for the first time, an expression of equality in his eyes.

In their previous conversations, she could sense that he genuinely didn't care about her half-demon identity.

At this moment, she took the initiative to bring it up, wanting to see his reaction after learning the truth.

Then, as expected, she saw an even stronger sense of disgust in Lin Gui's eyes.

A sense of "it's really troublesome" with disdain.

For some reason, the corners of Xia's mouth curled up slightly.

She thoroughly enjoyed being treated "normally".

Because of these eyes, I was considered an outsider and a stain, and the elves banished me from the Elf Forest.

"Humans see me as a jinx and a symbol of misfortune. Wherever bad things happen, I'm always the first one to be blamed."

She spoke in a calm tone, as if she were talking about someone else's story.

"Nobody wants to be my friend. I've been wandering alone for 25 years... I really don't want to be alone anymore."

She reached out her slender, fair hand slightly toward Lin Gui, her eyes filled with a cautious anticipation.

But his tone deliberately carried a hint of irony, attempting to dilute the heaviness:

"So...would you like to be my first friend?"

"You know, the first time is always memorable. There's a good chance you'll become my lover!"

Lin Gui looked at her outstretched hand and remained silent for a moment.

He, too, longed for a friend.

I have been struggling alone in this broken world for more than 10 years, and all the people I see are despicable.

All the decent people I met were...

And that person who could barely be considered a friend... I guess...

Shea, that reason is clearly absurd.

I like to talk to myself, so I keep bothering myself.

Because I don't want to be seen as an outsider, I want to make friends.

But Lin Gui believed it, because he was also an outcast in the New Testament City Adventurers' Guild.

But he still refused Shea's request.

"Sorry, no."

"Is it because of my identity?" Shia pressed, her eyes dimming for a moment.

"No," Lin Gui answered decisively.

"Because I'm leaving Karan tomorrow."

"I don't mind!"

Shia leaned out, her eyes filled with anticipation and nervousness.

"If you're willing, we can be friends who chat, visit each other, take on assignments together, and talk about anything and everything on the road!"

"Uh..." Lin Gui leaned back subconsciously. "I won't be staying for more than two days, and I don't have the time or energy to do this with you."

"It's okay!! It's okay!!! I really am." Shia said excitedly, unsure of what to do with her hands. "I just want... someone to talk to."

Staring at Xia with dead fish eyes, Lin Gui felt that the other party must be driven mad by loneliness.

Lin Gui extended his hand to Xia and said calmly.

"Just a friend, don't expect anything from me. If we ever encounter any real danger, I might betray you first, if you can accept that."

Being a half-demon will inevitably bring trouble, so Lin Gui needs to take precautions in advance.

With her hands clasped tightly, Shia smiled brightly.

"I look forward to the day you betray me."