Chat group, if you have anything to say to my Holy Sword,

Xiling maintained a precise distance from the four people in front of her—neither entering their tense detection range nor being able to clearly sense their presence and direction.

Xiling didn't intend to approach them; he simply wanted to go where there were more people. As for why he was following these people...

Just as the group was about to completely escape the edge of the forest, trouble struck unexpectedly.

"Ouch——!"

The low howls of wolves rose and fell, and a dozen pairs of eerie green lights flickered like will-o'-the-wisps in the bushes. The air was thick with the stench of wild beasts. A pack of shadow wolves, with hair as sharp as steel needles and bared fangs, silently surrounded them; they were among the most cunning and ferocious predators on the edge of the forest.

The group didn't say anything, but silently drew their weapons, preparing for battle.

However, something strange happened.

As soon as the encirclement was formed, the wolves that were poised to pounce suddenly froze, their eerie green eyes instantly filled with an indescribable, primal fear!

They emitted unintelligible whimpers, their tails were tightly tucked between their thighs, and their limbs trembled uncontrollably.

The next second, as if receiving a silent order to retreat, the entire wolf pack erupted into chaos without the slightest hesitation!

Ignoring their prey so close at hand, they turned around in terror and dashed into the dark depths of the forest at an even faster pace than they had come, leaving behind only a trail of panicked trampling and a faint smell of urine.

The whole process takes no more than three seconds.

The four remained in their fighting stances, looking at each other with expressions of astonishment and confusion.

What about the battle we envisioned?

"Wha...what's going on? Aaron?" A girl who looked like a magician gripped her staff tightly, warily scanning her surroundings, and asked the leading man in a low voice.

Aaron didn't answer immediately. He frowned and looked towards the back of the group—he had sensed something or someone behind him just now, and that feeling... seemed to be from the same source as the massive aura that had erupted in the center of the forest earlier, but now he couldn't sense anything.

"Captain?" The others followed Aaron's gaze.

However, all they could see was an impenetrable darkness and the rustling of leaves in the wind.

I can't see anything, and I can't feel anything.

The heavy silence lasted for a long time.

"...Let's go." Finally, Aaron uttered two words in a deep voice, turned around decisively, and the most important thing now was to get to Calso as soon as possible!

The other three exchanged a doubtful glance, suppressed their unease, and quickly followed.

Behind them, in the shadows of the seemingly deserted forest that Aaron had gazed upon.

Xiling's figure had vanished without a trace, as if she had never existed.

Almost at the same time, on a higher elevation, atop a boulder with a wide view at the edge of the forest.

Xiling appeared silently, and her vision suddenly opened up.

The giant tree that had been blocking his view vanished without a trace, and the world unfolded before Xiling's eyes in an unreserved way.

The city of Carso.

This magnificent city, dazzling in the night, is enough to satisfy any of the most splendid fantasies about a fantasy world.

In the very heart of the city, a huge, sharply defined, azure crystal floats, silently rotating and radiating a soft yet vast, magical glow.

In Xiling's perception, this immense magical power was like a living network of blood vessels—precisely connecting every part of the city.

Above the city, lithe figures darted through the night sky—those were the griffin riders patrolling in the air.

Knights also patrolled the streets below the city.

Looking at the magnificent city in the distance, even Xiling couldn't help but exclaim in admiration.

"Holy crap, awesome!"

Unfortunately, I'm uncultured, so I just use the phrase "fuck" to get by.

Just as Xiling was about to go into the city to take a look.

A sudden change occurred!

The city, silent in the night, came to life.

In the sky, several squads of griffin riders from different directions turned almost simultaneously, their griffins letting out loud shrieks and assuming clear battle stances! With a sudden flap of their wings, they swooped down like arrows, hurtling towards an area below the city!

On the ground, the armored knights who had been patrolling regularly quickly dispersed, forming several lines of defense that surrounded the same central point.

One second it was an amazing urban spectacle, the next it turned into a scene of efficient military encirclement.

This abrupt change caused Xiling to stop in her tracks.

"What's going on?"

Just then, another unexpected event occurred!

A slender figure draped in a sky-blue cloak soared into the sky from the chaotic street below, like a bird breaking free from its restraints! Her movements were far faster than those of ordinary people, with an ethereal grace. She used several footholds to step onto the vertical building walls, and finally landed lightly on the top of a tall mechanical clock tower with its hands slowly turning.

However, her breakout immediately attracted an even more intense encirclement and suppression!

Several griffin riders, riding their mounts, arrived suddenly, taking advantage of their aerial superiority, and blocked the airspace above the clock tower from different directions.

More armored knights displayed remarkable skills, leaping onto nearby rooftops to form a crisscrossing, three-dimensional encirclement, trapping the blue-cloaked figure atop the clock tower!

"I can hear you."

After slightly enhancing his abilities, the conversation atop the tower, which was over ten kilometers high, reached Xiling's ears clearly.

The lead griffin rider's voice was loud and stern, cutting through the wind: "Unidentified person below! You do not possess a pass to enter the city of Kalso, which constitutes illegal trespassing and a violation of city law! Cease resistance immediately and disarm! Repeat, cease resistance immediately! The situation is not yet beyond repair!"

The blue-cloaked figure trapped atop the tower spoke through a clear, yet distinctly helpless and slightly irritated, female voice: "Oh dear! Brother knights, can't you be reasonable? I didn't mean to barge in! There was a teleportation error, the coordinates were off by a tiny bit! I'll leave right now, immediately! Just pretend you didn't see me, okay? I promise I'll never come back!" The female voice tried to be ingratiating, but it clearly had no effect.

The griffin rider remained unmoved, his voice resolute: "Rules are rules. Surrender immediately! Once we verify your identity, if you have no other criminal record, according to the law, your detention time will not exceed forty-eight hours."

"Tsk!" The girl in the blue cloak clicked her tongue clearly, her annoyance reaching its peak. "What a pain! These stubborn stone knights... I don't have time to play a two-day trip to the detention center with you! Let's get out of here!"

The guards seemed to sense something and immediately became alert.

The next moment!

Boom! A blinding blue-purple bolt of lightning exploded from the top of the clock tower! The figure of the girl in the blue cloak seemed to vanish into thin air, leaving only a ring of leaping arcs of electricity and a deafening thunderclap! She transformed into a lightning serpent tearing through the night sky, shooting towards the edge of the forest outside the city, far from the city center and in the direction of Xiling, at a terrifying speed almost imperceptible to the naked eye!

"Intercept!" The griffin rider's roar echoed through the sky.

The griffin riders reacted with lightning speed! Almost the instant the lightning flashed, the griffins beneath them let out a loud battle roar, their broad wings flapping violently! This was not a simple physical flapping, but rather the activation of powerful wind elemental forces!

The gale was no longer an obstacle; instead, it transformed into an invisible propulsive force, wrapping around the griffin and the knight and providing them with an astonishing burst of acceleration! They kept a tight grip on the streak of lightning!

Xiling stood on a rock high on the edge of the city, watching the chase unfold.

The bolt of lightning and the relentless, whirlwind-swept griffin riders approached him at an incredible speed.

However, Xiling showed no intention of moving or hiding.

In the blink of an eye!

Sizzle! Boom!

A violent bolt of lightning, carrying the girl's figure and whistling through the air, swept past almost touching the edge of the rock where Xiling stood—maybe only four or five meters away from him!

The griffin riders following closely behind rode the gale and swept past him at close range!

But neither the lightning girl fleeing for her life nor the griffin rider squad focused on the pursuit did a single person or griffin turn their gaze toward Xiling on the rock; their senses seemed to be completely blocked by an invisible barrier.

To them, Xiling's existence was like air, like background noise.

Several streaks of light vanished in an instant, rushing into the darkness at the edge of the forest, leaving only scorched marks on the ground carved by lightning and withered branches and leaves swirling in place, whipped up by the gale.

Xiling raised her hand and touched her chin, a thoughtful light flashing in her eyes.

"So... this city has a magic detection barrier covering the entire area? Without that pass as an identifier to enter the city, you'll be identified and located immediately? The detection accuracy and reaction speed... that's pretty impressive."

Although Xiling felt he could block out a certain type of detection, he thought it best to observe first and wait until tomorrow.

As for what he saw tonight... well, the guards have gone to do their duty, and hopefully they can bring that... teleportation malfunctioning visitor to justice.

"Free and easy for him? Of course, he'll find a place to wait until tomorrow."

......

morning

Xiling stood beneath the towering city gate archway, which required looking up to see, holding a thin, faintly glowing card in her hand, her expression unusually subtle.

As Xiling entered the city, she looked at the bustling streets and then at the gate.

"What's going on? Is it really that simple?"

Xiling couldn't help but mutter a complaint under her breath.

......

Early in the morning, Xiling saw some merchants driving cars—yes, they were driving cars!—with their goods parked on a specially designated passageway on one side of the city gate.

The caravan leader walked familiarly to a small hall with a crystal window next to the city gate, handed over several documents, and the staff inside quickly checked them. A few seconds later, several cards shimmering with light were handed out.

The merchants accepted the cards, and the group then entered the city without hindrance.

Xiling's inner thoughts at that moment: "..." That's it?

With the mindset that "it won't hurt to give it a try," Xiling also walked towards the window where she could apply for a pass.

The result went smoothly.

Xiling looked at the pass in his hand, then looked up at the people queuing outside, and then thought of the aerial chase last night... The huge contrast left him speechless for a moment.

Xiling walked down the street, looking at the pass in her hand—or rather, a temporary pass, which had a time limit.

Xiling could sense that this small card contained a certain power. Although it was small, it was very strong, though Xiling couldn't quite put her finger on how strong it was.

Xiling thought about the form she had filled out. It was less of an application form and more of a guarantee or... a contract statement?

The card in your hand is the item for a successful contract.

Xiling was becoming increasingly curious about what kind of world this was.

The streets appear softer during the day, with stable and ample light.

In the air, small aircraft and domesticated flying creatures traverse specific routes.

Various sounds drifted through the air: the cries of vendors, the sounds of bargaining, the clanging of the blacksmith's shop, the harp music of the bard, and the faint popping sounds from the distant magic training ground.

Xiling walked and looked around, her gaze filled with pure curiosity.

Xiling was quite interested in the shops that sold magical items, alchemical potions, and monster materials, but what he needed more at the moment was information.

"I wonder if libraries even exist in this world... Hmm... My gut feeling tells me they do, but I'd better ask someone who seems knowledgeable. It would be even better if I could get some information from them." Xiling thought to herself, her eyes scanning the crowd.

Soon, a figure caught his attention.

Not far ahead, a man in a black robe was walking slowly with his back to him. He wore a wide-brimmed, pointed magic hat and walked with a leisurely pace, which was completely different from the hurried merchants and tourists around him.

"He looks like an intellectual, he's the one!" Without hesitation, Xiling took a few steps forward and spoke from a short distance behind the man, her voice not loud but clear enough to penetrate the background noise of the street: "Friend, can I ask you something?"

The man walking ahead paused. As if he hadn't expected anyone to call out to him in this place, he stopped, but didn't turn around immediately.

Xiling took a step closer, adding with a hint of apology for disturbing others, "Excuse me, I wanted to ask, do you know where the library is?"

At this moment, the man in front slowly spoke, with a strange and inquisitive tone: "Are you calling me?" He seemed to be confirming an extremely rare situation.

Xiling was taken aback by his question. "What kind of question is that? Who else could I be calling but you?"

Xiling muttered to herself, but maintained a polite and affirmative expression, after all, she needed his help: "Yes, I was indeed calling you."

"Ah……"

A soft laugh came from under the magic hat, carrying a sense of pleasure.

"Interesting," the man muttered to himself, his tone full of curiosity.

Then, he finally turned around slowly. It was a handsome face with deep and defined features, and a playful smile was slightly curled at the corner of his lips.

The man wore a monocle over his right eye, and at that moment he was staring at Xiling with undisguised interest and curiosity.

The man's gaze lingered on Xiling for a moment, then his smile deepened slightly. He bowed slightly, his movements elegant and fluid, like a gentleman: "Of course. Is there anything I can help you with, my friend?"

Xiling felt there was something strange about the way the other person was looking at her, but since they were being so polite, she figured it was probably nothing. Xiling reiterated her purpose: "Excuse me, do you know where the library is?"

The man stood up straight again, his smile still on his face. "Of course, very few people don't know about the library in Calso."