This flying vessel test was constantly extended as the dwarves scrambled to get on board.
Thanks to the dwarves' short yet heavy stature, Lin Gui's experience in maneuvering under a multi-person load accumulated rapidly.
It was just a bit "hard on the dwarves."
Lin Gui himself had lost count of how many dwarves had been flung out during high-speed turns.
Under a normal three-person occupancy, it wouldn't have come to that.
But the behavior of those first two dwarves had completely inflamed the eyes of their kinsmen.
This led to more and more dwarves jumping onto the vessel, resulting in a severe overload.
This frantic aerial game didn't stop until Lin Gui's mana was nearly exhausted.
The levitation of the flying vessel relied entirely on his Levitation spell for support.
The wind pressure cannon, on the other hand, was powered by pre-installed magic crystals.
When the test concluded, Lin Gui was extremely satisfied with the flying vessel.
It was almost custom-made for him.
Under the wistful gazes of the dwarves,
Lin Gui piloted the flying vessel alone, slowly drifting back to Balin's forging workshop.
Inside the workshop, Theia's eyes shone with a lingering excitement.
Grom clucked his tongue in wonder, shaking his head and sighing with admiration.
Balin smiled at Lin Gui and said,
"I reckon in the entire Akara Continent, you're the only one who can handle this thing."
Lin Gui returned the smile.
"And only a master artisan like you could create such a masterpiece."
Balin waved it off, his expression slightly peculiar.
"No, if anyone asks who built this..."
"You'd best not say it was me."
Lin Gui was puzzled. "Why?"
Grom burst into a loud laugh beside him.
"Because this thing is basically a walking coffin lid for the wilderness!"
"No concealment runes, no defensive armor."
"If any expert sees it..."
He winked. "They'll definitely wonder if the artisan has a grudge against you and designed this thing to do you in."
"A coffin lid?" Theia immediately followed up when she heard there was a catch.
After understanding the reason, she let out a sigh of relief.
"With Lin Gui around, what do we need concealment runes for?"
Her reaction was noted by Grom and Balin.
The two dwarves shared an odd look.
With Lin Gui there, concealment runes aren't needed?
The two of them then looked at Lin Gui again.
Yes, a very standard High-tier High Rank mage.
With this level of strength... could he cast concealment magic that rivaled concealment runes?
Concealment runes were the most critical part of vehicles traversing the wilderness.
They were extremely expensive and their concealment capability was incredibly potent, even having a record of being able to fool a Low-tier Legendary demon.
What ability could this little High Rank mage have that could compare to such a top-tier dwarven creation?
Could he be carrying a concealment divine artifact?
But the only one with a concealment function, the Veil of Eternal Silence, was supposedly in the hands of the Arcane Brotherhood.
The doubts in their hearts deepened, yet neither spoke up.
Grom patted the hull of the flying vessel and said to Lin Gui:
"Alright, it seems you're satisfied."
"Then let's finish the final step."
"Give your flying vessel a name."
Lin Gui thought for a moment, the corners of his mouth curling up.
"Let's call it the '7-Copper Post Office Exclusive Express Flying Vessel'."
As for why it was "Express" instead of "Letter Delivery"...
Hadn't he come all this way to "deliver" an elf?
You had to remember that not long ago, Lin Gui had even "delivered" a skeleton.
The welding torch in Balin's hand paused for a beat.
"...Isn't that name a bit... too plain?"
"Are you sure?"
Lin Gui asked back curiously:
"What's the name of the North Wind transport vehicle, the Wheelless Train?"
Balin's expression became even more peculiar.
"It's called 'Ullr'—after the god of winter hunting worshipped by the northern city-states."
He looked at the small flying vessel before him.
"Even though I'm reluctant to admit I built it..."
"Isn't this name too hasty?"
Lin Gui smiled.
"Let's go with this."
"Maybe it'll serve as a good advertisement for me when I fly past other city-states."
Seeing his insistence, Balin stopped trying to persuade him.
After repeatedly urging him to "absolutely never say I built it,"
He raised the welding torch and neatly branded the hull on both sides:
【7-Copper Post Office Exclusive Express Flying Vessel】.
The vehicle was officially complete.
It was also time to set off for the Wall of Sighs.
When Lin Gui proposed to leave Shield City,
Grom began to ponder deeply again, racking his brain for reasons to make them stay.
Balin, however, was much more direct.
He looked at Lin Gui, his tone solemn:
"Sorry, lad."
"If you were going anywhere else, I wouldn't stop you."
"But for the Wall of Sighs—I cannot let you go."
Grom looked at him in shock.
"Boss, you're just going to say it like that?"
Balin gave him a speechless glance.
"What's so hard to say?"
"We're doing this for his own good. We're acting honorably, so why hide it?"
Balin's interference was within Lin Gui's expectations.
And Theia had already learned from Lin Gui that
because of Copperhammer's request, the dwarves wanted to keep them there.
Recalling this past week that felt like a dream,
Theia actually had a faint hope deep in her heart that the dwarves would succeed.
There was no discrimination against half-demons here.
She could walk freely without having to hide.
There was no expulsion and no slander.
But she knew this was not a long-term solution.
Shield City was the most important defensive city-state on the western side.
Even if the Fortress Lord and other high-ranking officials allowed it, the Central City-States would never allow a half-demon to stay for long.
Even Copperhammer, who was once a member of the Heroic Clan, had eventually chosen to leave, hadn't he?
Lin Gui let out a soft sigh and looked at Balin:
"I am grateful for everyone's hospitality these past few days."
"But for the sake of my companion, I must go to Avalon."
Balin pointed unyieldingly at Theia.
"Then why not go to a remote city-state? Like Caran?"
"Why must you go to a place that might not even exist?"
Lin Gui's tone was calm:
"Theia lived in Caran for seven years."
Grom was puzzled.
"Then why leave?"
Lin Gui replied.
"The City Lord of Caran at the time used a baseless crime to coerce her—"
"Forcing her to hunt a Legendary demon to obtain an Umbral Tree Flower."
"I saved her, but she also no longer had a place there."
In fact, the current Caran City had undergone reforms.
It could already accommodate half-demons like Theia.
But Lin Gui would not do that.
It was not just for the "reward."
It was more because he did not want to drag Theia into his revenge.
From the moment he handed the Heavenly Star Registry to Elvia,
Caran City had already become a part of his revenge plan.
In the eyes of the Alliance now, a city-state reformed through the Heavenly Star Registry was far more intolerable than a half-demon.
Caran's visible prosperity was a prosperity sitting atop a powder keg.
Lin Gui knew full well the potential for immense danger, yet he still pushed the citizens of Caran onto
this high-speed train that could crash at any moment.
But this time, regardless of whether it ultimately crashed or not, Lin Gui would be with it.
Living together, or sinking forever.
Lin Gui sat into the flying vessel.
Theia stepped aboard in one movement and sat behind him.
She looked back at this city within the mountain, her eyes filled with reluctance.
Lin Gui gripped the steering wheel with both hands, but suddenly looked back at Balin and Grom.
"Aren't you... going to use force to stop us?"
Balin grinned, revealing a mouthful of white teeth.
"There's no need to stop you."
He even walked to the workshop door and made an exaggerated "after you" gesture as he opened the iron gates.
He was imitating the posture of human nobles, but it was tinged with dwarven-style rugged mockery.
Lin Gui's eyes narrowed slightly.
Without another word, he powered the flying vessel forward.
Grom watched the vessel disappear at the end of the passage and asked anxiously:
"Boss! You're just letting him go like that?!"
Balin chuckled and patted his shoulder.
"Don't worry."
"I activated that thing ahead of time."
"As long as that lad is still inside Shield City—"
"He can't get out."
Grom was stunned for a moment, then his eyes widened in shock.
"You mean... 'that thing'?!"
"But didn't the Alliance stipulate that it can only be activated if a deep-sea demon lord attacks?"
"They even installed detectors that sense Epic demons to prevent us from faking it!"
Balin gave him a speechless look.
"Are you missing a few gears in your head?"
"Just toss the demon cores from those four Epic demon corpses we have in stock"
"onto the sensors and we're good, right?"
Grom was still a bit hesitant.
"But activating that thing... isn't the cost too high..."
Balin smacked the back of his head.
"The Central City-States are reimbursing the costs anyway!"
"Why the hell are you feeling bad for them?"
Grom opened his mouth, left utterly speechless.
Rate on N.U.
