Lin Gui steered the raft slowly through the layer of light serving as the entrance, and his vision suddenly opened up.
He did not linger, immediately guiding the raft to hug the jagged dome above.
He floated toward a hidden, natural crevice formed by massive stalactites on one side.
Only after cautiously concealing the raft and the wooden boxes within it could the three of them finally catch their breath.
They carefully studied this so-called "ruin" hidden in the deepest reaches of the rift.
The sight before them was entirely different from the glorious ancient cities or mysterious halls they had imagined.
Nearly a hundred meters below the stalactites where they were hiding was an unimaginably vast underground space.
Within this space stood countless massive... trapezoidal tombs, packed densely together.
These tombs were constructed from enormous blocks of black rock.
Each one was as huge as a small mountain, arranged in neat rows and radiating an ancient, heavy desolation that felt as though it had lasted for eons.
This... this wasn't some ancient ruin at all!
It was a mausoleum complex of a terrifying scale!
Based on its sheer size, the area occupied by this tomb complex appeared to be almost half the size of Caran City!
Both Elvia and Theia were stunned into silence by the magnificent yet eerie sight.
“Wait,” Elvia was the first to regain her composure, lowering her voice.
“Where is this light coming from?”
Lin Gui pointed toward the dome and the high, towering cliff walls.
Countless stones the size of fists were embedded there, emitting a soft radiance.
“Those are magic glowstones.”
“It’s a special type of ore that can automatically absorb surrounding mana and convert it into light.”
“Ohhh~~” Theia’s eyes sparkled slightly as if she had remembered something.
“I recall those nobles boasting about their incredibly expensive night-pearls; aren’t those made from this too?”
Elvia cut off the elf’s rising greed, reminding her, “The raw stones themselves aren't worth much.”
“What’s truly expensive are high-end lamps carefully carved from them by master artisans.”
“If it’s just the raw stone, you could buy a large basket for a single gold coin.”
The light in Theia’s eyes instantly dimmed.
“Don’t worry about that for now.” Lin Gui turned his gaze toward the vast tomb complex below.
“Do you see any sign of the Holy Knight order?”
At this height, only Theia, with her Transcendent eyesight, could barely capture details on the ground.
Theia’s emerald eyes were like the most precise eagle eyes.
She slowly scanned the massive trapezoidal tombs and the wide corridors between them.
A moment later, she shook her head.
“This place is too big, the tomb complex is structurally complex, and my line of sight is obstructed. We need to move and find a different angle.”
Lin Gui understood. He pulled out his oak staff and was the first to straddle it.
Seeing this, Elvia felt a surge of curiosity.
She remembered seeing witches and mages in the Magic City flying freely through the sky on brooms or staffs.
Just as she was about to move closer, a slender but powerful hand pressed down on her shoulder.
Turning her head, she saw Theia giving her a "kind" smile.
“You sit in the back. That spot is mine.”
Ignoring Elvia’s bewildered expression, Theia jumped onto the staff first, her hands naturally wrapping around Lin Gui’s waist.
Then she turned back and tilted her chin up proudly at Elvia, making the face of a victor.
Elvia instantly understood and laughed a few times with a hint of teasing.
“How old are you, really? You're acting like a little girl fighting over candy.”
Theia snorted coldly, her silver hair fluttering in the dim light.
“Elves have long lifespans. My current age, when converted to human terms, makes me a beautiful and charming eighteen-year-old girl!”
Elvia smiled and stopped arguing. She nimbly straddled the staff behind Theia.
She reached out and put her arms around the elf’s slender and soft waist.
She leaned in close to the elf’s pointed ear and whispered in a seductive voice, “I’m twenty-seven this year; by human standards, shouldn't you be calling me Big Sister Elvia?”
Theia’s ears instantly turned bright red, and a faint flush spread down to her neck.
“You... what kind of nonsense are you talking about! Who would ever call you big sister?!”
She was like a cat whose tail had been stepped on, nearly jumping off the staff.
Fortunately, Lin Gui reached back just in time and held her steady.
Feeling the subtle "war" and the swaying behind him, Lin Gui sighed helplessly.
“Hold on tight, we’re descending.”
“Theia, focus. Find the Holy Knight order's location quickly.”
Theia took a deep breath to suppress the heat on her face and concentrated again.
Her emerald eyes continuously scanned every corner of the massive, ruined tomb complex as the staff floated downward.
Finally, she found her target in front of the most grand and massive tomb at the very center of the complex.
“There!” she whispered to guide them.
Lin Gui controlled the staff, hovering silently atop a towering stone pillar.
Following the direction Theia pointed, he looked down.
At the base of the massive steps leading up into the central tomb, ten knights in shining armor with powerful auras were gathered together, seemingly discussing something.
The leader was exceptionally burly.
Even from a great distance, one could feel a pressure as heavy as a mountain emanating from him.
It was the Mid-tier Legendary Holy Knight, John.
Not far from John’s side, Lin Gui and the other two saw their target for this mission.
Rona.
She looked a bit disheveled.
Her leather armor was covered in dust, and her face was pale.
Her entire body was pierced with steel needles, and she was being guarded by a knight.
Even more heart-wrenching was the fact that a blood-stained girl, whose breath was faint and who was clearly dying, lay at Rona’s feet.
Theia’s pupils contracted slightly.
“That’s the Dreamweaver party’s scout, Linno... she might be the missing member Luo Youyou mentioned.”
Elvia spoke in a low voice.
“It seems she had bad luck while scouting and was caught by that madman Gorn.”
“Under torture, she must have revealed the truth about Rona and this ruin.”
“That’s why they entered this place.”
Elvia looked at Lin Gui.
“What do we do now? Don't tell me you really plan to charge down there and run away with Rona?”
“At this distance, it’s impossible for your concealment magic to go unnoticed by a Mid-tier Legendary knight.”
“There are only a few steps between Rona and John, and Gorn is right there too.”
“It would naturally be impossible to go unnoticed,” Lin Gui said firmly, his eyes still fixed on the scene below.
“Unless... I could immediately break through to a Mid-tier High Rank Mage and pull the proficiency of Shroud of the Gloomy Night to the maximum.”
“What???” Elvia nearly bit her tongue.
“And how exactly are you going to break through? Now? Here?”
Lin Gui didn't speak. He silently pulled an ordinary-looking letter from his robe.
He asked in his mind, System, how is the sign-off of a letter determined? If I control the letter and have it float to Rona from a distance, does that count as a completed delivery?
【Ding! The recipient themselves must confirm the "sign-off" either verbally or with a clear intent.】
【Physical contact alone does not meet the criteria.】
Meaning, just having the letter touch her isn't enough?
【Correct.】
...Fine.
Lin Gui sighed inwardly and tucked the letter back into his robe.
It seemed they could only wait for an opportunity.
An opportunity that would allow Rona to "sign for" the letter and allow them to escape safely.
Lin Gui’s gaze moved toward the entrance of the massive mausoleum.
Rate on N.U.
