Lin Gui remained in a half-crouch within the damp, shaded hollow in the grass.
His gaze, sharp as a blade’s edge, cut through the shadows of the demons wandering outside the hole.
He cast a glance back at the white-haired, red-eyed elf inside the hollow, his vigilance not relaxing even a fraction.
“My name is Theia Windrunner, and I am a Transcendent Elven Ranger.”
Cradling a longbow etched with flowing silver runes, she tilted her head to meet Lin Gui’s intense stare.
To her surprise, she saw only caution and... was that disdain?
Blinking her eyes, Theia felt somewhat taken aback; this was the first time she had ever encountered such a flat look.
Staring back at him intently once more, Theia attempted to discern some other emotion.
The man’s black eyes held only wariness, and nothing else...
She trusted her own eyes.
Her long ears pricked up, and Theia’s lips curled into a mischievous arc.
“My handsome human brother, what should I call you?”
The silhouette of pointed ears was faintly visible between her silver-white hair strands.
With her crimson eyes swirling with an eerie light, she truly did resemble a white-haired succubus of legend.
Lin Gui furrowed his brow.
The elven race had always been aloof and xenophobic, particularly loathing humans.
This one was actively striking up a conversation; was she some kind of mutant variant?
“Demons are still active outside; don't make any noise. If we attract even one, this hiding spot is finished.”
“Don't worry~”
Theia lightly tapped the corner of her eye, brimming with confidence.
“Thirty-seven degrees northeast, three kilometers away, there’s a single Behemoth Demon just wandering around.”
“At this distance, with its stupid head and pathetic ears, it can't hear us at all~”
“How can you be sure?” Lin Gui remained wary.
“Don't underestimate the strength of a Transcendent elf, little mage.” She smiled like a smug cat.
“I didn't just see it; I also saw clearly that it was carrying... half a human head in its mouth.”
“Sigh, what a poor little girl, fed to a demon at such a young age.”
Her tone was light, as if she were discussing an insignificant trifle.
“The staff she dropped looked like a good item, though... How about we find a chance to sneak over and grab it to trade for some money?”
“I knew it.” Lin Gui stood up. “I’m leaving.”
“Hey, wait!” Theia hurried to call out to him.
“Being alone with a beautiful elven maiden who could shame the flowers and hide the moon is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, you know? If you leave just like that, my maiden’s heart will shatter into pieces~”
Lin Gui looked back, his dull eyes showing no reaction.
Should she have this kind of attitude toward a human, especially one who had intruded upon her own hiding place?
“Speak plainly. What is your actual goal?”
“Oh~ Are we going straight to the point like that?” She tilted her head, her silver hair cascading down like a waterfall.
“Beautiful girls prefer a bit of subtlety...”
“Then I’m leaving.”
“Wait!” The corner of Theia’s eye twitched almost imperceptibly.
“Cough... You aren't an adventurer from Caran City, are you?”
“I’m from New Covenant City.”
“Oh~ that tiny place nearby.” She drawled, a glint flashing in the depths of her eyes.
“Then where are your teammates?”
“I am a wandering mage; I work alone.”
“Temporary teammates?”
“It’s just me.”
Theia’s gaze suddenly sharpened, re-evaluating him as if scrutinizing prey.
In her perception, the other’s mana fluctuations definitely did not exceed the Transcendent Rank.
With just this level of strength, he dared to venture into the Black Demon Forest alone?
“It seems... you aren't as simple as you look on the surface.”
“That’s personal.” Lin Gui’s tone was flat. “It’s your turn. What’s your goal?”
Theia instead answered with a question: “Do you know why a total of ten Gold Rank adventure groups have gathered near here?”
“How much is the pay?”
“Cough!” Theia nearly choked.
While adventurers certainly worked for money, this man was far too realistic.
She extended a slender, fair finger, her smile like a blooming flower: “This much.”
“Ten million gold coins?”
“Ugh.” Her straight finger stiffened slightly, and her lips twitched.
Ten million? You couldn't scrape that amount together even if you ransacked the City Lord’s entire fortune.
“...Remove a zero.”
Lin Gui’s brow twitched slightly.
A million gold coins was indeed a massive sum that a Transcendent adventurer might never earn in a lifetime.
“So, you want to find me for a temporary team?”
“Exactly~”
“Where are your teammates? All fed to demons?”
Theia was silent for a moment, the smile still hanging on her face as she quietly watched him.
After a good while, she finally spoke softly, her tone a bit cooler.
“I don't have any teammates. Just like you... I’m a wandering ranger.”
Lin Gui believed her.
The reason was simple.
He sensed an extremely faint trace of demon energy from her.
In this world, the Demon Race was an absolute symbol of evil.
Even though the 《City-State Alliance Treaty》 from twenty-five years ago had separated half-demons from the "pureblood demon" category...
It was still difficult to reverse the deep-seated discrimination of the world.
“So, what do you think? Teaming up with a peerless, beautiful girl is an opportunity that can be sought but not found~”
“Don't you humans have a saying? Romance always begins with being teammates.”
“As long as you team up with me, the chances of me falling in love with you will skyrocket!”
“Having an elven wife—imagine how much face that would give you when you go out~”
Seeing that her words were getting more and more out of hand, Lin Gui quickly interrupted: “Tell me the commission details first.”
“To go pluck the hair of a Legendary demon...”
“I’m out!” The moment he heard the word "Legendary," Lin Gui’s face turned completely dark.
The Akara Continent was a high-magic Western fantasy world.
Top-tier powerhouses were beings truly capable of taking on ten thousand alone, splitting mountains, and parting seas.
The Legendary rank was a title that inspired trembling wherever it was mentioned.
Low Rank, Mid Rank, High Rank, Transcendent, Legendary, Epic, Demigod.
In the strength ratings of ordinary demons, the "Transcendent" level was often called the "Hero Rank."
This was because demons who stepped into the Hero Rank usually possessed some level of sapience.
Subjugating a Legendary demon?
Come back to him about a subjugation when you could gather ten High-tier Transcendent adventurers.
Without another word, he crawled out of the grass hollow, but he hadn't expected Theia to follow him out.
“I’ve already refused. Why are you still following me?”
“That’s a million gold coins! Won't you think about it again?”
“With that money, you can live it up, find beautiful women from every race to accompany you for drinks, and marry a bunch of wives to live in a drunken dream...”
“Assuming I’m alive to spend it.”
Lin Gui pushed aside the thorns blocking his path, not looking back.
“Besides, for an elf, talk of money and beautiful women is constantly on your lips. That’s not very elven, you know?”
The two of them plunged into a patch of tall grass when Lin Gui suddenly held his breath.
Theia also fell silent instantly, crouching low in a synchronized movement.
They saw an imp with a hunched back, its hideous head swaying as it shambled past just a few paces away.
Only after the imp disappeared from the end of their vision did Theia stand up first, retorting indignantly:
“That’s racial discrimination! What’s wrong with elves? Elves can't love money? We can't eat meat in big gulps? We can't tell jokes?”
“Having drifted through various city-states for so many years, I’ve long since understood that money is far more reliable than some illusory faith in a Goddess!”
“That’s true enough.” Lin Gui nodded instinctively before coming to his senses.
“Wait, why am I even talking about this with you? Go away; I’ve already refused you! No matter how extravagantly you talk, it’s absolutely impossible for me to...”
Before he could finish his sentence, Theia’s gaze suddenly turned sharp.
She grabbed Lin Gui by the back of his collar and leaped onto the branch of a nearby tall tree!
“Silence of Lucienne, let the breath of wind end here...”
Almost simultaneously, Lin Gui tapped his staff lightly.
A layer of extremely faint emerald-colored veil flowed silently, completely cloaking their scent and forms.
Theia glanced at him with some surprise.
She hadn't expected his reaction to be so fast; his speed in casting this High Rank Silence spell was not even inferior to a Transcendent mage.
A five-second chanting time—it seemed he was a mage specializing in wind-element magic.
“Can you see what’s coming?” Lin Gui asked in a low voice.
Theia stood up, a light flowing within her crimson eyes like the reflection of a blood moon.
She raised her hand and pointed toward the southeast, her speech fast and clear:
“In this direction, three kilometers away, two Transcendent warriors, one High Rank mage, two High Rank assassins, and a Priest are fleeing toward us.”
“You can judge their strength from this far away?”
“Of course not,” Theia curled her lips.
“They... are all people I know.”
“The one chasing behind them is...” Her words trailed off, and her brow twitched slightly.
For some reason, Lin Gui’s heart tightened.
Theia slowly spat out a name:
“It’s the Forest Abyss Devourer—Moragus.”
She turned her head to look at Lin Gui, her red pupils reflecting his suddenly frozen expression.
“A Legendary Demon.”
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