At a cliffside in the middle section of Audo Canyon.
An extremely hidden cave entrance was cleverly set into the rock wall, a place that those unfamiliar with the path would find nearly impossible to discover.
Inside, a whole different world unfolded, revealing a fully equipped temporary outpost.
Stalls selling simple hot food wafted inviting aromas.
Tool merchants peddling supplies wiped down their wares.
Middlemen looking to buy materials scanned every passing adventurer with sharp, calculating eyes.
There was even a miniature bar.
And a few dancers dressed in scantily clad outfits, winking at the guests while engaged in questionable professions.
The air was a mix of the smells of food, tobacco, alcohol, and sweat.
Adventurers moved among the stalls, a scene both noisy and full of life.
Lin Gui leaped down from the back of the giant lizard he used for transport.
Patting the dust from his clothes and carrying his heavy, broad backpack, he walked straight toward the simple bar counter.
“Respected guest, would you like something to drink?”
The bartender wiped a glass without looking up, his tone as flat as if he were discussing the weather.
Lin Gui looked up at the price list—which could only be described as highway robbery—and his mouth couldn't help but twitch.
He had originally wanted a cup of ale to ease his fatigue, but the price tag of three gold coins made him recoil.
“A cup of... plain water for thirteen silver coins.”
Ultimately, he chose the most basic option, feeling the sting in his wallet.
Should he expect anything less from a shop in Audo Canyon? The prices were simply absurd.
“Do you need any 'special services'?”
The bartender tilted his chin, indicating the group of swaying dancers.
One of them happened to blow a kiss his way; Lin Gui responded with a look of unabashed disgust.
“No... no thanks.”
He carried the cup of crystal-clear "Holy Water," worth thirteen silver coins, and found the most inconspicuous corner to sit down.
The bulging backpack on his back attracted many surreptitious gazes.
Before his seat was even warm, a merchant with a fawning smile approached him and sat down opposite him.
“Dear adventurer, you look like you've traveled a long way and had a bountiful harvest. Are you interested in selling the 'goods' on your back?”
The merchant rubbed his hands together and lowered his voice.
“I promise my prices are at least ten percent higher than those black-hearted recycling shops in the city!”
Lin Gui didn't speak; he just took a sip of the expensive plain water.
Then, in front of the merchant and several others nearby who had pricked up their ears, he unzipped the backpack with a sharp rip.
It was stuffed to the brim with envelopes, some yellowed with age and others brand new.
The merchant and the curious onlookers were instantly dumbfounded.
They had originally thought it would be filled with priceless magical materials or rare ores.
Instead... it was actually letters? And so many of them!
Looking closer, aside from the letters, there were only ordinary dry rations, water skins, and essential wilderness survival items, along with a book with no visible title and some potion bottles.
“Uh...” The smile on the merchant's face froze. “Sir, these things... could they actually be letters?”
“Yeah,” Lin Gui said matter-of-factly. “Is there a problem?”
“No, no problem...” the merchant laughed awkwardly.
“Well... do you have any other materials to sell? Anything at all, I’ll take the lot!”
Lin Gui’s eyes shifted as if he had remembered something.
He reached deep into his backpack and fumbled around for a while.
He pulled out several dull stones with strange patterns that he had scavenged from the Ironclad Sovereign.
The merchant leaned in excitedly, but after just one glance, his eyes went dull, and he lost all interest.
“Ten silver coins. You selling?”
Lin Gui nearly choked on his water, pointing at the stones.
“Hey! Look closely! These are treasures dropped from the Legendary demon, the Ironclad Sovereign! I risked my life to get these!”
The merchant looked at Lin Gui as if he were an idiot.
“Sir, this stuff is all over the place even in Caran City.”
“The rookies who go to the Black Demon Forest to try their luck only pick this stuff up from the side of that sleeping Sovereign when they can't find anything else decent.”
“Aside from using them to build walls or houses, they're useless.”
Risking his life?
That big guy sleeps for half a year at a time.
Unless you blast him with magic, he won't even notice if you kick him. There's no danger at all!
In the end, Lin Gui sold the space-consuming stones for twelve silver coins.
After resting for a moment, Lin Gui carefully organized the letters in his backpack.
Once he confirmed nothing was missing, he stood up to leave the expensive outpost.
However, just as he was about to head for the exit, a slender figure appeared outside, making him instantly change his mind.
He spun around, quickly pulling down his mage robe’s hood to cover most of his face.
He shrank back into the corner, silently praying that the other party wouldn't see him.
Who else could the elf at the entrance be—the one with silver hair and red eyes, beautiful beyond belief—but Theia?
Theia’s appearance was like a pebble dropped into a murky pond.
It instantly created ripples in the small outpost.
Those with low strength had eyes sparkling with greed and desire, staring intently at her peerless face.
However, when they saw her eyes, they instantly wilted and hurried out of the outpost.
Experienced adventurers with some skill showed caution.
They quietly gripped the weapons beside them, their hearts filled with fear.
Theia paid no heed to the various gazes around her; she scanned the room.
Her crimson eyes accurately locked onto the figure in the corner trying to hide behind a mage robe.
A knowing smile touched the corners of her mouth, and she walked straight over, sitting down elegantly opposite Lin Gui.
“I knew you wouldn't go down that easily in there.”
She rested her chin on one hand, looking at him with a beaming smile.
“I'm truly curious. Just how did you escape from a desperate situation like that?”
“Sigh...”
Lin Gui pulled down his hood helplessly and let out a sigh of resignation.
“I should have just headed straight through Audo Canyon instead of wasting time resting here.”
“How did you find me?”
He took out some dry rations and began chewing them along with the overpriced water.
“Mm~”
Theia blinked.
“Originally, I planned to wait for the demon tide to calm down a bit and see if I could go back and scavenge anything.”
“But just as I got into position, I saw you sneakily slinking out.”
“Is that so? What a coincidence.” Lin Gui’s tone was full of suspicion.
Theia smiled and added.
“I’m telling the truth.”
“From the depths of the Black Demon Forest to Audo Canyon, there are only about three paths that are truly safe to pass through.”
“Standing at the top of that big tree by the junction, it would have been hard for me not to see you.”
“So you just followed me?” Lin Gui raised an eyebrow.
“Weren't you going to campaign against that Legendary demon?”
“Campaign??” Theia laughed in startle, as if she had heard a funny joke.
“As a mere Transcendent Ranger, how could I ever have such unrealistic thoughts? Especially on its home turf.”
That was strange.
If it wasn't a campaign, then why were so many experts from Gold Rank adventure groups gathered there?
Lin Gui remembered the terrifying encounter from the day before, and his expression turned a bit odd.
From Theia’s subsequent explanation, Lin Gui gained a general understanding of the events.
It wasn't a campaign mission, but a collection quest.
What the client needed was the extremely rare Umbral Tree Flower that grew on top of Moragus's head.
It was said to be the core alchemy material for brewing a top-tier potion.
And the client was a major figure from the current royal family.
Although the City-State Era had significantly weakened imperial power, the royal family, which controlled the massive city of the Royal Capital, still possessed formidable resources and influence.
To the City Lord of Caran City, the demands of royal family members were still something to be catered to.
Mainly, Caran City's own strength was far weaker than the Royal Capital's.
The royal family was fully capable of sending high-level combatants to "supervise" the city.
Therefore, the City Lord of Caran City had shown extreme enthusiasm for the mission to collect the Umbral Tree Flower.
He had even added an extra one hundred thousand gold coins to the million-gold reward originally promised by the royal family.
But for Gold Rank adventure groups, money was not the absolute attraction.
What truly drove the seven major Gold Rank adventure groups into such danger was the royal family's promise of a bestowal of titles.
Possessing a noble title meant they could secure a place in the Royal Capital.
That city was hailed as the safest massive city-state in the Southwestern Borderlands of Akara.
And the next Dark Tide to sweep the continent was only six months away.
There had been twenty Dark Tides, and only the southwest had never faced one directly...
Ten years ago, just a branch of the tide had allowed demons to trample a hundred small city-states in the borderlands.
Let alone a main tide.
No one could guarantee that their own city-state would survive this catastrophe.
...
After hearing Theia's explanation, Lin Gui fell into thought.
Why would the people from the royal family use such enticing conditions to consume the top adventurer forces of Caran City in what was essentially a suicide mission?
To control Caran?? But Caran had no value; it wasn't even in the Alliance of Three Thousand City-States.
Regardless, something big was definitely happening in Caran.
He had to resolve his business quickly.
With that in mind, Lin Gui immediately stood up, planning to depart at once.
He looked at Theia, who also stood up, and couldn't help but ask.
“...Are you planning to head back to Caran City too?”
“Yeah,” Theia nodded as if it were obvious.
“As a mere Transcendent Ranger, am I supposed to go back and offer myself as a snack to that big fellow?”
“I’m so charming and cute, I’d definitely drive him crazy. I’d better steer clear.”
“Then take care, and don't let me keep you.” Lin Gui immediately sat back down.
Seeing this, Theia couldn't help but let out a soft laugh and gracefully sat back down as well.
“I say... you haven't taken a liking to me, have you?”
Lin Gui looked at her, his tone slightly teasing but mostly cautious.
Upon hearing this, a smile bloomed on Theia's face that was sweet enough to make one sick.
“Mm~ Not so far~”
“But if we spend a lot of time together, who knows? There might be a tiny bit of a possibility~”
“Since you don't like me and we've known each other for less than a day, and I really do have some very urgent business to handle.”
Lin Gui sighed, deciding to be blunt.
“So, we can part ways here and let fate decide if we meet again in the world.”
“You dislike me that much?”
Theia pointed at her nearly perfect face, feigning surprise and hurt.
Lin Gui took a sip of cold water and asked back.
“Let me ask you: if an incredibly handsome guy met you by chance and then started following you around for no apparent reason.”
He paused, looked at Theia's stunning face, and added.
“And you were just an ordinary, freckled girl with no money, no looks, and no strength.”
“Would you be happy that someone with his looks was sticking to you despite your conditions, or would you be on your guard, thinking he had an ulterior motive?”
Lin Gui’s words were almost entirely blunt, and his eyes held unabashed scrutiny and distance.
The smile on Theia’s face gradually faded.
She remained silent for a moment, her eerie red eyes looking at Lin Gui with sincerity.
“The lie is...” she began softly.
“I want you to be my... what you humans call a 'simp,' to follow my every command and be used by me.”
“The truth is...”
A trace of loneliness she couldn't hide flickered in her eyes, and her voice grew a bit lower.
“Chatting with you makes me feel very relaxed and happy.”
“I just... simply want to make a friend with you.”
“A true friend. Someone who doesn't look at me with prejudiced eyes.”
“With your strength and appearance, I’m sure many people would be willing to be your friend,” Lin Gui said.
“Is that so?”
Theia tilted her head slightly, her gaze significantly sweeping over the nearby eyes that were either greedy, fearful, or wary.
“Slit pupils and red eyes from birth. I think you've already guessed. That's right, I'm not a pure-blooded elf.”
Her voice was calm, yet it carried a tremor that was hard to notice.
“I am a half-demon, half-elf, at the absolute bottom of the discrimination hierarchy on the entire Akara Continent.”
She looked up, carefully observing Lin Gui’s reaction.
From the time she began wandering from the Elven Forest until now, she had seen too many looks.
Fear, hatred, greed, lust, avoidant behavior...
Only this man in front of her was the first to let her read... equality in his eyes.
And during their previous conversation, she could also feel that he truly didn't care about her half-demon status.
Now, by bringing it up proactively, she wanted to see his reaction after he learned the truth.
Then, as expected, she saw a stronger look of disdain in Lin Gui's eyes.
A look of "As expected, this is going to be a hassle."
For some reason, the corners of Theia's mouth curled up slightly instead.
She thoroughly enjoyed this feeling of being treated as "normal."
“Because of these eyes, I was seen as a freak and a stain. The elves drove me out of the Elven Forest.”
“Humans see me as a harbinger of calamity and bad luck. No matter where something bad happens, the blame always gets pinned on me first.”
She described it in a flat tone, as if she were talking about someone else.
“No one is willing to be my friend. I've been wandering alone for twenty-five years... Truly, I don't want to be alone anymore.”
She held out a slender, pale hand toward Lin Gui, her eyes holding a trace of cautious hope.
But her tone was deliberately teasing, trying to lighten the heavy atmosphere:
“So... are you willing to be my first friend?”
“You should know, first times are always memorable. There might be a very high chance you'll become my lover~”
Lin Gui looked at her outstretched hand and went silent for a moment.
He, too, wanted a friend.
He had struggled alone in this broken world for over ten years, and everyone he saw was a base person.
All the decent people he met... had all...
And that person who could barely be called his friend... likely...
Theia’s reason was clearly a bit nonsensical.
Liking to chat with him, so she followed him.
Wanting to be friends because he wouldn't look at her like a freak.
But Lin Gui believed her, because in the Adventurer's Guild in New Covenant City, he was also an outcast.
But he still rejected Theia’s request.
“Sorry, I can't.”
“Is it because of my identity?” Theia pressed, her eyes dimming for an instant.
“No,” Lin Gui answered succinctly.
“Because I'm leaving Caran City tomorrow.”
“I don't mind!”
Theia leaned forward, her eyes filled with anticipation and tension.
“As long as you're willing, we can be friends who talk, visit each other, take commissions together, and chat about everything on the road!”
“Uh~” Lin Gui instinctively leaned back. “I won't be staying for more than two days, and I don't have the time to do all that with you.”
“It’s okay!! It’s okay!!! I really...” Her hands didn't know where to go as Theia spoke excitedly. “I just want... someone to talk to.”
Staring at Theia with a dead-fish stare, Lin Gui felt that she must be going crazy from loneliness.
Reaching out his hand to Theia, Lin Gui said flatly.
“Just ordinary friends. Don't expect anything from me. If we run into real danger, I might backstab you at the first opportunity. If you can accept that.”
The status of a half-demon would inevitably bring trouble; Lin Gui had to set the boundaries beforehand.
Gripping his hand tightly, Theia’s smile was radiant.
“I look forward to the day you backstab me.”
Rate on N.U.
