Hello, is this a letter addressed to Demon Fortress?

Lin Gui's words piqued the curiosity of the two girls.

Even Elvia stopped taking care of her skin.

And she also caught a word.

A strange word.

they?

Ok?

Is there more than one so-called guide?

Under the curious gazes of the two girls.

Lin Gui maneuvered the flying boat to land at the edge where the desert, withered grass, and blood river converged.

The light of earth magic shone forth.

The sand parted to both sides like flowing water, and a downward-sloping opening quickly took shape.

After confirming that the structure was stable, he maneuvered the airship inside.

The airship clung to the cave wall as it descended, passing through a sloping passage about ten meters long, and entered a cavern.

Elvia looked around and raised an eyebrow slightly.

The cave wasn't very big, only about two or three steps square.

The walls are rough, clearly indicating that it was dug out.

But there are many fine grooves on the cave wall, as if it has been repeatedly rubbed by something.

The walls were covered with a dense network of insect tunnels.

Some are so narrow that only an arm can fit inside, while others are wide enough for a person to pass through.

The insect tunnels are interconnected, forming a complex network.

The air was filled with a dry, slightly acidic scent.

Lin Gui gestured for the two to get off, then stuffed the flying boat into the storage space.

Upon seeing this, Elvia frowned and spoke.

"Why did you take the little flying boat back?"

Elvia had personally experienced the speed of the airship.

It's fair to say that it's their team's second life.

Now that it has reached the surface of the red desert, he actually took it back?

"Are you planning to walk there?"

"It's still a raft."

"That raft isn't even as fast as me holding onto you two fragile little mages while we run."

Lin Gui explained.

"The guide will lead us there."

"We can't use flying boats or rafts."

Replying is as good as not replying at all.

Elvia rolled her eyes at him but didn't press the matter.

She looked around the cave.

Clearly, this is completely different from the ruins passageway they came from.

Its depth is also unmatched.

The closest point in the ruins' passageways is 40 meters below the ground, and the spiral tower is at a similar depth.

And this cave...

Elvia could hear the sound of sandstorms outside.

You can smell the strong, distinctive bloody odor emanating from the Crying Blood Hill.

Forehead.......

This is probably because of the river of blood that flows right at the foot of the cave.

It became an underground river, flowing into the distance...

The depth is indeed not very deep, at most three or four meters, it is a gap from which the Blood River flows down from above.

Light streamed in through the opening, illuminating the entire cave.

Elvia squinted as she estimated the distance.

Lillian, who was standing nearby, seemed to have discovered something and exclaimed in surprise.

"This! Did that guide leave this behind?"

Elvia looked in the direction of her voice.

Scattered among them were some tattered clothes, packages broken into pieces, several pieces of long-corroded demon jerky, and a pile of charred charcoal.

The original color of the clothes is no longer visible, and the edges are severely worn.

The cloth covering the food was mostly rotten, revealing the spoiled bits of dried food inside.

It's clearly a place where someone has lived.

Lillian stepped forward excitedly, seemingly intending to find clues to determine the so-called guide's identity.

Lin Gui's voice rang out from behind.

"No."

"That wasn't a mark left by Director Xiang."

He walked past Lillian and stood motionless before the broken traces.

His expression was complicated.

His gaze fell on the pile of charred charcoal and tattered clothing.

It's as if I'm seeing some memories I don't want to look back on.

Lin Gui remained silent for a long time.

Then he sighed and stepped forward.

He crouched down and, in an inconspicuous corner, skillfully dug away a thin layer of loose soil.

What did my fingertips touch?

He paused for a moment, then pulled a small black cloth bag out of the soil.

The bag was small, about half the size of a palm, and its surface was covered with dried mud.

Lin Gui gripped it tightly, his knuckles turning slightly white.

He then stuffed it inside his robe.

He stood up, his voice a few decibels lower than before.

"This wasn't left by Director Xiang."

"But..."

"Me three years ago."

Lillian stood there, somewhat at a loss.

She didn't know why Lin Gui was acting this way all of a sudden, but her keen senses detected his dejected mood.

However, she, who was born with social anxiety, did not know how to cope.

Elvia seemed to have guessed the reason.

The golden eyes glanced at the inside of Lin Gui's robe.

Then he sighed softly.

He seemed to realize that he had made the atmosphere a bit heavy.

Seemingly realizing that he had made the atmosphere a bit heavy, Lin Gui subtly changed the subject.

He said with a smile.

"My guide, my friend in the red desert—"

"We can't start a campfire."

"After all, what 'they' are most afraid of is fire."

Elvia emphasized, pressing the question in a strange tone.

"them?"

"Who exactly is this 'guide' you're talking about?"

Lin Gui, however, kept everyone in suspense.

"You'll find out when they arrive."

As he spoke, he began taking things out of the storage space.

Two beds.

A complete set of kitchen utensils.

Several thick stacks of magic books.

A low table.

A bunch of magic scrolls.

There are also all sorts of magical toys to pass the time.

finally--

Elvia's enormous wardrobe.

A brand-new, gleaming solid wood wardrobe, taller than a person.

Lin Gui neatly arranged them in a corner of the cave.

Items appeared one after another.

This originally rough and simple cave was transformed into a fully equipped temporary dwelling.

That's outrageous.

Lin Gui also used the Flower Blooming Technique in combination with other basic magic to decorate the cave.

A few clusters of pale purple wildflowers peeked out from the cracks in the wall.

A small patch of emerald green moss grew in the corner of the wall.

Several vines meandered down along the edge of the insect tunnel.

It's like a secret garden.

Lillian and Elvia looked at each other in bewilderment.

Their gazes swept from the bed to the wardrobe, from the books to the vines, and finally settled on Lin Gui.

Elvia couldn't help but speak, pointing to the brand-new bed.

"You...are you planning to stay here for a long time?"

Lin Gui dusted off his hands, walked to the low table, and sat down, his expression unchanged.

"Yes, it might take a few days."

"So, let's rest and recuperate here for a while."

Lillian opened her mouth, as if to say something.

But seeing Lin Gui's matter-of-fact attitude, he swallowed his words back.

The two exchanged a glance, and could only try to think it through.

They stayed in the cave with Lin Gui.

Waiting for the arrival of that mysterious guide.