Pillar of Yita

Fang Hong felt he was in a very strange place. Within his field of vision, he could only see endless darkness, devoid of any sense of space. The world seemed like nothing but a thin layer of paper, lacking in both highs and lows, not divided into left or right, and even unaware of his own existence. He pondered silently, ”Am I dead or alive?”

But suddenly, specks of light appeared in the darkness, like a sprawling canvas unveiling a magnificent star sky before him. Though Fang Hong had never died in Eteliria, he recognized this as the resurrection interface.

Each point of starlight symbolized a Resurrection Temple. The different colors of the lights represented different deities. A cluster of starlight close to him glowed pure white. Fang Hong recognized this as the divine strength emanating from the Milaila Temple at Concealing Spring.

Milaila, the healer, protector of the honest, God of Redemption, and also the goddess of fertility, embodying the life of Eteliria. Being resurrected in her temple meant enjoying a fifteen percent reduction in experience loss, a small benefit that the deities used to attract believers.

Fang Hong’s mouth dropped open in surprise.

Seeing the resurrection interface meant something incredible — the Stowaways were not restricted by the Dead Silence Zone. This also confirmed what people had long suspected: compared to the Invokers, Stowaways were more like the natives.

He did not know if he was the first to discover this fact, but without a doubt, this secret would not be widely known.

A great unexpected joy instantly filled his heart; after all, no one wants to die, right? However, Fang Hong soon realized that most of the star lights on the star chart were very dim, indicating an unselectable status.

The resurrection range in Eteliria was roughly one hundred miles; beyond this range, resurrection was colloquially known as ’being picked up,’ depending on which deity’s temple was closest to you in linear distance. Such resurrections resulted in a substantial loss of experience, generally adding one percent per mile.

Within this one hundred-mile range in the forest, there were three Resurrection Temples, apart from the Milaila Temple at Concealing Spring, there was also a Traveler’s Sanctuary and an Ameya Forest Temple.

Roman, aside from being the patron deity of commerce, was also the guide for travelers.

There is a saying in Eteliria to describe this goddess—”The main road for the temple, the pathway for the shrine.” Although it’s an exaggeration, wherever a traveler goes, her divine strength reaches, and her temples are spread all over the world, usually in deep forests and wild wilderness, the only temple you might see is the Traveler’s Sanctuary.

As for the latter, Ameya is the goddess of forests and nature, so it’s not surprising that her temple appears in such a place.

But in Fang Hong’s vision, all three temples were in a locked state.

This was completely illogical.

On the vast star chart, only a nearby cluster of light blue light was selectable, the Temple of Angina, the god of Knowledge and self-improvement.

”Why is there a Temple of Knowledge here?” Fang Hong was momentarily stunned. Knowledge spread among people, and Angina’s temples were mostly in densely populated cities, often accompanying the Great Library. He had never heard of a Temple of Knowledge appearing in such a bizarre location in the wilderness.

He tried to immerse his spirit into that cluster of starlight, and suddenly, an irresistible suction force came from that vortex.

When Fang Hong opened his eyes again, he found himself inside a peculiar temple. This temple was significantly different from the temples he had seen in Kapuka and Rodell; it lacked an open and bright foyer, tall beautiful rose arch windows, also no spacious side corridors or a solemn pulpit—these all originated from the religious reforms of the New Era.

Before that, it was like the temple in front of him, a tall round hall, solemn and quiet, with pale light cast from the domed ceiling, coming from the faintly glowing Light Quartz above.

Among the stone columns were statues with religious implications, mostly of legendary heroes who were devout followers and elects of Angina. Fang Hong could only recognize some of these figures, such as the Clever Charles, the Sage Bock, and the Creator Ade—the latter being the greatest alchemist in history, creator of the Holy Crystal, and also the source of his ID.

In the center was a gigantic statue of Angina—this was similar to the present; the historical recorder still with a feather pen in one hand and a sheepskin scroll hanging down to the floor in the other.

The image of Angina was a serious middle-aged man, styled with a goatee, his hair impeccably groomed, looking very rigid, wearing a robe typical of an alchemist. Some even believed he was the protector of alchemists because of this.

The temple was chillingly cold.

Fang Hong couldn’t help but shiver. He checked his belongings, then remembered he had nothing of value since the three Clockwork Fairies had been damaged and had nothing good to drop.

The Glow Stone from Sicape was still in his shirt pocket; he gently placed his hand there, as if he could still feel the warmth of the Glow Stone.

In just one day, the Morning Dawn Star had come to this, familiar faces from the past no longer visible in this world, and even he had resurrected in this peculiar place.

”I wonder how Miss Sicape and Mr. Kroid are doing now, have they returned to Starport?” he thought silently.

Fang Hong had heard that many who just returned from Eteliria to the real world found it hard to adjust to life—just as they had when they first stepped into this world behind the door.