Pillar of Yita

It is said that rumors about the Dark Giant Dragon all stem from the era of the Giants’ War and the time of Aithelin’s fall. But the dark history has sunk beneath the Abyssal Sea. It is so fragmented and long gone that it’s impossible to verify now. Today, only scraps of records about the disaster remain, along with the ”Abyssal Sea Scroll’s” description of their appearance:

Wings paired and horns quartet, black as smog, the calamity of Aithelin, the Golden Star Fire, blotting out the sky as if doomsday descended.

Just as Fang Hong now witnessed.

When the dragon landed, it fluttered its wings, shaking off the billowing black smoke like dust, revealing the ashen undersides of its wings that lay between substance and smoke. It folded its wings, its front paws shrouded in black mist, pressing on two tables and raising its head, a good six or seven meters high.

Amidst the swirling smoke, one eye sparkled with golden-red luminescence, seemingly positioned on the head, amidst the four horns. The elongated horns, forked forward and twice as long as the head, shimmered in black, as menacing as a skeleton’s grimace.

No sooner had it landed than it opened its huge mouth, revealing rows of sharp fangs, and let out a long howl.

That was the Dragon Song, the screeching harbinger of destruction and despair—

It swept through from the depths of one’s soul, casting the listener into a dark terminal, isolated with no help in sight, besieged on all sides, with massive shapes lurking in the mist, invisible to the eye, save for a huge golden-red pupil resembling molten lava that blinked slowly.

This ancient fear belittles one’s self-control. Fang Hong felt his vision go dark in waves. Many unable to contain themselves screamed, buzzing around headlessly, trampling each other, or lost their minds entirely, curling up on the ground shivering. The hall was in total chaos.

Several people nearby also found themselves trapped in fear’s grip, unable to escape. Yet, suddenly, a soft green light burst forth from the fog, reaching into the depths of people’s hearts, instilling a sense of calm.

Fang Hong was the first to come to his senses in the light.

Then he heard a low shout. It was Red Leaf’s voice, reminding them, ”Look up above!”

Fang Hong lifted his head, shocked to see the fearsome Dragon Horn suspended above the dome dissolving into black smoke, tumbling down. The smoke washed over the dragon’s body below, gradually solidifying its dull grey scales, which refracted a mirror-like sheen.

He checked the dragon’s Level through the system. The display showed ???, not sure if it was because his own level was too low or because the creature was of Boss Level.

And from within the swirling fog, monsters began to form. They had human shapes but the faces of reptiles, with horns and scales growing from their heads, sharp claws and fangs, wingless but dragging long tails behind them.

These monsters were converging from all directions.

One of the Dragonmen agilely climbed atop a table and ran towards this direction, then suddenly leaped, flinging its arms wide open towards Fang Hong.

A scream came from behind Fang Hong.

The fearful cry kept him rooted to the spot. It was Gita’s voice, and stepping aside meant certain death for this Trainee.

But all of a sudden, a Construct half a man’s height burst through the fog on all fours. It blitzed at the Dragonman and hit it with a thud, sending the latter flying back into the black smoke.

Walker Mark III.

Fang Hong turned around just in time to see Liuli Yue putting down his gloves. The youth’s other hand was supporting the pale-faced Wu Di, who shouted, ”What are you spacing out for?”

”Are you hurt?” Red Leaf looked at the pale-faced latter. Though the relationships amongst those present weren’t exactly harmonious, she understood that now was not the time to hold onto grudges.

”It’s nothing,” Wu Di shook his head, then straightened up: ”I was just knocked over by someone. What just happened?”

Everyone turned back and saw that the light came from the necklace on Atira’s chest, a leaf-shaped pendant lying on her bosom, emitting a flickering green glow.

The Elf Girl picked it up, and everyone saw clearly that it was Ameya’s Holy Emblem.

”Natural Holy Emblem, are you a Believer of the Forest Goddess?” Red Leaf was a bit surprised. ”So the light was...”

”The Goddess is warning us,” Atira spoke softly, her voice gentle, as if with the power to stabilize the heart: ”It’s the Dark Creatures.”

”No, just a remnant spirit,” Wu Di looked in that direction.

Everyone followed his gaze.

The dragon was in the center of the hall—

But it seemed to have ceased any further movement, instead lying down and covering itself with its wings, continuing to undergo the baptism of the black smoke. The huge Dragon Horn above its head was now reduced to about half.

”A Dark Giant Dragon... Wasn’t the last Dark Giant Dragon said to have died in the Dead Marsh?” Hudi whispered. Fang Hong saw him and the Papalarians hiding under the table, speechless at how frightened they were.

”That’s not a true Dark Giant Dragon; it’s just its remnant spirit...perhaps it’s related to that Dragon Horn,” Wu Di replied: ”Someone triggered the quest of that Dragon Horn.”

At this point, Gita had finally recovered with Tianlan’s comforting, though her face was still pale. She adjusted her huge glasses and chanted softly, ”Do not forget the enemy that has passed—”

”That’s the Dragon Slayer’s Adage,” Red Leaf said: ”But our Knight Order has also studied that Dragon Horn. Every time, we would stumble upon Mr. Shayek; he doesn’t usually let people get close to the Dragon Horn, so how was it triggered?”

”Mazak and Mr. Shayek were gone before the main match started; I saw them leave the hall,” Tianlan finally answered.