Pillar of Yita

”Is everything okay?” Fang Hong recalled the experiences within the ruins earlier, and asked with some concern.

Red Leaf shook her head, ”It’s nothing serious, just some harassments. The Dragonfire Guild’s strength is evident; it’s merely the madness before death. They’ve colluded with the cultists, and they’re doomed. Vice Chairman Yugudola wanted me to experience it, as such opportunities are rare.”

Fang Hong had previously heard Red Leaf mention that the Tabopolis Oak Knights had three vice chairmen; Yugudola was in charge of training newcomers, whose real name was Aikoko, nicknamed ’Silver Coin,’ a player ranked within the top one hundred in the China Competition Region.

Gita had also mentioned this person during casual conversations, reportedly quite approachable but somewhat eccentric—mentioning this, the future Miss Natural Historian paused with a look of hesitancy.

Red Leaf said, ”I came to say goodbye to you, as well as to answer the question you asked earlier.”

Fang Hong nodded.

”All members of the guild who participated in this mission were resurrected, and Recall, the captain, didn’t run into any trouble,” she was a bit puzzled: ”But why suddenly ask about this? Wasn’t that Phantom Realm a Dead Silence Zone?”

Fang Hong then explained the situation of Atira’s brother.

Red Leaf was obviously surprised, such unprecedented incidents of Natives suddenly losing Starlight and unable to resurrect.

However, surprised as she was, she did not probe further. Eteliria’s myriad of bizarre incidents were too many, and she simply listened to this slightly strange matter.

At that moment, a knight from Tabopolis came to urge her to leave.

Thus, Red Leaf could only bid Fang Hong farewell. However, before leaving, Fang Hong mentioned what he had recently witnessed in the ruins, intending to caution her to be wary of the Dragonfire Guild.

”Remember? That ’Big Sister’ targeted us back at Traveler’s Rest, and at that time, Wu Di and Liuli Yue were there; they are people from Silver Forest Spear,” Fang Hong said, ”I always felt that they had backing—”

”Don’t worry,” Red Leaf shook her head: ”We are not weak either. Even with the Dragon Worshippers added, we can still show these people a thing or two.”

”That would certainly be best, but if you encounter any trouble,” Fang Hong added: ”Remember to come and find me. Although I might not be of much help, I was a firsthand witness to the events in Dolifen, and perhaps I could offer some strategies.”

Red Leaf looked at him somewhat unexpectedly: ”Are you worried about us?”

Fang Hong did not answer.

This was merely an honest concern for a friend, although the actions of the Dragon Worshippers and Dragonfire Guild in Dolifen had not endeared them to him, instinctively placing them in an adversarial position.

Red Leaf seemed to understand his sentiment and silently said, ”Thank you.” Then she turned and left with the knight.

Fang Hong watched as she and the knights of Tabopolis disappeared into the forest at the end of the beach before turning around. About that matter, Red Leaf did not ask, and he did not raise the issue.

In fact, the incident of Natives suddenly losing Starlight and unable to resurrect was not unheard of before.

The two had even personally experienced such an event not long before; in Dolifen thirty years ago, apart from a few survivors, most people ultimately became Ghost Wraiths bound to the land.

The deceased’s Starlight vanished, turning to dust. Thirty years ago, on that day, none of the three Holy Sanctuaries near Dolifen managed to capture any Starlight from that city engulfed in flames during the disaster.

Because this disaster was so emblematic, that was why he had asked Red Leaf about the casualties of the Oak Knights in the Phantom Realm.

But unexpectedly, it seemed that all members of the Oak Knights had not encountered any trouble, and the envisioned scenario did not occur.

Those who died in the Phantom Realm seemed different from those in the disaster, and even Recall, who was personally killed by the Shadow of Nicopolis, did not see her Starlight extinguished.

However, this did not prove anything.

Fang Hong knew that most of the power of the Shadow of Nicopolis in the Phantom Realm actually came from Misu, not from the Dragon’s Golden Eyes, so it could not answer the question—whether people killed by the Dark Giant Dragon had their Starlight directly extinguished?

He had soon asked Diket about this matter afterward.

But as expected, of the three people that day, only Misu truly understood the Dark Giant Dragon; others’ knowledge of this malevolent entity was limited to texts, and historical records about the Dark Giant Dragon seemed to not mention this matter.

Of course, Fang Hong did not really hold out much hope that this was indeed the truth, as theoretically, if the Dark Giant Dragon possessed such power, it should not have been easily overlooked.

However, there were indeed some legends related to this scattered throughout history.

”Those who see the dragon’s wings, see Death—” Fang Hong remembered a rumor he heard at Traveler’s Rest, an ancient proverb among Dragon Slayers.

”It’s just not known whether this ’death’ is just literal or has another deeper meaning,” Tianlan complained, tossing a chest pin of a Dragon Worshipper into the pile of Spoils of War, saying so.

The first mate told them there was still some time before setting anchor, and the small boat carrying goods to the Berio had not yet returned, so they stayed on the beach to sort through the Spoils of War.