Pillar of Yita

”Don’t worry, Miss Elisa.”

Fang Hong whispered in the night wind.

”Follow my instructions, silently count to three. Miss Alice, you take another direction.”

”Mr. Ade, we’ll follow your lead.”

Through the Wind Goggles, he saw in the night two identical faces of nervous young girls. The back of the Grey Ridge Behemoth swayed lightly and slowly beneath his feet, while from another Clockwork Fairy’s perspective, he could see three Nightingales approaching the rocky area where the girls were from different directions.

Nightingales of Anlan were like shadows diving into the night, moving forward within the shadows of scattered stones, blending almost completely into the environment, only occasionally betraying their presence. However, with the surveillance of Clockwork Fairies positioned at different strategic points, Fang Hong could always track these people down.

After all, stealth is not invisibility; there are always conditions to visual deception. Even though they were skilled in this art, with six Clockwork Fairies silently hovering at different heights, four Fairies patrolling the middle layer, and four Fairies following in a staggered formation, fourteen lenses created an interlaced field of vision where no one could hide.

”Three,”

”Two,”

”One!”

The Clockwork Fairy pointed in one direction.

Without a word, Elisa noticed the cracked rocks under the moonlight seemed somewhat pale, blinding to her eyes. She knew that by taking but a single step forward, she had to implicitly trust the other party; even if they were wrong, she would be responsible for their mistake.

This responsibility could mean a cold death and the dimming of Starlight, possibly leading to reprimand from the Guild, or even being expelled from the brigade. The possibility wasn’t small, as she, the Vanguard of the brigade, would be blamed for leading the team into a dangerous trap without any forewarning, a failure of duty.

But the hesitation in her mind was fleeting as a spark; Elisa shot out like a fractal Shadow from behind the rocks. Ahead was an open meadow, once a vantage point for observation, now a journey toward Hell.

Elisa nervously activated the communication channel, but her hand slipped, unnoticed even by herself.

Fang Hong’s voice inside was somewhat mechanical, like a reminder tone; his silent counting almost synchronized with Elisa’s steps, then it became a concrete command: ”Stop.”

Elisa’s mind went blank, but that voice gripped her soul, causing her to involuntarily halt. A Crossbow Bolt whooshed past her face, to be nailed into a broken Vitex tree stump not far away, the feathers buried deep.

That Nightingale of Anlan in night gear stared in shock at the scene before him. He suddenly stepped back, his figure splitting into two overlapping Phantoms.

That was the Nightingale’s Shadow duplication Skill.

”Alice.”

Elisa noticed her sister’s reaction was quicker; the Dagger in her hand flew out, piercing through the Nightingale’s Phantom. The real body appeared about seven or eight feet away, diving into a nearby bush.

”He’s within a 30-degree blind spot to the left and right, Miss Alice. I’m not familiar with your Skills, so you’ll have to make your own judgment on how to strike.”

No sooner had Fang Hong finished speaking than the twin sister, like an elongated Shadow, performed a Shadow Leap in that direction.

”Miss Elisa, there’s cover 20 meters ahead to your right, two Nightingales respectively at six and three o’clock from you, at a considerable distance. Be careful on your own.”

Elisa nodded slightly and dashed in that direction.

Two Crossbow Bolts landed not far behind her; she duplicated two Phantoms consecutively and finally turned into a wisp of smoke that disappeared behind the obstacle. It was a tall Vitex Tree, its dense branches and leaves enough to completely hide her figure.

She wanted to peek out.

But Fang Hong’s voice came with some severity, ”Don’t look.”

Elisa felt both alarmed and respectful in her heart; how did the other party know her intentions? To her, it seemed like the workings of an omnipotent Deity.

But she suddenly paused, hearing a voice come through the team channel—

The confrontation between Alice and the Nightingale had ended in an instant.

In fact, as her Shadow became corporeal behind the enemy, the experienced Nightingale of Anlan understood without looking back that a Nightingale had come after him, and he threw a Dagger over his shoulder toward his own back.

Alice’s hands crossed, using a Skill to parry barehanded against the blade to the enemy’s wrist and stepped back. He drew out some Fluorescent Powder beneath his cloak and threw it at her, but it only hit a scattering mist; Alice’s Shadow duplication Skills were as refined as her sister’s, and she was not outshined.

However, it was clear that the Nightingale of Anlan’s skills were far superior to hers. Despite handling the situation appropriately, she was outmatched at every turn. Although close-combat Nightingales hardly ever have to worry about Magic Power depletion, once her stamina was exhausted and her Skills cooled down, she would be in immediate danger.

But as the Nightingale switched the Dagger deftly from his left hand to the right, and back again in a show-off move meant to dazzle and bait, Fang Hong’s Clockwork Fairy suddenly plummeted from above their heads, aiming precisely at his right hand.

While it didn’t knock the Dagger out of the Nightingale’s hand, it did cause him a moment of panic.

”I’ll take the left, Miss Alice. You take the right.”

”Understood, Mr. Ade.”

The young girl’s eyes sparkled.

Fang Hong suddenly raised his hand, pulling invisible strings with his gestures as the Clockwork Fairy following the trajectory of his right hand flew upward, barreling toward the startled Nightingale’s eyes.