Pillar of Yita

Startled, he arched backward instinctively. A person’s body has a natural impulse to protect its vital organs, and naturally, the Nightingale was no different. His right hand shot up, his dagger slicing forward in a fluid motion.

But Fang Hong’s Clockwork Fairy, as if alive, darted along his neck and positioned itself behind him.

”To the right,” Fang Hong said calmly.

It was as if he had an invisible string tied to the back of the Nightingale’s neck, a gentle tug, and the Anlan Nightingale instinctively tilted his head to the right. But Alice’s elbow strike was already waiting there, crashing into the bridge of his nose and cheekbone.

The man was sent reeling backward, a gush of blood springing from his nose.

Seizing the opportunity, Alice advanced with quick steps, her dagger thrusting forward. But the man still had the ability to counter, his right hand grasping his dagger and parrying downward—one strike, two strikes. The daggers in the hands of the two combatants danced like fluttering butterflies, casting a trail of golden sparks.

But as he attempted to counter-attack, the Clockwork Fairy sliced in again from the right rear, passing before his eyes and infuriating the Nightingale, who yelled and swung his hand in a rage, cursing, ”Get lost!” but he swiped at nothing.

Fang Hong said, ”To the left.”

The Nightingale shifted slightly to the left, and a new bloodstain marked his face.

Now truly frightened, he had never seen anyone use the Clockwork Fairy to such an extent. His instincts screamed for him to retreat. Meanwhile, Fang Hong was as calm as a stone statue, unshakeable and focused, as if space, time, and his opponent’s responses were all playing out in a fixed probability before his eyes.

”He’s about to turn, central assault.”

”To the left.”

”Attack his right hand.”

”He’s off balance.”

Alice brought her shapely legs into play with a quick side kick, landing a blow right in the Nightingale’s chest, sending him flying with a bewildered expression. Immediately after, a Flying Dagger buried itself into his forehead.

Until his last breath, the man likely never understood how the girl before him seemed to change personas all of a sudden.

”There are still six of them. Those two Nightingales are targeting you—they’re at—”

Fang Hong’s voice halted.

He lifted his head, and his vision soared, viewing the entire battlefield as if it were a pre-arranged diorama. In the distance, two rangers and a sharpshooter were nearing, trying to step out of a firing blind spot; closer by, an Iron Defender hurriedly approached; and even closer, two Nightingales were flanking from left and right.

In the battle of Toden, the struggle between crafters for scouting superiority was fierce, but here, the stage belonged to him alone.

”Tired?”

”A bit,” Alice panted, nodding her head. ”Mr. Ade is so gentle.”

”Gentle?” Fang Hong paused for a moment. ”I just meant that if you’re too tired, you should avoid fighting.”

”Avoid fighting?”

”Trust me, your sister will take it from here.”

”Miss Elisa?”

”I’m here,” came the voice of the twin’s elder sister over the team channel.

Fang Hong hadn’t sensed anything amiss, but Alice was slightly taken aback.

”Those two Nightingales are on your left and right. The Iron Defender is not a threat, but be careful of the enemy’s projectile units entering the field—distance four five seven. They might have range-enhancing equipment, so to be safe, you only have a thirteen-second safety window.”

”Now, run to the right,” Elisa instructed.

Alice made her move.

The two Nightingales quickly responded, one of them likely not expecting their prey to be so brazen, immediately turned into a shadow blocking Alice’s path.

A dual-wielding assassin, his daggers crossed, was ready to intercept the young girl.

Alice tensed, recognizing the Anlan Nightingale before her. She remembered this Nightingale was a high-level lady, decidedly more formidable than the one she had previously engaged.

Escaping within ten seconds seemed impossible.

Fang Hong also frowned.

”Backward,” he wanted to say, but before he could speak, he noticed the enemy’s path was irregular. Startled, it dawned on him; the opponent intended to withstand a blow from Elisa to stop her sister.

He glanced at the enemy’s equipment—the Ash Snake Armor—it was indeed possible for them to survive a hit from a Nightingale of the same level.

But Elisa had already thrown her dagger, a streak of gold in the darkness, like the first light of dawn, piercing the Nightingale’s chest. As she retracted her arm, a blaze from afar rushed in, striking the target once more.

The Nightingale collapsed before Alice with an incredulous look, her mouth agape as if to say something.

Alice, covering her mouth, stepped back and whispered, ”I’m sorry,” then ducked her head and rushed past the scorched husk of a body, leaving only sparkling motes of light behind.

Dawn.

Only then did Fang Hong remember that Elisa’s weaponry was anything but ordinary—the legendary daggers he had personally crafted that, aside from their remarkable quality, packed a terrifyingly high attack potential. He hadn’t expected them to come in handy at such a crucial time.

At that moment, a breach had finally been opened.

The two sisters were now approaching the woods. Fang Hong elevated his vision once more, knowing that once they broke out of the ranger’s encirclement, preventing the Iron Defenders and the Nightingales from catching up, the sisters should be able to escape successfully.

However, he noticed that the enemy seemed to have guessed the presence of his Clockwork Fairy.

Their rangers began to conceal their movements, continuously changing their paths, and taking turns covering each other, all in an effort to divert his attention. ”Interesting,” Fang Hong couldn’t help but chuckle. The adversary’s moves were definitely commanded by that Jiefulite Red Cloak Team’s Combat Artisan, who hadn’t left after all.