Pillar of Yita

The night in Nevade is extraordinarily mesmerizing.

On the railing of the inn’s terrace, moonlight slips through the treetops, casting silver gleams. In the distance, the shimmering lake surface reflects shapes of clouds, dark waters slowly passing from the west of Idus—that is the mountain’s end, where the Kudi Mountain Range gradually merges with the earth.

Beneath the clouds is the beginning of the Idus Desert, silver dunes are similarly reflected under a crescent cold moon. But that is a place beyond sight, further west from Fanric, crossing Long Lake is required to reach that region.

Fang Hong can only imagine the Sand Sea from his dreams, the homeland of Traveler’s Rest’s owner Mazak and Lady Misu, Dragon’s Land. He withdraws his gaze, listening to the Little Fairies’ songs coming from the direction of the inn.

’Silver Moon shining bright, colorful clouds clear and bright, Milky Way stretching into the skies;

An alchemist, clumsy and foolish, arrives at the outskirts of Nevade...’

After nightfall, the tree-top lodge resembles a nest of light, warm glow spills out from windows all around, like a gentle stream, flowing towards the waterwheel outside the forest, producing a rhythmic sound.

Inside the inn, Miss Ye Xing’s voice is especially pronounced.

They are joking about him again, drawing hearty laughter from the guests—most of them know him or have been taught by him this week. Fang Hong too glances back, listens to the hustle and bustle of clinking glasses inside the inn, but only smiles lightly, not taking offense.

”The Hall of Thousand Doors is part of the Silver Tower, where knowledge is stored; challenges are merely an essential path for one to attain knowledge...”

”Not every piece of knowledge is suited for this world; it requires careful selection of a truly suitable master. The Silver Tower was originally established to protect those unknown secrets.”

Miss Tata quietly kneels on the railing, starlight reflected in her eyes.

”Is the Fairy Dragon Soul among them?”

”The Fairy Dragon Soul is among them.”

”Does Miss Tata have any suggestions?”

”Suggestions are pointless, Mr. Knight just needs to remember one thing: knowledge has a thousand faces, but that’s only different paths in the pursuit. Everyone sees and hears differently in the Hall of Thousand Doors, yet most are pursuing the same truth.”

Fang Hong listens half-understandingly. Tata stands up and gently places her small hand on his hand, asking: ”Mr. Knight still doesn’t quite understand?”

Fang Hong nods.

”Sorry, it’s because the knowledge Tata has isn’t sufficient—”

”Yet I also don’t know how to describe the Hall of Thousand Doors more succinctly.”

”... That’s enough, Miss Tata,” Fang Hong replied kindly: ”If everything were up to Miss Tata, then what’s left for me to do? I’ve learned a lot this week, we’ll face everything in the Hall of Thousand Doors together.”

He paused: ”No matter what that is.”

Tata quietly sensed the sincerity in his words.

She lifted her head, scrutinizing her knight.

”Miss Tata?” Fang Hong suddenly asked: ”There’s been a question I’ve long wanted to ask you all.”

”What is it?”

”Do you know the purpose of our coming to this world?”

”Know a bit.” Miss Fairy gently nodded.

Fang Hong then replied: ”In my view, ’you’ don’t seem too resistant to ’us,’ and locals call us Holy Choosers, seemingly not too unfamiliar with our presence. But actually, ’our’ purpose is to come to this world to acquire knowledge, and this knowledge comes from within ’Starlight’...”

”... I don’t quite know how to explain it to you.”

”We consider Eteliria to be an information-based world, or rather, a sea of starlight. Everything in this world is made up of structures we call ’Starlight,’ including you and me...”

”These starlights exhibit completely different properties in the two worlds. In Eteliria, they constitute all life, but in our world, scientists—scholars analyze rare structures from starlight, believing it contains knowledge and technology vastly beyond our era.”

”We consider that a legacy of higher civilization, it might be the predecessor of Eteliria, or what you call the era of All Saints. Thus we come to this world, essentially to capture this knowledge.”

”We record our experiences, knowledge, and insights in this world with devices called ’Glow Material,’ and leave with them,” Fang Hong looked at Miss Fairy, lightly breathed: ”Miss Tata, Eteliria is an information-based world, doesn’t taking away information undermine the foundation of this world?”

”I think you shouldn’t be unaware of this, why is Miss Tata still so kind to us?”

Tata quietly blinked her eyes.

She replied: ”Mr. Knight, I do know a bit about what you said, but Mr. Knight needn’t worry.”

Fang Hong looked at her with some surprise.

She turned around and replied: ”If information doesn’t exchange, it’s just a dead sea; you take information, but also bring information. Mr. Knight shouldn’t overlook, the moment you enter this world, the two worlds intersect, and your arrival also nurtures the expansion of the Sea of Starshine.”

She looked at Fang Hong and said: ”People call you Holy Choosers because you are the chosen ones, receiving blessings, but also bringing hope to our world.”