Pillar of Yita

She glanced at Luo Yu with a complicated expression, still unable to comprehend how he discovered her.

The dagger was poisoned, leaving both nearly immobile. Nightingale struggled to move her hand behind her as she asked, ”How did you discover me?”

Luo Yu thought seriously about the question, coughed, and then extended his left hand.

On his left hand, he wore a pair of Artisan’s Gloves. With a gentle lift, a dusky golden Clockwork Fairy flew down from the treetop. Its dim golden shell showed the wear of time, hinting at many trials endured.

Yet, its owner cherished it just the same.

The Clockwork Fairy turned around, facing Nightingale.

”You’re also a Combat Artisan?” Nightingale was somewhat incredulous, ”You wouldn’t be able to use other Flexible Constructs, would you?”

Luo Yu shook his head.

Nightingale let out a breath of relief, ”If you said you could, I wouldn’t dare make a move.”

Luo Yu thought for a moment and agreed it was indeed so. But by then, it was too late, and he chose to remain silent.

Nightingale suddenly felt that the person in front of her was honest, and couldn’t help but ask, ”But I clearly used Invisibility Technique, how could you see me?”

”The shadow.”

”You aren’t lying to me, are you? The Invisibility Technique doesn’t leave a shadow.”

”The Invisibility Technique doesn’t, but fallen leaves do.” Luo Yu succinctly explained.

Nightingale gasped, looking back at the still-burning wall of fire behind the man — suddenly at a loss for words. She thought his spell was to force her to reveal herself, unaware it was merely to create a one-way light source, nothing more.

Nightingale spoke while her left hand, hidden behind, cautiously fumbled for something. It wasn’t until she grasped a Flying Dagger’s hilt that she raised her head again, looking at Luo Yu.

Her eyes gleamed, ”Thank you for telling me this, but now it’s time to say goodbye.”

”Indeed,” Luo Yu nodded in agreement.

What does ”indeed” mean?

Nightingale was puzzled for a moment. But she didn’t overthink it, swiftly withdrawing her left hand, she hurled three streaks of Silverlight forward.

The three streaks of Silverlight rushed directly at Luo Yu.

Meanwhile, Luo Yu looked up, and a Light Array formed above Nightingale’s head. An ice shard plunged down from it. Before she could react, she was pinned underneath.

At the same instant.

On the Clockwork Fairy in front of Luo Yu, a greenish-blue Light Shield suddenly unfurled. Two streaks of Silverlight bounced off the Light Shield, while the third pierced through, but by then, it lost strength, hit Luo Yu’s robe, and fell.

Only then did Luo Yu release his grip on the dagger, his hand bloodied. He looked at it blankly, letting out a sigh of relief. Displaying his Control Gloves, showing the Clockwork Fairy was all meant to divert the other’s attention.

He too had been stalling for time, casting spell gestures under the cover of the dagger.

The final outcome showed he indeed had the upper hand.

A sharp warning was continuously coming from the system about the poison intrusion.

Luo Yu supported himself against a tree trunk to stand, trying hard to retrieve a Neutralizing Agent. Suddenly, feeling dizzy, as his vision went black, he collapsed to the ground, unconscious.

...

Under Assassin Twenty’s gaze, the name of the Gunslinger on the squad list flickered a few times, then darkened following the Berserker and Agility Swordmaster.

Not far away, Fang Hong listened to the voices on the communication channel of Xiangzi and Gita, ”Captain, we’ve almost recovered. We, along with Luo Hao, took down that Gunslinger. Atira and Miss Hilveld also helped Elisa take out the enemy’s Nightingale and Combat Artisan.”

Then came Miss Atira’s voice, ”Ade, hang in there, we’ll be there soon.”

The Elf Miss’s voice was heard from Elisa’s communication channel.

Only then did Fang Hong feel relieved, realizing the situation was under control.

Yet, as he looked at the assassin before him, the figure was dressed in a sharp black-and-white coat and shirt, wearing white gloves, holding a rapier with its tip towards the ground, with a Green Gemstone at the collar glinting slightly in the sunlight, and a top hat he recognized.

The figure apparently had no intention of leaving.

Indeed, that’s what Twenty was thinking.

His gaze lingered on a message sent at the last moment by the Berserker: ”The opponent is a prodigy from Fanric—”

He raised his sword — they had crossed paths at the Traveler’s Rest where he’d suffered silently. They encountered again in Dolifen, although no real confrontation happened due to Nikopolas and the Dragon Worship Sect.

But after Fanric’s attack, the matter of Fang Hong being hailed as a hero in Dolifen quickly spread among people.

It had been nearly a year since they last saw each other, and Fang Hong was no longer the person he once was. Twenty’s gaze swept from under his hat brim across the four Energy Angels of Fang Hong, slightly furrowing his brow.

He raised his left hand, two fingers pointing to the Green Gemstone on his chest.

But Fang Hong swiftly called out to halt him: ”Wait a minute.”

Twenty paused, looking at him.

”Your name is Twenty, right?” Fang Hong suddenly had an idea and took the initiative to speak, ”About a year ago, I saw you at the Traveler’s Rest, we might be considered acquaintances. We’ve faced each other once before and understand each other’s strength. Now I have four Energy Angels, possibly unable to defeat you in a short time, but holding you off shouldn’t be an issue.”

The brief encounter they had informed Twenty that Fang Hong wasn’t lying. Though he was curious, in just a year, how had the person in front of him improved so drastically?