Pillar of Yita

As he was thinking, the young girl halted once more, turning her head slightly, the dim light just revealing her somewhat pale cheek: ”We’re here, Mr. Ade.”

Fang Hong looked ahead, where there was a massive cavern; the light of the crystal illuminated just a small area. At the end of this light, he saw some peculiar black crystals, one after another, like blooming flowers, growing in clusters within the cave.

The proliferation of crystals is a natural phenomenon unique to Eteliria, mostly crystallized from condensed magic power. It’s not an exaggeration to say this world is a world of crystals. On the ground, you can see crystals of various sizes, but Guy Crystals are the most spectacular among them.

Underground, it’s also essentially a Crystal Kingdom; earth-system crystals of a grayish soil color are embedded deep within the earth, and when mixed with different metallic elements, the crystals take on different hues, not just the monochrome of elemental magic power itself.

Black crystals are also common, but clusters overlapping like dragon scales, layers covering and layers growing, was something Fang Hong had never seen in his life.

He instinctively raised the illuminating crystal in his hand, his mouth slightly agape—a word leapt to his mind—Dragon’s Initial Scale. Without a doubt, this was what the Blood Shark Sky Pirates were digging three feet under this sandy ruin to find.

And it lay quietly, in the depths of an underground river.

Moreover, it was so beautiful that one would simply forget the terrifying meanings bestowed upon it; those layers of crystals reflected flowing splendor, making the cave gradually become brighter—in Fang Hong’s eyes, it clearly looked like a dragon sprawling on the ground.

A crystal dragon.

It curled its slender neck, folded its wings, and lay low on the ground as if in eternal slumber. Unlike the Dark Giant Dragon’s menacing presence, its tranquil posture gave these crystals a unique beauty, colossal, elegant, and seemingly harmless.

Only upon getting closer did Fang Hong see that the crystals weren’t a dragon, or rather, they were a dragon-shaped cocoon, empty of its owner.

This was the Dark Giant Dragon’s Initial Scale, after which the Golden Star Fire fell to earth, consuming countless lives within a sea of fire. Yet its birth was only here, in the depths of this inconspicuous and even unknown cave in Idus.

Was Nikopolas transformed into a dragon here?

A strange thought inevitably arose in Fang Hong’s mind.

The girl heard his soft inhalation and asked: ”Mr. Ade, what are you looking at?”

”These crystals...”

”This isn’t what we’re looking for,” the girl hesitated for a moment, then smiled: ”These crystals are tainted with dark power; they must be hideous, right? No worries, they’re not really dangerous as long as you don’t pay them attention.”

”Hideous?” Fang Hong shook his head; if this was considered hideous, then what beautiful things could exist in the world?

”Not exactly,” he replied, ”Actually, if you just look at these crystals, they’re quite pretty—but you’re right, they are indeed the product of dark power.”

The girl carefully walked ahead, curious at this comment: ”How can a product of dark power be pretty? Mr. Ade, are you trying to comfort me—?”

”Comfort you?” Fang Hong was about to speak when suddenly he saw a strange black shadow flashing between the crystals. He quickly shouted: ”Watch out!”

The shadow extended significantly, ferociously pouncing towards the girl. Fang Hong, quick to react, raised his hand, fingers spread, as a Platinum Angel stepped out from a blue light gate, blocking with a raised sword.

A long spark flashed in the dark.

The Energy Angel’s long arm blade felt like it struck something solid, emitting a resonant hum.

”Damn—”

Two words popped up in the chat box.

And as the strange shadow recoiled, Fang Hong recognized its identity—Dragon’s Claw, almost identical to the ones they had encountered in the tunnel earlier, though this one had almost disintegrated to the point of losing its form.

Having plenty of experience in dealing with Dragon’s Claws, Fang Hong quickly discerned the intent of this one, as if by habit, lines of data naturally surfaced in his mind. Pointing a finger, the Energy Angel advanced first, striking swiftly to penetrate behind their opponent.

With no retreat, the Dragon’s Claw could only retaliate with one blow.

However, the Energy Angel’s sensing ring flickered, its body automatically leaning back, rendering the claw ineffective. Fang Hong’s glove twisted nearly ninety degrees, and utilizing this backward shift of the center of gravity, the Energy Angel fell back—like an iron bridge.

At the same moment, its right arm blade plunged downward, using it as a fulcrum for a backward roll.

The girl then had time to turn her head, and not far ahead, a blade light swept across.

She lifted her head to ’see’ the Energy Angel soaring high before descending, along with a headless body falling thereafter.

The Dragon’s Claw collapsed onto the ground, immediately turning into a pile of dust, gradually dispersing and disappearing. However, its demise seemed to trigger some kind of chain reaction in the cave, as black shadows in those black crystals wavered, and then masses of black smoke fell, forming into a Dragon’s Claw as soon as they hit the ground.

These near-melting semi-humanoid figures, upon forming, immediately lunged at the two of them.