Pillar of Yita

After quite a while, he finally turned back, raised a finger to his lips, and gestured to Bakins to keep quiet.

”What’s wrong?” Bunigu, startled, mouthed from behind.

Bakins felt the communication crystal in his hand suddenly light up, a dark-red glow emanating from the dark, faceted crystal.

And suddenly, a stream of golden light illuminated their eyes. Bunigu swayed slightly, holding onto the wall to stand up, gazing in stupor toward the southern night sky, where a slowly unfolding golden line was entering his view.

It seemed like a meteor, blooming from the night sky, stretching from a single point into an inclined line.

Then the second line, the third.

Above the sky, it seemed to rain stars.

”Airship deployment...”

A heavy glint flashed in Bakins’ eyes: ”Why is the Navy here!?”

...

A burst of bright firelight, fiery flames, rolled back into the tunnel.

Parker coughed heavily, retreating from outside. Two Blood Shark Sky Pirates, too, rushed in the direction where smoke billowed, looking utterly fierce - they were obviously stupefied upon catching sight of Parker, the Big Cat, Hilveld, and Elisa behind them.

The other side clearly didn’t expect people to be in this tunnel.

That Sky Pirate instinctively went to draw his sword, but with a ’bang’, a gunshot resonated, and a bloom of fiery blood erupted from his chest. Hilveld put away the smoking gun barrel, cocked the hammer, loaded the gunpowder, then inserted a lead bullet - meanwhile, Reed had already let out a roar.

The Big Cat’s roar prompted the Blood Shark Sky Pirate to instinctively raise his sword defensively.

But he waited indefinitely for Reed’s assault, while Miss Nightingale had already sneaked up behind him from another direction, slicing his throat with a cold short blade.

Elisa released the Sky Pirate’s chin, leaving him to fall powerlessly to the ground, convulsing. She then lifted her head, glanced at Reed, and teased: ”Big Cat, you’ve ambushed again, huh.”

Reed shrugged, gesturing with the scepter in his hand: ”I was about to make a move, just hadn’t drawn the scepter yet, you know, as a paladin in heavy armor, movements are rather slow.” He shook his head at the sight of the corpse.

”Blame him for reacting just a bit too quickly.”

Elisa burst into laughter.

Hilveld then holstered her gun, glanced at the smoky, dusty scene outside, and asked: ”What on earth is going on outside?”

”No idea,” Elisa replied: ”It’s neither the captain, nor anyone we know - but the Blood Shark Sky Pirates indeed got into a fight with someone, yet I haven’t figured out which side the invaders come from.”

”You mean someone entered Idus simultaneously with us - yet not on our side?” The Big Cat pondered out loud.

Elisa nodded.

She added: ”Judging by the situation outside, the time we went to the place in the journal, the other party had already infiltrated Idus. And when we were engaged with that monster earlier, the other party was practically fighting the Blood Shark Sky Pirates.”

”Quite a coincidence, is there any connection?”

”I doubt it,” Elisa replied: ”How could there be something so coincidental?”

She then turned to Hilveld: ”What does Miss Hilveld think?”

Hilveld also shook her head: ”Not necessarily,” she replied calmly: ”If the other side is from Pudra, then it makes no sense for them to cozy up to Rolin. As for those behind Rolin, there might be a possibility.”

”Yet the Dragon Worship Sect has always been careful and cautious, would they really kill among themselves?”

The Big Cat pointed out: ”Pudra died accidentally in that place, but what if it wasn’t an accident?”

Elisa was slightly shocked: ”You mean Rolin did it intentionally...wouldn’t that mean we just happened upon the scene by pure bad luck.”

”Or maybe not just luck,” Hilveld analyzed: ”Otherwise, how would we have known all of this?”

After a brief discussion, Parker rarely spoke: ”Guys, how long do we plan on staying here? And isn’t blindly guessing without even knowing who’s on the other side a bit pointless?”

The others paused before looking at Hilveld.

And Miss Ship’s Officer merely nodded gently: ”Regardless, it seems the surface is no longer safe, abort the mission, return the same way.”

”What about the ring?” Parker held up the round ring, gesturing with apparent fear that it might be trouble: ”Could I maybe have you guys keep it?”

But the Big Cat mercilessly denied the suggestion:

”You keep it for now.”

”Eh?”

Hilveld then asked: ”Have you had contact with Bakins?”

”Wait a moment,” Elisa took out the communication crystal, wiped it several times, and whispered a few words to the other side. She then raised her head, showing a hesitant look: ”Asked it, they also ran into some issues.”

”What issues?”

”It seems Colin Ishurian’s navy has arrived, though unclear if they’re the same ones inside the city...”

”Navy?”

The group visibly paused.

Reed almost immediately turned to the Ship’s Officer: ”Miss Hilveld, have you contacted the Elfendo Council, have they summoned the navy?”

But Hilveld furrowed her charming brows, also shaking her head: ”I haven’t, nor has Ade either.”

The Big Cat nearly instantly showed a puzzled look, tapping its chin with a claw, questioning: ”So besides us, the navy, and Dragon Worshippers here, there’s actually a fourth group?”

...