Pillar of Yita

Even among the core members, not everyone had a contract with the Guild, taking Guild subsidies and a salary; most people still had to think for themselves. Normally, the Guild would put up enough benefits to pacify everyone, but in the end, who doesn’t have a bit of unruly temper?

He knew this all too well; better to ease than to block, right now. Besides, he himself wasn’t exactly satisfied either—he was just used to obeying the decisions of the upper Guild management. This was about the Guild’s interests; sometimes you had to make trade–offs. The Captain glanced at the trusted aides around him—the ones still keeping silent now were, naturally, the most core Members of the Guild.

Put simply, they were salaried professional Invokers.

”Boss, aren’t we going a bit too far?” Even the Ranger Captain who’d been temporarily pulled in couldn’t help but shake his head. ”Do you still remember that Tree People who saved us in the Valley back then? We’re doing this for the Guild’s interests, but people can’t just throw away their conscience.”

Everyone fell silent. Of course they still remembered that Tree People who sacrificed itself to save them all—it was called Long Branch; they still remembered that Tree People’s name. In fact, if not for that, how could they feel this guilty now?

”We’re already this far,” the Captain shook his head. ”Let’s wait for the Twilight Guild folks. Their mission should almost be done. Once they complete it, we’ll leave straight away.”

The few of them looked at one another and could only nod.

”By the way, where’s Rainbow?”

”Heard she had a fight with the Twilight people and left.”

”Guess she didn’t want to wallow in the mud with us.”

”Sigh, Miss Rainbow doesn’t love us anymore.” Someone muttered a joke, nobody knew who.

But right at that moment, a rustling came out of the darkness, heavy footsteps carrying over from the distant Forest. Hearing that sound, the people of the Holy White Stone Guild all grew tense; they were long since familiar with it—that was the sound of Tree People.

”More Tree People are coming.”

Their faces all turned ugly. It wasn’t that they were afraid of Combat with enemies; it was just that this sort of Combat was suffocating. Whether it was their own dying or killing the enemy, they felt none of that exhilarating rush—only an endless, bottomless guilt.

Rather than say they were fighting enemies, it felt more like they were fighting themselves; that feeling was just too painful.

But as the Captain stared in that direction, his expression suddenly changed—out of the darkness, a towering, elderly Tree People appeared before them, leading two relatively young Tree People. The old one’s body was draped in gray–black bark, long whiskers dangling almost all the way to the ground.

It was glaring at these humans, fury filling its chest as it said, ”I knew you couldn’t be trusted, you insidious, despicable humans. I should have stuck to my own judgment and never let Lord Moenyalit save you. Look at what you’ve done—is this how you repay your saviors, humans?”

The droning voice reverberated through the underground Valley, leaving the Holy White Stone Guild unable to speak for a moment. Of course the key was the identity of the Ancient Treant before them—it and its companions had been the ones to pull them out from the Crystal creatures’ encirclement and escort them to this place—

The Tree People lashed its branches, roaring, ”Long Branch sacrificed itself to save you ingrates, and you went and killed its companions, its kin. Is this what you call yourselves—Holy Chosen? You’re more shameless than Demons!”

The people of the Holy White Stone Guild were struck dumb.

But another group appeared not far away.

The Twilight Guild showed up on the high ground over there. The Elementalist at their head looked down on the scene, raising the Magic Wand in his hand, aiming at the Tree People.

But the Captain of Holy White Stone hurried to stop him. He spoke up: ”Wait, don’t Attack them. We know these Tree People—they saved our lives. Let us talk them down. Leave this side to us.”

The Twilight Guild hesitated a moment, then lowered their Magic Wand.

The Captain of Holy White Stone let out a sigh of relief, then turned around:

”Mr. Short Beard…”

But the Tree People did not accept his goodwill.

”You are not worthy of that name,” Short Beard said angrily. ”You must leave this place at once—leave this Holy Land.”

Then it suddenly stopped. Its wooden eyes turned past the people of the Holy White Stone Guild, staring with incredulity at the scene behind them. There, the Twilight Guild Members parted, and that man stepped into view.

In his hand he was holding a clear, translucent Crystal—the surface looked unremarkable enough. It was about an elbow in length, fitting into one hand, but if you looked closely, the Crystal’s differently cut facets seemed to hold a kind of Magic Power that could draw even your mind into it.

The more you stared at it, the more bewitched you became. It seemed to have a captivating pull that could make someone gaze at it endlessly, all the way to the end of time. Even the man holding the Crystal, after a few glances, had to struggle to pull his mind back, carefully placing it into a box.

But right then the Ancient Treant suddenly erupted into a furious roar:

”Despicable human, what are you holding!”

”Put down the Heart of Chongshan—it does not belong to you!”

With that roar, its branches suddenly swelled, turning into a giant net that spanned over a hundred feet, stabbing toward the Twilight Guild on the hillside.

Amidst a chorus of screams, the Captain of the Holy White Stone Guild saw the Twilight Guild raise their Magic Wand again. ”Wait!” he couldn’t help but shout, but it was already too late.

Under the night sky, a golden flame Ascended from that Magic Wand, arcing over the battlefield to collide with those vine–like spikes in midair. A blinding burst of sparks exploded in the darkness.

...

When Fang Hong climbed out of the pit, shaking the dust off himself, he looked up to see that same dazzling firework.

The firelight spread from the dark depths of the earth, gradually illuminating the Forest in the Valley. He turned back and hauled Gita up from below in one motion, then turned again to watch from afar:

”They’re trading blows with the Tree People.”

Alice was also looking in that direction as she spoke.

Fang Hong nodded. At least that counted as good news—it meant the other side was still in the Valley and hadn’t left.

...