Pillar of Yita

About whether that mysterious organization was still there or not, Chris naturally couldn’t make it clear. The old man from his own family’s logging site didn’t allow him to get close to Dolifen, and his news about that place was at least several days old.

Fang Hong then asked about the incident of the Tide of the Undead last night and learned that the undead indeed came from the direction of Dolifen. From this, it could be inferred that the changes in Dolifen must have become more intense.

”Changes in a place always have reasons, right?” Fang Hong thought for a moment and said to the others, ”I believe there are only two scenarios for changes: external intervention or internal quantitative changes leading to qualitative changes. But the latter is less likely because Chris said that these changes started within the last two months. So that leaves us only with the possibility of external intervention. Let’s assume the external interveners are those mysterious people, and now that the changes in Dolifen are obviously more intense, it indicates they might still be in that place.”

After he finished speaking, he realized that everyone was looking at him with a strange gaze. The Lion People struck a match and lit his pipe, exclaiming, ”Ah, it seems our little boy isn’t as bad as we thought.”

”???” What did that mean? Have I been performing poorly all this time? Fang Hong looked at these people, completely baffled.

”Miss Atira, I—”

”Ade, you really have grown a lot these days,” Atira thought for a moment, somewhat relieved. ”Hilveld was right, you’re indeed well-suited for this position.”

”Miss Atira, but—”

”Ade, the way you are now is good. Sometimes I really worry you’ll follow in Kid’s old footsteps.”

Tianlan struggled not to laugh, it was quite an effort, while the Papalarians had already rolled under the table. The only two people in the room who weren’t laughing were Luo Yu and Chris. Chris didn’t get the joke, after all, in his eyes Fang Hong was still quite imposing, and the former—according to Tianlan, was purely stoic.

”Gita.”

The girl’s face turned red, and she quickly praised, ”Brother Ade, you’re very smart.”

”No, I mean my hand is going numb. When can I rest?” Fang Hong said, practically on the verge of tears.

”Hahaha.” Tianlan finally couldn’t hold back and laughed so hard she almost fell over.

Gita was truly on the brink of tears. ”Brother Ade, I didn’t mean to.”

After this little interlude, although it was still uncertain whether the mysterious organization in Dolifen was indeed related to the Dragon Worship Sect, at least the decision to head to the abandoned town was set.

What followed was a brief rest. After a night of combat, everyone was basically exhausted and found their own places to take a short break. Atira and Tianlan moved a large pot under the platform to start preparing lunch. With the large number, she cooked a whole pot of beans and mushroom soup without any spices, just appropriately adding a bit of salt, and soon the fragrance wafted through the woods.

It was then the Lion People pried the Papalarians from the bed, clutching him to hunt some game. There were plenty of grouses and wild rabbits in the woods, not difficult to handle. This was to ensure that everyone had enough meat to eat, although there was still salted meat hanging on the net above the wooden buckets. However, supplies were limited, and it was best to conserve where possible.

Luckily, the workers at the logging site were all grateful and had no complaints.

Fang Hong called over the young man to inquire about the group’s supplies. Chris said there should be a good stock of food at his logging site. Fang Hong and his group had saved the workers, and even his stubborn old man wouldn’t mind such a small matter, especially since those things were not worth much. He indicated that if Fang Hong and the others had a chance to go there, they could take whatever they wanted from the cellar.

Fang Hong told this to Atira, and the Elf Miss naturally took note of it. After all, aiding the workers had also depleted the group’s supplies, and while usually that wouldn’t be a problem, it was a bit of a nuisance for them at this moment.

Afterward, it was time to decide who would go to Dolifen. Since the Beast of Burden was now the team’s most valuable asset, one of the two high-end combatants—Reed and Xiesta—had to stay behind to watch the place. However, Hilveld knew she wasn’t familiar enough to be left with such a responsibility, so she wisely didn’t speak up, saving everyone from discomfort.

In the end, it was decided that the Lion People would stay, and since Luo Yu needed to repair the platform, he also stayed behind. Fang Hong originally intended for Gita to remain and recover from her injuries, but the young girl was unexpectedly resolute. She stated she wasn’t a delicate burden that needed special care from everyone.

Taking into account her determination, and considering she truly was the person who knew Dolifen the best, their journey to the abandoned town did indeed require such an all-knowing presence. Eventually, Fang Hong agreed to let her accompany them. However, Hilveld stated that Xiesta could take care of Gita, which slightly relieved both Fang Hong and Atira.

During lunch, the workers from the logging site couldn’t stop praising the Elf Girl’s cooking skills. The soup was perfectly simmered, with the beans thoroughly softened, complemented by a small piece of hard bread and a tiny portion of roasted meat. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to replenish the Physical Fitness of these ravenous people for the journey back to Elpaxin.

Atira cooked a special meal just for the children from the logging site, and of course, the three Trainees and Fang Hong, too, claiming that people who were growing needed more attentive care.