Pillar of Yita

What was originally thought to be just a common investigation; in fact, there was little hope of uncovering news about the Dragon Worshipper—turned out to be a huge finding right after entering Dolifen—not only was it significant information, but enormously so.

However, this information was a bit too overwhelming, making it somewhat indigestible.

”Does anyone recognize this dagger?” he then asked. Miss Tata had seen this dagger on those people. If they could find information related to the dagger, they might at least understand the attacker’s identity.

But everyone shook their heads. In Eteliria, the variety of Magic Guided Conductors was vast as the sea of mist, with countless known and unknown workshops producing uncountable works, some widely circulated, but others less known.

Miss Atira sighed and returned the dagger to Parker, not having received any useful information, though this was within expectations.

However, Fang Hong internally asked, ”Miss Tata, do you have any recollection of this dagger?” He had mentioned it offhandedly, not expecting any useful information—although Miss Fairy was knowledgeable, on the one hand, her knowledge was mostly related to Magic Guided Conductors and naturally to Ether. On the other hand, her memory might have stayed back in the decades when Silver Tower created her; she might not know some of the newer rumors.

Unexpectedly, this time there was an unexpected gain. Miss Tata was silent for a moment and then suddenly replied, ”The design of this dagger is somewhat different from what I know.”

”Different from what you know?”

”It somewhat resembles the serpent-shaped daggers used by the Lizardmen of Norsenica, but they do not use Magic Guided Conductors.”

The Lizardmen of Norsenica? Fang Hong was stunned momentarily, then recalled where he had heard that name—it was the main battlefield of the Battle of Bain, but how did it relate to that?

However, knowing something was better than knowing nothing. He was about to convey this information to Miss Atira when, just then, a cold shout from Miss Hilveld’s maid, Xiesta, came from behind everyone: ”Who?”

Everyone turned around and just caught a glimpse of a figure disappearing around the corner. Fang Hong, with poor sight, couldn’t make out the person’s appearance, but from the figure, it seemed to be a woman.

Before he could react, Xiesta had already sprinted after her. The quick reaction of Miss Maid was beyond everyone’s expectations.

”Follow her,” Miss Atira said softly.

Fang Hong quickly grasped the situation. Dolifen had been sealed off for many days, and an Undead Tide had just burst forth. The people remaining in the city were mostly Dragon Worship Believers, or they were related to the owner of the dagger—put differently, the attackers from that day.

By a coincidence, both were the groups they were looking for.

Everyone followed, including an elderly Knight. The Parer People ran the fastest, with a Crossbow strapped to his back, quickly vanishing behind the ruins. However, after Miss Maid left first, Gita obviously couldn’t keep up with the main group, so Fang Hong had to fall back a step to support her.

But he felt someone else had stayed behind with him, also extending a hand to support Gita—Fang Hong looked up in slight surprise as his eyes met Hilveld’s.

”Whether you believe it or not, Mr. Ade,” Hilveld said in a clear, soft voice, ”I might not have been completely honest with you, but I have no ill intentions towards you.”

”Miss Hilveld?” Gita looked at her somewhat astonishedly.

”I...” Fang Hong felt a bit embarrassed, as if his thoughts were being read.

”You can leave her to me, I can protect Gita. Go catch up with the others—here, Miss Atira’s scouting ability might not be as good as your Clockwork Fairy’s.”

Fang Hong hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

He glanced at Gita and then turned and ran forward, releasing the Clockwork Fairy as he ran. He lifted his hand, letting the little creature fly up from his palm and disappear above the buildings.

After completing this action, he suddenly remembered something—the direction in which the woman had disappeared was toward where Madam Tengye’s inn was located.

He pulled down his Wind Goggles and proceeded forward while multitasking to control the Clockwork Fairy in the streets littered with rubble. Although Dolifen was decaying, it wasn’t yet completely dismal—an Ancient Tree was pushing its branches up from under the slates, breaking through the city’s streets, and although the ivy-covered buildings no longer shone with their former glory, beneath them resided some new Residents.

Such as a chameleon engaging in predation, some small rodents, and an even greater number of birds. As long as one didn’t enter those empty and deep buildings, at least during the daytime, there were not many active Undead Creatures in the area.

However, Fang Hong knew that once night fell, this place would turn into a completely different scene.

During the first round, he almost found nothing, neither spotting the woman nor seeing Miss Atira and the others. In the second round, when he expanded the area, he finally saw Miss Elf and the others in his field of view.

Fang Hong paused for a moment.

Because he saw that Miss Atira and the others were actually confronting someone—however, the people didn’t look like the Dragon Worshippers he had imagined, nor did they resemble the attackers as described by Tianlan; instead, they looked more like a group of ordinary Adventurers.

It was probably what used to be a small square, but now it was nothing like it used to be—the entire equestrian statue in the square had collapsed onto a dry fountain below, leaving only four horse legs.