Pillar of Yita

”Call me Ade, Miss Hes, thank you for your help,” Fang Hong silently put away the object and walked out from inside the house. However, he shook his head, ”But I am heading to City Hall next, and that place is too dangerous for you.”

”City Hall?” Hes looked at him in surprise, ”Mr. Ade, what are you doing there?”

”My companion is at that place.”

Hes was silent for a moment, then nodded her head. ”I understand, I will take you somewhere, Mr. Ade.”

Fang Hong was a little stunned.

Although he didn’t want to involve others, what Hes said next dispelled his doubts.

”City Hall is the masterpiece of the Grand Artificer Rosetta, that’s right, Lord Rosetta is also one of the four great craftsmen of the Elpaxin Artisan Association, because he is a Dwarf, he also designed an underground defense facility for Dolifen’s City Hall, I happen to know one of the tunnels that lead to City Hall, if we pass through there, we should be able to avoid the Undead outside.”

The young girl explained to him.

Fang Hong was surprised but after weighing it for a moment, he still nodded. With his current combat ability, facing the Undead, he really didn’t have much of a choice.

”If this path is really safe, then I can consider it. Thank you for your trouble, Miss Hes,” he answered.

”Don’t mention it, it’s rare to see outsiders here, it’s only right for us to help each other,” the young girl replied with a slight smile.

The two walked one after the other through the streets.

Fang Hong looked back; a few blocks away, flames still shot up into the sky, staining the night. It should be around three or four o’clock in the early morning, but the night was as dark as an abyss, showing no sign of the dawn.

He even doubted whether there would ever be a ’next day’ in this Phantom Realm at all before everything dissipated; it might forever remain at this moment.

Under Hes’s guidance, the two made their way around to the back alleys. The young girl stopped in front of a rust-covered iron fence, checking the lock on it.

”This is it, Mr. Ade,” she looked back and said, ”This is the entrance to the sewer, and that tunnel is inside.”

Fang Hong stepped forward and tugged at the lock-chain covered in Rust, the lock fell off with a sound, having been corroded beyond recognition over the decades.

Seeing this, Hes seemed not surprised and simply pushed the door open with a ’creak’.

But looking at the young girl’s back, Fang Hong suddenly said, ”Miss Hes, Mr. Rosetta is now the Chairman of the Elpaxin Artisan Association.”

”Ah?” The young girl looked slightly surprised. ”Lord Rosetta has become the Chairman of the Artisan Association? I’m sorry, the news is really isolated here.”

Fang Hong nodded, ”About ten years ago.”

The young girl closed her mouth abruptly, looking a bit uneasy.

Fang Hong looked at her but didn’t continue to inquire, only saying, ”Let’s go, Miss Hes, I can take my time telling you about what’s happening outside if I get the chance.”

Only then did the girl nod her head.

At the sewer entrance was a torn and faded flyer, affixed with a peculiar emblem:

A Dragon Head missing one horn.

The emblem was dark and gloomy, the color of blood dried up.

’...to our gospel, Lofenrir Church... our fathers, brothers, sisters, all redemption shall come on that day...’

The rest of the text was already too blurry to make out.

Fang Hong only glanced at it, a vague understanding forming in his mind. Looking at the young girl who was walking into the sewer, he followed her down.

The ensuing journey seemed rather mundane. Navigating through Dolifen’s sewers was nothing more than trudging through darkness, with no unexpected encounters, not even a sewer rat.

But that itself was quite odd.

The young girl held a Wind Lantern before her, seemingly quite familiar with the path, rarely hesitating at crossroads and often instinctively choosing the right direction.

The surroundings were very quiet, like a world cut off from everything else, the greyish-white light of the lantern passing over some skeletons, as if they had been there for centuries.

Buried beneath the dust.

Fang Hong wasn’t sure if these were victims from thirty years ago, but he had had a question in his mind for a long time—why there were so few survivors from Dolifen.

Where did Starlight go?

The answer seemed to lie in the darkness ahead. For some reason, an image flashed suddenly through his mind:

In a pitch-black mist, a pair of gold-red eyes was coldly staring at him, sending chills down his spine.

Then, the brilliantly lit great hall of Traveler’s Rest, the air filled with a strong scent of cinnamon, making one’s mouth water uncontrollably.

A pale-faced old man with meticulously groomed white hair stood beside him, saying,

”Be careful, the Dragon’s wings prophesize death, those who see the Dragon’s wings often see the harbinger of death.”

He shivered and returned to his senses from the depths of the illusion, subconsciously pressing on the back of his right hand; the Mark there was slightly warm.

At this time, the young girl had already led him to the exit of the tunnel.

Ahead was a cliff, with a ladder hanging down from above. Fang Hong looked up and saw nothing but darkness above, uncertain of where it led.

He tested the ladder with his hands and was surprised to find it was still very sturdy, not a hint of looseness.

Hes put the Wind Lantern down on the ground before telling him, ”Above is the courtyard of City Hall. The Undead cannot enter City Hall; it’s usually very safe inside.”