Pillar of Yita

Red Leaf was furious, ”Who is close to him? All of you, shut up!” then he turned around and glared fiercely at Fang Hong.

Fang Hong, who was lying down, was inadvertently caught in the crossfire, and could only look innocent.

The others seemed to enjoy the drama, only Xiesta kept a straight face, full of disdain.

However, Fang Hong always felt there was something amiss. How could the Dragonfire Guild recklessly provoke a behemoth much stronger than itself? Even if there was substantial gain to be had from this mission, it wasn’t worth the risk.

Moreover, it was clear that the Dragonfire Guild was determined to wipe them out completely; this was a fight to the death.

As he thought, he walked over to the window—the mayor’s office also felt strange to him, as if it wasn’t completely empty, with some shadowy figures lingering in the quiet space.

If he calmed his mind, he could hear ambiguous sounds swirling around his ears, like whispers, arguments, and conversations, but as soon as he snapped back to reality, it would seem like auditory hallucinations, with the murmur disappearing entirely from his mind.

Fang Hong looked carefully around and noticed that the shadows in the office were peculiar. Hilveld was holding a glowing conical crystal, but the shadows were not growing against the light, instead flowing softly in the corners like water.

Suddenly, he flung the curtains open. The firelight from the Lower City Area flooded in through the floor-to-ceiling windows, sweeping the room’s dimness away, and the shadows in the corner dispersed like a layer of mist.

But there was nothing behind them—

which disappointed him a bit.

He instinctively looked outside the window and took a sharp breath. The woods outside the City Hall were now packed with undead, stretching out like a vast ocean.

In comparison, the Tide of the Undead he had witnessed in the forest the previous night was nothing.

The others also grew solemn at this scene.

”We were evenly matched with the Dragon Worship Sect, if not for Hudi releasing the Shadows of the Past, causing these undead to appear,” Red Leaf said somewhat unwillingly, ”Now, with the help of the undead, it’ll probably be tough to hold the City Hall...”

”Is your mission related to the Dragon Worshippers?” Fang Hong suddenly recalled what he had seen and heard during the day in Fisherman Long Alley, and the traces of the Night Hawk’s Piercing Shooting there. He now realized that the battling parties must have been the Dragon Worshippers and the Tabopolis Oak Knights.

Red Leaf nodded, ”Our task was originally to prevent the Dragon Worshippers from entering Dolifen.”

”What?” Fang Hong was shocked, a strike of lightning seeming to clear the fog in his mind, ”Could the Dragonfire Guild be in collusion with the Dragon Worship Sect?”

Red Leaf was equally incredulous, shaking her head instinctively, ”Impossible! Unless they’ve gone mad!”

The owner of Colin Ishurian, at least for now, was still the Kingdom of Colin, and Invokers in Eteliria were not without restrictions. Governments on Earth and the kingdoms of Eteliria had signed agreements—Invokers must abide by most laws and moral consensus both on Earth and in the native kingdoms they reside in.

Colluding with cultists was strictly forbidden, with violators not only wanted in Eteliria by various countries but also subject to corresponding legal responsibilities upon returning to Earth—equivalent to participating in illegal gatherings, cults, and terrorist organizations in reality.

Although over the many years of the Stargate Era, there had been deranged individuals, an entire guild colluding with a cult was unheard of.

How could any Invoker, for the sake of affairs in Eteliria, involve themselves in matters of the real world? Even if lawless, they must adhere to the constraints of their real-world identities.

But she had to admit, Fang Hong’s considerations were very likely, and his words opened a Pandora’s box, leading to more chilling thoughts.

”Could they have been deceived by the Dragon Worship Sect... How could they dare to do this...” Red Leaf muttered, struggling to understand.

Fang Hong shook his head, ”That’s possible, but unlikely. They surely recognize the Dragon Worshippers; I saw the corpses of the Dragon Worship Sect in the woods outside.”

Red Leaf was at a loss for words, anxiously saying, ”I must tell the others about this immediately and notify the guild.”

”Wait,” Fang Hong felt as if something had clicked in his mind, with missing links seemingly connecting: ”Did you just say these undead appeared today?”

Red Leaf paused.

She looked at Fang Hong and nodded, ”Is there a problem?”

”The problem is huge,” Fang Hong replied solemnly, pausing with every word. ”I think I’ve found the root of all the changes in Dolifen.”

Everyone paused and turned to look at him.

...