Pillar of Yita

Fang Hong turned his head and said to the little girl beside him, ”Gita, do you still remember the information you found in the library of the Silver Tower? The Evil Dragon has fallen, but its Followers snatched away the Dragon’s Broken Claw, and since then, its whereabouts have become utterly unknown...”

Gita nodded, whispering in reply, ”That record comes from the book ’Galapea, the History of the Dragon Slaying Sword,’ the author being the reclusive Scholar Salando who resides at Feather Fort. He is a believer of Angina and quite professional and authoritative in historical research; it is unlikely he would write without basis.”

As she reached this point, it seemed she remembered something, her eyes widened dramatically, pushing her glasses up as she repeated, ”...the Hero’s Sword, the poetry of history. The Hero’s Sword, the poetry of history.”

She murmured the phrase twice in succession.

Having listened to Gita, Fang Hong turned back to Red Leaf and said, ”But Nikopolas is still alive, you and I saw him with our own eyes at the Traveler’s Rest, Miss Red Leaf.”

Red Leaf hadn’t fully recovered from the sudden onslaught of massive information and couldn’t help but feel somewhat bewildered, ”But Ade, what exactly are you trying to say...”

In Fang Hong’s eyes, however, there was only calmness, ”What I mean is, assuming no one lied and if the records are also credible, what situation would emerge?”

”Do not forget a vanquished foe, for they shall return—”

He recited that somewhat ancient adage softly as if it were a verse.

”...Over thirty years ago, the Dragon Worshippers plotted a nefarious plan in Dolifen—resurrecting Nikopolas. They chose here because they discovered that the Dragon’s Golden Eyes were hidden somewhere in this city.”

”Their plan must have been on the brink of success; hence Dolifen turned into a sea of flames, a calamity for living beings, transforming into Resentful Spirits who sleep beneath the ground.”

”At the same time, far away in Istania, Mazak and his grandfather—a lineage of Dragon Slayers—perceived the resurrection of Nikopolas through the anomaly in the Dragon Horn. Thus, thirty-three years ago, they left their homeland and founded Traveler’s Rest in this distant swamp...”

Upon hearing this, Tianlan opened her mouth involuntarily, covering it with her hand.

And as if he had witnessed it himself, Fang Hong slowly narrated the visions of the past, ”But I think the resurrection of Nikopolas was not entirely successful; something secretive must have happened during that celebration thirty years ago, perhaps a group of Heroes from that era intervened in the course of history, disrupting the Dragon Worship Sect’s plan.”

”Therefore, Nikopolas, not having regained its full strength, had been cautiously lying low in the depths of the swamp for the past thirty years, wary of revealing itself.”

”And now, Nikopolas has reclaimed the Dragon’s Broken Claw from its Followers and snatched back its lost horn at Traveler’s Rest; it has almost returned to its former glory, missing just one thing.”

Fang Hong looked down.

”That thing is here—it’s called the Dragon’s Golden Eyes, the Golden Star Fire of the Dark Giant Dragon, the source of Strength—the Phantom Realm itself was born because of it.”

He then raised his head again—the light on the horizon seemed even brighter, the faint glow passing through the curtains and falling on his face, giving it an indistinct appearance.

”But it remains hidden in the mist.”

”The Dragon Worshippers linger here to unveil the history shrouded in fog and find that which they must possess,” Fang Hong responded softly, ”Do you remember the unlucky Jeffrey’s words? What we need to do is reach the other end of the chessboard before them, clearing away the fog. The Phantom Realm is fair to everyone—”

The Hero’s Sword, the poetry of history; tracing the past, unveiling the fog—

As if an invisible voice echoing in the darkness and the void, it drew Hilveld’s gaze upward, admiring the youth.

”So, what does the fog symbolize?” Atira asked, frowning softly.

Just then, a strange voice came from the direction of the door.

”That is the real reason why, thirty years ago, Nikopolas and the Dragon Worship Sect Believers lost the Dragon’s Golden Eyes in this Phantom Realm and ultimately failed in their plans.”

”Who?” Red Leaf looked in that direction warily and with some anger. She had arranged several lookouts in the hallway outside—had they all died without sending any word? Even if they had died, they should have warned the others in the Guild through the team channel.

Everyone else also turned their gaze towards the sound.

Only Fang Hong paused for a moment, as he was the first to see the Nighthawk Summoner from Tabopolis, whom he had met once before at Grey Oak Square.

The speaker was a man standing beside the Nighthawk Summoner, with a mask and somewhat greyed hair.