Pillar of Yita

The Dragon Roar invoked a fear deep within the soul.

It made one’s legs go weak and heart race, as if through pale eyes, people could see a vision of their own death. Yet, fear pinned them to the spot, their minds filled with a thousand succubi screaming at once, dizzying and disorienting.

Fang Hong felt a chill in front of his nose, the rusty smell of blood. Touching it, he realized it was a handful of fresh blood, slightly glaring. He looked up to see those spreading black wings, dark as a demon flame rising from hell, enveloping the sky.

”Dragon!”

Someone screamed hoarsely.

Panic spread like a plague, unstoppable. People no longer cared about order; the resistance to death and the instinct to survive overwhelmed everything. Rich or poor, noble or lowly lost their meaning here; fine clothes did not help one survive in such conditions and often resulted in being quickly swallowed by the crowd.

Some scoundrels even turned against women and children.

Suddenly, the cries of terrified women and children filled the air, especially those who had been separated from their men.

Being weaker than men, they were dragged down by the arms and shoulders one after another, gradually falling behind in the crowd, some even getting separated from their children.

The fate of those weak children in a dense crowd hardly bears thinking about.

Fang Hong was furious at the sight.

He forged through the crowd with a grim face, punching a man in the face so hard that he flew backward. Though merely an Alchemist at level 4 or 5, his Scepter of Regret and Covenant Mark endowed him with a ”Strength Increase+” attribute, making him much stronger than the average civilian.

Some mindless thugs turned their attention toward Hilveld. The Lady Noble didn’t hesitate and fired her gun; a gunshot later, the man trying to pull her back by her hair suddenly opened his mouth wide and fell backwards.

The sound of the gun dispersed the crowd, as if Hilveld was a she-demon with horns.

Fang Hong glanced in that direction, and Hilveld shrugged at him through the open space in the crowd, ”These scum deserved to die. I just think mercy is a bit too luxurious for them, Captain Sir.”

Fang Hong nodded.

He naturally understood this principle, it was just not his habit to attack defenseless people.

He didn’t have a psychological burden, but was somewhat surprised by Hilveld’s decisiveness, the daughter of a wealthy family who usually posed as harmless but was not soft-handed at crucial moments.

Fang Hong felt as if he had seen her anew.

Hilveld asked with a smile, ”Surprised?”

”A bit.”

”Then it’s your fault for not protecting me well, Captain,” the young woman blinked at him, ”A beautiful team member like me is easily hurt and needs careful protection.”

”...”

Fang Hong was almost out of breath, he had never seen anyone who could self-praise so rightfully, making it seem so logical that it was almost irrefutable.

But Hilveld’s appropriate teasing somewhat dissipated the pressure in his heart.

He turned to look at the sky.

The phantom of the Dark Giant Dragon, wrapped in a sea of flames, was drawing closer, with several blocks behind already devoured by the fire, it would fly over in the blink of an eye.

Fang Hong knew he didn’t have much time. Suddenly, he turned around, under the gaze of everyone, and threw the scepter in his hand to Hilveld.

”Hilveld, you lead everyone to keep moving forward,” the young man turned back to face the sea of flames, the firelight reflected on his face, ”I’ll cover the rear.”

”Lord!?”

Although chaos reigned at the periphery, those who had initially followed him, including Hes’s father, had always kept their faith in him.

While everyone was filled with anxiety, the presence of Dolifen’s Chief Praetor still gave them a reason not to fear.

These people felt both moved and vaguely believed that Fang Hong really could lead them out of this place.

But the decision of the Lord Praetor

caught everyone by surprise.

”Lord... you can’t stop it,” Hes’s old dad said earnestly, ”You still give everyone here a bit of confidence, otherwise, we truly will scatter and flee. Think again, Lord—”

But Fang Hong had his own plans and couldn’t afford to explain to these people. He just gave Hilveld a look, hoping she would understand his intentions.

The intelligent young noblewoman never let people down.

Hilveld caught the scepter, nodded at him, then she turned and raised the scepter high and shouted to everyone else, ”Everyone, please look this way, I am your lord’s fiancée—I pledge in the name of my family’s honor and nobility that everyone will be unharmed.”

Her voice was full of emotion, as if a truly devoted wife was supporting her husband, ”In the name of the Kingdom of Colin, let us bathe in the morning light and walk side by side, all difficulties will vanish into thin air, behold the scepter of the kingdom, and proceed with it to overcome all hardships, just as my husband stands with you all—”

Her voice carried far.

So much so that people on the outskirts turned around, looking at the scepter now held high.

Hilveld quickly signaled to a maid next to her, Xiesta shook her head, weakly shouting, ”The lady is right! Long live Lord Praetor! We obey the Lord Praetor!”