Pillar of Yita

”There are accomplices,” the two Dragon Worship Sect members were slightly startled, slowing their pace, ”What on Earth is the Dragonfire Guild doing outside, allowing so many rats to sneak in—”

They probably didn’t expect that after they left, someone else would enter this office. If the sect leader were to find out, the consequences would be unimaginable.

So their tone was somewhat irritated.

”Ade, run,” Red Leaf said through gritted teeth, ignoring her own injuries, ”You’re no match for them, I’ll hold off these two—Parker and Mr. Diket are trapped in the dungeon below, and Dragon’s Golden Eyes and Hudi are there too, the situation doesn’t look good, try to find a way to help them!”

”Run, where to?” The two blocked the doorway, ”Perhaps you can jump from there.” They jokingly pointed to the floor-to-ceiling window behind Fang Hong.

Only then did Red Leaf realize that beyond the window was a sheer cliff, hundreds of feet above the ground. Although there was a lake outside, Hustings Cathedral was not right next to the shore.

Beneath the cliff were jagged rocks.

She felt a wave of despair.

One of the Dragon Worship Sect members held a chainsaw, and the other a rapier. One of them was a Blasphemer, a profession that, like the followers of Ameya, had almost vanished among the Chosen.

Not only because this dark knowledge was secretly passed among Cultists, but also because the initiates had to understand the mysterious whispers of the nameless deities they worshipped.

The Fallen Ones.

This term referred to those who worshipped evil gods and calamities, not limited to the followers of the Dark Giant Dragon, although it was said that the Dark Giant Dragon itself was also an embodiment of disaster.

Yet the ancient Dragon Slayers were more inclined to believe that they were merely one of many evils brought to this world by the Verdant.

As for the history before the ruin of Aithelin, it is said that the Numelin Elves had recorded more of the disasters and the twisted evils that lay dormant in the darkness.

After the Disaster of Aithelin, however, the Numelin Elves disappeared without a trace, leaving behind only the ruins of civilization in many corners of this world.

Even the writings that recorded this history have long perished, lost to time.

To this day, only mystical Scholars might have knowledge of the words regarding disasters and the dark deities, which were written down and recorded as forbidden texts, hidden deep in those libraries.

But only the madmen proclaiming doomsday, the ambitious, and Cultists would insist that all these evil gods truly exist, enemies of the Orlin gods, the greatest reality of this false world.

Those twisted things, the mysterious whispers in the darkness, are the very essence of this world.

But in the history of today, only the existence of the Dark Giant Dragon still proves the beliefs of these people.

The Dark Giant Dragon, however, seems to be a tale from a previous era, relegated to the background of those tearful Dragon Slaying stories.

So much so that Nikopolas, in Fang Hong’s view, seemed to be a monster that stepped out of a legendary tale. If it weren’t for Mazak’s account of events occurring a century ago still fresh in his mind, who would have thought that a Dark Giant Dragon still existed in this world today?

When it’s brought up, people can only think of the hideous skeleton in the Iron Casting Hall.

If it were not for the disaster in Dolifen, Fang Hong would actually think that if this thing were placed on Earth, it should be treated like the discovery of dinosaurs in this era, directly taken to a laboratory and well preserved.

When it died one day, its remains would also be kept as the best specimen.

But this is Eteliria.

The Blasphemer swung the chainsaw in his hand towards Fang Hong, who was at the forefront. The surging power provided by the Type B Crystal Magic Guided drive endowed the handmade chainsaw with considerable killing force.

And the gap between their levels was as vast as the heavens.

Yet Fang Hong did not even budge, simply saying, ”Shield guard.”

A glowing half-dome shield flashed at the edge where the chainsaw touched him, and upon impact, the chainsaw shattered.

The chainsaw-wielding Cultist screamed as the chain whipped back, slashing across his face, bursting one of his eyes and sending blood and the eyeball spilling out.

”Shield guard!”

Red Leaf watched him in amazement.

A shield with rebound damage was not something from a Magic Guided Reactor plugin; it could only be one of the skills of an Energy Engineer (a title combining third tiers of Magician, Alchemist, and Magic Guided Conductor).

Shield Guard.

Moreover, to perfectly resist the strike from the Blasphemer and reflect the damage back completely, the skill level had to be very high.

She knew Fang Hong could not be an Energy Engineer; he did not even possess the Magic Guided Conductor level.

The only possibility left was an equipment effect.

But how could he have equipment with such a high-level skill effect? She instinctively looked at the scepter tightly held in Fang Hong’s hand—the scepter’s appearance was somewhat like the Scepter of Ignorance, which she had seen many times in the guild.

But it was not quite the same.

She was certain that Fang Hong had not used this object before.

And in his hand, the scepter was faintly shimmering, the effect of an Ether network’s reveal.

After the Blasphemer fell to the ground,

his flesh automatically transformed into arrows that shot towards Fang Hong, manifesting the unique ability of Blasphemers—the Blood Curse.

The damage they received would be calculated onto the attacker in the form of a unique curse.

And curse damage would not trigger any shield effects—

However, those blood arrows had not even neared Fang Hong when they all dissipated into nothingness, appearing to Red Leaf as if they had suddenly ignited into white flames and vanished into ash in mid-air.

She was stunned for a moment before recognizing what this ability was.

Pure Heart!

That was Milaila’s priest’s unique passive skill.

It had only one effect, immunity to curses.

This skill could be considered one of the greatest nemeses of all cultists and dark forces.

But Red Leaf stared, dumbfounded, at Fang Hong, and especially at the glowing pin on his chest—because the power of a priest could not possibly manifest on equipment.

Unless it was a Holy Relic.

But even a Holy Relic would not be entrusted to someone without faith.

Moreover, Milaila’s Holy Relic was the Staff of Life Authority.

”Pure Heart!”

Disregarding his moaning comrades on the ground, the Dragon Worshipper clutching the rapier seemed to come to his senses and instinctively took a step back.

What kind of joke was this?

As a Dragon Worshipper, he was naturally also a Fallen One—he was a Cursed Swordsman, a profession Fang Hong admittedly did not recognize.

But just by hearing this name, one would know what fate awaited such an individual in the face of Pure Heart.

The Opponent looked at the heraldry on Fang Hong’s chest with a touch of fear.

Both were elites from the Underground Church, and although they were aware they were not yet on par with the Immortals above, in their wildest dreams, they never imagined they would encounter such an odd individual here.

The information from inside the church had said that the members of the Tabopolis Knights Order who entered this Phantom Realm were not worth mentioning, the only slightly troublesome one would be the fourth-level leader.

But supposedly, that person had already been dealt with by the Dragonfire Guild—

So who was this monster that appeared in front of them?

It was impossible for Fang Hong to be one of Milaila’s priests, for all of Milaila’s priests were non-combat members, peaceful healers, and what Fang Hong had previously displayed, that energy shield, nearly scared him to death.

How could there be such a terrifying energy shield without an Energy Engineer of the fourth level or above?

And how could an Energy Engineer of the fourth level or above still have Pure Heart?

What exactly was going on?

Holy Relic?

Yet the man took a closer look at the scepter in Fang Hong’s hand, which looked nothing like Milaila’s Staff of Life Authority with intertwined twin serpents. Besides, when could the Staff of Life Authority be used so casually by an Energy Engineer?

It wasn’t like a flashlight, ready to use just by holding it.

But he took a slight step back and looked carefully, finally recognizing the origin of the heraldry on Fang Hong’s chest: ”Wait, that is...”

”That belongs to that woman... her...”

He suddenly raised his head to look at Fang Hong, as if seeing some kind of monster: ”Milaila’s Seal of No Regret... who on earth are you!?”

Fang Hong looked at the man very calmly.

”We are the ones who have come through the fog of the game, to the head of the chessboard,” he replied softly: ”the ones to play the last hand in this game of chess.”

He raised the scepter.

”This move.”

”Is called checkmate—”

The man’s complexion changed, as if thinking of something, he turned to run, but only a faint voice followed him: ”Rite Word, Intimidate.”

...