Pillar of Yita

Aimumu Fortress is actually the abandoned ancient castle Hilveld mentioned earlier.

There are many legends about this ancient castle, and the reasons for its abandonment are varied. Some say the people in the castle vanished overnight, leaving behind an empty fortress—yet another story suggests that for some reason, its original owner voluntarily deserted it. Over time, its gray-white walls have become entangled with vines, ultimately becoming part of the mountain and forest.

But regardless of the legend, they are filled with bizarre stories. Within the tales are wealth as vast as nations, legendary treasures, and secrets within the castle buried deep and untold.

Most of these hard-to-distinguish rumors are just fabrications. People used to venture into the castle to uncover the truth, but over the years, the castle has been reduced to an empty shell and rubble buried beneath the snow.

However, since Fang Hong decided to accept Lady Kuisu’s request, the truth of the rumors doesn’t matter. He allowed the team to rest for a day at the Masongke Creek base, setting off on the third night.

The snow had stopped that evening.

But the temperature dropped even lower; after nightfall, the air seemed to freeze into powder, fluttering down, raising snow dust. Among the group were Fang Hong, Elisa, Xiesta, Luo Yu, Gita, Xiangzi, and Mr. Big Cat, with Miss Tata naturally accompanying him; the others stayed behind to guard Mr. Greyrock.

Hilveld also wanted to join them. However, there was far too much work awaiting her on the ship—including planning the next route and gathering and organizing related intelligence. The team’s paperwork and intelligence tasks almost entirely depended on her alone.

Only when Elisa and Gita were free could they assist Miss Ship’s Officer. However, Elisa also had her own airbag maintenance duties and served as an assistant to Atira, so her time was limited.

Thus, Hilveld really couldn’t spare the time.

However, she was genuinely worried about Fang Hong, so she sent Xiesta to join the team and instructed her maidservant to protect Lord Captain with all her might.

The latter merely glanced at Fang Hong and nodded slightly.

The group was clad in thick winter clothes and had activated the Magic Guided Reactor, running at minimal power, using residual heat to maintain their body temperature. Fang Hong felt that Eteliria’s winter was harsher than the region, at least that’s how it was in northern Colin—he’d heard that Tarun’s winter was even colder, turning the forest desolate after the snowfall.

But the Tibial Bone Forest was much the same. After night descended, they trudged through the deep and shallow snow, surrounded by only drifting snow mist, their breath icy and piercing.

As the captain, Fang Hong frequently looked back to check on the others. Gita’s small face was pale from cold, teetering in the snow, exhaling white mist with every labored breath, clutching her Magic Guided Book tightly.

When he turned his head, the little girl also looked up at him, her eyes dark and ink-like, slowly blinking. ”Are you alright?” Fang Hong reached out to help her up, asking at the same time. Gita gently shook her head.

Luo Yu and Elisa were also in good condition. The girl’s Rhino Leather Magic Armor had a built-in thermal plugin, so she only wore a thin layer, making it easy for this Nightingale to move agilely in the snowy wilderness.

She had also wrapped a long scarf that covered half her face, draped behind her like a blue-gray cloak, giving her a dashing look as she walked.

Behind them, Xiesta was still in her usual maid outfit, just adding a fur shawl, moving effortlessly, making one wonder if this young lady was even human.

Then came Xiangzi.

He was already wrapped up tightly, with only his eyes exposed, undaunted by the wind and snow, acting as if it didn’t exist. From time to time, he drew his Sting Sword to brush the snow off the branches, causing it to fall with a rustling sound, the only noise in the snowy night.

The Big Cat was responsible for the rear. It dragged a long, thick cloak, with a shield hanging on its hand, occasionally glancing around. Feline creatures all have great night vision, and Reed was no exception.

Furthermore, being tall, the snow barely reached his ankles, making walking in the snow much easier for him than for others.

Fang Hong then turned back around.

The team crossed a valley, waiting at a mountain saddle to rendezvous with the two teams Lady Kuisu brought. About a quarter of an hour later, her team indeed arrived as promised. This team primarily consisted of woodcutters, looking broad and strong, but lacking combat capabilities, mainly joining to search for people.

Nonetheless, the fact these people were willing to come along, already demonstrated their loyalty to Lady Kuisu. After all, this was not simply a matter of going into the mountains to cut wood; the Blood Thistle Woods area was chillingly eerie due to its proximity to Aimumu Fortress, presenting no small amount of danger.

Additionally, the team had two Tessov Dragon Lizard Beasts, carrying tents and dry rations. These medium-sized beasts of burden were adept at traversing mountain forests, and Fang Hong had become quite familiar with them during his time with the Morning Dawn Star.

”Is everyone here?” Fang Hong asked the lady.

Kuisu nodded, ”That’s all we have, but if we were heading south, more would be willing to join us. Mainly, some people are the sole children in their families, or their Starlight has already dimmed, and I don’t want to drag them along on this adventure—”