Pillar of Yita

”Chairman Ye!”

”Chairman Ye Hua, you finally made it!”

The young man nodded slightly.

He looked at the BBK officials and sneered, ”Interesting, you used the Reaper’s Pact to stall me and make decisions here? But I have bad news for you, unfortunately, that task was completed not long ago.”

The BBK official’s face darkened and said heavily, ”Ye Hua...”

But he didn’t continue.

For no reason other than this.

The young man before him held a status far above his own, being the undisputed Uncrowned King of the Southern Region and the President of the Southern Region Alliance, also the only member of the Ten Kings not belonging to an elite club.

The God of Night, the Ranger King.

Ye Hua glanced at the emblem on the long table, gently picked it up, and his gaze softened for a moment—this emblem bore witness not only to the growth of an alliance but also to the lives of many as Invokers.

He still remembered the words spoken to him by the old Chairman when handing him this emblem.

The BBK officials looked at him with stern faces.

They were somewhat nervous, but at least maintained a facade of calm, understanding that even he could not overstep the Stargate Declaration set by the Super Competitive League.

But then Ye Hua gently raised the emblem, making it shine in his hand—he looked at everyone in the main seat and said softly, ”Half a century of history for the Free Summoners of Eteliria.”

He spoke each word deliberately, letting his voice fall into the vast hall: ”And the history of the Southern Region Alliance, thirteen years.”

”You’ve come today with an ultimatum—”

”Forcing the Southern Region Alliance to give you an answer.”

Ye Hua took a deep breath:

”Then I’ll give you an answer.”

”The era of the Free Guild has passed, but the era of the Free Summoner has never left...”

He surveyed the crowd, gently stroked the emblem, as if bidding farewell to an old friend of many years. But at last, he sighed, placed it back on the table in full view of everyone.

Ye Hua lifted his head and spoke, ”You will be free individuals.”

”Because from this moment on,” his calm gaze fixed on them, ”the Alliance will cease to exist.”

His voice was not loud.

Yet it was like a thunderclap in everyone’s ears.

The BBK officials rose, faces twisted, shouting at him, ”Ye Hua, how dare you?” But the young man remained unmoved, known for his fearlessness when he first rose to fame, and at this moment, the Ranger King was still the God of Dark Night he once was.

He even looked at them with a hint of compassion.

At the next moment.

Everyone present stood frozen, as a notification rang out from their Summoners System: ’You have been removed from the Southern Region Alliance.’

The hall fell silent, people looked at each other in dismay —but aside from the main seat of the long table, more people began getting up, quietly pulling back their chairs and leaving their seats without a word.

They glanced one last time at those who remained, their eyes reflecting candlelight, reflecting the end of an era.

From that moment, they returned to freedom.

But perhaps, were no longer free.

In the cold wind.

The light of the street lamps faintly illuminated the mottled road of Ash Square.

...

Sophie looked at the messages in the community, so shocked she couldn’t speak for a long time.

After a while, the Princess of Silver Weslan bitterly smiled and shook her head, ”This is a big deal now...”

Fang Hong silently put away the Light Page.

Miss Fairy sat quietly beside, leaned against Daisy, looking at the two with clear eyes. Fang Hong had her follow posts about the Southern Region in the community, and with the appearance of this main post, she realized it might be related to the martial law in Tulip Fortress.

But whether the Southern Region Alliance or the world of the Invokers, both felt too distant from this Fairy Lady; all she wished to do was help her Mr. Knight.

The cold wind howled through the valley outside, bringing an empty, heart-piercing sound.

Only after Fang Hong put away the Light Page did he ask, ”Miss Sophie, what exactly happened in the south?”

But Sophie only sighed, ”Ye Hua is just too stubborn, I originally thought both sides would step back a bit...”

”Ye Hua? That God of Night?”

”He also returned from the Second World?”

Fang Hong was slightly startled.

He wasn’t familiar with the Southern Region Alliance, but was very familiar with the name Ye Hua.

The other had indeed served as president of the Southern Region Alliance—or should say former president—but compared to the current president’s obscurity, his other identity was far more widely known.

The Ranger King, Dark Night Hunter God.

Seven years ago, four terms before Sophie, he had risen as a dark horse to win the New King contest and thus began his path to fame. On the Ranger path, he was unstoppable, eventually defeating the former Ten Kings, France’s ’Eye of God’ Kru in the Ranger’s Heavenly King competition, cementing his status as the number one ranger.

He was also, after Odin, China’s second Ten King in the past decade, and the foremost idol for countless Free Summoners.

Because his guild was exactly the Freedom Alliance, intricately linked to the Southern Region Alliance, a Second World guild.

”This is a long story, Ade,” Sophie shook her head, ”but the BBK pushed the Southern Region Alliance too hard. I didn’t think they would impose such harsh conditions...”

”The Southern Region might be plunged into chaos...”

”So what exactly is going on?” Fang Hong asked.

But just then, the door outside opened with a creak.

Standing outside was Elisa, dust-laden and covered in snow; seeing the two, she announced, ”I’ve escorted those people to safety, but I encountered others.”

”Others?”

Both were taken aback.

...