Pillar of Yita

Nikopolas turned his head, the golden gaze reflecting the scene, and suddenly opened its gaping maw, spewing out a stream of golden fire.

The blazing golden pillar shot up into the clouds, disappearing in an instant.

Everyone in the square looked up.

Reflected in people’s eyes was a faint blue glow in the sky, the flash of the Guy Engine.

Three points of light circled the golden pillar in an orderly manner, spreading out left and right, forming a tactical formation as they dove toward the center of the battlefield.

”It’s the Immortal Knights!”

”So many Immortal Knights!”

”Damn it, it’s our ship!”

”The Human Clan reinforcements have arrived!”

Suddenly, there was a wave of excitement in the live broadcast room.

People watched as points of light left the floating battleship one by one, forming into groups of three, arranging themselves in the air into a faint river of light. One end of this light river was connected to the center of the Fanric District, reaching up to the top of the Elfendo Spire, oppressive with its pitch-black wings over everyone’s hearts.

And at this moment, Nikopolas flapped its wings forcefully, causing the tower to tremble gently. It departed Elfendo for the first time, spreading its wings in mid-air, swooping towards the Immortal Knights in the sky.

”Dong Yao, Dong Er, be aware and spread out.”

A deep voice came over the communication channel.

The three Constructs at the forefront immediately spread apart, as a streak of black light threaded its way between them — fire flickered in Nikopolas’s golden eyes, and between its outspread wings, the black dust was dividing into countless arrowheads.

Like a black torrent, it seeped through countless tributaries, spreading across the vast sky.

People’s eyes reflected the flash.

It was like countless specks of stardust, slowly flickering to life above the spacious sky, filling the entire sky of the square.

Soon there was firelight in the sky, where the ’Knights’ engaged in combat with the black Giant Dragon mid-air, streaks of black light and blue Light Spears clashed — the explosive flash flickered briefly, and a Construct disintegrated in mid-air, causing the Guy Engine to transform into a rain of starry lights, drifting down gently.

...

”Reinforcements are here!”

Linen in the hall saw the scene outside and couldn’t help but shout in surprise.

”They’re our people,” he turned back, shouting to Fang Hong: ”We’re saved!”

”You handle those things first.”

Fang Hong pointed to the malintent black smoke gradually spreading around, with clusters of Dragon’s Claw among them.

”Wait,” Linen asked: ”Aren’t you the Combat Artisan?”

”I’m going to activate that thing.”

Fang Hong lifted his head.

There, the slender silhouette, stood silently like an ancient knight holding a long spear.

In its era, its name once shone brightly, but a century has passed, and many have forgotten this dragon-slaying knight.

Just as Xiuyuede’s sword has gradually turned into a legend in poets’ mouths —

It seems like an ephemeral time, yet a time of bustling heroes.

”Dragon Knight, Xiuma...” Linen looked at him in disbelief: ”...how can you possibly activate it?”

”It’s not a possibility,” Fang Hong looked at him seriously: ”It’s a necessity.”

He looked outside, and couldn’t help but remember everything about Dolifen.

What a formidable presence—

Though reluctant to admit, the threat the Dark Giant Dragon posed to this world was very real.

”Without a few Dragon Knights taking action,” Fang Hong answered softly: ”Combat Artisans can’t handle the Dark Giant Dragon, because you simply don’t understand what it really is—during their era, the Numelin Elves invented Alchemy.”

”Because the birth of Alchemy was actually to counter the Dark Giant Dragon.”

Linen opened his mouth slightly.

Fang Hong looked at Xiuma, and spoke: ”I will go activate it, you lure away the Dragon’s henchmen.”

He paused for a moment, before solemnly saying: ”Linen, I need your help.”

Linen thought for a moment, then replied: ”Okay, but I have a request.”

Fang Hong looked at the latter.

Linen shook his head: ”Promise me first, I’ll help you draw them away—”

Fang Hong considered for a moment, then nodded gently.

Linen looked at him, nodded. After a short silence, he turned without a word and headed towards the direction of the Dragon’s henchmen.

Fang Hong looked in that direction.

Watching as Linen faced those terrifying monsters, raised his right hand, clenched his fist, and then extended his middle finger—

Then watched the opponent turn and flee in another direction, taking most of the Dragon’s Claws, until they disappeared to one side of the hall.

Only then did he turn back, seeing that there were still a few Dragon’s Claws left in that direction. But Fang Hong didn’t care too much, he just threw an Energy Angel to block them from behind, then looked forward, tossing his Claw Hook upwards, hooking onto the railing there.

He tugged it, then climbed up.

The legendary Dragon Knight in history stood motionless, quietly standing there, but thankfully the artisans kindly used a set of supports to hold it in place, otherwise it would have fallen with the other exhibits at the beginning.

Fang Hong grabbed the railing, then flipped up, gently brushing his hand over its shell, which was covered in a thick layer of dust. He turned back, took a glance at the Dragon’s Claws behind him, and then asked softly: ”How is it, Miss Tata?”

”Can it still be activated?”

Miss Fairy uncharacteristically remained silent for a moment, then replied:

”It’s difficult.”

”There are two main elements to activating the Dragon Knight.”

”First, a compatible Dragon Soul.”

”Second, a Dragon Soul Crystal.”

”And the Dragon Soul Crystal of a Dragon Knight is usually made into a Dragon Crystal Armament after its Dragon Knight Rigging is created. Do you remember that Star Dagger, it was once my Dragon Soul Armament.”

Fang Hong instinctively recalled the dagger Miya had given him, and that dagger was the beginning of his connection with Miss Tata. He remained silent for a moment, then gently nodded his head.

Only then did Tata continue to answer quietly: ”Xiuma’s Dragon Soul Armament is the Dragon Slaying Sword Galapea.”

Fang Hong was taken aback. That thing was in the hands of the Traveler’s Rest owner, Mr. Mazak. He couldn’t help but ask: ”It’s impossible for us to get Galapea, is there any other way?”

”There is,” Tata replied: ”Although there’s no Main Control Crystal, fortunately Xiuma has already lost its master, and even its original Dragon Soul has fallen into a deep sleep. Under such circumstances, without using Galapea, we still have a way to activate it.”

”What should we do?”

”Calculative Power.”

Tata’s voice remained as calm as ever: ”Without the Main Control Crystal, we can only rely on an enormous calculative power to activate it.”

”Do we have enough calculative power?”

”We can only try, Mr. Knight,” Tata said: ”I will attempt to shut down some of the Dragon Knight’s subsystems to see if we can get it moving together.”

But she paused: ”However, there’s another problem. We don’t have a suitable Dragon Soul.”

”Miss Tata,” Fang Hong asked again: ”Can’t you do it?”

”I am a specialized Dragon Soul for the Fairy Knight, Mr. Knight, and the compatibility difference with Xiuma is too great, even simulating it is difficult.”

”Wait,” Fang Hong suddenly spoke: ”I have an idea.”

”Are you referring to Nini?”

”Wait,” Fang Hong said in surprise: ”When did you even get her a name?”

Before he finished speaking, he heard a childish voice in his mind:

”Papa.”

”Nini, hug.”

Tata looked at him with eyes as calm as water.

Fang Hong’s head was filled with black lines.

”Alright,” he said: ”Can she do it?”

”Suppose I simulate the Dragon Knight’s computational core, while Nini simulates its main Dragon Soul,” Tata replied: ”If we cooperate together, Mr. Knight, perhaps we can give it a try.”

”However,” she once again shifted gears: ”Mr. Knight, this is not easy. Even if you exert your utmost, there’s only about a five percent chance.”

Fang Hong gently closed his eyes.

He opened his eyes again, looking out beyond the High Tower, where lights were flashing, the Immortal Knights were locked in close combat with Nikopolas. To the outside observer, the battle seemed intense, but for the Dark Giant Dragon, from the beginning of the battle to this moment.

It didn’t seem to have sustained any real damage.

At this moment, a resolute glimmer finally flashed in his eyes, as his hand lightly rested on the dust-covered shell:

”But it once defeated Nikopolas, Miss Tata.”

”And now the ancient adversary has returned, I believe it also yearns for that same glory,” Fang Hong raised his head, looking at this tall, silent ’Ancient Knight’, and spoke softly: ”Even if there’s only a sliver of hope, we must at least give it a try.”

Tata looked at him.

She just lightly nodded her head.

”As you wish, Mr. Knight.”

...