Pillar of Yita

The feeling of hope just kindled and then instantly extinguished is enough to crush the most resilient will, but Fang Hong still endured it silently. He thought of the battle at the Morning Dawn Star, and compared to the despair back then, what was this now? In such a desperate situation, he could find a glimmer of life, and surely he could now too.

After clenching his fist, Fang Hong’s thoughts started moving again. He retreated a step, and before the knights could catch up, he immediately changed direction and moved forward.

He abandoned his previous plan without any hesitation.

On the outer city wall side, they should have already received the message from within the fortress. Generally, in these types of military fortress cities, specialized barracks are stationed at different wall sections. By the time he arrives, the other side would have long laid a trap on the walls. Even if he manages to break through temporarily, the other side could follow closely and catch him.

Although he hadn’t thought of a better plan yet, losing the pursuers behind was clearly the right move.

On the system panel, the stamina had already dropped below the alert line, and a red warning Light Page popped up, reflected on his face. But actually, without a hint, he could sense the rapid decline in his physical state from his own feelings.

However, he deliberately refused to consider these issues, trying to divert his attention to feel better. Remembering the battle at the Morning Dawn Star, he couldn’t help but recall his heroic deeds that night, escaping unscathed from the giant Construct’s attack, and thinking back, even he didn’t know how he managed it.

Had it not been for the subsequent humiliation, dying in Miss Miya’s hands due to a misunderstanding, his performance that night could almost be described as perfect.

Although he has since experienced events like Dolifen and Fenris Isle, thinking carefully, still, the battle at the Morning Dawn Star left him the deepest impression—perhaps not just the performance itself, but also Miss Sicape, Mr. Kroid, and everyone else, as well as that silver-haired, wolf-eared girl.

With a shift in mind, another face emerged in his mind, Miss Ship’s Officer’s sapphire eyes, as vast as the boundless Sky Sea, or perhaps a serene lake, harboring endless secrets. From unknown strangers, both had walked to a now pledged relationship, sometimes Fang Hong himself thought, it was like a dream.

He actually found a native girlfriend.

Fortunately, his aunt seemed to know about this and didn’t seem too opposed.

The future might hold some troubles, but those were future matters. Fang Hong actually had a somewhat carefree attitude; otherwise, he wouldn’t have looked for someone to help him smuggle here in the beginning.

Under normal circumstances, everyone knows such things can’t be hidden for a lifetime; there will always be a day when the truth comes out. And once the smuggling is discovered, he knew what would happen, but in the end, they dealt with it adequately, didn’t they? The military isn’t pursuing this issue, and others have nothing much to say anymore.

He just needed to pay attention to the Super Competitive League side, but the League’s constraints on a Free Summoner like him were limited.

These messy thoughts flashed through Fang Hong’s mind, seemingly relieving him from much of the current pressure. When he counted the people he knew one by one, and thought of Miss Atira, he suddenly stirred a bit inside.

He recalled that not long ago, he had experienced a Descent of the Goddess from Goddess Ameya, and she seemed to have given him a vague revelation during that descent. A somewhat simple heraldry flashed through his mind at this moment—a Grey Wolf and a Longsword.

The imposing head of a Grey Wolf, inscribed on the Morning Light Holy Sword.

That was precisely Marlan’s heraldry.

Ameya told him that the person holding this emblem was exactly the one he needed to find. And among the Seven Seas Travel Group, only the Big Catfolk was Marlan’s believer, a knight pursuing freedom, but evidently, the Big Catfolk was not the so-called ’person he needed to find’ from the goddess’ words. Similarly, Sir Diket who recently left Tansnier wasn’t either.

In a bizarre twist, Fang Hong suddenly slowed his pace and then gradually stopped.

He rested a hand on the wall, panted for a while, and then lifted his head to look forward.

In front of the desolate street was a misty scene, but it was merely an illusion, an illusion caused by the wind and sand. Clumps of sand surged on the street, occasionally something would fly through the dust, like a palm frond or an entire broken tree, tumbling and sweeping across.

And opposite the street stood a tall, majestic Holy Temple towering silently in the wind, with a simple heraldry carved on its grey walls.

In such a military fortress, the temple of that Deity would be the most prominent, which was already self-evident.

Fang Hong stared blankly in that direction, standing across from the Holy Sanctuary with just a street between them, he didn’t even realize why he stopped despite being chased.

Yet he felt as if he was bewitched, always sensing a possible voice within, telling him this was the right thing to do. But as for what was right, even he couldn’t say. He tried several times but couldn’t move, and with a flash of insight in mind, he suddenly realized something, calming down, and despite the knights pursuing behind him, he strode across the street.