Pillar of Yita

In the pale and deep underground, the scene displayed only two monotonous tones—gray and white, occasionally joined by the flickering bluish shadows among the withered forest.

When the combat reaches a certain stage, it’s hard for both sides to distinguish between friend and foe, as they clash like two beasts locked in mortal combat, using their final strength to bite through the opponent’s throat—

The dying people’s anguished cries, along with the warm blood gushing from their chest, turn into specks of white light, like dissipating star embers.

The crystal monster withdraws its slender claws from the cold corpse, its narrow blade smeared with the glaring color of fresh blood.

But it is immediately sent flying by the deceased’s companion—a Dwarf, who roars and swings his combat axe, shattering it to pieces on the ground.

The crystal, deprived of its color, and the array fading layer by layer upon it, roll down into the gnarled roots of the withered trees, unnoticed by others.

Monster falls, or human falls, now it is insignificant, as such scenes replay again and again in this forest.

The battle has reached a fever pitch, or rather, an end.

Fang Hong sees a giant shelled creature emerging from the gray-white woods, like a chalky rock rising from the depths of a heavy lake, with every pair of limbs covered in calcified scales.

The monster emits a piercing scream, a sound he has never heard before, not even when facing the Dark Giant Dragon, arising feelings of despair and tremor from within his soul.

Not far away, an Iron Guard hasn’t yet turned around when crystal spikes spin out from the darkness, grazing the edge of his great shield and leaving a gap—before striking his chest.

Thus, this unfolds before Fang Hong’s eyes.

It was an odd, sharp sound, like a knife slicing through glass, the thick iron armor shattering like paper. The Iron Guard is hurled away, crashing into a tree, and bouncing back.

The person seems like a rag doll, silently hanging on the gray-white root branches, blood flowing like rivers beneath the twisted metal, on gray-white skin, specks of white light flickering like melting snow.

”Careful—”

He hears someone shout at him.

The same shrieking sound rushes forth again. But he is actually quite safe, because the Big Catfolk stands guard on one side, only this time even the Lion Paladin doesn’t move.

A bright flash of knife light pierces the darkness, as the Dragon Hunter stands on one side, draws his long knife, and the crystal spike shatters mid-air, falling as crystal powder.

The Construct’s nimble fingers turn the knife handle, letting the blade trace an arc of light and return to its sheath, as if nothing ever happened. Fang Hong opens the palm of the metal control gloves, sequentially moving his index finger, middle finger, and ring finger, before looking again in that direction.

”Quick reaction.”

”I’ve seen this thing attack many times, Mr. Reed.”

”So it appears practice makes perfect.” The Big Catfolk finally draws his sword, holding it with both hands as he turns around.

But Fang Hong simply says: ”Cover me for a bit, let me try this time.”

He gently clenches his fist.

Four Dragon Hunters simultaneously raise their Magic Guided Guns, the muzzle imbued with a faint red glow and residual warmth, the bayonets shimmering with a cold light.

The gray-white giant creature seems to finally sense something amiss, turning its six limbs, emitting a subtle sound, trying to distinguish these peculiar counterparts,

And in the next moment—

Sparks blossom in the darkness, traveling along the creature’s chest and belly upward, damage numbers sequentially emerge through the holographic projection, gray, like a string of pulsating characters.

Alongside it, the monster retreats repeatedly, the mana gathered in mid-air dissipates, and the forming crystal spikes shatter and fall to the ground.

The first round of shooting, the calcified shell already shattered, the massive impact nearly unbalancing it, causing it to lean to one side.

But it still tries to retaliate, arrays light up once more between its clawed limbs, crystal spikes swiftly formed, whistling towards Fang Hong. Fang Hong shoots out a flying claw in one direction, pulling himself into a roll to avoid the spikes, raising his hand to issue the fire command.

And the second round of shooting, the bullets stir the flying crystal shards, this time targeting not its shell, but its fragile limbs.

Three of the six bullets accurately hit its limbs, scraping away the layers of calcified scales, exposing the inner structure. The third round of shooting promptly follows, breaking one of its limbs.

The opponent collapses down, its fired crystal spikes also go astray. The Dragon Hunters pull down the lever, fire, the fourth round of shooting takes away another limb, making the massive creature crash heavily to the ground.

It almost completely loses mobility, yet still raises its clawed limbs trying to fight back. But the fifth and sixth rounds of shooting come next, shattering its claws.

Six rounds of shooting, each bullet deducting the hardness of the opponent’s shell, at least delivering over seventy damage. With each round of four bullets, hardly any miss, totaling over a thousand seven hundred damage.

But after six rounds of shooting, despite the opponent looking utterly miserable, Fang Hong knows it clearly—besides losing the ability to move, its core remains unharmed.