Pillar of Yita

Amidst the forest, a flash of flames disappeared in an instant, accompanied by a piercing shriek that caught everyone off guard. A ranger next to the man staggered and was flung aside like a piece of wood. He rolled several times before stopping, a bowl-sized hole in his right shoulder, blood gushing like a fountain. The armor value of his dragon leather armor and the magical protection from the ether guidance on it saved his life. But that was all; even if a healer got him back on his feet, the ranger would be out of combat for a while.

The dragon hunter mechanically observed the scene, the cold, flickering red light showing no real emotion. It pulled back the lever, rotated the cylinder, ejected the bullet, and chambered the firing pin. Since the Empire’s Type Eleven Magic Guided Gun hadn’t developed an air-guided structure, it appeared cumbersome and inefficient, yet it was filled with a religious ceremonial feeling at this moment.

Fang Hong didn’t immediately attack the elementalist and the magic guided conductor, not even the healer, because he was looking for a chance for a one-hit kill. The spellcasters have stable shields, while the Nightingale System has intuitive evasion, thus the ranger was the best target. They rely on strong perception for survival, but are extremely vulnerable if they fail to detect the enemy.

The fallen ranger seemed to be a turning point on the battlefield, and some seized this opportunity. Although the source of the attack was unclear, at that moment, the captain of the Holy White Stone pulled out a flying axe, turned around with all his might, and hurled it spinning towards the high ground.

He let out a shout, ”Get them!”

The axe blade collided with a loud crash into the great shield of an iron guard, sinking deeply. The iron guard staggered back. This command sounded like a declaration of attack. The rangers of the Holy White Stone Guild raised their bows, drew the bowstrings— the bows creaked terribly—people aimed, took deep breaths, and released, sending a volley of arrows across.

The black dots whistling down in mid-air symbolized a response—they had long been displeased with these people, whether they could win or not, but the Invoker’s maxim was to fight first and talk later. Life, it is sometimes very precious, but other times it must give way to other purposes—these purposes can be filled with interests and calculations but can also be pure and direct, with the spirit of a hero from Yan and Zhao.

No time to worry about the rear, the man was an experienced commander, and the moment Fang Hong made his move, he sharply identified which side was the easier opponent. He first turned around and glared harshly at the elementalist—who realized at that moment that he had blundered. He didn’t expect things to turn out like this and faltered involuntarily:

”Boss, I...”

”Shut up,” the man interrupted him, ”deal with the Holy White Stone people first, crush them.”

At this point, the people of Twilight showcased their seasoned experience. Without needing guidance, the iron guards had already automatically formed a line. They were mostly Granville Grey Crow Guards, possessing the attributes of ’Grey Moon Guard’ and ’Orderliness.’ Fighting side by side offered significant bonuses, allowing them to fully leverage the line’s strength.

The continuous black great shields appeared like a cold barrier under the Grey Moon of the Granville Wilderness, and the rain of arrows from the rangers of the significantly lower-level Holy White Stone seemed weak and powerless before the heavily armed iron guards. Arrows clinked against the iron wall, unable to shake it at all.

The iron guards thudded their great shields against the ground, each pair leaving a gap as someone opened a shield to the side, like a door in the wall. Rangers of Twilight and crossbow shooters darted out, raised their bows, and fired. Arrows crisscrossed in mid-air, though just a few black dots, yet as they flew across, several more of the Holy White Stone Guild fell instantly.

Behind the rangers and crossbow shooters, agility system professions, Nightingales, and dual swordsmen streamed out like arrows off the high ground, charging towards the Holy White Stone Guild’s defenses. ”Stop them!” the captain of the Holy White Stone Guild shouted, leading the charge to intercept.

The iron guards quickly stepped out, forming a defensive line—yet even in superior numbers, the people of the Holy White Stone Guild knew fully well none could say victory was assured.

Beneath the high ground, the great swordsman swung his great sword to deflect the arrows of the Holy White Stone Guild. He was struck by at least two or three arrows, but they were lodged harmlessly in the thick chainmail.

The great swordsman laughed heartily, making a disdainful thumbs-down gesture at the people of the Holy White Stone. ”Overestimating yourself!” He dismantled another great sword from behind, gripped it with both hands, and threw it forcefully, swinging the sword in his right hand toward the Holy White Stone Guild’s line.

The spinning great sword was like a windmill blade, in an instant flying from afar to right before them. The iron guards raised their shields to block, but the sword blade cut into their great shields with great force, splitting the shield in two, then smashing into their bodies.

The iron guards of the Holy White Stone flew apart like fragmented parts scattered from a machine, rolling to the ground—the great sword continued forward, toppling a swath of people. The first iron guard struck in the chest had his armor crumple and crack, rose-colored blood and white light gushing from the breach. He opened his mouth wide, clearly beyond saving.

Time Reflection wiped away the bloodstains from his face, looked back at the comrades fallen all over the place, and clenched the magic guided wand in his hand with a heart filled not with post-survival fear, but with anger.