Pillar of Yita

A loud boom echoed from the distance; smoke first rose from the Forest, and in just a moment a shadow leaped into their Vision—the massive creature cruising through the sky wasn’t anything unfamiliar, but the Sky Sea beast Fang Hong knew better than anyone: the Rock Shark.

Seeing a Rock Shark in this place stunned everyone for a second, and while they were still dazed, a hollow sound came from within the Forest. Several streaks of Qing Light pierced the canopy and shot up into the air, blooming like bundles of fireworks. Those were Elemental Crystals—Wind Crystals, specially prepared by Alchemists. When they detonated, the Wind Crystals formed a Stream Zone of turbulence above the Rock Shark, forcing that giant beast to lower its altitude.

A rustling spread from the Forest—that was the Rock Shark already descending to canopy level. Its huge belly, clad in solid rocky plates, crushed the trunks beneath it, knocking down the tips of that stand of fir trees one after another. Another series of shouted orders rose from the Forest; accompanied by a few dull thuds, several harpoons trailing long iron chains were fired into the air, striking true into the Rock Shark’s belly and back.

The scene felt familiar to Fang Hong. ”Looks like someone’s hunting this big guy.” The Big Catfolk spoke up beside him.

”Let me guess, next up are the Crossbowmen and Rangers, Explosive Shot.” Tianlan’s eyes rolled, clearly not having forgotten the hunt they’d run into on the road from Traveler’s Rest to Elpaxin.

As if to confirm her words, a scattering of flashing orange-red light rose from the canopy, like arcs of orange slowly linking up to that massive shadow in midair. That glow was reflected in the eyes of Fang Hong, Gita, Luo Yu and Tianlan, exactly the same as back then—only this time it felt much slower. It wasn’t truly slower; it was just that each of them had grown so much since that day.

It was hard not to Recall all of this, because in a sense that hunt had been the Seven Seas Travel Group’s first pot of gold. Without that Rock Shark, would everything that came after still have happened?

A sheet of golden Flash connected together in midair, as if it dyed the sky above the Forest all in the same color. The shockwaves from the explosions punched through the canopy and swept across the ground, kicking up countless dry leaves that scattered and flew past everyone.

Invokers rushing in from all directions were knocked sprawling by the air currents. The giant beast overhead lunged wildly, crying out again and again, the rocky layer on its body cracking under the explosive force. Blood spurted out like fountains, falling over the Forest like a rain of blood.

”They’re hitting more accurately than the guys back then.” In the roaring Wind, only the members of the Seven Seas Travel Group stood steady. The Big Catfolk rubbed his chin, letting the rings in his mane jingle as he spoke.

But Fang Hong just glanced up at the sky and made no comment.

”What’s wrong, Ade, looks like you’ve got a different opinion?” The Big Catfolk bared his white teeth and narrowed his eyes in a smile. He had clearly noticed something, but was deliberately holding back.

Fang Hong shook his head. These people were making the same mistake they had back then. It was understandable; their Rangers and Snipers were more professional, but it didn’t matter—higher damage only meant the Berserk would come that much earlier.

At this moment Luo Hao spoke up: ”Those chains won’t hold it. They should be firing a second volley of Wind Crystals.”

”What did you say?”

A somewhat drafty voice came from the side.

Luo Hao turned his head and saw that the one talking to him was a lanky young man. The young man’s hair was tousled by the Wind. He wore Swordsman gear with an earth-brown War Robe over it, a Shield Emblem embroidered on his chest bearing the pattern of a Holy Grail. Fang Hong found the War Robe oddly familiar; after thinking for a moment, he realized it looked quite similar to the Oak Knights’ uniform.

In his Recall, the Oak Knights had long since disbanded. After the consolidation incident, their upper ranks split into two factions. One, led by Yugudola, Zi Feiyu and the Knight Order’s former Chairman, insisted on the Knight Order’s liberal line; the people Fang Hong was more familiar with all belonged to that side.

As for the other faction, he hadn’t looked into them in detail. He’d only heard that afterwards, under the Alliance’s guidance, they’d rebuilt the Oak Knights. Seeing this young man now, realization suddenly clicked:

This was the newly reborn Oak Knights.

Of course, it was just an empty name by now. In terms of personnel and core ethos, it was already completely different from the Knight Order of the past.

Though the Seven Seas Travel Group had deep ties with the Tabopolis Oak Knights, that was with the Oak Knights he knew—the ones in his Recall—not this front of him now. Fang Hong only felt a faint pang of emotion and glanced over at Gita and Luo Yu.

”The Rock Shark goes Berserk?” The young man, hearing Luo Hao’s answer, nearly burst out laughing. ”Come on, guys, can we stop parroting nonsense? Have you actually read any guides? Since when does the Rock Shark have a Berserk mechanic?”

”Which guide?”

”Can’t you search the community yourselves? What, you’re just leechers?”

”Guides aren’t necessarily right,” Fang Hong suddenly cut in. ”Rock Sharks rarely show up nearshore anymore. The most recent popular guide was posted three years ago; the kill was by the Rose Cross Army Guild. I don’t know if it was intentional or not, but that guide omits the Rock Shark’s Berserk in its final phase. And if you go further back, there were plenty of related guides. The older material almost all mentions that some adult Rock Sharks have a Berserk Attribute—”