Pillar of Yita

She looked to the other side and just happened to see that wanderer moving between the trees like a shadow. At that moment, Fang Hong pulled the trigger, a flash of fire appeared, plunging the surroundings into darkness, thunderous noise deafened the ears, and smoke billowed out instantly.

"Damn it!"

This was the situation Sicape feared the most. The bullet's trajectory had been predicted in advance through her scouting skills, the lead ball spinning as it flew between the second and third trees, missing the thief by half a step, just by a hair.

A strange thought suddenly emerged in her mind: "He's actually pretty accurate..."

At that moment, a golden streak flashed by in the darkness, catching Sicape's attention. The trajectory drew an unimaginably agile zigzag through the forest. The seasoned wanderer, who was supposed to dodge, froze for a split second because of this sudden surprise—committing an irredeemable mistake—pausing between the second and third white oak trees. The lead bullet hit him square in the chest, and he screamed as he was flung away.

The flying wanderer had left Sicape's shooting blind spot. Without thinking, she raised her bow and shot, an arrow piercing his throat in mid-air. Only then did she lower her bow and turn around.

In the darkness, the golden trajectory elegantly drew a half-circle through the woods.

Fang Hong raised his hand, and with a click, he caught the brass sphere. It was not until then that the silver rail on his glove began to 'click click click' as it slowly reset.

He slowly withdrew his hand, lifted off his wind goggles, and let out a pale-faced sigh.

"...Clockwork Fairy?"

Sicape blurted out subconsciously.

She hurried over, asking with a complex look on her face, "...Did you just use a Clockwork Fairy to disrupt her judgment?"

Fang Hong nodded and then flashed a brilliant set of white teeth, laughing smugly: "How was it, Miss Sicape, was I exceptionally cool just now?"

"Cool my foot!" Sicape smacked him in anger: "What were you doing behind us?"

Fang Hong covered his head with a look of grievance: "I definitely couldn't catch up with you, I'm just a mere life profession."

Sicape was not buying this guy's nonsense, and she went over and 'whoosh', pulled out a big bag of money from his embrace: "With that thing on you, you'd have a hard time catching up with us, why didn't you digitize the money? What were you doing with it on you, waiting to die?"

Fang Hong scratched his head awkwardly, as he couldn't just admit he was a stowaway without the ability to quantify data provided by the glow device. It would be too embarrassing to confess, and he would never speak of it.

However, for once, Sicape didn't pursue the matter any further and simply sighed. "If only you had magical adaptability."

Fang Hong didn't mind and looked at his Model 7 Firearm. "Speaking of which, this gun really does high damage, Miss Sicape."

"High?" Sicape was surprised, forgetting her original words, as this was the first time she had heard anyone praise this antique's high attack.

"Just now, one shot did thirty damage," Fang Hong looked at the firearm in his hand somewhat wistfully: "That's several times higher than when I use a Clockwork Fairy to embarrass myself."

Thirty damage, Sicape looked at this guy as if he were a fool.

She nodded: "Indeed."

"Really high?" Fang Hong was unexpectedly pleasantly surprised to be recognized.

Sicape shook her head: "Indeed embarrassing."

"What?"

The battle quickly came to an end, and the Silver Forest Spear turned from rout to a full-on flight.

The Mercenaries of the Morning Dawn Star didn't pursue, as the two sides didn't hold deep grudges, and mercenaries only fight to the death for money. As the last silver flag disappeared into the forest, silence descended upon the woods.

Under the night sky, a thin mist enveloped the space between the trees, and the twisted branches of the ancient trees behind took on grotesque shapes, reminiscent of the widespread bedtime stories around Saint Hugon Corner—werewolves, vampires, and tree demons on a full moon's night.

The moon was big and round tonight, the moonlight lavishly spilling out.

Fang Hong packed away his Model 7 Firearm and took a distant look at the others cleaning up the battlefield, feeling somewhat envious—but he couldn't use ninety-nine percent of the equipment dropped by the Silver Forest Spear anyway. The night air was unexpectedly cold, carrying a bloodiness in its crispness, like tasting a slightly astringent and then sweet aftertaste in one's mouth, similar to the flavor of rust.

Kroid had come up beside him unnoticed, silently watching ahead with him. Fang Hong turned his head in surprise to see this silent, large man with a great sword on his back, holding a flat water flask in his hand.

"Mr. Kroid, you are drinking on the job again."

"This is water, young man."

"Water?" Fang Hong looked at him incredulously, thinking the warrior had changed his ways.

"Water of Life, vodka," he passed the flask in his hand. "Want some?"

"...Miss Sicape would kill you if she saw."

"So don't tell her."

Fang Hong was at a loss for words.

"A boy who doesn't drink will never become a man," Kroid glanced at him. "How are you finding the combat?"

"Not bad," Fang Hong nodded.

Kroid nodded back, saying: "I heard from Sicape, a very spectacular fight."

Fang Hong scratched his head a bit embarrassingly. "Miss Sicape said it was just a newbie, all luck."

"A newbie?" Kroid gave him a look, shook his head, and said nothing. He didn't tell Fang Hong that they had encountered a core member of the Silver Forest Spear, and the fight went well because the liaison officer performed exceedingly well.

And the wanderer Fang Hong killed was not just anybody; after checking his insignia, Sicape found out he was at least a professional team captain.