Pillar of Yita

A gunshot rang out.

He was only sixty feet away from the gunslinger, who had his back turned to him. Although the Mark VII firearm was quite outdated, the rifled musket still ensured precision at this distance.

The bullet struck the opponent's left shoulder, exploding with force, and the gunslinger fell silently to the ground. Meanwhile, the gunshot drew the attention of four people in the temple; they turned in this direction, showing surprised expressions.

Fang Hong quickly stood up and waved at them.

Only then did they notice the gap here, and their faces lit up with joy. "Brother, thanks!" they said as they retreated from the temple, crossed the street, and looked up from beneath the window, asking, "Buddy, aren't you from the Red Cloak Team?"

"I am a mercenary, on the same side as you," Fang Hong replied, "I got separated from the others, and there's someone here who's badly injured and needs urgent treatment."

"A mercenary?" The warrior, a bald, burly man with a shiny scalp and an honest face, said. "No problem, can you lend a hand?"

Fang Hong didn't think twice and reached out his hand.

But before he could fully stretch out of the window, a tremendous force yanked him back inside. At the same time, a crossbow bolt flew past the spot where he had stood and lodged in the ceiling.

"Don't trust them," he heard a weak voice from behind him.

Ignoring his shock and filled with relief, Fang Hong turned back. "Miss Sicape, you're awake?" Sicape's face was bloodless, her hand pale as bone, gripping him tightly and speaking breathlessly, "Hurry, leave!"

Fang Hong, seeing Sicape looking intently at him, her eyes blazing with a resolute light, felt greatly uneasy. "Miss Sicape?"

"Luring mercenaries into the Dead Silence Zone as cannon fodder would be scandalous if word got out," Sicape continued in a disconnected manner, as if she heard nothing. "Never reveal your identity as a mercenary in front of others; no one inside the ruins can be trusted. What they fear are the recordings in our Glow Stone devices. Only the dead can't speak."

She placed her hand on her right cheek, her expression unusually serene and gentle. A faint light emanated there, and Fang Hong saw a golden crystal gradually emerging in her palm. Sicape looked up at him.

"This is my Glow Stone, and after I die, it can't be taken out. You can extract the recordings from inside—"

"But..."

"Survive, and let me see what your adventure group is like."

Sicape leaned against the wall, mustered all her strength to straighten the young man's collar, her eyes filled with warmth.

Fang Hong opened his mouth, wanting to tell Sicape that he couldn't extract the recordings—he wasn't a real Invoker, lacking the system. But seeing her expectant gaze, he found he couldn't utter a word.

He silently looked at the Glow Stone in his hand, placed it in his pocket, and carefully put it away.

Sounds of climbing came from outside, but Fang Hong seemed not to hear. He fell silent for a moment, unsure whether he was sad or angry, but surprisingly, he didn't feel surprised, only finding it somewhat ridiculous.

Invokers are pioneers of the new era.

The heroes of humanity.

Sicape pushed him. "Hurry."

Fang Hong shook his head without a glance at the window, silently lifting Sicape onto his back. "I'll carry you."

"Silly boy."

Sicape didn't object, just gave a slight chuckle.

"Hold on tight, Miss Sicape," Fang Hong whispered softly.

Sicape, knowing what he was about to do, clung tightly to his neck, closed her eyes, like a dying candle in the wind. Fang Hong retreated in the opposite direction, freeing up his hands to reload the Mark VII firearm.

The crossbowman finally climbed through the window, lifting his crossbow to shoot, but Fang Hong was faster, raising his gun, firing, all in one smooth motion.

Fire flashed, blasting a cloud of blood from the crossbowman's chest as he tumbled backward, curses rising from below. "So cool," Sicape murmured softly with her eyes closed, "I really know a nice girl, kid, do you want me to have Kroid introduce her to you...?"

Her voice gradually grew weaker.

Fang Hong, half-amused, responded, "Let's talk about it after we make it out alive." But his mind went to another girl.

But Sicape didn't respond.

"Miss Sicape."

"Miss Sicape?" Fang Hong gently called twice, finally realizing what had happened. Her cold hand clasped around his neck, pulseless and still, she looked as if she were sleeping, eyelids drooped, long eyelashes resting together naturally.

Fang Hong froze on the spot.

The noises outside seemed to disappear all at once. Many fragments of memories suddenly surged into his mind—he had begged every passing team in Kapuka and Rodell to take him on an adventure; he had spent a whole six months there, most of it spent sleeping on the streets, with no one regarding a newcomer, a guy without Magical Adaptability, highly enough.

Only one team had taken him in.

That small adventure group, called the Morning Dawn Star.

He turned, gently placed the now unresponsive Miss Sicape against the wall, as if she were still alive in Eteliria. Clutching the Mark VII firearm, he remained silent.

Then he stepped back, withdrew the sear, and smashed the Magic Guided Gun against the stone, causing the entire mechanism and the Magic Guided Crystal inside to scatter out.