Dragon Knight, Attack

The two men lay on the ground, covered in blood and howling in agony until their voices had gone hoarse. Blood, mud, and moss clung to their bodies, making them look grotesque and terrifying. Fang Heng silently watched the two wretches in the bushes. He had not killed them, but they were doomed to die if left on this battlefield.

He raised his head and glanced at the female healer in the distance. She let out a shriek, her face going pale as she collapsed onto the ground and scrambled backward, looking as though she had seen a serial killer.

Fang Heng watched her get up, fall again, get up once more, nearly collapse as her knees buckled; she braced herself against a wall, trembling as she backed away, then finally turned and ran wildly until she vanished from sight without looking back.

Only after a long, long while did he turn around. Without saying a word, he came before Scarpe, lowered himself onto one knee, and slowly sat down opposite her.

After giving a helpless laugh, he asked, "Do I really look that scary, Miss Scarpe?"

"Scary?" Scarpe would surely have said that, unable to hold back her laughter. "Haha, you little brat still wet behind the ears."

If she had not been asleep.

Scarpe lowered her head slightly, as though sound asleep.

"I won't leave Aethelria. I'll make Dawnstar exist forever," Fang Heng said. As the words left his mouth, he found that his heart had never been calmer. There was no anger, nor any grievance. He merely said softly, "I'll show you. My adventuring group will become unprecedentedly great, surpassing every era and every person."

Scarpe laughed softly. "Keep bragging, little guy."

"This isn't bragging." Fang Heng blinked and smiled as well. "I mean it, Miss Scarpe."

"You don't even have Magic Adaptability. Staying obediently in Taren would be the wise choice."

"Looking at you, is Taren really safe?" Fang Heng laughed despite himself. "There's no absolute safety in Aethelria, Miss Scarpe."

Scarpe stared steadily at him. "You finally understand that truth, little guy."

Crystalline tears finally burst from his eyes, pouring down his cheeks like a breached dam.

"Childish." Scarpe looked at him and gently shook her head.

"No way," Fang Heng said loudly. "It's just the wind and sand getting in my eyes."

"Yes," Scarpe sighed. "The wind and sand tonight really are fierce."

Fang Heng laughed through his tears. His face was still washed by them, but his eyes remained strangely calm.

The ruins were quiet.

In the endless gloom, it seemed as though such a conversation lingered.

"I'm leaving, Miss Scarpe."

"Go on. I'll wait to see your legend in another world."

"I'll come back."

"Survive tonight before you start boasting."

The floor trembled slightly.

The sleeping Scarpe tilted her head, her body softly sliding down beside the wall.

Fang Heng turned back, slowly rose to his feet, and fixed his determined gaze ahead. It seemed able to pierce through countless obstacles and meet the dark crimson eyes in the darkness beyond.

From that moment onward.

He understood his path—he had to survive. Carrying Miss Scarpe's Glowstone and Dawnstar's convictions, he would write a legend of his own.

And that legend would surely be the most beautiful poem.

The ground began to shake faintly, rhythmically, as though something was rising from beneath it.

The soldiers of the Jefflitte Redcoats crouched down row by row, raising their muskets. Across from rows of snow-white plumes, Quilod stood with a greatsword in hand. He held a damaged Clockwork Sprite in his left hand and calmly looked ahead.

Ahead of him were countless black gun barrels.

"Captain!" Dawnstar's Dailin Shieldguard shouted himself hoarse from afar.

But the female rogue from Silver Veil held him down tightly from behind, angrily rebuking him by the ear. "Don't go over there. Don't let the warrior's death be meaningless!"

"I don't want any meaning. I just want to be with everyone!" Though the Dailin Shieldguard was no longer young, he cried like a child. "If everyone's gone, what meaning is there in staying in this damned place?"

"The meaning is," the female rogue of Silver Veil told him, enunciating each word, "Dawnstar needs justice."

He froze in place.

The Jefflitte Redcoats' squad leader silently looked at the tall man, sympathy rising in his heart, yet he never lowered his raised hand. He said, "Do it yourself, warrior. I'll give you a chance to leave this world with dignity."

Quilod looked at the Clockwork Sprite in his hand and answered calmly, "But a warrior can only die in battle."

The Jefflitte Redcoats' squad leader stared at him blankly for a long time before abruptly bringing his hand down.

Then he turned his back, unwilling to watch.

Gunfire rang out.

The tall figure swayed. Countless bullet holes opened across his scaled armor, blood pouring from them. He planted a hand on his sword and looked at every person present, one by one.

Then he slowly closed his eyes.

"Ed."

"Can you do it?"

The Clockwork Sprite rolled from Quilod's blood-soaked hand and fell into the dust.

The Dailin Shieldguard's sobbing turned into low, animal-like whimpers. The female rogue of Silver Veil silently watched the scene. She knew how Major Guilds operated. Silverwood Spear would have done no differently, because this was Aethelria.

Yet for some reason, a trace of weariness suddenly rose in her heart.

She could not help recalling why she had come to this world, to Aethelria, in the first place.

Had the dream she once held truly been realized?

The shaking of the ground grew increasingly obvious, as though the entire forest and the ruins were undergoing a great earthquake. Many buildings in the ruins had sunk to varying degrees.

The earth continued to roar. The ground cracked and sank, while countless stones seemed to come alive, racing and chasing one another through the streets.

Most people could no longer keep their footing. Only KUN stood upright where he was. He reached out to steady Hongcha. "Thanks." Hongcha adjusted her glasses and looked at him appreciatively.

Canghai Guzhou and Jory came through the crowd with Kaka. He recognized KUN at a glance and instinctively froze in place. Only after Jory nudged him from behind did he snap back and ask, "What exactly happened?"

KUN turned around as several Silverwood Spear players led a man over.

Canghai Guzhou recognized him as the captain of Silverwood Spear's Third Regiment.

KUN looked at the man and said, "Go on."

"I haven't done anything that betrayed the guild," said the man, who looked around twenty-three or twenty-four. His brows were sharp as swords, and he was handsome. He glanced at Canghai Guzhou before answering, "Even if I did, it only harmed an enemy guild's interests."

Canghai Guzhou's brow twitched.

He looked toward KUN. "What exactly is going on?"

KUN did not answer right away. He calmly looked into the distance and said to the man, "Violating the guild's established principles is no different, especially since you used guild resources. Still, I'll try to persuade the club not to make trouble for you... And the only person worth such a cost to you would be her, right?"

The man fell silent. "Thanks, but I owe her a favor."

"Is it really just because you owe her a favor?"

The man looked away and said nothing more.

KUN withdrew his gaze and asked in displeasure, "What, you don't even have that much courage?"

"What good would it do?" The man gave a bitter smile. "I know it's impossible."

"Wait," Canghai Guzhou cut in. "I don't understand what you two are talking about."

"Miya the Sea Witch," KUN answered.

"Miya the Sea Witch?" Canghai Guzhou said incredulously. "Didn't she retire?"

"You're the ones claiming she retired. Only you know the grudge between her and your guild," KUN replied calmly.

The ground shook again, and KUN extended his hand for Hongcha to hold onto. She looked grateful. "With our people's help, Miya infiltrated your alliance and became involved in this mission."

Canghai Guzhou instinctively believed KUN. Descendants of Flor and the Rainbow Alliance stood opposed to one another, but the many domestic guilds within both sides were tied together by countless hidden connections. Everyone knew, without saying it aloud, that both sides planted spies in the other.

And given KUN's reputation, there was no need for him to lie. It would bring him more harm than benefit.

But to draw Miya into this mission, the other side must have mobilized resources of an unknown level. He immediately thought of who the suspected target might be, and silently resolved to thoroughly investigate who had been involved along this line once he returned.

Of course, the pressing matter was still resolving the situation before them.

"Where is she now?" Canghai Guzhou asked. "How do we work together?"

KUN shook his head. "I don't intend to work with you. We're preparing to withdraw from this area immediately. I'm only giving you advance notice."

"Advance notice?" Canghai Guzhou could not help giving a bitter smile. "Do you think we still have the ability to counterattack?"

"It never hurts to be cautious," KUN answered. "One who commands an army must dare to take risks, but must not take risks lightly."

Canghai Guzhou was stunned upon hearing that.

Only after a long while did he finally let go of his desire to compete. He looked solemnly at the man and nodded. "Thank you. I'll remember that. But are you planning to give up, KUN?"

"The odds are too low. Better to cut our losses early."

Canghai Guzhou considered it, then nodded and turned to Jory. "Then we'll withdraw too. Let that thing stay in Miss Miya the Sea Witch's hands for a while." His tone was still as confident and unruly as ever.

But Jory looked at him and nodded lightly.

At that moment, the messy-haired youth beside them suddenly let out a surprised cry.

"Huh?"

Hearing his voice, Canghai Guzhou remembered that they still had a little tail to deal with. Especially now that the other matters had been settled, this issue became urgent again.

He turned around and beckoned to the people accompanying him.

Meanwhile, KUN brushed past the man. "After this is over, leave Silverwood Spear," he said softly after pausing for a moment. "If you like her, why not go find her? Don't you even have that much courage as a man?"

"Captain..."

"Don't call me Captain. I don't keep subordinates who can't separate public from private," KUN said, his clear eyes fixed on the man. "From now on, we'll only be friends."

With that, he walked away.

Hongcha followed behind him, peering through her glasses with some curiosity at the man.

The trembling ground grew ever more violent.

Even many ancient trees in the forest had been uprooted. The ruins had changed beyond recognition. The ground was visibly sinking, buildings were tilting, rocks tumbled everywhere, beams and pillars collapsed—a scene of apocalypse.

Fang Heng had no choice but to carefully make his way through the shaking ruins. He could sense some enormous thing approaching underground, growing closer and closer. It made him slightly anxious, and he quickened his pace.

He did not know if it was the Constructed Giant Worm, but how could it make such a tremendous disturbance?

Or was there something else underground?

He raised his head and saw Silverwood Spear's people withdrawing in the distance. Like a silver tide, they retreated from the ruins, exposing the mottled red beneath them. They had abandoned their plan to continue attacking the Jefflitte Redcoats.

The latter seemed to maintain some unspoken understanding as well, following in orderly fashion as they withdrew from the ruins. Fang Heng did not know what exactly had happened, but he could guess that the two sides had reached some sort of agreement.

That left him in a dilemma.

He did not know whether he should follow these people out of the ruins or search for the others. But he did not know how many people from Dawnstar were still alive. More importantly, that thing underground still seemed to be following him.

Just then, the corner of his eye caught a golden streak flashing past the nearby ruins.

It was back! Fang Heng cursed inwardly. Ever since he had left that temple, this thing had been haunting him. He did not know whether the alchemist behind that Clockwork Sprite belonged to Silverwood Spear or the Jefflitte Redcoats. Either was possible.

In any case, they meant him no good, and the opponent was troublesome. Fang Heng could clearly sense that much.

He almost instinctively ducked into a blind spot. The Clockwork Sprite in the sky immediately turned half a circle in confusion, apparently at a loss. But unlike before, after a moment it seemed to sense something and suddenly shot straight toward Fang Heng's location.

Fang Heng raised his brows, deeply startled.

He was extremely familiar with Clockwork Sprites. Ordinary people would never take such a route, because it was far too inefficient. A chilling premonition suddenly rose in him—someone else nearby had to be observing him and informing the other party.

Almost on instinct, he rolled forward. With a bang, smoke and dust billowed up as a lead bullet struck where he had been standing, gouging a hole into the stone wall.

Without a second thought, Fang Heng did not even look toward the attacker. He immediately sprinted in another direction and vanished from the firing line in the blink of an eye.

The shooter in the distance was momentarily stunned by the sight.

"Damn, that guy's sharp," he muttered. He put away his smoking long gun, took out a crystal pendant, and typed, "Kaka, tell me his position. This guy isn't simple."

A line of text immediately popped up. Kaka sent a troubled emoticon. "That guy's too good. It's hard for me to keep up with him. He seems to know where I'm going to be. I need someone else to help."

"Don't panic," the Gunslinger replied. "The others are on their way. Go intercept him at seven o'clock."

Kaka: "Okay, I'll try."

Fang Heng ran for his life, cold air choking his lungs, carrying a salty scent of blood. Flying stones constantly scraped past him. He had not run far before the ground suddenly bulged upward, hurling him into the air.

Fang Heng crashed heavily onto the ground. Blood seeped beneath his robe, staining it in blotches like ink. He heard several mocking laughs from ahead. Shaking his heavy head, he saw two people standing on the slanted ground beyond the faint mist.

One was a warrior leaning on a claymore, the other a rogue playing with a dagger whose blade gave off a faint blue glow.

The two stood not far ahead, looking at him with amused expressions.

"Ha, no need to kneel so formally," the rogue laughed. "We weren't planning to let you go anyway, little rat from Dawnstar."

Fang Heng clenched his fists. His hair was stuck to his forehead with either blood or sweat. Now that he was alone, he could only rely on himself. Looking at the two men approaching, he suddenly raised his right hand. The Silver Rail on his glove unfolded ring by ring.

He shouted, "Attack!"

"Watch out, he's a Combat Artificer!"

Kaka's voice came from midair.

Clockwork Sprite Type II—Fang Heng could not help glancing enviously toward San Wanli Saier as he flew beyond the mist. The warrior's expression changed, and he immediately pulled his companion back—Combat Artificers were no joke. They were known as Lesser Dragon Knights.

But the anticipated attack never came.

The warrior froze for a moment before hearing the rogue beside him cry anxiously, "Are you stupid? He ran!"

Looking up, he saw that Fang Heng had somehow already scrambled to his feet and sprinted wildly in the opposite direction. The brat had acted so decisively that he had opened a gap of over a hundred feet in an instant. "Damn it!" The warrior realized he had been played and chased after him in a furious rage.

Fang Heng quickly discovered that his plan would not work. A Life Profession was simply far too inferior to a Combat Profession. He looked back and nearly scared himself out of his wits. The warrior was almost within attacking distance, veins standing out clearly on his face.

In terms of agility, warriors were far inferior to rogues, but in straight-line explosive speed, rogues were much weaker. Thus, the two maintained a front-and-back distance.

With no other choice, Fang Heng could only repeat the trick. He raised his hand, turned back, and shouted, "Attack!"

The warrior was so enraged that smoke practically came from his ears. He swung his sword with a shriek through the air and cleaved downward. "Do you take me for a fucking idiot?" But before his words had even finished, the ground suddenly bulged upward in Fang Heng's horrified eyes.

With an ear-splitting roar, rocks exploded outward. A massive Constructed Long Dragon soared from beneath the ground, its whistle screaming sharply. Countless metal blades glinted with cold light beneath the moon. The warrior did not even have time to scream before he became a mist of blood.

The rogue behind him was dumbfounded. As though he had seen a ghost, he stammered:

"Dragon... Dragon Knight?"