The Fairy's Complete Form

Fairy Knight Construct? Was there such a category?

The thought had barely crossed Fang Heng's mind when Tianlan's scream came from ahead. "Ed, watch out behind you!" He turned around, and the first thing to emerge from the mist was a pair of gray wings—huge, jagged, plunging downward.

The wind pressure swept over them, drawing the swirling smoke on both sides into a straight line and flipping up both their hoods at once. Within the parted black smoke was a golden-red eye, two pairs of long, savage horns, and a huge maw brimming with fangs. A colossal creature was breaking through the mist.

"Roar—!"

The dragon's roar was deafening.

As though they had sensed it at the same time, both men threw themselves forward. The fierce wind swept past just above their heads. Only then did Fang Heng raise his head, one hand holding down his flapping hood. He saw only a long tail vanish into the fog. The dragon had already flown past, and the split mist in that direction continued rolling forward, a bright golden line cutting through the darkness.

It was crossing the dome, circling back—

Wu Di was higher-level than Fang Heng and had better balance. He got up first, grabbed Fang Heng's hand, and hauled him to his feet. "Ed?" he tossed out before running ahead.

Fang Heng shook his head and chased after him.

The dragon was circling through the hall and had already completed half a lap. Tianlan saw the scene clearly from ahead and waved frantically. "Run! This way!"

They had found a corridor leading toward the kitchen. Sylvid and Shesta, Liuli Yue carrying Parker, as well as Etila and Hong Ye, had all arrived. Only he and Wu Di were missing.

The two of them sprinted forward for their lives, but because of the level difference, Fang Heng gradually fell behind. He looked back. Seven or eight Dragon People had already emerged from the mist, and the nearest one was almost upon him. He could even make out the scales on its face and those cold eyes.

The Dragon Person let out a low hiss and lunged forward, reaching for him.

Every hair on Fang Heng's body stood on end. He grabbed something and threw it backward—a streak of golden light shot out, striking the creature squarely in the cheek. The Dragon Person cried out in pain, turned its head in midair, lost its balance, and crashed heavily to the ground.

Everyone was practically dumbfounded.

For a moment, even Tianlan nearly forgot to make a sound.

Only then did Fang Heng realize that he had thrown a Clockwork Sprite. The Clockwork Sprite rolled backward and landed behind several Dragon People. He hurriedly drew it back with his hand. With a buzz, it flew back, striking another Dragon Person's ankle halfway there and knocking it askew. It tumbled hard across the floor several times.

Fang Heng turned around and reached out, catching the dented brass ball steadily with a snap.

By then, Wu Di had already dived and rolled into the corridor. Etila turned and rushed back out, grabbed Fang Heng's hand, yanked him around, and threw him in as well.

Before Fang Heng could react, he felt himself soaring through the air and landing inside the corridor. Outside, the elf girl also lunged forward and landed on top of him. Behind them came a low roar. The dragon had just swooped down and landed heavily outside the corridor. Its long tail swept through the mist as it turned, then it spewed a brilliant stream of flame into the corridor.

Golden fire swept toward them, and the temperature suddenly soared. Fang Heng felt someone grab his shoulder and drag both him and Miss Etila backward, but the elf girl held him tightly, leaving him unable to tell which way was which.

After quite a while, the light returned to his vision. The first thing he saw was Tianlan's somewhat nervous face. The French girl looked him over from side to side before asking, "Ed, ah, how did you hurt your forehead?"

Fang Heng shook his head. He had merely hit it when he fell.

He looked back—everyone was there, including Sylvid and Shesta, who had temporarily joined them. Hudi, Jita, and Luo Yu were there as well, which made him breathe a sigh of relief.

Etila walked over and held his head as she checked his forehead from top to bottom. A trace of relief appeared in her emerald-green eyes. "It's nothing serious."

"At least there's one piece of good news. It didn't come inside."

Hong Ye's words drew everyone's attention.

They turned around and discovered that the dragon truly had not entered the corridor. It prowled behind the blazing flames, occasionally stopping to stare at them with its single eye gleaming golden-red.

"Haha, it's too narrow for it in here." Seeing this, the Paparal burst out laughing. He planted his hands on his hips, spread his chubby legs, and declared smugly, "Look, it's a dragon, but there's still nothing it can do to me!"

Jita was not as optimistic as he was. On the contrary, he looked puzzled. "Then why is it staying there?"

"Who knows?" Hong Ye shook her head and made a not particularly funny joke. "Maybe it has a special fondness for Mr. Paparal. I hear some dragons have rather unique tastes."

That frightened Parker into hastily taking several steps back and hiding behind Fang Heng.

But among them all, only Fang Heng felt somewhat guilty.

This scene seemed strangely familiar to him—

He was certain that dragon horn—or rather, its owner—had some mysterious connection to the half of the Crown Mark in his hand. He had heard its voice before in the illusion.

Azure Brilliance probably referred to that peculiar radiance on the Sea Forest Crown, as well as the dagger Miya had given him. Fang Heng could not guess what invisible connection linked the three, but he could at least tell that the other party seemed to have some additional interest in him.

Thinking of that, he could not help looking at the back of his right hand.

It was covered by his glove, and nothing could be seen. The mark beneath it did not seem to be reacting either. But at that moment, the dragon suddenly let out a low roar, startling everyone.

"Don't worry," Wu Di quickly said. "Its breath only covers a cone with a radius of less than ten meters. It can't reach us."

But Tianlan suddenly remembered something. "But dragons can use magic, can't they?"

Everyone's eyes turned toward the French girl in unspoken agreement.

In fact, it was not just dragons. Many creatures in Aethelria, far more powerful than humans, could directly use aetheric power without relying on Core Crystals—

Tianlan froze, looked at them, and said, "W-why are you all looking at me? Did I say something wrong?"

Before she had finished speaking—

A low dragon's chant came from behind the firelight.

Another mass of black mist poured into the corridor. The moment it touched the ground, it swirled and gradually took humanoid form, growing horns and claws. Everyone knew this sight all too well. That damned dragon was summoning its Dragon Servants again.

"Damn it!" Liuli Yue could not help swearing. "More than thirty? Is this lousy lizard ever going to stop?"

"Wait, then what do we do now?" Parker carefully peeked out from behind Fang Heng, his voice dry. "Run?"

"I'm afraid not—" Hong Ye suddenly said. "There are some behind us too."

Everyone's expressions changed. They turned around and discovered that another mass of black mist had surged in from deeper in the corridor. It too contained dragon-like monsters still taking shape, and some Dragon Servants had already crawled out of the fog.

The two masses of mist blocked them in from front and back.

"How did this mist get around behind us?" Hudi asked in shock.

"It isn't only behind us," a girl's voice said from behind them. Everyone turned in surprise upon hearing her speak, looking at the girl named Sylvid. She showed no fear at all and answered calmly, "I'm afraid this black mist has already spread throughout the entire inn."

"What exactly is this thing?" Tianlan could not help asking curiously. "And that dragon outside—it isn't a real dragon, is it? I've never seen such a 'tiny' dragon."

"You make it sound like you've seen other dragons," Parker could not help interjecting.

"Shut up."

"That is part of Nicobolas," Sylvid answered softly, firelight reflected in her pale blue eyes. "If I'm not mistaken, that dragon horn outside should be one horn and one claw severed from the Dragon Witch all those years ago."

"Nicobolas?"

Everyone was stunned.

But Hong Ye interrupted them at that moment. "I suggest we forget about that for now. The question is—what should we do?"

"What else can we do?" Liuli Yue kicked his Walker Type III. "Wait to die."

"Even if we're waiting to die, we have to get the trainees out first," Wu Di said quietly. He looked at Luo Yu and Jita. "Give me your daggers."

Luo Yu and Jita exchanged a glance before drawing their daggers from their sheaths and handing them to Wu Di. Taking them, Wu Di said, "Chosen ones do not lightly accept a trainee's dagger. But once they do, they will do everything possible to fulfill that promise. From this moment until we die in battle, we will do our utmost to ensure your safety—"

Hong Ye froze at those words.

"Wu Di," she said softly, somewhat surprised. "Thank you."

Both of them were trainees from her guild, and one was even a rather promising prospect. Theoretically, Wu Di bore no responsibility toward them. He and Liuli Yue themselves were talents heavily cultivated by Silverwood Spear.

But Wu Di merely shook his head.

"We were trainees once too. We know how hard it is to get this far. We have five chances; they only have one. That's fair."

The rebellious youth had originally wanted to object, but after hearing that, he merely shrugged.

It clearly struck a chord with him—

Fang Heng, standing nearby, also looked at the two men in some surprise.

In the years when Super Competition first rose to prominence, the older generation of pioneers still upheld their obligations toward those who came after them. People treated the Suva Declaration as their shared code of action, together creating an era of heroes emerging in great numbers and ideals shining brightly.

The era of the Star Gate—

People measured their relationship with Aethelria by dreams rather than profit. They threw themselves into it not only for the fate of their country and humanity, but also to fight for their own ideals.

From the First World to the Second World, those before them had left behind countless shining footprints and stories. That was precisely why dreamers like him had been drawn to Aethelria one after another.

But now, how many people still remembered everything from the past? Just as Miss Scarpe had said, Super Competition today no longer possessed its former splendor or fairness. Between people, between factions, behind the dazzling halos, he had personally witnessed how cold and overbearing Major Guilds could be.

Yet there were always some people who were different.

He looked at the two men, and his opinion of them changed slightly.

Tianlan clearly did not share his view. The little girl took out her own dagger and handed it to him. "Ed, I only want you to protect me." She glared at Luo Yu and Jita. "Hmph, I'm not as spineless as certain people!"

The latter two simply pretended not to hear her.

"All trainees, move to the center of the group," Wu Di said. "I'll cover the rear. If necessary, you can leave me behind. Liuli Yue, you and Hong Ye will clear the way. Miss Etila—" He turned around. "Do you still have Star Radiance?"

The elf girl slowly nodded.

"Then support me."

Wu Di looked at Fang Heng again. "Can you still hold on?" As a Combat Artificer himself, he naturally knew how exhausting it was to control fairies. The fact that Fang Heng could control one at all had already surprised him greatly.

Fang Heng fell silent for a moment.

Then he suddenly raised his head. "Wu Di, Liuli Yue, and Miss Hong Ye, I have a small request. I hope you can cooperate with me in the battle ahead—"

"A request?"

"Cooperate with you in battle?" Everyone was stunned.

"Ed—you're called Ed, right? What do you mean?" Wu Di asked.

"Nothing," Fang Heng answered. "Just take out all your spare constructs first."

"What nonsense are you talking about?" Liuli Yue could not help cursing. "At a time like this, can you stop joking around?"

But Fang Heng gave him only one glance, and Liuli Yue shut his mouth.

Because Fang Heng did not argue with him at all. He simply placed the Fairy Doll from his arms on the floor and softly said in his heart, Miss Tatta, it's up to you now.

"I understand, Sir Knight," Tatta answered quietly.

Fang Heng gently let go.

A pale blue light screen slowly unfolded in his vision.

And before everyone's eyes, a sleeping lady was awakening. The doll girl slowly opened her eyes, her long Mithril eyelashes fluttering gently.

Within those eyes, opened to a narrow slit, what shone was no longer pale blue magical fire.

It was a sea of silver.

The suitcase in Sylvid's hand fell to the ground with a snap, but the girl did not even notice. Behind her, the maid's violet eyes widened slightly as she watched the scene with curiosity.

"This is..."

"An Artificial Dragon Soul?"

As for the others, apart from Hong Ye, who had seen Fang Heng's Fairy Doll before and found it slightly strange, no one noticed anything unusual for the moment. Yet they all keenly sensed that something had changed.

What had changed was that the doll girl's movements had become unbelievably light—

The fairy girl's round little leather shoes went tap-tap as she took two steps forward. The tips of her silver hair dragged along the ground. With a gentle flick, she gracefully turned halfway around and faced them.

She looked at everyone, and she looked at Fang Heng.

Then she lifted the hems of her skirt with both hands and gave Fang Heng a slight curtsy.

It was like an elegant princess inviting her knight onto the dance floor, leaving everyone staring in a daze.

Hong Ye looked at the doll girl, then at Fang Heng beside her. Jita, at her side, also parted his lips slightly. Tianlan covered her mouth at the sight, her eyes practically glowing.

Fang Heng held out his hand, and Tatta stepped onto his palm.

They gazed at each other through the doll's crystal-clear eyes. Fang Heng merely gave a gentle lift with his hand.

The doll girl floated into the air—

She turned around in midair, every layer of her skirt fanning outward. Her silver hair danced, and silvery radiance spread from every fold of her skirt and from her hair, forming a web that enveloped Fang Heng, Hudi, Hong Ye, Liuli Yue, and Wu Di at once.

Then it continued spreading forward, linking with every one of their Flexible Constructs.

At the same time.

A deathly silence fell.

At last, a Dragon Person charged forward. Its target was Sylvid, who was still standing there in a daze—but the Annihilator beside Hong Ye automatically rotated inward without receiving any command. Its metal plates opened, and a golden-red beam pierced straight through the Dragon Person.

It turned to dust.

"Complete Fairy!"

Liuli Yue cried out in disbelief as though he had seen a ghost.

Hong Ye was no better. "M-my... my two Annihilators have been... completely taken over?"

Of everyone present, Wu Di was the first to react.

Without a word of nonsense, he turned around and raised his right hand. "Everyone, deploy all spare constructs!"

"Follow my command—breakout operation, begin!"

That's it for today. Sorry to keep everyone waiting. Please vote, please vote~