Run, We'll Cover Your Retreat

Traveler's Respite, Underground.

Two Dragon People lunged from hidden corners, one to the left and one to the right, but the tall man stood motionless behind the dust and smoke. With a press of his hand, he grabbed the Dragon People's heads. Before they could react, he slammed them into each other with great force.

He released his grip, and the Dragon People's corpses dissolved into black mist, sinking down into the churning dust.

Mazak walked forward without a glance, the smoke and dust parting on either side of his sturdy thighs and receding behind him. Shadows enveloped the oppressive, narrow space. Stone niches lined the passageway, housing tall, cold stone statues. Each was different, but all were clad in armor, swords planted on the ground, their hollow gazes fixed forward, as if from a time before they were erected.

At the end of the passageway was a stone platform. Lying flat on the platform was a stone-carved sword, about four feet long and a palm's width across. The gems on the hilt, guard, and pommel were exquisitely carved.

Mazak stopped at the edge of the platform. Shayek, his stooped figure slightly hunched, emerged from the side and approached the platform respectfully. He bent down and blew off the dust with a 'puff.' He gently gripped the sword hilt and looked back at Mazak.

The man, towering like a giant pagoda, nodded silently.

Shayek then pressed the gem on the sword's pommel. The gem spiraled inward and sank. A crack creaked open on the stone wall before them, revealing a shallow niche. Inside, a sharp sword lay diagonally.

A bright light fell on Mazak's face.

He walked around the platform, took the sword, and the small copper rings on his braid jingled softly.

The blade, forged from Fey Silver, seemed to naturally emit a faint glow in the darkness. The sword was as thin as a feather, gleaming coldly. Its design was almost identical to the stone sword outside the niche, but the spine was inscribed with a line of beautiful, archaic script in Nifurvin:

'Sleep with the Dragon, hide with the Stars; Rise with the Moon, shine with the Fire—Fey's Chosen, Galapeya.'

He held the sharp sword and turned around.

The black mist scattered backward as if in fear.

From afar, the traveler's camp was completely submerged in black smoke. The black clouds swirled slowly, like a giant vortex. The inn stood at the center of this vortex, like an isolated island.

"Big Sister" stood on a dirt mound, watching the scene. She spat a grass root onto the ground and stomped on it.

A person Fang Heng had met during the day spoke with a worried frown, "Big Sister, I think we should just forget it. I heard the Silverwood Spear and the Taboris Oak Knights are both in this area tonight. Now that it's become like this, I don't think we should get involved in this mess."

"Look, look, what are you looking at?" "Big Sister" turned around and poked his forehead with her slender finger, making him stumble. She said irritably, "Did I die for nothing? Speaking of which, I'm angry. You guys all ran away so fast today. I never noticed you were so fast before. I've been taking care of you guys for nothing."

The man rubbed his head, saying aggrievedly, "But didn't you say it yourself, Big Sister? You said if you were killed, we should run as soon as possible because staying would just be pointless suicide."

"You took my casual remark seriously, huh? Then if I told you to die, would you die?"

The three people trembled like quails, huddled together, not daring to say another word.

After venting her anger, she seemed to calm down. She then looked at another person beside her—an Assassin Chosen wearing a shirt, vest, and bowler hat. Goggles with green lenses were fitted over the brim of the hat. A mask completely covered his nose and mouth, revealing only a pair of long, narrow eyes with crow's feet.

"Besides, who are the Silverwood Spear and the Taboris Oak Knights? We 'Dragonfire' aren't afraid of them, are we, Twenty?" she asked.

The Assassin Chosen, carrying a Level 13 Kingfisher Beta RE Magic Furnace on his back, lowered his head, intently carving a wooden stick into strange shapes with a dagger. Hearing "Big Sister's" words, he perfunctorily nodded.

The dagger in his hand was large. The multi-directional stabilizing gears on the guard and the crystal inlaid on the crossguard proved it was Battle Gear—the Isauron Dexterous Dagger.

Few people used Battle Gear for wood carving, and this man clearly had no artistic talent, producing something quite unsightly. However, at this moment, he suddenly put down his hand, raised his head, and said in a muffled voice, "Someone's coming."

Everyone froze—

A creaking sound echoed from afar, like the collapse of large wooden structures. They looked up and saw that the roofs on the east side of Traveler's Respite were collapsing inward one after another, disintegrating amidst billowing dust and smoke.

"Big Sister" gaped, staring blankly at the scene. "What the hell is that? Did the Silverwood Spear and the Taboris Oak Knights do that? Do they really think Mazak won't kill anyone?"

"Big Sister, look, someone's escaping from under the smoke!" someone with sharp eyes suddenly exclaimed. "They're coming this way. Should we go 'help' them?"

"Big Sister" paused, about to nod. She clearly had no qualms about the job of "helping others," which she was quite skilled at. As for moral pressure—what was that?

But the previous person suddenly added, "Huh, isn't that Etila and her group?"

"Big Sister's" face stiffened upon hearing the name. She immediately raised her monocular telescope and looked in that direction. She turned the brass casing, adjusted the magnification, and indeed saw Fang Heng and the others. She gritted her teeth and said, "It's a case of 'searching high and low without success, only to find it by chance.' It really is those guys!"

She lowered the monocular telescope, drew her rapier sharply, pointed it in that direction, and said, "It's time for revenge. Stop them!"

Fang Heng and his group were hastily escaping from the back door.

Under the cover of her maid, a blonde girl, holding her skirt with one hand and a leather suitcase with the other, had been running at the front of the group since they left. But at this moment, she suddenly stopped and looked up, her light blue eyes warily scanning the darkness ahead.

With a loud 'bang,' a burst of fire bloomed in the darkness.

A rifleman wielding a long spear fired first. The spiraling conical lead bullet flew towards Sylvid, who seemed to be standing there in a daze, aiming for her chest. But just then, a hand reached out from the side, and the bullet struck the arm, leaving a long trail of sparks before—flying off somewhere unknown.

Shesta stepped forward, protectively shielding her master. A long tear appeared on the white lace-trimmed ruffled sleeve of her outstretched left arm, revealing a faint metallic sheen beneath the scorched fabric.

However, everyone's attention was immediately drawn to the muzzle flash in the darkness, so no one noticed this detail.

Hong Ye ran out from the swirling smoke behind them. Seeing the attackers' attire, she was so angry her hair almost stood on end—they were dressed in the typical Jefflitte Redcoats uniform, their triangular hats adorned with long white feathers swaying slightly in the night wind, a perfect imitation.

But where would the Jefflitte Redcoats come from in this place?

She recognized them, of course. "Are you guys crazy? You dare attack the Taboris Oak Knights?"

The rifleman who fired first noticed the others behind him and couldn't help but be taken aback. He turned and said, "Big Sister, that woman looks like Hong Ye. She's from the Taboris Oak Knights."

"Who do the Taboris Oak Knights think they are?" "Big Sister" rolled her eyes and angrily shouted, "Shoot them!"

The response to Hong Ye was a volley of gunfire.

She was so furious she almost fainted on the spot. She raised her hand, and seven or eight Shining Fields formed a large hexagonal formation in front of her. The lead bullets pinged against it, creating ripples.

She pointed her finger again, ready to counterattack.

But Fang Heng ran up from behind and pressed down her hand. He had already recognized the group from earlier that day and immediately realized they were targeting him and Etila.

But the focus at the moment was clearly not on this. He turned back and exchanged a look with Etila.

The latter had clearly recognized these people as well, and mouthed to him, "Charge through."

This thought coincided with Fang Heng's. He nodded slightly, then turned back to Hong Ye and said, "Miss Hong Ye, these people aren't a big threat!"

Hong Ye also sobered up, remembering that the real threat was still behind them. Compared to that, the people in front of them were nothing. She angrily clenched her fist and shouted in that direction, "If you don't want to die, get lost!"

The distance between the two sides was not far.

The 'Big Sister' had clearly seen Hong Ye's action, and her face twitched involuntarily.

Although the Taboris Oak Knights had considerable influence in the First World, they were not well-known in the Second World. Moreover, the Free Guild often lacked real-world foundations, so she hadn't really taken them seriously.

She had attacked many people in the Elpaxin area under the guise of the Jefflitte Redcoats, but few knew that their group was actually composed of members of 'Dragonfire'. Although the Dragonfire Guild was on par with the Taboris Oak Knights in Aethelria, it was at least supported by real-world consortiums and clubs—

Angered by this action, she simply drew her hand cannon and fired a shot at the opponent. This shot seemed to be a signal, causing the hunters ambushing outside the inn to open fire in unison. Countless muzzle flashes spun and erupted from the barrels in the darkness.

"Give me control of the Shining Field," Fang Heng said through the Aether network.

Hong Ye nodded.

Fang Heng stopped and spread his hands to the sides.

The scene was almost miraculous—

In full view of everyone, in the center of the battlefield, with the youth wearing the silver mask at its core, three slowly spinning Annihilators and twelve Shining Fields spanned the entire battlefield from left to right.

As the rainbow light flashed, each appearance blocked a bullet.

The 'Dragonfire' hunters were stunned for a moment, almost forgetting to fire. Although the 'Big Sister' had fought Fang Heng before, she couldn't recognize him at this moment.

She held her hand cannon, unsure if she should continue firing.

This spatial judgment and calculation ability was enough to explain many things. A Tier 3 Combat Artificer, a Creator?

Was this their reliance?

But she had clearly misinterpreted the meaning.

And the consequences of this misinterpretation were naturally far more severe than encountering a level thirty-something Combat Artificer—

Just as the battlefield fell into a terrifying silence, the ground suddenly shook slightly, and a huge ripple spread across the swamp water.

The Dragonfire members instinctively looked up at the sight.

Then, from within the smoke and dust ahead, a pair of gaunt, gray wings suddenly appeared. The tips of the wings slowly rose—almost reaching the highest point of the inn—and then swept downward.

Dust rolled and scattered, reaching the water's edge and immediately forming a white wave on the swamp. The spray surged forward, and a strong gust of wind also swept in, still blowing everyone's hair.

Then it continued backward, rustling the mangrove trees behind them.

The assassin also held down his hat.

"What the hell is that!?" someone shouted in the wind.

But he couldn't shout anymore. As the enormous wings pressed down, the wind pressure lifted the behemoth and sent it soaring upward. It turned in mid-air, spread its wings, and revealed its true form.

Its wings had four corners, its eyes were like molten fire, and its four claws hung down naturally. The black scales on its abdomen were layered like forged steel. Its long tail swept across the inn, shearing off half the roof and causing the entire spire of the inn to collapse with a roar.

Fang Heng's scalp tingled at the sight. This thing was much larger than when they first saw it, now nearly three stories tall.

He turned around and saw Wu Di and Liuli Yue, who were responsible for covering their retreat, scrambling out of the smoke. The latter was slightly stunned by the sight before him, "What's going on now?"

"No time to explain, run!" Fang Heng covered his ears and rushed forward.

In fact, he didn't need to remind them. Everyone escaping from the inn 'understood the righteousness' and covered their ears, then rushed forward. Some of the Dragonfire members hadn't reacted yet and instinctively wanted to open fire when they saw them fleeing—

But at this moment, the dragon spread its wings in mid-air and let out a long roar.

The terrifying dragon roar caused all the unprepared Dragonfire members to cover their ears, their vision went black, and they fell to their knees. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Fang Heng and his group, who had been prepared, quickly ran away in another direction, wading through the water.

When the 'Big Sister' opened her eyes, this was exactly what she saw.

She immediately raised her hand cannon and aimed at Etila, who was fleeing.

But at this moment, someone shot before she did.

The shooter was the first hunter, but his target was not Fang Heng's group, but the dragon in the sky, whom he had fired upon in extreme fear.

"Don't shoot!" the assassin next to the 'Big Sister' suddenly jolted and couldn't help but shout.

Unfortunately, it was too late.

This shot was like a prelude. Everyone simultaneously pulled the trigger at the dragon in the sky, and a continuous burst of golden-red light bloomed. Supported by the powerful magic of the attribute Core Crystal, countless lead bullets spun out like raindrops, hitting the dragon's chest and head, creating sparks.

But in the end, not even a white mark was left.

A moment later, the Dragonfire members realized what a foolish thing they had done. "A, a Leader-class Monster?" Amidst their stammering gasps, the Dark Dragon slowly lowered its head, its golden-red pupils flashing with an unknown light.

"Get down!"

Wu Di, who had already run far away, shouted to remind everyone.

Fang Heng wasn't the fastest, but he wasn't slow either. He lunged forward, and the wind pressure from the dragon's wings swept past him, rustling his long robe. A huge shadow swept over everyone's heads and swooped down with a roar onto the dirt mound where the Dragonfire members were.

The entire ground shook.

Fang Heng was thrown up from the ground and slammed into a nearby rock, his life instantly reduced by more than a quarter. His vision went starry, and he endured the pain to look in that direction. Indeed, he saw a cloud of dust.

The members of 'Dragonfire' were scattering and fleeing amidst the smoke and dust.

But it was utterly meaningless.

With a sweep of its tail in the smoke and dust, the dragon could send several people flying. As for the 'Big Sister', her whereabouts were already unknown, and it was unclear if she was alive or dead.

It was likely she had met a grim fate.

I overestimated the time I'd be back, wow, tragic. But after tomorrow, there shouldn't be much going on. I'll try to get back to the usual update time tomorrow morning. Thank you, thank you~