The Doorway, the Beginning of a Legend

"Glowing?" Fang Heng paused for a moment, then asked quietly.

Through the swirling dust, eight dark-red eyes were slowly moving. Pairs of blade-like legs dug into the hard stone wall as the enormous creature roared and climbed toward the breach, baring its fangs and claws.

But no one dared make a rash move until it stopped.

Fang Heng cautiously watched the Constructed Giant Worm and strangely discovered that it made no further move. It merely lay across the breach, fixedly "watching" him. He did not know whether that counted as watching, but he could not shake the feeling.

"It seems to be looking at you?" Even the female rogue from Silver Veil noticed it and asked curiously, "What exactly is in your backpack?" Since she stood beside Fang Heng, she could not see from Scarpe's angle.

Fang Heng swallowed and said without taking his eyes off it, "Miss Scarpe, could you take my backpack off for me?" Keeping his gaze locked on the Constructed Giant Worm, he slowly raised both hands, terrified that too much movement might provoke the damn thing.

At his words, everyone's eyes turned to Scarpe.

Even someone as seasoned as Scarpe broke into a cold sweat. She took a gentle breath to calm herself, silently cursed that brat, then carefully walked over. Keeping her eyes on the massive creature at the breach and seeing that it remained still, she grasped the strap of Fang Heng's backpack.

The giant worm suddenly let out a shrill whistle and wriggled forward a section.

Quilod instinctively raised his greatsword and stepped forward.

That frightened everyone into screaming as they scrambled for cover in every direction. "Everybody stay where you are!" Scarpe shouted furiously. At the same time, she yanked the backpack off Fang Heng and threw it onto the ground ahead of them.

A low hum came from within the Constructed Giant Worm, and it really did stop at once. All the hydraulic mechanisms beneath its metal body sank, oil trickling out in drips.

For the first time, its gaze left Fang Heng and settled on the backpack.

Only then did Scarpe let out a long breath, as though she had collapsed from exhaustion. That simple action had drenched her in cold sweat.

The backpack really was glowing, as though a flashlight had been tucked beneath it. Even the thick canvas could not conceal the faint radiance. The blue-green light revealed every fine woven thread in the fabric.

Fang Heng froze at the sight. "This is...?" He suddenly remembered something, disbelief appearing on his face as he rushed over and opened his backpack.

Everyone watching could not help worrying for him. Scarpe carefully glanced upward—fortunately, the Constructed Giant Worm seemed asleep, completely motionless, observing only Fang Heng's actions with those dark-red eyes.

Fang Heng's hands were covered in dried blood, and his movements were clumsy. Scarpe shook her head and stepped forward to help him. "Thank you, Miss Scarpe." Fang Heng lifted the cloth flap of the backpack, and the light immediately brightened. He stood there blankly for a moment before lifting the object out with both hands.

The pale-blue radiance suddenly blazed forth. It was as though Fang Heng had taken a tiny sun from his backpack, its light turning his face snow-white and making the surroundings seem darker by comparison. At the center of that light was a crystal dagger, clear blue-green and deep as the sea. Gorgeous silver ornaments formed its guard and hilt: winged angels and singing birds encircled a radiant goddess, while lines of bright silver represented the light itself, displaying the maker's exquisite craftsmanship.

The dagger was star-shaped, with straight lines faintly visible inside its crystal blade, forming an alchemical formula array. This was an extremely advanced design concept, generally used only on Battle Gear requiring vast amounts of magical power. Yet the crystal was covered in savage, horrifying scars, and one crack had even damaged its internal structure.

The light poured from that crack for no apparent reason, seeping into every corner it could reach—the earth, the vegetation, and the gaps between the ruin's stone slabs.

That dazzling glow reflected deep in Fang Heng's eyes, and he could not help staring blankly. Wasn't this the dagger Miya had given him?

A strange thought suddenly arose in his heart. Though one voice desperately insisted it was only a coincidence, he could not stop his thoughts from running wild. "Ed?" Scarpe called to him.

But Fang Heng seemed not to hear.

Just then, the Constructed Giant Worm suddenly gave a deep whimper and rose with a series of clacks. Everyone recoiled in fright, while only Scarpe grabbed Fang Heng to pull him away, and Quilod moved to his other side.

Fang Heng was still in a daze.

Like a dark, heavy dragon, the Constructed Giant Worm crawled along the wall. The hard stone crumbled beneath its blade legs like flour, and for the first time, everyone saw its full form—it was breathtakingly long and shockingly fast. In an instant, its enormous head had reached the young alchemist, its long body spanning the entire wall. Its tail was still below the breach at the other end, with no end in sight.

The giant worm stopped. Four pairs of eyes stared motionlessly down at the tiny youth beneath them. Less than ten feet separated it from Fang Heng.

Fang Heng could practically smell the steam hanging in the air.

Yet the temperature was falling.

The woman from Silver Veil shivered from the cold and whispered almost inaudibly, "Its Core Crystal is Ice Feldspar. Ancient alchemy can make it absorb heat and convert it into magical power... Also, it's not only as large as what you can see..."

But no one cared what she was saying. Everyone was frozen where they stood.

Scarpe's hand remained on Fang Heng's shoulder. She did not dare breathe too loudly as her gaze cautiously shifted upward toward the Constructed Giant Beast. A deep rumble sounded within its body, like a beating mechanical heart. Amid that immense vibration, the humans around it seemed even more insignificant.

A chunk of collapsing wall fell beside them, and rubble rolled to Fang Heng's feet with a clatter. That finally brought him back to himself. Looking at the enormous creature, he instinctively raised the dagger in his hand.

With a thunderous boom, the Constructed Giant Worm shifted upward. Its four pairs of dark-red eyes rose high, making everyone swallow hard. Scarpe's fingers had turned white.

But after a long while,

it made no further move.

Fang Heng breathed a sigh of relief and carefully lowered the dagger.

Accompanied by the dull hum of a boiler, the gigantic metal head slowly lowered with his gesture. Its dark-red eyes moved with it, always focused on the dagger in his hand.

It opened its mandibles slightly. The steel-lined cavity of its mouth was filled with dark-red gears, the color of dried blood and rust.

"Give it to it," Scarpe said softly.

"But... that's Miya's dagger." Fang Heng hesitated.

"I knew it was that damned woman," Scarpe said, raising her voice. "Throw it over there, now! Do you want her to get us all killed?"

And at that very moment, the situation changed again.

Fang Heng himself had not noticed that fresh blood from the wounds on his blood-soaked hands was seeping into the crystal. At that instant, a strange message quietly appeared in the upper-left corner of his vision:

Dragon Knight System loading, checking vessel—

Then an entire interface cascaded down like a waterfall. Window after window opened before his eyes as if performing a self-diagnostic. Countless data points and diagrams reflected in the depths of his gaze. He knew that UI very well—it was the basic interface of the Chosen.

But it all seemed like an illusion, vanishing in the blink of an eye and leaving behind only a single message.

Dragon Knight System loading, self-check failed, vessel crystal not found—

At last, even those words faded from his vision, like windblown sand leaving no trace behind.

The entire process took less than half a second. Fang Heng blinked, wondering whether he had imagined it. "Did you see anything?" he asked in confusion.

Of course they had.

But what they saw was the radiant crystal dagger in Fang Heng's hand rapidly losing its brightness and turning dim. The change in lighting was so dramatic that Fang Heng noticed as well. He turned just in time to see the dagger go completely dark.

The female rogue from Silver Veil suddenly cried out in surprise. "Your forehead..."

But an ear-splitting roar made everyone cover their ears, nausea and dizziness washing over them. The space above their heads suddenly opened up as the Constructed Giant Worm rose upright, nearly seven or eight stories tall, looking down at every one of them.

Fang Heng held up the dagger, now utterly devoid of luster.

The giant worm's four pairs of dark-red eyes watched him coldly. Countless metal blades swung around its body as it let out a shrill whistle from within, then suddenly plunged downward.

"Move!"

The last thing he heard was Scarpe's scream.

Someone shoved him from behind.

Darkness.

Who knew how long passed before Fang Heng woke. He did not even know whether he had returned to Starport. He could not see his hand before his face, and pain tore through his body as though he had been split apart. He groaned, finally recalling what had happened before.

At least that meant he was still in Aethelria. He felt his heart pounding forcefully in the darkness, but his mind gradually calmed. Fang Heng tried moving. Rubble surrounded him, and he seemed to be inside some underground tunnel. Water appeared to be seeping in somewhere nearby, each drop making a clear plink.

He felt around, but his backpack was gone. Fortunately, he still had a box of matches in his pocket. He lit one, and the bright flame illuminated the underground darkness. This was a low passageway, the fire outlining the seams between every stone block. Twisted roots grew down from above and spread all across the floor.

The flame burned down to his fingertips, and Fang Heng hurriedly threw it away.

The fire went out, and darkness returned.

This seemed to be the lower level of a ruin. They appeared to have fallen here along with the collapsed structure above, but he did not know where the others had gone—or where that terrifying Constructed Giant Beast was.

Fang Heng lit a second match.

The warm orange light made the underground passage feel a little less cold, but the shadows of stones and roots stretched long. Keeping his head low, Fang Heng cautiously moved forward. No one had likely set foot underground here for countless years. As the light extended ahead, he saw many brightly colored beetles moving beneath the roots, making his scalp crawl.

The dripping sound grew closer.

Then suddenly, a pale face appeared ahead of him—but the match went out at once.

Darkness.

Fang Heng's heart gave a heavy thud. He clumsily struck a third match, and the light returned. Sure enough, it was Scarpe. More than half her body was buried beneath rubble and earth. Her face was deathly pale, and she did not seem to be breathing, but one hand still clutched his enormous backpack tightly.

Fang Heng felt as though he had been struck hard.

He threw the match to the ground and rushed over, desperately digging Scarpe out from under the rubble. The wounds on his hands quickly split open again, blood pouring out and staining the dirt beneath him. But Fang Heng did not notice at all, dragging Scarpe free by sheer force.

"Miss Scarpe."

"Miss Scarpe?" Fang Heng called her name in a low voice, but received no response. He suddenly remembered that voice from before and realized who had pushed him away in the end. His nose stung, and he barely managed to keep the tears from spilling over.

But at that moment, a low cough sounded in the darkness, weak and feeble.

Fang Heng was as overjoyed as if he had won a grand prize. He hurriedly lit another match. Bright, warm light revealed Scarpe's annoyed expression as she said weakly, "Couldn't you be gentler?" But when she saw Fang Heng's trembling, mangled, blood-covered hands, the rest of her words caught in her throat.

The matchlight illuminated Fang Heng's face as well. Tears glimmered in his eyes as he broke into a foolish, childlike smile.

"Childish," Scarpe said, gently shaking her head.

Fang Heng did not care. He wiped at the corner of his eyes. In the flickering matchlight, the passage was low and stifling, shadows shifting in the darkness. This world was not as perfect as he had imagined.

But it was still all right.

"Miss Scarpe, can you walk?"

Scarpe rolled her eyes at him. "Do I look like I can walk?"

Before she finished speaking, the entire passage shook. Dust sifted down from the ceiling. Fang Heng raised his head alertly, clearly sensing that the source of the tremor was directly above them. That thing had not left!

"Looks like it's taken a liking to you." Scarpe could somehow still smile as she teased him mischievously.

Fang Heng was not nearly as optimistic. "This place collapsed from above. It definitely won't stop it. We need to get out of here quickly. I'll carry you." He paused. "...I wonder how Mr. Quilod and the others are doing."

Scarpe did not dare think about that. The Dawnstar adventuring party had surely been wiped out. The smile faded from her face, leaving her expression briefly dim. She asked quietly, "Can you carry me?"

Fang Heng nodded. He went over and opened the backpack—Miya's dagger had long since disappeared somewhere. He did not know whether to feel happy or sad. He only packed some necessities to carry with him, then took out the bag of money from his chest, looked at it again and again, and finally put it into the backpack. Then he picked up the Seventh Style Firearm and slung it over his shoulder.

He was about to lift Scarpe onto his back when she suddenly grabbed his arm. "Wait." She carefully examined his forehead.

Fang Heng paused. "What is it?"

"There's a box in my pocket. Take it out."

Fang Heng did as she said. It really was a tiny box, containing a small piece of soap and a little round steel mirror. He immediately understood what Scarpe meant. At that moment, Scarpe also struck a match, and the firelight brightened again.

Through the mirror, Fang Heng saw a strange mark on his forehead.

It was a star.

Fine pale-white lines had drawn it in the center of his forehead. It was so faint that one might not notice it without looking closely. An exquisite eight-pointed star. He stared at it for a while longer, and it completely sank into his skin.

"What is this?" Fang Heng looked utterly baffled.

But Scarpe did not know either. She could only guess that it might have something to do with the dagger. She told Fang Heng to find it, but the passage was shaking more and more violently. There was simply no time.

"We'll talk about it later." Fang Heng shook his head.

"No." Scarpe glared at him. She vaguely thought of something, but she did not dare confirm it yet.

Ignoring her objections, Fang Heng directly lifted her onto his back and ran toward the front of the passage. The moment he left, the tunnel behind them collapsed with a boom. Seeing that, Scarpe said nothing more.

Though Fang Heng did not possess the strength of a combat-class Chosen, he was in fairly good physical condition. Carrying Scarpe was no trouble at all; she was only a slight female elven ranger.

His entire body felt as though it were falling apart, especially his hands, which continued to bleed. Fang Heng gritted his teeth and endured it without a sound.

The two moved through the darkness. Fang Heng could not tell direction and could only follow the passage ahead. He vaguely sensed that thing pursuing them from behind. Whenever he slowed down even a little, he could feel the ground tremble.

Just as Miss Scarpe had said, it really had latched onto him.

Scarpe was in terrible condition. With her eyes half closed and her head resting on his shoulder, she mumbled hazily, "I didn't expect you to have such a manly side, kid. I know a girl..."

Fang Heng felt a sense of alarm. Scarpe was already starting to lose consciousness. If this continued, something would happen sooner or later. He had only two options now: take her beyond the Zone of Silence, or find a way to heal her.

But getting out of the ruins was easier said than done. Leaving aside Silverwood Spear and the Jefflitte Redcoats outside, he had no way of dealing with the damned thing constantly following them.

Yet the latter option was equally fantastical. Aethelria had very few healing methods. Other than healers and a limited number of potions, there was practically nothing else. And Elsa was already dead; she had been Dawnstar's only healer.

As for whether there were any other healers in the ruins, that was another question. Even if there were, Fang Heng did not think they would necessarily help him. At this moment, his heart was filled with negative thoughts about Major Guilds.

What should he do?

Suddenly, a bold idea flashed through Fang Heng's mind like lightning.

Jefflit's Dragon Knight—