Pillars of Ita

Chapter 1160: Meaningless Alliance

Fang He gently pressed the magic glove against his chest. Although the gentle touch there had long since disappeared, and the silver coin of fate had also vanished without a trace, the words flowing on his retina - the records of the Dragon Knight System recorded everything that had happened truthfully:

"You have obtained the 'Silver Coin of Destiny'——"

'The Lady of Commerce, Roman, is the goddess of wealth and fairness, but she is also the god of travelers and roads. She cast a glance at you and ordered this power to make you blessed by some unknown force, greatly improving your agility ratings.'

He is a combat craftsman, and almost all of his growth is reflected in the corrections related to intelligence, memory, and calculation ability, but his physical fitness - strength and agility are only hovering around the E and F level evaluations, no different from ordinary people.

After obtaining the 'Silver Coin of Destiny', his agility rating jumped to C-level, and his dodge and balance abilities were greatly improved, which was roughly equivalent to the level of a 16th-level swordsman. Although this improvement was helpful, it was insignificant compared to the following lines of text:

The refinement ability of his school's specialization has been improved. It is no longer limited to the [Alchemy] entry, but all productions related to combat craftsmen - whether it is crystals, plug-ins, magic tools or flexible constructions, the same improvement can be obtained.

Not only has the craftsmanship accuracy been further improved during production, but the cost has also been reduced by 25%; now the [Fine Finishing] and [Careful Production] abilities under the school specialization have been merged into one exclusive ability:

【Blessed Craftsman】

  This ability also combines all of his construct basics, Small, Medium, and Large, Dragon Science, Magic, Blacksmithing, and Woodworking knowledge, giving him the maximum production power of his level (50) for all constructs he makes.

And when making related flexible structures, the corresponding production capacity is increased to three times. This is nothing in itself, but it greatly enriches the range of blueprints he can learn. At his level, as long as he learns the relevant basic theories, normal combat craftsmen will have this production capacity.

It's just that this ability saves him the learning process.

This further saved the experience he needed. After Gwanghae's battle blessing expired, his originally abundant experience was becoming scarce again, and the blessing of the Goddess of Commerce undoubtedly greatly alleviated this situation.

His original advantage in craftsmanship is that his craftsmanship precision is far higher than others. His abundant computing power allows him to make multiple connections to the Star Nodes, while ordinary craftsmen at his level have to learn refinement before they can make a second or third connection.

Higher precision means higher quality. After studying in the Hall of a Thousand Doors and with Anloser, he had already stabilized his products to a quality just below legendary, that is, between A and S grades.

After the accuracy was further improved, he had a vague inspiration - maybe soon, he could also try to create a whiteboard legend by hand like Anloser.

He had wanted to try this for a long time.

  Moreover, his ability greatly increased his production richness. Now he did not need to learn specific theoretical knowledge - he could treat all constructions, plug-ins and equipment equally, even those that were not very popular.

This was not even about experience and time, but because some obscure categories of knowledge were difficult for him to learn, such as knowledge of the heavenly realm and the secrets of rituals. He had to work hard to find some records from artisan associations in different places, and then integrated them one by one.

Sometimes this knowledge is even in the hands of individuals or different organizations, and it is something that cannot be learned in the Artisans' Guild. Ms. Roman tapped his heart lightly and injected the knowledge beyond mortals into his memory through the silver coin.

  And it also gave him an inspiration:

'Heart of Rock'

Fang He almost immediately discovered the uniqueness of this legendary inspiration. It was completely different from every inspiration he had consumed before. This was not an inspiration that could be consumed, but a passively effective idea:

'You can use magic gems as raw materials. Upgrading constructs of different categories is like injecting them with a legendary inspiration; the properties of different gems will give different inspirations, but constructs of the same category can only be upgraded once, and these constructs will be regarded as your exclusive constructs.'

And below it there is another similar inspiration:

'Nature's gift'

This inspiration is almost identical to the Heart of Stone, the difference is that it gives him the legendary inspiration to use rare magical woods and plants as raw materials to upgrade constructs. This ability is surrounded by the breath of nature and it is almost impossible to be a gift from the goddess of commerce.

  But he immediately realized what was happening. A giant tree heart, as a seed, took root and sprouted in his body. It shone brightly in the dark world of consciousness, emitting a soft light. Its tough outer bark formed a barrier, greatly enhancing his protective ability.

Moreover, since the power of the Heart of the Dragon King was gradually revived in the battle in the North, his physique has gradually recovered to the B-level level. Under the protection of the tree heart, it has been further upgraded to the A-level rating. His vitality is almost as strong as that of a paladin of the same level.

The heart of the tree obviously had some other abilities. Fang He immediately realized that it was a gift from the goddess of nature, Aimeya - he vaguely remembered that he had met this forest lady once.

She remained silent as before, just staring at him silently, and then gave him something.

Fang He slowly opened his eyes again.

These two legendary inspirations really surprised him. Almost all of Ataria's classic alien structures came from immortal legendary inspirations. The sparks of creativity that the craftsmen burst out in the darkness were projected onto their works.

Thus a great product was born.

Just like a six-winged seraph, it was created with a legendary inspiration called the 'Holy Flame'. Craftsmen of different times have inherited it from generation to generation, and it has been passed down from the Grey King FOX to this day.

In fact, he had heard of similar abilities. Several centuries ago, there was a dwarf master craftsman with the title of "Iron Casting". His real surname had long been lost. He had the ability to give all constructs an inspiration upgrade called "Flame".

Relying on this ability, the other party once forged an army of fire.

The other's statue still stands in the Cast Iron Hall.

He was one of the most legendary master craftsmen in the history of Elderon, and similar abilities actually exist in modern times, although they are certainly not as famous as the former. The 73rd-ranked craftsman Ms. 'Jianbi' Yaki has an inspiration that can 'reinforce' and upgrade all her constructs.

But that inspiration was far from legendary, and therefore didn’t move her very far up the charts.

But the abilities given to him by the two goddesses Roman and Aimaya are far more than that.

Materials of different properties can endow constructs with different types of abilities. The three types of clockwork fairies, walkers, and dragon hunters under his command can all be completely upgraded. In the future, he will have multiple types of exclusive alien constructs.

  Although the specific strength of the upgrade is still unknown, the abilities given by the goddess shouldn't be too bad, right?

When Fang He opened his eyes, the first person he saw was Victor - and Sarona and the priest Tada beside him. The former was looking at him with concern, and when he saw him wake up - the other party opened his mouth, but didn't know what to say for a moment.

Fang He then thought of something.

"Mr. Victor, that silver coin of destiny..." He was already completely sure that the other party had no ill intentions, and his tone became much more natural. However, since Ms. Roman gave him the silver coin, wouldn't that mean the transaction could not be completed?

"Don't worry about the silver coin," Victor smiled awkwardly and shook his head. "The silver coin is no longer important. The lady has given us an oracle, asking us to do our best to help you. We will do our best to meet all your requests."

Seeing Fang He looking at him in confusion, Sarona explained, "The Holy Secret Society collects destiny coins. In fact, it is just to gather the guidance of the three ladies. Those coins are obtained by different people, and their destinies are engraved on them."

"As they move towards their desired goals, they are actually part of the three ladies' plan..."

"But we won't deceive them. We will tell them everything truthfully. But whether they are greedy or determined, most people will show the same attitude when they learn that their wishes can be realized."

Victor said as he glanced at the female pirate not far away.

He turned back and said, "But you are different, Son of the Stars. You already know your own path. The goddess believes that you will move in that direction, and we can only trust her judgment. After all, no matter what, our goals are the same—"

Victor raised his head, as if his eyes could penetrate the dome there, and saw a cold gaze there -

The azure starlight is equally covering the world.

Civilization needs to go through disasters and is closely related to the fate of everyone in the mortal world. It's a pity that most people cannot realize this.

They are either cowardly or arrogant, just like the powerful empire, the owner of the hand of philosophy, the supreme emperor, who is also addicted to dreams and unable to extricate himself.

Fang He nodded slightly, he naturally understood in his heart.

There is no escape from either world. It is not something he can choose. He can only face it. And courage is not fanaticism - the experiences of the three geniuses have told him that he must face it all with reason.

  Just like the thought in his mind - why do the evil star and the star gate come again and again? Is it the death shadow and the extinction of starlight that come to each world, but it keeps repeating, is there something hidden? Is the resistance of civilization in vain?

Destruction would come faster and faster each time. If fighting only led to a future doomed to silence, just like what he had seen in the starry sky of Friston, then what was the point of their efforts?

Even ordinary people can understand this truth, so would the saints and Ms. Roman not understand it? Elaine died, and another unknown goddess, Narsu, also died. What were they struggling for in this repetitive fate?

Unfortunately, there is still too little information.

He had learned a lot of truth from Ms. Roman and the Holy Mystery Society, but it was still far from enough. He absolutely did not believe that the world would be doomed, otherwise all the efforts of the Seven Seas Brigade would be in vain. But he vaguely realized that perhaps he must first understand the star of disaster and understand its true operating mechanism.

Just like the truth that Friston was looking for.

Only in this way can we find the glimmer of hope behind it.

"Go and take a rest," Victor saw the fatigue on his face, "The Holy Secret Society will prepare the materials you need. You probably don't have time to stay in Saint Xuan to build a new ship for the time being, so you can slow down the preparation of mithril and other ship materials. I will prepare the materials for the magic recovery device for you first, which should be able to help you later."

Fang He nodded. He was indeed a little tired.

It was a tiredness that came from deep within his soul. He had a hunch that the power bestowed upon him by the two goddesses would take time to dissipate, and he might need a long sleep to allow his body to adapt to the new abilities.

Victor asked Sarona to take Fang He away, and the priest Tada nodded to him.

Fang He walked down the steps and saw the elves of Mistville from afar - the giant tree druid and a group of moon elves were looking at him from afar, putting their hands on their chests and bowing to him.

Fang He could feel the friendliness in the eyes of these elves, which was completely different from the first time he met them. However, the moon elves did not come closer. Instead, they left the hall led by the druid elder.

"You are chosen by Emaya," Sarona said to him, "The Eye of the Tree also recognized you. This should be unprecedented among them. They must return to Mistville to report this to the Druid Council."

"But they should have recognized you,"

That lazy tone seemed to be innate to her. Although her attitude had changed long ago, Sarona's tone remained unhurried.

Fang He nodded slightly again, and then he saw a figure blocking him and Sarona - it was the Elf Princess. The elf girl brought her two holy guards and blocked him.

The coldness on Lian Kuiya Arsana's face had faded a lot, at least she no longer looked at him with disgust, but he seemed a little hesitant. Her background and experience made her unsure how to put down her airs and talk to Fang He:

"You... I heard about some of the things you did recently. No matter what your purpose was, at least you really wanted to do something for her," the girl said stiffly, but her tone gradually softened. "But it's useless for you to go to the Giant Tree Hill... The elders will not listen to a human, even if you are the one chosen by Aimaya, because Her Majesty the Saint is also the Holy One..."

"If you really want to save Her Majesty, go to Lotao, go to the Miro Temple..." She took a deep breath, "This matter... is related to my eldest sister. She and my father planned all this. If Lofi Kuiya Alsana can change her mind..."

Fang Plover shook his head.

Although he didn't know why the elf girl was so concerned about the former, and although she should be the elf lady's rival, he didn't think this was a good idea.

Letting the Saint enter the Gray Forest should have been the Elf King's plan alone. No matter who else was involved, they should not be able to influence the Elf King's will. Behind it was a political struggle between the royal court and the elders. How could it be so naive?

No matter how naive he was, he was accustomed to the intrigues among politicians on Earth and would never believe that the feelings among the royal family could control everything, let alone even if her sister, Lofi Kuiya Alsana, was really an important person.

  But why should the other party change his mind because of her words?

Rather than pinning his hopes on an outsider, it is better to rely on himself from the beginning. Although he also agrees with the elven princess's opinion, the Council of Elders of the Holy White Forest will definitely not waver because of him, a person chosen by Aimaya.

But he had never considered relying on those people. He had been prepared from the beginning to use his own strength and the power of the Seven Seas Brigade to personally rescue the Elf Lady. Since the Holy White Forest had long lost the favor of Lady Aimaya, there was no need for his sister to stay there.

If I stay in the Seven Seas Brigade, I might have more chances to meet Ms. Emaya, and I won't have to sacrifice myself for those stubborn and selfish people.

"You..." Lian saw him shaking his head and said angrily, "You don't need to be angry with me for this matter. You should know what is more important than what is less important. You don't need me to look up to you. You are the one chosen by Ms. Aimaya, aren't you?"

"I'm not angry with you, Miss Lian."

"...Then go to Rota'o," Lian looked at him deeply, "Don't set foot on the land of Giant Tree Hill. I can only help you so much. Please believe me...No matter what Victor and the others said to you, I don't want Her Majesty the Saint to get into trouble--"

"I believe you." Fang He nodded.

Although the elf girl's tone was harsh, she did not look like the kind of person who said sweet words but had a vicious heart.

"Then you are willing to meet my sister, Filo..."

"No," Fang He interrupted her, "Ms. Lian, I have my own plans. I am not used to relying on others. The Holy White Forest may be important to you, but it is nothing to me."

He was not exaggerating. His mentality had changed a lot after his trip to the Empire. In the past, perhaps influenced by Su Changfeng and others, he always wanted to solve problems within the rules, but the Oshu people - including the Imperial Workshop, which he respected, had no intention of reasoning with him from the beginning.

After the rules were broken, he realized that the world was not that complicated. Even though he had offended the empire, he might as well add an Elf Court.

What's more, the other party was at fault first, so he had no psychological burden at all.

Lian took a deep breath and stared at him.

The girl's good upbringing prevented her from saying anything more serious, and she didn't know how to convince this stubborn guy. She wanted to find some sarcastic words, but she had lost the angry mentality she had in the past few days.

She bit her lip and said, "You have disappointed Her Majesty the Saint."

Then he turned around and left angrily with the two elven holy guards.

Fang He was speechless for a moment, but he didn't intend to explain anything.

Because of her royal highness's background and stance, she should have been a rival to him and Miss Attila. However, compared to those cunning and arrogant opponents, at least Princess Lian Kuiya Arsana was much more upright.

Sarona didn't say much, and then the members of the Seven Seas Brigade came forward one by one.

"Are you okay?" Luo Hao patted his shoulder. Fang He shook his head, looked at him, and couldn't help but sighed, "You should lose weight."

"What?" The fat man from the military looked at his body in annoyance, "I haven't eaten much recently."

Miss Nightingale looked at the two funny guys helplessly, but they were still able to make jokes, so it shouldn't be a big deal. Tianlan continued to chirp and ask about their well-being, like a noisy sparrow. Miss May's voice was gentle and firm. As for Daryl, Ms. Cat was used to being alone, so she stood aside, not quite used to it.

Cui Xisi, who had just joined the Seven Seas Brigade, came to her side and stood with her. Luo Hao found Jita and asked, "Ms. Jita, Ataria is an information-based world. I won't carry my weight back to the other side of the star gate, right?"

The Papara people were laughing at the side, but the boatswain did not come forward and stood calmly by the side.

Finally, Fang He saw the box. The young man was holding his magic sword, his face a little pale. "Are you okay?" He asked the other party with his eyes. The box shook his head slightly, indicating that he was fine.

"Gwendes just jumped out of his scabbard and yelled at us," Tianlan said. "It was terrible, but the problem is that we couldn't understand what it was saying."

The magic sword 'Gwendes' twisted and shook in the box, but the box held down its hilt tightly, preventing it from jumping out of the scabbard.

"It says," the box said, "it says hello to you."

"Really?" Miss Poet asked curiously.

One of these two people dares to speak, and the other dares to believe it.

……

The 'Henry Black Gold' was anchored in the open sea. The sea was relatively calm, and the wind swept through the clouds, forming wave-like patterns.

The captain of the Black Gold, Henry Barbot, was talking to someone. The man was wearing a red windbreaker with a cage-handled rapier and a musket hanging from his waist. Judging from his attire, the other person was a member of Jeffreyt's Red Team.

He was wearing a three-cornered hat with the brim pulled down low, and was holding up a telescope in his hand, observing the movements on the sea level.

Henry Barbot asked from the side: "Hasn't the woman left St. Hugh's yet?"

The other party then put down the telescope and turned around. If Fang He was here, he would definitely recognize that this man was the leader of Jeffreyt's Red Team who he had dealt with in "Cork" a few days ago.

He put away the telescope and said, "Don't worry, they won't stay in Saint Hugh's for too long. I have had people spread some rumors in the port. If the 'Dragon Alchemist' hears what happened in Giant Tree Hill, he will definitely not stay there."

He spoke with a strong hint of sarcasm, "But I heard that the Holy Secret Society is holding a ceremony. It must be related to them. It's a pity that the Holy Secret Society does not allow outsiders to enter the venue. We have no way to stop it."

Thinking of this, he felt a little uneasy. But the Blood Shark Pirates were like mice seeing a cat when they saw the people of the Holy Secret Society, and the Gray Pirates never mentioned the falling out with the Holy Secret Society. None of these people were trustworthy, and they still had the nerve to call themselves Sky Sea Pirates.

  He didn't believe it at all. It was a pity that Jeffreyt's Red Team was too weak in Saint Hugh's. Otherwise, he really wanted to give it a try to see what the Holy Secret Society could do to him, a Chosen One.

"Block the waterway," the leader of Jeffreyt's red team said to Henry Barbot, "There are more merchant ships coming, drive them away."

"Drive away?"

Henry Barbot chuckled.

There are not many merchant ships passing through the waterways near Saint Hughes, but there are always some who are not afraid of death. The rest are armed merchant fleets, who are themselves part of the pirates in the sky and sea.

However, there is no friendship between pirates. They have been on this route for several days and are almost indifferent to it. Now a fat sheep has come to their door, and it is a good opportunity to eat some meat. The other side has only a few ships, and they are not like lambs to be slaughtered if they surround them.

As for driving them away, it was impossible, but the leader of Jeffreyt's Red Team didn't care. He was of course aware of the habits of these people. He had let Yugudola go before in order to avoid complications and attract the Oak Knights.

As for the life and death of others, he doesn't care.

Soon the shadows of the ships could be seen on the horizon with the naked eye, but there were only three of them, but as an old pirate on the open sea, Henry Barbot soon sensed that something was wrong.

The three ships were too big. Even at this distance, one could see their towering bows. Wouldn't they be like a fortress on the sea when they got closer? And the other party should have seen them, but instead of fleeing in panic, they drove towards them head-on.

He could already sense something strange based on his experience. Was this a first-class or second-class battleship? Henry Barbot's eyes widened. Even the Cowling royal family didn't have many such huge ships, and those were often patrolled on the most prosperous waterways.

The noble lords in Parliament would be reluctant to use them in such a remote place.

He realized something was wrong and immediately told his men to keep an eye on the boats and turn around and leave if anything went wrong. But at this moment, a black dot rose from a sailboat in the distance and flew rapidly in this direction.

Henry Barbot looked at the black dot and suddenly had a bad feeling in his heart. The thing released at this distance - either the main structure, or... Both of these situations were something he didn't want to mess with.

As for the latter thought, he didn't even dare to think about it.

He immediately turned around and asked his men to prepare to turn around. There was more than one ship here, and he hoped that the other party would notice his "allies" first. If the "Black Gold" fell behind, the hope of survival would be much greater.

  But as soon as he turned around, Henry Barbot broke out in a cold sweat. He found that he couldn't move at all. The Henry Black Gold seemed to have entered a strange space. The surrounding sea of ​​clouds was no longer real, but had been coated with a layer of gray at some point.

Time stops——

Everyone around him, including the fluttering sails of the Black Gold and the moving clouds, all stopped in that gray hue. Everything around him seemed to be trapped in a stagnant world, except for his thoughts.

Everything stops flowing.

Then Henry Barbot saw a flash of light in the distance. The light came in an instant across thousands of meters, like a line that cut through the sky and the earth, crossing the Black Gold and hitting another ship of the Cold Iron Wave Breakers not far away - the 'Goddess of Vengeance'.

The tall three-masted sailing ship was as fragile as a piece of thin paper in front of the sword light. It broke in half, the mast collapsed, and the bow and stern of the entire ship were raised high. Then, with a deafening roar, it slowly sank under the sea of ​​clouds.

This scene made Henry Barbot feel cold from head to toe. He had seen the strength of the Silver Rank - the leader of the Blood Shark Pirates, Barosha, was one, that woman Catherine was one, and even the deputy captain of Jeffreyt's Red Team on his ship was one.

but……

There is only one kind of person in the whole of Ataria who can wield such a terrifying sword, able to cut off a fifth-class frigate with one sword from miles away, making the protective facilities and large ship shields on the ship seem non-existent.

Dragon Rider.

He raised his head fearfully. The gray hue in the sky was fading away. He didn't know when the black shadow had come to the sky above the Black Gold. A woman in a black windbreaker was standing in the air, looking at them indifferently.

What a pair of eyes they were, as cold as sapphires, her long black hair was flying in the wind, she was holding a long sword taller than herself, holding the sword and the scabbard behind her, and holding a harpoon in the other hand - she was staring at everyone on the deck without saying a word.

Henry Barbot had sharp eyes and could tell at a glance that the harpoon came from the harpoon gun on the Nemesis. No wonder the other party was attacked...

He was a little trembling with fear. He saw the epaulettes on the other party's black windbreaker at a glance. The emblem of star rings and sword blades almost made him faint. The Stargate Port military - these people have always kept their distance from them - why are they here?

The leader of Jeffreyt's Red Team walked up to the deck in a rage, and when he looked up, he saw the woman in mid-air. He was speechless for a moment, "Jeffreyt's Red Team?" But the female swordsman spoke before him, "This is not your area of ​​activity. How did you collude with the pirates?"

"I'm not……"

The leader of Jeffreyt's red team felt a chill in his heart and subconsciously refuted, but he suddenly realized something and changed his words: "You are not qualified to ask me these."

The female swordsman looked at him with disdain, raised her hand, and a cold light pierced through his shoulder. Before the leader of Jeffreyt's red team could react, he was pierced by a harpoon and nailed to the wall behind him.

  The latter screamed, causing Henry Barbot to shudder with fear. The pirate leader's brain was screaming at him to escape, but his legs seemed to be nailed to the spot as if they were filled with lead. However, the woman didn't even bother to look at him:

"Tie yourselves up, help each other," she said calmly, "Help that guy deal with his wounds, and wait for our people on the ship to take you away. Be honest, I don't want to kill any more people."

Henry Barbot silently glanced at the Nemesis sinking under the sea of ​​clouds and opened his mouth silently.

……