Chapter 2259 - 85: Golden Flame Rekindled (Part 1)

They're going to attack Charter City?

Fang Hong paused slightly at this, but Charter City had long since become a field of ruins. He could not imagine what purpose the other side might have in attacking a ruin. Perhaps it was the people in the ruins? But the people of Silver Forest Spear shouldn't be that foolish—what value was there in holding a ruin?

He watched a while longer, then suddenly realized that their target did not seem to be Charter City after all, because Charter City was not even on the marching route of the Dragon Beast Army. If they didn't intend to swerve, they would probably just brush past that city's ruins in a messy crisscross.

What exactly were these offspring of Nikopolas planning to do?

Or rather, what was the purpose of that will in the shadows behind them, commanding this army?

He suddenly froze, realizing something. The Dragon Beast Army he was seeing here—was it, behind it, bearing the will of Nikopolas—no, of Lady Misu?

If so, that meant the Dragon Witch still existed. Was it because Mazak and Linen Lucius had yet to find her, or because they had already failed? Fang Hong couldn't help thinking of Mazak holding Galapea, feeling that the last Dragon Slayer in this world should not fail so easily.

Galapea had once drunk the blood of Nikopolas. By the power of the Holy Sword, it ought to have the ability to defeat her once more.

"Is there something inside those dragon beasts?"

At that moment Luo Hao, beside him, suddenly said something rather strange.

Fang Hong stared, snapping out of his own thoughts and looking at him: "What did you say?"

"I don't know if my eyes are playing tricks on me," Luo Hao lifted a hand and rubbed his brow, "or if it's just an illusion. I think I saw a woman."

"A woman?"

The words made Fang Hong's heart jolt.

But instinctively he felt disbelief. From the Seven Seas Traveler to the direction of that Dragon Beast Army was not close at all. From the army's perspective, the Seven Seas Traveler should be nothing more than a tiny black dot in the sky.

And looking toward them, all they could see was a press of black, a massed Dragon Beast Army, utterly impossible to distinguish any one individual within it. Under such conditions, how could one possibly see a "woman" in that black tidal surge?

Yet Fang Hong understood at once who that "woman" would be, if she truly existed.

Once, in that dream, he had been fortunate enough to fight side by side with her.

And that cold, hard voice seemed still to echo by his ears:

"You will regret this."

Had he regretted it?

It seemed he had not.

From Fenris all the way south, he had defeated another shadow of Nikopolas, even encountered her original soul—the descendant of the Dragon Slayer named Evril, Xiuyuede's lover. Though there had been some twists and turns, everything had so far gone rather smoothly.

The vicious Curse of that day seemed to have turned into a Phantom.

Only now, in this moment, that heavy, oppressive feeling seemed to have returned all at once.

Staring in that direction, Fang Hong suddenly felt a subtle notion arise within him. The distance between them was clearly very great; from the Seven Seas Traveler, the army on the Horizon appeared nothing more than a thin line.

Yet along that line, he seemed to see extraordinarily clearly, as if his Vision had been abruptly drawn closer, letting him make out those ugly, misshapen creatures—Monsters remade by Nikopolas, her offspring and henchmen.

And among those towering Monsters, there distinctly stood a Madam.

She was turning around.

And that somewhat stern, familiar face—who could it be if not Lady Misu?

Only now her face was covered in shocking patterns of darkness—

In that instant Fang Hong's heart shook violently, suddenly realizing something, a thought that seemed to arise in his mind of its own accord—she had come looking for them.

He stepped back uncontrollably, snatched up the Communication Crystal and shouted: "Gita, hurry and have Miss Hilveld change course!"

But he was already a step too late.

Fang Hong saw that Madam suddenly lift her head toward them, and her golden gaze seemed to break through the limits of space, crossing tens of thousands of meters directly—passing through the porthole and landing upon his face.

That searing gaze was like two sharp blades, piercing straight through the defenses of his Mind.

Fang Hong hadn't even finished speaking before his voice turned into a shrill scream. He couldn't even tell whether the scream was his own; all he felt was a stabbing pain in his inner being.

The world seemed to spin around him; he collapsed to his knees, and when he looked down, he saw that the badge Anluose had given him seemed to melt, drop by drop rolling off his robe, turning into silver liquid that re-solidified upon the deck.

And when he lifted his head again, he found that those golden eyes refused to disperse from his Mind World, like two Stars in a Dark World, Flickering with blinding Light.

But that Light held not the slightest warmth, only a cold, unblinking regard.

Fang Hong's vision was pitch black, as if he had returned to those days at Traveler's Rest, staring into the shadow of death beneath the Giant Dragon's wings.

"You will regret this."

"Ade, you should not have come back."

That voice rolled and echoed through the empty corridors of his consciousness—hoarse and low, yet thick with magnetism.

The shock this sentence brought Fang Hong was no different from the first moment he had ever set eyes upon this Dragon Witch.

He gaped uncontrollably: "Mi—Lady Misu…?"

What answered him was a cold snort.

Then he saw that Giant Dragon raise its claw and extend a single talon toward him. A shaft of Golden Flame shot from the tip of the Dragon Claw, striking him square in the chest.

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