Hero Altar

With the final whisper, Kang De suddenly realized he understood what Tina was saying.

Including what the natives had shouted at him earlier.

Cathay.

Princess.

And so on.

All of it.

The radiant magic circle behind Tina shattered with a crash, and every speck of starlight flowed into Kang De.

He felt some kind of change in his body continuing.

Kang De suddenly heard the princess behind him say, "I'm sorry, this must be a misunderstanding. I don't know what just happened, but now we can communicate, and you can understand us. I'm Tina Terrariel, daughter of the Grand Duke of Goth. I hope we can set this misunderstanding aside for now and resolve the conflict we just had peacefully and with restraint..."

Kang De wanted to speak, but suddenly his body swayed.

He gritted his teeth, gripped his gun, pushed the princess behind him away, and stood up. "A Xing!"

The gorilla came running over with the rebar club in hand.

Kang De breathed a sigh of relief. His legs gave out, and he fell into A Xing's arms, murmuring, "I'm a little sleepy. Take me home to sleep. Don't trust them..."

With that, his head lolled to one side, and he fell asleep.

The other animals slowly gathered around.

The princess was startled. She spoke earnestly to these intelligent creatures, doing her best to express goodwill and convey that her side meant no harm. Now that things had come to this, she had to do everything she could.

"Please don't worry. He's fine, he really is..."

She had only said a few words before realizing that explaining was pointless. The animals showed no hostility or killing intent; for some reason, the looks they gave her seemed friendly.

They gathered around, most of their gazes fixed on Kang De.

Those pairs of animal eyes held emotions as complex as a human's.

They watched Kang De in silence, and no one knew what they were thinking.

After a moment, the kangaroo called out a few times, followed by the wolverine, then the marmot... Honestly, the scene was a little funny. If it had taken place in a circus, the audience would probably have applauded enthusiastically.

But none of the humans present could laugh.

They could clearly sense a solemn atmosphere.

It was as though the animals were seriously discussing a matter of tremendous importance, one that might even change the course of history.

As if they were voting.

Then the kangaroo called twice to the gorilla.

The gorilla answered with calls of his own, then carefully picked up Kang De. Dragging the rebar club, he left without looking at the people present.

The animals followed him.

Just then, several other parties searching the area arrived. They were startled, but when they saw that Her Highness was unharmed, they paid no attention to stopping the strange circus procession and hurried over to Tina.

Tina said softly, "Sorry to have worried you all. Please treat the injured, and ask them about what happened. As for me... I'm going to follow them and take a look."

The head maid, Lady Bedela, wanted to stop her, but a look from Knight Cleveland stopped her.

She and the captain took a look at the situation, and their hearts sank.

More than half of the elite party of a dozen or so were wounded. They were in a sorry state.

The princess looked at her knight. "Let me bandage you."

The knight quietly stepped back and bowed. "There must be a distinction between master and servant. Lady Bedela can do it."

He had been hurt the worst in the conflict. He had taken a shotgun blast to the head, two rubber pellets striking him squarely in the forehead and raising a large lump surrounded by frightening purple bruises. Kang De had also struck him hard on the other side with the gun's grip, leaving blood streaming down his face.

And that was him. Anyone else taking those blows would have had their skull smashed.

The captain was checking the sailors' injuries when he noticed the fire axe left on the ground.

Its blade was sharp, for chopping people, and the back had a spike for piercing armor. It was a terrifyingly efficient killing weapon, and it was even painted red. So bloody. Cathayans, Cathayans.

He picked it up and flicked the axe head. His expression changed slightly. "What superb forging, what superb steel."

"Only..." he murmured to himself, "why is the material for the handle so lousy?"

Meanwhile, Her Highness had already silently followed the animal force.

After a quick bandaging, the knight captain followed as well, staying at Her Highness's side to protect her.

The others looked at one another, unsure what to do. In the end, the captain and head maid discussed it and sent half their people to follow and protect her, while the other half returned to camp to continue working.

The princess walked on silently, with Cleveland half a step behind her.

After hesitating for a long time, the knight finally spoke. "Princess..."

Tina turned to look at him. Something was very wrong with the knight captain's voice.

He sounded close to tears.

This famous knight, renowned throughout Goth for his valor, had never retreated even on the most brutal battlefield, yet his eyes were red now. He seemed to have suffered a tremendous blow.

He took a deep breath. "I... I'm overwhelmed with shame and guilt. I wish I could wash away this disgrace with my death. It was all because of me, Your Highness, that you..."

"Please don't say any more, knight captain."

Tina said softly, "You did nothing wrong, and neither did Mr. Kang De. If anyone is to blame, it can only be fate, which loves to play tricks on people..."

She had already asked for a general account of the earlier conflict.

The knight and sailors were not at fault. She had been abducted, and everyone had been furious. With the suspect identified as a "Cathayan," they could hardly have been expected to speak politely when they faced him.

Nor was Mr. Kang De at fault. Faced with that situation and unable to understand the language, no normal person would have surrendered without resistance and placed their life and dignity in someone else's hands.

Suddenly, the knight captain gritted his teeth. "Even if we don't blame that Cathayan, we should blame those beasts. If they hadn't abducted you, none of this would have happened!"

Tina sighed. "Please don't say that again. Tracing responsibility and causes back endlessly is a meaningless, foolish thing to do. We ended up stranded here because we had to sail to the imperial capital, and that was because the Empire refused to offer Goth much help. Should we blame the Empire for this, then? Going further back, should we blame the elves who started the war? There's no point pursuing it anymore."

She said, "Under those circumstances, I had no choice but to do it. The root of the conflict was that we couldn't understand each other. Only by communicating freely could we resolve as much of the conflict as possible..."

The knight gritted his teeth. "I would rather die than have you do that!"

Tina sighed softly. "That's easy to say... If you had died, the conflict would inevitably have escalated, and there would have been no way to turn things around. Either we or Mr. Kang De would have had to die before the other side could be at ease, and we must not die on this deserted island. This is all for Goth."

"But your sacrifice was far too great."

The knight's tears rolled down. "And it was meaningless... Communication is only the most insignificant additional benefit of the Armor-Donning Ritual. After awakening his Primordial Spirit, he must go to a Hero Altar within a month and receive the inheritance of an ancient sage. Otherwise, the ritual will have been wasted..."

He looked around and said bleakly, "Where would we find a Hero Altar on this calamity-stricken island sealed by the gods? Even if the Penguin were repaired immediately and we sailed back to Goth, we wouldn't make it in time..."

At this point, the knight recalled his fight with Kang De and grew even more distressed.

"His physical strength is great. Though he doesn't seem to have had professional combat training, his talent for fighting and his ability to adapt are beyond anything I've ever seen..."

He said in anguish, "If he could receive the war inheritance of the late king Ruins or the Battle Saint Thorn soon, it wouldn't be too much to hope that he could transcend the ordinary and attain sainthood within five years. He could become a sword protecting Goth... but..."

The princess stopped.

She looked at the knight and said slowly, "Please don't be sad anymore, knight. What's done is done. We can only look forward. We can't just look at what we've lost; we must also look at what we've gained."

"I saved everyone's lives and resolved the conflict with Mr. Kang De. We may even have a chance to cooperate with him. With his help, perhaps we can set sail again sooner and head for the Empire. Given how the war is going, every day sooner we reach the imperial capital means a little less sacrifice for Goth..."

Though her eyes were red, she smiled.

"Looking at it that way, we gained a great deal. Compared to Goth, what happened to me is nothing..."

Hearing her say that, the knight blamed himself all the more.

Such was the fate of people in this world. What could a humble knight like him do about it?

"Huh?"

The princess suddenly let out a quiet exclamation.

Cleveland immediately said, on alert, "Your Highness, what is it?"

"This path... doesn't lead back to his home..."

Tina whispered, "Where are they going?"

The animals walked on in silence.

Along the way, many pairs of eyes watched the group.

Or rather, watched Kang De, who was in the gorilla's arms.

The princess and the knight were full of questions, but could only keep following. This was indeed a different path. They walked across the barren island, going farther and farther into the wilderness, traveling a very long way.

They stopped in a hollow between the hills.

Wild grass covered the ground and vines grew everywhere, but there was not a bird or beast in sight.

The animals went forward, dug and scraped with their claws, and tore away the thick vines, revealing a cave entrance.

The gorilla carried Kang De inside.

The knight hesitated. "Your Highness, something's not right here. You should..."

Tina said firmly, "After doing something like that, how could I stop here?"

Cleveland sighed.

He wanted to follow the princess farther, but the kangaroo blocked him. The kangaroo flexed its extremely well-developed biceps, then pointed at the princess and nodded, pointed at the knight and shook its head.

In other words, the princess could go in, but the knight could not.

Tina hesitated, then said, "I understand. Knight captain, please wait here."

It was a good thing to have gained the acceptance of this group of mysterious animals.

The knight initially objected, but under her gaze, he reluctantly gave in.

In the past, he would have stood his ground.

But now... the princess was no longer a little girl.

Helpless and worried, he watched the princess slowly enter the dark cave.

The parrot perched to one side, flapped its wings, and squawked, "Cuckolded! Cuckolded!"

What Cathayan is that damned parrot saying now?

The cave was pitch-dark.

The princess opened her eyes wide, barely making out what lay before her as she proceeded cautiously.

Suddenly, a bright light came on.

The gorilla tossed the rebar club aside. Holding Kang De with one arm, he took a flashlight from him with the other and switched it on. A bright beam illuminated the space inside, and he looked back at the princess.

Tina hurried to catch up.

All was silent around them except for the animals' heavy breathing. The scene was frightening, and Tina's heart pounded as she struggled to suppress her fear.

She was actually a very brave girl, but even bravery had its limits.

They continued onward like this, passing through a natural passage.

Down into the earth.

Until they reached a vast... underground space.

When the animals entered, light blossomed.

The darkness was dispelled, and light filled every corner. Tina's breath caught for an instant.

This was an... altar.

The light did not come from flames, nor were there any light-producing devices or creatures here. All the light came from lines. Yes, lines: characters formed from lines, pictures formed from lines, densely carved across the walls, the ceiling, the ground, and the altar.

These engravings, these characters and murals, were all glowing.

They radiated light of their own accord.

As though the information they carried was enough to radiate a light that would not go out for a hundred million years, a light that represented supreme brilliance and supreme glory, forever etched upon this world.

This was an altar.

There were no breathtaking sculptures, no priceless treasures, no guardians, no worshippers, nothing at all... yet it stood above every other Hero Altar in the world.

Princess Tina gazed at it all in awe.

As the princess of Goth, she had visited the world-famous Hero Altars on Goth's land, a land of countless brilliant glories.

But now she felt that, compared with this altar, those altars were so very small.

Only one question remained in her mind.

Which ancient hero had left their inheritance and imprint at this Hero Altar?

The gorilla silently laid Kang De on the altar's raised platform.

Then he stepped back, one step at a time.

The other animals gazed at the altar in silence.

Like statues.

There was no light, no unusual sound, no phenomenon of any kind.

But Tina knew that the brilliance and imprint left by the hero commemorated by this altar were silently resonating with the activated Primordial Spirit in Kang De's body, guiding those who came after him along a path forward.

Suddenly, someone tugged at the hem of her clothes. She turned, and the gorilla gestured for her to leave.

So... who exactly was the hero commemorated by this altar?

She tried to read the writing around her, but a single glance made her head ache. It was all ancient script, which she could not easily decipher with her knowledge. The impatient gorilla pulled her backward, and Tina looked around as she moved, trying to find ancient characters she recognized.

At last, the princess appeared at the cave entrance in a daze.

Her loyal knight hurried to meet her. Seeing the state she was in, he asked, "What happened to you?"

Tina said quietly, "Down there... there's a Hero Altar."

The knight was startled at first, then delighted.

He asked, "That's better than nothing... whose is it?"

The princess silently shook her head.

Before leaving, she had finally seen a few symbols she recognized in the center of the altar.

Perhaps they were that hero's title.

If she had not read them wrong, the symbols meant...

She silently repeated the name in her heart.

"Fire Thief..."

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PS1: You can't see me on the update rankings because only books that have gone premium can make the list, and mine hasn't yet. I've written twenty-five or twenty-six thousand characters over these three days. Damn it, that would put me near the top of the update rankings.

PS2: Besides, the story has already explained it. If the knight had been killed then, suspicion and wariness would never have disappeared. Given Kang De's mental state at the time, he would have had to kill everyone on the ship to eliminate future trouble. Writing it that way would make it impossible to move the plot forward, and I don't like that kind of extreme thinking either. I believe every character's life and death should carry weight and meaning, rather than killing people solely for visceral thrills and reading pleasure. Everything should serve the plot.

PS3: ...Fine, I won't spoil it. Anyway, no matter what you say now, you'll all be saying how great it is in the end.