The Battle of Valentan, the Dust Settled

That is a sight that the creatures of this world may never see in their entire lives.

Even from a great distance, one could still feel its earth-shattering power: the dust it kicked up, the tremors of the earth, the howling wind—it was like a devastating sword descending from the sky by a god.

Most people didn't know what had happened, but many mercenary groups had guesses. They saw a giant eagle take flight, carrying the mysterious Cathayan towards the direction of the elven forces.

I said...

Among the scouts who had discovered the main elf force and returned with the news, someone swallowed hard. "Can you tell me... what exactly are we here for?"

After a deathly silence, someone murmured, "... Here to deliver birds?"

The giant eagle ascended amidst the gale and gusts of wind, with dust billowing below. Cassandra's face was ashen, and her body trembled uncontrollably. She was a brave and fearless warrior, but what she was witnessing was beyond her comprehension and beyond her capacity to bear. It was the unparalleled and invincible Elven Warband. She recognized every banner and knew the honor and stories behind them.

Now they struggle to die in the cataclysmic extinction; no one can survive such an attack.

This scene... is like a nightmare.

She gripped the axe tightly, urging the giant eagle to continue its ascent, returning towards Valentan.

White Mist World.

The Autobots gazed at the figure in the distance. Kang De rushed into the store, grabbed a bottle of water, gulped it down, and then coughed, breathed heavily, and gasped for air.

"Father..." it whispered, "What can I do for you?"

"No, no need..."

Kang De poured the remaining water over his head and murmured, "I'm fine... I'm fine..."

He rubbed his cheeks vigorously, then suddenly laughed, "It's not that hard... is it?"

The Autobots whispered, "Father..."

"It's alright..." Kang De said, "I'm ready to take it all on."

"I know, but that's not what I wanted to say." The Autobots's voice sounded somewhat uneasy. "You said the time difference between the White Mist World and Earth is three hours, but my own timer seems... not to be the case."

Upon hearing this, Kang De looked up at the clock on the shop wall, then took out a watch, turned it on, checked the time, and his expression gradually changed.

"Is it two hours and seventeen minutes?"

"Yes."

In other words, the time difference between the White Mist World and Earth changed from three hours to two hours and seventeen minutes... after he repeatedly opened the spatial gate and altered the flow of time.

"So this is the cost and the price..." the Autobots said. "Then what will happen when the White Mist World's time anchor point continues forward and aligns with Earth?"

"I don't want to know," Kang De said softly, "And I don't want to try."

Now is not the time to explore this issue.

It's time to go back.

He snapped his fingers and appeared behind Cassandra in an instant.

The formidable female warrior even flinched in fright before letting out a sigh of relief.

When they first met, the other party was extremely rude, hostile, and even contemptuous. Now, all those emotions have turned into awe and fear... and they're even on my side.

So, what about the enemy?

He sighed silently, but his heart was no longer filled with confusion and uncertainty.

I choose, I bear the consequences.

He said calmly, "Speed up."

"Yes."

The giant eagle swept across the azure sky, descended, and swooped down toward the city of Valentan. The mercenaries, hearing the eagle's cry, all looked up in unison, their gazes filled with complex emotions as they looked at the Cathayan carried by the giant eagle.

The previous hostility, doubt, and contempt have long been washed away by awe and shock.

Mercenary groups have joined the battle, and the street fighting within Valentan has become a stalemate. The war continues, with the giant eagle perched on the high platform of the city hall.

A large crowd had already gathered there, all around A Xing. They were all different in appearance and had bright eyes, clearly not ordinary people. But when Kang De arrived, these seemingly unruly people all bowed to greet him, showing proper etiquette and respect, without a trace of arrogance.

Strength is everything; this has always been true.

The enemy is the renowned elite army of the elves.

If you can kill one elf soldier from the Dragon Banner Legion, you can be called an elite warrior. If you kill ten, you are a trusted and respected warrior in your squad. If you kill one hundred, you are a brave and beloved general of your commander. If you kill one thousand, you are the pillar of courage and the honorary Battle Soul of your army. If you kill ten thousand, you are the martial saint of this country, an epic legend of this country, revered and admired by all young people.

If you kill 100,000, you become a living legend, a god incarnate walking on earth, light, electricity, the only myth, and even the most supreme king will show you respect.

... or a peerless demon king whom everyone should kill.

Which one it is depends on whether you have the ability to kill a million in one go.

Kang De simply nodded to A Xing, then quickly walked over to Nick, who was being bandaged and treated. After exchanging a few words with the medic, he looked at Selendron on the other side.

His face was gloomy.

The once spirited elven general was now more numb than the most cowardly commoner in the city; his pride and arrogance had vanished without a trace, and he didn't even notice Kang De's arrival.

A vibrant life was slowly fading away from that withered body.

Kang De walked over to him, took his phone out of his pocket, and glanced at it.

Then he said calmly, "I forgot. So tell me, how much time has passed since I said I would kill a thousand, ten thousand, a hundred thousand, or even more elves? How do you feel about it?"

Selendron shuddered, then let out a beastly howl. His eyes were bloodshot, as if he wanted to devour Kang De alive. The elf mustered all his strength and leaped into the air, charging toward Kang De.

But the next moment, a long staff was placed on his back, and the elf was crushed to the ground with a thud. The floor tiles shattered and collapsed, Selendron, who had no power to resist, was pinned down, roaring, struggling, and whimpering.

Kang De stepped forward, drew his axe, kicked Selendron into the air, and severed his left arm.

Then there was a leg.

Blood gushed out, limbs fell, and excruciating pain pierced his soul, yet Selendron continued to howl like a wild beast. Compared to the endless torment his soul was enduring, this pain was nothing.

"This is what you returned to Nick."

Kang De grabbed him by the neck, lifted him up, and slammed him against a nearby Zhuzi, sending rubble flying.

Flame erupted from Kang De's palm, scorching the severed wound. The pungent smell of burning and smoke filled the air, stopping the gushing blood. Selendron stared at Kang De with a ferocious expression, devoid of pain, only filled with hatred.

Kang De looked directly into the other person's eyes.

He said, "Have your legion surrender."

Several major legions have been annihilated, and the Dusk Warband's camp outside the city has been breached, but a considerable number of soldiers are still fighting and causing destruction within the city; they have not yet suffered overwhelming losses.

Selendron grinned mockingly, then chuckled softly, "Have you ever seen an elf surrender?"

"I have," Kang De said. "He is more noble than you."

"Bullshit..." Selendron gasped for breath, cursing venomously, "The Dusk Warband will fight to the last man, killing every enemy they can kill! Ha, ha, Kang De, if you're so capable, why don't you just use the spell you just used to destroy us! Take this city with you!"

Like a vengeful ghost, Selendron howled, "But you should know what you've done, and you should know what you'll face from this day forward! The Dusk Moon Dynasty will exact its full revenge on you for what happened today, making you live in fear for the rest of your life!"

Kang De remained unmoved by this curse filled with intense resentment.

The situation has reversed, and similar words can be returned in kind.

"If curses were effective, what would be the point of space-based weapons?"

Kang De said calmly, "To tell you the truth, that move can be used three more times."

Selendron's smile vanished. He paused, his tone still venomous. "Why are you telling me this?"

"I need to tell you before we can talk."

What happened today can no longer be concealed.

With the addition of the Dusk Warband, the loss of six Royal Army pure-blooded Dragon Banner Warband in a single battle is comparable to the swift sinking of an American Empire dual-carrier battle group. This will inevitably cause a huge uproar throughout the world, with far-reaching consequences, and will not be limited to the battlefield between Goth and the Elves.

The city of Valentan was teeming with humans, and the numerous mercenaries brought by A Xing were a diverse and gossipy place. It was obvious to all that even if the terrifying attack that claimed to have destroyed the five major warbands was actually just a passing meteor shower, the leaders of the major powers would not believe it. They would use their pervasive spies and indirect intelligence to deduce Kang De's actions, make the worst-case scenario assumptions, and formulate contingency plans accordingly.

--That is, Kang De could unleash that kind of attack without any restrictions.

Once all nations and peoples harbor such suspicions, then from this day forward, Kang De himself and the Duchy of Goethe will never have a moment of peace, facing endless assassinations, conspiracies, and even wars.

Telling the truth would actually be safer, since Kang De can only receive social security three times for the time being.

Because intelligent beings are all selfish, they might cooperate wholeheartedly and fight with all their might when faced with a humanoid nuclear weapon with endless destructive power, but when faced with a humanoid nuclear weapon that only has three ultimate moves available, they would be hesitant to act, fearing that they would suffer the full backlash from the other party, and would hope that others would take the fall for the bomb.

So, do you understand now?

Kang De calmly said, "Have your soldiers surrender unconditionally, accept trial and execution by the Valentan People, and I will let you go so you can deliver this message to your superiors, your commander, and your queen."

"You will become a messenger, bearing the shame of defeat and surrender, bearing the sin of causing the annihilation of six main battle groups, returning to your army and your country. Even if endless criticism, scorn, rebukes, insults, and doubt surround you, you must endure it and live on."

"Because the information you sent back determines what will happen in the future, and where the attack you just saw will land—for example, on another, larger army group, your main fleet that you have assembled, or your capital."

"It will also determine when all of this happens."

"Whether it's the present, where the war continues, or the future, where you have already destroyed Goth, five years, ten years, twenty years, I will be very patient until the best opportunity arrives."

You know I mean what I say.

Kang De's calm words contained an unwavering conviction and weight, as well as a breathtaking majesty and decisiveness. When a person wields the sword of judgment with his own will and determination and kills hundreds of thousands of lives, many things are changed forever.

But unlike others, Kang De still remembered his original intention in wielding the sword.

Selendron's feelings shifted from hatred to shock and anger, and then to fear. He stared blankly at Kang De, the most unforgettable human being he had ever met, the one he had ever regretted the most, the one who would haunt him for the rest of his life with endless nightmares, a real nightmare, Shadow that would never be shaken off.

But he saw something else in Kang De's eyes.

That was... pity.

"You... you..." he murmured, "What are you saying, you executioner..."

Such remarks are nonsensical.

But Kang De understood.

"I simply don't want any more innocent lives to die. For your queen's ambition, for the decisions of your council, for the so-called interests of your nation, you have come here to kill countless innocent people, to kill countless brave people, to turn good people into evil, to kill warriors, and to torment and wound patriots. Goth suffered this way, and so have you elves. Do you think it's worth it?"

Selendron looked into Kang De's eyes as if he could see into the other's soul, where the purest and most honest emotions shone—a radiance of unparalleled power tempered with compassion.

In that beam of light, Selendron seemed to see countless scenes: his men, his comrades, the brave soldiers who set out on their journey at the beginning of the war, the bloody battles, the life-and-death separations, starting with a mistaken killing, and finally, the massacres becoming the norm.

The innocent smiles gradually disappeared from the young men's faces. They became the most qualified soldiers, and then died. Corpses, empty eyes, and boxes of belongings—behind these lay a ruined Goth, humanity's desperate curses and pleas, ministers' spirited speeches, enthusiastic reports of victory, medals, awards, and promotions.

Is it worth it?

Selendron opened his mouth wide, wailing silently, tears mixed with blood streaming down his face.

The horns, filled with endless desolation and sorrow, sounded mournfully, echoing throughout the entire Valentan.

The elven soldiers who were fighting, retreating, or even holding their ground looked up blankly at their comrades, their faces filled with disbelief. They anxiously asked questions, doubted, questioned, and even became angry.

The mercenaries led by A Xing dispersed their ranks, galloping along the streets and alleys, loudly announcing the news, ordering the elves to give up resistance, and conveying Kang De's words.

Now, Kang De, the Cathayan, is no longer the happiest man on the continent.

Princess Tina is the happiest woman in the world.

No one in the mercenary group questioned whether Kang De was qualified to command them.

The elves who were still attacking and resisting near the city hall were the first to be persuaded to surrender. They gritted their teeth, shed tears, and followed the humans to convey the message to their comrades.

Those elves who were blinded by rage or unable to accept the situation chose to continue fighting, only to be swiftly annihilated.

The news continued to spread.

The humans of Valentan also witnessed the terrifying celestial phenomenon and felt the earth-shattering impact, but at that time they still did not know what had happened... until now.

Cries erupted from all sides.

On the terrace of the city hall, the survivors had gathered. Nick, his limbs mutilated, sat leaning against a flowerbed, a soft cushion beneath him. His chest rose and fell weakly, and he squinted, murmuring, "Don't cry, don't cry, don't let the elves look down on Goth..."

He fainted several times, his mind was in disarray, and he thought this was the final execution.

Nick felt Rafale and sensed the people around him silently making way for him.

He strained to keep his eyes open and saw the figure.

Although his vision was blurred, he couldn't mistake it. After seeing the figure, his chaotic thoughts cleared up, his complexion turned rosy, his eyes shone, and his mind became clear.

He repeated the name: "Kang De... Kang De..."

Kang De whispered, "It's alright, it's alright, we won, we really won... Listen."

A frantic wail and screams echoed in the wind. Though pain remained, despair was gone. Such cries were hardly convincing, but Nick immediately felt relieved, for it was Kang De who had spoken.

"That's great, thank... thank you..."

He repeated softly, tears streaming helplessly down his cheeks, "Thank you..."

Kang De turned to look at the physician beside him, who sighed and shook his head at him.

He showed no agitation or anger, nor did he force anyone. He simply nodded his thanks, then looked at Nick and said softly, "Is there anything else you wish for?"

Nick chuckled instinctively, "No, with you here, there isn't one... Wait, there really is one."

"You say."

Nick strained to lift his head, then raised his only remaining hand.

"When I visited you, I told you that you had many misunderstandings and prejudices against me, and that I hoped to become your friend after the Valentan matter was resolved..."

All that remained before his eyes was a blurry shadow and a faint glimpse of the world.

Then he felt his right hand being grasped, a hand that was warm and strong, just as always.

"What are you talking about?" the man said to him. "We've been together for a long time."

Nick smiled and responded.

"I see... It's my honor."

More and more elves laid down their weapons, and the mercenary mages also controlled the raging Flame, calling upon the power of frost and earth to extinguish the fire. Valentan, having survived the catastrophe, finally calmed its boiling flames.

The trembling, fearful people looked around blankly, hearing cheers and cries from all directions. The humans who had fought so hard to get here helplessly laid down their weapons and collapsed to the ground. Families were calling out to each other, embracing, and weeping. The mercenary group carried out rescue and assistance work with great efficiency.

Then, those in Valentan People had the capacity also spontaneously joined in.

The catastrophe in this city is finally slowly coming to an end.

The chaotic celestial phenomena caused by the magic ceased; thunder ceased its roar, Flame no longer ripped through the sky, and the dark clouds, having lost the support of magic, gradually returned to order under the power of nature. Rays of sunlight broke through the clouds, shining upon the shattered city, onto the broken rooftops, onto the blood-stained streets, and onto people's faces, illuminating those weeping yet vivid faces.

As the sunlight bid him farewell, Nick slowly lowered his head, a smile still lingering on his face.

Months after the Elves officially launched their war and attacked Goth, the powerful elven army descended upon this eastern city. Like many cities that had fought bloody battles before, Valentan fought back tenaciously, stubbornly resisting and sacrificing itself in the face of a desperate disparity in strength.

From the mayor down, all the nobles were killed in battle, two out of ten of the mage corps survived, more than 70% of the soldiers died, the rest were all wounded, and more than half of the civilians were killed or wounded.

The Elven Dusk Warband suffered heavy losses, and the remaining soldiers surrendered unconditionally. The Trident Honor Legion, the Chimera War Battalion, the Crimson Dragon Roar, the Jade Blood Warband, and the Azure Sky Legion —five pure-blooded Dragon Banner Legion of the Royal Army— were completely wiped out. This elite main force combat group, which suddenly appeared on the eastern border of Goth, was supposed to advance northward with unstoppable momentum to launch a surprise attack and complete the encirclement of the Goth capital. Now, however, the entire army has been annihilated.

This battle will shake the world and be remembered by everyone, both now and in the future.

They will all remember.

Remember the small town of Valentan that fought to the last moment in blood and fire.

The enemy was the most elite elf force, while Valentan had no main garrison, only a mad mayor and a second- or third-rate city defense force. Their weapons were outdated and their training was inadequate. They could only make up for the vast difference in combat strength with courage and willpower, and yet they fought as magnificently as an epic.

Their boundless courage and unyielding sacrifice brought down Star of the Firmament from the heavens, and in doing so, they won their final victory.

The Battle of Valentan has come to an end.

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PS1: This chapter is almost 6,000 words long, and even if I split it into two chapters, it's still a bit late. But it was worth the wait, right? If it was, keep voting! I'm practically robbing you!

PS2: Also, I noticed that many friends waited until 5 or 6 pm yesterday but didn't see the second update. Actually, it was updated around 1 pm. Remember to refresh next time. Generally speaking, if I say it will be updated at 1 pm, it won't be later than 2 pm. If it's later, I will definitely post an announcement. That's all.