Ambush Plan

During my year or so in the Holy Seal Archipelago, I was isolated from the world, lonely and fearful. Although I had enough to eat and wear, modern people have spiritual and social needs in addition to material needs.

Animals, though unable to speak, are all highly intelligent and fulfill this need.

When Kang De first arrived in this other world, he almost went insane. He was neurotic, fearful, and hysterical. The Earth was deserted and cut off from communication with the outside world. Looking out over the Holy Seal Archipelago, they were strange and unknown.

The ecosystem here is extremely thriving, with lush vegetation, deep jungles, and wild island scenery. In Kang De's eyes, this did not mean beauty and nature, but rather fierce predators, unknown poisonous insects, potentially deadly plants... dangerous and terrifying, and he always kept his distance.

His first home was on the highest and steepest hillside, surrounded by layers of iron sheets, stones, shopping carts, and other such things, with various traps, both visible and hidden. He even dug a moat filled with gasoline. He didn't even plan to leave himself a door, determined never to go out.

Kang De even considered setting the entire island on fire, turning it into a wasteland. Although it would be unsightly, he didn't care. He would rather the island be barren and dark than have some terrible neighbors living next to him.

Later, during a forced trip outside, he encountered A Xing, who was being attacked and harassed by several Black Beasts. Kang De mustered his courage and saved her life. Encountering a familiar primate in another world made him lower his guard a little, because A Xing's intelligence was quite impressive. He even experienced a long-lost feeling of communication—the other party could understand his meaning and respond.

After taking care of A Xing for a few days until her injuries improved, the two became friends.

The many snacks on Earth made A Xing very happy, and she also taught Kang De the wonderful uses of the Black Beast Crystal.

One morning, the A Xing left without saying goodbye. Kang De searched for it but couldn't find it and was very sad. But his sadness only lasted for half a day because the A Xing soon returned.

And they brought an entire circus with them.

The grandeur of the occasion was simply indescribable.

Kang De still vividly remembers the shock and impact he felt at that time.

Flying in the sky, running on the ground, fierce, harmless, cute, pretending to be fierce, pretending to be harmless, pretending to be cute... Birds descended one after another from the sky, beasts slowly emerged from the grass and forests, roars, breathing and gurgling sounds filled the air, black dots approached on the horizon, white lines streaked across the sea, and animals continued to cross the sea from other islands on their own.

These animals, some familiar and some unfamiliar, surrounded him in layers, their eyes, large and small, gazing intently at him. He looked around and felt that those eyes shone with intelligence, as if they were filled with melancholy, sighs, or nostalgia.

Then, all the animals simultaneously roared to the sky.

At that time, Kang De was still being affectionately held up by the A Xing, passively enduring the powerful onlookers and chorus of praise. This sense of ritual almost made him think he was Simba.

--Or it could be a super SSS-level rare ingredient.

The kind that happens only once in a thousand years.

Later, after years of getting to know and interacting with them, he felt more and more that these magical animals were full of mystery. Not only were they incredibly powerful, but they also had bizarre habits, extremely high intelligence, and were clever and even cunning.

The strangest thing is that they are solitary creatures, unlike any other. For example, Kangaroo, Parrot, A Xing can be found all over the island, with only one of each. This is just too bizarre.

He tried to probe indirectly or ask directly, but the animals all pretended not to understand. He made many guesses, but could not confirm them because there was no trace of Civilization on the island.

When the elves arrived on the island and war broke out, the animals, led by the Kangaroo, displayed terrifying fighting power, as well as experience and wisdom that no animal could possess, which only deepened his suspicions.

I asked Tina and the knight at the time, but got nothing, and later... I couldn't care less about that anymore.

Until he met A Xing again.

The other person has turned into a human, and with such power.

Moreover, she maintained her previous intimacy with Kang De —in fact, she became even closer.

Although Kang De didn't say it aloud, he was thinking academically in his mind: quite a few of those beasts were female; since the A Xing could transform, and grow so big, then...

He thought about it for a long time, or rather, he thought about it whenever he had free time, and he would chuckle to himself after thinking about it.

However, besides these academic questions, he was also curious about the origins of the magical creatures, but unfortunately, when he asked A Xing, A Xing knew nothing.

According to her, she has been like that since she can remember, and has no memory of her previous ape form. She was a little girl then and grew up in Kangaroo's pouch, raised by those beasts.

When we were little, we couldn't eat solid food, so we would catch lactating female animals to feed us. She drank all kinds of milk—but none of them tasted as good as Wahaha.

Although A Xing's memory is completely blank, this also explains something: there is no gorilla family on the entire island, so where did A Xing come from?

The magical creatures belong to different categories, yet they manage to live together peacefully. Occasionally they might fight or quarrel, but that's just for fun. And the fact that they all raise the A Xing together seems quite strange.

The only possibility is that the A Xing is younger than all the magical creatures, or even more so— the A Xing may have transformed into an animal from an infant or a young child.

Or they were turned into animals...

As soon as Kang De thought of this, he looked at A Xing, who was happily eating a bag of Old Beijing instant noodles. The bag was specially prepared, filled with five or six packets of instant noodle cakes, which he had crushed and sprinkled with seasoning. This was A Xing's favorite dish, and this wicked way of eating noodles had existed since the invention of instant noodles.

When Kang De looked over, her cheeks puffed out, and she gave a silly, adorable smile, just like a hamster.

She doesn't care where she came from, why she turned into a gorilla, or why she turned back; this is the happiest moment of her life.

I have Kang De by my side, and there's an endless supply of delicious food.

But Kang De still cared a lot.

He made a connection, especially after hearing what Tagelise said.

To summarize the elves' account, a mysterious organization is manipulating the world's operation from behind the scenes, even deliberately suppressing its development, with various specific actions.

Supporting ambitious individuals, creating conflicts and antagonism between nations, assassinating great scholars, preventing a major invention, using financial means to create instability, instigating wars, and so on...

Such conspiracy theories are very popular on Earth, supporting countless imaginative writers and creating numerous rumors that have swept the world. Kang De, from childhood to adulthood, has seen far too many of them.

But now, in another world, an elven ruling class standing at the top of the world tells him that there really is a force manipulating the world's structure, exerting a selfish influence on everything.

Then he thought of the magical creatures trapped on the Holy Seal Archipelago.

The Veil legends of the Holy Seal Archipelago, the sighs and longing in the eyes of the animals as they looked at him, the mysterious Fire Thief Altar, all sorts of mysteries, and the past that has vanished into history.

Tagelise said that those "masterminds" would target creatures that could bring about significant changes to the world because they wanted to keep the delicious cake all to themselves.

If the Parrot are related to this...

In that instant, Kang De even considered asking Tagelise about the Holy Seal Archipelago. He believed that if anyone in the world could know that past event most completely and clearly, then Tagris was one of them.

But the next moment, he forcefully stopped himself from having that thought.

Regardless of whether Tagelise's words are true or false, the matter of the Holy Seal Archipelago cannot be revealed casually. The other party is a top figure in the Dusk Moon Dynasty and even the entire world. If Kang De's origins or the matter of the Holy Seal Archipelago were revealed, even the slightest bit, it would alert the other party.

This means that with just a few words from Tagelise, an elven fleet would head straight for the Holy Seal Archipelago, then brazenly land, occupy the islands, clash with the animals, and cause unnecessary casualties and trouble.

In other words, he still doesn't trust the elf.

We will not allow the Parrot to be put in any potential danger.

The moment this thought crossed his mind, his eyes changed. Tagelise's intuition was quite astounding. Looking at Kang De, the tears he had just held back began to flow again. "Wow, you're still wary of me!"

Kang De, after all, wasn't thick-skinned enough, and was immediately exposed, feeling somewhat embarrassed. He took out another tissue to wipe himself, while the elf, while cuddling his face, cried even harder.

A Xing, displeased, exclaimed, "Shame on you! How shameless!"

"Mind your own business!" Tagelise sobbed. "I haven't cried in 160 years! Only when I was a child! When I cried, my father would wipe my tears and comfort me like this! Later, when I cried, the other elves were either terrified or scolded me with stern faces, none of them comforted me! They all deserve to die!"

Damn, how old are you this year?

Kang De wisely refrained from asking the question. Although Touhou Project had been expelled from the world of anime and manga, it was common knowledge within the community not to discuss this topic in front of seventeen or eighteen-year-old women.

He had no choice but to continue, saying, "They're all bad. Come on, let me comfort you. You can cry all you want..."

The elf cried even louder, "He's clearly a human, so why does he talk like my father? Is he trying to take advantage of me? He said he'd be my... my brother-in-law, and now he wants to be my father?"

Kang De, with his experience dealing with such a drunkard who was running amok and rambling on, comforted him, saying, "It's alright, it's alright. It's not just your father who can soothe you; your brother-in-law can too..."

Tagelise shouted, "I don't have a sister!"

Kang De nodded and said, "Yes, yes, you're right."

The elf then cursed Kang De, "You wicked human!"

Kang De nodded again. "Yes, yes, yes."

"From the very beginning, they were plotting to bully me, tease me, be wary of me, and manipulate me!"

Tagelise raised his little fist to punch Kang De in the chest, but the guy hesitated for a moment, knowing his limits, and stopped sullenly. Taglius became even more unhappy. "I came all this way, showing such sincerity, enduring your bullying and teasing without leaving, suffering humiliation by staying, all for you! And you don't even appreciate it!"

He shouted, "Just turn around and leave, let you get beaten to death!"

Kang De's expression shifted slightly, and he pondered, "Those guys you're talking about who interfere in world affairs are coming after me?"

"Nonsense!" Tagelise retorted angrily, "The reason Forbidden Spell is Forbidden Spell is because those guys are pushing it along. You caused such a commotion, annihilating five legions in one fell swoop, and without even a trace of elemental fluctuation—if there had been, they would have detected it on the spot and come down to kill you in a heartbeat!"

Kang De pondered for a moment, then said, "In other words, the people the elves were talking about used something like radar to cover the world, capable of detecting the signals of any InterContinental. However, the superweapon they launched was Lightning Storm, which their early warning system couldn't detect at all. That's the gist of it."

He asked, "But do they know now?"

"They could have kept it a secret for much longer. After all, they've gotten tired of it over the years, and their energy seems to have been diverted to other things." As Tagelise spoke of this, the naive expression on her face, tinged with drunkenness, gradually disappeared, replaced by a murderous aura. It was unclear where her resentment came from; perhaps she harbored a grudge.

The elf's expression changed again, and he said coldly, "But if someone tips us off, that's a different story."

Who is it?

Tagelise glared at Kang De: "If I told you, would you believe me? Wouldn't you think I'm using someone else to do my dirty work? Don't you still doubt me and not trust me?"

"..."

One minute she's being all cute and crying, the next she's being sharp-tongued and sarcastic—she's got a split personality!

Kang De tossed the tissue aside. "You're more real and endearing when you cry."

The elf paused for a moment, then said, "I do not wish to show any weakness or shed a single tear on this topic."

"I see."

Kang De didn't delve into the matter at this moment. After thinking for a moment, he said, "I joined Goth's war against the elves, helped Goth's side, defended the city, and killed a large number of your soldiers. Speaking of hatred, it should be considered irreconcilable. The Dusk Moon Dynasty should wish they could devour me alive."

"Now you say there's a dark force interfering in this world behind the scenes, targeting me and even trying to harm me. Logically speaking, as an elf, you should at least not kick me when I'm down. But the implication is that you actually want to protect me, and that's why you came all this way..."

He looked at Tagelise and said seriously, "I think you must have your own plans and purposes for doing this, and even that ridiculously generous peace terms are part of your plan."

"I ask myself, though my handsome appearance is known throughout the world, it is not enough for the rulers of Twilight Moon to ignore politics, conflicts, and blood debts. Therefore, it seems that what makes you take notice of Kang De, a Cathayan from China, is his unpredictable, unpredictable, and extremely destructive power."

Kang De rested his elbows on the table and looked across at the person opposite him. "Are you asking me to deal with those people?"

The elf made the same gesture. Although he appeared gentle and reserved, his eyes reflected his true nature. His gaze was dignified and majestic as he met Kang De's eyes.

"To clarify, it's not that we offered such terms to get you to join us. You were already involved in this situation. Even if you didn't deal with them, they would have come looking for you. Kang De Highness, you annihilated five legions in one battle, shocking the world and causing sleepless nights for monarchs of various nations. But the ones who are suffering the most are definitely those guys."

You are provoking them; you are making them feel dangerous and threatened.

"And the Battle of Valentan was just the beginning..." The elf's eyes were clear as a spring, as if he could see right through Kang De. "You can do more than that, can't you?"

Not long ago, one was crying and the other was comforting, creating a warm atmosphere of care for people with intellectual disabilities. Now, however, they are staring at each other sternly, secretly vying for control of the conversation.

A Xing chewed on his instant noodles, looking around listlessly, as if watching two people with split personalities.

"There are a few questions."

Kang De raised his finger.

Tagelise nodded. "Speak."

"First," Kang De removed his arm, leaned back, and crossed his legs, "How can you prove what you're saying is true or false? This is a serious matter; you need to provide evidence before I will believe you."

"My presence here is proof. Just in the next couple of days, their observers stationed on the mainland will arrive to capture or kill you."

Tagelise said, a hint of arrogance in his voice, "But I've come! And it's them who will die!"

Kang De thought for a moment, "I want the living one."

"Sure, but we'll need this woman's help," Tagelise said. "Capturing them alive is harder than killing them outright, but you still need to confirm it yourself, right?"

But that's not all.

The Power of the Fire Thief hasn't been available for a long time.

Torture may not be able to extract a confession, and the elves' words cannot be entirely trusted, but Extraction supernatural power is applied to a living being, reaching its very essence and searching for its soul, the information obtained is absolutely infallible.

Before confirming anything, it's all too early to discuss anything else.

That's fucking amazing! We haven't even finished fighting the elves, and where did this enemy come from?

Kang De cursed inwardly, then asked, "If this batch is killed, won't another batch come?"

"It won't be that fast, but it won't be that slow either; we should be able to buy some time... No one can predict what will happen in the future." Tagelise glanced at Kang De, "Just like your arrival."

Kang De pondered deeply.

After a while, the elf said, "You really are suspicious... I can understand. But what I wanted to say is that I didn't originally need to tell you this news now. It would have been more effective to rescue them when they came to our door, and it would have made you owe me a favor... But I'm telling you now anyway."

"Because I feel that this shows more sincerity."

He looked at Kang De and extended his hand. "You may still have doubts now. There are many things I cannot tell you yet, because trust has not been established. But trust can be established, and it can begin now, starting from this moment. Let us join hands, let us cooperate, let us stand shoulder to shoulder."

"Ambush them, defeat them, and capture them."

Let's make a plan.

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PS1: 5000 words... I'm so frustrated with writer's block, ughhhhh, it's so annoying! The last 200 words were so difficult, I was about to explode. Time to sleep...