God of War

Perhaps many years from now, Hilmeria will still remember this day as night approaches.

Kang De carried out twelve incredibly thick pipes from some mysterious place in one go.

She had previously observed the attack methods of the mysterious weapon mounted on that alchemical chariot. It had an almost identical design, fired different crossbow bolts with varying power and speed of fire, and spewed out intense flames and thick smoke from the nozzle at an extremely high speed, like a torrential rain, far surpassing any kind of bow and crossbow.

These weapons, varying in size and power, are probably of the same type.

It's like a knife, sword, halberd, spear, and axe.

It's like a bow, crossbow, slingshot, or throwing spear.

Now, Kang De has brought out a full twelve enormous long-barreled weapons, probably based on the same principle. Their enormous size and large caliber mean even more terrifying power. She watched as the alchemical golem, together with Kang De, inserted heavy "arrowheads" into the ends of the long tubes, and then pulled the exquisitely crafted, cold, and heavy mechanisms with extremely fast and skillful speed. Every movement was crisp and clean.

As a peerless powerhouse who has made a name for herself in the Battle God City, she can smell the aura of death from this weapon. It is a war weapon that was born only for killing and has been polished to perfection. Every detail, every curve, and every structure is defined by countless deaths and flesh and blood.

These twelve steel constructs, devoid of any magical fluctuations, are likely powerful weapons no less formidable than magical artifacts. The detail that once terrified the Sword Saint Cascading Snow remains: these enormous weapons are completely identical, without the slightest deviation or individuality...

She looked up, stunned, at the man named Kang De.

Since the Glittering Sand Incident, she has stayed by Tina's side, watching the once innocent girl grow up overnight, watching her heartbreak, watching her unforgettable memories, watching her harden her heart and use killing, terror, intimidation and trickery to achieve her goals, growing up day by day.

Even though the princess wields a sharp axe, she still cherishes a pure land in her heart.

Kang De, the Cathayan Kang De.

She announced her engagement, fell asleep every night chanting his name, spoke to him every day, and wrote him letters every day. Although such actions were meaningless, they were the only way to maintain Tina's soul and personality, preventing them from completely collapsing and turning her into a completely different person.

Tina talked about it every day, Hilmeria stayed by her side every day. The thing she heard most often was about Kang De. She talked about him over and over again. She talked about everything. Heaven knows why they had so much to say when they had only known each other for less than a month. She talked about his mysterious origins, his delicious food, his loneliness, his weakness, and also his strength and courage.

It could even be said that Tina understood Kang De as well as Hilmeria.

But that was just a paraphrase.

The real contact begins today, with an urgent rush to aid Danfeng Lucerne, and every interception and fierce battle along the way.

He was indeed as mysterious as Tina had described, or even more mysterious than Tina had imagined. This Cathayan truly possessed countless secrets that piqued her curiosity and compelled her to delve deeper.

Where did he go after each major battle? Where did he get these weapons? Where did he come from...? The secrets she wanted to know, the secrets she dared not think about, countless secrets.

But now, these secrets are no longer important.

Because Kang De was on Goth's side.

Only...

A faint sorrow flickered in the eyes of the Sword Saint Cascading Snow.

Goth's involvement in the war was fundamentally due to the weakness of his nation, and the crisis of national annihilation still existed. Even if he successfully came to the aid of Danfeng Lucerne and defeated the Elf Expeditionary Force, it did not mean that he could rest easy from then on.

The elven forces that led the expedition against Goth were incredibly powerful, but that was in Goth's eyes. For the Dusk Moon Dynasty, a military operation of this scale was merely an armed patrol of a second-line army.

Even if we win this war, the crisis will not be over.

Could Kang De's secret become Goth's strength...?

Thinking of this, she sighed softly. Although there was a so-called "marriage contract," and although the whole continent was saying that Princess Goth's Cathay took the initiative to become an enemy of Twilight Moon for love, annihilating six Dragon Banner Warband in one battle, intimidating Twilight Moon, and shaking the world—she knew what that marriage contract was all about.

It was merely Tina's wishful thinking as a way to express her grief.

Before this, her relationship with Kang De was merely that of friends, with no substantial progress or agreements, and not even much ambiguity.

What should we do after we meet?

Given Tina's thick skin, she'd probably faint from fright if she saw Kang De.

And Kang De...

He doesn't seem like a very brave person.

Thinking of this, she couldn't help but glance at the A Xing that kept circling around Kang De or sticking to Kang De back. She also thought of the rumors conveyed by the elf messenger that he intended to arrange the marriage between Kang De and the Queen of Cathay. For a moment, she didn't know what to say.

If Tina wanted to completely bind Kang De to Goth, Tina should have taken matters into her own hands and used great courage and decisiveness to win him over. Everything would have been much easier then. However, given Tina's stubborn nature, she would probably never resort to such methods to kidnap and coerce Kang De.

That silly girl.

It would be better to let...

--Pooh!

The moment the thought crossed his mind, the Sword Saint Cascading Snow was startled and quickly banished it from his thoughts.

I even felt a long-lost heat on my face.

Shameless.

She took a deep breath, but couldn't shake her doubts.

It wasn't like this before.

Humans are social animals.

Spending too much time in a place like the Battle God City will inevitably change one's temperament. She was never a person who followed the rules before, and after cultivating in a place like the Battle God City and being granted the title of Sword Saint, she had long been accustomed to being domineering and autocratic, not taking weak creatures seriously, and even more so, disdaining romantic love.

The human heart is unpredictable and complex. Even the Sword Saint Cascading Snow himself did not know that his thoughts had undergone subtle changes in just one day.

She was tricked by Tina into coming to find Kang De. After realizing that Danfeng Lucerne was surrounded, she decided to go to the rescue without hesitation. However, she knew in her heart that she would die on this trip. She was already prepared to die. Facing the hundreds of thousands of elves and countless powerful warriors, even with the strength of a sword saint, she could only die from exhaustion. Her fate was already sealed. She would disappear along with the glory of Teldrassil.

But she saw a turning point in Kang De.

He can fight an entire army single-handedly and end the battle in minutes. He possesses unheard-of and unseen powerful weapons and can seize new victories every time. He once used Forbidden Spell to kill five Dragon Banner Warband. Perhaps he can replicate that miraculous battle at the foot of Danfeng Lucerne City.

And so, hope was ignited.

Kang De responded to this hope with victory after victory.

She no longer needed to consider how to defeat the blocking armies, nor worry about how to relieve the siege of Danfeng Lucerne. She only needed to obey Kang De's orders and commands: when to attack, when to harass, who the target was, and just throw this thing out—as long as she executed the orders well.

You can win.

In this relentless, extreme raiding campaign to defeat and intercept enemy forces, each victory increased her evaluation of Kang De and strengthened her trust in Kang De.

However, with the suspension bridge in place, in the highly bloody and cruel battlefield, and in the urgent situation of rescuing Danfeng Lucerne, many emotions and feelings will undergo subtle changes.

--But that won't work.

She told herself, no.

Although we are related by blood... it still won't work.

That was Tina's sweetheart.

She disregarded the so-called rules. The Battle God City was not a place that followed rules. As long as you could win and bear the consequences, you could sleep with men or women as you pleased.

But she couldn't ignore Tina's feelings.

How can an aunt steal her niece's man? It's so low-class, so shameful, unacceptable!

Calm down.

He's just a responsible, good-looking, brave, and brave man with a noble and mysterious background. He has strong self-control, is not rigid, and possesses unlimited potential.

It's nothing special. It's nothing special. It's nothing special.

What's more interesting for a man than a life of Dou Qi?

I abandoned that idea.

Her gaze turned calm. As a powerful warrior, she possessed a certain degree of self-control and mental discipline. She wanted to forcefully sever the slightest trace of her feelings for Kang De when she heard footsteps.

Hey! What are you spacing out for!

Kang De strode toward the Sword Saint Cascading Snow.

To be honest, he found it hard to regard this woman as Tina's aunt, that is, an elder.

You wouldn't guess it at all! You could easily believe she's Tina's older sister. She's so young and beautiful, and doesn't have any of the airs or demeanor of an elder. She's just a bit gossipy sometimes.

Furthermore, there was also a bit of a rebellious streak—the matter with Tina was still unresolved, and he didn't want to be treated like a grandpa or grandson by someone else before he even got his hands on.

Therefore, when he spoke and communicated with the Sword Saint Cascading Snow, he treated him with only a normal tone and attitude.

Just as Hilmeria was about to dismiss that inappropriate thought, she heard Kang De's voice.

She was startled and immediately looked up, a little flustered. "W-what happened?"

"What's wrong with you?" Kang De asked, puzzled. "They're about to fire a cannon."

"Huh?" the Sword Saint Cascading Snow asked, bewildered. "How do I fight? Teach me!"

"..."

Hmm, don't get the wrong idea, don't get the wrong idea, the Himo's Eagle is not the Condor of Ximo, and it's not very big.

But how should I put it?

The Sword Saint Cascading Snow, who clearly embodies the aloof and icy demeanor of an ice queen, spoke those words with a stunned expression and tone, making them doubly devastating.

Especially considering her even more voluptuous and agile physique Tina's...

--Stop, stop, stop, stop.

Kang De, with a strange expression, said, "What I mean is, you'd better plug your ears before the cannons fire."

Hilmeria asked, bewildered, "Why?"

Kang De said, "Because the sound is very loud, we still need to take protective measures."

Upon hearing this Sword Saint Cascading Snow scoffed. "Loud? I can withstand a sonic boom attack of magic level. Don't underestimate the power of a sword saint. Go fire the cannon, I want to hear how loud it is."

Kang De frowned and said, "Aren't you afraid of catching a cold from the rain? Does that mean you won't use an umbrella when it rains? These are two different things. I know you're capable, but you don't need to risk hurting yourself..."

Although he had never witnessed a howitzer firing up close before, the sound and shockwave from firing a 20-30 kilogram shell must have been considerable, so why bother showing off?

Upon hearing this, the Sword Saint Cascading Snow was overjoyed to hear Kang De's concern. He then secretly berated himself for being so spineless. Back in the Battle God City, so many people fawned over him, but he had ignored them all. Yet this guy was happy over a few kind words. He was truly pathetic.

She said, "You can't hurt me, don't worry. The battle is the priority. Give the orders later—besides, if I cover my ears, I won't be able to hear your commands, and that might cause problems."

Kang De frowned and said, "Then keep your mouth open."

"... Um?"

"Like this," Kang De opened his mouth, "To balance the internal and external pressures."

"..."

"No, that's too silly," said Hilmeria.

"Not silly at all, actually quite cute."

Kang De snapped his fingers, and the A Xing leaped over in three quick steps, mouth agape, running around behind Kang De like Pac-Man.

Such examples only increased the Sword Saint Cascading Snow's resistance. "... I won't!"

Kang De impatiently reached out and pressed his hand against the Sword Saint's cheek, pulling it outward forcefully. "Is it that hard? Just keep this position, and..."

The next moment, his arms were pried open, and Hilmeria shouted, "What are you doing!"

"Obedient!"

Kang De's voice was even louder. "We're at war! What are you thinking!"

Their eyes met, neither giving an inch. The next moment, the Sword Saint Cascading Snow turned her body away from Kang De and remained silent—but it seemed as if the muscles in the back of her neck twitched.

Kang De opened his mouth, but didn't speak. He shook his head and quickly returned.

It's time to begin.

Hilmeria finally couldn't hold back any longer and quietly turned around.

His mouth was slightly open... He still looked silly.

She saw a long tube with a steel wire attached to its rear, held in Kang De's hand. He stood a few meters away, and the steel giant also held one. In addition, the puppet war dogs, Defender Mechanism, clockwork warriors and other alchemical creations captured from the last war were each pulling one.

She saw Kang De give a thumbs-up, gesturing to the mechanical warrior on the other side.

They also saw the other person turn around and look in their direction.

She quickly turned her head back to the side.

Then he slowly turned his head back.

For some reason, seeing Kang De's taut body and the steel wire in his hand, her heart suddenly raced. She knew Kang De was about to pull it; that seemed to be the way to activate the weapon.

Suddenly, a strange sense of anticipation arose in her heart, and even her blood flowed faster.

Then, with her keen eye, she noticed the movement of the muscles in Kang De's back.

I saw him pull hard on the steel wire in his hand.

Other alchemical creations also began to exert their power at the same time.

Then, a loud bang.

It was a really loud noise.

With her astonishing dynamic vision as a sword saint, she even saw the flash of fire for a fleeting moment. The flames and shockwaves surging from the cannon's muzzle roared and raged. Kang De's clothes were even billowed by the shockwaves. She saw the massive and heavy base, like a tiger or leopard crouching on the earth, stretch its body backward. The ground was shaken into the air by an invisible force, and smoke and dust filled the air. The huge weapon was pushed back with a thud.

Everything seemed to slow down, as if the river of time had slowed its flow.

A nearly invisible black shadow shot out of the tube and streaked across the sky.

The twelve bolts of lightning struck together in one continuous motion.

The blast wave even reached twenty or thirty meters away.

It brushed across the face of the Sword Saint Cascading Snow.

Then, she heard a distant, booming explosion, and heard A Xing spitting out words—the blast wave from the cannons kicked up dust and sand, which blew into her mouth.

Even Hilmeria's lips tasted slightly earthy.

But she didn't care about any of that anymore.

She was completely unaware of this, her mouth still slightly open, feeling her mind was very empty, very empty. She couldn't recount what she had just seen, but it must have been an astonishing scene, like the first battle on this continent, the first glimmer of magic on the battlefield, bows and swords entering the stage of war... She seemed to see history repeating itself.

She felt her blood flowing again, a feeling of inexplicable languor and comfort washing over her. After the violent roar, the world seemed to quiet down, with only the strong, pungent smell of gunpowder lingering in her nostrils. She gazed at the twelve roaring behemoths, their cannons still shrouded in wisps of smoke.

It was like a giant dragon that had just unleashed a deadly breath.

Head held high to the sky, silent yet powerful, it can roar at any formidable enemy.

This scene was unforgettable for her.

At that moment, she even felt as if she were standing beside a deity, and an indescribable sense of security, confidence, and courage welled up within her.

The laws of victory seem to have been confirmed.

She watched as massive metal shells were ejected from the rear of this terrifying weapon, and the Autobots, along with the alchemical golems, carried new "arrows" and reloaded them.

This process seems even easier than loading crossbow bolts into a ballista turret.

But Hilmeria knew that these weapons were far more powerful than any ballista emplacement.

Even enchanted heavy arrows are the same.

She thought of those twelve almost identical weapons. If there were a hundred, two hundred, a thousand, ten thousand, or even a hundred thousand of them, firing together, what would their brilliance and power amount to compared to the legendary gods?

Gods exist in legends, and their stories are myths, which are impossible to verify or explore, making them incredibly mysterious.

These alchemical weapons showed no magical fluctuations; they appeared to be ordinary objects made of steel.

She looked at Kang De, her voice trembling slightly, though she herself was unaware of it.

"This..."

His voice sounded a little hoarse, "What is this?"

"Artillery."

Kang De adjusted his enchanted headset, grabbed the newly fitted fuse, raised his other hand as a signal to prepare to fire again, and calmly said, "God of War."

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PS1: 5000 words... My trip to Guangdong ends tomorrow, time to go home...