Can't Afford to Play

Since being caught up in a two-front war, although the situation is extremely urgent and chaotic, the progress of the battles in the other world and on Earth has been relatively smooth.

Use Earth's weapons to fight the alien army, and use alien magic to fight against Earth's army.

The main strategy is to exploit information asymmetry and to strike unexpectedly.

Even the mighty elves, the world's dominant powers with the strongest armies, had never witnessed warfare in another system or era. So it's no surprise that they were caught off guard and suffered heavy losses.

Gambia's so-called army was just a group of militiamen armed with light weapons, and Little Bob's mercenaries were not a combat force under a modern military system. They lacked information links and long-range firepower support, and they would never have imagined that the enemy was a magician. Of course, they would be easily defeated by Kang De.

However, Kang De knew very well that a brief victory did not mean that things would go smoothly from then on.

Once the elves have gathered enough information, they can unleash the immense war potential of the world's strongest nation to devise countermeasures, reform their tactics, formulate new strategies, develop counter-magic devices and spells, and mobilize an even more powerful army—at that point, the war will likely become increasingly difficult.

The same applies to Earth. He only defeated a bunch of rabble. If he becomes complacent and thinks he can beat Britain and the United States or kick Germany and France, then he's really out of his mind.

He just hadn't expected this day to come so soon...

"Hold!"

A hail of bullets and the roar of artillery fire.

Kang De's figure flickered repeatedly, but the firepower still followed him as if it had eyes. In the past, he could move freely as if he were in an empty place by activating invisibility, but this time it was useless!

What's going on?

The invisibility cloak was still active, and his figure truly blended into nature, becoming one with it. Logically, there shouldn't be any flaws, and at the very least, he shouldn't be locked onto and continuously attacked, right?

Machine guns fired in rapid succession, mortars roared into the air, heavy machine guns Earth's Wrath incessantly, smoke billowed, the sound of gunfire was incessant, shockwaves flew, and sound waves reverberated—it was the terror of death, the echo of the end.

These past few days, Kang De has been the one suppressing others with firepower, but this time the tables have turned, which is extremely unusual for him. Of course, he is even more bewildered.

What happened?

Why didn't the invisibility spell work?

Does the base have some kind of high-tech detection system?

Life detectors have indeed been explored in countless ways. Not to mention traditional infrared, sound wave, and even radar detectors, the latest technology can even determine location using the ultra-low frequency radio wave electric field generated by the human heartbeat. And this is just for civilian use; not to mention the advanced technologies used in military applications.

But this is incredibly fast!

Almost immediately after Kang De completed the teleportation, the firepower of various light and heavy weapons was in place. Even if Little Bob was manipulating these France soldiers through the mind control device, the command efficiency of this mind link was too high. Although it wasn't impossible, Kang De felt that things weren't that simple...

Since receiving the legacy of the Fire Thief, and through continuous Extraction and enchanting training, as well as several mental trials and even facing the King of Gods, Kang De's spiritual power has risen to a new level, and his senses and perceptions far surpass those of ordinary people. His current feeling is that something is watching him all along.

That ancient artifact from Comora.

Little Bob.

Kang De felt a chill run down his spine.

The sound of engines on the runway could be faintly heard through the explosions of artillery shells.

The situation was urgent, and there was no time to think it through. If they delayed any longer, Little Bob Buruo would escape with the mind-controlling artifact. Once his plane took off, it would be virtually impossible to catch him. Although Kang De's current power was great, he was still powerless against the sky.

This is tantamount to releasing a tiger back into the mountains, which will inevitably bring endless troubles. Whether Little Bob is recruited by the relevant countries or goes into hiding, regardless of revenge, his family will certainly face great threats.

We must stop him.

Kang De gritted his teeth and racked his brains for a solution.

The France were all mind-controlled by Little Bob, like puppets, which is why they obeyed orders and launched the attack. This controlled state can be broken simply by using a mass dispel scroll.

The problem is, as Little Bob had also considered, the France firing positions in the base were extremely scattered, the range of the scrolls was limited, and the firepower was extremely dense. Even with Kang De's current skills and methods, he was unwilling to withstand the dense fire of large-caliber machine guns or even machine guns—he had seen too many negative examples in the past few battles.

What to do?

Hold!

Then let me show you foreign devils what's what!

Kang De twisted his body, threw out the beacon, and leaped repeatedly towards the tallest building in the base, which should be the administration building. There were firing positions on the roof and all around, and he quickly responded with fire. However, no matter how powerful Little Bob's mind-control link was, it could not break through the limits of humanity. The person operating the machine gun and rocket launcher was still human, and his physical fitness and mobility could not keep up with Kang De's speed of advance.

He darted through the main entrance and rushed into the building, dispelling the scroll and spreading an invisible ripple that banished the evil curse that manipulated minds. Instantly, the people inside the building were startled and looked bewildered.

The next moment, artillery fire, bullets, and rockets rained down on the building without hesitation.

Amidst the deafening explosions, bricks and concrete shattered, Blazing Flame erupted, and the France people, regaining their senses, died from the violent explosions and shockwaves before they could even scream.

The large-caliber howitzer easily ravaged the sturdy and beautiful administration building, causing it to shake violently with just one shot. Since the invention of explosives, the debate between spear and shield has come to an end.

However, it's hard to say.

Listening to the deafening roar, the shattering of glass, the collapse of walls, the breaking of floors, and the screams of people, Kang De remained calm. He already knew the fate of the France people in this building, but what did it matter? The one responsible was the France government, which had orchestrated the Gambia - Comora War. It had begged the tiger for its skin and was devoured by the tiger. The soldiers, civilians, and innocent people who died in this war were all paying the price.

I'm sorry, I can't save you.

But I won't blame myself for it.

I have no obligation to do so, and you have no right to do so.

The moment he rushed into the building, he unleashed his spiritual energy, directing it towards the earth to Extraction and excavate. He descended, finding air-raid shelters below, which was normal. He arrived at the largest room, where the walls were reinforced with steel. He retrieved pillars from the White Mist World, Extraction concrete from the floor, and exposed the soil.

Then.

The only intact magical artifact captured during the battle with the Stoneheart Warband.

Kang De did not know its name, but he knew its function.

Let's choose one then.

"From now on, you will be called..." he whispered, "The Hammer of Amijide."

His hand touched the interaction device of the magic instrument, and his mental energy rushed in. Following the alchemist's memory, he erased the warband's mark, implanted the will of war, activated the magic chain, and infused it with the power of the earth.

The magical artifact, resembling a pillar, spread its four legs and took root in the ground. The totem pole in the center lit up with earth-yellow runes, and magical patterns continuously illuminated.

Meanwhile, Kang De's spiritual power extended, Extraction the surrounding land, and the rich Element poured into the interaction device, serving as a catalyst to activate magical energy. The raging power of the earth was constantly converging towards the center.

The totem-shaped hammer structure, resembling an industrial pump, slowly rose, its earthy yellow light almost solidifying. The fulcrum below was firm and heavy, and Hammer of Archimedes was already raised high.

Then, it suddenly fell.

Impact.

Rolling.

The entire building had been completely destroyed, and the artillery fire had ceased. Under such an attack, no one could have survived the building. However, the general aviation aircraft that had already taxied to the runway did not stop. Instead, it continued to accelerate and began to run along the long runway.

The right choice.

Because the earth shook violently the next moment.

Centered on the ruins of the military base's administrative building, dust and gravel on the ground suddenly floated up, as if gravity had lost its effect. The next moment, the earth rolled like waves.

The center was like a black hole, the darkness swallowing everything caused the earth to collapse layer by layer, and the violent power raged in all directions. The land cracked and collapsed, houses shook, watchtowers collapsed, and tsunamis appeared on the land. However, the raging tide was made of mud, and the earth rose and fell like waves.

Vehicles, artillery, personnel, firing positions... everything becomes meaningless. Faced with the wrath of nature, humanity's sophisticated weapons have nowhere to be placed, let alone fired.

Perhaps even the elven alchemists who developed the Hammer of Archimedes could not have imagined that this weapon, which uses the resonance of earth elements to deliver remote earthquake strikes, would have its power multiplied if used for suicide.

Because of their extensive experience in various magical Arcane, they would never use this magical device underground, nor would they directly set the attack coordinates in the original location.

Ultimately, when this magical device was designed, no consideration was given to the possibility that "a Fire Thief, relying on the memories of an elven alchemist and boundless audacity, forcibly activated the captured weapon and then fought himself in an underground fortification in another world."

Then the sky collapsed and the earth cracked. The violent earthquake was confined to the military base area, which was neither too big nor too small. The terrifying energy repeatedly impacted and shook the area. The overseas military base of the Fifth Republic of Fr*nce was forcibly demolished. At the beginning of the activation of the magic device, Kang De returned to the White Mist World with Hammer of Archimedes.

Then it teleports to the surface.

Nothing can stop him now.

Amidst the violent shaking, tremors, cracking, and collapse, Kang De sped toward the runway. The runway was completely destroyed by the earthquake, but as far as he could see, a Dassault Falcon general aviation aircraft had already taken off amidst the violently undulating waves of the earth, untouched by the tremors.

Kang De shouted, flung out a flying stone, and teleported into the sky.

However, the plane's takeoff speed had already reached 300 kilometers per hour, which is about 100 meters per second. Kang De's method of teleportation was not teleportation, but a subspace jump achieved through the White Mist World and the spatial anchor point. The time spent entering and leaving the White Mist World was ultimately consumed.

The next teleportation was completed, and the plane had already soared into the sky, its engines roaring and shaking the heavens. Kang De had no choice but to unleash a long-awaited dispel spell. The ripples of the scroll barely grazed the plane. He hoped that the pilot would take immediate action after breaking free of control, but placing his hopes on others was not Kang De's style.

Furthermore, judging from the plane's smooth ascent without any swaying, it seems the dispelling spell had not taken effect.

Fortunately, there was still an insurance policy.

Kang De closed his eyes, space shattered, and he returned to Earth through White Mist World. The next moment, he was already high in the sky. The lights of the ground base were constantly going out, while the navigation lights of the Falcon aircraft were flashing continuously, the outline of the aircraft hidden in the vast night.

Himo's Eagle carried Kang De as he soared through the air.

Having been subjected to artillery fire, Kang De had no time to control the giant eagle for any delicate tasks. His priority was to quickly and decisively capture Little Bob and reclaim the artifact, ideally by capturing him alive. If he couldn't use the artifact, he would have to force Little Bob to order the puppets to cease fire and surrender. Therefore, he chose the route of a land raid.

But just to be on the safe side, he ordered the giant eagle to circle and wait at a distance.

Now, there's no other way.

What? Rush onto the plane, tear open the cockpit, subdue Little Bob, and then make the pilot land?

At speeds of several hundred miles per hour, with a turbocharged engine, you could get sucked in and shredded in the blink of an eye.

A proper jet aircraft can easily reach speeds of 700 or 800 kilometers per hour, a speed that the Himo's Eagle could not match. Fortunately, it had judged the direction correctly and was flying this way. Aircraft are both safe and fragile; a single bird strike could send them crashing to the ground.

But you only get one chance.

Using this alchemical giant eagle to exchange for a Little Bob seems like a bit of a loss.

"Aim, aim, aim..."

Kang De narrowed his eyes, controlling the giant eagle. Using his exceptional spatial awareness and mental strength, he made a prediction: the plane was ascending and heading this way; only a dark outline and navigation lights could be seen.

"Keep driving! Keep driving! Damn it! I want to know what happened too! But you've already seen it! Where else can we go? Let's get out of this hellhole first! Go wherever you want! France! My father's! Anywhere is fine! Damn it! Damn it! What the hell is going on?!"

In the cockpit, Little Bob had regained his senses, reached a consensus with his subordinates and drivers: they all retained some kind of eerie memory, and the whispers seemed to linger. It was all so terrifying that the mercenaries temporarily put aside their pursuit of the matter and decided to leave this hellish place first.

Little Bob, still shaken, exclaimed, "He shouldn't be chasing after us, right? Damn it, this..."

"B... boss... what is that!?"

Suddenly, the passenger in the front seat screamed.

Little Bob Buruo instinctively looked ahead.

Then, an expression of disbelief appeared on his face.

They had flown high into the sky, soaring among the clouds. The moonlight shone down, bright and clear, and the stars twinkled. There were some bright spots in the night sky. For some reason, after waking up, Little Bob found that his night vision had improved a lot, and he could see the surrounding night clearly. At this moment, high in the sky, inside the plane, he looked ahead through the cockpit and seemed to see something that should never be there.

"That..."

He murmured as if in a dream, "A howitzer?"

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PS1: Bought Ring Fit Adventure, want to give it a try.