Fire Thief!

"Now we can talk."

The voice was filled with an unpleasant, malevolent intent.

Kang De approached step by step until the bullets swept past his feet, creating a spray of dust.

Stop.

Kang De stopped in his tracks, his expression unchanged, and chuckled, "What's wrong? Going through your rebellious phase? Ignoring your father now?"

Stop talking nonsense.

--It's really unpleasant to hear Iron Son speak to me like that.

The voice from the loudspeaker across the street continued, "Don't make any moves, don't try to disappear from my sight. If you make any sudden movements, I'll blow this car up."

Kang De nodded and said, "Oh, so the one I'm talking to now is indeed you... By the way, how should I address you? I need to know your name."

The other person replied, "Whatever. A name is just a manifestation of sadness; it has no real meaning."

"No, it still needs a name."

The voice said coldly, "Does it matter? When Little Bob Buruo manipulated by me, he did things he didn't want to do. Was he Little Bob then? If not, who was he? Names are meaningless; what matters are actions and results, what matters is what we've done here."

Kang De nodded in agreement. "Alright, Donkey Dung Ball."

The other party was silent for a moment, then said coldly, "There's no point in provoking me..."

"I have not provoked you, you fresh Donkey Dung Ball, soaked in the tender juices of the grassland," Kang De said. "Names are meaningless; what matters is our actions, isn't it?"

"That's right. So, if you do this kind of pointless thing again, I'll do it too, like detonating a grenade in the truck bed, or ordering the surrounding anti-aircraft guns and rocket launchers to fire here."

The spirit cackled, "You value it highly, don't you?"

Kang De calmly said, "Don't you value your own life? You should be inside the vehicle now; it's your only hostage. If it dies, you won't survive either. You'll have no chance to escape. I will crush you, obliterate you, and annihilate you right here."

The spirit laughed wildly, "Annihilate me? You? Do you know how many people tried to destroy me, yet they all failed? What are you anyway?"

You idiot, I am the Fire Thief personally certified by the Dragon of Space and Time.

Kang De remained outwardly calm. "Perhaps that's true, but you were ultimately sealed within the King's Tomb of Comora, and in this situation, you can't escape."

"If you wreck my car, I'll seal you in a biogas digester filled with all sorts of excrement, and light it every three days."

"Or perhaps you could be sealed inside the ass of a donkey, and when it can't take it anymore, it will use its own strength to spray you out along with other things, or send you away."

"Then I'll move you to another home, and that will never stop."

"I promise you'll get a real feel for how animals in this world work hard to live, and experience their powerful physical abilities. Every muscle, every nerve signal is incredibly useful. Sometimes it's not just donkeys, but I guarantee they're all moist, warm, dark, and strong."

"Now, going back to what you just said, I alone can destroy you. Those people couldn't do anything to you back then because they were all useless, lacking creativity and imagination. Even if I can't destroy your outer shell or soul, I can drive your mind and spirit insane."

"Do you miss the underground tomb that imprisoned you for hundreds or thousands of years? Those who sealed you were all useless, so they could only keep you locked up inside. But I'm stronger than them all. I can do whatever I want with you."

"Give it a try."

He raised his hand, gesturing for him to proceed.

"Destroy that car, and I'll let you play until humans start colonizing Mars."

Kang De's voice was strong and forceful.

The spirit of the artifact fell silent for a moment.

Whether more than a thousand years ago or in the present, whether in ancient times or modern times, in its long history, it has never heard such a powerful statement.

A moment later, it came to its senses; the cunning spirit was unwilling to lose the initiative.

It must remain tough.

"I hear unease and fear in your threats; the stronger your words, the more afraid you are."

It laughed coldly, "You're afraid of losing it, aren't you?"

"Indeed, I am its creator, like a teacher, a father, a brother, and a friend. We fought side by side, our souls intertwined, sharing everything. It is in danger because of me, and I will do my best to protect and save it. But that does not mean you can use it to coerce me or do whatever you want."

Kang De's eyes were sharp, but his expression was calm.

Don't underestimate me; it's not like I've never been invincible.

After saying that, he stepped forward and began to walk slowly.

"Stop!"

Gunshots rang out.

Kang De continued walking at a steady pace, his steps unwavering.

"Enough with the nonsense, and don't do anything unnecessary. Before I get to my attack position..."

"Stop right now!"

"Give me your answer, or kill the ticket right now..."

"Don't push me!"

"Then I'll show you what eternal suffering is, or, if you want to talk about..."

" --Kang De!"

"Then give me a sincere suggestion now..."

"You'll regret this!"

"And your time is running out!"

"--Send me to Gambia!"

Kang De stopped in his tracks.

The Humvee was already rumbling.

He stretched his neck. "Where are we going?"

The spirit remained silent, but it sensed a certain persistence in Kang De's firmness; it needed an explanation.

"... My body," he said reluctantly, "Those two traitors conspired to kill me, sealing my soul within Tacitus, imprisoning it separately in the tombs of the Two Kings..."

Kang De frowned and said, "Tacitus?"

The spirit replied coldly, "It is what you want to fight over, which is my current body, my current cell, my current cage."

Kang De asked, "Who exactly are you? An ancient person?"

This time, the other party didn't tell the truth openly, but they didn't lie either. Instead, they directly refused. "This isn't part of the deal, and you don't need to know. I also have my bottom line!"

Kang De asked, "You want your body back? Is it still usable?"

"Of course it works! I feel its call constantly; it's calling to me, inside the mercury-sealed stone coffin! The connection between body and soul is far closer than you imagine! Easterner!"

Kang De pondered deeply and continued to ask questions.

The spirit remained quite patient; sometimes, pressing for answers was a sign of sincerity.

"Your condition is that I help you retrieve your body?"

"Yes, if there's only one condition, I'll set it free."

"Specific plans? I'll go get your coffin and bring it back to you?"

"No, we'll go to Gambia together, we'll go in together. Without Tacitus, you cannot enter the tomb."

--Is this also the reason why Little Bob and his friends attacked Gambia after obtaining that artifact?

Kang De pondered for a moment, then asked, "I don't trust you, and you don't trust me either, do you?"

The other person said in a deep voice, "Of course I don't believe you. I can see through people's hearts, I can manipulate people's hearts. The world I see is full of deception, betrayal and lies. Why should I believe you?"

Kang De then asked, "If that's the case, how do we bind each other to keep our promises?"

What do you mean?

"How do I know you won't sabotage things along the way, or try to kill me once we reach the king's tomb? And what are your plans after you get your body back?"

"Be confident, you Easterner. And after I get my body back, I'll rest for a while, relax, and make up for the lost centuries. Don't worry, I won't cause you any trouble."

Kang De asked, "How can you guarantee that?"

"Do I need any guarantees?" the spirit asked. "I don't trust you, and you don't trust me. Whether this cooperation will proceed smoothly, how we will protect ourselves after it's completed, and how we can ensure the other side won't become a threat—these are all matters of our own ability! Do you believe in promises and oaths?"

Upon hearing this, Kang De suddenly laughed.

"That's true."

He nodded with a smile.

Even human oaths and promises are unreliable, let alone something like this.

Well said, it all comes down to individual ability.

He nodded repeatedly and said, "Actually, we don't have any deep-seated grudges. My personal grudge was with Little Bob, but he's dead. There's really no need for us to be enemies."

The spirit merely let out two ambiguous sneers.

Kang De continued, "Perhaps we can try to develop a friendship. You've been sealed away for hundreds of years, and you can't adapt to modern life all at once. The world has become aware of the existence of supernatural forces. Believe me, getting used to the present era is harder than you think. People like us should help each other out—don't you think?"

The spirit calmly said, "Get my body back first."

"OK, the negotiation is settled, and I agree to your proposal."

Kang De pointed at the other party. "Now, let me hear what it has to say. You can temporarily reside in its body, but you must give it some autonomy. I've heard that the France government and Big Bob are equally determined to take over the tomb in Gambia. I need more specialized firepower support, which you can't provide; only it can."

The spirit remained silent.

Kang De raised an eyebrow, his tone turning colder. "I want to hear it speak to me, now, immediately, or the negotiations will break down instantly, and I will consider it dead by you. Three, two..."

His eyes flashed with golden light, and he slightly bowed.

Just then, the spirit snorted coldly, and immediately, a cacophony of noise erupted from the external speaker. The weak voice of Iron Son rang out. "Father..."

The spirit's voice returned. "Satisfied?"

"Of course I'm not satisfied! How do I know if this is really you? Bring it back! I have questions for you!"

Horus's voice reappeared.

"Father, I'm fine, you... do it!"

The Transformers roared and began to howl, while the Humvee emitted a thunderous roar, and its surface components began to tremble and rotate—a sign that transformation was imminent!

A ghostly light flashed in Kang De's eyes. He suddenly lunged forward, his feet stomping Extraction his spiritual power. The ground collapsed with a deafening roar, extending all the way to the bottom of the vehicle. The Humvee plummeted down, flanked by earthen walls that restricted and imprisoned it from both sides.

Meanwhile, Kang De had already returned from the White Mist World. The Centurion War Armor descended from the sky, the heavy copper ball transforming into a massive mechanical giant that gripped the vehicle. The muzzle of the Frost Jet Magic Cannon on its right hand contracted, and the Frost Magic Core inside floated and spun under the constraint of the mental energy device, radiating extreme cold.

Horus roared, and under the Centurion's pressure, he began to transform with difficulty, half-kneeling, the armor on his chest opening to reveal the golden sphere embedded within, radiating a bewitching glow.

"Father! Hurry! Now!"

Kang De appeared like a ghost, reached out and grabbed the golden sphere, and pulled hard.

The next moment, Horus's roar turned into the sinister laughter of the artifact spirit.

You've been tricked!

The evil and enormous spiritual tendrils surged into Kang De's spiritual ocean through the contact of his limbs.

The Sanctuary Talisman's mental defenses are useless.

The spirit said that the world it saw was full of betrayal, deception, and lies.

Just like what it does.

But this world is also full of jokes, absurdities, and dark humor.

There's more surprise in store.

And coincidences.

"The same to you."

In the spiritual world, he has faced the souls of otherworldly gods and stood opposite the ancient spirits of Comora.

I, Kang De, take revenge without delay; I slap someone in the face right there.

"Manipulate me? Control you? Do you know how many gods tried to take me as their underlings, bewitched me, and tempted me, but they all failed. What are you anyway?"

In the spiritual world, the unspeakable greatness and light made the evil spiritual tentacles scream and flee. In the real world, Kang De grasped the golden ball, the object that the spirit called Tastus.

Extraction, activation.

Mental power spreads, covers, interprets, Extraction, and extracts Element.

The cage imprisoning these mysterious, ancient souls begins to crumble, and the Fire Thief's power transcends the boundaries of matter and spirit. The prisoners, driven mad by despair, are similarly being eroded.

The spirit hastily retracted its spiritual tentacles, but was gripped by the fear of death.

It found its eternal soul beginning to crumble.

Even more terrifying, Tacitus was also collapsing.

--That's impossible!

In the world of spiritual perception, it could "see" that the eternally solidified outer wall of Tacitus had been shattered, and the treasures contained within, which blurred the boundaries between matter and spirit, transformed into intense golden light, surging into the body of the Eastern man.

--Why would this happen!

That was the supreme treasure he had longed for but could never obtain, and he had acquired it so easily.

This terrified it even more than the fact that Tacitus was being absorbed.

--Wait, wait a minute! How could this be!

He achieved his wish on another level, gaining access to the knowledge within Tacitus, merging with it, and attaining eternity, but with boundless fear and disbelief.

In the moments before his death, he finally understood what had happened.

In the realm of the spirit, the final, desperate screams of this unknown, departed soul linger.

"The Fire Thief"

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: I'm going to sleep now... You think the plot is progressing too slowly? I think you're just complaining about the slow updates. You're all just greedy for my updates, you're shameless! Just wait until tomorrow!