The Last Space-Time Flashback

The capital of Azure Waves Province, the origin of Goth route, and the first city where the Cathay Fleet landed, its name is Distant Harbor.

A tranquil and timeless port city—this is the Goth meaning of the city's name. The Cathay scholars aboard the ship chose this literal translation rather than a phonetic one, marking it as the official name of this commemorative city on Eastern nautical charts and official documents, as its formal name.

This tranquil and ancient city also has a history of hundreds of years, gradually prospering from a small village, with city walls, docks, and a port.

Over countless years, she has seen countless ships and warriors set sail, some returning laden with spoils and achieving great success, while others never returned.

She welcomed the first Cathay Fleet to cross the sea and saw off the first Goth Mission that traveled across the ocean. She silently observed the initial contact between the two countries, the friendship they forged, the exchanges they made, and even their eventual severance.

She witnessed the city's rise and fall, its once bustling streets now deserted, and the invasion of foreign enemies, the fierce firepower and powerful military might of the elven fleet. Then the war ended, and in an instant, crisis struck again, like a cruel joke of fate... This time it was even more dangerous than the last.

The elven fleet that had not yet withdrawn, the uninvited imperial warships, the magical warships owned by the Arcane Council, the vassals of these three world powers, and the giant dragons circling in the sky.

These naval forces are capable of easily destroying the coastal defenses of most countries in the world. Even a single ship could defeat the fleets of many small countries. Now, they have intruded into Goth's territorial waters and approached the devastated Distant Harbor. Facing them is the battered and broken Coastal Defense Fleet of the Azure Waves Province, which has not yet undergone a complete overhaul. In the previous war, they were almost completely annihilated by the Elven Navy.

An overwhelming disadvantage.

Anyone could see that Goth could not stop the invasion of the nations in the slightest.

Although the fleets of various nations had approached Cold Harbor, they merely blockaded the port's shipping lanes. Dragons circled in the sky, and warships patrolled the sea. This was an aggressive and humiliating posture, but no real hostile actions ever occurred. The fleets from various powers wisely maintained extreme restraint and did not take any excessive actions.

Because the real battlefield isn't here.

This siege was merely a means to exert pressure, which would then be transmitted back to Danfeng Lucerne through the officials and nobles of the Azure Waves Province, and ultimately to Goth's ruling class. From beginning to end, the shrewd and calculating rulers never took Goth seriously; the only Cathayan.

Therefore, the strategy had already been determined.

Taking advantage of the opportune moment when Kang De is currently missing and unable to extricate himself, we should first secure a basic distribution of benefits. This means using intimidation and pressure from all sides to force Teldrassil to agree to the distribution treaty offered by the various states in Kang De's absence, thus creating a fait accompli. We should also try to alienate Kang De from Teldrassil, creating a rift between them and sowing the seeds of doubt and discord.

This minimum level of protection is based on the premise that Kang De will soon be freed and return to the surface. After all, the nations still fear the power of the Forbidden Spell spellcaster, so they will not make things too ugly. They just want to create a time gap. By then, the nations' teams will have moved in, the treaty will have been signed, and Goth's side will have achieved a fait accompli. As an outsider, Kang De will be helpless.

What else could he do? Tearing up the treaty would mean going against all nations, and even Goth's own inner circle would oppose him. Faced with such a situation, was he going to use Forbidden Spell to smash the whole world to pieces?

Compromise is the keynote of this world.

History has proven time and again that in the face of power, the strength of an individual is insignificant.

No matter who you are.

The Combined Fleet entering territorial waters, the large army mobilized at the border, the pressure induced from within Goth through personal connections, economics, politics, and incentives—all these major forces are working in tacit cooperation.

The goal is to create a fait accompli and take a slice of the pie before Kang De Deteng makes a move.

But this is only the bare minimum guarantee of benefits.

This is based on the premise that "Kang De will soon return to the surface of the earth."

If this Cathayan doesn't return, then the so-called agreements and treaties are nothing but a piece of paper. Goth is still qualified to sit at the negotiating table now only because the shadow of the Cathayan behind Goth still hangs on the table. If he were gone...

"... Therefore, for the benefit, safety, and enjoyment of the life rights bestowed upon all races of the world, in accordance with the will of the Holy Emperor and the advice of the masters of the Arcane Council, we are authorized, together with like-minded allies, to take necessary actions to ensure that the unknown threat beneath Goth does not spread. Please convey our spirit and ideals to the Governor and Your Excellencies."

"We hope that Goth will uphold his duty and stand with us in containing and controlling this unknown and dangerous substance. This is for the sake of all Goth People, after all, we live in the same world. We still earnestly hope for your understanding and cooperation, and do not want to resort to forceful violence. We hope that you can convey our sincere and friendly stance, and ask Grand Duke Teldrassil to make the right choice."

Diplomatic rhetoric, high-sounding words concealing a hidden threat—this was the statement of the captain of the "Black Pine Forest," the flagship of the Fourth Subfleet of the Holy Empire's Endless Ocean Navy.

He treated the negotiating envoy from the Azure Waves Province with proper courtesy and respect, and personally saw him off.

After arriving in Goth's territorial waters, the fleet commander, who had been patrolling overseas for a long time and isolated from news, finally learned what the Cathayan Kang De had done in the Broken Isles not long ago.

A single Forbidden Spell unleashed a tsunami that nearly submerged the entire Broken Sea dozens of miles away.

No wonder the Seventh Fleet hasn't arrived yet.

He first berated the Minister of the Navy, and then mentally considered him the emperor's unrelated father. But since things had come to this, he had no choice but to grit his teeth and continue to carry out the orders.

--What else? Turn around and run away? Not only would that be treason and disobedience, but it would also be an even greater crime. No matter how things turn out, he won't get away with it.

Only now did he understand the profound meaning behind the final words of the last order.

"Commander, I understand your concerns, but with your intelligence, it's not hard to see that for your fleet, Distant Harbor are the safest places in the world. You understand."

--Damn, that's really safe! At least when Kang De used his Forbidden Spell to kill us, he had to consider whether it would affect the Goth People on the shore! That's really thoughtful!

He watched Goth's envoy sail away, his gaze as serene as the sea, calm yet brimming with turbulent undercurrents. Suddenly, his adjutant quietly approached and whispered, "Sir, it has awakened."

The captain raised an eyebrow and turned around.

It is a dragon.

While cruising off the coast of Goth, they discovered a wounded dragon.

He identified himself as Luzi, and was severely injured. Before being rescued, he mustered his last breath and revealed important information to him—he was a member of the missing dragon delegation. In the vast world beneath Goth, they discovered a mysterious substance that could drive the next magical revolution. Around this substance, they clashed fiercely with Kang De, who had followed them, resulting in heavy casualties.

Because Kang De could freely control and even absorb this power, he seemed to have known about the existence of this substance for a long time, and even helped Goth for this reason. Now he was fighting with other dragons underground. In order to hold Kang De back, they also absorbed this power, but they still could not stop the increasingly powerful Kang De.

Cuixisi and the two strongest dragons remained underground to fight Kang De. Other dragons were sent to seek help, and he was one of them, but due to his severe injuries, he was unable to fly back to Dragon Island.

He said that if Kang De were to gain complete control of that mysterious energy, it would be a disaster for the entire world. He said that Cuixisi ordered them to scatter and flee, passing this information on to all Civilization nations. This was the pride of the dragons; they understood when to be selfless.

After managing to deliver this information, the dragon Luzi fell into a coma.

The Imperials found a purple crystal on a dragon, and a mage, fully armed, attempted to channel this power, resulting in an extreme amplification of his spellcasting abilities.

The matter was reported to the Empire, and orders were received to advance at full speed, with troops approaching the Distant Harbor.

The unconscious dragon was placed in the most confidential area of Black Pine Forest. The Imperial order was not to notify the dragons for the time being, as they needed more intelligence.

The Imperials were indeed fooled, because the idea of "dragon pride" is easy to deceive some foolish humans. Ever since the elves' cultural strategy was a great success, the dragons have also been learning this approach. It is not surprising that weak and insecure people often like to embellish the strong and believe that they have the qualities of benevolence and kindness.

They rushed toward the Distant Harbor with a mixture of admiration, smug satisfaction, and overwhelming eagerness.

Seeing that the elves, the Council, and even some random ships and Dragon Legion were all carrying out the same orders, the last trace of doubt in my heart was dispelled.

See, the Council isn't stupid, and the elves are clever, aren't they? They've all done it, so it's true.

After passing through the guards' tight security, the captain arrived at the room where the dragon Luzi was recuperating. Fortunately, the dragon used its last bit of power to solidify its shapeshifting ability; otherwise, they would have had to leave it exposed on the deck.

The first mate opened the door, and the scent of potions wafted out. The captain and fleet commander stepped inside, and the sound of the door closing behind him was heard. He took two steps forward, then suddenly realized something was wrong and turned around.

The adjutant, who should have been guarding the door, was standing inside; the door was closed from the inside.

The captain frowned and said, "You..."

Before he could finish speaking, a commotion arose nearby. Turning around, he saw that the heavily injured dragon had already gotten up.

A purple light shone in his eyes.

The captain's expression changed drastically, his Dou Qi surged, but the next moment, an even stronger force surged from behind, and his arms were firmly clamped down. It was his adjutant, who was also his nephew, the person on the entire ship least likely to betray him, and the subordinate he could trust the most.

He tried to shout, but a hand pressed down on his head and gagged him. Through the fingers, he saw the dragon's eyes—evil, sinister, and filled with the cruelty of a beast.

The plan has changed.

It said, "You should immediately launch an attack on the Goth People, ships and cities."

The captain struggled, whimpering.

The dragon's expression was both evil and somewhat dull.

"Don't worry," it said, "I will make you obey."

After the dragon transformed into a human, its incomparably handsome face split open around its nose, resembling a man-eating flower.

Countless tentacles shook off a terrible slime and reached out towards the captain.

Amidst the desperate groans, the captain faintly heard screams and dragon roars coming from outside.

A terrifying thought surfaced in my mind.

Luzi previously stated that there was more than one dragon like it that had returned to the surface.

Meanwhile, the elves, the Council, and even the Dragon Legion all marched forward simultaneously in unison.

So, what are the other dragons doing?

Excruciating pain swept over his soul; writhing tentacles pierced his body through his eyes, nose, ears, mouth, and even skin, robbing him of his five senses.

Then, something poured in.

"--madman!"

That world, independent of time and space, a rift, a strange space filled with gears and springs, purple blood staining the brass-colored ground, numerous broken tentacles writhing helplessly, not yet dead, the scarred and Aberrant Dragon displaying a kind of mad fear.

It was panting heavily.

The River of Origin has vanished, and there is not a trace of mystical element left. This means that the consumed energy cannot be replenished, just as Kang De did.

It had thought this would regain its advantage, since Kang De seemed unable to use spatial powers and also unable to replenish himself from the River of Origin. It thought that its strength and size advantage would be enough to kill this Cathay ant, but the other party was more like a beast than it was.

Unafraid of close combat, and even actively seeking intense fighting, his unknown and terrifying power is like the gaping maw of a giant beast, tearing and devouring everything. He grabs tentacles, presses down on flesh, and then the limbs disappear, and then the flesh disintegrates... that is the kind of power he possesses.

It even gave Cuixisi a terrifying thought.

A thought that could never belong to a dragon.

--It will be eaten.

It finally felt fear.

"Madman! Stay away from me!" It flapped its wings, gathering its remaining strength, and soared into the sky, accelerating away, flying towards the edge of this world, "Stay away from me!"

The wings of light are dazzling.

Kang De relentlessly pursued them, his locust armor already tattered. The intense battle meant he received no replenishment; many locusts existed in the White Mist World, but here, every locust that died meant one less.

But he didn't care at all.

"I'll eat you!" he laughed wildly. "I'll eat you, I'll eat you, I'll eat you!"

The raging meteor crashed into the Aberrant Dragon.

Cuixisi frantically turned to fight, tentacles, spikes, and claws attacking the dwindling locust shield. The Aberrant Dragon had also gone mad, roaring, "Never! I gave up everything to get here! My race! My kin! My honor! I will find the Chamber of Ascension! Everything I've lost will be mine again!"

"They're not coming back!"

Kang De roared, shouted, and howled, "So I must kill you, kill you, kill you!"

The remaining forces clashed in mid-air. Cuixisi gathered her last strength and unleashed a powerful energy beam. Kang De was no longer able to open the Phase Gate, so Holy Light swept up the swarm of insects and charged forward.

With a deafening explosion, the two madmen battling in the void were propelled downwards by the violent aftershocks. While still in mid-air, Kang De and Cuixisi struggled to maintain their balance, roaring as they unleashed every ranged attack they could muster against the distant enemy. The two figures crashed to the ground one after the other with a dull thud.

Kang De rolled over in pain.

The Divine Ring of Stellar Authority and the Grewind Swarm acted as a buffer, but still caused a significant impact.

They crashed into a huge square.

Kang De reluctantly turned his head, and in front of him was a huge, hollow sphere that soared into the clouds, quietly placed on a massive base, covered with mysterious patterns, standing in the center of the square like a mountain.

Cuixisi must have fallen to the other side.

He gritted his teeth and propped himself up, rising like a ghost, his terrifying eyes scanning the crowd.

Kill him.

He must be killed.

Alone again, trapped in this place, never to return home.

Therefore, he must be killed.

The prolonged pressure, the fear of fate, and the A Xing's plight—all of these had worn away superfluous emotions in this long and chaotic battle. Kang De was now almost mentally broken, becoming pure, singular, and obsessive, with only his last remaining obsession sustaining him.

Kill that dragon.

He must be killed.

He stared grimly at everything around him. The towering metal spheres should have surprised and familiar him, but now, none of them were in his sight.

He had only one thought left.

His gaze swept across the square in front of him.

There was a light there.

Not Cuixisi, Kang De turned his gaze elsewhere.

Then his body jolted.

He turned around abruptly.

There was a light ahead.

Someone was standing there.

Both strange and familiar.

She was the first ray of light in his fearful and desperate life in another world, the first friendly being he could rely on, and the first empathizer who would listen to his troubles.

Even after coming to the mainland, she reappeared before him, with a new form, yet still the same as before—a little silly, but very cute, always by his side, just like before.

Her name is...

"A Xing..."

Kang De murmured, "A Xing."

A ray of light shone into the chaotic, distorted soul.

He suddenly realized what his real purpose was in pursuing them all this way.

It wasn't about killing Cuixisi.

It's her.

"A Xing..."

He dragged his weary and aching body, scrambling and crawling towards the light.

"A Xing!"

He shouted that name.

In the vast plaza, the sound of his footsteps echoed on the brass floor. He drew closer and closer to her, finally seeing her clearly—a familiar face, a familiar figure, a familiar smile.

She was there.

Tears streamed down my face without me even realizing it.

They ran to the base of the enormous sphere, where a hundred steps led up to it.

He ran as fast as he could.

Kang De shouted, "A Xing!"

It's almost here.

Then he heard the A Xing's voice.

"Kang De!"

She was calling out.

Tears streamed down his disheveled face. Kang De wiped them away and said, "I'm here!"

But the next moment, he froze.

A Xing was enveloped in a warm light. She smiled and called her own name, but her gaze was somewhat unfocused and not on him.

Kang De.

That gentle voice sounded slightly different from A Xing's.

"I know you're here, I know you're listening. I can't see you, but I'm sure you can see me and hear me."

It was only then that Kang De noticed the armor on the A Xing's body.

Horus listened to his description and modeled the armor after the ancients.

It was exactly the same armor as the one I remembered...

"You may have many questions, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that I've come here, and you've finally come here too. We've met here in a way that's beyond imagination. For this, the Light Bearer paid their final sacrifice and price... But I believe it was all worth it."

A Xing came up in front of me.

In this strange world where the concepts of time and space have lost their order, her face radiates the sacredness of time and hope. Kang De seems to sense something; he sees two points in the long river of time flowing together, meeting in a small tributary... wondrous, incomprehensible, and elusive.

But it seems... he has already come to his understanding.

Time flows by, years pass like an arrow, and the past has undergone vicissitudes. This world is wondrous and indescribable, as if it were destined by fate, or as if it were a chance occurrence of time.

Only one thing is certain.

--Kang De triggered the final Space-Time Flashback.

A Xing's hand rested on my shoulder, its warmth a blur of time, blurring the lines between past and present.

"Listen to me..."

￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥￥

PS1: 5500 words... Time for bed, you guys guess.