Protect You

The knight pushed the lever on the remote control.

Signal reception.

The racing car's electric motor inside the casing immediately started, pushing the hammer and igniting the disposable lighter.

A cluster of flames suddenly ignited.

Just one clump is enough.

The gas cylinder was branded with Flame- enhancing enchantment by Kang De, and the cylinder was already at its limit. When the flame swept past, the fiery runes quickly absorbed it, becoming the last straw that broke the camel's back.

The gas cylinder has reached its limit in terms of the ability to withstand Element enchantments.

Cracks appeared on the surface.

The magical runes expanded due to heat, adding fuel to the fire.

The tank ruptured.

Fifteen kilograms of liquefied petroleum gas instantly expanded three hundred times, vaporizing into an enormous volume of gas that spread wildly. The physical gaseous shockwave tore apart the fragile internal structure, resulting in the first explosion. But the main event was yet to come!

The liquefied petroleum gas, having broken free of its restraints, diffused and evaporated violently, rapidly mixing with the surrounding air. In an instant, the concentration of liquefied petroleum gas in the air dropped sharply, meaning it fell to the critical value where it could be ignited!

The broken jar still contains a huge amount of Flame Element.

The flames were already lit, and the volatile petroleum gas was quickly ignited. A violent explosion followed by a surge of flames rose up, and a second wave of intense heat swept out!

The most destructive force is never explosion or fire, but shrapnel.

The shattered jar, the hidden iron bars, the broken fragments of elven swords, the sharp and sturdy sand and gravel—the violent shockwave propelled these sharp little objects in all directions.

The elves, engrossed in watching the film, were all huddled within a few meters of the screen.

A physical explosion and a chemical explosion occurred almost simultaneously, with very little time between them. They only saw a burst of intense light before their eyes, and the rapid heat was already hitting them.

Fragments swept across, cutting through tattered leather; as flames rose, the gathered elves fell like wheat. At such close range, even the stronger elves had no chance of survival.

This bomb nearly wiped out all the elves in the camp.

Almost.

A few sentries barely managed to fulfill their duty, resisting the temptation to stay and see the magical "artifact," choosing instead to continue their sentry duty.

They heard the violent explosion, saw the rising flames, and felt the watchtower beneath their feet shake. Their comrades were instantly engulfed in flames; it happened so suddenly and without warning.

Even the most elite soldiers would be stunned for a few seconds, let alone the sailors in the ballista squad.

One of the elven sentinels reacted the fastest, immediately grabbing the horn at his waist, but the next moment, an arrow pierced through the air and shot through his neck from the side.

Two more arrows followed.

The other two sentries followed suit.

The Kangaroo leaped out, bow in hand, and surveyed its surroundings with disdain.

On the other side, the knight, sword and shield in hand, charged down the mountain and galloped toward the camp.

Kang De was about to get up, but the princess grabbed his wrist.

"Kang De," she said, "Please stay and protect me; the knight can handle things over there."

Kang De paused for a moment.

He had already understood the Knight's intention in fighting over the remote control, and now he also understood Tina's meaning.

But he still said, "It's alright, you don't need to take such good care of me..."

Tina said softly, "Kang De is a distinguished guest of Goth's. We are grateful for your hospitality, and you have also drawn us into our war against the elves. We are already very thankful that you have offered a helping hand. How could we let you be tainted by or witness any more bloodshed..."

Kang De remained silent.

He couldn't quite describe whether he felt touched or annoyed.

For someone who grew up in modern society, killing is a very distant concept.

As a Civilization, he naturally resisted killing intelligent beings, but given his current situation, war was not far away. Rather than waiting for killing to come to him, he might as well get used to killing and death first.

--That's what his reasoning says.

That is exactly the point.

If we want to leave this island and set foot on the mainland, these things are probably unavoidable...

"Kang De never killed anyone, and of course he never killed an elf either... right?"

The girl beside me asked softly.

Kang De did not answer, his body tensing instinctively.

Tina seemed oblivious to his odd behavior, and said softly, "The Goth Knight's oath contains this blessing... May the pure remain pure."

"This is also the oath and wish of many knights."

"They stained their swords with blood, bearing the weight of countless lives, so that those they swore to protect would not be stained with blood, so that they could bear the heavy burden for those they swore to protect."

"Because killing... is a very heavy thing."

"Some things, once started, can never be turned back."

She didn't release Kang De's wrist, but instead boldly and gently grasped his hand. The girl looked at Kang De calmly and firmly, and slowly said, "I've been protected like this since I was a child. Although I grew up in a grand ducal family, and although there are many intrigues and power struggles in the court and the capital, my family and friends have protected me and kept me away from these dark and cruel things."

"There are always limits to what can be protected."

"My father always protected us siblings, shielding us with his broad back so that we wouldn't witness or experience too much darkness and evil. But he was getting old and inevitably couldn't keep up. So my eldest brother broke away from our father's protection and stood with him, getting his blood on his hands and facing evil head-on, to continue protecting us alongside our father, allowing us to live carefree lives."

"Next was my older sister, then my second brother... As we grew up, new situations kept arising, and everyone stepped forward without hesitation, forcing themselves to accept things they had never experienced before, just to protect those close to them... In the end, only I was left, protected by everyone."

"Now, I've stepped forward too."

She smiled, a smile both sorrowful and resolute, "My duty is to serve as an envoy to the empire and persuade the capital. When they saw me off, my brother and sister both cried. My father didn't even come. I know why they were so sad, because the youngest member of their family, whom they had tried so hard to protect, was now fighting alongside them."

"Kang De, I've already prepared... to do bad things."

"To betray one's principles, to stain one's hands with blood, to resort to underhanded means to achieve one's goals... If Goth needed me to do this, I would probably do it."

"I might become a bad woman."

"This is something my older brother and sister did. Sometimes, you have to give up something to protect something more important..."

"But sometimes I think..." Tina's smile was sad and lost, "My brother and sister faced the darkness head-on, risking their hands to get dirty, all to protect me from these conspiracies and conflicts. And now I'm fighting alongside them, perhaps doing some of the things they once did. But who should I protect now?"

Her gaze remained fixed on Kang De.

His gaze made Kang De's heart race.

As expected, the girl slowly lowered her head. "It sounds strange, and a bit like I'm just talking to myself, but I still want to say... I hope to protect Kang De."

"If doing bad things can keep Kang De pure, untainted by blood, and spared from darkness and sorrow, then I will definitely do it... I hope to protect Kang De."

"..."

"..."

Kang De remained silent for a moment.

Etc.

And so on.

Is this... is this a confession?

What does this mean? It does look a bit like it, but it's so abrupt. Why did he suddenly confess? Did the crystal enhance my charm? But I look in the mirror every day and don't notice any changes.

Or, to put it another way, it's like I frequently consume crystals, constantly improving my physical abilities, but since there are no benchmarks or humans on the island to compare myself to, I don't understand exactly how strong I've become. So, in that sense—don't I know how handsome I am now?

Just as he was lost in thought, Tina cruelly shattered his illusions.

"Of course... that statement has absolutely no other meaning! After all, Kang De is my friend, and he has helped us a great deal, even taking the initiative to participate in the war against the elves for our sake. Such kindness is immense, and whatever we do to repay him is only right!"

... Then just repay my kindness with your body, you bastard! Saying you can't repay such a great debt means you have to wait until the next life to repay my kindness? Can't you find a way to repay my debt in this life?

"And this is also what the Knight Cleveland meant..."

--Why bring up that cross-dressing knight in this situation? I know he meant well, and you meant well too, but can't your motivations be a little different?

"So, Kang De, can you understand what I'm saying?"

Tina couldn't fathom the complex inner world of this seemingly innocent Earth boy. She grasped Kang De's hand and solemnly said, "War is cruel, and killing is cruel. In this world today, how wonderful it would be if a person could live a pure and peaceful life."

"The knight ventured into the real world early to protect me, and I, for Goth's sake, will soon join my brothers and sisters in intrigue and scheming. But Kang De, you are different."

A strange light shone in Tina's eyes; her expression was ambiguous, whether it was envy or sadness.

"Perhaps, Cathay seems to have become very different..."

She said softly, "Kang De must have grown up in a very happy and carefree environment. You give me a very peculiar feeling... I envy you. So, promise me, you will stay away from killing and never let your hands easily get stained with blood, okay?"

At that moment, regardless of what Kang De was thinking, seeing the girl's earnest yet pleading eyes, he nodded almost unconsciously. "... Yes."

"Very good."

The girl smiled genuinely.

It was as if they had accomplished some great mission.

She said earnestly, "We will arrange everything, please don't worry."

Kang De asked in confusion, "Arrange what?"

Tina realized she had let something slip and quickly covered it up, saying, "Nothing... Ah, the knight is coming!"

While the two were talking and waiting, Cleveland quickly finished off the remaining enemies, checked the camp to make sure no one had escaped, and then turned back.

Seeing this, the princess said, "Let's go over there too!"

Kang De had his doubts, but he didn't voice them. They then met up with Cleveland.

The plan was a success.

The knight said, "The temporary command post has been captured. We should immediately begin the next phase of our operation. Kang De, the explosion was very loud, and a bright light rose up. Not only will the elves at the other outposts on the island notice it, but the observers on the Wings of Wayne will also surely have noticed the light."

Kang De said, "No."

Having secured the command post on the beach, the next step is to seize the boat. Therefore, it is essential to make contact with the traitor on board beforehand, as he has already sent Pigeon to find the Parrot.

Pigeon with a handheld camera strapped to its body faithfully recorded the Parrot's cunning and cunning victory.

For example, when the Pigeon found the Parrot, it was on the observation deck of the mainmast of the Wings of Wayne. The elven observer sat upright, his eyes wide open in death, black blood congealed in the hole between his eyebrows. The Parrot, perched on the dead man's shoulder, spoke solemnly and deeply to the camera, "Monster-kill!"

Regardless of which eight elves the Parrot killed, the observer was certainly one of them. In other words, although the gas tank explosion was blindingly bright, the Wings of Wayne, far away at sea, must have been completely unaware of it.

As for the explosion sound—sorry, the sea breeze was too strong, I couldn't hear it.

"The observer is dead. The Parrot is on the ship. I've instructed it to wait for the right opportunity and act accordingly. Now that the observer is gone and it's dark at sea, the chances of the plan succeeding have increased even further."

Kang De said, "There are three boats on the beach. A Xing and I will take one to the Wings of Wayne. You two row back to Goth Camp on the North Second Island to meet up with your men. If the plan to seize the ship succeeds, you will lead your men to meet us. If it's too difficult, I'll just sink the boat. It's not a big deal."

Why are you so proactive?

Of course there are benefits.

The majority of the elven main force had been lured ashore. Through the Pigeon's reconnaissance, Kang De was certain that at this moment, the only remaining forces on the Wings of Wayne were a few dozen sailors responsible for maintaining the ballistae, and seventy or eighty elven mages who had lost their minds. Under normal circumstances, Kang De might have hesitated, but the Kangaroo's rapid-fire arrows gave him great confidence. These magical creatures were indeed no ordinary beings.

With the potions Tina had given him and his various enchanted and enhanced weapons, Kang De felt that the risks of this trip wouldn't be too great.

In comparison, the returns are exceptionally high.

An elven capital ship has seventy or eighty mages on duty. Even if most of them are novice mages or even apprentices, there are still some powerful spellcasters. For Kang De, powerful spellcasters are equivalent to all kinds of magical equipment and supplies.

Having magical equipment means having new enchantments to copy... I mean, to borrow.

Moreover, this is an elven capital ship, equipped with a so-called magic attack platform—though I don't know what that is, it's definitely a good thing.

So, it was better for Master Kang to rush up and loot first, so he wouldn't have to deal with the spoils when he went with the Goth People. Look, I boarded the ship alone, fought bravely, and it's only natural that I get the lion's share of the spoils. Although you missed out, you avoided the bloodshed and casualties. In the end, you still came out ahead.

Perfect logic.

--But I ran into a stubborn person.

The knight raised an eyebrow and said, "To be able to engage in hand-to-hand combat with an elven flagship is an honor that all Goth Navy fervently pursues. We will never hide behind our allies, nor will we watch you fight and kill for us. Kang De, please leave this arduous and glorious battle to the Goth People."

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PS1: This is the only update today, 4,000 words, which counts as a combined chapter. I've had a bit of a cold these past two days, and the temperature has been fluctuating too much... so I'm getting some rest. Goodnight everyone.