Old Kang De Is Watching You

Night had completely fallen, stars filled the sky, the sea breeze stirred, and the waves roared.

The Knight Astolfo, anchored outside the Distant Harbor, was illuminated with dazzling lights, its newly added lighting equipment making it resemble a radiant fortress at sea.

The protruding fire control radar section, in particular, is a large, long, rounded column surrounded by a string of bright lights, making it resemble a giant, luminous spear that inspires awe.

In this radiant light, Kang De received the first batch of infected individuals.

Thanks to Horus's warning, the Elven fleet suffered minimal damage, with only one warship sinking. However, it was subsequently attacked by a swarm of aberrant dragons. Despite the Royal Navy's world-class combat capabilities, it still suffered casualties—deaths aside, a considerable number of sailors were also infected with Paradox Element to varying degrees. They were isolated according to emergency regulations, and those with severe conditions were given priority for treatment.

The authority of the officer and the strict rules of naval tradition ensured that everything proceeded in an orderly manner.

The two ships sailed side by side. Horus deployed a retractable ladder. On the opposite deck, the elven sailors who needed treatment were already lined up and waiting. Kang De's eyes changed color. Looking around, he saw that each body had purple spots shining inside it to varying degrees. This was a new ability he had gained after connecting with the Paradox Engine.

This is also the source of his confidence in controlling this terrible substance.

--This characteristic can even be further utilized.

The Paradox Element, a special substance, was deliberately sent to the previous era by the future Kang De. Through Yasha's past arrangements, the power of time and space was used to create flashbacks. He even obtained this mechanical world of clockwork and gears from who knows where, just to avoid the ears and eyes of the Sound of Doomsday and complete this closed loop. It must have extremely important uses and significance, and may even be regarded by his future self as the key to overcoming fate.

From now on, we must continuously explore and utilize Paradox Element.

He already has a preliminary plan.

Kavisalong boarded the ship with several subordinates, displaying impeccable manners and a respectful yet solemn expression. The officers in command of this elven fleet all wore the same expression, looking at Kang De with a mixture of awe and hatred. The awe stemmed from power, while the hatred largely originated from some kind of imagined interpretation.

After all, with the covert instigation of monarchs and leaders of various countries, the gossip surrounding the Phoenix King and the Dragon of Cathay has intensified, consistently ranking high on trending searches in various countries and regions.

"... Your Highness."

The elves' bitter and resentful expressions evoked images of the lush greenery of a great forest.

The brigadier general commanded, "We are ready."

Kang De glanced at the distant Distant Harbor. The sky was completely dark, but the port city not far away was brightly lit, with many flickering Flame moving around, clearly belonging to search teams carrying torches.

The interest groups in the Distant Harbor must have gone to great lengths.

Clearly, Kang De's hostile attitude and terrifying threats instilled utter fear in them.

A friendly Forbidden Spell can shield Goth from war, sweep across the navies of three nations with alchemical warships, and bring peace and protection to Distant Harbor. But what about a cruel one?

So they had no choice but to do as they were told.

Moreover, Kang De's demand for the arrest of agitators and rioters within the city was entirely reasonable.

Because the subsequent events proved that the actions of these mobs were a complete and utter slander, slandering a great and powerful man who fought for Goth. Under the laws of any country, they would have been hanged without any problem. In some more authoritarian countries, they could have killed the entire family without any objection. This is the privilege of the strong.

The reason they were hesitant to do so was firstly because they feared damaging their reputation, which would be a significant problem. Secondly, they understood that those who instigated the trouble, whether the masterminds or the perpetrators, had intricate connections with the Empire, the Council, and even the Elves. The merchant guilds, ships, and workshops that served these three kingdoms had all contributed to the conflict to varying degrees. To carry out a ruthless attack would undoubtedly offend those three behemoths.

Kang De wasn't afraid, but they were.

But Kang De also made his stance clear: Aren't you afraid of me?

Afraid.

So I had no choice but to bite the bullet and do it.

Tonight, no one in the Distant Harbor is destined to sleep.

Kang De turned to look at the elves before him and said casually, "Don't be so formal. We're practically family now. I don't consider you prisoners..."

Good heavens, those few elves almost choked on their words.

Their faces flushed red, their eyes filled with both terror and despair.

This state of mind has been described in detail in many works of art on Earth, and just as those works unfold, they can only pretend that nothing is happening.

Kang De said, "I've checked, and your infection rates aren't serious. Quickly screen you all. Once you're cured, you still need to manage the Council. As for you, come one ship at a time. Once you're all sorted out, move to the side, anchor, and go to sleep. The POW camp isn't ready yet, so you'll have to make do on the ship for now."

He shook his head, saying, "Sigh, it's actually quite troublesome. You're all elves, with a national hatred towards Goth, and also a grudge against me. It's not convenient for me to use you, and keeping you locked up is pointless. I don't intend to use you to extort anything from the Dusk Moon Parliament, after all... ha, you all know. So why not just release you directly? How about this, you can leave once you're healed..."

"--Your Highness!"

The elves snapped out of their horrifying reverie. Bathed in the light of the great forest, they gritted their teeth, but dared not speak their true feelings. Finally, their commander, showing superior composure, said, "The dignity of the elves forbids us from accepting the enemy's favor and leaving! I implore you to allow us to offer appropriate repayment!"

Kang De looked troubled and hesitated, unable to make a decision.

"Your Highness!" the elves pleaded, "We beg your mercy! We have been defeated, and have nothing left but our dignity. Please do not take even that last bit of our lives away!"

The elves surrounded Kang De, pleading and begging, almost to the point of threatening suicide. Seeing that they had gone far enough, Kang De pretended to think for a moment and said, "Alright, there is a small matter right now... Go and help out, do some odd jobs, and once it's done, we'll be even, okay?"

Kavisalong stated decisively, "Whether the matter is settled or not still requires our judgment! Please advise!"

Ah, I'm even starting to like these elves.

Kang De sat down in a chair nearby. "Let your people go first, we can talk as we treat them."

I was busy until almost midnight.

Removing the Paradox Element from the soldiers was actually quite simple. Kang De had an extremely strong affinity for this mysterious element and could easily strip it away with the Power of the Fire Thief. The process was simply for a line of soldiers to walk up to him, be glanced at, shake hands, or pat on the shoulder, and that was it.

It was basically like a large-scale handshake event.

The benefit of doing this was that every infected crew member in the three-nation fleet remembered Kang De.

Board this steel warship that exists only in epic myths and legends, get up close to this peerless powerhouse who can destroy armies with Forbidden Spell and intimidate the world, and even have a brief conversation with him.

The world is used to looking up to the strong and great figures. Moreover, Kang De was not one of those hateful politicians, but a powerful figure who wielded the power of destruction. These sailors witnessed this mythical warship leap out of the portal at their most desperate moment. That shocking scene remained in their hearts for a long time and would surely become a topic of conversation by the fireside decades later. And now, the legendary figure personally healed them.

While they wouldn't necessarily bow down immediately, an instinctive sense of gratitude and respect had already been left in their hearts.

Moreover, there's the Paradox Engine.

These beings, infected with Paradox Element yet still retaining their sanity, felt an indescribable sense of awe upon seeing Kang De, especially after the aberrant substances within them flowed out like water returning to the sea. The disappearance of that power left them feeling utterly lost.

Kang De's plan was set from the moment he arrived at the Distant Harbor.

There's only the difference between getting something for free zero times and getting it countless times.

With such a severe shortage of manpower, how can we let them go after only one short-term job?

"Gentlemen."

In the conference room of the Afu, Kang De sat on the edge of the round conference Round Table, with more than twenty elven mages standing in front of him. The large space and small group helped the listener establish a positive sense of trust.

He said, "Kavisalong has already explained the details to you, hasn't he?"

"Yes, sir."

The leading mage said, "In the name of the Traitor Suppression Society of Your Majesty's Inquisition, we are participating in the search and arrest of the rioters in the Distant Harbor. Also selected are 120 elite marines, who will serve as the first batch of action team members at Your Highness's command."

"To avoid inciting nationalist sentiment among the Goth People, we will conceal the elves' physical characteristics with hoods throughout the journey. We are authorized to recuse ourselves if we encounter any organizations or intelligence agents affiliated with Twilight Moon."

The mage gave a military salute. "Sir, we are elite spellcasters selected by the commander and the chief mage. We are experienced, skilled in close combat and rapid reaction warfare, all have degrees in mental law, and have received legal training. Most importantly, we all have royalist backgrounds."

Hopefully this will alleviate your concerns.

Kang De nodded. "Spellcaster, your name."

"Minigelite, Your Highness," the mage said, "Thank you for dispelling the evil curse. We all swear to repay your kindness with our efforts and dedication."

Their sense of misery mirrored that of Kavisalong.

This is a good thing.

Kang De pointed to the table beside him. "I believe in your determination and will, everyone. No one understands elves better than me. Try this; it's a little gift I prepared for you."

The keen-eyed elves entered the conference room and began to observe the strange props and layout around them. Since boarding the ship, the mages, with their extensive knowledge, had been secretly observing every detail of the warship. The things they had seen and heard along the way, until they were allowed to enter this conference room, had already made them uneasy.

The wise mages have already determined a fact.

This massive warship, with its various designs and layouts, all point to one thing—it was designed to carry at least several hundred combat personnel on board for combat.

But there was no one there.

--Why?

Suppressing their doubts and anxieties, they followed Kang De's gaze. In fact, the elves had already seen it: on the strangely made Round Table lay dozens of wristbands.

"Master Minigelite, please wear it."

Kang De picked one up and handed it to the other person.

The caster hesitated for only a moment before putting it on without hesitation. The card slot was fastened, the workmanship was good, and the design was interesting. Mental energy could not penetrate it, but extraordinary energy fluctuations could be sensed.

"This small gift is to enable you to better carry out the tasks I have given you. It is a small benefit and support, gentlemen, and it is the prerequisite for everything."

"If you wish to work for me, Kang De, then wear this bracelet and do not lend it, remove it, lose it, or give it to anyone else until you are free. Remember to return it to me then, okay?"

Surveillance, location tracking, control... all sorts of thoughts popped into the spellcasters' minds.

They're not unaware of this.

Once information about this alchemical warship gets out, the whole world will surely acknowledge that Prince Kang De's alchemy is unparalleled. To say that this thing has no tricks up his sleeve would be better than saying that this bastard and the Queen are completely innocent—the elves remained outwardly calm, but inwardly they sneered.

Gifts, benefits, support.

Are you kidding me?

Kang De smiled and gestured to Minigelite, "Master, perform one."

The other party seemed somewhat displeased, and upon hearing this, asked blankly, "Huh?"

"Show me a little magic trick, whether it's conjuring ice or playing with fire, give me a performance."

The spellcaster seeks the ultimate secrets of the world, cultivates diligently, and is noble and powerful. How can he be compared to a circus magician? -- That's what the elven mage wanted to say, but the Forbidden Spell was just too terrifying.

Well then, let's just consider it a demonstration of our achievements to the pioneers.

He channeled his Magic Power, and Kang De said, "Let your Magic Power flow through the bracers, then cast the spell."

Minigelite did as he was told.

The next moment, a bright pillar of fire roared up and rose from his hand. This was the most basic palm fire technique, a small skill for apprentices to practice elemental affinity and control!

The spellcaster's expression changed drastically, as if he had seen the most terrifying thing. He turned pale with fright and reached out to grab the wristband, trying to tear it off.

Kang De said calmly, "Don't be afraid, sense it, it's different."

The mage paused, then stopped, attempting to mobilize his Magic Power.

Slowly sensing it.

Then, his expression changed again.

From disbelief to disbelief, the former is fear, the latter... subtly reveals surprise.

The other mages weren't stupid; they sensed something from their companions' behavior.

"Just as you suspected," Kang De said, "The bracers contain the Paradox Element —the very thing that infected you, that's its name, I said."

He gazed at those faces, and each of the noble elves displayed a different expression.

Surprise, fear, apprehension, hesitation, and indecisiveness.

I know what you're all thinking.

Kang De said, "You have all been infected by the Paradox Element, that terrifying thing that turns living beings into hideous puppets. You have witnessed it yourself. It is called a gift of the devil because danger contains opportunity. You have probably all discovered that this element can greatly amplify your extraordinary powers."

"To be honest, after experiencing that, it's truly remarkable that you all still had the resolve to let me eliminate it. I don't know if it was due to your superiors' strict orders or your own rationality, but the fact that you were able to make such a decision is admirable... But now, as you see..."

He said calmly, "I extracted, transformed, and sealed them away; they are now completely harmless."

Kang De picked up a wristband and waved it in front of the elves. "A rather rudimentary version, hastily made for tonight's events. The workmanship and design aren't great, please excuse the poor quality. I estimate it can improve your overall spellcasting ability by at least 30%, and it will increase further in the future."

"Don't worry about anything. I have no reason to scheme against you with these things. First, you're not worthy, and second, if I wanted to control the spirits, I wouldn't need to resort to such an inefficient method."

"So, give it a try. As I said, this is a gift. If you refuse now, it might be difficult to use it later. At least in the short term, I have no plans to export it."

The monks stared at the wristband, their expressions shifting between anger and uncertainty.

For spellcasters, every bit of improvement is something they dream of.

Saying I can't rely on external objects—what a joke! I'm not going to become a mage god, nor am I planning to etch my name on the path of Arcane. This thing can increase my combat power by 30%, which means more chances of survival, promotion, and rewards. Anyone who doesn't use it is a fool [beep--].

However, the terrifying and torturous feeling of the Paradox Element entering their bodies still terrifies them.

"I treat you all with utmost sincerity," Kang De said. "Using this is a prerequisite for our agreement. Those who do not wish to use it may withdraw without my repercussions. However, those who wish to use it must agree to my conditions: it must not be removed, disassembled for research, violently destroyed, or given to others."

"You can send this intelligence back to China, I don't mind. You can refuse this condition, but if you want to withdraw from this operation, I respect your position and thoughts."

"The only thing I cannot tolerate is betrayal and dishonesty."

"If you agree to my conditions but fail to fulfill them, it is tantamount to betraying my trust. All those who betray me will suffer the most devastating consequences. The people of Glittering Sand Town, the Elf Expeditionary Force that was utterly defeated at the gates of Danfeng Lucerne, and the Distant Harbor over there all know or will soon know this."

"Have you all thought it through?"

After Kang De finished speaking, he shook the wristband in his hand and pointed to those things.

After a moment of silence, an elf slowly stepped forward, took the wristband from Kang De's hand, put it on his own wrist, and then bowed to Kang De.

One after another.

No contracts or agreements need to be signed.

They all knew the consequences of breaking promises, and they also knew Kang De's ability to enforce them.

"Gentlemen, familiarize yourselves with your new gadgets. I hope you have a good user experience," Kang De said. "You can leave now. By the way, during the operation, you can discuss with the elite Royal Navy Marine Corps whether, as powerful warriors, they need this gift."

The elven mages left, their backs looking somewhat dejected.

The last elf left the room and departed, guided by Horus as announced over the loudspeaker in the corridor.

Lily, who had been sitting nearby acting as a bodyguard, moved a stool to stand in front of Kang De and stared at Kang De for a while. "You've got quite the appetite, haven't you? I was wondering why you were so generous, offering free treatment without any conditions. I didn't expect you to be waiting here—trying to poach talent from these three kingdoms."

Kang De shrugged and said, "I'm desperate too. I'm all alone, short-handed, and have no followers. I'll have to figure it out myself."

"Spellcasting is very difficult, with limitations in talent. Once you reach a certain level, it becomes very difficult to improve. Those elven mages, I think their careers are over. You suddenly bring out something that can increase their overall spellcasting ability by 30%, which is indeed tempting. What's more, there might be even better things in the future... Tsk tsk, it's really tempting."

Lily glanced at her and said, "But aren't you afraid that other countries will take this opportunity to plant spies in our ranks?"

"Don't be afraid, it's actually a good thing."

Kang De raised an eyebrow and smiled, "Basically, if they want to plant a spy, they have to stuff ten innocent people in to cover for him. Isn't that a great deal for me? And if a guy is a spy, he'll definitely work hard to perform and climb the ranks to gain my trust. To do that, he'll constantly build up his achievements and prove his worth to me. Such a good employee should definitely be used well."

--Damn, that makes a lot of sense.

Lily was taken aback, but seeing Kang De's smug look, she couldn't help but argue back.

"But there are also good people who want to do their job well—how do you tell who's a spy?"

Kang De smiled knowingly.

He even went to the White Mist World overnight to raid more than a dozen mobile phone stores to get this batch of wristbands.

"... Forget it, I'm too lazy to find out. It'll save you from deducting my shares again."

The Dragon Girl shook her head and said, "But this Paradox Element is indeed useful. The armor you made for us that day was like that... Is there anything more powerful?"

"You know what, there really is." Kang De stroked his chin. "I plan to build you a heavy combat armor in your dragon form, a semi-covering type to protect your vitals and provide auxiliary thrust for your wings. Most importantly, it will be equipped with Paradox particle light cannon, turning you into a vanguard armed gunship..."

"--What is that? It sounds really weird!"

"Damn, he's so handsome!"

"Please allow me to question your aesthetic sense..."

"Alright, alright, secretary, go and call the Council members over. Damn, we have to repeat the same old excuse several times... In the end, we're still short-staffed."

"Hey! How come I have a new job again?"

"0.1%..."

"Yes, boss!"

After the Dragon Girl left, Kang De relaxed and slowly exhaled.

"Father."

Horus's voice rang out.

"The link is working smoothly, and images and audio have been successfully received. However, the temporary data exchange link established using this warship is still of limited effectiveness... We need a better solution."

Kang De nodded.

Because in the near future, his informants will be able to reach everything from Valentan in the east to the Distant Harbor, and even the underground world two thousand meters deep, all under his control.

This requires a massive information system that even Earth's technology cannot accomplish independently.

Paradox Element...

He said, "We will do it."

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PS1: Six thousand words! Ah, I'll try breaking down the long chapters tomorrow...