How Was My Work?

Lieutenant Mailun's back was soaked with sweat.

The horn that was just sounded was a communication call under the highest level of emergency, signifying a matter of life and death for the entire ship. Whether it was the captain or Sir Taize, they would definitely respond as soon as they heard it.

But he received no response for a long time.

This can almost only mean one thing...

"The sound of the Azurewood Horn could penetrate boulders and reverberate into thick layers of earth; even if the troops were deep underground, they would surely hear it, yet they still did not respond..."

He murmured, "There are only two possibilities: first, they're already embroiled in a fierce battle and can't even spare the strength to sound the horn; second... the entire army has been wiped out."

The elves present changed their expressions drastically.

They saw the burning camp and mangled corpses on the beach; the enemy had launched a despicable raid. Even more terrifying, the several assault boats that had been moored at the temporary command post were nowhere to be seen. Any elf with a normal intelligence could deduce the enemy's intentions... They were going to launch a surprise attack on the Wings of Wayne.

Now is the time when the Wings of Wayne' defenses are at their weakest.

Almost all of the elite troops were transferred to the island by the captain to hunt down the Goth People and to search for the so-called fragments of the holy artifact. At this moment, only half of the ballista crew and a few dozen spellcasters remained on the Wings of Wayne.

If the despicable Goth People were to succeed, the worst-case scenario would occur: the ships would be seized by the Goth People, our side would lose control of the sea, and we would become complete prey.

This is the worst possible situation, an unprecedented disadvantage.

If the Goth People were to capture even one of their capital ships, even a third-rate one, it would be an unprecedented disgrace for the Royal Navy. The entire crew would be shamed and would never again be able to stand in the honor- and reputation-conscious Twilight Moon Fleet...

Lieutenant Mailun's hands were trembling.

Such a major event was far beyond the capabilities of a mere Marine Corps adjutant like himself, but the Captain and Sir Taize had both entered this deadly chasm at the same time, offering no response to his summons.

How so?

He felt bewildered and a little ironic. As the adjutant, he could tell that the commander and the captain had decided to enter the rift at the same time to compete for credit. Who would have thought that this would happen, with the two highest-ranking officers of the fleet trapped inside at the same time?

As a result, there aren't even any elves left to make decisions.

It's so ironic.

Looking back now, the captain underestimated the Goth People, which stemmed from his arrogance. He brought so many people to the island, thinking that the Goth People were nothing more than ghosts hiding and waiting to be killed. His greed for the fragments of the holy artifact and the major discovery drove him to become increasingly radical and adventurous, even personally venturing into dangerous situations.

Who will taste the bitter fruit of this brewing?

Lieutenant Mailun was sweating profusely, feeling bewildered and panicked.

All the elven soldiers who came to deliver the news were looking at him.

He was already the highest-ranking elf present.

In other words, according to the Royal Navy's military manual, he automatically assumed command of the battlefield when he could not contact a higher-ranking officer.

Everyone was waiting for him to make a decision.

Lieutenant Mailun felt that time was passing incredibly slowly.

Every second of thought was extended indefinitely.

This was no simple decision... It concerned the honor and lives of all the spirits on board, and the commander was responsible for every order he gave; he understood that now.

He closed his eyes, calmed himself for a few seconds, then opened them. "Evacuate everyone."

A trainee officer exclaimed, "Where to?"

Lieutenant Mailun's eyes flashed like lightning. "Go and support the Wings of Wayne!"

Then another elf asked, "And what about the captain and Sir Taize?!"

"As I've already said, the lack of response to the Azurewood Horn means there are only two possibilities: the worst and the worst! The captain and Sir Taize's forces are the most elite land troops on the ship. If they can make such an army fight a bitter battle or even be wiped out, what can we do? Go and die?"

Sir Mailun coldly replied, "There is no perfect solution right now, not even a good option, only bad options and not-so-bad options!"

"Going to the rift for rescue now is risky and the enemy is unknown. If we get caught up in it, the Wings of Wayne will be doomed! Even if we successfully rescue the captain and the others, what if the Wings of Wayne falls into the Goth People during that time? We'll be finished too!"

"So we can only make the less bad option."

He slowly exhaled.

First mate Mailun lacked the authority of Sir Taize and the captain. Even though he held supreme command at this moment, he still had to find a way to persuade these elves in exchange for their full cooperation.

He said softly, "This is the only way. We don't know what kind of enemies we'll face if we go into this rift, but if we go to rescue the Wings of Wayne, then our enemies will definitely be the Goth People, whom we know."

"Although the Wings of Wayne are poorly defended, it's only relative. The remaining half of the ballista crew has some fighting ability, and even the spellcasters, while unable to cast spells, still have some combat skills. With all supernatural power suppressed, they at least still have the physique of elves."

"This is a pure contest of physical strength; the elves will not lose to the Goth People."

"With Master Laclais on board, along with the navigator and first mate, even if we encounter a surprise attack from the Goth People, things won't fall into chaos. They will definitely direct a counterattack and await rescue."

"Furthermore, the Wings of Wayne has a complex internal structure, the Goth People have never boarded the ship before, and they are unfamiliar with the terrain. Our crew can rely on the advantageous terrain for defense and blocking, and will not be defeated immediately."

"Perhaps they are waiting for our rescue right now."

"We have no other choice... The ship is more important," Sir Mailun said solemnly. "I believe that even if the Captain and Sir Taize were in my shoes, they would make the same choice. I know this is a difficult one, but sometimes we must take responsibility."

"I now order you, in the name of the interim supreme commander, to follow me back."

He looked at the elves. "Does anyone have a question?"

Another trainee officer asked, "But we don't have any boats anymore..."

"Building rafts, using driftwood, and employing potions to maintain their strength—it's exhausting, but the Goth People must be tired after fighting on the ship for so long. That's no reason to hinder the Royal Navy."

"Let's go," said Lieutenant Mailun.

The Wings of Wayne are embroiled in a chaotic battle.

As expected of a Royal Navy flagship, its entire crew consists of pure-blooded elves, possessing extremely high loyalty and excellent training. Even when faced with a surprise attack, they spontaneously formed a defensive force.

However, this defense appeared to be fragmented and disorganized, with each unit acting independently.

The faint, frantic shouts of the elves could be heard continuously.

Due to the Elven influence over the continent and the power of nations, most of the outstanding individuals in the upper echelons of humanity are at least at the Elven level (level eight). Famous theaters take pride in performing Elven plays, and even communication between nobles sometimes takes place in Elven. As one of Goth's ten most outstanding youths, the knight naturally understands Elven as well.

He turned to look at Kang De: "They're saying things like, 'Where's Master Laclais? Where's the first mate?' and so on. The ship's senior officers seem to be nowhere to be seen."

The Parrot flapped its wings triumphantly and shouted, "Was my job good?"

"..." the knight asked, "I don't understand Zhendan Language very well, what does it say?"

Kang De pondered for a moment, then said earnestly, "It said that it killed all these people, so remember to leave all the spoils for it, otherwise it will be angry."

The knight wasn't concerned about the spoils; he was simply taken aback, but...

He glanced at the Kangaroo, its leg raised, its bow unerring, and its arrows hitting their mark every time; then he glanced at the gorilla, wielding a heavy steel rod to sweep away the volley of arrows. And then he was no longer surprised.

... What are the origins of these animals?

"The good news is, it seems I don't need to worry about your personal safety anymore."

The knight said, "The enemy is unable to mount an organized resistance; they are all fighting individually. They appear to be powerful, but they lack tactical adaptability. I will coordinate with the captain for a tactical offensive. As for Kang De, you..."

Kang De blinked his bright eyes. "I'll stay in a safe place!"

That's so unconvincing.

The knight thought for a moment, "You should come with me..."

Kang De cried out, "No! It's too dangerous! I'm scared!"

Cleveland felt a chill; even his sister hadn't used this kind of spoiled behavior since she turned fourteen... Was this some kind of Cathayan?

"Alright, don't worry about me. The situation is changing rapidly. Do you want to waste your time on me, or save another comrade who's about to die?" Kang De said. "Do you think I need your protection?"

Of course not.

This is the most important reason for Cleveland's hesitation.

Because Kang De never made a move, while his animal companions unleashed astonishing fighting power. The Kangaroo, standing on the open deck, used only a bow to keep all the elves on the ship from showing their faces in that area, while the gorilla, who used a large piece of ship plank as a shield, blocked all the stray arrows.

Clearly, Kang De did not need his own protection.

He looks even fiercer than a druid who commands animals in battle...

So the knight hesitated for a moment, then made his decision. "Then I'll go! You must protect yourself. Unless absolutely necessary, don't initiate combat, remember..."

"Okay, you're so long-winded!"

Kang De took several Molotov cocktails or similar items from his backpack and tossed them to the knight. "Here, use these, but be careful!"

After getting rid of the talkative fellow, Kang De looked at the Parrot.

The Parrot excitedly took flight, squawking, "Grandpa, this way please!"

Kangaroo led the way, while A Xing brought up the rear, protecting Kang De in the center. The narrow corridor was lined with cabins on both sides, which might hide hostile enemies, but this small space was no longer the elves' domain.

Kang De and his party moved quickly forward, with Wolverine Pigeon protecting him on either side. As they passed a cabin, an animal would rush in, let out a scream, and then quickly run out to catch up with the group, leaving behind only a bloody elf corpse, or several, inside.

No matter how well a hider conceals himself, he cannot escape the eyes and ears of animals.

Kang De said, "I heard there's some kind of mage on this ship, the most powerful spellcaster. He must have a lot of good stuff! Let's go there first!"

It wasn't greed at play; the main reason was that there were still quite a few elves left on the island, the battle wasn't completely over, and the problem of the Black Beast hadn't been resolved. To be on the safe side, he needed to find something that could immediately boost his strength as quickly as possible... As a mage who was also a spellcaster, this would definitely be a great advantage.

The Parrot shouted, "Nonsense! Nonsense!"

They moved swiftly through the complex interior of the ship.

The terrain was extremely complex; at least Kang De was already a bit disoriented. But the Parrot led the way swiftly, as if flying through a garden. When they encountered elves or enemies around corners, the Kangaroo would swiftly shoot arrows at them, and the rest would be finished off by other beasts, leaving nothing behind. They swept through the enemy territory like a whirlwind.

There was absolutely no chance for Kang De to intervene.

Kang De observed this and secretly clicked his tongue in amazement.

He watched the elves being swiftly killed, and as before, he didn't feel any physical nausea or vomiting, only a slight sense of pity. Aside from that, he was simply astonished.

He spent almost a year with these magical creatures, and their relationship became very good. These creatures were quite intelligent, and in terms of temperament, they were all a bit silly. During that year, he had quite a few pleasant memories and experiences... But Kang De had never seen this side of them before.

Efficient killing, without hesitation.

This is definitely not the first time they've done something like this...

Kang De even felt that there was no need for any Goth People; they alone could wipe out all the spirits on the ship.

And there are quite a few other intelligent sand sculptures like Kangaroo A Xing on the island...

This... I've really traveled to a wonderful place.

After a brief and swift raid, Kang De arrived at Master Laclais's room.

The door opened, revealing three corpses on the floor. One corpse was lying face down with the character "danger" written on its back. The other two corpses lay on the ground, their faces purple, their hands tightly gripping their necks.

The Parrot exclaimed excitedly, "Great! Success!"

Kang De understood everything when he saw the word "danger".

After confirming that everything was alright, Kang De bypassed the corpses and entered the mage's room. It was filled with a dazzling array of items: bookshelves, cabinets, magic tables, and various decorations that reflected the identity of their owner, Arcane. Arcane light shone throughout, and all sorts of magical items were scattered everywhere.

So many Element...

Kang De glanced at them and immediately realized the technological Bulwark. He didn't recognize any of the books, materials, or items, nor did he know their effects or how to use them.

Only a dozen or so crystals in the box, of pure color, exuded pure Element power, so much so that their power attributes could be sensed upon touching them with one's fingers; these could be used immediately.

Kang De opened his backpack, intending to scavenge for anything useful, when he heard the Goth People shouting outside, "Raft! Raft! Elves are coming to the island!"

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PS1: 4,000 words... My cold is getting better, time for bed.