My Dear Friend

At noon on the sixteenth day, a giant dragon came from the east.

The golden dragon Sarosmir transformed into human form in front of the manor, verified his identity, and went up to the third floor.

"Send a message?"

He didn't see Prince Kang De, but only Lily sitting by the window reading a book. Golden rays of sunlight illuminated her exquisite profile, and her long, pale golden hair shimmered with dazzling light. Even Sarosmir couldn't help but marvel at her beauty.

Unfortunately, it was an untouchable dragon.

... Unbelievable! This unpopular dragon actually hooked up with Forbidden Spell mage.

Shameless.

Thinking of this, Sarosmir couldn't help but start to complain about his parents.

And myself before the solidification and deformation technique.

He longed to travel through time, back to the night before the solidification and transformation technique, and punch his foolish self who kept muttering "a handsome male appearance is beneficial for attracting beautiful women of other races."

Lily didn't hear a reply, frowned slightly, and turned to look at him.

The dragon's heart skipped a beat, and it quickly forced a polite smile, "Yes."

The Dragon Girl shook her head and reached out to pat the large red button on the table.

A moment later, phase fluctuations surged in the room, a black portal swirled open, and the figure of the Dragon of Cathay emerged from it. He gently flicked his right hand, and the purple light disappeared into his palm.

--Sarosmir was deeply shaken.

He sensed that energy fluctuation.

The Magic Creature that corrupted his own kind into monsters, the one His Highness Kang De called the "Paradox Element," the one closely related to the destruction of the dragon delegation and legion, and the one that granted him immense power...

He couldn't help but lick his lips.

When he escaped with his life, the Paradox Element remained in his body. He was terrified. The thought of possibly becoming a monster who had lost all glory made him want to die.

After Kang De appeared and promised to heal them, he was initially grateful, and His Highness kept his promise—however, as the Paradox Element was removed, the explosive power amplification also disappeared. Although he was safe, that empty feeling persisted and persisted.

Longing to have it again.

That forbidden power, that instant increase in power, that feeling of omnipotence.

Longing, yearning, fear, and anticipation.

I want more and more.

The noise around him woke him up. Lily closed her book, got up, and left.

Kang De asked, "Did you see her? Where is she?"

"Your Highness, I saw her, but the young lady had many things to prepare, so she didn't come back with me. Instead, she wrote a reply, Monier stayed behind to protect her. I brought the letter back..."

Sarosmir nodded hurriedly, then took out a letter and respectfully presented it with both hands.

Kang De received the letter sealed with sealing wax, paused slightly, then turned to look. The Dragon Girl had already closed the door and left. He revealed a subtle expression and reached out to open the letter.

He glanced at it and then breathed a sigh of relief.

It is the Cathay language.

The handwriting is neat and beautiful, but the font is slightly awkward.

You learn so fast...

Then he looked closer, and his expression became quite interesting.

"My dear friend."

"Several months have passed since our last parting. To receive your letter so soon, my dear friend, is truly a delightful surprise. Considering that the Dragon of Cathay's reputation resounds throughout the continent and its achievements are known worldwide, your deeds are known to everyone from the west coast to the eastern mountains. Naturally, they have also reached the ears of this humble woman. I am already fully aware of your great accomplishments."

"Even so, my dear friend, you still wrote to me specifically to explain what has happened these past few days. Your thoughtfulness and meticulousness truly overwhelm me and bring tears to my eyes."

"Judging from the contents of your letter, my dear friend, your experiences over the past few months have been like an epic tale of heroism, full of ups and downs and stirring emotions. Even I, a mere spectator, am deeply moved by it. The thought that such a great hero has condescended to spend some time with me fills me with both honor and trepidation."

"I've been constantly reflecting on whether I offended you in the past, and I'm so anxious and restless every night. I won't bother you, my dear friend, with all these trivial thoughts."

"I am fully aware of your current situation, which worries me greatly. My dear friend, your judgment is absolutely correct. You do indeed need business professionals to assist you with some trivial matters so that you can extricate yourself from your troubles and continue writing your legendary feat of tossing stones and wheat from high places anytime, anywhere."

"And I, a mere crude and vulgar white-haired imperialist from a remote and impoverished place, am actually ranked second on your hiring list. I feel extremely honored, and my ancestors would be proud of me."

"Rest assured, my dear friend, if there are any other names on your hiring list, please cross them out, for there is no need. Leona from the Vidal Family will depart immediately. I will take my meager force, the negligible number of orc allies I have developed and gathered during this time, and the meager business acumen I have accumulated over the years, to the incomparably prosperous Distant Harbor to contribute to my dear friend's conquest of Goth and his ambition to sweep across the continent."

"I will do my utmost to live up to the precious trust of my dear friend. As for those you have been hoping for, are hoping for, or will be hoping for in the future—Princess One, Princess Two, the Mother Dragon, the Mother Ape, the Dragon-Skinned Traitor, Cathayan First and Second Cathayan —I will work even harder to ensure they don't outshine me. After all, you are my dear friend."

"Thank you for taking the time out of your busy schedule to write me your letter and invite me. This brings me immense joy and peace of mind. My heart yearns to fly to you immediately, but I must make thorough preparations and bring my companions along to best serve my dearest friend. Therefore, I choose to send my sincerest greetings to my dearest friend in the form of a letter and words."

"Kang De, you motherfucker."

"Your dearest friend, Leona Vidal, a mere bystander in the Battle of Valentan."

Iron strokes and silver hooks.

Every word carries immense weight.

The writing style of "The Heaven Sword and Dragon Saber" is nothing more than this.

You can almost picture that little face with its teeth clenched.

Grass.

Kang De put down the letter, covered his face, and after a moment, read it again.

Grass.

He parted ways with Leona when Battle to Relieve Danfeng Lucerne the city. After the war, he talked to Tina about the little white-haired girl and wanted to invite her to Danfeng Lucerne to express his gratitude. However, Hong San said that after the news of the victory was sent back, she and her brother bid farewell and left.

Later, the threat of the Grewind Swarm erupted, followed by the Dragonite incident, from the Paradox Element to the Distant Harbor economic war, and the break with the Goth nobles. A series of events led to the abandonment of the invitation to Leona, as it was not the right time to involve her.

How can you blame me...?

Although that's what he thought, Kang De couldn't help but sigh softly when he saw the handwriting in the letter.

He remembered that Battle of Valentan, Leona didn't yet Zhendan Language.

Kang De shook his head, then looked at Sarosmir, who had remained silent. "Is she alright?"

The dragon looked embarrassed. "Very... very energetic."

I understand.

"You've worked hard." Kang De carefully put the letter away and said, "Go and get some rest."

He turned to leave, but suddenly remembered something. "Wait a minute, isn't she...?"

But just then, Sarosmir suddenly called out, "Your Highness!"

Kang De turned around. "What?"

The dragon hesitated, his eyes darting around nervously, before gritting his teeth, kneeling down, and bowing his head, he said, "Your Highness, grant me power, and I will offer you all my loyalty!"

My heart is pounding.

Although the Paradox Element has been removed, the feeling at that time, that sensation, the exhilarating sense of omnipotence, and the unbridled joy of unleashing power are still etched in his memory and unforgettable.

Kang De paused for a moment, then understood.

"The Paradox Element."

He said, "It can enhance your strength, but you've seen the side effects."

Sarosmir bowed his head and said, "If Your Highness can absorb it, I believe Your Highness can also protect us from being devoured by this terrible power and keep it within a safe threshold."

Kang De nodded and said, "Intelligent, worthy of being a dragon—but you need to understand one thing: if you want to accept the Paradox Element, then as the first dragon to accept this power, the danger you face is greater than you imagine. You might even become an experimental subject. Can you accept that?"

The dragon hesitated for a moment, then said softly, "The commoners of the Distant Harbor are as insignificant as ants. Your Highness would even spare their lives and hunger, let alone someone as useful as me?"

Only then did Kang De take a proper look at the giant dragon.

"Very well, based on that statement alone." Kang De extended his hand to him. "If you've noticed the plight of the civilians in the Distant Harbor, you can't possibly be unaware of the punishments and killings I've carried out. You should know my principles of conduct, and you should know what I hate most."

"I understand completely, Your Highness, absolute loyalty." Sarosmir raised his hands, pressing his forehead against Kang De's hands. "I open my soul and body to the Paradox Element, and to your laws."

"Rise," Kang De said. "Rest well. I will draft a new pact, Horus will come for you—dragon, whatever you desire—money, status, power, or even just strength—I promise you, you will receive more."

"I praise you."

Kang De Long Yi, the Phase Door opened, and he disappeared into the darkness.

Sarosmir stood there for a moment, then suddenly let out a long breath, almost losing his balance.

He wiped the sweat from his brow.

That was close.

Seeing the ever-changing expression on Prince Kang De's face after reading the letter, the dragon inwardly cried out in alarm, knowing something was amiss—clearly, in his attempt to build rapport yesterday, he had answered every question posed by the white-haired Little Dwarf, likely saying many things he shouldn't have.

Therefore, I can only seize the opportunity to express my innermost feelings and pledge my loyalty to His Highness Kang De, so as to skip the previous topic—as expected of me.

Phase Door open.

The dark, damp dungeon exuded an unsettling aura of death.

In the dim light, it was a clean, secret room. In the center of the room was a stone platform, above which hung shadowless lamps. Horus's many mechanical arms, loaded with various tools, were being tested. From afar, frantic howls and shouts came from outside the door, growing ever closer.

The door was opened, and two Suppressors of Rebellion dressed in black robes, their faces half-covered, entered. They dragged a ragged, wailing man to the ground.

Upon seeing Kang De, the man crawled to his feet and rushed towards him, crying, "Your Highness Kang De! Your Highness Kang De! Please forgive me! I know I was wrong! I'm willing to be your dog! I'm willing to offer you everything! Please don't kill me, please spare me! I don't want to die, I dare not oppose you again!"

The Suppressors of Rebellion bowed and retreated, not even glancing at anything in the room.

Kang De sat at the table, picked up a transparent chip, about the size of his index fingertip, and a stream of light shone in his hand, gradually converging and condensing into the chip.

Several mechanical arms extended, restrained the former nobleman, dragged him to a stone platform, and bound him with iron shackles. The man lay on the cold stone platform, groaning incessantly.

"Don't worry, you're going to die, but your death will have meaning. It will atone for your sins and spare your family from too much suffering."

As Kang De finished administering the injection, he said, "The death won't be too painful, and it will be quick, much, much better than starving to death. You know, I originally intended to starve you to death. You inflicted so much suffering on the victims, so I will make you suffer just as much. You see, this isn't the rule of law, but it's a simple form of vigilante justice. Anyway, I'm not doing this in my own country, so it doesn't matter."

The other person was still pleading loudly, but Horus quickly silenced him with a gag.

"Hush, don't struggle, then you won't feel pain."

Kang De stretched out his hand, and the chip at his fingertip had turned an eerie purple, with an excessive amount of Paradox Element concentrated within it. Even the naked eye could see small cracks and fissures appearing inside the chip.

Even this highly pure magic chip could not withstand such a quantity of Paradox Element.

But it can last for a while.

The robotic arm unfolded, and a beam of light shot out, accompanied by a wisp of smoke. A small incision appeared on the back of the opponent's neck. The other robotic arm picked up the chip from Kang De's fingertip and then slowly embedded the chip, which was surging with purple light, into it.

The nobleman made a hoarse sound.

Kang De stood up, the Fire Thief's Vision opened, the Paradox Engine merged with him, and he gazed upon it.

"Father?"

"A delicate balance and coexistence, between erosion and non-erosion..." Kang De paused for a moment, "But the Paradox Element had already entered his body, and had, in fact, merged with him."

He reached out and grabbed the nobleman.

The robotic arm is released.

The portal to another dimension has opened.

The next moment, the world turned upside down. The dark basement vanished, and bright light shone on the earth. The nobleman opened his eyes in bewilderment. He saw a bright sky, towering buildings, flat land, and scenery he had never seen before in his life. This was...

"Where... where am I?"

He stood up blankly, looking at Kang De: "This... this..."

Before he could speak, he suddenly felt a sharp pain in his neck, as if something inside had shattered, and then something flowed through his body. The next moment, the world changed, his vision was swallowed by purple, his body began to swell and expand, his right arm suddenly grew thicker and longer, pressing against the ground like an even thicker leg, and a huge eye slowly opened from his shoulder.

Fear and pleading had been replaced by rage. He felt filled with boundless power and fury, wanting to tear apart all those who had humiliated and harmed him. He glared at Kang De and roared, "Die—"

The next moment, he felt an immense force surging around him from all sides, as if countless mountains were pressing down from all directions. In an instant, his flesh twisted and tore apart, his limbs exploded, and he was crushed into a small ball of flesh before disappearing into the world.

"I told you, it'll be quick."

Kang De snapped his fingers, and all traces of the other party's existence vanished into thin air.

He immediately fell into deep thought.

"Father," Horus said, "Have we... succeeded?"

"Half... at least we can be certain that this approach is feasible, but we lack sufficient material with enough unit strength to support a sufficient number of Paradox Element."

Kang De replied, "After all, the experimental results are already very clear. If we want to use Paradox Element to resist the annihilation of living beings during the journey through worlds, the concentration of Paradox Element in the target's body must reach a certain level... Direct injection is too risky. Even if it is purified afterward with the Power of the Fire Thief, it will still cause irreversible damage to the target's body. Therefore, we have come up with two solutions."

Horus continued, "Implants, exoskeletons."

Kang De nodded. "But now it seems that some kind of compromise might be necessary..."

The development of Paradox Element has been the main research focus during this period.

During those ten days or so, Kang De and Horus did a lot of research and experimentation.

Using Paradox Element to directly enhance weapon power is certainly one aspect of the research direction, but a more important direction is to utilize the mechanisms discovered at the time to develop a means for living beings to enter the White Mist World.

After all, the fact that the Aberrant Dragon banished to the White Mist World during the Underground War were still able to remain active greatly shocked Kang De at the time—it was simply a groundbreaking discovery.

The reason Kang De was able to awe the world was that the Forbidden Spell were secondary.

Elusive mobility is paramount.

The ability to use the White Mist World as a transit point to facilitate the teleportation of living beings makes it an extremely important strategic weapon, whether for developing the underground world or for combat.

Even...

Kang De for a moment, then snapped his fingers, "Let's try this other plan, cast a set..."

The next moment, he frowned, and the signal generator in his pocket was flashing on and off.

This means "There are things that aren't too urgent, but you still need to know."

A black light flashed, and Kang De returned to another world.

Both Dragon Girl and Hong San were in the study.

"What's wrong?"

Hong San replied, "The messenger from the Broken Isles has arrived."

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PS1: Update! Time for bed! Goodnight everyone!