Where Did Kang De Go?

Another world.

It was already morning, and the people of Tula Xiaye were drawn by the deep, booming sound.

"Look! The Titan have turned around!"

Exclamations of surprise rang out from all corners of this city made of steel, glass, machinery, and magic. Whether travelers or residents, spellcasters or students, all eyes were drawn to the city's center, to the eternal pride of Tula Xiaye — the Tower of All-Seeing.

A magnificent natural wonder representing the power, wisdom, glory, and splendor of the Arcane Council.

At this very moment, the seventy-five- Titan statue atop the palace rumbled, surrounded by dense storm lightning. Its majestic, godlike body slowly rotated with its base, turning towards the northwest, where the tides were rising and a storm was approaching.

The Titan's eyes shone brightly, and invisible elemental arcs pulsed and surged through the air.

The arc of light pierced the Tower of the Emerald Star on the Peak of Shadow, and after being refracted by the celestial crystals, it flew towards the Tower of Flowering Thorns in the Kolo Mountains, increasing its refraction along the way to form an atmospheric mirror link.

The Tower of All-Seeing, the Dome of True Seeing, the councilors gathered in a circle, the sand table in front of them outlining the shape of the entire continent, illusory elemental particles swirling and forming landscapes of mountains, plains and oceans, four spellcasters each waving Arcane light, controlling the illusory mist to gradually transform into reality.

The image is constantly zooming in and becoming clearer.

"The 'Beacon Tower' system is connecting; the refracting mirror light is about to reach the Endless Sea."

"Connecting with the Azure Fleet scout ship..."

"Atmospheric arc light adjustment in progress..."

"Connection complete."

The illusory mist above the sand table dissipated as if it were engulfed in flames, and the dense, active elemental particles recombinated and dispersed. The councilors looked at the sand table in front of them as if they were standing on clouds overlooking the Mortal World.

They saw what the Azure Fleet scout ships had observed.

The tense gaze turned to shock and astonishment.

"Gods..." someone murmured, "What is this thing..."

Mages explore the mysteries of the world and master mysterious powers; they are extraordinary beings. These extraordinary beings are those who surpass ordinary people, possessing various supernatural abilities and capable of doing things that are difficult for ordinary people to do.

Seeing farther than ordinary people is just one aspect. High-level spellcasters combine Eagle Eye with Atmospheric Perspective Spell, allowing their vision to extend beyond mountains and see things tens of miles away. However, even the most powerful spells have their limits. There is no spell in this world that allows a spellcaster to see what is happening thousands of miles away.

But the way of arcane magic is about pushing the limits.

Just like this Beacon Tower System, which Arcane Council with huge investment, the extremely powerful elemental arc light emitted from the super-magical core inside the celestial Titan colossus at the top of the Tower of All-Seeing is refracted and amplified by the mage towers built by the Council in various places, so that the observation results of the Atmospheric Perspective magic device of the target terminal can be received to the Dome of True Seeing of the Tower of All-Seeing.

Ultimately, this will enable the Starry Sky Council to extend its reach to every corner of the nation.

Even neighboring countries on the border.

Both the Holy Empire and the Dusk Moon Dynasty have similar spy satellite-style magic systems, differing only in their consumption levels and technological sophistication. After all, the principle and concept are simple to understand: how to transmit Atmospheric Perspective results observed by large equipment over long distances. Once the design concept is clear, the next step is simply to invest in research and development and recklessly pile up resources regardless of cost.

For the three major powers of this size, such consumption is insignificant.

In fact, this was part of the overt and covert arms race between the three countries. After the intelligence agencies discovered that the potential enemy country also had a similar observation system, the scientific research departments of the three countries immediately started a countermeasure plan - namely the Dark Sky Curtain System, which forcibly created a dark element interference that blocked Atmospheric Perspective.

As times have progressed, this system has gradually become useless. First, it consumes a lot of resources. Second, the observation terminal requires specialized large-scale optical observation equipment. Finally, in order to complete the signal connection, an extremely large accumulation of light and gas elements will occur near the observation terminal. This accumulation phenomenon can be easily perceived by the spellcaster. Experienced mages can immediately judge that a thief is spying in the dark.

More experienced individuals can even quickly determine the location of the terminal observation equipment.

Then came a counter-offensive.

Therefore, this system is in an extremely awkward position. It will be blocked during wars between major powers, so it's useless. Using it to bully weaker opponents is like using a sledgehammer to crack a nut, a waste of the setup fee. Its usual use is basically to provoke competitors, annoy weaker players, and create friction. Occasionally, rulers will use it to inspect the beautiful landscape, and that's about it.

Now, I finally have a chance to put my skills to use.

The war on the Broken Isles is in dire straits, with unexpected changes occurring. The important figures of the Starry Sky Council, being of noble birth, certainly cannot go to the front lines to watch the seafood, so watching the live broadcast is a good alternative.

After the deep-sea behemoth appeared and the Azure Fleet was relieved, they ordered the scout observation ships to continue forward, search the sea area, activate large-scale observation equipment, and establish real-time connections.

And now, they have finally seen with their own eyes the terrifying creature Kang De described.

Like mountains, they stretch across the sea, shrouded in mist, where storms gather.

"It's actually true..."

Soft murmurs rose and fell.

Even though witnesses from the Azure Fleet returning to the Distant Harbor, besides Kang De, also reported their observations, and even the messengers from the Distant Harbor saw video footage of Kang De, these political animals in the council never readily believed what others said; they only trusted their own eyes, and now, they had seen it with their own eyes.

A ferocious beast with a body several kilometers long and tentacles stretching over a thousand meters in the air.

Countless descendants guard it, just as they would guard a king, ruler, or sovereign.

The councilors fell silent, staring at the enormous beast moving across the sea in the video, speechless for a long time.

After a long silence, the speaker broke the silence.

"Leader," he said, "I need a battle plan and assessment of how we should respond if this monster targets a major port city belonging to the Council."

The leader, with a distinctly military bearing, bowed slightly. In the council chamber, he played a role similar to that of the Minister of War: "I have already conducted preliminary simulations with several ministers and marshals. Compared to the enemy, the sea is not our home ground. The predicament of the Azure Fleet confirms this point—therefore, our battlefield is the land."

He replied, "Lure the enemy to the shallow sea area, then gather a massive army of spellcasters, war machines, and ranged magic units to create favorable terrain, launch combined attack spells, unlock wonder weapons and strategic strikes when necessary, and perhaps even activate Elemental Protocol..."

One of the councilors scoffed, "Why don't you take the Titan that's above our heads out too?"

The leader glanced at him. "Titan are still too small for this kind of enemy, but it is indeed a feasible plan for the Titan battle group to maneuver to Peak of Shadow, launch long-range lightning projections towards the coastal area, construct a super-large hurricane tornado, and attempt to throw the target onto land before bombarding it with elements—but considering the huge public panic it would cause, it is not the first consideration."

--I was just being sarcastic, and you actually took it seriously.

The Speaker said calmly, "Well said, Your Excellency, the Leader of the War, your wisdom and courage have defended the Council's national defenses. We can always rely on you—now, I would like to ask you another question."

The leader bowed to the speaker and said, "Thank you for your kind words, Your Excellency. May I ask?"

The Council's ruler gave him a wry look. "If you were Kang De, how would you respond?"

The leader pondered for a moment and said, "As the witnesses from the Broken Isles retreated to Distant Harbor, we have more or less figured out what happened. Kang De's strength lies in the unstoppable power of Forbidden Spell and his unparalleled alchemy, but this predicament has exposed the shortcomings of these two powerful weapons."

"The Forbidden Spell cannot be controlled in its power. If it is too powerful, it can certainly kill the monster, but the resulting tsunami will sweep across the entire west coast, which is unacceptable to Kang De. If it is not powerful enough, it will easily injure but not kill, allowing the giant beast to escape and hide, causing endless trouble."

"As for alchemy... we have always been misled by the illusion created by Kang De. His alchemy is indeed extremely powerful and magical, belonging to a different system from the alchemy of the continent. We have always believed that Kang De's alchemy has extremely strong offensive and destructive power, and it seems that this is indeed the case. But today, Kang De's proud alchemical weapon has suffered a humiliating defeat on the Broken Isles."

The head of the Council's war department stated, "This is similar to what the elves discovered on the Song Moon battlefield— Kang De's alchemical weapons have extremely high direct lethality, being highly effective against unarmored and conventionally armored targets, but their power is less lethal against targets with strong enchanted armor or strong shield defenses..."

The speaker's expression shifted. "What are you trying to say?"

"I would say that while Kang De's alchemy is mysterious and powerful, it doesn't seem to be invincible or invincible," the other person said. "The quantity and scale are ultimately limited, the killing mechanism is somewhat rigid, and in terms of defense, elemental resistance is extremely weak... Moreover, in some ways, its power is insufficient."

--While Kang De was conquering the continent with his alchemical weapons and winning every battle, research, espionage, and intelligence gathering against him were ongoing at all times.

Even though Kang De, Horus, and Hong San were extremely good at keeping secrets, and because of the formidable reputation of the Dragon of Cathay, the intelligence work of various countries dared not go too far—but even so, the all-pervasive elite spies still continuously obtained useful intelligence.

After all, from Glittering Sand to Valentan to Danfeng Lucerne to Distant Harbor, Kang De left too many traces.

"This behemoth has revealed to us its many weaknesses," the leader said in a deep voice. "For example, the countless boulders floating around it blocked Kang De's direct artillery fire—alchemical weapons exploded upon contact with the floating boulders. This will become our operational strategy."

The Speaker sighed, "Your Excellency, while I admire your rigorous approach to safeguarding national security and leaving no hypothetical enemy unpunished, what I want to know now is how Kang De plans to respond."

"... I'm sorry, Your Excellency the Speaker."

The other party bowed and apologized. "Considering Kang De's affair with the Elf Queen, he may receive war support from Twilight Moon. However, even so, the sea is not a wise battlefield. I think Kang De should evacuate the civilians from the Distant Harbor waters the decisive battleground. With the spellcasting power of the elves and Goth, combined with his alchemical weapons and low-power Forbidden Spell, he can kill this behemoth in the near-shore waters."

The speaker thought for a moment, then asked the intelligence chief beside him, "Has the evacuation of Distant Harbor begun?"

Although Beacon Tower System could observe and monitor Distant Harbor, no country did so—because strong elemental fluctuations were easily detected, and as is well known, Kang De had a volatile temper.

The other party immediately replied, "No, Mr. Speaker, the Distant Harbor is quiet. People are still going about their duties, establishing settlements, and resettling refugees from the Broken Isles. Furthermore, our infiltrated spies did not complete their mission; they were all apprehended before they even began spreading the rumors."

The lawmakers looked over in astonishment.

"So fast? Kang De has filled the Distant Harbor with his alchemical equipment?"

One councilor was initially taken aback, then sneered, "Using alchemical creations to monitor the city, to hear and see everything the people say and do, to know everything... Does he think he's a god? How pathetic! Is there not a single commoner or noble in Distant Harbor who dares to oppose or resist?"

"No, that's not it."

The intelligence chief replied, "They were reported or even arrested without hesitation by their targets as soon as they began spreading the rumors—without exception."

The congressman was even more astonished, and scoffed, "It seems that this thing called broadcasting probably hides some kind of terrifying brainwashing technique—who said they wanted to import and buy it?"

"That's not the point," the speaker said calmly. "The point is, what is Kang De doing right now?"

No one answered.

The behemoth was menacing, the Distant Harbor danger, and even the entire west coast was at risk of being affected—the beast would arrive at the Distant Harbor in no more than thirty hours. Given the urgency of the situation, and Kang De's hypocrisy, why hadn't he immediately begun evacuating the civilians? What was he doing?

What was Kang De doing?

The Imperial Palace and the Twilight Moon Imperial City, two powerful nations, also directly observed the deep-sea behemoth swaggering across the sea using similar mechanisms and systems. The most elite military strategists of the three nations all made the same judgment—in order to fight back, the land must be the battlefield, and the civilians in the Distant Harbor must be evacuated.

But Kang De wasn't in the Distant Harbor, Distant Harbor all was calm and oblivious to the impending danger. Everyone was working tirelessly for that tape recorder and instant noodles—more diligently than the most docile serfs and the most obedient slaves—as if nothing would ever happen.

The Grand Speaker suddenly felt a surge of irritation.

He subconsciously felt that Kang De might have a solution.

There is a way to kill this behemoth without alerting the civilians in the Distant Harbor.

This made him feel very irritated.

This means that Kang De has once again defied common sense.

From Forbidden Spell to supersonic flying weapons to steel behemoths.

What is it this time?

He was completely baffled, and his unease grew stronger. The Grand Speaker asked, "How long has it been since Kang De left the Azure Fleet?"

The crystal reported by the Azure Fleet commander, which devoured almost all of the fleet's Magic Power, should be the key to this matter—but what exactly is that thing?

The Secretary of the Navy replied, "About forty minutes."

"Forty minutes..." the Grand Speaker murmured, "What can you do in forty minutes?"

Just then, the sand table flashed with light.

The leader shouted, "Sir, look!"

Everyone looked towards the scene in the Endless Sea, where a dark spatial gate was unfolding in the sky, and a large number of black cylinders roared down!

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PS1: Update...

PS2: Ah, this part of the plot is going to be really difficult to write. I'll have to watch so many United States blockbusters... I've already roughly figured out the American Empire attack plan, but I want to write something that feels like a blockbuster movie with the America war machine in operation and all four branches of the military taking turns to fight... Do you have any recommendations for books or movies related to this?