Worth It

The wind howled, the waves surged, and dark clouds gathered in the sky above the Broken Isles. The rapidly changing elemental concentrations caused dramatic changes in the celestial phenomena, and amidst the azure waves, shouts of battle rose from all sides.

Black smoke billowed from the wrecked ships, their tattered sails billowing in the wind. Missile-like, ray-like, and explosive spells of all kinds shot through the air, magical artifacts roared and gathered, and the Azure Fleet formed a defensive formation. The real-time transmitted orders were roared and executed by the bloodthirsty soldiers to resist the terrifying enemy emerging from the sea.

The criminals of Yilan-Tai'er were numerous, swarming and killing like ants, extremely ferocious.

"The comments section is too thin."

Kang De, observing the remotely transmitted image, remarked nonchalantly, "What a waste, what a spendthrift."

These two sentences represent two assessments. The former criticizes the Azure Fleet, stating that its firepower density and intensity were insufficient to inflict a comprehensive blow on the massive Yilan-Tai'er force. The latter, however, comments on this ancient Civilization.

Vegetable.

"This F2A strategy is so idiotic, who's running it?"

After careful observation, Kang De understood Yilan-Tai'er's tactics—that is, there were no tactics, just a complete mob rush, basically a bunch of rabble dressed in Saint Seiya armor charging forward like pigs. To describe them as a rabble would be an insult to the word.

Even fanatics should have some degree of organization...

Kang De sighed, pinching his brow. The lingering phantom pain from the activation of the Power of the Fire Thief still haunted his mind. To obtain information about Yilan-Tai'er and the reasons behind this absurd attack, he Extraction a prisoner. The process was unpleasant, and the result was not optimistic.

Tearing open the other's soul, he saw the greatest obsession of this agitated and tyrannical ancient species. To be honest, it was like watching "Uncle Tom's Cabin" all over again.

In the memories of this apocalyptic race, born from a "glorious and splendid ancient Civilization," there are houses built from seashells, mud, and seaweed ropes; there is arduous and exhausting labor; there is prostration and groveling before those in fine robes; there is the reckless fervor after witnessing the divine phantom appear from the tower.

The Parrot's question came quickly, "Are you... alright?"

The paths of Fire Thief throughout history have varied. Li Manyue uses the Power of the Fire Thief to devour the strong and sustain herself through battle, but she knows that Kang De does not like this.

"Fortunately, it's a tiny, insignificant step towards the Divine Strategist School." Kang De rolled his eyes. "From this guy's soul, I learned a new skill—some kind of dolphin-like postpartum care."

Malegith chuckled, "Did he... hear about that tight, greedy one? Wow, a dolphin-type Mewtwo, and it's the first-hand, uncut version!"

"--Of course not!"

The Parrot's mood improved; she liked to relieve her inner turmoil in this way, a habit she developed on the island... Kang De used to ramble on like this when he was in a bad mood.

"So, what did you see?"

"Yilan-Tai'er is having a blast... The Shelter carried the hopes of Civilization's revival has turned into this mess. I even suspect this shelter is a large-scale social experiment they're conducting."

Kang De recounted what he had seen. "So, these guys dressed in Saint Cloths who come out to start raids are probably just slaves, then coaxed into coming out to offer themselves up..."

He sighed as he finished speaking, "It's too much trouble."

Fanatics are the most terrifying because they are determined by their goals and unafraid of death. Once stirred up, they are impervious to reason, fearless, and their morale remains constant. They never retreat and have no idea what a white flag is.

Malegith sighed as well, "So, there's no other way?"

Kang De pursed his lips. He knew what the Parrot was thinking—the previous Phoenix King not only wanted to obtain the Civilization and legacy of the Yilan-Tai'er civilization for Kang De, but also couldn't bear to see the last hope of a powerful Civilization disappear. In fact, he also felt it was a great pity.

"There's nothing we can do about it."

He said softly, "Although I don't know why they worship the Star Palace, they are already fanatically obeying its commands. We don't understand their language, we have no way to communicate, and we can't persuade them. If we don't eliminate them here and let them roam the outside world, it would be irresponsible to the entire world."

These guys, incited by the Star Palace, killed anyone they saw after they came out. The Azure Fleet, as the main force of the Council, was extremely powerful, but it was still wiped out in a single encounter. If these fanatical believers wearing powerful battle armor were to spread out and reach settlements in various countries, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"A Fu and Horus are keeping an eye on the battle for me. You can also keep an eye on it. The Azure Fleet is constantly attracting and gathering the races of Yilan-Tai'er. Once they all come out, I will launch Mass Projection."

Although tests have shown that modern weapons and Paradox weapons can inflict considerable damage on Yilan-Tai'er, the sheer number of enemies and their ever-evolving abilities make a broad-based attack the best option to avoid any unforeseen complications. After all, even letting one of these guys escape would be a huge problem.

Malegith and agreed.

"Father, the Distant Harbor has relayed a third request for a meeting," Horus said in a low voice. "The Council requests your assistance for the Azure Fleet... and Hong San's notes say this is a test."

Kang De said calmly, "Give me a reply saying that I will protect their Blood Mother from being impaled by steel bars."

"... that sounds strange when translated into standard language."

"Then tell them this isn't over."

"Good."

Kang De's informal reply was relayed back to Distant Harbor, and then the Ministry of Unity formally Council's provisional embassy.

Chaos erupted in the Starry Sky Council, with councilors shifting blame and arguing over who should be held responsible. The Grand Speaker's outburst temporarily quelled the dispute. The situation was dire, as the Council in danger of losing the Azure Fleet, and Kang De was certainly unwilling to offer assistance.

"The destruction of the Azure Fleet is inevitable, as the fleet's real-time battle reports have clearly demonstrated... If it weren't for the enemy's lack of command and tactics, the Azure Fleet would already be sunk in the sea. But even so, it was only a matter of time, because there are simply too many enemies."

One of the councilors spoke with a grim expression, "Accept this fact, gentlemen. The primary task now is to minimize the damage. What we need to consider and decide is what we can gain from this devastating situation to recover the losses, because even Kang De's conventional forces would struggle to withstand the attack of Yilan-Tai'er. Based on our understanding of the Dragon of Cathay, it is very likely that it will..."

After a pause, the man looked around and slowly said, "Use Forbidden Spell."

The entire room fell silent.

"The Azure Fleet is still there!" After a long pause, another senator shouted, "Does he want to wipe out our entire navy?"

"Judging from his reply to us, that is indeed the case."

"How dare he!"

The crowd was indignant, and the councilors all showed their anger, even though they knew that the Azure Fleet had entered Kang De's territorial waters without cause, even though they knew that the current predicament was created by the Council, and even though they knew in their hearts that, in principle, the Council should bear full responsibility for it.

But so what? Whether I'm right or wrong, there are some things you just can't do!

"Enough! Fool! Before you display your stupidity and arrogance, think about how many elves he's killed with Forbidden Spell on Valentan! He'll throw Forbidden Spell whenever he feels it's necessary, without caring whether it's the army of the Dusk Moon Dynasty or the fleet of the Council! That's the Cathayan!"

The resolute shout jolted the members of parliament out of their discontent and wishful thinking.

After another long silence, a voice rang out. "Regardless, if Kang De casts Forbidden Spell, it means he has destroyed our main fleet, which is an act of war..."

The congressman said, "Could this be used as some kind of diplomatic bargaining chip to extract something from Kang De in exchange for some understanding and consensus?"

After saying that, he met everyone's strange gazes and shouted, "What are you looking at me for? Since the destruction of the Azure Fleet is inevitable, shouldn't we at least try to gain some benefits and make up for it?"

"... before that."

The speaker, who had remained silent until now, spoke in an icy tone, his eyes filled with malice. "We need to consider the survivors... not just the Azure Fleet, but also the Abyss Walker."

Upon hearing this, one of the councilors said, "The Deep Sea Pioneer has been destroyed by Kang De, but the Abyss Walker has escaped unscathed. This is truly good news."

The Speaker replied, "The captain reported that they desperately held off Kang De and managed to break the seal. After the seal was broken, Kang De did not become enraged and pursue them, but instead spared their lives."

The congressman scoffed, "Does that mean every sailor who has come into contact with Kang De will defect?"

The speaker gave him a sinister look, and only continued after he weakly averted his gaze, "And there's also Yilan-Tai'er, who's in contact with them, and that Aifu... We need to bring these ancient remnants back to Tula Xiaye."

Upon hearing this, the councilors all revealed a menacing and menacing expression.

The situation has escalated to this point entirely because of the other party.

Can we still trust her?

"That's not important," the Grand Speaker said slowly. "What's important is that we recover our losses... Whatever the Council lost in this operation, we must make those Yilan-Tai'er pay it back tenfold."

He turned to the Starlink operative in charge of communications. "Inform the captain of the Abyss Walker that the battle in the Broken Sea is chaotic, Kang De is about to use Forbidden Spell to clear the area. Order him to anchor the submarine in the deep sea and return to Tula Xiaye with the ancient remnants using the ship's teleportation array... That's it, send it."

The Starry Sky Council's orders were transmitted to the Abyss Walker through the phenomenon of elemental resonance.

"Forbidden Spell?"

Aifu pronounced the word in a very strange tone. Although she had a good understanding of the written language of common human languages, she could only write and read it, but not read it, just like some people's Japanese.

The captain's face was grim, his expression revealing shock, but he still obeyed the Council's orders to "treat and protect this foreign guest with patience, meticulousness, and courtesy."

Because the Starry Sky Council's statements were vague, and the captain was unaware of the councilors' ulterior motives and dark intentions, he frankly described it in writing. "Legend has it that the magic of the Age of Gods possessed destructive power far surpassing contemporary arcane magic. Long lost, it was restored and mastered by the Dragon of Cathay, who used it to rampage through the world..."

Finding writing troublesome, he used a combination of pictures and text to explain the outcome of the Battle of Valentan, which was Kang De's first famous battle. The Cathayan used a meteor shower to wash over the marching routes of the five Dragon Banner Legion. The scope, power, and ease of execution of the meteor shower were simply insane.

Aifu's face turned deathly pale.

She stared at the captain's pictures and text, as if she could already imagine the terrifying scene of meteors falling and crashing into the sea. That was Yilan-Tai'er's nightmare. Back then, countless Star Palace fell from the sky into the sea, creating giant waves. This was the prelude to extinction, heralding the arrival of the Destroyer.

"No..."

She murmured to herself.

Those sinners, deceived, oppressed, and exploited by the priests' lies, were stirred up by the Star Palace's deceitful words and ascended to the Mortal World with the purest hopes, only to be greeted by the extinction symphony of the Star of the Firmament.

The Oathbreakers are exiled rebels, while the Sinners are devout believers. Naturally, the latter far outnumber the former. Aifu despises the Sinners, but only out of anger at their lack of self-respect. She is heartbroken that the proud descendants of Yilan-Tai'er have been deceived and enslaved by lies. She hopes they can see the truth and be proud citizens with dignity. And now, the guardians of the Mortal World are about to unleash Forbidden Spell of destruction.

Ignorant sinners, greedy priests, and the unrealistic dreams of Tuosidiwa —all will be reduced to ashes by this destructive force.

And those were her compatriots and people.

The captain gently patted the silent Aifu.

"Madam," he wrote, "Time is of the essence. Please come with me. I am ordered to take you to our capital, far from danger, where you and your people will receive the best protection."

Aifu, let's make one last gamble.

Let's see who can ensure the continuation of the tribe.

The sound echoed in my ears.

When the Oathbreakers raised his head, the captain of the Abyss Walker saw the will shining in those beautiful eyes, firm and brilliant, like broken steel, still possessing an indomitable edge.

"My ethnic group no longer has the profession of 'soldier'."

She wrote, "But I know the concept of soldiers, their courage, their duty, Captain. Those threatened by the Forbidden Spell are not only my manipulated and deceived people, but also your colleagues, those soldiers who are loyal to the same country as you. Are you going to abandon them?"

The captain stared at the string of words, lost in thought.

He recalled the tragic fate of the Deep Sea Pioneer —in order to buy time for the ship to break the seal, the Deep Sea Pioneer desperately held off Kang De, but was instantly destroyed by the underwater weapons of the Cathayan. The deaths in the Deepsea were extremely tragic; the entire submarine was squeezed into a small piece by the terrifying water pressure, and the blood mist dissipated in a poignant way.

The wreckage cannot be salvaged, the remains are difficult to recover, and they may no longer be identifiable. The last words left by the crew of the Deep Sea Pioneer were nothing more than short phrases sent to the Abyss Walker at the last moment.

"Make it worthwhile."

They did indeed complete their mission, outrunning time under Kang De's terrifying threat and fulfilling the Council's task. After the seal was broken, they sighed with relief, preparing to face the raging fury of the Dragon of Cathay. However, the alchemical weapons, whose speed far surpassed that of their own ship, did not launch an attack. Instead, they paused silently for a moment before retreating without a sound.

They completed their mission, they survived, and they can return home to receive praise and rewards from the Starry Sky Council. The selfless sacrifice of the Deep Sea Pioneer has not been in vain.

But is it worth it?

The broken seal released a large number of highly hostile enemies. The Azure Fleet, which was waiting in the Broken Sea, suffered heavy damage and had nowhere to hide. The conflict with Kang De in recent days, the various schemes of the Starry Sky Council, the destruction of two advanced submarines, and even an entire main fleet and countless brave soldiers are about to perish in the siege of terrible enemies or even the bombardment of Forbidden Spell.

All for the purpose of bringing a small number of ancient survivors back to Tula Xiaye.

Is this the purpose of the Council?

Is it worth it?

Thinking of this, he looked at Aifu, his eyes even showing resentment. It was because of people like them that so many brave soldiers had sacrificed their lives.

He was a soldier, simply carrying out his duties and never inquiring about the details. But this time, the resolute soldier wavered. He didn't know what the Council planned, and he couldn't accept the outcome.

The captain paused for a moment, then wrote, "Madam, many brave men have died today in order to rescue you, and many more will die soon. I am not a god; I cannot change the past, nor can I shake the future. All I can do is make every sacrifice worthwhile... and that worthwhile sacrifice is you. Therefore, I will take you back to Tula Xiaye. As for my comrades fighting at sea, I cannot save them."

Aifu picked up the paper.

"I can."

"So I'm sorry, I can't go back to your capital with you."

"Not only that, I also need your help."

"I don't want to see my misguided compatriots die quietly like this, and I don't want to see the new race in the Mortal World pay a heavy price for our mistakes. If I can't correct this mistake, then at least I must find a way to stop it... to stop the Forbidden Spell."

She held the paper, her face showing a pleading and sincere expression.

Despite the language barrier and the inability to communicate, she still hoped that the other party could understand, just as she firmly believed that even if the new races in the Mortal World were filled with conspiracies, lies, and schemes, good things would continue to exist, and the new world would not be cold and heartless.

After reading it, the captain silently shook his head.

"Do you want me to take you to see Kang De? Forgive my bluntness, but it will be of no use. You cannot persuade him. As long as the invasion and hostility from the sea have not disappeared, he will surely use the Forbidden Spell."

"I agree—so I don't plan to see him now."

A resolute look appeared on Aifu's face.

"For the sake of your colleagues who are also trapped, please help me... I must return to Land of Shelter and find a way to end this and stop the impending Forbidden Spell attack."