Civilization

The sky was in turmoil, the waves were surging, and cries could be heard everywhere.

The Azure Fleet navy, having narrowly escaped death, and the screaming and struggling criminals of Yilan-Tai'er, their cries even drowning out the surging tides, floated and sank in the azure waters.

"My lord, the crew of this submarine are too agitated to speak clearly," Dong Tianming said thoughtfully. "All I know is that the incapacitation of these ancient Civilization's war machines seems to be due to the efforts of a Yilan-Tai'er... They call her 'Aifu.'"

Malegith quickly added, "I'm observing the area; there's no threat at the moment."

Horus reported, "All threats have been eliminated, and they appear quite flustered."

A Fu whispered, "Dad..."

After a brief silence, Kang De's voice came through the communication channel.

"Forbidden Spell attack canceled; Mass Projection terminated."

Humans, elves, and artificial intelligence all breathed a long sigh of relief.

"... What's with that sigh of relief on your faces?" Kang De's voice was tinged with displeasure. "Do you really think of me as Gandhi, the kind of ruthless Gandhi who drops nuclear bombs and kills people without blinking an eye?"

The atmosphere warmed up a bit, A Fu smiled and said, "I still don't want Father to have too much blood on his hands."

Horus said calmly, "Considering Father's high moral standards, killing too many people would be a burden."

Dong Tianming also said, "Weapons are the instruments of sages, to be used only as a last resort. This Forbidden Spell, which destroys heaven and earth, indiscriminately inflicts harm on all, and sweeps away everything in one fell swoop, is against the harmony of heaven and earth, and should naturally be used with caution... Now everyone is happy."

Now that the war machine of Yilan-Tai'er has lost its combat potential, the deteriorating situation can be resolved, so there is no need to use Forbidden Spell to clear the field and commit further killings.

Moreover, they were, after all, the last descendants of a lost Civilization. Dong Tianming, as a great sage, was well-versed in the past and present and deeply understood the weight of history and the difficulty of Civilization. He could not bear to see the last struggle of the pioneers of the previous era vanish, but he also knew that under the circumstances at the time, the Forbidden Spell was the only choice. After all, if these war machines, which were deeply hostile and attacked indiscriminately, escaped from this place, it would be a catastrophe.

Now, everyone is happy. The lord no longer needs to commit further bloodshed, Yilan-Tai'er can survive, and the massive amount of large and small war weapons don't need to be smashed by the Forbidden Spell; they can be captured intact. Distant Harbor can also gain more from these incapacitated Yilan-Tai'er...

Just as our lord often said—everyone has a bright future.

That's wonderful, we should all thank Aifu for this.

Malegith silent the longest before softly saying, "I thought you weren't going to stop."

Once the Forbidden Spell was unleashed, it was like stars crashing down from the heavens onto the sea, signaling the imminent doomsday. Almost unstoppable, they could only stand there with sighs, preparing to witness the passing of life, the fall of Civilization, and the collapse of the times.

Thousands will be torn to pieces amidst cries of agony. Kang De will once again remember the countless lives he has taken with his own hands, and the ancient Civilization he has personally destroyed. Furthermore, the annihilation of the Azure Fleet will cause extreme tension in diplomatic relations with the Council, and may even lead to war...

This inexplicable armed conflict surrounding Yilan-Tai'er has no winners; only the shadowy figures of the Star Palace laugh mockingly in the darkness. This feeling of powerlessness and helplessness reminds Malegith of the past, when they too fought in such a desperate struggle with no hope in sight.

Now, a glimmer of hope appears, and things have not spiraled into the worst possible abyss.

But it wasn't her, nor Kang De, who changed everything; it was the submarine captain and that ancient person named Aifu.

Of course, there's also Kang De —if Kang De had ignored the Forbidden Spell and allowed it to strike when the submarine surfaced and the signal was sent, the course of fate would have been completely different. In the apocalyptic spectacle of the Forbidden Spell striking and bloodthirsty slaughter, the last efforts of those few insignificant figures would have been quietly shattered, unknown to anyone.

Thinking of this, she said softly, "You did a good job... thank you for stopping earlier."

Thinking back on it, she still felt a lingering fear. Realizing she had lost her composure, her tone turned sarcastic. "Looks like someone's a saint too, which fits your persona. Putting on airs and shouting about wanting to shoot inside, but then pulling out anyway. Ha, what were you thinking back then?"

Facing the sea breeze, Kang De's gaze turned to the submarine that remained moored in the same spot. The crew members were jumping and howling; for them, the experience they had just had was far too thrilling.

He thought of another submarine... the council submarines in the deep sea that would rather be destroyed than give up the Jiaolong and Council time for their friendly ships; they were all brave soldiers.

What was I thinking at the time?

He smiled and said, "A tough guy who'd rather take a nuclear bomb in his face than not surface and send a signal—whatever he wants to say or what message he brings, I'm willing to give him a chance to speak."

At this point, Kang De shrugged. "If he keeps spouting nonsense, we can just bomb him to death then, and settle all the old scores together."

Several aircraft roared overhead, and portals of light opened throughout the Broken Sea.

Warships, speedboats, drones, aircraft, and squadron soldiers equipped with jump crystals approached the war zone from all directions.

"All Azure Fleet combat personnel, stop where you are, hands behind your heads, crouch down, cease all military operations. Repeat, cease all military operations! You have been captured! You have been captured!"

A large cargo ship leaped into the sea, its warriors ready for action. The Grewind Swarm surged forth from the Phase Door, like a swarm of drones blotting out the sky. The mission was not yet over; the clearing operation was underway.

"A Fu, you're in charge of taking control of the Azure Fleet. Order them to surrender and escape with their lives. They shouldn't have the courage to resist anymore."

"Yes!"

Kang De sat on the cliff and spoke into the communicator, "Horus, the army's mission is to salvage those iron turtles thrashing in the sea, strip them of their armor, and contain them."

He thought for a moment and continued, "I previously Extraction a few Yilan-Tai'er. Most of these guys are just muddle-headed, power-hungry laborers, not difficult to manage. But we need to identify the privileged class mixed in among them and detain them separately. You know how to identify them, right?"

"Understood, teeth, hands, physique, and mental state."

Horus replied, "Deploying warp beacons towards the enemy's large war platforms."

"Good son," Kang De smiled slightly, "Now they all bear the surname Kant."

He gripped the communicator and changed the channel. "Tina?"

Her Highness's voice rang out immediately. "I'm here."

"The situation in the Broken Sea is basically under control and is now transitioning to the cleanup phase. On my behalf Arcane Council."

"The Council's covert operations within our inherent territorial waters have caused serious consequences, severely damaged our good relations with the Council, and posed a huge threat and loss to the lives and property of the people of the Broken Isles and myself. We reserve the right to take further action."

Faint cheers came from the other end of the communicator.

The officials in the Distant Harbor, holding their breath and awaiting the results, still had no idea what had happened at the front, but they found the answer in His Highness Kang De's words... Over time, they had come to understand His Highness's jargon; when he said something like that, it meant he had gained a huge advantage and was about to play the victim.

As expected.

"The Valentan Guards has been deployed, seized the Council's temporary embassy, detained all members of the mission, and notified the Council that the entire Azure Fleet has been captured. Our forces are now on high alert."

"The Ministry of Unity will immediately convene a press conference and issue a notice to all nations and forces, explaining the situation and outlining our demands to the Council to the world—I request that the Grand Speaker of the Starry Sky Council personally travel to Distant Harbor to explain the situation to me, express his apologies, and provide compensation."

The cheers immediately ceased; the officials were clearly taken aback.

--Playing this big?

Only Tina's tone remained flat, and she questioned without hesitation, "Understood, I'll get started on the arrangements immediately."

Kang De nodded and said, "Hmm."

The situation reversed; the Azure Fleet was not destroyed by the Forbidden Spell, and the risk of war was greatly reduced. However, the Council would not let it go—they had almost become the biggest losers in this incident.

The fleet was gone, the promised Yilan-Tai'er was gone, and Kang De extorted a huge sum of money from them. In the end, they benefited someone else, making them a million times more wronged than Zhou Yu.

They were unwilling to accept defeat. They also learned about what was happening in the Broken Sea through communication. They knew that Kang De had gained the greatest advantage, so they would take any non-military means to annoy, restrain, scheme against, and blockade the Distant Harbor. The international situation would become increasingly chaotic.

Therefore, this preemptive, wild punch is now about to be swung towards the Council.

"Kang De?"

"I am here."

Tina asked softly, "Is everything alright?"

Kang De paused for a moment, gazing at the chaotic sea and sky. "Hmm, it's alright."

"Has something happened?"

"Yes, and certainly many," Kang De replied softly. "The situation was initially very bad, but suddenly it took a turn for the better, but not because of me. It seems that somewhere I don't know, someone is fighting and sacrificing for this... This gives me a strange feeling."

Tina listened carefully to Kang De's tone and judged her lover's feelings.

So she chuckled and teased, "It sounds like our omnipotent hero isn't the one who turned the tide in this crisis?"

"Right."

An immediate and unwavering agreement came from the other end of the communicator.

Then came Kang De's voice, tinged with a slight smile.

"This time, I'm more like a dim-witted president in a movie who presses a button and uses a nuclear bomb to wipe out the enemy."

He smiled and said, "But this feeling is actually quite nice."

The Fire Thief gazed at the vast sea and the sky where the dark clouds were gradually dissipating. Countless creatures struggled in this place, of different races and with different stances. Each had their own story, and they would all do something at the most important moment in their lives. Some of them became heroes.

Kang De stretched. "Besides me, there should be many others... shouldn't there?"

Large and small unknown objects broke through the seawater and rose to the surface. There were things like large buildings, as well as escape pods the size of cars. The remnants of the Yilan-Tai'er who had not yet had a chance to become soldiers and rush into the Mortal World suddenly breathed in fresher air. They looked around from the open hatches, but before they could even shout, their vision was completely taken away by the azure sky.

For the first time, the long-abandoned and lost people saw the legendary sky.

Ah, the azure sky, with white clouds floating by...

Inside an escape pod that bloomed like a flower, a weak, low moan arose.

"Look, it's just like my hair color..."

The Oathbreakers looked up at the sky, gently raised his hand, and pointed to the distant horizon.

"Did you know that the essence of the sky is actually the thick atmosphere surrounding the planet? It's trapped and constrained by the planet's gravity, just the right amount..."

The sobbing continued.

"Ah, the sun, the sky is this color because of it. It is a gigantic fireball suspended in the distant void beyond the sky, many times larger than the Mortal World, eternally shining its light upon us. That light is composed of seven colors, several of which are scattered by the sky, leaving behind the blue-green portion..."

Tuosidiwa held his lover, weeping silently.

Tears fell onto Aifu's pale face.

In the blink of an eye, the throne changed hands twice.

Tuosidiwa plunges a dagger into his heart, death looming. The royal selection ceremony of the Shelter Core begins, bestowing the throne upon Aifu. This is the High Priest's final entrustment, hoping to allow his beloved to escape and live.

But he was unaware that the Forbidden Spell of the Mortal World was about to be activated. If Aifu escaped as he wished, all the people, traditions, heritage, and hopes of Yilan-Tai'er would be reduced to ashes under the Mass Projection.

So the Oathbreakers remained where she was, intending to use the newly acquired royal permission to halt the operation of the war system, as agreed upon with the Abyss Walker.

--Once successful, the submarine will surface to request a dialogue with Kang De, explain the situation, and dissuade the Dragon of Cathay from abandoning the Forbidden Spell attack, as the threat no longer exists.

Ultimately, this operation was extremely risky; it was nothing more than a desperate gamble born of desperation. If any link in the entire plan went wrong, it would lead to the worst possible outcome.

But out of a sense of responsibility to their race and a sense of honor as soldiers, Aifu and the captain were willing to give it a try.

Aifu's success came a little too late. By the time she finally gained the approval of the kings, broke through the underlying logic of the central program, and was about to stop the war machine, the Broken Isles had already completed their warp evacuation, and the Forbidden Spell could be launched at any moment. Under these circumstances, she could no longer be sure whether the captain would risk carrying out the agreement.

But this was all she could do. After leaving her final message, she embraced her lover.

The central emergency escape device allowed them to escape the clutches of the God of the Star Palace, but both were seriously injured and on the verge of death. Aifu used the new king's permission to use the last remaining energy in the escape pod to repair and heal the dying Tuosidiwa.

Thus, the High Priest gradually struggled back from the brink of death, but Aifu gradually fell into the abyss of death, and the cold and rational royal selection ritual completed another change of kingship.

As the escape pod floated on the sea and the hatch opened, Aifu saw the clear blue sky.

There were no terrifying Forbidden Spell, only the cries and shouts of survivors in the distance.

She saw beautifully designed flying machines whizzing across the sky, unfamiliar languages spreading across the sea, and enormous warships cutting through the waves.

"It's a success..."

Tuosidiwa held Aifu in his arms, tears streaming down his face.

He had tried everything he could, but Aifu had missed the window of opportunity for treatment. In less than half a day, his life had been teetering on the brink of collapse. To this day, he still doesn't know what happened, why Aifu refused to leave, or what Aifu was doing.

But looking at the calm, azure sea, still shrouded in the smoke of war, the killing had ceased; there was no more bloodshed or death. The Fire Thief's warships surged forward, but instead of unleashing their deadly light, they were salvaging, restraining, and imprisoning. He seemed lost in thought, as if he had grasped something, and vaguely guessed what Aifu was doing.

But it's meaningless now.

Because the body in my arms is gradually losing its vitality.

He let out a low sob; his entire world had crumbled without his knowledge, order collapsed, his lover was gone, and all that remained for him was a completely unfamiliar and unpredictable future.

He heard Aifu murmur, "You cried so much today..."

Tuosidiwa murmured, "Why... what are you doing? Why don't you run away...?"

Aifu gazed at the azure sky, a smile playing on her lips, "Of course, it's for this..."

The high priest wept bitterly, tears streaming down his face, "I don't understand... Tell me... Tell me..."

"Isn't this... obvious?"

The Oathbreakers took a few breaths. "Most of our people survived, our heritage was preserved, Kang De stopped the Forbidden Spell, and although the future is still shrouded in mist, at least Yilan-Tai'er will not perish today, but can continue... continue..."

Aifu's gaze returned to Tuosidiwa's face. "I... I did it. I stopped it. I ensured the continuation of the race, let everyone see the real sky, and... and..."

Her eyes filled with tears as she recalled her father's admonitions, teachings, and passing; the destruction of the tribe; the suffering of Yilan-Tai'er; and the sorrow of lies, deception, and enslavement that had lasted for thousands of years, all of which had finally dissipated today, and Yilan-Tai'er had embraced the future.

The high priest sobbed, "But you're going to die..."

"Idiot... idiot."

Aifu smiled. She had already seen the beautiful sky. All her obsessions quickly vanished, turning into a peaceful relief. She had completed her mission and fulfilled her promise to the kings.

"I won't die..."

Her voice grew slower and softer. "I will simply become a part of it."

"I don't understand... What are you talking about...?"

Tuosidiwa hugged her tightly, his eyes blurred with tears, desperately trying to hold onto everything he was about to lose.

Aifu's gaze shifted from lingering affection to peace, becoming distant and serene, as if transcending time.

She remembered the stories her father had told her when she was little.

In the land without water, lush greenery abounds, towering mushrooms form forests, Six-Rayed Bird soar through the sky, and Star-Armored Leopard swoop across the jungle. Intelligent beings begin to explore the vast earth, understanding the essence of fire from the phenomena of lightning splitting giant trees and igniting flames. The first extraordinary beings were the shamans of the barbaric era, who established the first order in the name of the gods. Thus, villages formed, fortresses rose, and kingdoms were established, experiencing rise and fall... This is the origin of Yilan-Tai'er.

From its origins to its rise, from its rise to its fall, and from its fall to its revival, this is its story.

And I simply became a part of it.

"What part of...?"

The lover's sorrowful cries gradually faded into the distance.

Aifu's beautiful gaze seemed to freeze time, making this moment eternal.

Her voice was as soft as a whisper, and her peaceful soul departed quietly.

"Civilization."