Be Well

"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 stern ultimatum sliced across the azure sea. Armed helicopters and modified gunships circled low, emitting tremendous roars. Led by the Knight Astolfo, a naval fleet composed of green-skinned battleships and missile boats leaped out of the White Mist World, their engines roaring, and cut into the formation of the Azure Fleet.

High-speed missile boats darted back and forth among the warships of the Azure Fleet, while 30mm automatic cannons swung back and forth, constantly on alert for hostile attacks. Loudspeakers continuously played pre-recorded messages from the prisoners urging them to surrender, telling the villagers that His Highness Kang De treated prisoners well, without beatings or scoldings, and even providing them with drinks.

At the request of an anonymous Earthling, even the Council's traditional songs were added.

Their mission is not limited to issuing calls and persuading people to surrender.

As the missile boat approached the large warship to persuade it to surrender, it quietly dropped buoys marked with space beacons from its stern. The despicable outsiders were still prepared for the worst.

If persuasion to surrender fails and the Azure Fleet puts up a stubborn resistance, then the sudden appearance of a one-ton anchor mine will teach these sailing battleships a lesson.

This tactic is called the Chrono Bomb, which we learned from the Allies.

Meanwhile, on the outer perimeter of the Azure Fleet, the green-skinned battleships had already secured their positions in the T-shape.

"Generous Boris," "Loyal Donald," "Filial Son Justin," "Straight Man Morrison"... These modern freighters, which were urgently deployed as war platforms and completed magical transformations, will serve as the main force of the Shogunate Navy for area denial and littoral attacks for a long time.

The large and small automatic turrets, standing like a hedgehog, were aimed at the still-terrified Azure Fleet. The containers on the centerline of the deck deformed and unfolded, and the densely packed rocket pods rose, turned, and adjusted their angles. The defensive magic devices used to intercept and defend against magical attacks lit up with arcs of light, and the specially installed "roaring" type sonic shock devices emitted a chilling howl. This was part of the psychological warfare.

The mere sight of a few green-skinned battleships adopting an offensive posture was enough to trigger panic and screams from the Azure Fleet.

After all, they knew nothing about Kang De's "alchemical concoctions," and their aesthetics and understanding were still at the stage of "bigger is better, bigger is stronger." The prototypes of the green-skinned battleships were all cargo ships, and their displacement and size were naturally far superior to A Fu, and they were much larger than the Council Fleet, making them look truly frightening.

"Surrender! Surrender! Surrender!"

The flagship failed to issue orders, and the second-in-command ship refused to take over command. The entire fleet was leaderless, with officers and men offering conflicting opinions, their thinking confused, and orders contradicting each other.

The Azure Fleet, originally the main force of the navy and deployed in the western seas to confront the naval power of the Dusk Moon Dynasty, has lost all morale and become a disorganized rabble that is easily defeated.

Without honor, there is no courage.

Most of their brave and upright men had been relegated to the suicide squads or captured by the Broken Isles. Their most powerful military assets had been Council away by the Council for various reasons. The soul of the fleet had also become disheartened due to various schemes and coercion. Although the remaining fleet still maintained a very large size and military strength, it had become a pathetic shell.

Because they lack faith and conviction, they are easily defeated.

"This fleet is completely wiped out..."

A helicopter swept across the sea, dropping a beacon. Chapter soldiers, clad in power armor and implanted with Paradox Chip, leaped out, their steel boots stepping onto the deck. Quilion led his comrades aboard a Council warship. As an elite member of the Royal Navy, he immediately discerned the true nature of the warship.

Unlike the bulky and cumbersome armor of the Army, the power armor of the Navy complements the handsome appearance of its commanders. It features a streamlined design that combines performance and aesthetics, making it lighter, more agile, and suitable for naval operations.

The naval soldiers boarding the ship were clad in white armor, their full-face helmets as transparent as astronaut helmets. The chapter standard bearer following behind Quilion thrust his spear into the ground, the tip of the spear shimmering with light, unfurling a transparent, floating elemental banner, scattering ethereal light points that drifted between the sea and the sky.

Quilion shouted sternly, "By order of His Highness Kang De and Marshal Astolfo, my unit is ordered to capture your ship! This is a final ultimatum: Magic cores shut down, all personnel leave their combat posts and assemble on the deck, ballistae fire, magic devices deactivated, and the ship's commander reports to me!"

Soldiers carrying machine guns strode forward as a show of force.

The elf's roar shook the bewildered soldiers, "You should have perished under the Forbidden Spell, but His Highness Kang De's mercy gave you a chance to live. Our army treats prisoners well. I order you to surrender to the Dragon of Cathay immediately, or else, I will take back the chance His Highness Kang De gave you!"

At that moment, artillery fire rang out in the distance. Everyone turned to look and saw a warship choosing to fight back. People saw a streak of light flash from the bow and shoot into the sky. Several figures leaped away and disappeared. The next moment, bursting Flame engulfed the entire warship. The billowing sails were burned by the intense flames, and the huge warship exploded from the inside, sending bits of flesh, wood chips, and Flame flying in all directions.

A new order came through the communication channel. Quilion shouted, "You've seen it! The soldiers on that warship were willing to surrender, but their captain insisted on resisting. All their lives were lost because of one man's blind loyalty—soldiers, if you want to see the sun rise tomorrow, make your own choice!"

The crowd went from silence to riot, their emotions surging. After a long while, the captain sighed and walked out.

"Your Excellency, on behalf of the Crimson Fire Fierce Flame, I surrender to you. I hope Prince Kang De will keep his promise and treat the soldiers of this ship well; they..."

"Enough, mage," Quilion said calmly. "You should know better than I do about His Highness Kang De's benevolence and compassion, otherwise how dare you shamelessly come to the Broken Sea to steal things time and time again?"

The other person paused for a moment, then sighed sadly.

Soon, news of the Crimson Fire Fierce Flame's surrender spread throughout the ships, becoming the first domino to fall.

"No surrender allowed!"

The flagship resounded with Senator Aokexindun's furious roar.

"Fools! Why surrender!" he roared at the messenger. "Order all ships to converge on me! Tell them! Unconditional surrender is worthless! Even if they surrender, they must negotiate terms! Idiots! Tell them not to surrender on their own! Let me negotiate! Let me negotiate!"

The messenger nervously relayed the core councilor's orders to the entire fleet, but couldn't help glancing at a spot not far away. There, Commander Nixiyasi stood guard against the wall, looking battered and exhausted. Several Arcane hunters surrounded her, none daring to approach.

Congressman Aokexindun felt a chill run down his spine and his body tremble. He came from a prominent family and had a smooth and successful life, with almost no setbacks until today's crisis.

The situation took several turns; the teleportation array was unexpectedly destroyed, and he was trapped in the besieged city of the Azure Fleet.

He is about to become Kang De's prisoner.

Oh shit.

Oh no!

Damn it.

We're doomed.

How could such a thing happen!

He ripped open his collar, his eyes bloodshot, and gasped for breath like a raging bull.

--Don't get me wrong, he wasn't afraid that Kang De would kill him.

After all, he was a core member of the Arcane Council, one of the ruling powers, with a large family and immense power. Killing him would bring nothing but harm, and Kang De would not do such a meaningless and foolish thing. Moreover, he knew in his heart that Kang De always killed people based on reason. What Aokexindun did was just a game at the national level and did not cause any loss to Kang De. The Cathayan had no reason to kill him.

Being arrested and imprisoned by Kang De would only result in him being brutally murdered, bleeding out, and being extorted.

That's not the point at all.

The key point is that he was captured.

Because he was captured in the Broken Sea, captured by the Azure Fleet!

This implies political responsibility.

The annihilation of an entire main fleet is enough to shake the Council's national defense and maritime interests, and could trigger a tremendous chain reaction. One can imagine how overjoyed the core members, especially the dove fools, would be when they discovered that Senator Aokexindun had been captured in the Broken Sea.

They would place all the leadership and command responsibility on Aokexindun's head, making him bear all the blame for the destruction of a main fleet.

--What else can we do? We can't expect the entire Starry Sky Council to be held responsible for this, can we?

Therefore, it is almost certain that during the time he was captured and imprisoned in Aokexindun, the Starry Sky Council would quickly reach a consensus, take advantage of his misfortune, and shift all the responsibility for the major consequences of the decision-making errors onto him. Then, they would join forces to divide up the political and family interests of the Aokexindun Family to silence everyone... In other words, everything would be over!

Thinking of this, Aokexindun was filled with remorse; he should have retreated immediately!

Who would have thought this little vixen would suddenly go crazy!

Thinking of this, he gritted his teeth in hatred and looked at the stubbornly resisting Nixiyasi, wishing he could bite her to death—it was all because she ordered the destruction of the teleportation array that he ended up in this predicament!

But he dared not.

Now that the Forbidden Spell has been lifted, Kang De's naval and air forces have swept in, declaring the capture of the entire fleet. Fate has changed so strangely that, in the blink of an eye, the key to the matter has shifted once again.

The issue has shifted from "forcibly capturing Nixiyasi to coerce Kang De into stopping the Forbidden Spell" to "how to explain to the Cathayan that we were just beating up his lover."

"Commander Ni... Nixiyasi."

He opened his mouth, his voice becoming fluent from its initial hesitation, and a sincere and apologetic expression appeared on his face.

Politicians, they're not shameful at all.

Congressman Aokexindun said, "We need to talk."

The admiral leaning against the wall scoffed. The cessation of the Forbidden Spell and the arrival of the fleet's reinforcements did not elicit any expectation or hope from her; instead, she radiated a gloomy, deathly aura.

She said calmly, "What are we talking about?"

Congressman Aokexindun gestured for the hunters to step back. "I think this matter should end here. Everyone deserves a dignified resolution... I want to congratulate you on finally being free from these unpleasant days. I know we did many things to you that were excessive, and I'm sorry. I'm willing to try my best to make amends, but that's not the most important issue right now..."

He said sincerely, "You should know how serious the consequences would be if the entire fleet were captured. The fleet you once commanded would be disbanded, the glorious history of the entire fleet would be tarnished, and the conflict between the Council and the Distant Harbor would be further intensified, possibly even leading to war. Do you want to see this happen?"

"What I ask for is not excessive, merely a chance to speak with Kang De... a dignified surrender, a dignified end, leaving everything under the table. For this, I am willing to give you any compensation I can offer. Oh yes, and your father, your family, Congressman Aokexindun will forge an eternal alliance with the Syracuse Family, and I will marry my most beloved daughter to your brother..."

He took Anthony's hand, and the man looked longingly at his daughter.

Before Nixiyasi could speak, Councilor Aokexindun snapped, "Get out of the way! Bring the best potions! The Commander needs treatment!"

The hunters retrieved the potions, and Councilor Aokexindun placed them in Anthony's hands, his smile warm and sincere, "Dear Anthony, go and see your daughter."

Anthony hesitated for a moment, but still walked towards Nixiyasi with a smile, though he avoided his daughter's gaze. There were some things that even he felt guilty about.

"... Come on," he said softly, looking at the wounded and blood-stained Nixiyasi, "Let's treat her injuries first, no matter what."

The admiral's gaze was fixed, and she remained silent.

Anthony hesitated for a moment, then sighed, squatted down, and placed the potions at his feet. "Take them yourself using Telekinesis. I taught you..."

Upon hearing this, Nixiyasi recalled past events. Her father had indeed taught her how to use spiritual power to influence reality and manipulate objects from afar. Back then, she could only manipulate a spoon to flip it around, while her father could control her to fly. She was lifted into the air by an invisible force, sometimes tumbling, sometimes soaring. Her screams and laughter mingled with her father's boisterous laughter—how joyful it was!

At that time, her father was still an ambitious and promising genius mage, so he didn't have much of an obsession with cultivating his daughter, and his occasional lessons were relaxed and enjoyable.

When did things start to change?

My father's voice seemed to come from afar.

"Kang De will send someone to pick you up soon. I know you hate me, and I can't control you anymore. You're in Distant Harbor, so try to control yourself and don't... sigh, never mind."

He put down the potion, stood up, glanced at his daughter, sighed, and turned to leave.

Aokexindun listened from afar, and when he heard that this bastard hadn't offered any advice, he was furious, but dared not utter a word of curses. He could only continue to smile and nod repeatedly to Anthony to show his approval.

"The last time..."

But then he heard Nixiyasi whisper, "You won't be able to reach it anymore."

--You're something else, Anthony! Was this part of your plan too?!

Aokexindun inwardly cheered, then shouted, "Quickly, get the communication device!"

Although Kang De could not be contacted directly, the command system could be used to contact the surrendered fleet, who would then relay the request for secret talks.

The Arcane hunters took the communicator and carefully sent it over using Telekinesis. Even the elite soldiers from the Legal Department were feeling uneasy at this moment, because the Dragon of Cathay was infamous for beating up the elves for his Goth. And these few of them had just personally beaten up Kang De's Council girlfriend. This was unacceptable.

Everyone was tense and expectant, and none of them noticed Nixiyasi's strange mental state—the Commander's eyes showed no ease or anticipation, remaining as gloomy as a dead person.

Nixiyasi stared at the communicator handed to her, remained silent for a moment, and then a smile appeared on her face.

She slowly bent down, intending to pick it up.

Just then, the wind surged, a wall of wind howled, and streaks of lightning pierced through. The Arcane hunters roared in anger, but their hastily cast instant spells were blocked by the wind wall. Taking advantage of the moment when everyone relaxed and was full of anticipation, the attacker suddenly succeeded. Nixiyasi was seriously injured and could no longer escape.

A staff imbued with powerful energy was pressed against the commander's neck. The attacker, who had her hands pinned down, looked at the shocked and enraged crowd with a gloomy gaze and slowly spat.

"Fuck you," he snarled, "To hell with your decent ending."

Aokexindun roared, "Osko! What do you want to do?"

"You son of a bitch, what do you want from me!" Envoy Osko was acting like a madman. "You want a dignified surrender, a dignified outcome, but what am I supposed to do? Kang De might let you go, but can Kang De let me go? What about your promises? Can you protect me? Tell me, how am I supposed to survive?!"

Aokexindun, filled with shock and anger, exclaimed, "What do you want! Don't be impulsive! Talk to me properly!"

What do I want?

Osko's voice was hoarse as he grinned, "Damn it, I'm going to die! Kang De is going to kill me, I can't escape, what am I supposed to do? You piece of shit congressman, you used me, treated me like a dog, made me do this and that, I told you to run, but you wouldn't! And now you've ended up like this, trying to kill me!"

As he spoke, he began to wail and scream, like a madman.

"Hahahaha, damn it! You want to live, don't you? You despicable, selfish, stupid, pathetic scum, aren't you hoping this bitch will plead for you and get Kang De to spare your lives?"

He laughed wildly, "If I kill him now, will you all survive? You won't!"

"Don't be impulsive!"

Aokexindun was terrified and cried out repeatedly, "You can live! You can live! Nixiyasi, plead for him! Please ask His Highness Kang De to spare his life! Say something!"

Envoy Osko trembled; he didn't really want to die.

Nixiyasi looked up indifferently. Perhaps it was Osko's words that had just provoked her. She looked at everyone present. Everyone looked like they had lost their parents and were terrified. Familiar and unfamiliar, her father, strangers, high-ranking senators, insignificant soldiers. Everyone looked the same. Pitiful souls danced to the tune of an incomprehensible baton. This was the world.

She said softly, "You're wrong."

Osko sneered, "What did you say?"

"You all always think Kang De would give up something for me, you all think Kang De cares about me a lot, you all think we have some kind of secret affair... Why do you think like that? Have you forgotten the Forbidden Spell from earlier?"

Nixiyasi smiled. "You're all doomed... because nobody in this world cares about me."

She closed her eyes, and the Magic Power within her began to surge and boil.

Osko, being closest, immediately sensed this terrifying sign and exclaimed in horror, "You..."

He also feared death.

In a flash, Anthony was closest to Nixiyasi, suddenly raised his staff from behind and launched Frost Missile, which struck Osko's right hand holding the staff. The frost spell not only delayed the transmission of Magic Power, but also caused the electric staff to malfunction. This well-planned and long-awaited attack was extremely amazing in terms of timing, precision and effect. Osko's movements were momentarily halted by the attack.

As if he had rehearsed countless times, Anthony tossed down his staff, then with a slight pull, he grasped it back.

Telekinesis, Anthony gathered powerful mental energy to manipulate objects remotely. With his arms outstretched, his mental energy pulled Nixiyasi's body away from Osko's control and flung her backward.

Nixiyasi had already resolved to die, but a powerful force pulled her into the air. The feeling was both strange and familiar. She opened her eyes and met her father's gaze in mid-air. She was already an adult, and an adult's body was much larger than a child's. Her father's expression was tired and pained, which caused his mental energy to be overloaded.

"Aaaaaaaahhhhh!"

Osko roared, shattering the ice and firing his staff.

A shimmering Arcane Missile struck Anthony squarely in the abdomen, blasting a gash in his body from which blood gushed forth. Nixiyasi, still airborne, tumbled to the ground. The Osko missile continued to fire. Anthony clutched his abdomen, raised a magical shield to protect his daughter, but his depleted Magic Power prevented the shield from blocking all the missiles. His body trembled violently, blood spurting onto Nixiyasi's face.

She screamed, trying to turn over to help her father, but the boiling Magic Power and her heavy injuries made it impossible for her to support her body. She tried to struggle to stand up, but felt a tightness in her thighs. The Arcane hunter who pounced on her like a mad dog did not help, but instead grabbed her legs and dragged her backward with all his might.

Nixiyasi cried out, "Father! Father!"

Congressman Aokexindun shouted from behind, "Help! Help!"

The elite hunters from the Legal Department finally had a free hand. They rushed in front of Anthony, raised their shields, and faced this legendary spellbreaker who hunted down sin mages. Osko showed fear and turned to run away. One of the hunters grabbed his companion's shoulder and took a few steps forward, and the charged blade suddenly flew out.

Slashed from front to back, blood gushed out. Osko's right arm and thigh were severed. He fell to the ground, grabbing the staff held by his severed arm and aiming it at his heart. But Fasha flicked the staff, severing it along with three of his fingers. The intimidating seal crashed down, sealing all his movements.

Nixiyasi scrambled to Anthony's side and frantically poured the potion into his mouth. The deathly intent that had previously filled her eyes had been replaced by other emotions, complex and incomprehensible.

"Father, Father..."

She cried out.

Anthony looked down at his riddled body and spat out a mouthful of blood.

What had just happened happened in the blink of an eye; he had no time to think about it carefully. Only now, as reason and thought returned to his body, did pain and fear follow.

--Oh no, am I going to die?

That's what he was thinking.

Only then did he realize what he had just done.

That's strange, why would anyone do that?

Perhaps it was hearing the sigh, "No one in this world cares about me," perhaps a chord in my heart was plucked, perhaps it was simply an instinct driven by familial affection, or perhaps it was just a coincidence born of a momentary impulse?

Anthony gazed at the sky, a look of bewilderment on his face. He realized that life was slipping away, and the obsession he had held onto throughout his life would vanish like clouds. Suddenly, he grabbed his daughter's hand.

Ah, maybe that's why I saved her.

"Family... family," he murmured, "To protect... to protect the family, Kang De, and the Council, and then, your brother..."

As he spoke, he looked at his daughter's disheveled face, her expression so sorrowful and aggrieved, yet she listened intently. He thought of the past, of how he had disciplined his daughter in an extremely strict way. She was in pain, she was exhausted, but she was always obedient, always obedient, always like that...

"Ah..."

The man gazed at his daughter, the past and present overlapping in his mind. He seemed to recall his feelings back then—for the future of the family, he had sacrificed his daughter's self and happiness. He used to feel guilty, but gradually he took it for granted. And Nixiyasi, she hadn't changed at all.

Now, he has finally found the emotion he had always forgotten.

"... never mind."

He looked at his daughter, smiled slowly, and his raised hand slowly slid down.

"You all need to take good care of yourselves..."