Earth's Echoes

A few days later, news of the Distant Harbor Legion's great victory over the Northern Council on the Goth border began to spread.

Observation teams from various countries and forces sent back more detailed information to headquarters, allowing more details of the battle to be revealed and made known to the Mortal World.

The Dragon of Cathay publicly executed Griffin Williams.

The steel torrents and superweapons that appeared in this battle.

The Distant Harbor Legion's formidable military strength, which forcefully tore through the Council's defenses under the suppression of the Deceleration Field.

Even the Shadow cast by the Star Palace... Although in a state of burning soul, a God of the Star Palace was able to break through the combined suppression of the powerful nations and reach Kang De with unstoppable momentum.

Tens of thousands of Council soldiers were brainwashed by an unprecedented mind weapon, rendering them bloodless and tearless.

These messages, like a raging wind, foreshadowed an impending storm, causing Mortal World monarchs and leaders to ponder deeply.

The Shadow of world destruction is too distant, the Star Palace is too ethereal, and the threat seems both near and far, making it unreal. But one thing is certain... Kang De, who defeated Griffin Williams and crushed the Council's elite army head-on, already possesses the strength and prestige of a great monarch.

From the moment the news of the victory spread, he was no longer just a powerful figure who intimidated the continent with Forbidden Spell.

Rather, he was a monarch on equal footing with the Imperial Emperor and even the Twilight Moon Empress.

Compared to the threat posed by the Star Palace, the entire Mortal World awaits Kang De.

He awaits the moment after his victory, when he will proclaim his authority and will to the Mortal World for the first time.

Meanwhile, in the Distant Harbor, which once again drew the world's attention, everything was calm and normal.

News of the victory sparked small-scale celebrations and jubilation among the people, but the official statement was rather low-key, merely briefly reporting the overwhelming victory achieved on the Goth border.

The statement did not boast of military force or flaunt its achievements. It even glossed over the death of "bandit leader" Griffin and made no mention that the villain was personally executed by Kang De.

It simply emphasized that the people of Distant Harbor love peace and are not afraid to use force to maintain it. Distant Harbor is willing to work with the people of the northern counties to build a better world, end the wrong wars and conflicts, punish the culprits who started the wars, let the soldiers who were not in control of their own destiny and were deceived go home, and let love return to the land.

This statement, which may seem overly kind to ordinary people, is like the excited roar of a wild beast before it hunts, sending chills down the spines of outsiders with a modicum of common sense.

The omission of battle results and Griffin's death was intended to appease the morale and emotions of the northern counties.

Why should we take care of them?

Of course, it's because we'll soon be on the same side!

In other words, as the undisputed victor, Kang De wanted to take the northern counties of the Council as spoils of his victory... What an appetite, what a grand gesture!

Can you eat it?

Under the indifferent and helpless gaze of various forces, things in Distant Harbor proceeded in an orderly manner.

Alongside that lukewarm statement, two internal initiatives and explanations were also released.

First, Kang De's publicly known position and title were set as "Kang De Regent," and the titles "Your Highness" and "Duke" were no longer encouraged in principle.

Second, following the example of Kang De's encouragement of the warbands to advance when the Council ended the war, from now on, members of the armed forces, government, science and technology, industry and other departments in the Distant Harbor should address each other as comrades in their daily internal communication, regardless of gender, status, position and rank.

"Oh, Comrade Kang De."

With her emerald hair casually draped over her shoulders and a few strands tucked into her delicate, pointed ears, Malegith sat cross-legged on the computer cabin chair, a lollipop dangling from her lips. A large T-shirt covered her hips, and her rounded thighs, encased in white stockings, stretched taut over her full, voluptuous figure. This outfit, a blend of purity and allure, was already stunning enough, but paired with her breathtakingly beautiful elven face, it was truly unforgettable.

As she rapidly clicked the mouse, she turned her head and smiled gently at Kang De, her gaze captivating.

"--Didn't you go sell your ass to the emperor today?"

Kang De chuckled, moved swiftly, and knelt down in front of the socket. He casually pressed the plug, looked up at the Parrot, and raised an eyebrow.

The Parrot was startled, and its face immediately became obsequious. "Brother, big brother, calm down, calm down."

She frantically clicked the mouse, her gaze shifting between the screen and Kang De's face. "I finally managed to connect, but damn it, why is it so slow in the US region..."

Kang De, holding the plug and power strip together, said casually, "To put it nicely."

While performing intense manipulation, Malegith cried out, "No, please, don't pull that hard thing out, leave it inside..."

"..." Kang De sighed, "I didn't tell you to say that. At least be a little more dignified, don't be so unrestrained."

"Are you crazy?"

The Parrot spoke casually, its lips opening and closing, a red lollipop bouncing back and forth on its pink tongue. "If you had lived all these years, and then been turned into a bird and kept in captivity for so many years, would you show me any dignity?"

Kang De reluctantly placed the power strip on the ground, went around to the back of the computer compartment, and looked at the image on the screen.

The Parrot was controlling her game character, a short, stout, and muscular black woman with a bald head, tattoos, earrings, and red lips, dressed in an extremely flamboyant purple office lady outfit, riding Mark II without a mother and frolicking in the skies of Los Santos, attacking anyone she saw.

He shook his head and said, "I'm not done playing yet."

"I'm fishing," the Parrot said happily. "Horus left a level-two AI here. Once I catch one that's cheating, I'll note the address, find the location, and then go and take him down via the internet when I have time."

Kang De shrugged and looked down.

The best thing about oversized T-shirts is that when the neckline slips down to one side, it reveals rounded, cute little shoulders. Kang De openly admired that dazzling white skin, contrasting with the white bra straps that were slightly digging into the flesh; the sight was truly captivating.

Also, this guy really treats me like an outsider.

He looked at the pattern of the bra printed on the T-shirt and clicked his tongue.

"You should be even more excited now, right?"

"What are you saying?"

"On the afternoon of the twenty-eighth day of your sixth month on the island, you were sitting in front of the computer browsing through your collection, introducing each of your sea wives to me. Didn't you say something like, 'I'm way past the age where I get aroused at the sight of naked [beep--], and I even think that simple nudity isn't the best; the best is when someone is dressed more but exudes a hidden eroticism'? Wasn't that what you said?"

Kang De clicked his tongue, but he didn't feel ashamed or embarrassed in front of the Parrot, just as the Parrot would openly make lewd jokes in front of him... It was nothing.

Back then, I said the most outrageous things and did the most outrageous things in front of her.

He clicked his tongue. "Why do you remember it so clearly?"

The Parrot said nonchalantly, "How many living people do you think you are on this island? The first one, brother, a talking, hairless monkey, how novel! I remember every word you said."

Kang De was taken aback by what he heard.

Every single word...?

His gaze shifted, and he looked down at the Parrot again. Although the overhead view only showed its head and two large buns, and only the Parrot silently playing its game, but...

Even if there are games to play, it must be lonely to be stuck here on this side of Earth all by yourself.

He was about to speak when he saw the Parrot raise its head, "Moved by me? Feeling guilty?"

Kang De, his face dark, pressed her head down, forcing her to look at the screen. "The foreigner is insulting you."

Just now, the Parrot was causing trouble everywhere on its flying motorcycle, but it was finally punished by the victims who couldn't stand it anymore with an explosive sniper rifle. So it started foot combat and beat all the surrounding forces to a pulp.

Then the chat started filled with friendly greetings.

His Parrot, parrot-like fingers danced across the keyboard as he affectionately referred to the foreigner who was criticizing him as a "black friend," which infuriated the other party, who then desperately tried to explain that he wasn't a black man. So his title became "Southern black friend who supports A Chuan"... and then a whole bunch of chaos ensued.

"On another note," the Parrot asked, "How are things going with the Emperor?"

Kang De pinched her face, tugged at it a few times, and replied, "It's alright, except for the fact that she instills imperial mindset and authoritarian ideas in me every few days."

Is he still playing Civilization?

"Yeah, they were fighting Gandhi like mad yesterday, exchanging nuclear bombs."

Malegith laughed, "So bad?"

"I'm still not as experienced as you. Watch me play for a little while and I figured out how to play."

Kang De had loosened his grip on Malegith's face, but he didn't let go completely. Instead, he subconsciously stroked her cheeks and chin, finding them soft, smooth, and very comfortable.

He squinted, recalling the past, and couldn't help but smile.

Wow, that's fast! You can use the mouse and keyboard by yourself now.

"Back when you were playing Civilization, you could only grab the mouse with your two paws, then flap your wings and move it, or you could just use your head to push it, or you could arch your body sideways, and after arching, you had to stretch your neck to check if the position was right. If the position was a little off, you would raise one paw and push the mouse hard..."

He looked down at the Parrot, a mischievous smile on his face.

The Parrot sighed heavily.

"There was no other way. After all, I was just a poor Parrot back then, without any hands to use, so I could only make do. But happiness is relative. When I realized that some people, even if they have a certain organ, are destined to never use it in their entire lives, I wasn't sad. Instead, I felt satisfied and comforted."

Malegith wiping away tears. "That child was so pitiful. It must have been on the 124th night when, halfway through generating electricity, his eyes went vacant, and he suddenly turned his head to the wall and started sobbing, saying something like, 'We were just joking before, but I never thought I'd really have to masturbate for the rest of my life...'"

She finally couldn't hold back anymore and burst into laughter. "It was such a sad thing, but I laughed so hard I fell off the shelf and crawled all over the floor, forgetting to flap my wings..."

It is clear that the joys and sorrows of humans and birds are not the same.

Kang De retorted angrily, "Is there any point in saying this now?!"

"Weren't you the one who brought up my past mistakes and embarrassing history? Can't you handle this?"

"You were the one who said that first, weren't you?"

"That's a fucking embarrassing past. All the girls at the Sound of the Tide Manor have probably changed into maid outfits by now. You're such a shameless scumbag who's too embarrassed to say it directly, so you hint at your fantasies and try to entice the girls to make their move!"

"What's wrong with maid outfits! They're the work clothes of working people!"

"Fuck you! Where did that Saxon countrywoman's maid outfit get its lace and ribbons? And why is the skirt so short? And where did the garter belt and stockings come from?"

"I don't know! Anyway, England! This is the birthplace of maid outfits. The England themselves innovate and improve traditional clothing, so of course I respect their culture!"

The Parrot chuckled coldly upon hearing this.

"Shameless old scoundrel! Did you buy that for England? You had those England make it! You took that business from those bastards at the equestrian center, a century-old shop specializing in custom clothing, and you asked them to make you some cute anime maid outfit? The England tailors, presumptuous and arrogant, refused, so you called Bao Zhongtang and had his intelligence agents threaten them! You've turned a modern fantasy novel plot into this! You should know shame!"

Upon hearing this, Kang De arrogantly declared, "This tailor, a worker with a lifetime contract, dares to slack off! Doesn't he deserve to die? As a member of the working class, he's so picky, unwilling to lower himself and go among the masses. He even dares to refuse a maid outfit that the people love! I don't even want to think about what he'll refuse next! Let him experience the iron fist of capitalism as soon as possible; that's called moral education!"

The two argued for a long time, until they reached the point of discussing ideological issues, before finally stopping.

The Parrot simply quit the game and sat there, letting Kang De scratch her chin.

"To be honest, when I heard you cry back then, I found it both amusing and pitiful." She suddenly laughed. "I was also thinking, 'Hey, I'm even more miserable than you. I've lived this long and never had a moment of pleasure.'"

She squinted and said, "Then I thought, if I ever have the chance to go out, I definitely want to have some fun. Seeing how pitiful you are, and though you're barely pleasing to the eye, it's not like I can't consider comforting you."

Upon hearing this, Kang De immediately cried out, "Female benefactor—"

Before the words were even finished, the Parrot straightened up, twisted its slender waist, braced its knees on the chair, and turned around.

Her chest pressed against the back of the chair, kneeling on the seat, her height almost the same as Kang De's. Their eyes met, they could feel each other's breath, and their pupils reflected each other's images.

"Should we do it?"

The Parrot cupped Kang De's face in its hands. "If you want to do it, you can do it now."

Kang De was taken aback, then sneered, "Trying to mess with me again—"

The next moment, his eyes widened.

As the Parrot spat the lollipop aside, its soft lips pressed against his, their tongues intertwining. The sweetness of the candy, still on his tongue, mingled with his fragrant breath, seeping into his heart.

"Look..."

After kissing for a short while, Malegith released Kang De's lips, her face slightly flushed, and whispered, "We've already kissed, haven't we? It's nothing special. That kind of thing is pretty normal, isn't it?"

"In the end, you're the one who's ridiculous. The Star Palace is about to be destroyed, and you think you have a huge advantage? Or did you get confident just because you defeated a small fry? Please, we're about to die, and we might not even have a chance to escape. Why don't we take advantage of our last moments and have some fun? Who are you keeping your chastity for?"

Kang De was somewhat flustered, and his expression changed slightly upon hearing this.

He looked at Malegith intently for a few moments. "Just for this reason?"

The previous empress crossed her arms, grabbed the hem of her shirt, and lifted it up, tossing the white T-shirt into a corner to reveal a dazzling expanse of snow-white skin. A lace-patterned bra accentuated the deep cleavage of her breasts. Malegith reached out and hooked her arm around Kang De's neck. "What, is it not allowed?"

She kissed Kang De's lips gently. "In the end, I'm just accompanying you to do the same stupid things we did before, to live and die together, brother. I don't ask for anything in return. What a standard, sensible harem member—I don't care how many women you have, as long as you have me in your heart, that's enough... Is that what you say?"

The elf chuckled, "Anyway, I'll fight for you, risk my life for you. A versatile tool elf like me doesn't charge money. As for payment, all you need is... just think about how much you're getting out of this?"

As she spoke, she reached out and grabbed Kang De's collar, smiling sweetly, "Come on, let me..."

Kang De took a deep breath. " --Malegith."

No sooner had she finished speaking than a finger pressed against her lips. The Parrot's smile faded, and she said calmly, "First of all, I'm in a bad mood. Think it over carefully before you speak—I'm not obligated to stay by your side and help you. If you make me unhappy, I can leave immediately. Or you can just stay silent and take advantage of the situation."

"If you really want to say something, I'll give you one sentence."

Then, she released her fingers.

Kang De took a deep breath, facing Malegith's indifferent gaze, devoid of any smile.

"--I'm here today to have you pack your things. We'll settle things here in Can*da and then spend a month together on Earth, consider it a vacation. After all, it must have been boring and lonely keeping watch for me here for so long. I'm not just making this up to fool you. I've already spoken to the Distant Harbor side and I'm going to disappear for four or five days. The Emperor also said you can check anytime. Damn it, I even secretly ordered flowers, hoping to add a touch of romance, but who knew you'd be so uncivilized, simple, crude, and clueless about romance, not even as good as me. In short, can you do that kind of thing when you're in a bad mood?!"

After shouting, Kang De took a deep breath, his enormous lung capacity even creating a small vortex that made Malegith's loose hair sway gently.

The Parrot seemed stunned, staring blankly at Kang De.

A moment later, she moved slightly.

Kang De pounced like a vicious dog snatching food, bypassing the computer pod, squeezing into the chair, and pulling Malegith into a tight embrace. He held her soft, fragrant skin in his hands, his face pressed against her warm skin, and shouted, "You're not leaving! You're not leaving in this lifetime! You know me, I'm a 'whoever takes on the whole department' faction!"

He hugged the other person tightly, so much so that he himself sank into them, letting out muffled cries.

"I don't know why you're angry, and I don't know how to comfort you, but at least let me try--"

Malegith didn't struggle; she just stood there, stunned, as Kang De pressed the entire elf down in the chair. Suddenly, she laughed, shaking her head as she laughed, "Damn..."

Kang De froze for a moment, then sighed deeply and said sadly, "Alright... never mind."

With a look of shame and humiliation on his face, he reached out to unzip his pants.

The Parrot patted the back of his head.

"I... I don't know what's wrong with me."

She whispered, "After killing that God of the Star Palace... I might have been reminded of things from the past. Especially after returning to Earth, I felt increasingly... uneasy."

"I am a loser, a prisoner clinging to life. The Star Palace has returned, and I think of Li Manyue. If it had been Li Manyue who wanted to kill you, you wouldn't even have had time to open the Phase Door and escape... But even that Li Manyue ultimately lost. Can we... really win?"

She hugged Kang De tightly, as if afraid he would run away.

"I can't stop thinking about the past... Ever since I returned to Earth, I've been thinking about it, I've been afraid. I can't control myself from thinking about it; my soul tells me I'm terrified."

"I don't know what I'm worried about or afraid of; it's like something bad has happened."

"I think that must be the Star Palace's declaration of war... This time, the God of the Star Palace knows you are the Fire Thief, and he's clearly coming for you. The Star Palace knows that a new Fire Thief has appeared in the Mortal World..."

She murmured, "This time it was a mutually destructive attack, what will it be next? What is this enemy that even Li Manyue despaired over, that she thought was invincible?"

As he spoke, the Phoenix King, who had once shone brightly in an era, looked around blankly.

An endless chill seemed to surge through the air, and within the void, the sound of annihilation seemed to echo.

She shrank back slightly.

Even with her Phoenix Eyes that could monitor the heavens and look down upon the Mortal World, she could not find the source of her profound fear and premonition of destruction.

That's only natural.

After all, this is Earth, a world far removed from the Mortal World.

The terror and despair she was aware of and foresaw were nothing more than phantoms of past fears, mere echoes of a defeated soul's lament.