Civilization: Beyond Two Worlds

Looking at Tagris's outstretched hand, Kang De pondered for a moment.

Then, he held it.

The elf held the human's palm. Tagris saw Kang De's hesitation. "What other questions do you have?"

"There are many questions."

Instead, Kang De frowned, because he heard the dissatisfaction and impatience in the other party's words. "This is not the first time I've dealt with you elves. I discovered that you have a problem."

The other party asked, "What?"

Kang De replied, "Arrogance."

Seeing that Tagris wanted to explain, Kang De raised his hand and interrupted, "I'm not talking about your superficial etiquette, but it's something in your bones, something subconscious."

"In your opinion, if you put aside the blood feud and extend an olive branch of friendship to me from a higher standpoint, I have to accept it. Suspicion and rejection are ungrateful. You, the others in the diplomatic mission, and even the elves I encountered previously think of the problem this way. You never look at the problem from the perspective of others and think that you have good intentions. The other party has to accept it… I've made this mistake before."

He let go of the other party's hand and said calmly, "When talking about cooperation, you have to look at the problem from the perspective of others. From my standpoint, I suddenly heard these words that I don't know are true and are quite suspicious of the way you elves do things. It's natural to be wary and suspicious, right?"

"I see," Tagris said. "Then you'll believe me when we capture them?"

"That's not the case." Kang De shook his head. "The fundamental conflict still exists."

"What fundamental contradiction?"

"This is the second problem I mentioned."

Kang De raised two fingers. "Let me ask for the time being. You know that after I throw the bomb, a mysterious faction will find trouble with me because I violated the rules. As my enemy, not only did you not watch the show or kick me when I was down, you even ran over to help me because we have a common enemy?"

Tagris nodded and replied, "Of course."

"Thank you." Kang De thanked him politely, "However, I think you put aside your country's hatred and helped me not only because you want to thank me. In other words, at the strategic level, the benefits I can bring you or your country will definitely be greater than the destruction of those six armies, right?"

When Tagris heard this, sorrow and sigh flashed through his eyes. He said in a low voice, "I'm actually not used to calculating such accounts so clearly… I don't like to calculate this."

Kang De was stunned for a moment before understanding.

He looked at the other party deeply and comforted, "Politics is not shameful."

The elf turned his head to the side. "Shame, very f*cking shameful."

—F*ck.

Kang De was shocked, but when he saw that the other party's face was filled with disappointment and there was no teasing or joke, he determined that this was only a coincidence.

This was the second time.

This was a wonderful elf.

He played with his mind and wanted to continue, but he saw Tagris say with a serious expression, "I don't know if what I did was right or wrong… However, what I want is that the later Twilight Dynasty doesn't have to be so shameful."

Kang De smiled. "Shame? You're the hegemon of the world. If you're shameless, what's the rest?"

"Hegemon?" Tagris repeated with a mocking expression, "Just in history, this world has recognized four generations of overlords. Where have they gone now?"

—Who would understand this? I'm from Earth. Let me tell you, the dinosaur was smashed to death by Nuwa, and the forerunners were killed by uprising human slaves… Can you understand this?

Kang De thought for a moment, "Wait, they were all killed by the mastermind?"

Tagris shook his head and said, "No, every generation's overlord was killed by the previous overlord. The last overlord was replaced by us, and then we became the new so-called overlord."

—Is that f*cking embarrassing? Will the American Empire feel that they're embarrassing? You're showing off, right?

The elf glanced at Kang De, "Do you know why these few generations of overlords have declined?"

Of course, they were outdated. The system of the vested interest groups was no longer adapted to the environment of the new world. They had gone overboard and collapsed before being beaten into dregs by external forces.

Of course, he would not show off this in front of the elves. What right did he have to tell them modern history for free? Moreover, the other world was very different from Earth. Common sense was different.

Therefore, Kang De said sincerely, "Please guide me."

Tagris sighed and was silent for a moment before slowly saying, "Because their path is dead."

Kang De waited quietly for him to continue.

The elf sized up Kang De again with a cold gaze, "At the beginning of the Cathay Dynasty, the emperor was talented and had many talents under him. Many famous ministers and good generals who could shine in previous dynasties appeared in that era. At that time, the Cathay Dynasty subdued its homeland, opened up its territory, connected to sea trade, and rested with the people. That extremely glorious era not only illuminated the East, but it even deeply affected the Twilight Dynasty and the Western Continent."

"At that time, Cathay had the appearance of an overlord. It was our first potential enemy."

"However, in the past 300 years, the emperors have passed generation after generation, but the country has not developed at all. The shipping route has also been cut off. The improvement of the Immortal Technique has been slow, and the updating of military tactics has almost stopped. The country has fallen into stupid internal strife and lacks war experience. The bureaucracy is old and corrupt. There are many losses. The country's system that is no longer suitable can't be reformed. The group of vested interests is becoming more and more bloated and huge…"

"According to our summary and summary of the history of Cathay, this is only the reincarnation cycle of a dynasty. There will be newer and stronger dynasties standing above the bones of the losers. According to our estimates, this will take about a hundred years to complete the cycle of the new and the old."

"Oh, right, this prediction was made 20 years ago."

"Now, the former Eastern overlord has actually already been destroyed. The population has suddenly decreased, the inheritance has collapsed, the army has been destroyed, and the warriors have died in battle. The Imperial Court that is still struggling at death's door is only a monarch supported by the resistance. The emperor is even a woman and continues to hold on without any hope of victory…"

It seemed that be it Earth or the other world, humans always repeated the sad cycle.

Kang De asked, "Why did they lose so quickly?"

Tagris said expressionlessly, "Because the leader of the Rebellion Army who caused trouble in the west of the Empire and a group of desperate rebels should have been easily suppressed and eliminated by the local garrison, but they obtained the protection of the gods overnight. They're extremely strong, invulnerable to weapons, and immune to poison. Even if they're seriously injured, they can recover at an extremely fast speed. The epidemic is everywhere. Only their team can enter directly from the epidemic area and be immune to all evil."

"The nomadic people who attacked from the north lack armor and their chances of winning are not high, but they have obtained the blessing of the God of War. They can absorb strength in killing and battle. Moreover, they become stronger and stronger the more they fight. They kill wildly and are invincible."

"The merchants from the north of the Empire realized that this dynasty had already decayed and that this race no longer had a future. Therefore, they understood the righteousness and secretly offered loyalty to provide resources to external enemies. Internally, they hoarded resources. They used breathtaking decisions and schemes to disintegrate the economic system of Cathay in a short period of time just to introduce new blood and let a stronger country replace the crumbling dynasty."

"There are also political parties from the southeast and the scholars under them who have open-minded thoughts and call for progress. They hate the doctrine of the old school and think that reform is imperative. They shouted the slogan of heaven's justice and human desires. The war is clearly imminent, but they're bold and unrestrained in correcting the country. Moreover, they enjoy themselves every night and are in a mess. Clearly, it'll only become more and more chaotic."

Kang De said with a subtle expression, "It sounds very wrong."

"Just feel that something is wrong."

There was a trace of uneasiness and coldness in the elf's cold tone, "There should have been a long and painful dynasty change in a hundred years. In the end, it would have returned to calm and become powerful again. This is the cycle of Cathay. However, this time, all kinds of strange and conspiracy-filled variables worked together and destroyed this extremely huge country in 20 years. Although the reason is that this country deserves it, there are no other external forces, right?"

Kang De pondered for a moment. "They did it? Is that why you're afraid?"

"It's almost certain that they must have interfered. This is because, after generations, the Cathay of this dynasty has already crossed that limit and is about to undergo a transformation. Our intelligence department has gathered all kinds of shocking secrets about the Cathay of the past hundred years. The emperor lost his footing and drowned in the water, the grandmaster died mysteriously, the outcome of a political battle, and financial development. It seems to be chasing fame and profit, but there's actually a shadow that can't be seen. The layout and conspiracy of the Cathay have probably begun a long time ago."

After Tagris finished speaking, he glanced at Kang De. "You're indeed not from Cathay."

Kang De was stunned, then he smiled. "Did I say I was?"

"Hmph…"

The elf snorted, "At first, I thought you were from their side and specially came down to find trouble with us."

Kang De smiled and said, "What about now? How do you determine that it's not true?"

Tagris patted the bottle of Sprite on the table. "How can they have such delicious food?"

—That's it?

Of course, it was more than that, but it seemed that he was unwilling to say the real reason.

The elf changed the topic, "It doesn't matter if you're not from Cathay. As long as you're willing, we can find you an illustrious ancestor with the surname Kang at any time and make your bloodline sacred and glorious…"

Kang De smiled and said, "I'm not interested in finding an ancestor for myself."

"Do you value bloodline? It seems that your ancestor was a loser who fled when the dynasty changed in his early years… Alright, don't worry, I won't ask further. The elves will respect potential allies."

Tagris said, "But isn't this just right? With the current situation of Cathay, if you turn the tide and become a hero, you'll be the Son of Heaven protected by the gods. Your background is no longer important."

He used an entire country as a bargaining chip and pushed it over without changing his expression, "Goethe is small. With your skin color, there's still a barrier here. In this world, the barrier between races is like steel that's difficult to break. Why don't you return to a country with the same language? They definitely won't reject you."

At this point, the elf smiled and said, "If you're greedy for beauty, the Cathayan Empress is not inferior to Princess Tina."

Kang De looked at him and smiled too. "What about the Elven Empress?"

Tagris subconsciously avoided his gaze and his smile quickly disappeared. He said indifferently, "To a ruler, beauty is meaningless. In terms of achievements and power, a hundred Cathayan Empresses and Princesses of Goethe combined can't compare to a strand of the Phoenix King's hair."

Kang De suddenly smiled.

The other party frowned and said, "What are you laughing at?"

"I remember something happy."

"What happy thing?"

"I proposed to the Phoenix King."

"…You!"

"Why? Am I wrong?"

Tagris glared at Kang De, then smiled in disdain, "Hmph, the elves who yearn and admire the Phoenix King can queue from the Silver Moon City to the Jade Sea. They're all stronger, more handsome, and more knowledgeable than you. You're only an insignificant member."

Kang De supported his cheek with his hand and tilted his head to look into the eyes of the elves, "Those elves only admire the power and status of the Phoenix King, and only I know that the holy and noble Phoenix King might only be a mischievous, lively, emotional, and a little vain girl in private."

"Moreover, I'm a little lonely."

After saying that, even Kang De was shocked.

—F*ck, when did I become so eloquent?

As expected, when Tagris heard this, his slightly embarrassed expression immediately changed. His fair face quickly flushed red as he said angrily, "Nonsense! My… my sister is not like this!"

Kang De asked, "Don't you have no sister?"

The elf calmed down and looked at Kang De with a dangerous gaze. Then, he calmed down and said, "Is now the time to talk about this? Let's get down to business."

Kang De witnessed the process of his expression changing again and added, "I still like your appearance just now. It's more real… It seems that when it comes to state affairs, you seem to have automatically changed your face."

The elf did not speak and only looked at him quietly.

Their gazes met, and Kang De understood tacitly. Perhaps it was because he was more awkward and strange with the other party. He clearly knew and knew that the other party knew, but he still kept this piece of paper. Perhaps only in this way did the elves not have to wear a mask and carry the restraints that had already become a habit.

Kang De said, "Let's not talk about Cathay first. Let's talk about you. You feel a threat from the destruction of Cathay and are afraid that they will deal with the Twilight Dynasty in the same way?"

The elf restrained his emotions and his tone became calm, "No, the elves won't be afraid of the same method, but they haven't always used the same method. In fact, it's only because Cathay is too special and powerful that they took such a large-scale action."

Kang De tilted his head. "They'll use another method?"

"In fact, they've already used it."

Tagris took a deep breath as if he was hesitating if he should tell him frankly. He stared at Kang De and asked, "Can I trust you?"

Before Kang De could answer, he shook his head and mocked himself, "No, it's not a big deal. Even many elves are unwilling to believe it… I'm not afraid you'll know."

Kang De pretended to be an obedient child and listened.

"Kang De, let me ask you. Do you know why the Twilight Dynasty is powerful?"

"…I think it's probably science and technology, which is magic?"

The expression of the elf who was prepared to deny the other party four to five times in a row and proudly say the correct answer froze. He thought that the other party was going to say something like the lifespan talent of an army fleet.

…What? Why was this guy so smart?

He forced a smile and said, "It's very good that you understand this, but sometimes, it's very smart and not a good thing. If you understand what I'm about to say, don't be afraid…"

—D*mn, what do you mean?

Kang De's expression changed slightly.

Could it be that he wanted to say that these masterminds who controlled everything actually came from a huge organization that controlled the myriad worlds?

Tagris slowly said, "Magic is the source of our strength. We explore the mysteries of the world and use them on ourselves and external objects. We use this to modify the world and adapt to ourselves."

"Through magic, we build magnificent cities to protect our citizens. We nurture high-yielding crops to feed the population. We train powerful soldiers, we forge hard armor and sharp weapons, and we build larger and stronger battleships… Magic is not only the power of a mage but the cornerstone of the advancement of this world."

"Therefore, we keep exploring, so we keep strengthening. We keep advancing on this path."

"But now…"

He closed his eyes and said softly, "Over the years, the speed of the mages' deep exploration has continuously slowed down. Although they still improved, that's only the previous accumulation and gift. The path ahead is gradually approaching the end… an end that has been drawn."

At this point, the elf opened his eyes and looked at Kang De. He was prepared to see the other party's confused or shocked expression. Even the elves could not accept such a terrifying secret for a moment.

Kang De blinked. "…Your technology tree is locked?"

"…"

Although he did not understand what he was saying, he clearly understood!

Moreover, why was he so calm?! Moreover, he looked disdainful.

Didn't he realize what this meant?

Kang De asked again, "How was it locked? Tell me."

Tagris was going crazy in his heart. When he saw Kang De like this, he could not help but sigh. He said helplessly, "To put it simply, the exploration of magic, arcane magic, rules, origin, and so on requires all kinds of experiments. It requires all kinds of extremely pure elemental environments. This world is so fertile, and the experiment conditions are not ideal. Extreme environments like the deep sea, underground, and volcanoes are all limited. The most manipulative and promising future domain is in the sky, close to the sky outside."

He pointed at the roof and said softly, "This train of thought was proposed 200 years ago. With the strength of the elves, 200 years is enough for us to build at least five extraterrestrial mage towers that won't fall if we fly with the planet. We'll use that empty and pure environment to carry out various experiments and expand our territory in outer space."

"However, they all failed. Even all the exploration and research on the outer world was obstructed. There were all kinds of obstructions, even humiliating ones."

"You can guess who did it."

When Kang De heard this, he praised, "Awesome, awesome."

"…Hey, can you be more serious? Do you know what this means?"

Tagris was angered by Kang De's sloppy appearance. He slapped the table and said, "It's war! The magic improvement of the elves has slowed down, but the human countries that are inferior to us can still advance with large strides. In the long run, the difference in magic technology between the two sides will become smaller and smaller. With the reproductive ability of humans and the size of their land, they will gradually obtain an advantage!"

"—We're not stupid! We'll definitely continue to maintain our advantage and even resort to war before this. One of the reasons for this battle against Goethe is this!!"

He said coldly, "At that time, if we win, we'll continue to be the overlord. If you win, humans will be the new overlord, but the price is more than half of the incomplete world. Countless dead living beings and the war wounds that are difficult to heal will be far crueler than the previous generations of hegemony—because we're all getting stronger and stronger!"

"Then, so what if we win?"

"We're only ants trapped on the ground, fighting for the residue of food. Those guys who won again continue to enjoy everything high and mighty… Are you willing? Who will be willing?"

Hearing this, Kang De finally understood why Tagris dared to say these words.

This was because no one would believe it.

Or rather, those with the ability were unwilling to believe. Those without ability were useless.

"I roughly understand," Kang De said. "It seems that you think my ability can help you. That's why you're determined to interfere and stop this war."

Tagris said, "No…"

He had just said a word when he laughed at himself, "Ah, there's no difference. It's all my responsibility."

"But there's another problem."

Kang De thought for a moment and said, "If we join forces and kill that group of people in the end, the elves will no longer be restricted. Magic technology will advance again and leave humans far behind. At that time, what will the elves do to their former allies?"

Tagris looked at Kang De. "If the king issues an order that as long as the land you can circle belongs to you, will you abandon the vast and rich ownerless land around your house and fight with your neighbors for a small pond?"

"Yes, what's mine is mine. I can't lose anything."

"…"

"Just joking."

Kang De smiled. "I'll leave this problem to the ruler of Goethe. Duke, I've already felt your sincerity and am willing to cooperate with you to deal with those guys who've come to trouble me. We'll talk about the rest when Tina comes."

Tagris frowned and said, "You don't want Cathay? Then you want…"

If Kang De had no desires, it would be relatively troublesome. Without ties and benefits, he would not be diligent, and the Twilight Dynasty would not be at ease.

However, at this point, the elf suddenly shut up and looked at Kang De. Unknowingly, he blushed and glared as he cursed, "You bad human! Your appetite is huge!"

Kang De said in confusion, "Ah?"

"Pfft! What are you pretending for?! However, don't even think about it! You're still far from it now!"

It was really baffling.

—It's already strange enough for an Earthling like me to inexplicably come to Goethe to be a volunteer and an inter-world warrior. Why am I involved in such a thing?

After this long speech, Kang De already believed 60 to 70% of it. He felt that it was very troublesome. More and more things were entangled in the other world, and it was even endless. This made it difficult for him to adapt for a moment.

D*mn, other than the elves, there were also the Holy Seal Islands, the danger of the Curtain Invasion, and now the mastermind who controlled the continent…

—Wait.

A thought flashed through Kang De's mind. He asked, "Do you know the curtain?"

Tagris's expression suddenly changed, then he said coldly, "You're right. They're the guardians who pride themselves on guarding the curtain."

"…"

The super SSS main mission had inexplicably advanced!

It was getting late. Kang De bade the elves farewell and watched him melt into the night and disappear.

His expression was still very complicated.

Hong San, who had not appeared, floated out with a complicated expression.

"D*mn… What a lot of information…" Kang De touched his head and said with a headache, "How true do you think these words are? Those guys? The Guardian of the Curtain? Then…"

Hong San did not speak.

Kang De turned around and asked, "What's wrong?"

"I think it should be very true…"

Hong San muttered, "Because my master was forced overseas by them…"

…