Civilization: Beyond Two Worlds

The first time, the second time, and the third time.

Every time, it was a game. Every time, something substantial would change. He would seek cooperation and reveal the truth to reveal the plan of the Sword Orchid Army to determine the direction of defending the city to the end.

Leona’s impression of this iron-handed and cold-blooded mayor was completely negative. Hong San had previously hated him, but now he understood and cherished him. Kang De’s attitude towards Nick had always been clear. He understood the other party’s actions, but he could not accept his personality, so he kept a distance.

!!

Moreover, he had always been vigilant.

However, his vigilance was slowly decreasing.

The relationship between people was like this. At first, it was unfamiliar and wary. Later on, after interacting with each other, he gradually understood the other party’s temperament and improved their relationship and impression. In Kang De’s eyes, Nick was considered a patriot and a person who could succeed. Such a person was ruthless to others and to himself.

Trapped in Valentine, his goal and requests matched Nick’s to a certain extent, so there was a foundation for cooperation. Until now, it had been a happy cooperation.

Putting aside his personal opinion, Nick and Kang De maintained a very good cooperative relationship.

There was even a certain level of trust.

Although they had only gotten to know each other recently, they were both confident in the business level of their collaborator. Moreover, the two of them had never disappointed each other. Nick had always ruled this not-so-sturdy and not-powerful city and tenaciously defended it against the tide of elves. Kang De had also continuously turned the impossible into a possibility and forcefully defeated several attacks of the Dusk Legion to cooperate with Nick to complete the magnificent feat of defending the city.

Until today.

Nick was here, but that was all.

Kang De listened to the increasingly anxious and noisy cries and pleas outside and sighed softly.

Because he had also heard Nick’s comforting voice, it was drowned in the voices and wind, so he could not hear it clearly.

Kang De lowered his eyes.

Nick… had nothing to say.

The best solution was actually not comfort, but suppression. The Sword Orchid Army was about to arrive, but Valentine could not hold on anymore. People were panicking, and chaos was everywhere. Tonight, this group of people had publicly come to force Kang De, which meant that Nick was already a little powerless to suppress this city.

However, it was precisely at this moment that he had to suppress it with an iron fist. Even if he had to use heavy punishment, he did not hesitate. He had to guard it for two days. As soon as the Sword Orchid Army arrived, they would kill the elves and even annihilate them. That would be a huge merit. No one would pursue everything he had done previously.

However, Nick chose to comfort them.

If he showed weakness now, those with other thoughts would only push their luck. Tonight, it was only these old, weak, women, and children, a motley crew. Tomorrow, they might be stronger and stronger people, because the successive cruel bloody battles and the elves’ publicity attacks had already pried open Valentine’s heart.

When the human heart was no longer reliable, what was the use of being gentle and comforting?

When the will to resist had already dissipated, what was the use of courage and encouragement?

At this point, only fear, madness, high pressure, and cruelty could squeeze out the last trace of courage and beastliness of people and make them risk their lives to continue defending the city.

This was war. In the end, it was a battle of who was more ruthless and who could not endure it first.

Let’s see if the elves broke through the city first, if Valentine collapsed on his own, or if the Sword Orchid Army attacked before the two happened. This was the good outcome that everyone tried their best to obtain.

He should have done this.

However, Nick still chose to comfort them.

Kang De slowly exhaled.

It was reasonable.

Although this was the principle, Kang De was half an outsider after all. He understood the reason for Nick’s actions. In the end, the mayor of Valentine was only a mortal. He could not expect him to always act coldly and rationally because his entire wealth and family were in the city and could not escape.

He had already paid too much to protect this city. He had almost bet everything on the gambling table. At the last moment, it was human nature to waver.

Kang De leaned against the wall, closed his eyes, and waited quietly.

Until Nick walked in alone and walked to him.

Kang De opened his eyes and said, “I can’t defend it anymore. After such a thing happened, I can no longer climb the city wall and entrust my back to Valentine’s soldiers. Moreover, people have already lost their morale to fight. Even these lowest and most timid people can do such a thing, let alone people stronger and more mobile than them.”

He paused for a moment, not giving Nick a chance to speak.

“I can bring you away. You can bring two people. I promise you that I’ll definitely kill the Dusk Legion and defeat the elves and make them pay a heavy price.”

Kang De looked at the mayor in front of him with a calm expression, “But now, it’s time to leave.”

“No.” Nick Valentine said.

Kang De looked at the other party quietly.

“No, we can’t leave.” Nick’s expression was very calm, his eyes were very calm, and his tone was very calm. His words did not even fluctuate at all, and his eyes were the same. He just looked straight at Kang De.

However, under this calmness was probably unprecedented excitement and intensity.

He repeated, “We can’t leave.”

Nick Valentine had probably gone crazy long ago.

“We can still hold it. We can’t leave,” he said. “The Sword Orchid Army will come soon. When they come, the elves will lose and retreat. All sacrifices will be meaningful. Many people will survive.”

“I’m very regretful, but as you can see, it can’t be defended.”

Kang De’s tone was cold and calm, but it could not be shaken. He said directly, “I’m willing to fight for Valentine and have already done my best. I stayed because of my judgment and left because of my judgment.”

Nick said woodenly, “No, you can’t leave.”

Kang De narrowed his eyes. “This is different from our agreement.”

The mayor only repeated, “No, you can’t leave.”

Kang De sighed, “Don’t do anything stupid, Nick. I don’t have any ill feelings for you. It’s not your fault that Valentine fell. I’ve already done my best, and so have you. I admire your talent, admire your decision, and understand your choice, so I’m willing to bring you away. I don’t want to recruit you, but I feel that it’s too much of a pity for you to die here. If there’s a chance of survival, why don’t you witness the end of Twilight?”

Nick froze, then laughed silently.

He grinned, revealing white teeth and red gums. His wild and silent smile was very terrifying, crazy, and suppressed.

This noble who seemed to be forever meticulous and adhered to etiquette revealed a wild smile.

He had already forgotten what he had insisted on earlier.

“Leave?”

Nick lowered his voice and smiled intensely, but his eyes were cold as he questioned coldly.

“You want me to escape? In what capacity?”

He stared fixedly into Kang De’s eyes, “If Valentine City is broken, the elves will obtain this firm city. If we defend it, the encirclement plan of the Sword Orchid Army will completely fail. A hole will be broken in the southeast front. The strategic level will be extremely passive, and even the Sword Orchid Army will encounter danger. Should I escape in panic as a sinner who messed up all of this and shamelessly live with Your Highness Kang De?”

Kang De said indifferently, “Do you need me to tell you a few shameful stories?”

The flames in Nick’s eyes suddenly bloomed.

The suppressed madness and strong emotions surged at this moment.

“—Don’t look so indifferent! You really disgust me! Do you know, Kang De, what I hate about you the most is that you’ve always treated us and our fate with this attitude!”

“Just like the most detestable and picky audience, sitting in the most honorable stand and admiring the performance on the stage with indifferent expressions, the sweat, hard work, and sacrifice of the actors are not worth mentioning to you. It’s laughable for us to do our best to act for you. Are we like clowns in front of you? That’s not the story you watch. This is our lives, our fate, and our lives!”

“What do you mean by we can’t defend it anymore? What do you mean by leaving? How can it be so easy? How can it be so easy?!”

Nick lowered his voice and roared, “Do you know how much I’ve sacrificed for this city?! Do you know how much I’ve done?! The entire family, all the wealth, all the glory, everything!”

“You want me to leave with just a light sentence? How is that possible?!”

“I want to defend this city! I have to defend it! I can’t leave! No one can leave! I can’t lose completely. I can’t lose all of this. I have to defend it and obtain more!”

“If we defend it, we can protect all of this and obtain more!”

Nick’s eyes were red and he was almost crazy to the extreme. His saliva flew everywhere.

Kang De sighed, “So this is what you mean? Nick, in your heart, which is more important, fulfilling your duty, protecting your people, taking risks, and getting promoted?”

The mayor glared and hissed, “I want them all, can’t I?”

Kang De said indifferently, “What if you can only choose one?”

Before Nick could speak, Kang De sighed softly, “You don’t have to say anything. I know. The moment you used everyone’s lives coldly and rationally and built the city wall, I should have known. I was too young and believed your nonsense and bold words. I actually believed that Goethe still had heroes.”

He looked up at the other party and sighed, “There might be, but it’s not you.”

When Nick heard this, a short stunned expression flashed through his eyes. Then, this emotion was replaced by embarrassment and anger. He said sternly, “Do you know what you’ve done by saying these baffling words?!”

“It’s all because of you! If you hadn’t stood up anxiously, I could have delayed enough time! Do you think that without you, defending the city won’t work? I originally planned well to let the elves taste the sweetness bit by bit and let them carefully and slowly attack the city and advance step by step until reinforcements arrived!”

He finally vented all his malice and dissatisfaction.

“But you just had to show off! You always sent the elves back covered in dust! You made them attack more and more ferociously! You even exposed your identity and made them take down this city and you no matter what! That’s why it led to this outcome! All of this is your responsibility! Do you understand?! It’s all your responsibility!”

“It’s all because of you! It’s all because of you!”

“Therefore, you have to stay! Protect this city! You’re Princess Tina’s husband and a member of the Tedrell family! If anyone needs to sacrifice, you must be the first! Since the soldiers can die and the commoners can die, you can die too! Kang De!”

Nick’s eyes were red and filled with pressure. With a crazy expression, he approached Kang De.

He muttered, “Two days, two days at most. Defend the city and bring everyone along. Use any method you can think of. Even if you negotiate with the elves and exchange your life for it, it’s fine! This is what you should do! This is your obligation! Hurry up and do it!”

Kang De slowly exhaled.

How should he put it?

He wanted to laugh.

“I say… has your brain been beaten silly by the elves?”

He moved his neck, and his eyes became cold and indifferent.

“Who do you think you are? Who do you think I am? A commoner under your rule? Must I do whatever the noble says? Strange, your city is really strange. Everyone from the nobles to the lowly commoners has a problem with their heads. What do you take me for? Why do you feel that I have an obligation to fight for your lives and wealth? It’s f*cking amazing. Is there moral kidnapping in the other world too?”

Kang De blinked, and a cold light appeared in his eyes, “Everything is over… Believe it or not, I’ll make your entire family die tonight.”

Nick looked at him fearlessly and smiled.

“It doesn’t matter. There’s no difference between dying tonight and tomorrow. If you kill me, the entire city will immediately collapse. I know you have a teleportation method and can leave, but Miss Vidal over there, your Cathayan companions, and these green-skinned people. Can you bring these people away? Can they all survive?”

He smiled coldly, “If you kill your way out and cause Valentine to fall and collapse tonigh, guess if the elves will let go of this good opportunity after knowing this? They don’t even have to fabricate it because you caused this outcome. You killed the people of this city and even caused the variables of the entire southeast battle to collapse. Moreover, you’ll put Princess Tina’s second brother in danger… Kill, come and kill me.”

Nick raised his head and revealed his neck like a lunatic. “Come, come.”

At the same time.

As the two of them chatted, the irrelevant people all retreated. Even Hong San and Leona were unwilling to stay. Miss Vidal hid at the side in a mess and could not figure out her thoughts. Hong San quietly left with the camera to continue filming the group of people on the street and their appearance.

He frowned tightly and recalled Kang De’s state tonight. He was very worried. It was a mixture of disappointment and anger. It was very bad. Hong San thought of Kang De’s past appearance. For some reason, he did not want him to see through the world. He still felt that his previous state was better.

However, he did not know how to explain and persuade Kang De. He was not an expert like his master.

He was one of the people Kang De hated.

As Hong San’s imagination ran wild, he held the camcorder and filmed. People noticed the commotion here and looked at him a few times warily and uneasily, then continued to look at the Chamber of Commerce with worry and anticipation.

However, in this situation, someone hurriedly turned around and wanted to walk to another place.

In a flash, he left a side profile in Hong San’s vision.

Hong San’s expression changed abruptly and he said sternly, “Wait!”