Civilization: Beyond Two Worlds

346 Thank You

“Did I… mess things up?”

The night was still filled with the aura of ruins and death.

The flames dissipated, but the heat still spread out, but this night was still cold, bone-chilling.

Kang De sat on the ruins, his voice low as he looked at the ground.

!!

Kang Jinzhu’s heart skipped a beat as he slowly walked forward. “You’ve already done enough…”

Kang De said calmly, “If I listened to you and did not rashly pursue and save those Burmese, if I did not continue to pursue and save those two British after saving those Burmese, if I did not step into this city, if I did not interfere in the matters here, if I did not save the king, if I immediately left Comoros after saving you… The people of this city would probably not have encountered today’s incident.”

He moved his gaze and looked at the black and charred little child lying not far away.

“Did I… mess things up?”

In the past few hours, he had been running around, putting out the fire, and saving people. He did not stop for a moment. He did not dare to stop. If he stopped, he would think too much and think about these things.

He thought of what had caused everything and even more.

He did not listen to his father’s suggestion and insisted on saving those Burmese immediately because of the manic anger in his heart.

He continued to save the two British people to bet with his father and show him that he was not a cold-blooded and indifferent person.

In the end, he did not stay in Comoros because he had heard information about Chakat II and knew about the airport filled with military resources. He wanted to obtain the weapons and ammunition there.

He had become manic and uneasy because of the dual events of the other world and Earth and the continuous battle. In order to help Goethe, he killed and looted weapons in Comoros. In order to save his father, he could only use ruthless methods without hesitation and give up on the battlefield path to help Red Maple City. In the end, he saw the chaos on both sides, the cruelty on both sides, and the bloody killing on both sides. The war had never changed.

Was there really a difference between elves and humans?

It was the same to provoke the flames of war, the same to be cruel and violent, and the same to bully the weak. It was always the strong bullying the weak, and it was always the innocent weak being hurt.

What caused all this?

The other world was actually the same as Earth.

The peace, happiness, and joy in life were only the protection of an increasingly powerful motherland. The so-called social progress, the so-called technological advancement, the huge increase in productivity, the extremely abundant resources, the colorful world, and the endless possibilities of the future were only dreams that could only be hoped for and not reached to a large portion of the world. They looked at their barren and monotonous lives day after day.

It was as if they were still living in the dark era.

It was as if the advancement of modern technology did not benefit them at all.

They still lived a precarious poor life.

They were not killed only because their lives were not as valuable as the ammunition.

There was no pure land, only ugliness. There was only killing and harm for his goal and selfish desires.

It caused the flames of war to affect innocent living beings.

All of this…

“—No!”

His father’s voice was stern and decisive, “This is a slippery slope! I’ve told you before! Don’t dwell on it! Can’t you understand such a simple thing?!”

Kang Jinzhu took two steps forward and said sternly without any hesitation, “You’re not the one who caused all this! When they decided to use gasoline napalm and white phosphorus bombs to hurt the civilians, the demon seeds had long taken root in their hearts! They’re war criminals, animals, dogsh*t, and b*stards. They’re inhumane and crazy. Even if they don’t do it this time, they’ll definitely do it next time, next time, and in the future!”

“From the beginning to the end, there was no mistake in the choice you made! You have no obligation to save those Burmese, let alone those two British people! Be it motive or actions, you’re 100% kind when you save them. Kind people shouldn’t be criticized at all! You didn’t do anything wrong!”

He came to Kang De, squatted down, and pressed his shoulder very hard.

“Listen! You’re not a superhero. You’re Kang De, and you’re my son! Ordinary person! Ordinary person! You don’t have any responsibility! The greater your strength, the greater your responsibility. It’s pure nonsense! You don’t have to impose any moral restraints on yourself! You don’t have to imagine any responsibility! This world can still operate without you!”

Although it was harsh and powerful words, the concern and sincerity in his eyes only came from kinship.

He comforted and comforted his son. His father had to guide and educate him.

“You’ve already done enough. You’ve saved many people, more than most people in this world in their lives. No one has the right to criticize you, let alone condemn yourself… understand?”

At this point, Kang Jinzhu revealed a smile that tried to comfort him, “Think about it, look, when we watched a movie together in the past, we complained about those superheroes. Why can’t we understand when it comes to ourselves?”

His father smiled.

He looked at his son.

He wanted to see the other party’s smile.

Even if it was a smile, this proved that his explanation and persuasion were useful.

However, he did not.

His son only turned to look at him, his face still deep and calm.

“Because the movie is fake. The screenwriter’s imagination is only imagination, and reality is reality. Lives are lives.” Kang De said, “The reality is that I messed things up. Many people died, and I could not save their relatives. They were once desperate and hopeful, but in the end, they were still desperate, or they were always desperate.”

The people who collapsed and cried around the fire saw themselves falling from the sky and crying tears of joy. After the flames were extinguished, they only saw a dried corpse. Despair, hope, anticipation, and then it was destroyed.

Or perhaps there was no hope from the beginning to the end. The relatives who were burned by flames screamed in pain and struggled. Then, their lives were ended by a bullet or a sword.

He could only leave without turning around and never look into those people’s eyes.

“The reality is that I messed things up. Many people here will hate me.”

Kang De’s voice was bone-chilling.

Kang Jinzhu shivered, then shook his head and said, “No, do you think this is a movie…”

His words were interrupted by his son’s cold voice, “No, this is human nature.”

Any father would be angry when they saw their son putting on such a useless appearance, especially when their son was stuck in a dilemma and tortured himself.

Kang Jinzhu raised his eyebrows and suppressed a trace of anger, “Human nature? How many people have you seen? Don’t casually believe in human darkness. This is not a superhero story. You won’t be targeted by the government, the people, or public opinion. You don’t have to imagine these all day…”

“—You’re the one who’s been imagining it.”

Kang De interrupted Kang Jinzhu again.

...

He looked straight at his father.

He revealed a cold smile, “But I’ve seen them all.”

Kang De stood up.

A certain emotion or aura mixed with darkness, anger, sorrow, and confusion pressed over.

Kang Jinzhu even involuntarily took a step back.

He stretched out his finger and poked his father’s chest.

“A lowly beggar who has been bullied, despised, and hated was given hope, material, and respect by a person. He was grateful and swore to repay him, but when his benefactor was chased?”

“—He kicked me when I was down! He’s even unwilling to watch from the sidelines!”

“A humble, friendly, simple, and hospitable citizen only needs an order. With a shout, they’ll become ferocious and violent thugs who can’t distinguish right from wrong! They’ll bully the weak without hesitation!”

“The people who have always been protected only need the enemy’s letter of persuasion. They only need an unknown promise to be connected! They can force the hero to surrender! They can force him to sacrifice himself!”

“Because the enemy will kill them! The heroes won’t! They’re the smartest people in the world. They’ll only aim all their courage and ferocity at harmless people!”

...

“Have you? I have! Because this is my story! My experience! My life!”

“You told me this! You said the fallacy! You said that this is not my fault! You said that I’ve already done the best! You said that no one has the right to criticize me! You told me this!”

“But what is the use!”

In the howling night wind, Kang De’s voice floated in the dark and distant sky.

Kang Jinzhu looked at his son in a daze.

He felt that the other party was unprecedentedly unfamiliar.

How weak were the comforting words from before?

How powerless was the encouragement brewed out of thin air to people who had once seen it with their own eyes?

“This is reality, Dad.”

Kang De smiled bleakly.

“Reality is not logic, reality has no logic, reality has no reason, and the reality is that no one is reasonable with you. No one will convince people with virtue and logic. Reality is winning with a loud voice, reality is winning with strength. The reality is that people will be afraid but not ashamed. Reality is that people have no shame.”

“The reality is that they’re ungrateful, timid, and afraid of trouble. They investigate and criticize heroes. The reality is that humans are a group of despicable, timid, and selfish people. The brave and noble will always be in the minority—otherwise, why do society and stories always promote these beautiful qualities?”

He spread out his hands and revealed a mocking smile.

“I once thought that it was different. The two sides are different and look similar, but they’re from different races. However, now, I discovered that both sides are b*stards who can do anything.”

Kang De’s tone became even crazier.

Kang Jinzhu was at a loss.

The reason why his father could teach his children came from more years of experience. Now, he was stunned to discover that unknowingly, what his son had experienced had already far exceeded his imagination.

He did not know how to guide and educate him.

This was because he did not have relevant experience.

Therefore, all statements would not be convincing.

However, he had to do something.

“…Then ignore them!”

He gritted his teeth and said, “How they degenerate and how they b*stard are their own business! You just have to do your own thing! Do your own thing and do what you have to do. Then…”

“—Do my own thing,” Kang De said quietly. “Do you mean killing or dying?”

Kang Jinzhu’s breathing paused again.

“Or is there any other good way?”

“My friends on the same ship were all betrayed and killed. Their intestines rotted and they died. They were hacked to death, poisoned, and died from exhaustion. They died protecting me. What should I do?”

“—Kill all those people? Or go back and be killed by them? Or escape and feel guilty for the rest of my life?”

“My first friend died to save me. Before he died, he entrusted his country to me and his mission. Should I throw this matter to the back of my mind and not care anymore, or should I fulfill my promise?!”

“If I fulfill my promise, I have to kill them! Otherwise, what can I do to stop a war?”

“The city we entered was attacked by the enemy! If the city is broken, we have to slaughter them! What should we do? We still have to kill!”

“The capital of that country has been raided! If we don’t save them, they’ll die! If we save them, we still have to kill them! If we intercept them along the way, we have to kill our way out! Is there any good way?”

“Earth! Earth is the same! You were kidnapped by French mercenaries! What can I do? Wait at home for the country to mediate the rescue? In the end, you know yourself! If I don’t come, you’ll die! You’ll be silenced by them! Apart from coming to save you, other than killing my way over, what else can I do? What else?!”

Kang De widened his eyes and his body trembled with agitation.

“You taught me to be friendly! To be upright! To do the right thing! You taught me to trust! To trust the beauty of human nature! To trust hope! However, I once trusted it, but I was betrayed. I’ve been doing the right thing, avenging my friends, protecting innocent civilians, fulfilling my promise, and opposing the unrighteous war!”

“Then, I can only kill! Kill! Kill!”

“Other than killing them, there’s no good way. Apart from killing and deterring them, there’s no other way! Are there many ways to resolve the problem? No, there’s only one! Apart from killing, what else can we do? Even here is the same! Even Earth is the same! Even the country has to be the same!”

“I say, Dad, what should I do? Should I leave? Should I not care about anything?!”

“Just like the stupid plot I complained about in Man of Steel! In order not to expose his strength, he watched his father be smashed to death by a car raised by the tornado. Just like Superman? Should I watch helplessly as you were silenced by terrorists? Otherwise, I can only fight my way in! I’ll kill anyone who wants to harm you!”

“There’s no choice. I can only kill my way in! I can’t teleport to your side and bring you home directly. I can’t rely on my deterrence to suppress the various countries until they don’t dare to move. I can’t end the war before it begins. I can only use violence to resist violence. Otherwise, what should I use? Love?!”

Kang De took two steps back and spun on the spot. He grabbed his hair and breathed heavily.

“D*mn, D*mn…”

He muttered, “Use killing to resolve the problem and always use killing to resolve the problem. Apart from that, there’s no other way. Why did things become like this?”

Kang Jinzhu took a step forward. “Kang De…”

“Stop talking!”

Kang De suddenly turned around and pointed at his father, saying sternly, “You don’t know anything at all! I was even thinking just now! If someone ran over to criticize me, why didn’t they save his family earlier? Did I attract the attack of the French? I was wondering what I should do at that time. If many people were criticizing me, if many people were scolding me, I immediately had a thought!”

“Kill them!”

He roared fiercely, then panted deeply and his expression became indifferent.

“I’ll kill whoever talks nonsense. If they’re ungrateful, I’ll kill them. If my hard work and effort are exchanged for betrayal and recklessness, there’s no need to respect them. As long as they’re afraid…”

“Other than that, what else?”

“You don’t care about their slander and ungratefulness?”

“I can’t do it.”

“I killed their relatives, but what will happen if I don’t?”

“His entire body is burned to the bone. I can’t save him. Watch him burn alive, or give him a quick death? I choose the latter. This is not justice, as you said, as you taught me. I’m only doing the right thing. What I think is right.”

“But I think it’s right. They feel wrong. They think I can do better, so they criticize me, scold me, and try to hurt me… What should I do?”

“Should I not interfere in this to begin with? Why do these lousy things have to fall on me?! Why do I have to experience these?! These have nothing to do with me!”

His breathing quickened. He widened his eyes and panted heavily, and the trembling of his body became even more intense.

“I also killed an old lady.”

“Her grandson betrayed me and killed my best friend. I killed that beggar and went to his house. His grandmother, an old woman, couldn’t see anymore. There’s no food at home and she’s still waiting for her grandson to return. He won’t be able to return, and I can’t settle her down. She can only call his name day after day and wait. She’ll never see the person she’s waiting for!”

“First, she’ll slowly be anxious, frustrated, and desperate. Then, she’ll be so hungry that she’ll be exhausted! Her consciousness will blur! Her limbs will begin to swell! She’ll be so thin that she won’t be human anymore! Her skin will be highly dry! Her blood will turn into lava! Her internal organs will shrink! Her body will be hunched! She’ll die in endless pain and despair! This process will last for a few days or even more than ten days!”

Kang De’s eyes stared into nothingness. “Or I can kill her immediately.”

“I told her that her grandson had been chosen to become a big shot and would come to pick her up soon and live a good life. She believed me and smiled happily. Then I raised the nail gun.”

“In order to make her die faster, it’s best if she doesn’t know anything, so I looked into her eyes.”

“I shot her!”

“She was smiling before the shot! She was still smiling after she died! I still remember that face! The nail shot in through her eye socket! The enchanted nail twisted a hole in her face! She immediately died! She was still smiling! I always remember that face! She kept smiling! That face kept f*cking smiling!”

He roared angrily and punched the nearest wall to the left. His battle aura danced wildly and collided brazenly. With a loud bang, the charred ruins rumbled and collapsed.

Kang Jinzhu could no longer hold it in. He rushed forward and hugged his son.

Before he could speak, his father’s tears rolled down.

Kang De’s body stiffened for a moment, then he relaxed. His father’s active hug was a long time ago. It was his family, his mentor, his guide, his father.

He slowly hugged his father back and rested his head on his shoulder.

“I killed many people…”

Tears fell one by one.

“Those who were killed by guns, cannons, torn apart, crushed, and blown up are not innocent, but there are also innocent… Father, why can everything in the world only be put into killing?”

“People hurt each other. People killed. People died. I heard children crying. Innocent people were burned by flames, but the perpetrator was not punished. People are only interested in hurting each other. Why is this world like this? Why is even Earth like this?”

“Father, I’m very tired, but I can’t stop yet… I really want to rest.”

“I’ve long regretted it…”

The father and son hugged. In the deep night and ruins, Kang De rambled and choked. He said many, many things. It was messy and everything.

His father was only listening.

After a long time, footsteps walked over and lights shone in the distance.

Kang De suddenly woke up and looked in that direction with sharp eyes. It was a few figures staggering over. He relaxed slightly, but in the next moment, his body suddenly froze.

Kang Jinzhu turned around and vaguely saw a few figures walking over.

At the front was an adult holding the hand of a child. It was a mother and daughter. The others were mostly women and old people. Their footsteps were unsteady and there were still tears on their faces. Their expressions were solemn.

He turned around and saw his son’s cold gaze that revealed a trace of retreat.

His father instantly understood.

He looked at the mother and daughter walking over and stood in front of his son. “Everyone, if you…”

In the next moment, Kang De pressed his shoulder and pushed his father aside.

Kang Jinzhu grabbed his son’s arm and said, “Let me do it! Be good! You’re my son!”

Kang De said softly, “It’s fine. I won’t…”

“—Thank you.”

A slightly hoarse child’s voice sounded.

Her tone was a little awkward.

She spoke Chinese.

They turned.

The little girl grabbed her mother’s hand and looked at Kang De timidly. She spoke in awkward Chinese intermittently. She must have practiced for a long time.

“Thank, thank you…”

She said, “Dad, Dad said it hurts. Thank you for letting him sleep…”

After saying that, her eyes turned red and she buried her face in her mother’s hand. Her mother also looked at Kang De and choked, saying softly, “Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

“Thank you.”

The pronunciation was very wrong, but such thank-you words kept coming out.

From the mouths of every survivor.

The lights in the distance were continuously approaching. Many people held candles, lamps, flashlights, and even lighters. Stars of light gathered and walked over.

Every face, expression, and pronunciation was different.

This capital of Comoros had a long history and past. In hundreds and thousands of years, there had never been so much starlight as tonight, nor had there been so many foreign languages like tonight…

Thank you.