TL: Sungmin
Lin Tian furrowed his brow. “Attack! Keep attacking, don’t let it reform!”
Gobu Jian decisively slashed again.
But no matter how they attacked, the scattered bones kept reassembling.
“Hehehe~”
“Do you want to kill me? I can tell you, that’s impossible!”
“I am an Undead. Once my magic recovers, I will surely kill you all!”
Veronica laughed wildly, her crimson eyes emitting a powerful glow. The oppressive fear swept over everyone. It wasn’t a threat but a reality she could achieve.
Katheryn suddenly recalled and explained, “That’s right, the Undead can’t be killed by normal means. After all, they defy natural laws.”
Skeletons remaining alive was entirely unscientific.“Then what should we do?” Lin Tian hurriedly asked, sweating profusely. If she couldn’t be killed, she would eventually turn on them.
Katheryn looked guilty and stammered, “I-I don’t know either…”
“What?” Lin Tian was speechless. “You, a member of the Church, don’t know how to kill the Undead?”
“The Pope and others know, but I don’t…”
Katheryn bit her red lip, looking like a child who had done something wrong, unable to meet Lin Tian’s eyes.
Helpless, Lin Tian said, “Take her away, Gobu Jian. From now on, you must stay with her at all times and regularly use the Demon Sealing Sword to absorb her magic.”
Since they couldn’t kill her, they had to imprison her. Without magic, Veronica would be extremely weak.
“Yes, boss!” Gobu Jian nodded vigorously.
As for Rebecca, she was already paralyzed and unable to move. They would deal with her after finding a new place to settle, injecting her with a large dose of poison in the meantime.
As they left the Great Tomb, Lin Tian let out a long sigh of relief. “Finally done. The fruits of this battle are finally mine!”
However, he then looked at the Holy Mother beside him.
“What do you want?”
Earlier, he had intended to tie her up and enjoy her himself. But she had at least helped him, so if she wanted to die, he could give her a quick death without further humiliation.
Katheryn looked at the desolate Enchanted Forest. “The matter of the Great Tomb is settled. Everyone from the Church is dead. I seem to have no reason to live anymore.”
“Are you sure? If you are, I can send you on your way,” Lin Tian said solemnly, standing before her.
Katheryn thought of something and pleaded, “I don’t expect Alice to spare the citizens of the royal city, but can you avoid a massacre?”
“Sure, but on one condition,” Lin Tian turned to her, questioning with his eyes.
Katheryn was slightly stunned. “You… can do whatever you want.”
She was a compassionate Saintess, always striving to save her people, regardless of the outcome.
Lin Tian pondered. He had thought about what to do after occupying the Lionheart Empire. The simplest and most brutal method was to breed a large number of goblins. However, this had a major flaw. Men and the elderly would resist to the death, leaving only women, and managing tens of thousands of women would be difficult.
If they could be made to willingly submit and not resist, that would be ideal. Additionally, breeding large numbers of goblins would lead to food shortages. They would need to cultivate farmland and raise livestock. Lin Tian could manage a few thousand or tens of thousands of goblins, but any more would be unmanageable. Teaching them and improving their intelligence and qualifications would be impossible. In contrast, humans were much easier to control.
“I want you to announce to the entire nation that if they submit to the goblins and pledge loyalty, they will live in peace and continue their normal lives,” Lin Tian finally said.
The Saintess’s authority was comparable to the king’s, and she represented the divine. Every word she spoke carried immense weight.
Katheryn was stunned. “Submit to you? That’s it?”
Lin Tian gestured with his hand. “Of course, it’s not that simple. The condition is that they must pay 70% in taxes annually. Unlike the Lionheart Empire, I want food, not gold.”
“Also, every woman, once she becomes an adult, must give birth to and raise ten goblins.”
“If they can do this, their lives will be no different from before, and I won’t let the goblins massacre humans.”
Compared to indiscriminate slaughter, rational use of resources was the best choice. However, Katheryn found it absurd. “I’m kind, but I’m not stupid. How could the things you’re saying ever be achieved?”
Paying taxes was one thing, but 30% would not even be enough to last a family a year.
Moreover, making every woman give birth to and raise ten goblins was simply impossible.
Humans had dignity, and who could stand to watch their wives and daughters endure such a fate?
Lin Tian suddenly revealed a twisted, eerie smile. “Nothing is impossible. I will make them fight for the chance to do it, kekeke.”
Wasn’t this easy to handle? Kill a few to set an example, and the rest would fall in line.
As for food and livestock, he would teach them modern farming and breeding techniques. This would greatly increase production. Even if there were millions of goblins later on, they could still be fed.
He would solve the upgrading issues later on.
“If that’s the case, I can agree. But why are you doing this? As a goblin, aren’t you supposed to be about killing and fulfilling your desires?” Katheryn hadn’t expected Lin Tian to say such things, feeling an inexplicable eeriness. Before her seemed to be a deeply cunning creature with unimaginable ambitions.
Lin Tian didn’t explain. “Just do as I say. Let’s go to the royal city.”
He had already planned the basic layout of the empire, and it might even develop faster than he imagined. They needed to act quickly to avoid being attacked by other empires, which could lead to their downfall.
Upon reaching the ruins of the Tian Kuang Tribe, they found Gobu Yue.
“Boss! It’s great to see you’re still alive!”
Gobu Yue was overwhelmed with excitement and leaped at him.
Lin Tian patted her head. “We finally don’t have to live in this filthy cave anymore. Are you happy?”
“Wow, really? That’s amazing!”
Gobu Yue’s big round eyes sparkled with joy. Noticing Katheryn, who had a more voluptuous figure than even Sister Lia, she immediately thought she had made a new friend. Despite the holy aura around Katheryn, Gobu Yue found her gentle and kind face endearing.
“Hello, are we family from now on?”
“Fa-family? What?”
Katheryn stammered, blushing to her neck. She muttered to herself in disbelief. How could she become family with goblins? And this cute goblin didn’t seem evil at all, rather, she felt a strange affection for her.
Bound and gagged, Veronica’s cold voice suddenly rang out. “How interesting, the Saintess of the Church becoming family with goblins? Hahaha!”
“Shut up. When I figure out how to deal with you, don’t beg for mercy like before,” Lin Tian retorted sharply.
He then turned to Gobu Yue. “Let’s go, to the human empire’s royal city!”
“Okay!”
Many of the tribe’s belongings were useless. They only took some tools with them. As for the seven or eight hundred humans, they released them on the spot. Soon, they would have no shortage of them.
They needed the humans to willingly breed. Imagining the rapid growth rate was beyond comprehension.
As Lin Tian walked, he continually thought about the detailed development policies for the empire, showing no urgency.
…
At that moment, in Lionheart City, the capital of the Lionheart Empire.
Alice led two thousand hero variants, three thousand big variants, along with Gobu Kuang and others. They marched with the monsters from the Great Tomb, laying siege to the city!
The terrifying pressure caused the soldiers guarding the city to collapse in fear.
“What are those? Monsters! So many monsters!!!”
“We’re defeated, the King and the others are defeated! Help!!!”
An indescribable, intense fear overwhelmed the soldiers’ minds. They couldn’t believe the empire and the Church had been defeated. What horrors awaited them next?
Before they could warn anyone, Lia dealt with them all. Staring at the tall, imposing city walls, Alice coldly declared, “Wait here for my signal. I’ll go in first.”
Despite her doubts, she wanted to see how the residents felt about her. After all, she had protected them for over a decade.
The city gates were tightly shut, with no one daring to leave. Alice leapt effortlessly over the ten-meter-high wall like a light bird. She found the familiar streets deserted, with only a few vendors trying to make a living and a few scattered passersby.
Before leaving, Charles II had advised everyone to stay indoors for the foreseeable future. Many had moved from shelters back to their homes, still trusting that the empire and the Church would ultimately prevail.
Alice walked through the desolate streets, her emotions complex. The echo of their previous hateful accusations and Charles II’s dying moments haunted her.
“Little girl, want some fried fish? It’s hot and delicious.”
Passing by a fish and chips stall, the vendor enthusiastically called out to her.
Alice pulled out an unused silver coin from her undergarment and handed it to the vendor without saying a word. She wanted to taste the familiar flavor of her hometown.
The vendor cheerfully accepted the coin, but upon seeing Alice’s face up close, his expression changed instantly. “You… you’re the Sword Saintess?!”
In his shock, the vendor’s demeanor shifted. He threw the silver coin away. “Get lost! I won’t sell you anything, traitor to the kingdom and humanity! Get away!”
News of her joining the goblin tribe had long spread. Previously, she was to be judged and punished, stripped of her position. Now, everyone wished to see her nailed to a cross.
“Hey! Everyone come out! The Sword Saintess is back!!!”
The vendor, as if stirring up more trouble, ran through the street shouting. People gradually came out to see what the commotion was about. Upon recognizing Alice, they were first shocked, then filled with disgust and curses.
Alice ignored them, watching the silver coin roll far away, ultimately falling into the dark sewer, sinking into filth. It was as if her final resolve had also sunk. Her expression shifted from calm coldness to dark hatred, her face shadowed, head bowed.
Alone, she faced hundreds, thousands, of increasingly gathering residents.
“Where is she? That wretched woman dares to return? I, Sinful Swordsman, will never forgive her!”
At that moment, a scruffy man with a full beard pushed to the front of the crowd, visibly excited. He was the notorious leader of the anti-Alice faction. By denouncing Alice, he had gained fame, wealth, and women, transforming from a drunken lout into a successful figure.
“So it’s really you, you wretched woman, not only did you betray humanity by bearing goblin children, but you dared to return?”
“How dare you come back!”
“I have an idea. Let’s nail her to a cross and let her slowly repent as she bleeds to death!”
The Sinful Swordsman shouted, and the crowd fell silent, then voiced their agreement. They had been suppressing their anger for a long time and were now eager for some entertainment. Previously neutral residents also joined the Sinful Swordsman’s side.
Alice finally lifted her head, still looking as pure and beautiful as ever, captivating many men who fell silent in awe of her beauty. Despite the pressure of public opinion, no one dared to voice dissent.
“Have you forgotten that I was the one protecting you?” Alice’s voice was cold and stern, her question piercing.
Her words silenced over 60% of the crowd. Sensing the shift, the Sinful Swordsman quickly spoke up. “Don’t listen to her! Even without her, the new Holy Sword bearer will protect us!”
“In fact, she should thank us. It’s because of us she had food to eat!”
Hearing this, the crowd resumed their curses, growing more intense. Alice saw through them all, unafraid and calm. She drew the ominous blade from her waist, her voice once again questioning their souls. “Aren’t you afraid of me?”
“Don’t be arrogant! Dare to make a move in the royal city? Do you think the King and the Church will stand idly by?”
“If you have the guts, kill me! When the Church returns, you’ll be the first to die!”
“Listen to her, she’s threatening us! She’s gone mad, this wretched woman is beyond saving!”
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