Chương 100: Occupying Poloia

With the capture of the Governor's Manor, Li Qinwu held total control over Poloia. This battle, which had ground on for two whole days, finally reached its conclusion. System notifications chimed cleanly by Li Qinwu's ear: You have achieved victory! Total Enemies Engaged: 4, 507 Kills: 825 Enemies Captured: None (Either entirely wiped out or released) Total Casualties: 68 Own Casualties: 12 Loot Obtained: Grain × 1, 289... Denars Obtained: 150, 000 You have become the new master of Poloia.

Please choose your stance toward Poloia: Mercy, Pillage, or Destroy. Li Qinwu clicked Mercy without a single shred of hesitation. If he dared to choose pillage, the 150, 000 citizens of Poloia would tear him limb from limb. Back when he was in Senburg, he had dared to pillage because it was a noble's private estate—striking them was just striking them. But Poloia contained an immense population of commoners.

If he dared to pillage here, the iron fist of the working and peasant masses would prove far more ferocious than any Hero. Upon selecting Mercy, a cascade of positive favorability notifications leaped into his ears. Most notably, his favorability among the Poloia commoners surged directly by +25! Li Qinwu clicked to inspect the breakdown of the notification: Slaying Count Cali: +10 Extinguishing Fires: +5 Pardoning Prisoners of War: +5 Showing Mercy to the Town: +5 Li Qinwu clicked his tongue in wonder.

Were it not for the fact that he was a Goblin, he felt that if he walked down the street right now, the people would notice he was cold and drape a yellow imperial robe over his shoulders. Next, he opened the soldier management system. Nearly every single soldier had leveled up!

After a rapid round of assigning upgrade points, his military strength transformed into: Tier 5 Troops: Goblin Warrior × 1, Goblin Sniper × 4 Tier 4 Troops: Goblin Veteran Marksman × 33, Goblin Veteran Rider × 19 Tier 2 Troops: Goblin Incinerator × 10 With this wave of promotions, his forces experienced a massive upgrade. Li Qinwu felt an absolute rush of satisfaction; this unit could easily take on an enemy five to six times their number without any issue. Following that, he reviewed the spoils of war.

Combining the equipment dropped by the system with the physical battlefield salvage—and excluding low-grade items like farm tools, gambesons, and padded coats—the formal tally consisted of: Over 4, 000 sets of various armor and helmets Over 3, 000 pieces of assorted weapons and gear An entire massive warehouse district 12 large-scale granaries Li Qinwu himself had also leveled up 4 times.

The experience gained from commanding the battle, his personal kills, and the ultimate execution of Count Cali had brought him an immensely rich bounty of experience points. He dumped all 4 attribute points into Control, bringing his Control to Level 12, making him significantly nimbler. He needed to set aside adding points to Intelligence for now. As the sole transcendent combat power of the Union at present, he needed to develop his personal might.

Otherwise, if a cat-girl adversary showed up, he might truly be sliced into sashimi. Furthermore, this battle had earned him a massive amount of system renown, which was used to increase family rank. His family rank rose from Level 2 to Level 3, granting him 30 additional system troop slots, raising his total system cap to 110. Li Qinwu immediately recruited a few individuals of prominent merit from his forces to fill the ranks to maximum capacity.

Having completed this series of upgrades in one breath, Li Qinwu felt thoroughly refreshed. He was now the Master of Poloia, and the resources within the city had allowed him to complete his primitive accumulation of wealth. As long as he could steadily digest these materials, his tribe could directly expand its population by 50, 000 to 100, 000 people! That population could establish countless hundred-person villages and reclaim vast amounts of land, making the Union incredibly powerful.

But the current problem staring him in the face was: how was he supposed to transport all of this back to the Union? Li Qinwu had fewer than a thousand men under his command; they couldn't even thoroughly control Poloia, let alone transport such a colossal hoard of supplies. As he fretted over what to do, the rapid breeding trait of the Goblin race suddenly flashed through his mind, and he slapped himself hard. Stupid!

Moving food and supplies back to the tribe is done to obtain more population, but isn't transforming the food directly into population right here on the spot exactly the same thing? Goblins reproduced at an extreme velocity. As long as the host was a large mobile animal of comparable size, they could give birth within 15 days. Furthermore, depending on the size of the mother, the number of offspring varied; some large animals could give birth to several at once.

Once the Goblin cubs were born, provided there was an abundant supply of food to feed them, they could grow to full size within a mere 15 days. According to past experience, it took a minimum of 3 days to complete basic feral-breaking training for a Goblin. However, that was just initial training under zero external pressure. Here, surrounded by humans on all sides, 3 days of training was nowhere near enough.

It would have to be followed by at least 1 month of brutal military drilling; otherwise, if the Goblins couldn't control their baser instincts and went out to cause public resentment, things would turn disastrous. Furthermore, that month of military drilling would primarily focus on discipline. To master muskets, it would require at least another month of training.

In other words, under the premise of having sufficient food, manufacturing a disciplined but low-combat-capability Goblin militia would require a duration of roughly two months. While that timeframe was quite lengthy, there was no alternative. Currently, the sole method to digest this vast quantity of supplies was to explosively spawn a population right here on the spot. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.

Since he had chosen to remain in Poloia for a period of time, maintaining a good relationship with the local citizens was paramount. Li Qinwu summoned his two battalion commanders and 10 company commanders, issuing a stern warning with absolute gravity.

"We are going to stay here for a while. Keep a tight rein on your units. No harassing the local populace. If anyone crosses the line and ruins my grand plans, do not blame my blade for falling upon the neck of my own brother!" The officers straightened in solemn respect, shouting their assent in unison. Li Qinwu nodded in satisfaction.

"Rest assured, I remember everyone's merits. Go back and tell the soldiers that a grand bestowal of rewards will take place in two days. Stand your guard posts well for these next two days. At a critical juncture like this, if anyone makes trouble and throws away their merit or their life, they'll be buried face-down even in death!" Several officers smiled. Coming out here to fight so desperately was precisely for the Boss's rewards, wasn't it? Since the Boss had given his word, he would certainly deliver.

They only needed to operate strictly by the military regulations and wait to enjoy their rewards. Next, Li Qinwu called Knight Leo over.

"I am granting you 500 recruitment slots. Go enlist some human soldiers to help you handle affairs. Once recruited, disperse them immediately into the town and surrounding villages to purchase cattle, sheep, pigs, and horses." Li Qinwu intended to use a proxy, letting the proxy handle direct contact with the humans. After all, Goblins and humans possessed a racial barrier and did not share a common language.

Before his own strength reached a sufficient level, interactions with the populace had to be handled with extreme care.

"No problem, my Lord, but I will require a significant amount of funds," Knight Leo stated his requirement. Li Qinwu pointed at a chest of silver coins.

"This is your operational capital. Remember, the purchase of livestock must be swift. I will have need of them very soon." They would indeed be needed soon—whether for transporting spoils back to the Union or for expanding the population, livestock would be indispensable. As Knight Leo had his human soldiers cart away the silver, he brought up another matter.

"My Lord, I have noticed many personnel fleeing the urban district. Do we need to halt them?" Li Qinwu pondered slightly before shaking his head.

"No need. Let whoever wants to leave, leave. Go tell the soldiers guarding the city gates to permit all outward passage, but allow no entry." Li Qinwu had come here to conduct a purge targeted strictly at the nobility; he had no desire to make life difficult for the commoners. But then again, how many could actually manage to leave? Productivity in this era was low, and ordinary people relied on their own small plots of land to survive. If they truly left for foreign lands, they wouldn't be able to survive at all.

Those capable of leaving were merely the capable, unstable elements. Their departure would actually benefit the public security inside the city. With Knight Leo off to execute his duties, the forces settled down. Li Qinwu split his soldiers into two groups. One part was stationed along the eastern city walls to guard the eastern gate, which served as their route of retreat; two artillery pieces were even hoisted up onto the walls. The remaining men were stationed inside the Governor's Manor.

The Governor's Manor possessed defensive walls and was a massive castle in its own right, making it exceptionally safe for the soldiers to occupy. After repeatedly issuing warnings prohibiting the harassment of civilians, Li Qinwu grandly moved into the Governor's Manor. The manor featured a colossal bathhouse, its perimeter adorned with exquisite sculptures of men and women.

Li Qinwu ordered hot water to be prepared, stripped off his heavy armor, and stepped into the steaming pool, letting out a blissful sigh of relief. Suddenly, a ghost drifted right through the wall, submerging his semi-transparent body into the hot water, and let out a feigned sigh of comfort as well.

"Ah~ Truly delightful ~" Li Qinwu glanced at the fellow.

"What are you putting on an act for? Do you even possess the five senses?" Li Qinwu was absolutely certain that this ghost existed in a state where he could not see, hear, or touch anything physically. Even his voice did not register through a person's ears, but instead echoed directly within the mind. This fellow was simply not a creature of the material world; he observed the world through other means, likely through magical perception. The ghost let out a sigh and put forth an intriguing proposition.

"Goblin, how about we form a partnership?" Feeling that the grime on his skin had softened sufficiently from the soak, Li Qinwu began scrubbing himself down, talking as he scrubbed.

"I don't even know what kind of entity you are, so how are we supposed to partner up?" The ghost manifested a simulated towel, pretending to scrub himself as well.

"I am a Mentor, you know. A Mentor—you understand what that means, right? The group of people conducting the most cutting-edge research under the Mage Guild. The knowledge inside my head can alter the destiny of a nation. A fellow of your extraordinary insights should clearly grasp my value, shouldn't you?" Li Qinwu remained silent, continuing to wash himself. The ghost understood clearly that without getting this Goblin to trust him, no partnership could be forged. He began to narrate his own history.

The ghost's name was Seanydan, a son of common peasants born and raised under the governance of the Mage Guild. The sole purpose of peasant families like theirs was to farm for the Mage Guild, providing supplies and population. Seanydan was one of the apprentices selected to enter the academy. By his own boastful account, he was exceptionally brilliant, his mind constantly generating unexpected concepts, and he was intensely studious, frequently utilizing knowledge to bring those concepts to fruition.

Consequently, he rose through the ranks step by step—from apprentice to lecturer, from lecturer to professor, and finally from professor to the exalted rank of a Mentor whom all looked up to. To be designated a Mentor proved that he had taken a leading role in a specific field of academic research, placing him at the absolute vanguard of understanding magic in this era. Yet, for some unknown reason, this fellow developed a penchant for conducting forbidden research.

"Goblin, I developed a type of neural wire. By using neural wires to connect the nerves at the site of an amputated limb, a disabled person can control a prosthetic limb forged from magical materials." Hearing this, the previously indifferent Li Qinwu straightened his spine.

"You succeeded?" Seanydan shook his head in regret.

"No. The purity of the neural wires I developed was insufficient, requiring high-purity magic power to forge. Furthermore, I created this item intending it for ordinary people, but ordinary people possess no magic power and cannot use it." Li Qinwu was puzzled.

"Your concept sounds excellent. How does that count as forbidden research?" Seanydan grew excited, looking at Li Qinwu with a gaze that said you finally understand me.

"Exactly! Such an excellent concept! If the research succeeded, think of how many people it could benefit! That's why I say, just because I asked them to sever their arms and legs for live human research, they weren't even willing to tolerate such a minor matter!" Li Qinwu's eyes widened. He felt as though something had gone wrong with his ears. Hold on, mate, are you speaking human words right now? Seeing Li Qinwu's expression, Seanydan trembled with indignation.

"You, you, you! You are exactly like them! And here I thought you understood me! You are just as vulgar as they are, lacking even the courage to dedicate oneself to research!" Li Qinwu's face darkened completely.

"Are you an idiot? You want to chop off people's limbs and then claim they lack a spirit of contribution? If you have such a massive spirit of contribution, why the hell didn't you use yourself as the material!" Seanydan puffed out his skeletal chest, his face filled with pride.

"Who says I didn't use myself for research? My current state right now is precisely the fruit of my research!" Ten minutes later, under the guidance of the ghost Seanydan, Li Qinwu located the entrance to the third level of the Governor's Manor basement, where he discovered a vast magical laboratory. Inside a slender glass vessel, he found Seanydan's physical body soaked in an unknown liquid, his body bristling with tubes and wires, his skin carved with a dense cluster of magical runes.

The ghost of Seanydan floated before his own physical body, gazing at himself through the glass with a complex expression.

"I dedicated myself to researching the boundary line between life and death for humanity. Those vulgar fools believed I was touching upon the domain of the gods, calling it forbidden research, denying me support, and smashing my laboratory. So, I conducted the research on my own!"

"I came to Halyun Province, far removed from the Mage Guild, and found Count Cali, demanding that he sponsor my research. Perhaps that fellow felt I was just as mad as he was—birds of a feather—because he actually agreed. Now you see it too; my research has succeeded!"

"I transformed my own physical body into a transmitter, allowing my soul to separate from the flesh. The human body does not die, and the soul does not dissipate. What a magnificent scientific miracle! My existence is an insult to the gods. Governing life and death is not the exclusive privilege of deities; I, Seanydan, am equally capable of governing the boundaries of life and death, hahahahaha~~" The fellow laughed erratically before abruptly cutting his voice short.

He spun around, staring dead at Li Qinwu with a piercing gaze.

"My physical body is here; my soul cannot venture more than 300 meters away from it, and for some unknown reason, the soul is unable to return to the flesh. Furthermore, I can feel that if my physical body dies, my soul will also dissipate."

"How about it, Goblin? I have handed all of my weaknesses over to you; this sincerity is more than enough, isn't it? How about sponsoring me to conduct my subsequent research? The knowledge I master is a precious treasure, and it can all be utilized for your benefit~~" Li Qinwu looked at the shriveled body of the old man inside the glass container, pondered for a moment, and extended a formal recruitment invitation to Seanydan.