On the second day after Shikari and Nanafu arrived at the territory, Tang Jihede and the others logged back in.
“We’re back!”
The first thing Bingtang Xueli did was search for Qin Yu—he’d just stepped out of his room.
“Welcome back…”
“Brother Yu, did you miss us?” Bingtang Xueli leaned in and poked his chest lightly.
“Of course I did…”
Just as she opened her mouth to continue, Qin Yu cut in: “If you’d stayed away any longer, we’d be short on hands for the territory.”
Translation: he needed them to work.
“How can you say that, Brother Yu? We rushed back right after finishing our business! Do you really want us working the second we log in?”
“You chose to join my territory. As members, you share the duty of building it.”
After some light banter, Qin Yu turned to business. He’d already gathered intel from the Amazonian Tribe: resources were well-distributed, and forming a supply chain was feasible.
But manpower was the issue. Chopping trees, mining, farming—tasks too menial for the gifted children under his care. Wasting their potential wasn’t an option. He needed low-tier laborers.
Cheap slaves? Too troublesome—feeding, guarding, escape risks. No energy for that.
“Tang Jihede, could you go to the Holy Capital and buy some low-tier laborers?”
“It’s *Jihede*!” she corrected. “What exactly are ‘low-tier laborers’?”
“Probably slaves or something,” Candied Hawthorn chimed in.
“Close. But slaves are a headache. I want goblin robots—models for mining, logging, farming. Around fifty. I’ll give you one million gold coins.”
“No problem!” Bingtang Xueli agreed instantly. Tang Jihede sighed and nodded, used to her sister’s eagerness.
Having visited before, the five teleported straight to the Holy Capital via scroll.
With infrastructure temporarily wrapped up, Qin Yu shifted focus: clear nearby threats—bandits, outlaws.
Silver Crimson Snow could wipe them out in seconds, but that wasn’t the goal. He wanted to train his army: the children.
So Silver Crimson Snow stayed to guard the territory. Qin Yu set out with Luna and Shikari as combat support, plus fifty children.
“Servant, are you *sure* you won’t take me?” Silver Crimson Snow asked. If he faced trouble, her aid would be delayed.
“No. If we all leave, the territory’s defense collapses.” Even with the Amazonian Tribe’s help, only Silver Crimson Snow’s presence gave him peace of mind. For wild dangers? Teleport scrolls would save the day.
“Fine. But if danger comes, Servant… I *will* hear your call.” Though she couldn’t be summoned like Luna, she’d sense his plea and rush to help.
“Relax, Xiao Xue. I’m off~”
Nanafu followed without hesitation—she never left Shikari’s side.
Hong had prepped the children. All held 1st-tier Blood Believer power from the Blood Cathedral; ten had reached 2nd tier. They wielded both low-tier holy light magic (from the Luminous Theocracy) and basic blood magic.
Only the ten 2nd-tier kids wore Qin Yu’s leftover blue Observer sets. The rest wore standard Blood Believer robes—purely decorative.
“Human, leave your protection to me this time~” Luna grinned. With Silver Crimson Snow gone, she finally had room to shine.
“Oh? So you’re ignoring Shikari?”
Without Shikari, Luna *would* be Qin Yu’s strongest asset. Alas—two stars can’t share one sky.
Luna huffed. *Only one tier above me. Once Qin Yu hits 2nd tier, we’ll be even.*
After final checks, the squad marched northeast toward three bandit camps—roughly three hundred hostiles total. A real challenge.
—
Inside the Holy Capital
Tang Jihede’s group emerged from the teleport point. A week (in-game) had passed since their last visit. The city now swarmed with new players—forum-guided hopefuls seeking easy sanctuary under the Luminous Theocracy.
Too bad the Theocracy wasn’t naive. Strict assessments blocked casual entry. Queues formed. Scalpers appeared. Players grumbled but still paid—logging off meant losing your spot. Time was precious.
“The Goblin Mercantile Guild should be this way…”
Using memory from their last tour, they found it quickly. Tucked far from the city center in a quiet zone—the goblin robots’ constant clatter made central placement impossible.
Still, players crowded the guild gates, scrambling for quests. Goblin rewards were legendary.
“Ugh, so many people…” Tang Jihede shot her friends a helpless glance.
“Don’t panic—watch me!”
Bingtang Xueli strode forward, chatted up a male player with bright smiles. Words unheard, but he happily surrendered his spot.
“Hurry over~” She waved triumphantly.
“Xueli, what *did* you say?”
“Just made a friend. Maybe meet offline someday.”
“…Just like that?”
“Yep~ But *I* decide if we meet. Right now? The only person I want to see offline… is Brother Yu~”
