189: Chapter 189 Recruiting to Replenish Losses

"The Minotaur Kingdom has a vast territory and a long border. Internally, there are also Polluted Monsterss and scattered lords that need to be suppressed, and the logistics are astronomical."

"In the short term, they definitely won't be able to gather or dispatch an absolute force sufficient to crush us. This is our window of opportunity!"

Lin Tian's eyes became firm once more, even carrying a hint of ruthlessness:

"We must seize this time gap and develop like crazy! We need to keep recruiting soldiers! The spirit crystals and Five Elements crystals captured today are enough to arm and fuse another batch of elites!"

"Train them, train them to death! Use the monsters from that alternate dimension to hammer out the Rank and bloodiness of the new recruits as quickly as possible!"

At the study door, moonlight quietly spilled over the threshold.

Lin Yin had stood quietly outside the door at some point.

She didn't go in; she just looked through the partially closed gap in the door at the figure standing alone in the dimness, his back straight as if bearing an invisible weight alone.

Her heart felt as if it were gently squeezed by an invisible hand, a dense, subtle pain rising.

Brother Tian must be troubled by letting that diamond rank Minotaur escape today and worrying about the even more violent retaliation the enemy might bring.

She thought back to the battlefield during the day, where Lin Feng, as the Incarnation of the Red Sun War God, collided fiercely with that dark gold giant axe time and again, shaking the earth, yet still unable to keep the opponent there for good.

And herself, though she suppressed that Platinum 6-star opponent, she failed to kill them quickly and share Brother Tian's burdens.

A deep sense of powerlessness, mixed with annoyance at herself, wrapped around her heart like cold vines.

She hated that she wasn't strong enough, hated that she couldn't be like Lin Feng, standing up at the critical moment to block the sharpest spear for Brother Tian.

"Next time... it can never be like this again!"

Her slender yet powerful fingers unconsciously clenched into a fist, nails almost digging into her palm.

In her cold eyes, a flicker of an unprecedented, almost stubborn flame ignited.

That flame was called the determination to become stronger.

She had to Cultivate even harder, tempering every strand of Moonlight Power to the extreme.

When that Minotaur general dares to invade again, she would definitely use one arrow... no, ten thousand arrows fired at once, to pierce through him and his armor, blasting him to smithereens!

Her mind made up, she took a deep breath to calm her churning emotions, gently pushed the door open, and walked in.

Hearing the almost inaudible footsteps behind him, Lin Tian snapped out of his thoughts but didn't turn around immediately.

"Brother Tian."

Lin Yin's voice rang out in the quiet study, softer than usual but carrying an unusual firmness.

"Today... I was useless. I couldn't resolve the opponent quickly to share Lin Feng's pressure, nor could I... keep that leader."

She paused, looked up, her gaze clear and persistent as she watched Lin Tian's figure turn around, speaking each word like an oath:

"But I promise you, next time, if he dares to come again, I will strike him down with my arrows; I will never let him be a burden to you again. You... go and rest."

Hearing these cold yet powerful words, seeing Lin Yin's eyes that were exceptionally bright in the dim light, filled with seriousness and stubbornness.

Lin Tian was stunned at first, then a warm current mixed with relief quietly dispelled some of the gloom and fatigue in his heart.

His face showed the first truly comfortable smile in days, filled with understanding and encouragement.

He stepped forward, naturally reached out, and gently stroked Lin Yin's smooth long hair with a tender motion.

"Silly girl, what are you saying?"

His voice also softened.

"That guy has probably been Cultivating for more years than our ages combined. How long have we been in this world? To have this situation today, making a kingdom general flee in panic, is already very remarkable. I believe in you; you'll definitely do it next time."

He withdrew his hand and patted her shoulder:

"You should go rest too. You haven't really closed your eyes these past two days. Only by getting enough rest can you become stronger, right?"

"Mhm!" Lin Yin nodded heavily, feeling the residual warmth on her head, and the tension in her heart seemed to loosen a bit.

She didn't say more, just gave Lin Tian another deep look, as if to carve his encouragement into her heart.

Then she turned and left the study with steps firmer and lighter than when she arrived.

Watching her departing back, the smile on Lin Tian's face lingered for a long time.

With such loyal and upward-striving partners by his side, the future hardships and obstacles didn't seem so terrifying anymore.

The heavy pressure in his heart seemed to lighten a bit, and sleepiness finally surged like a tide.

After a quick wash, he fell onto the bed and almost instantly sank into a sweet, dark dream.

The physical fatigue and mental relaxation made him sleep exceptionally soundly that night.

The next day's morning light had not yet fully dispelled the deep blue of the night when a crisp, rhythmic knocking sounded punctually outside the door, accompanied by that familiar, cold yet reassuring voice:

"Brother Tian, it's dawn, time to get up."

The morning light was just right. Lin Tian dressed neatly and quickly, wolfed down a few mouthfuls of hot porridge and flatbread, and headed straight to that familiar militia recruitment altar area, which was always shrouded in a faint white light.

The result of last night's reflection was clear:

Losses must be replaced, and strength must be increased! While the massive amount of spirit crystals just captured was still fresh, they had to be immediately transformed into solid fists.

"Today's goal is..."

Lin Tian stood before the altar, looking at the rising sun in the distance, his eyes burning.

"Compensate for yesterday's 300,000 battle losses, and recruit an additional... three million new soldiers!"

He had done the math; livelihood buildings and ordinary facilities could be quickly handled by piling up resources with the mirror of replication.

The city walls were enough for now; a scale of a hundred miles was sufficient to dominate a region.

The source of that pollution was also temporarily blocked.

Now, he could completely plan out large areas outside the existing city walls to establish permanent, fully-equipped military camps and training grounds.

Give the army more open space for stationing and drills.

"Recruit in batches of 100,000!"

With the command given, the light of the altar began to flicker like breathing.

Spirit crystals flowed like a floodgate opening, transforming into the most basic life energy.

Groups and waves of new recruits dressed in simple cloth clothes, their eyes either blank or determined, marched out from the light, quickly filling the open space in front of the altar.

Then, under the guidance of outer city officers, they orderly headed to designated areas to assemble and wait.

The process was tedious and massive.

Batch after batch, seemingly endless.

Lin Tian stood there like the strictest supervisor and the most generous bestower, witnessing the birth of this new force.

Time slipped away in the monotonous repetition. Near noon, when the last batch of new recruits stepped out of the light, the altar's glow finally faded slowly.