54: Zerg and the Seal

The smoke had not entirely dispersed, and a breeze carrying the scent of metal and blood swept across the Sunset Plain, entering the Goblin King City, which had just changed hands.

Su Jin walked on the wide but rough flagstone road, his feet treading on mottled bloodstains and potholes left by the battle.

He looked around; the city was much larger than he had imagined. Its architectural style was filled with Goblin-esque savagery and ruggedness: houses built from massive stones, crude-style shops lining the streets, and simple yet sturdy defensive fortifications, all exuding a wild, untamed aura.

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, it would be hard to imagine that these green-skinned monsters could gather such immense power and build a city of this scale.

Along the way, Infinite City's soldiers were cleaning up the battlefield, moving Goblin corpses, collecting scattered weapons and equipment, and occasionally, one could hear quiet grumbles about the poor quality of Goblin gear.

"Lord, these green-skinned brats are quite fertile, and quite good at wasting things too," Stone Rock rumbled, walking beside Su Jin. His massive frame almost blocked half the street, and the Lava Great Shield on his back still radiated a faint heat.

He pointed to a collapsed arrow tower nearby. "Look at this shoddy work; I could smash it with one shield bash."

As Stone Rock spoke, he actually extended his large, fan-like hand and pushed at the broken base of the tower.

CRACK.......

With a few sharp cracks, more of the already crumbling stones tumbled down, raising a cloud of dust.

Su Jin's eye twitched, and he sighed, "Alright, I know you're strong. Save some strength for important matters, don't demolish everything that's still usable."

Stone Rock chuckled, scratching the edge of his helmet, and readjusted the angle of his Great Shield. "I was just testing it; these green skins' constructions really aren't up to much."

Su Jin ignored him, his gaze returning to the city, which had just undergone the baptism of war.

This King City was located in the central area of the Sunset Plain, boasting an excellent geographical position at the convergence of trade routes. The surrounding land was fertile, the water system was well-distributed, and, more importantly, according to previous reconnaissance, the nearby mineral resources were quite abundant.

This time, just the high-quality ores and materials stockpiled in the city's warehouses alone would be enough for Infinite City to process and absorb for quite some time.

The group passed through several desolate streets, finally arriving at the central area of the King City—the palace complex of the former Goblin King, Bashaka.

Unlike other areas, though also built from massive stones, this place was considerably more refined.

At the entrance were two grotesque stone carvings, but they had already been half-shattered.

Stone Rock curiously walked up, extended his large hand to touch the broken base of the stone carving, then kicked it, producing a dull thud.

"Heh, it's quite sturdy..." he muttered, seemingly wanting to try other parts.

Su Jin's brow twitched almost imperceptibly. "Stone Rock, if you get itchy hands and mess around again, I'll make you clean all the Goblin toilets."

Stone Rock's neck snapped back, his movements freezing, and he sheepishly withdrew his foot. "I'm just looking, just looking, I promise not to touch."

At this moment, Zhui Yun, who was standing nearby, pointed to a building within the palace and said, "Using the skulls of fierce beasts as a palace, the Goblin King's taste is truly unique."

Everyone looked inside.

The main palace in the center indeed had a peculiar shape; its main structure seemed to be carved from the skull of an unimaginably massive beast. The hollow eye sockets seemed to silently gaze at these intruders, and the opened mouth of the giant beast, filled with sharp teeth, served as the main entrance to the palace.

"Let's go," Su Jin withdrew his gaze and was the first to walk towards the beast skull's gaping maw. "Bai Xiao is still waiting for us inside; let's see what he's found there."

As soon as he stepped into the palace, Su Jin felt an unusual energy fluctuation, and... a faint, lingering stench.

In the center of the palace, Bai Xiao stood. The ground beneath his feet showed scorched and cracked marks, with faint golden remnants of lightning flickering visibly.

Not far in front of him, the ground had collapsed into an irregular large pit, at the bottom of which lay a charred, twisted, and unrecognizably shaped... "thing."

The main body of the thing resembled a beetle magnified countless times, its outer shell charred, its limbs broken, emitting a strong foul odor and an extremely unsettling energy residue.

Even though it was dead, one could still sense the strange power it possessed in life.

"What is this?" Su Jin asked, frowning.

Bai Xiao was a little unsure. "It should be an insect? It came out from under the throne."

Huo Jun also walked over. He carefully observed the monster's remains, his expression solemn. "This thing... the energy fluctuations it emits are very peculiar; it seems capable of corroding the spirit."

"An insect?" Su Jin mused, a thought flashing through his mind. "The Elf of Twilight Forest, it's said, rapidly declined due to a sudden disaster... could it be related to this kind of thing?"

Everyone was startled by his words.

Stone Rock scratched his helmet. "Elf? What does this have to do with them?"

Mu Yang interjected, "The ancient texts are vague, only stating that during the 'Great Withering' period, the forest lost its vitality, leading to a sharp decline in the Elf population, which then gave the Goblin a chance to rise. Otherwise, relying on just one 'hero' wouldn't have been so easy. However, the specific reasons are debated, with no definitive conclusion."

Huo Jun pondered, "If these insects could appear on a large scale and possess the ability to corrode life and spirit, it is indeed possible that they could cause a disaster similar to the 'Great Withering'. The Elf population is not large to begin with; facing a swarm tactic, they would likely struggle."

"Note this down for now," Su Jin decided. "For now, let's clarify this potential threat. Bai Xiao, what exactly happened?"

Bai Xiao pointed to a throne made of bones and black metal in the palace. "I found a seal under this throne."

"When the Goblin activated the Festival Day Formation earlier, the escaping energy seemed to have interfered with and weakened the seal here, causing it to loosen temporarily. This thing should have crawled out of the seal's fissure at that time."

"During the siege, I sensed abnormal and evil energy fluctuations coming from here, so I rushed over. I happened to catch it trying to completely break the seal, and I stopped it."

Huo Jun's expression was serious. "You fought it? How did it feel?"

Bai Xiao replied concisely, "Very strange. Its power could directly corrode the spirit, and its physical defense wasn't weak. However, its speed and attack methods were relatively simple, and it was countered by my Stellar Soul Thunder Hell; lightning caused particularly significant damage to it."

Su Jin walked to the throne, carefully observing the interwoven structure of bones and metal, as well as the remnants of the seal on the ground.

Although he couldn't understand the specific runes, he could feel an ancient and oppressive aura. "What is the status of the seal now?"

"After I killed it, as the Festival Day Formation completely failed and the escaping energy disappeared, the seal seemed to absorb the residual fluctuations and repaired itself," Bai Xiao added. "At least on the surface, the fissure has closed, and the energy fluctuations have also stabilized."

Su Jin pondered for a moment, "Bai Xiao, arrange for some Spirit Pivot Sword Servant to be here later, and you also stay temporarily to see if there are any other problems."

"Yes," Bai Xiao responded.

"Oh, by the way, when you broke the city gate earlier, did you say something? I thought those Goblin were quite strange then," Su Jin asked casually, as if suddenly remembering something.

Bai Xiao's body seemed a little stiff, his gaze seemingly drifting unconsciously elsewhere. "...Nothing, just some words of deterrence..."

"Oh," Su Jin's lips curved, and he didn't press further.

He turned to the others, his expression solemn. "Alright, let's talk business. Mu Yang, you are initially responsible for the preliminary rectification of the King City, maintaining order, inventorying spoils, and gathering prisoners. Zhui Yun, Stone Rock, you are responsible for assisting with defense."

"Yes!" Mu Yang and the others accepted the order.

Over the next two days, under the control of Infinite City, the Goblin King City gradually restored its most basic order.

Although the air still carried the scent of blood and dust, the patrolling human soldiers, and the concentrated, uneasy Goblin prisoners, all marked the city's new beginning....