Chương 140: Post-War Council

After finishing the troop upgrades, Li Qinwu navigated to his personal character sheet. Following a continuous string of intense battles, he had leveled up four more times. The sudden spike in experience was largely thanks to that final explosive barrel detonating right in the middle of the choir; every member of the choir was an elite unit, and he had wiped them all out in one single blast. Li Qinwu allocated all his newly earned attribute points into Endurance, bringing his Endurance stat up to level 17.

He felt that, so long as he wasn't facing supernatural high-tier opponents, his current Strength was already sufficient, but his Endurance was still lacking. He was determined to pump up his Endurance. Otherwise, reaching the absolute brink of total exhaustion after every single fight was simply too agonizing to endure. With his stats assigned, Li Qinwu turned his attention to his skills, where several proficiencies had unlocked upgrades.

With his Two-Handed Weapon proficiency reaching 127, he was presented with a choice between two skills. He selected [Shield Breaker]. Its effect ensured that whenever he struck an enemy's shield with a two-handed weapon, regardless of the shield's type or material, it would shatter in a single hit! A conceptual-level skill—Li Qinwu selected it without a moment's hesitation. His Throwing proficiency had reached 110, unlocking another pair of skill choices, courtesy of the choir's generous contribution.

For the first skill, he picked [Arm Span], which extended his arm length by 5 centimeters. Longer arms allowed him to handle weapons with far greater agility, and the lengthened limbs naturally built more muscle, boosting his physical strength even further. For the second skill, he chose [Dragon Spine], which reinforced and thickened his spine, giving him an unbreakable backbone. The moment he locked in the two skills, physical changes swept over Li Qinwu's body: his arms lengthened, and his spine broadened.

If someone were to run a hand down his back, it would feel less like bones and more like a solid iron pillar. With his Athletics proficiency at 78, he selected [Iron Soles], which, true to its name, granted him the ability to sprint rapidly for extended periods without fatigue. As soon as he finished spending his skill points, a flurry of system notifications popped up across his field of vision. DING! Your battle has caught the attention of the God of War. You and your soldiers have displayed commendable valor.

Deeming it a splendid performance, he has bestowed his divine blessing upon you. Vitality +1, Control +1, Endurance +1. DING! You have gained the trait [Light Magic Resistance]. Your resistance to Light magic has increased by 15%. DING! You have gained the trait [Army Soul]. Your soldiers stand in absolute unity. When launching their most ferocious assaults, enemies have a high probability of fleeing in panic. DING! You have gained the trait [Color Blindness]. A side effect from the Werewolf Serum.

Perhaps there exists a way to restore your color perception, but who can say for sure? DING! You have gained the trait [Mild Liver and Kidney Damage]. Residual toxins from the Werewolf Serum are currently harming your internal organs. However, thanks to the Blessing of the Earth Goddess, this mild damage will heal naturally after 3 months. DING! You have gained the trait [Pungent Body Odor]. The Werewolf Serum has left you with a heavy, potent body odor.

Females of certain species will find your scent appalling (Affection -5), while certain monster species view strong body odor as a symbol of power (Affection +5). DING! You have gained the trait [Excessive Body Hair]. Females of certain species will view you as savage and unrefined (Affection -5), while certain monster species view thick body hair as a symbol of power (Affection +5). DING! You have gained the trait [Super Male]. Your male hormone secretion and testosterone levels have surged significantly.

You should not let such a gift go to waste. Seeing how a single vial of Werewolf Serum had saddled him with such a ridiculous assortment of traits, Li Qinwu couldn't help but marvel at the sight. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. Traits could be good or bad, but since he had no choice in the matter, he could only accept them for now while keeping an eye out for ways to cleanse the negative ones later.

This was especially true for the color blindness—everything in his sight was currently black and white, a nuisance he needed to fix as soon as possible. Resigned, he closed his eyes as he was lifted onto a stretcher and carried back into the city. He instructed his men to take him down to the third underground level of the Governor's Mansion, where a pit was dug into the dirt.

He had them bury his entire body in the soil, leaving only his head exposed—maxing out the passive absorption of the Blessing of the Earth Goddess to accelerate his recovery. The battle was over, and the objective of this expedition had been achieved. Until reinforcements from the other provinces of the Kingdom of Sastos arrived, no large-scale enemy force would threaten them again. Buried deep underground with only his face sticking out, Li Qinwu convened a military council, summoning all his officers.

The officers were all in dreadful condition, coughing incessantly from the severe Light magic burns. Some were even coughing up blood, looking thoroughly battered. Yet, at least they were alive. The medical company was prioritizing those on the brink of death; once those critical cases stabilized, the mages would have spare capacity to heal the rest of the wounded. Exposing his charred, mangled face above the dirt, Li Qinwu spoke slowly: "Take a seat, everyone. There's no telling how long this meeting will take."

The officers sat down, many letting out sharp intakes of breath as every slight movement tugged at the wounds blanketing their bodies. Li Qinwu began roll call.

"Goblin-Spear."

"Here."

"Goblin-Bow."

"Here."

"Kanda."

"Here."

"Goblin..." Some responded, while others remained silent. Those who didn't answer were dead.

"Goblin-Boom? Is Goblin-Boom here?" Finally, Li Qinwu called out for his artillery commander, but no response came. Goblin-Spear whispered softly: "Boss... Goblin-Boom is dead." Li Qinwu fell silent for a long moment. After a heavy sigh, he resumed the meeting.

"Kanda, report the tallied gains and losses." To groom Kanda for command, Li Qinwu had previously assigned him the task of compiling the battle's overall report. Kanda voiced his assent and began his briefing, his voice echoing throughout the basement.

"In this battle, our forces eliminated over 6, 000 enemy troops, capturing more than 1, 000 sets of heavy armor, 3, 000 sets of medium armor, and countless weapons. We seized over ten thousand tents and marching gear items, 5, 000 bags of military grain, and over 900 draft animals. Key prisoners captured include one professor from the Mage Tower. A slave tiger-beastman named Coso, who claims to be the son of a tiger-beastman tribe chieftain. Earl Fisher, who stayed behind in the camp to boost morale.

When the army collapsed, it was too late for him to escape, and he was taken alive by our soldiers. Earl Fisher's retainers, including 5 Viscounts and 11 Barons. As for our losses—including those killed in action and those who died before medical aid could reach them—we lost 311 recruits, 120 heavy infantrymen, and 711 soldiers from the 10th Guard Company. The remains of the fallen 10th Guard Company soldiers have been cremated, and their ashes have been carefully preserved."

Hearing that the 10th Guard Company had lost so many more men after the battle, Li Qinwu let out a grief-stricken sigh. With this, barely 200 men remained of the 10th Guard Company. Li Qinwu spoke slowly: "When we first arrived, we were a mere 1, 000 men. Relying on those 1, 000 warriors, we carved out half of the Haluin Province! Relying on those 1, 000 warriors, we built ourselves up to our current strength—an army over ten thousand strong with boundless supplies. Now, it is time to bring those 1, 000 men home."

Li Qinwu took a deep breath.

"Commence the evacuation back to the city. For the first wave: 1, 000 goblins, escorting 500 humans who are willing to come with us. Move out. Order all blacksmiths and carpenters in the city to construct trailers and wheelbarrows. Once built, dispatch the second wave: another 1, 000 goblins and 500 humans." Li Qinwu intended to feed resources back into the Alliance wave by wave like a steady transfusion.

Every group returning to the Alliance would bring back massive amounts of population and grain, making the Alliance stronger by the day! This relocation process would likely stretch on for several months, primarily because Li Qinwu was executing a thorough, ground-scraping plunder. The Alliance was still in its infancy and lacked everything—even a scrap of torn cloth could be put to great use back home. Poloya was a major city with a population of 150, 000.

Although many residents had fled on their own initiative and taken much of their wealth with them, the left-behind furniture, curtains, ironware, and household items were all desperate necessities for the Alliance. Copper was especially vital. Poloya had numerous large copper bells hanging throughout the city. Transporting them back would allow them to cast copper cannons—an invaluable resource that had to be stripped and carried off! Goblin-Spear coughed, spitting up a specks of blood.

Wiping it casually on his sleeve, he remarked: "Boss, the loot is simply overwhelming. If we haul it back to the Alliance in small batches like this, we won't finish transporting it all even after all 10, 000 of us have moved back!" Li Qinwu offered a low grunt of agreement.

"Resume production at the livestock pens, and restart training at the recruit camps. Once the younglings complete basic discipline training, put them to work pulling cargo back to the Alliance. As for priority: grain, manufacturing machinery, fabrics, copper, and ironware come first. Issue new orders to the Security Army. Command them to purchase livestock from external territories. Whether for raising new troops or hauling cargo, we need massive numbers of draft animals!"

Goblin-Bow reminded him: "Boss, every last piece of livestock around Poloya has already been picked clean by us."

"Then send them beyond Poloya's jurisdiction to buy. We captured so much gold and silver—give it to them and send them out to purchase. Furthermore, have the Security Army spread the word: Poloya is buying up livestock on a massive scale, paying double the market rate." Wasn't there a famous saying? For a high enough profit, certain people would happily sell the very rope used to hang themselves.

He was confident that once news of buying livestock at twice the market price leaked out, crowds of greedy merchants would flock to them without a second thought.