Chapter 52

In a world where liches are as common as dogs and demigods walk the earth, this is a common saying among D&D players to mock the high-magic settings of certain fantasy worlds. In reality, the current era is a period of low magic between two major mana tides, and the new world is far from the grand spectacle described in that saying, or the extreme power of individuals. In the new world, magic and supernatural powers do exist, but it would be too much to expect that the old man selling roasted chicken next door is a legendary Fireball Mage, or that the old lady selling vegetables at the gate is a demigod playing among mortals. That would be a bit too much of a middle school fantasy.

The excessive power of individuals directly leads to a lack of balance in the new world, at least on a general scale. No matter what conflicts arise, you can just come out and fight it out with real weapons; there's no need to stab each other in the back while maintaining a facade of friendship. Therefore, what is called power is more straightforwardly the control of armies and territories. Without sufficient armed forces and financial backing, even if you don't actively invite disaster, you will ultimately end up as a stepping stone.

Since Luo Zhengdao bears the mark of being a descendant of the Light Dynasty, he must always be prepared to face all sorts of bizarre and inexplicable deaths, such as dying while washing his face or hanging himself with a shoelace. He is very clear about what he needs to do.

Even the simple goal of survival requires him to be ready to fight goblins, humans, and engage in political machinations with the Yaling and elves. Whether he finds joy in these struggles or not, as a穿越者 (穿越者 means "穿越者" in Chinese, which can be translated as "穿越者" in English, but in this context, it means "a person who has traveled through time or space"), Luo Zhengdao is destined to be the little overlord of this strange world. There's no way around it; this is the arrangement of fate!

On a clear afternoon in Qiongzhou, the sky was a pristine blue, and the air felt especially fresh after a heavy rain. A gentle breeze blew through the ruins, and the green grass swayed with the wind. At that moment, the castle, now a field of rubble, was as silent as a large graveyard, with only the occasional chirping of insects in the lush grass breaking the silence.

"Lord Count, the green skins have retreated. Let's go quickly!"

A resistance thief had scouted the area around the castle ruins and confirmed that there were no dangers nearby. He returned to the entrance of the shelter to report to his companions.

The night before, a goblin army, having received some information, had brought dozens of war wolves and dire wolves to thoroughly search the ruins. Despite their efforts, they found nothing substantial. The goblins had learned from human informants that the Qiongzhou resistance might be planning some activities related to the castle ruins, but the information was too vague. Disappointed, the goblins had to return empty-handed, and those who provided the useless false information would undoubtedly suffer.

Once the goblin army was far from the castle ruins, Luo Zhengdao and his companions calmly left, showing no signs of the previous night's desperate chase.

Easily escaping the goblin pursuit, Luo Zhengdao still felt a sense of urgency. The Crimson Flame Captain was about to be hanged, and time was running out to save this skilled professional. He had to act quickly!

From a macroscopic perspective, historians would likely find that the only similarity between the Goblin Second Empire and the First Empire is their name. Otherwise, it's hard to find many similarities. If not for prior knowledge, no one would associate the savage and bloodthirsty warriors of the Second Empire with the small, big-headed goblins of the First Empire, who were skilled in alchemy. The gap between them is vast, one in the heavens and the other on the earth. Since Luo Zhengdao learned how the goblins of the First Empire, who were obsessed with alchemy, brought about their own downfall, he couldn't help but recall an old world truism: the advancement of science and technology is a double-edged sword, and if mishandled, it can be a tool for suicide.

The people of the old world had often fantasized about how human civilization might be destroyed: nuclear war, biohazard, meteor impact, great flood, alien invasion?

Clearly, compared to these natural disasters that are beyond human control, genetic technology aimed at modifying racial genetic traits is more qualified to play the leading role in the grand drama of the end of the world. The goblins of the First Empire in the new world are the best example.

During the brief downtime before the rescue, Luo Zhengdao let his mind wander. Not far away, on the execution ground, a large goblin officer was reading the verdict, solemnly stating:

"... This is the consequence of rebelling against the Empire. In the name of the Emperor and the Senate, the Captain of the Guard sentences this despicable human thief to death by hanging, to be carried out immediately."

Don't think that hanging is a humane and comfortable way to die. Before the victim dies, they will endure a slow suffocation process that can last several minutes, sometimes even tens of minutes. This extreme physical pain will cause the victim to lose control of their bowels and bladder, and they will ultimately die in a convulsive struggle. Of course, some overweight individuals may have their necks broken or their heads torn off by the noose, which can be a slightly quicker death, though the scene is rather gruesome. Compared to the long and painful hanging method used by goblins, the human kingdoms' method of beheading with a sharp blade seems more humane, as the victim dies quickly without much suffering.

"Execution approved!"

After reading the verdict, the large goblin officer turned to the military judge and, upon receiving a positive response, gave a crisp command. The rough hemp noose was placed around the neck of the grinning prisoner by the executioner.

Despite being on the verge of death, Brandor Crimson Flame still had a carefree demeanor. He smiled and said to the human executioner who was adjusting the noose:

"Hey, buddy, why are your hands shaking? The one who's going to be hanged is me, not you. Don't panic!"

"Boom—"

Just as everyone was waiting for the execution to be carried out, a sudden explosion and the collapse of the wall sent a loud rumble and a burst of golden flames from the combustion of stone pine spores. Smoke and debris flew everywhere, and the execution ground was thrown into chaos.

"Help! Mom, mom! The goblins are killing people!"

To serve as a deterrent, a large number of human civilians had been forcibly brought by the goblin garrison to watch the execution. The explosion threw them into confusion and panic. Cries and screams filled the air, and the scene was chaotic. Even if the goblin commander on the scene wanted to take remedial action, he was powerless to mobilize his subordinates in such a chaotic environment. Peaceful times had made the goblins' combat effectiveness decline, even for these hereditary professional thugs.

"Alright, let's move!"

Upon hearing Luo Zhengdao's command, the resistance forces lying in wait launched a coordinated assault on the execution ground. The rescue plan was simple: create chaos, then rescue the prisoner. If there was still strength left after completing the first two tasks, they would take out the goblin commander as well, a bonus.

The goblin commander responsible for supervising the execution of Brandor Crimson Flame held the rank of squad leader in the rigid and hierarchical goblin army. Most of the time, he was an executor of orders from his superiors, so it was understandable that his ability to adapt to unexpected situations was somewhat lacking, especially given the extremely chaotic scene he now faced, which was far more complex than the clear-cut enemy-or-not situation on the battlefield.

Feeling that the dignity of the Goblin Second Empire was being trampled, the enraged goblin commander drew his battle knife, shouted, and pointed the blade at the chaotic crowd:

"These shameless hairless monkeys, kill them all!"

Faced with a chaotic situation that was impossible to control, a swift and decisive action was the best strategy, especially for the alien rulers. The majority of the ruled population were potential suspects, and killing them all might be a bit troublesome, as there would be no one left to work. Regularly killing a portion of potential opponents was an absolutely beneficial and harmless preventive measure to demonstrate the might and cruelty of the alien rulers.

The sudden and dramatic shift in the situation caught the resistance forces off guard. After the initial shock, they were filled with anger and helplessness. They were powerless to stop the massacre of their own people.

No matter how much Luo Zhengdao prided himself on his iron will, he couldn't bear to turn around and see the innocent civilians being brutally killed by the goblins. The power disparity was too great. The resistance, with only a hundred or so participants, had the ability to take a risky action, but they were at a disadvantage compared to the two hundred goblin soldiers on the scene. Not to mention the goblin army in the nearby garrison, which could add hundreds more combatants at any moment. This was a gap that could not be bridged by personal courage and wisdom.

Even if Luo Zhengdao were to risk his life, he could not defeat the entire goblin army. Rationally, he knew that it was better to run away and preserve his strength for a future comeback rather than die a martyr. Emotionally, the feeling of being unable to do anything was truly terrible.

Knowing the overwhelming power of the enemy, it was wise to preserve his strength. Luo Zhengdao's heart was deeply wounded by the realization that he was just a mortal. No matter how many rational justifications he could make for his actions, he still felt an indescribable sense of guilt. Perhaps one day in the distant future, when he leads a human army to reclaim the island, he will have the courage to apologize to the innocent civilians who were caught in the crossfire.

PS: My left foot is a bit better, and I can finally stand on both feet, though walking is still difficult. I hope it will improve in a few days.

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