Chapter 163: Chapter 163: Lu Shangda
Aboard the airships, the non-combatant humans stared in stunned silence at the scenes playing out on the mirrored screens. The reality before them was far different from what they had imagined. The Dwarf and Giant Goblins, who had once been so fearsome, were now being slaughtered with ease.
Gradually, the atmosphere on the ships shifted from shock to jubilation. Cheers erupted, people cried tears of joy, and an overwhelming sense of relief filled the air.
Hearing the celebrations echo from the other ships, Lin Qian couldn't help but feel a deep sense of satisfaction. This was exactly what he had hoped for. The shadows that had loomed over these humans for so long were finally starting to dissipate. The feelings of inferiority and self-doubt would soon be replaced with confidence and pride, allowing these people to truly stand tall as humans.
Of course, not everything was without challenges. Casualties began to appear on the human side as well. Some of the Dwarf and Giant Goblins, realizing their inevitable demise, fought desperately to take down as many humans as possible with them. However, these instances were few, as the Goblins were, by nature, more inclined to flee than to sacrifice themselves.
Even so, by the tenth day of the conflict, eight Nirvana Realm human warriors and 1,700 Origin Formation Realm warriors had fallen in battle. Many reflected on the irony—once, it had been the humans who fought desperately, not to survive, but to drag their enemies to the grave with them. Now, it was the Dwarf and Giant Goblins, once so high and mighty, who found themselves in that same position.
In just ten days, the humans had paid a price, but the Goblins had suffered far worse. One-fifth of their forces had been wiped out. Finally, some of the Dwarf and Giant Goblins managed to escape, alerting their main forces to the situation.
They soon discovered that the humans had advanced to the border between the southern and northern regions, effectively cutting off their retreat. They were trapped in the southern lands, with nowhere to go.
The decision to fight was made quickly by the Goblins. Their Void Shattering Realm leaders didn't believe that the humans had truly become so strong. They assumed that the humans had simply overwhelmed smaller Goblin squads with sheer numbers.
The Goblin leaders scoffed at the idea. They were confident that, for every Goblin the humans killed, they would have to sacrifice at least two of their own.
The two sides soon clashed in a massive battle.
But within half a moment of combat, the Goblins were already fleeing for their lives, running at breakneck speed.
Why did they run?
The reason was simple: as the battle wore on, the Goblins realized that their Void Shattering Realm leaders were being picked off one by one, falling from the sky like leaves in a storm. Meanwhile, the humans—once weak and pitiful—had somehow become terrifyingly fierce.
When the humans' Nirvana Realm warriors charged, the Goblin leaders found their heads being severed in an instant.
Those at the back cursed inwardly. Was this supposed to be a war between species? It felt more like they were being butchered!
Even though the humans suffered casualties as well, it took the death of over thirty Goblins to bring down just one human.
The absurdity of it all left the Goblin leaders hovering in the sky trembling with fear.
"Retreat!"
The Goblin leaders hastily gave the order to withdraw. The Dwarf and Giant Goblins, once enemies, now fled together in a disorganized panic, scrambling to escape to the south.
As they ran, some of the Goblins glanced back to see if the humans would pursue them. But to their surprise, the humans were arguing among themselves.
"What the hell? You guys killed them too fast! Now they've all run away, and I didn't even get to fight!"
"Is it my fault you were too slow?"
"This is outrageous! You guys hogged all the action, blocking us from the front! You got your revenge, but what about us? Were we just supposed to stand around and watch?"
The Goblins' anger burned as they overheard the humans' bickering.
Humiliation!
But what could they do? The humans had become something far beyond their expectations.
Days later, in the southern regions, the Dwarf and Giant Goblins began to hide and skulk about, constantly on edge, fearful that humans might ambush them at any moment.
Meanwhile, the humans continued to search for their enemies, moving in squads across the land.
The scene was an exact reversal of what had happened six months ago.
Back then, it was the humans who hid and the Goblins who hunted. Now, the roles were entirely reversed.
As time passed, the remaining Goblins were hunted down and killed without mercy.
No amount of begging for mercy saved them.
Initially, Lin Qian had considered enslaving the Dwarf and Giant Goblins. But after witnessing the cruelty these creatures had inflicted on the humans—enslaving them, using them as livestock for their wars—he decided otherwise.
When the humans had begged for mercy, the Goblins had only laughed. To them, the humans were nothing more than cattle, undeserving of pity.
Such a species deserved only one fate—extermination.
In the end, there were no more Dwarf or Giant Goblins left in the southern regions. Those who had not been killed had fled north.
The airships hovered over the central southern region, and the victorious human warriors returned aboard to the cheers of their people. The atmosphere was celebratory, but beneath the joy, there was also sorrow.
The bodies of the fallen were brought back, and their families wept over their cold forms. Yet even through their tears, there was pride and dignity in their eyes.
As the cheers subsided, a solemn mood settled over the crowd. The survivors bowed their heads in silence, mourning the dead.
Lin Qian watched quietly, knowing that through this trial of blood and tears, the humans had finally risen to their feet.
In the northern lands, within a dimly lit hall, the Giant Goblin leader Lory and the Dwarf Goblin leader Muer delivered their report, their expressions filled with grief and anger. The Blackblood Royal's eyes burned with fury, like a volcano on the verge of eruption.
"Enormous floating ships? Humans suddenly becoming powerful, forming weapons from water? Hahaha..." The Blackblood Royal, Lu Shangda, threw back his head and laughed, but the tension in the room was palpable. Even Lory and Muer could sense the seething rage behind that laughter.
"Lin Qian! It's that brat again, ruining my plans!" Lu Shangda snarled as he stepped out of the shadows, his body trembling with rage. "I, Lu Shangda, swear that I will make him pay! I will tear him apart and make him suffer for all eternity!"
His roar echoed through the hall, the fury in his voice refusing to subside, a testament to his burning wrath.