"Alright, from now on, you're the king here. The power I gave you should be enough to take this place. Begin?"

"Yes!"

Lin Yi's eyes were filled with fervor. How captivating! Just imagine becoming a king, the center of attention, and then, under the gaze of his entire nation, retrieving the Empress's shoes like a dog. What a... delightful prospect!

Vidra's eyes widened. This wasn't mere shock, it was sheer terror! For a girl, who knows where she came from, to have the commander of the Earth Dragon Legion kneel before her on both knees was already outrageous.

Even His Majesty the King only warrants a single knee from the Earth Dragon commander!

And what she said after... not even trying to avoid my ears? What does that mean? Either I'm trusted, or... she's certain I won't leak any secrets!

Which means I'm already a dead man, right?

Damn it!

Looks like I'm not making it out of here alive today!

And that little bug in the girl's arms is staring right at me, like it's ready to kill me the moment she lets go...

"Oh, right, that guy seems to have some use. Maintaining this place so well means he's got some skill." As she spoke, Lin Mo pointed towards Vidrin.

Vidrin was overjoyed. He might live after all! He still has value? Haha, of course, I do.

"Empress, Kaka will make good use of the knowledge in his brain. Kaka will give him new life."

Wait! What do you mean, "new life?"

The thought had barely formed when darkness descended. Kaka had already blown the guy's brains out. The headless corpse stood stiffly for a moment, then crashed to the ground with a thud.

"Ah!" Vick was startled by the sudden commotion. She hadn't understood what was happening, only that the man looked wealthy. But since she didn't know his identity, she wasn't particularly shocked.

But seeing Vidrin explode into a pile of gore right in front of her, Vick paled and scrambled backward.

Then, black tentacles writhed, slowly taking shape. A brand new head was formed in just a few minutes.

Stumbling to his feet, Vidrin was no longer the Vidrin he had been, but a mere puppet with his original memories.

"Vidrin?!"

Vick called out cautiously, but there was no response. Her face grew pale.

Vidrin stood obediently in place, not moving.

"You were quick this time, Kaka."

"Hehe, I'm getting the hang of it."

"Lin Yi, take that woman with you. Her fiancé is among the soldiers I gave you. Go find him. If you can't, contact Kaka. And remember to let me know when they're getting married. I'll prepare a little gift for her."

"Yes."

"Alright, you can go back now. You don't need to worry about this place. Oh, and I'll be taking a stroll around your capital later. Remember to clear the way for me, or... I'll just go in myself."

At this, Lin Yi's expression changed instantly. "Yes!"

The Empress hadn't said how long she planned to stay here... He had to act fast. If the Empress gave the order, it meant he could do it. If he failed, it meant he had overlooked something.

"Alright, you can go now."

The Earth Dragon Legion left, leaving behind Kaka, Lin Mo, and the puppets.

"Wuhu~"

Once everyone was gone, Lin Mo immediately started to let loose, no longer caring about her so-called Empress dignity. She could do whatever she wanted~

...

On the way back, Lin Yi was already controlling the mutated soldiers Lin Mo had given him, and they had already begun their work.

With Lin Yi's status, how could those mutated soldiers still be without equipment?

They were equipped with custom-made armor using the same metal as the Earth Dragon Legion, and the mutated soldiers were incredibly strong and felt no pain.

So, they only needed to protect vital areas like the head and abdomen. As for arms and legs, they could regenerate anyway, so who cares if they were broken?

And it wasn't just that. The Great Empire's testing grounds had countless failed Earth Dragon hatchlings disposed of every day. All of these were fed to the mutated soldiers, so it was only reasonable for them to mutate scales and dragon claws, right?

And now, this very force that the Great Empire had intended as the Earth Dragon Legion's successor was suddenly rioting.

"Hey, what's going on? Hasn't today's feeding started yet?"

"I don't know? We just fed them, right? Why are they already rioting again?"

Two armored guards looked at the rattling chains coming from inside, frowning in confusion.

"I don't know. You watch here, I'll go inside and see if those feeders are secretly skimping on the food."

"Okay, be careful."

The guard waved dismissively, indicating that he understood.

"Sigh, this guy never listens. This thing looks fierce, but it's actually very..."

"Ah!—"

"Roar!—"

Crack—

Squeak—

First came a scream that sounded like the vocal cords had been torn, followed by the sound of a skull being crushed and the grating noise of armor being ripped apart.

The sound of teeth tearing into raw flesh.

The remaining guard looked down the dark corridor and swallowed hard.

"Herca? Herca? What are you doing? Stop kidding around!"

"..."

Cold sweat.

"Hey! If you don't come out, I'm going to your house! I'm telling your wife you're about to be laid off!"

"..."

Trembling.

"Just... just kidding, right?"

Footsteps, and the sound of chains dragging on the ground, echoed through the empty corridor.

"No, I need to get out of here."

...