Jinx stared at the little girl for a few seconds, a troubled expression on her face, then exhaled slowly. "So, taking your blood gives them power?" she asked, the words heavy in the quiet cell.
The little girl nodded, her gaze distant. "All I know about myself is that I am special... I donât know how I got here. I just woke up one day and found myself with them... Sometimes I wonder if I am special at all?" She hugged her knees tighter, a small, fragile ball of vulnerability.
"Hey... Look at me." Jinxâs voice was gentle, firm.
The girl slowly looked up, her large eyes meeting Jinxâs.
"You are nothing but special... Look at me, you healed my hand in just seconds... I donât think even the best doctors can achieve that." A faint smile touched Jinxâs lips as her gaze drifted to the faint, almost invisible cut marks on the girlâs small body.
âThese ogres are truly heartless... But if they want her blood, why didnât they just kill her and take it, or drain everything at once... No...â Jinx paused, a chilling realization dawning on her.
âIf her blood is really special, and they kill her, the blood taken will surely run out... But if they keep her alive... Thatâs an endless supply of power energy.â
Her eyes widened in surprise, and she turned back to the girl, a new urgency in her voice. "Your blood, what properties does it have?" she pressed.
The girl tilted her head, confusion clouding her features.
"I mean, what benefits does it provide?" Jinx clarified, leaning closer.
"I donât know... But I have seen they took it, and it increases their celestial energy and health... I think thatâs what it does," the girl murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
âAn endless supply of a potion that can increase Celestial energy... If other nations heard of this, theyâll burn down this planet to have this little girl...â Jinxâs mind raced, her gaze flicking towards the cell entrance.
âI am sure that "Boss" hasnât told their king about this, because if he did, she wonât be on this planet anymore... What should I do? I canât leave her here, but escaping with her will be difficult... A lot more difficult.â She swept her gaze around the dimly lit cell, searching for an answer.
"Okay... Little Dragon... You need to rest. I will think of what we need to do... By tomorrow, we will get out of here," Jinx said, her voice filled with a determination she hoped the girl would sense.
The girl slowly nodded, her eyelids already drooping, and lay down on the cold floor. Jinx gently caressed her blonde hair, a small, soft smile gracing her face.
âDonât worry, I wonât leave here without you,â she thought softly, her eyes shifting to the set of keys hanging innocently on a wooden panel nearby.
"Thatâs a promise," she added, her voice a quiet vow in the stillness of the cell.
___
[Next Day: Back to Sunny.]
[7:00 AM.]
Sunny stood before the City Gate, a formidable presence. His four subordinates and commandersâStar, Nioh, Blood Eye, and Nicolasâstood behind him, while Josephine stood at his side. Their gazes were fixed on the impressive sight before them: 100 Warships descending from the sky, accompanied by 1,000 Battleships.
A Warship, a true behemoth, could hold 100 soldiers each and was as strong as a Navy battleship on the sea. A Battleship, in contrast, could only hold two fightersâthe attackers and driversâand was comparable to a Navy destroyer. The difference in power and capacity was immense.
BAM!!
With a synchronized rumble, all 1,100 ships landed gracefully before the waiting group. Dwarves began disembarking from each vessel, their sturdy forms emerging, while their Commander strode purposefully towards Sunny and his entourage.
"This is todayâs delivery, all armed with ammunition, and fully in operation! As we decided, every single Warship will be 2,000,000 Galaxy Crystals, while one Battleship is 500,000 Galaxy Crystals," the Dwarvesâ Commander announced, his voice booming with authority.
Josephine turned to Sunny, her face a mask of surprise, the sheer scale of the transaction clearly registering.
"Okay... What about the remaining ships?" Sunny asked, his expression calm and calculating.
"The rest will be delivered daily," the commander replied.
"Why donât you just deliver them all at once?" Nicolas asked, a frown creasing his brow.
"So many battleships and Warships delivering at once will cause a commotion, and questions will fly... Thereâs no way the other nations wonât hear of this... Most of all, they can attack us on the way... But delivering a specific amount daily wonât cause any suspicion," the commander explained, turning his attention back to Sunny. "Tomorrow, you will gain the same amount... Meaning, in one week, you will have 7,000 battleships and 700 warships... Thatâs enough to conquer the 8th strongest nation."
"Good... Keep delivering for two whole months straight... Donât miss a single day." Sunnyâs eyes swept over the newly delivered Warships and Battleships before he turned to Nicolas and Blood Eye. "Both of you, take some soldiers and transport all your people over... I will take care of the other factions and make more room for our people to live." The two commanders nodded in understanding.
"Are you going for a war?" The commander asked, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. Sunny simply nodded.
"I have enough experienced drivers! We will be happy to help you in this battle," the commander offered, his gaze fixed on Sunny, clearly weighing the potential benefits. âIf I can help him, our nations will get closer; that way, we can gain more,â he thought, a shrewd glint in his eye.
Sunny, seemingly sensing the commanderâs thoughts, slowly nodded his head. "Okay, we will send them a submission later. If they refuse, we attack without hesitation!" Sunny declared.
"Haha! Thatâs nice!" the commander chuckled, nodding in approval.
Josephine stared at the commander for a few seconds, a thoughtful expression on her face, before turning to Sunny. "Love?" she questioned softly.
"Yep... You are coming with me... You and Star... Nioh will stay back with 100,000,000 Mercenaries to protect our people... We will take the rest," Sunny replied, subtly studying the commanderâs reaction.
âWhat did he just say?! 100,000,000 Mercenaries?! Isnât that too many soldiers?â The commanderâs internal monologue was a flurry of surprise and awe. âHaha! The King made a good decision!â
Sunny nodded and sent a command to the System: âSend the letter... And are you sure this power signature came from the Ogreâs city?â
{100% correct... I sense a signature related to your second Bloodline... By having only a drop, it will strengthen all your bloodlines.}
{Message sent to the Ogreâs Boss.}
Sunny nodded. âNormally... I have to be friends with the target to be able to send any message to their cosmic brain... But with the system, I can send messages even to strangers...â He turned his attention to the battleships and warships. âHey System, can I link all my ships with you?â
{Yes, Master... All cosmic brains have limited link slots, but I have unlimited... You just need to give the order.}
Sunny nodded with a subtle smile. âLink all Warships.â
He turned around, facing his subordinates. "Get moving, we are moving in ten minutes," he commanded.
"Why are you so sure the Ogre will refuse the submission letter?" Josephine asked, a hint of confusion in her voice.
"I sent the message with your name. There is no way theyâll give up the minerals, and knowing your strength will only anger them..." He smiled at her, a predatory glint in his eyes. "The news about the Wendigosâ defeat hasnât spread yet... So we just have to act fast." He thought, âI need to get stronger... I can farm EXP in the Ogreâs city.â His gaze sharpened, turning towards the horizon.
____
[Ogreâs City: Throne Hall.]
"My King! We are sorry, the buyers are unhappy; they said we donât have beautiful slaves!" An Ogre groveled, kneeling before the Boss, who sat on his imposing throne, a smirk playing on his lips.
"And why is that?" the Boss asked, his voice dripping with menace.
"The... The buyers said the human slaves are useless, and arenât beautiful and also dehydrated," the Ogre stammered, his body trembling with fear.
"Then why canât you fools take care of the slaves? Theyâre sold for pleasures, and you fools should take care of them... But you didnât, and now youâre here, reporting this to me. What do you want me to do to you?" The Bossâs voice rose with each word, a palpable threat.
"This... Em..." The Ogre struggled for a response, his face pale.
The Boss shook his head in disgust, then waved his hand, sending a wave of dark celestial energy that brutally shattered the Ogre into dust.
"Useless," he snarled, lowering his hand. His gaze shifted to two other Ogres standing silently in a corner. "Go to the dungeon and take a video of the new girl. Make sure she took the form of countless races, maybe add some queens and princesses... Put the highest price we have ever placed: One Billion Galaxy Crystals."
"...?!"
The two Ogres were stunned, their eyes wide with disbelief, but they still nodded quickly and walked away, eager to escape their kingâs wrath.
"With that amount, we can have good equipment to attack the Human faction," he muttered to himself, a grim satisfaction on his face.
DING!
He raised an eyebrow as a notification chimed in his Cosmic Brain.
"Whoâs this?" With a confused expression, he opened the message.
{This is the God wolf, King of the Beastify nation... You have one minute to decide... Either you surrender to us or face our wrath.}
"Gold wolf? King of the Beastify nation?" He was genuinely confused. "I thought the Wendigos would have flattened it... If you want to be arrogant, I will fulfill your wish... Your women under my dungeon are now weak and overused... New blood will be fantastic! And I heard Josephine is a beauty." He stood up, a cruel smile spreading across his face, and sent a message back.
"If you dare come, I will burn you to the ground, and I will make you watch me have sex with your Queen... I am waiting!"
With a triumphant tap, he sent the message.
"What can you do? I have 20,000 soldiers; we can crush you down with just our artillery attacks," he muttered, brimming with arrogant confidence.
___
[Back to Sunny.]
DING!
{Master, You received a new message.}
Sunny turned to the golden lion, and a holographic screen materialized before him, displaying the Ogre Bossâs hateful reply.
Sunny read the message, and a smirk, cold and utterly devoid of humor, appeared on his face. He then turned to Josephine and Star, his eyes hard and unwavering. He gave a single, chilling command:
"Attack."
He said, his gaze fixed on the Ogreâs city right before him, a city that was about to experience the full wrath of the Beastify nation.