Chapter 17: A beast tide

Facing Edward's inquiry, Goblin Lenn didn't dare to withhold any information. He spilled everything about his tribe.

Edward frowned slightly as he listened. "The Goblin Tribe is located about 2.5 miles west of my territory," Lenn explained. "There are over seven hundred Goblins in total."

"Among them, there are about a hundred Goblin warriors and over three hundred fighters. Additionally, there's a level nine Goblin chieftain."

"The rest are all ordinary Goblins."

"It's a very powerful force."

"At this stage, no Lord could conquer this Goblin Tribe."

Edward acknowledged to himself that he didn't have the strength either. He currently had only seven two-winged Angels, the highest level among them being six. Even with over a hundred Goblin followers, they couldn't breach the Goblin Tribe.

"No rush," Edward thought. "Let the Angel squad chip away at the Goblin Tribe bit by bit."

"When my territory upgrades to a mid-level village and I can summon four-winged Angels, then it will be about time to strike at the Goblin Tribe."

This so-called chipping away meant continuously capturing Goblins from that tribe and converting them into his followers. As his territory grew stronger, the Goblin Tribe's strength would wane. When the time was right, he would declare war.

"Lenn, you've done well," Edward praised, his voice a soothing balm. "The Holy Light will protect you, forever."

Goblin Lenn, visibly thrilled by the praise, bowed deeply. "Praise you, merciful god."

As Lenn walked away, his chest puffed out with pride, a privilege that other Goblins did not share.

Edward glanced at the Goblins gathered in circles in the distance. Due to a shortage of wooden houses in the territory, which were all allocated to the Angel squad, the Goblins had no choice but to camp outdoors.

Fortunately, the weather in the Worlds' Floating Isles was not cold, and the bonfires helped keep the damp and chill at bay, so the Goblins were not at risk of freezing.

Edward then turned his attention away and opened the [Island Trading Platform], listing all the meat the Goblins had processed. He planned to exchange it all for wood, stone, and iron—three basic resources. He would have liked to trade for gold coins, but no professional was foolish enough to make that swap, as gold coins were far more valuable than basic resources.

Soon, all the meat, except what was reserved for daily consumption, was listed on the trading platform. If all went as expected, by tomorrow, it would all be sold.

This was because the base of professionals on the island was vast, numbering at least in the tens of millions.

Not every professional's landing zone was rich in food resources; many found themselves in deserts or barren lands where food was scarce. Without local food, they had to buy from the trading platform.

Moreover, the high-quality, magic-rich meat Edward offered was highly sought after, ensuring a quick sale.

...

After wrapping up his business, Edward headed back to the Lord's Hall. The Lord's Hall was a modest two-story building. The second floor housed Edward's bedroom, which was furnished simply with just a bed, two nightstands, and an oil lamp—nothing more.

Edward didn't mind at all. Compared to those battle-hardened professionals camping out in the wild, his accommodations were pretty cushy. No wonder everyone wanted to be a Lord.

Stripping down, Edward lay on his bed and opened the [Island Chat Channel]. Night had fallen, yet the chat channel was even livelier than during the day because everyone was idle.

[Can't believe my first night on the Worlds' Floating Isles was spent hiding in a tree hollow.]

[Jealous of anyone who has a tree hollow.]

[Help! Can someone save me? I'm being chased by a bunch of wild monsters, it's pitch black, I can't see anything, just running for my life.]

[Hang in there, bro.]

[Hang in there my foot, come save me already…]

[Just focus on running, no one can save you now.]

[…]

…

[Another day envying those with the Lord profession.]

[Heard that Lords' Territories aren't just safe from wild monster attacks in the early stages, but the Lord's Hall even has a bedroom specifically for the Lord to rest.]

[Heard nothing, it's a fact.]

[As the Territory upgrades, the Lord's bedroom gets more and more luxurious and extravagant... Once it's a city level, it's basically a palace, and maintaining a harem wouldn't be a problem.]

[People always say Lords are the favored children of the Worlds' Floating Isles, I didn't believe it before, but now I totally do.]

[They are literally the favored children.]

[Us battle professionals are like stepchildren in comparison.]

[It's just fate.]

[Pfft, what's there to envy? Lords only have it easy in the early stages, but once their Territory upgrades to a Town, the hard times begin.]

[Why's that?]

[Because once a Territory reaches Town level, it's no longer under the protection of the Worlds' Floating Isles. Then, wild monsters will start to gather and launch attacks on the Lord's Town.]

[This kind of war is called a beast tide.]

[And it's not just wild monsters, but also native intelligent creatures from Strongholds who will continuously attack the Lord's Territory.]

[The war is long and relentless, a fight to the death.]

[If they're not careful, those Lords and their Territories will be torn to shreds.]

[Yikes... terrifying.]

[Suddenly, I'm kind of glad I chose the Swordsman profession.]

…

Edward scrolled through the chat messages, and before he knew it, he had drifted off to sleep. When he groggily opened his eyes, it was already the next morning.

A soft comforter was draped over him, and breakfast was laid out on the nightstand beside his bed. The breakfast was quite a spread, featuring fresh fruit, roasted meat, and honey water. No surprises there—it was clearly the work of the Angels.

After freshening up, Edward sat down to eat his breakfast while pondering the upcoming challenges of 'beast tides' and attacks from native intelligent creatures once his Territory upgraded to a Town. He knew he had to be prepared in advance. By that time, his Territory needed to have a strong military force to avoid any disastrous slip-ups.

"That professional was right," he mused. "Becoming a Lord doesn't mean you can just kick back and relax. The enemies and dangers a Lord faces are actually more numerous than those faced by battle professionals. But with great risk comes great reward. If you can withstand the challenges, the rewards are substantial."

Stepping out of the Lord's Hall, the day was bright and sunny, perfect for hunting.

In the nearby square, about twenty Goblin warriors were gathered. The lowest among them was level three, and some had even reached level four. Upon seeing Edward, the Goblin warriors rushed over and knelt before him, exclaiming in reverence, "Hail the great Lord!"

"Where are the others?" Edward inquired.

A Goblin warrior stepped forward—it was Lenn from last night. "My Lord," he reported, "several Angels have taken my kin out hunting."

"Good," Edward nodded slightly.

Looking at the kneeling Goblin, Lenn, an idea suddenly struck him. "Lenn, I have a quest for you."

"Please command, my Lord," Lenn responded eagerly, his face alight with excitement.

Edward instructed, "Take a group of Goblin warriors back to your Tribe and spread my faith."

Lenn immediately looked terrified. "Great God, spreading your faith in the Tribe would bring disaster upon us. We are not afraid of death, but we fear we cannot complete your quest."

Edward clarified, "I'm not asking you to spread the faith yourself. Just find a way to bring the Goblins from your Tribe out. Leave the rest to Virginia and the others."

Spreading faith was not a job for Goblins; that was a job for the Angels.

"I understand, my Lord," Lenn sighed in relief. This quest was much simpler for him. Without hesitation, he gathered a few Goblin warriors and left the Territory.

Watching their retreating figures, Edward muttered to himself, "With internal and external cooperation, we can dismantle the Goblin Tribe faster, preparing for the upcoming Tribe War."