Enough.
Lin Tian decided not to dwell on it; knowing two demons intended to raid the city was all that mattered.
"Delay it for a few days?
Hey, kid, are you asking for a beating?"
In the grand hall, the One-Eyed Owl snapped, irritation evident.
Since they had to deal with the demons attempting the raid first, Lin Tian had gathered the participants to notify them.
Sara, however, remained gentle, saying, "I have no objections.
I'll follow His Majesty's decision."
The One-Eyed Owl huffed and looked back.
"And what about you, Lady Alice?"
"After all, the demons attacking the main city are from the Uninhabited Zone too.
It's all the same." Alice replied calmly.
Hearing this, the One-Eyed Owl looked slightly embarrassed.
"Uh… well… then I'll go with Lady Alice's choice."
Not a single person had supported her, leaving her genuinely awkward.
Lin Tian spoke again.
"In that case, let's wait and ambush them.
We'll finish off those two pests…"
…
Two days later.
At the southern city gate.
With the Goblin Empire's growing influence, caravans of merchants poured into the city daily.
The Empire was now the only established nation within the Uninhabited Zone.
Among the unending line of carriages, hundreds of them had been arranged by Ladrick.
In the past two days alone, hundreds, if not thousands, of carriages had entered, bringing in nearly a thousand tons of powerful explosives.
On Earth, a thousand tons of explosives might level a few kilometers.
However, in this world, the explosives were imbued with magical power, giving them at least ten times the potency.
In short, it was terrifying.
Inside a large, secluded inn on the south side of the city.
The place was completely empty.
Only a small goblin and a cloaked figure occupied the space—Scarlett and Ladrick.
The two reverted to their true forms and, in the desolate inn, lit candles and prepared an array of delicious, bloody meat.
They were ready to celebrate the success they were sure was within reach.
"Cheers~"
Raising his glass of red wine, Ladrick grinned maliciously.
"All right.
The thousand tons of high-power explosives are set up in the underground warehouse.
Tomorrow, once we lure the goblin in, he'll be nothing but ashes."
Simple and brutal.
A thousand tons of high-powered explosives could easily flatten an entire massive imperial city.
There was no way a goblin could survive such destruction.
They simply couldn't believe otherwise.
Only a supreme god could match the power needed to destroy a grand imperial city in an instant.
Scarlett, looking relieved, added, "Finally, that weight on my heart is lifted.
He dared to threaten me, so he'll be the first to die, that goblin~"
"Too bad we'll have to blow this city to pieces; it could've been an amusing place to kill some time." Ladrick muttered with some regret.
But for someone as cautious as him, he'd rather sacrifice the city than take any chances.
He feared Lin Tian might have some defensive artifact or unique life-saving skill.
But with enough explosives, even ten seconds of invincibility wouldn't save him.
Once the explosion finished, the area would stay at thousands of degrees for a long time.
Scarlett then asked, "Can we escape in time?
If we get caught in the blast, we'll be reduced to ashes in an instant…"
"Of course we can.
The fuse has been lengthened, and opening the Hell Rift only takes ten seconds.
That's plenty of time for us to escape to Hell." Ladrick sneered.
He couldn't conceive of any scenario where they would fail.
After finishing their meal of blood and flesh, their appetites whetted, the two prepared to indulge in a more carnal celebration for their impending victory.
Just then, a sudden knock sounded on the door.
"Bang!
Bang!
Bang!"
And with it, an overwhelming pressure filled the room!
It was a pressure akin to that of a goblin—a powerful figure suppressing a weaker one!
Ladrick, who had just begun, instantly shrank back, weak as a deflated balloon.
"Who?!
Wait!
This aura, it's…"
He quickly put on his clothes and hastily tidied up the room.
"Are you just going to sit there?!
Do you want to die?!
Go open the door, quick!" Ladrick barked at Scarlett, cleaning the remnants of their meal from the table.
Scarlett sat motionless on the sofa, her eyes twitching in terror.
"I-I can't move… Could it be… that it's the high demon outside?!"
"Damn it!
Do you know what happens if you disrespect a high demon?!
You're just a cursed wench!" Ladrick spat.
If he had any chance to flee, he would've already done so.
Dealing with those high demons was the most difficult, especially since this one clearly came with ill intent.
After swiftly steadying himself, he arranged his expression to one of respect and slowly reached out to open the door…
"Swish!"
A rush of demonic energy flooded into the room!
The force slammed the door against the wall, and Ladrick stumbled several steps back, struggling to keep his balance.
Under the moonlight…
In the doorway stood a captivating silhouette with gleaming black horns and striking demon wings, unmistakable markers of her demonic identity.
Yet, it was her graceful figure that captured the eye most.
Without hesitation, Ladrick dropped to his knees, kneeling with a loud thud.
"My Lady!
It's truly an honor to see you!
Please, if there's anything you need, just say the word.
I beg you not to be angry!"
Even with support from a Demon King, Ladrick wasn't foolish.
He knew that to receive any backing, he first had to stay alive.
Dead, his connections meant nothing.
"Are you… Lady Celeste?" Scarlett, already prostrate beside him, asked with trembling reverence.
Celeste folded her arms, her gaze full of disdain.
"Yes, it's me.
You both should know I don't usually care about hierarchy.
But do you know why I'm furious this time?"
The oppressive demonic aura surrounded them, as heavy as storm clouds, making even fools aware of her anger.
"Originally, I was just keeping an eye on you two out of caution.
But to think you were planning to blow up this entire city?"
Her eyes glowed a chilling red in the dim light, a sight that sent Scarlett spiraling into despair.
She muttered, almost to herself, "I knew that goblin wasn't simple, but none of you listened.
Even Lady Nana dismissed him arrogantly.
He openly declared he'd slaughter us!
By the time you realize, it'll be too late!"
Even the most renowned high demons seemed to be siding with the goblin.
For a Lesser Demon like herself, this situation spelled utter hopelessness.
Ladrick's face also drained of color, a tremor of fear in his voice.
"How could this happen?
My Lady, we had no idea you were connected to the goblin.
Forgive us!
We'll remove the explosives immediately and never return.
You surely know whom we serve…"
"Connected to the Goblin King?" Celeste's tone turned icier, piercing through them.
"Not exactly.
But would you have me throw away a job that I got through connections?
Do you have a death wish?"
If the capital were destroyed, she'd lose her place of leisure above ground.
And this was her first-ever job, one she even liked, surprisingly.
At her words, Ladrick and Scarlett were stunned into silence.
"You… you said what?"