A short while later.
Scarlett looked like a little kid who wanted a reward.
"Your Majesty, are you happy?
If you liked it, I could play with you like this using my Snake Tribe form all the time~"
"Not bad," Lin Tian replied.
"But honestly, seeing how dim-witted you still are, I feel almost guilty for pretending any longer."
At that moment, Lin Tian slipped into a rare state of apparent magnanimity.
For once, he spared this hopeless fool.
Scarlett stared in bewilderment.
"Huh?
What are you talking about?"
Lin Tian sneered, his smile cold and twisted.
"What awaits you is a lifetime prison.
The Goblin Tribe will use your body as a stepping stone to reach a god-level existence."
Pure, primitive goblins weren't suitable, of course.
After they grew stronger, they'd be harder to control.
Only the hybrid goblins, mixed with insect and ant genes, could be permanently controlled.
These hybrids could evolve endlessly.
With Scarlett's abilities, they'd reach unimaginable potential.
"What… what do you mean, Your Majesty?
Are you saying everything you said before was a lie?"
Scarlett's voice wavered as she took a shaky step back.
Lin Tian frowned, clearly running out of patience.
"It's all true.
I'd really hate for you to die, you know."
Upon hearing this, Scarlett felt a slight relief, but a sudden realization struck her.
"Wait a moment, Your Majesty, did you just say, our Goblin Tribe?
Our?
Are you saying you'd let other goblins… with me?"
"Of course.
I'm extremely generous.
You'll be hosting goblins every day, helping us grow stronger, generation after generation.
Understood?"
Scarlett finally pieced it together.
"I remember now!
Goblins with God's Blessing can grow stronger through mating!
Just by doing that, they can increase their strength limit!"
"Oh?
I didn't think anyone knew that about us goblins." Lin Tian seemed mildly surprised, though now that he'd laid things bare, he felt ready to plunge her from dreams into hell.
Scarlett seemed to grasp the full horror of his plan.
Her face went pale, and she glanced down at her lower half, trembling.
Her breathing turned ragged and uneven.
In terror, she spat, "You… you madman!
You want to make me mate with every goblin in your entire tribe?!
Are you insane?!
What kind of monster could think or do something like that?"
Even torture had its limits.
Compared to this, any short-lived physical pain would be nothing.
Lin Tian's idea was cruelty on a level far beyond any torture imaginable.
To be subjected to goblins, day after day, endlessly—it was unthinkable.
Even as the Demon King of Lust herself, no creature should endure something like this.
"Don't worry," Lin Tian replied, grinning from ear to ear as if he were looking at some priceless treasure.
"I already said I'd ensure your health, both physically and mentally.
I'll make sure you live in comfort."
To him, she was a treasure.
Not only would he be able to torment her for thousands, if not tens of thousands, of years, she would serve a crucial purpose.
Why wouldn't he do it?
Demons, after all, lived extraordinarily long lives.
Normally, anyone subjected to such prolonged… activity would die of shock or exhaustion.
But as long as she lived, he could heal her with magic, prolonging her suffering indefinitely.
Just the thought filled Lin Tian with excitement.
The other goblins could prove useful as well, each one capable of taking on armies by themselves.
But for Scarlett, the very thought made her almost faint with terror.
"No… no!
I have to escape!
If I fall into his hands, what will become of me?!"
Yet her mounting terror only clouded her mind, making it hard to think.
Eternal torment… it was worse than hell.
"This world is scarier than hell!
You're the true devil!
I'll never come here again; I have to escape!
Otherworldly Mist!"
"Whoosh!"
A dense fog erupted instantly, engulfing everything around, even the entire Goblin King City.
Taking advantage of the fog, Scarlett fled toward a predetermined location.
Though she couldn't see through the mist either, that didn't matter.
She just needed ten seconds—just long enough to open a rift to Hell and escape for good.
Lost in the mist, Lin Tian couldn't see a thing, nor could he sense anything.
But he called out softly, "Gobu Tian, have you located her?"
"She's in an alley twenty meters southeast, chanting a spell."
From the shadows, Gobu Tian slithered forward, his eyes locked onto Scarlett with his penetrating vision.
Before Lin Tian could act, he sensed an overwhelming aura of murderous intent surging from behind him!
"You wretched demon!
You think you can escape?!"
"Boom!"
A radiant golden light shot skyward, like a missile targeting the very spot Gobu Tian had indicated!
Buildings within a range of dozens of meters shattered into rubble.
Scarlett was thrown through the air, her skill to open a rift to Hell abruptly interrupted.
"No, no!
I can't fall into his hands!
You're all madmen, tormentors!"
Her voice trembled, her hands and feet frantic as she tried to cast the rift spell again.
But in her desperation, she failed several times.
In the thick mist, a chilling sword light that could penetrate the fog flickered!
Scarlett felt a sharp pain in her heart, as though she'd been stabbed.
She whipped around in alarm.
"Who?!
Who's there?!"
Beads of sweat rolled down her forehead.
Her breathing quickened, and her face was full of terror.
She couldn't afford any more delays; she unfurled her wings, planning to fly to a safer distance before attempting to open the Hell Rift again.
"She's airborne!
Northwest direction, altitude seven meters!" Gobu Tian's voice echoed once more.
Suddenly, a powerful aura erupted, dispersing much of the fog!
Standing behind Scarlett was none other than Alice.
Golden light radiated from her entire body, and the blade in her hand trembled with a fierce hum as she aimed at Scarlett, slashing furiously into the air!
Tenfold Attack Speed!
"Shwish-shwish-shwish!"
"Sword Qi Storm!" Alice's cold voice rang out, her eyes filled with a seething hatred for the demon.
In an instant, dense layers of sword qi, empowered by Sylph's magic, formed a storm with no escape.
The scene was utterly breathtaking.
The entire city's mist twisted into a tornado, and anything in the air was being sucked in.
There was no escape.
Scarlett's wings strained with all their might.
"How can this be?
It's her!
Damn it, how could a human from such a wilderness be this powerful?
Somebody, help me!
Who can save me?!"
The irresistible pull dragged her ever closer to the deadly blades.
If she entered that Sword Qi Storm, it would be like throwing fruit into a juicer—she'd be reduced to pulp in an instant.
But just as she was about to be sucked in, Alice, under Lin Tian's orders, commanded Sylph to dissolve the storm.
After all, Lin Tian had no intention of killing her outright.
"What do you all want from me?!
You maniacs!
Demons!
If you're going to kill me, just do it already!
Stop torturing me, please!" Scarlett cried out, curling up on the ground.
They'd had countless chances to kill her but hadn't, escalating her terror to its peak.
The only reason she hadn't broken down was her long life and a more resilient mind.
Otherwise, she would've already collapsed.
Lin Tian slowly approached, looking down at her like she was a mere plaything.
"I told you, I'll make sure you live a long life.
Blame yourself for choosing to stand against me."
"Please, Lord Goblin, don't do this!
I'll do anything!" Scarlett pleaded, throwing herself at Lin Tian's feet, kissing them in desperate submission, tears streaming down her face.
Her entire body trembled visibly with fear.
Choking on her words, she cried, "If you use me to strengthen all the goblins, you'll lose someone to… enjoy!
I can change into any race to serve you!"
"Heh.
Do you really think there's any race you could transform into that I couldn't acquire on my own?" Lin Tian sneered.
What he valued wasn't her mimicry, but her technique alone.
And technique could be learned.
It was nothing special.