Lin Tian picked up the fork.
He skewered a piece and held it up for inspection, filled with curiosity.
It was red, but it didn't look like meat.
It lacked the fibrous texture of meat.
Instead, it resembled something more like tendons.
Unable to resist, he asked, "What is this made of?"
"If you want to know what it's made of, that's a bit complicated.
I can't explain it all at once, but I'll tell you as you eat," Osius quickly responded.
Lin Tian didn't concern himself with anything else and tasted it.
It was chewy, with a surprisingly pleasant texture.
Nothing else seemed off, especially since he had grown used to eating all sorts of foul-smelling meat and blood.
He was long past finding anything particularly disgusting.
Except for that one time.
Halfway through his meal, Lin Tian started feeling something was off, "Why does it feel a bit hot in here?"
"Is that so?
I told you it's a bit warm.
Hurry up and eat," Grugia urged.
The more Lin Tian ate, the more suspicious he became.
Why was he starting to feel so excited?
He was even having a reaction.
If it weren't hidden under the table, it would have been visible already!
He immediately realized what was going on.
These two scoundrels had tricked him again!
This wasn't some 'Heroic Power'—it was clearly some kind of aphrodisiac ingredient.
No wonder it didn't look like meat; it was part of some creature's… special anatomy!
Seeing Lin Tian's expression as if he wanted to kill them, Osius wasn't upset; instead, he grinned and said, "Eat up!
Don't be shy!"
"Yeah, exactly!"
Grugia chimed in.
Inwardly, he chuckled, "He finished the entire plate of this stuff.
The kid has some serious restraint."
"Damn it, I'm still too young and naive.
I almost forgot these two guys are anything but decent," Lin Tian cursed silently.
Now, he could only endure it.
It would be too awkward to just get up and leave.
Besides, the One-Eyed Owl was sitting right next to him.
The space was tight, and even in normal circumstances, they would brush against each other.
If he got up now, he'd bump into her for sure.
He couldn't imagine what would happen if he bumped into her.
At the very least, she'd probably beat him until he couldn't stand anymore.
At that moment, the One-Eyed Owl slammed her cup on the table and called out, "Is there anyone here who wants to challenge me?"
Everyone went silent at her words.
They all continued drinking, avoiding her gaze.
"Tch, bunch of wimps.
Kid, it looks like you're the only one here with the guts to take me on.
This time, I guarantee I'll drink you under the table!
Let's go!"
The One-Eyed Owl spoke confidently.
Lin Tian didn't refuse.
He could use a drink to see if it would help with his situation.
"Sure, but don't forget, if I drink you under the table, you have to teach me that breathing technique!"
"Tch, that thing isn't some treasure.
Let's drink!"
The One-Eyed Owl responded nonchalantly.
The two started their drinking contest again!
This time, the One-Eyed Owl wasn't as overconfident and arrogant.
She calmly matched him drink for drink.
She even made sure to use the bathroom beforehand.
But to her complete surprise.
After just a dozen cups, the One-Eyed Owl found herself struggling to hold her glass.
She spilled it everywhere as she tried to lift it.
She couldn't believe it.
"Wh-what's going on?
Is there something wrong with this beer?"
"Big Sis, I forgot to mention, you shouldn't drink alcohol within a day of using a Super Recovery Potion," Osius said with a bitter face.
He feared he might get pounded.
Grugia also realized, "Oh, right, because of the potion, your body's absorption rate is at its peak.
The alcohol gets absorbed at full speed too…"
"You!
Why didn't you say so earlier?"
The One-Eyed Owl tried to curse them out, but her tongue was already getting tied.
Her face flushed red.
She tried to stand up to wash her face.
But she stumbled and fell under the table.
This was what they called getting so drunk you end up under the table, thinking you're not too drunk to stand.
One step, and you're out.
Guaranteed to fall.
Everyone watched the scene like it was a show, teasing Osius, "You're done for, man!"
"Better run while you can, now that Big Sis is drunk.
Otherwise, you won't get away!"
"Tsk tsk, we'll make sure to give you a nice burial, hahaha!"
At that moment.
Under the table, the One-Eyed Owl, her vision blurry, looked toward Lin Tian's spot, feeling puzzled, "Kid, what are you hiding?
Did you stash a bottle of booze under there?"
However, no one heard her.
Because she was under the table.
"I'm telling you, you can drink as much as you want here, but you can't hide any to take out with you, got it!
Hand it over!"
The One-Eyed Owl reached out and grabbed at him.
…
The once lively guild hall suddenly reached a strange silence.
It was shattered by Lin Tian's shout of pain.
"What's wrong, rookie?
Why are you shouting like that?"
Grugia and the others were startled, staring at him in surprise.
Lin Tian bent down and discovered that the One-Eyed Owl was hiding under the table, staring right at him.
She was muttering to herself, "Hand over the wine, the bottle of wine in your pocket…"
"Wine my ass, Big Sis!
Do you realize you almost crippled me with that stunt?"
Lin Tian was furious.
Yet, he couldn't do anything about her.
He turned to look at Osius and Grugia, the two culprits with ill intentions.
"Alright, alright, so how do you plan to take responsibility?"
"Rookie, don't get worked up.
How about I treat you to some entertainment later?"
"Yeah, yeah, on me.
You can pick any girl you want.
We were just trying to be nice to you."
The two of them quickly tried to smooth things over.
But as they got a clear look at it, they swallowed hard again, their eyes wide in disbelief.
They exchanged glances.
"Uh, is there any girl who would even dare to entertain him?"
…
In the Sword Kingdom.
For some reason, the sun hid away today.
The sky was filled with oppressive dark clouds.
Outside the city, Alice rode her warhorse, her expression solemn.
Behind her were Gobu Kuang and the others, along with an army of a million goblins!
Several leader variants pushed siege engines, steadily advancing.
"Damn it!
How did these goblins develop so quickly?
And they've even blocked our way to the Magic Kingdom!!!"
On the city walls, Edward was furious, his hair standing on end, but there was nothing he could do!
Feeling the overwhelming demonic aura, he was on the brink of despair.
The combat strength of the Kingdom of the Sword wasn't weak.
But Alice knew this, so she had mobilized the nation's forces overnight, utilizing the goblins' advantage to gather outside the royal city of the Kingdom of the Sword in the dead of night.
She didn't give them any time to deploy troops.
No matter how many soldiers they had, what good were they if they were trapped inside the city?
There wasn't even a chance to let them out.
This move put the Kingdom of the Sword at a significant disadvantage.
What could have been a fifty-fifty battle could only now be described as Alice having strategic military prowess.
When Edward returned, he only thought of annexing the Magic Kingdom without spilling a drop of blood.
He didn't even have time to react.
This was the result.
"Princess Alice, why do you serve the goblins?
If we join forces and annex the Magic Kingdom, we could rival a Super Empire.
Wouldn't that be better?"
On the city wall, Edward tried to negotiate.
Although they had been negotiating for half the day.
Alice's gaze was piercing, her expression as cold as eternal ice.
"I don't care what the messenger is.
He's a messenger, so I'll follow his will.
And by killing you, won't everything become ours anyway?"
"Your Majesty, stop wasting time with her.
We don't have time to keep delaying.
Open the gates and fight!"
The Grand Commander of the Kingdom of the Sword gritted his teeth.
The siege engines were almost ready.
Soon, huge stones would start flying over.
There wouldn't even be a chance to resist.
Hearing this, Edward was also at a loss.
"Fight?
The royal city has less than three hundred thousand troops.
Even if goblins are weak, that's still nearly two million—two million fully armed soldiers!
How do we fight that?"
Even with a strategy of trading three for one or five for one.
Alice's side wouldn't lose.
"Fire!"
At that moment.
The siege engines were ready, and Alice drew the Ominous Blade, giving the order.
With the infusion of magic, the stones thrown were far from ordinary.
They were engulfed in raging flames.
Capable of setting the enemy's city ablaze.
Edward's expression changed drastically.
It seemed there was no more time to think.
"Mages, prepare!
Stop those attacks!"
"Swish, swish, swish!"
A large number of magic arrays formed, firing beams of light.
Like anti-aircraft turrets, they continuously shattered the stones.
But magic power was limited.
While stones seemed limitless.
It wasn't long before stones began to fall into the city.
Numerous buildings were crushed by the rolling rocks, each one destroying over a dozen houses.
Because some goblins were large and strong, the stones they threw were far bigger than those seen in dramas.
"Ahhh!"
A stone fell among the soldiers hiding near the city wall.
Blood splattered, and hundreds of soldiers were smashed to pieces!
Their remains were so thoroughly mashed into the ground that they couldn't even be scraped off.
Edward gritted his teeth in fury.
"Open the gates, attack!!!"
"Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!"
The power of the Wind Spirit was unleashed, creating a terrifying wind barrier that blocked the massive stones, causing them to drop straight to the ground.
Dirt and rocks flew everywhere!
The earth shook and trembled!
But because of the wind barrier, a small area was cleared where troops could gather and advance.
Goblins that got too close were blown away.
Each time Edward used this power, it weakened him significantly, so he didn't use it right away and couldn't use it lightly.
"Gobu Kuang, it's your turn.
Don't let the enemy secure a foothold!"
Alice commanded.
Gobu Kuang grunted in response, "No problem, Princess Alice!"
After speaking, he called for Gobu Tian and the others, along with a large group of goblins, to charge together.
Arriving was a colossal war chariot nearly a hundred meters long, the front lined with sharp iron spikes.
A large number of goblins were pushing the chariot, aiming it straight at the city gate!
"Retreat, now!!!"
Seeing this, Edward shouted.
But it was already too late.
The war chariot roared to life, speeding forward!
It tore through the wind barrier, brutally crushing all the soldiers who had managed to rush out!
The chariot also rammed into the city gate, jamming it shut.
In an instant, three to four thousand soldiers were killed.
The more than ten thousand who miraculously survived looked around desperately, finding no escape.
They could only be slaughtered by Gobu Kuang and the others.
Edward was nearly at his breaking point—how could they be overwhelmed by a group of goblins!
Or rather, by Alice.
There was no chance to fight back.
He could only watch helplessly as his soldiers died at his feet, no more than twenty meters away!
Yet he didn't dare order them to shoot arrows or cast spells.
Doing so would only harm their own men.
"Fall back quickly!"
Gobu Kuang shouted, having almost finished off the soldiers who hadn't been crushed by the chariot.
If they didn't retreat now, the enemy would retaliate.
"Why hasn't the reinforcements arrived yet!"
Edward turned angrily to the commander and demanded.
The commander, looking miserable and hopeless, responded, "Your Majesty, the scouts we sent to request reinforcements were all killed by their assassins."
The area surrounding the city was filled with goblins moving swiftly.
They were patrolling, ensuring no imperial scouts made it out.
"The Magic Kingdom… we never got along with them, but who would've thought that only by humans joining forces can we truly fight against monsters…"
Edward lamented, full of regret.
Now, they were isolated, with no hope in sight.
Just like the darkened sky above.
The sun was nowhere to be seen.
Without hesitation, Edward jumped down from the city wall, drawing his longsword, with the Wind Spirit manifesting behind him.
"Alice, let's settle this.
If I lose, this city is yours.
If I win, I hope you'll withdraw your troops.
You can bring that goblin back to attack with an army again if you wish!"
He needed time to regroup and gather forces from other cities.
Only then would he have a fighting chance.
Right now, all he felt was deep frustration.