CHAPTER 197: CHAPTER 195: ASSASSIN_1

Arlanda found herself in a congested section of the road. Numerous vehicles and people were crowded there. Even when they pressed to the sides, the passage cleared in the middle remained very narrow.

It appeared to be only wide enough for two people to walk abreast; for Cavalry, only one could pass at a time.

On both sides of the road, Werewolves and a few citizens of the Eternal Domain anxiously awaited the arrival of Lord Yan Xing and his army, each person craning their necks and standing on tiptoe.

This situation made it easy to hide Arlanda in their midst.

This was the closest she had been to Yan Xing since entering the Eternal Domain.

When he passed through the central passage, he would surely slow down, and his escort would be minimal.

If I hid beside him and launched a surprise attack, he would have absolutely no chance to escape.

Finally, I can avenge my sister.

However... there’s no way I can escape after assassinating Yan Xing. The enraged Werewolves will tear me apart, perhaps even devour me.

But as long as I can kill Yan Xing, it will all be worth it.

With the help of a nearby Werewolf, Arlanda moved the agricultural tricycle to the roadside. Then, like the other citizens of the Eternal Domain, she waited for Yan Xing’s army to arrive.

Before long, a unit of Combat Werewolves arrived first. Carrying shields and battle-axes, they marched in formation through the central passage.

The Werewolves lining the road howled their approval.

Next, a few Werewolf Beast Tamers mounted on Chocobos quickly passed by, leading a large flock of Carnivorous Birds.

Then, a thunderous cheer suddenly erupted from the north, sweeping southward.

Warriors returning from Thunderous Swamp passed before Arlanda, one after another.

When the wave of cheers reached her, she knew Yan Xing had arrived.

Her hand slipped into her pocket, tightly gripping the bow. She focused on her breathing, trying to calm her violently pounding heart.

As a skilled assassin, I must conceal my killing intent until the very moment of the strike. I cannot afford to be agitated or rash, nor can I use my Magic abilities prematurely. Any mistake, no matter how small, could lead to failure.

Soon, Arlanda saw Yan Xing approaching, mounted on a Chocobo. She quickly lowered her head, concealing the venom in her eyes.

Yan Xing, returning victorious from Thunderous Swamp, was greeted by the cheers of Werewolves and his domain’s citizens lining both sides of the road. He waved to them, feeling rather pleased with himself, almost giddy from the magnificent spectacle.

Yes... I orchestrated the great battle between the Werewolves and Lizardmen deep within Thunderous Swamp. Then I trapped them around Blood Crown Mountain, leaving them unable to advance or retreat. Afterwards, I masterfully engineered peace talks and carved a road right through Thunderous Swamp. Piece by piece, chop by chop, with a little wine to go with it, the entire swamp will soon be a dish served right into my hands.

Now... I’ve truly earned the title of Spokesperson for Thunderous Swamp.

Finally, I can set my sights on the entire Wildwind Highlands without any lingering worries.

"Chui Chui, how many humanoid alchemical golems have you produced so far?" Yan Xing asked Chui Chui in his consciousness space, even as he acknowledged the cheers from the crowd.

Chui Chui appeared in a white lab coat, her hair tied in a bun, and wearing large, black-framed glasses—the very image of a nerdy tech girl.

"Reporting to Master! The 200 Low-level Alchemical Golems gifted by the Goblin Alchemy Factory have all been disassembled. We’ve managed to assemble a total of 125 humanoid alchemical golems.

"The lower output is primarily because our humanoid alchemical golems require high precision in their movements, which necessitates a larger quantity of biomimetic alchemical muscle fibers. We’ve also installed more Nerve Induction Elements.

"During this assembly process, I’ve optimized the humanoid alchemical golem design to version 1.13.

"I also hope Master can procure some additional alchemical products for me to complete the upgrade to version 2.0 of the humanoid alchemical golem."

Yan Xing had been preoccupied with the Blood Crown Mountain conflict recently and had paid little attention to his domain’s internal affairs. He was pleasantly surprised to learn that Chui Chui, while assisting him with intelligence gathering and analysis at Blood Crown Mountain, had managed to create so many humanoid alchemical golems and even optimize their design through more than ten iterations. She’s truly the kind of dedicated employee a boss appreciates!

"Excellent work!" Yan Xing praised Chui Chui. "Send me the list of what you need, and I’ll have Gaga place the order. With these humanoid alchemical golems, our factories can finally introduce machine tools and begin production. War is drawing nearer, and there are so many things we need to manufacture. Also, you’ll be in charge of the collaboration with the Goblin Alchemy Factory to produce trucks. Get trucks suitable for this world designed and built as soon as possible. Don’t make them too heavy initially; we’ll take it step by step."

As the Eternal Domain’s territory continued to expand, especially after the construction of the main road through Thunderous Swamp, there was a growing demand for vehicles with low manufacturing costs, low energy consumption, and high transport capacity.

Consider the vehicles currently used for transport on this road. The vast majority were human-powered tricycles Yan Xing had procured from the real world. There was also a small number of agricultural motor tricycles, and some unicycles recently crafted by the domain’s carpentry workshop. The reliance on manual labor was immense, and transport efficiency paled in comparison to freight trucks.

Chui Chui’s independent development of a Magical Energy Engine hadn’t progressed much, primarily due to a lack of too many critical aspects of Alchemy Technology.

However, the existence of biomimetic alchemical muscle fibers indicated that the Goblins definitely possessed Alchemy Technology capable of converting magical energy into kinetic energy.

The primary reason the Goblins couldn’t efficiently utilize their technology was their limitations in materials and precision processing techniques. For instance, if the supporting metals lacked sufficient hardness, their constructs had to be made crude and oversized. This resulted in golems weighing dozens of tons that performed tasks equivalent to road rollers but consumed tens or even hundreds of times more energy. The manufacturing costs were also exorbitant.

If the Goblins could obtain precision-processed materials from Earth, combined with Chui Chui’s computational power for integration, they could undoubtedly create practical Magical Energy Engines.

As long as I keep the raw materials under my control, even if the Goblins possess the technology, they won’t be able to independently produce Magical Energy Engines. Meanwhile, Chui Chui can learn their Alchemy Technology.

Entrusted with this significant responsibility by Yan Xing, Chui Chui saluted and replied, "Yes, Master! I guarantee the completion of the task, Master! Master... that person... how is that person still alive?"

As Yan Xing’s devoted personal assistant, Chui Chui had been constantly using her "Eye of Air" to scan his surroundings ever since he survived a previous assassination attempt. This vigilance was especially heightened now, with so many Werewolves not directly subordinate to the Eternal Domain nearby and Yan Xing’s personal guard unable to provide effective close protection in the dense crowd. Chui Chui had increased her data processing capacity to provide early warnings for any potential threats.

Just then, her scan detected someone who should not have been there.

"Who is it?" Yan Xing asked.

Chui Chui swiftly projected the image captured by her Eye of Air into Yan Xing’s consciousness space.

Amidst the crowd of Werewolves by the roadside, there was a human woman wearing a hat. Judging by her attire, she appeared to be a citizen of the Eternal Domain.

She glanced up at Yan Xing and then quickly lowered her head. It was in that fleeting moment that Chui Chui captured her image.

Chui Chui enhanced the image, sharpening the slightly blurry face until it became clear.

Upon seeing the face, Yan Xing was visibly shocked. "Her... isn’t she supposed to be dead?"