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  Suddenly, and out of nowhere, Chris dropped a lot of words that made sense, leaving most of the people there shocked that the mischievous little incubus was capable of such deep thinking.

  “Based on what Gofumina said, I think there might not be any alliaween the… Let’s call them Astronauts for now and the Cultists,” said Chris, interrupting Teressa’s train of thought.

  “What do you mean?” Teressa asked.

  “She said they were purely doing business with that vampire dude because they wanted something in exge, right? They weren’t sharing is or were evil, vilinous allies either. Just an exge of products. It’s dangerous, yeah, Ausberth probably has a ser gun or something now, another dumb thing to worry about, but… I think we should scratch the idea they’re allied with the cults.”

  “Hmm…” Teressa still didn’t believe it pletely, but she kind of agreed with Chris' words.

  “Look, think about it for a bit, Lady Teressa,” Chris said, dangling his legs around over the air. “If they were really allies, what would the astronauts even win? They got space travel and super high-tech ons… If anything, they’re the ohat are benevolent enough to eveheir stuff to that stupid idiot. The other cultists must be low-level mobs to a space-faring civilization.”

  “Great point,” Vd nodded. “I think the ods might not be physically there, in Outer Space, perhaps their existences are even deeper than physical. I mean, we don’t see the Evil Gods walking arouher, right? They must have their own dimensions, worlds, or realms they inhabit. Outer space still seems dangerous.”

  “Right…” eressa. “I suppose it’s fair to not worry about that possible alliance for now, but you’re oo cautious, son.”

  “I know, but let’s scratch that for the moment,” Vd said. “For now, let’s go bae; we o prepare a lot for what’s ing.”

  “I agree, let’s prepare; there’s a lot we o do,” eressa. “Ausberth is looming on the horizon, but his threat might not be immediate. There’s another foe whose threat is immediate, however. And if he’s ing bad is as strong as before, then we o prepare well. The army is already being trained beforehand and assembled; I’m still sidering the possibility of assigning a general, but I also want Ia to take care of things such as training and coordination.”

  “Leave it to me, Master Teressa,” Ia nodded.

  As Teressa and Vd had access to the Territory System ahe owners of this territory, Ia was teically the servant of both of them.

  This, as aent, made Teressa Ia’s master as well, something Ia didn’t seem to miher way.

  “Also, I was w if you could create more of those crimsole creatures,” said Teressa. “ you?”

  “I !” Nodded Ia. “It shouldn’t be too hard; as long as there are avaible corpses to devour, they will be born and multiply.”

  “Corpses, huh?” Teressa gred at Vd. “Have you hunted a lot of monsters, son?”

  “Yes, quite a lot. Several hundred; I could share some, but they’re also preaterials for rowth, Mother. I ot give them away,” said Vd. “There are still around a hundred more corpses from the previous raid, however. We could give Ia arouy. The rest are too valuable.”

  “I see, well, do that then,” eressa. “What are you pnning on doing, son? If you aren’t doing much, then e with me so we ahe army and the defenses.”

  “I’ll join you quickly after, but right now I o go with my friends to assess ains. Most likely absorb the materials we obtained,” expined Vd.

  “Absorb?” Gofumina wondered.

  “I already had my fill, so it’s only Vd,” expined Chris. “I grow stronger by feeding on the lifefory foes. Vd here by drinking blood. We got a lot of dark spirits, and those things even got blood, so he’ll be feasting on all of it until he ’t ge anymore.”

  “Don’t expin it like that; you only make it sound weirder than it is…” Sighed Vd. “But yes, this is how ires grow strenerally. I also have arick, reted to my powers, but I ’t reveal that.”

  “Hmm, makes sense,” Gofumina nodded.

  “So how do Goblins grow, though?” Chris wondered.

  As they left the house, Gofumina and Emerlinda walked by Chris and Vd’s side, while Ia, Teressa, and Camil went elsewhere with Heracles joining them right after.

  “Grow? We’re small.” Said Gofumina.

  “I mean, how do you grow stronger?” Emerlinda insisted. “Elves like me or other Fae races in Fantasia grow stronger by cultivating this Spirit Heart we got and trag Spirits. We absorb Spiritual Energy and also assimite the strength of our tracted Spirits as they grow stronger. Chris is half Fairy and half Incubus, so he actually do both now, I think!”

  “Yeah…” Chris nodded. “There’s also a third other progression system, but that one is a secret.”

  “Huh, so most Pyers also get a sedary progression system?” Wofumina. “And I thought I was the one.”

  “Sometimes we get three,” said Vd. “Right?”

  “Yeah!” Chris said. “We got three, by the way; we’re pretty cool.”

  “That’s not fair…” Gofumina muttered. “Doesn’t that mean your stats just increase a lot?! More than other pyers… How is this game banced?!”

  “Hahah, it’s not!” Laughed Chris. “But there are always other ways to get stronger, or you create them yourself. This game is very flexible. As long as you got the willpower and stuff, nothing’s really impossible.”

  “Huh… Anyway, Goblins grow strohrough the Accumution of Wealth,” said Gofumina. “We have a Heart of Greed, which feeds oh, anything valuable we obtain. It range from monster corpses, shiny gold, ons, armor, anything.”

  “Oh, sounds easy then!” Said Chris.

  “Not really; the way we see things of value affects the Heart of Greed,” expined Gofumina. “Sometimes things that are more valuable to other people or even the world won’t raise our Heart of Greed because we find other things more valuable. It’s stupid, but I kind of like it. The higher the Tier the more Wealth it o eat. Goblins are generally not the stro because they ot easily accumute Wealth, we all are super poor after all. But I accumute Wealth as a Pyer much more easily…”

  -----

  Pach