Blessed by Abundance, Scourge of Terra

Moreover, Huang Cao wouldn't just offer verbal rewards like Theresia; he never withheld military pay, at least.

All in all, joining the Abundance Army within Eden offered many benefits. It was difficult to die, and one could also achieve merit and establish a career.

There was even a fallback plan. Huang Cao was truly an excellent lord.

The only price was that the primary condition for joining the Abundance Army was the surrender of one's freedom.

Huang Cao didn't hide anything; he would disclose all the drawbacks before recruitment.

What he wanted was a truly loyal unit, not just perceived loyalty.

In reality, there was no need to establish this set of restrictions, as their fundamental purpose wasn't to prevent his subordinates from rebelling, but rather to avoid anyone acting foolishly and falling into a trap.

Huang Cao never forgot his philosophy: "As long as I'm comfortable, everyone else should be comfortable too, it's just that I'll be a little more comfortable than you."

An army that was incredibly loyal, possessed strong combat power, and was difficult to inflict casualties upon – which nation could directly confront it head-on?

This was far superior to the hosts Mephisto created.

Huang Cao had ample confidence in making the troops he personally trained loyal to him, but he truly couldn't compliment the intelligence of his territorial residents.

The elders and folks of Kaztun were quite simple, especially the new generation of Sarkaz growing up in his territory.

They had never seen any real conflict growing up, so what if they were accidentally led astray by a spy when they went out?

These were all things he needed to consider.

Under this set of restrictions, he could quickly understand the development of any special situation through this measure.

After pondering for a moment, Huang Cao found a pile of small green granules in his hand.

By consuming these granules, one could gain a portion of Abundance's power.

Of course, basic screening was still necessary. First, one had to be unafraid of pain, and then, unafraid of death.

Making soldiers overcome their fear of death was something every elite unit had to do before its formation.

Fortunately, the former occupations of Huang Cao's territorial residents were mostly mercenary work.

The issue of instructors couldn't be considered for now; any single person pulled at random would be more than qualified.

And there was no need to worry about the instructors holding back, as their own children were likely among those being trained.

The experience of being mercenaries taught these parents that holding back from their children would only endanger them on the battlefield.

They wished they could train them to death, and if they didn't die, they'd keep training.

Conscripting an army wasn't difficult either; Huang Cao had already inoculated these people against it since the founding of Eden.

The Sarkaz were already accustomed to it, and a large number of them wished to restore the former glory of Tikkaz, being very willing to defend their homeland or fight in battles.

"Slightly fatigued~" After planning out all the future events, Huang Cao felt a sense of relief.

My career is flourishing!

Since he had already established the army and the city, why not go a step further?

Create some Abundance-themed weapons, like exploding mushrooms and cherries.

But for now, it was best to take things one step at a time; you couldn't get fat in one gulp.

"It's time to eat. You've been in there all day."

Just as Huang Cao was about to do something else, a knock sounded at his room door, and Warfarin's concerned voice came from outside.

Huang Cao subconsciously looked up; the setting sun outside was exceptionally brilliant.

It turned out it was already the evening of the next day.

"Indeed, when effort is applied correctly, it makes one forget time. The last time I worked this hard was before that exam."

Since starting university, Huang Cao rarely worked this hard; he just coasted along and slacked off at school.

"Coming."

Work was over, and now it was time for life!

Huang Cao stretched, rubbed his somewhat messy hair, and opened the door to see Warfarin looking at him with concern.

It wasn't entirely her fault for worrying, as Huang Cao usually only worked half a day and played the other half, with full rest at night.

He would also take breaks from time to time and delegate tasks to others.

Spending the entire day in the studio had never happened before; today was a first.

"I am indeed quite hungry."

"Then let's eat first. Ms. Lamian is waiting by the dining table."

"Actually, I'm hungry in a spiritual sense."

Huang Cao gently clasped Warfarin's shoulders from behind with both hands and said with a somewhat heavy tone.

Warfarin's pretty face blushed, and she didn't resist. Then, she replied in a very small voice:

"Alright, alright, I know you've been working hard lately, but you should at least wait until Ms. Lamian is resting tonight before thinking about such things."

"It's okay, I'll try a gentler method tonight."

Huang Cao's hands were a bit restless, tracing a path down the young woman's shoulder.

Seeing herself about to become an appetizer.

Within a few minutes, under Huang Cao's exquisite massage techniques, Warfarin could only go limp.

However, she figured the food on the table would likely be cold by the time the guy behind her was done...

But the satisfaction Warfarin had anticipated didn't arrive. Huang Cao had merely teased the vampire, and then made no further moves.

All that was left was Warfarin, teased and collapsed on the ground, utterly weak. Her legs were even trembling as she tried to stand.

"You're so utterly wicked. Just you wait until tonight, I'm going to drain you dry~"

Warfarin thought fiercely to herself.

Chapter 61: A Bet with Lamian

"Miss Warfarin, did you twist your ankle? You seem to be having some trouble walking," Lamian asked, looking at Warfarin, who had to lean on the wall to move, with a hint of confusion in her voice.

"It's nothing, I just got a little too comfortable after massaging myself with my own hands," Huang Cao said, wiping his hands with a wet wipe, completely ignoring Warfarin's murderous glare.

In a sense, he would be eaten today too, but it would definitely be him eating this vampire.

Although Lamian was a mature adult, she was also inexperienced, so she couldn't understand the hidden meaning in Huang Cao's words.

If Kal'tsit were sitting at the dining table right now, she would probably give the young couple a disdainful look and then quietly put on earplugs before going to sleep that night.

It could only be said that Lamian wasn't ancient enough, being a very young Lord of the Royal Court.

"Sister Lamian, are you leaving tomorrow morning? Won't you stay a little longer?" Warfarin said, splashing cold water on her face and trying to appear calm.

Lamian nodded. "My original schedule was to leave after the Royal Court meeting, and not stay longer than seven days. I didn't expect to stay there for a whole month, just like Huang Cao."

Lamian hadn't participated in the battle where the Leithanian army was annihilated, only silently cheering for those who did.

After a simple dinner, Huang Cao thought about setting up a telephone line for the Banshee River Valley and his own territory after some time.

There were no communication devices in this era; the technological advancement was almost magical.

While there were no communication devices, there were Originium Arts for communication, but the latter required a master-level expert to use, making it extremely inconvenient.

Using Originium Arts for communication was too troublesome; setting up a telephone line would be much more convenient.

"Let's do as you think best. The Banshee River Valley will always be Eden's most trusted partner," Lamian said.

Most trusted partner? If in the future...

"Sister Lamian, to be frank, in the future, I want to..."

"I know what you want to do in the future. The moment I arrived at Eden, I knew you wouldn't be content with just being a Lord of the Royal Court."

It's finally here...

Lamian took a deep breath and revealed all her thoughts.

"Did Theresia really do that poorly? Perhaps we could find a gentler approach..."

"Undoubtedly, Your Highness Theresia did an excellent job. Because she truly focused her attention on the Sarkaz people, even on all life on this land."

Lamian asked, confused, "Isn't that a good thing?"

"But this is very unfair to the Sarkaz. If Theresia's personality were born into the Victorian royal family, she would undoubtedly be a wise ruler, perhaps even making this country the beacon of Terra's civilization."

"But this sage should never have been born in Kazdel."

Lamian: "But how do you know Theresia won't change in the future?"

The young Banshee still didn't understand why the person she would cherish most in the future would be at odds with her.

Couldn't they just sit down and talk it out?

"Other countries won't sit down and talk with Kazdel. The current situation of this country is still precarious."

"The ideological struggles of the Sarkaz race are beyond our imagination. Some birds are destined to fly towards the sky."

Huang Cao never believed that his own suggestions and words alone could make Theresia change her mind.

Because by the time Kal'tsit found Theresia, the pink-haired one's thoughts had already changed significantly.

Where did this change come from?

Huang Cao didn't know and didn't want to investigate.

"I don't believe it."

"Then let's make a bet."

Huang Cao knew Lamian wouldn't choose a side.

Because even during the civil war between Big T and Small T, the Banshee Queen had never shown favoritism to either side, even though in essence, she leaned towards Babel.

But for her kin, she ultimately stood by and watched Small T die.

Kin were everything in Lamian's heart.

"I'll bet that in two hundred years, there will be a war sweeping across all of Kazdel."

"Another war of aggression?" Lamian asked.

"A struggle for the nation's foundation. In short, a civil war, and specifically, a civil war between brother and sister, Teresis and Theresia."

Lamian couldn't help but exclaim, "How is that possible?"

For a moment, even she lost her composure. She truly couldn't believe that the brother and sister would end up fighting each other in the future.

Yet, she couldn't help but believe the young man before her. It wasn't just because his abilities were extraordinary, but more so because of the confidence with which he spoke.

"Let's make a bet. Do you trust me, or do you trust that Theresia will bring about change?"

Lamian thought for a long time before ultimately choosing to trust her good friend.

After all, it was rare to find a Demon King who was so pure and kind.

"I still believe Theresia will lead this country to a brighter future."

"I bet that a civil war will definitely break out in the future."

Lamian pursed her lips and said, "If a civil war truly erupts between the two Highnesses in the future, what will you do?"

"I will become a third-party participant in this war and strive to achieve victory."

"What will you do to the two Highnesses if you win?"

"..."

Huang Cao was speechless. To be honest, he hadn't thought that far ahead either, as there was still a long time before then.

A wave of sadness welled up in Lamian's heart. "If your future is indeed correct, when the civil war breaks out, I, along with the entire Banshee Royal Court Lord, will recognize you as the new Demon King."

"If I lose, I will fully assist Theresia in building Kazdel, without any reservations."

Huang Cao also gave his promise, as he had full confidence in his own judgment.