The hobgoblins quickly surrendered. They decided to accept a new master and become the servants of a necromancer.
And that very afternoon, the great necromancer graced his loyal Greenvine Tribe with his presence.
Along the way, every goblin knelt on the ground, terror written across their faces as they watched the skeletal warriors pass by.
Some of them had even fought these terrifying undead creatures before and understood just how dreadful they were.
Beneath the hobgoblins' clean building, all the hobgoblins knelt there, waiting for Huo Ling's arrival.
Surrounded by skeletal warriors, Huo Ling came before the goblins.
"Alright, my servants. Begin offering your loyalty to your new master."
"Master, Guy Greenvine swears before the ancestral spirits to serve you forever, until the flame of my life is extinguished!"
The hobgoblin chieftain knelt on the ground, crawled forward on his knees, and kissed Huo Ling's boots, formally becoming Huo Ling's servant.
The other hobgoblins and the many goblins followed suit, reciting all manner of oaths and pledging their loyalty to Huo Ling.
Huo Ling gladly accepted the goblins' allegiance. Though they were weak, from this day forward, he could be considered someone with a foundation in the Spirit Realm.
Of course, goblin loyalty had its limits. Loyalty that was not absolute was absolute disloyalty, so Huo Ling needed certain measures to ensure their obedience.
The Greenvine Tribe still had one threat to deal with: the forces of the War Lizardfolk tribe outside.
Huo Ling had taken the Greenvine Tribe without spilling a drop of blood, making a huge profit, but the War Lizardfolk had not gained a single scrap of benefit.
Still, Huo Ling had long been prepared for this. He could not tear all pretenses with the War Lizardfolk just yet; he still needed to maintain their threat against