Augustus's lips curled into a cold smile. "It's not guts—it's inevitability. You'll regret underestimating me."
Mana surged through Augustus's veins, the air around him growing heavy with tension.
The flickering light of the lantern cast dancing shadows on the walls, amplifying the foreboding atmosphere.
With a fierce snarl, the Goblin Lord lunged, his jagged sword cutting through the air with surprising speed. Yet Augustus already knew the truth—the Goblin Lord's weakness was glaring, and his demise was inevitable.
Pivoting smoothly, Augustus sidestepped the strike, his movements precise and calculated. Mana gathered in his hand, forming a blade of concentrated wind that gleamed with lethal sharpness.
The Goblin Lord roared and swung again, but Augustus anticipated the move. Using Air Step, he closed the distance between them in an instant.
The Goblin Lord's eyes widened in shock as Augustus appeared behind him, his wind blade slicing cleanly through the air.
The mana-infused edge severed the Goblin Lord's neck in one decisive motion.
The head fell to the ground with a dull thud, a fountain of blood spraying from the now headless body.
The lifeless form slumped forward, collapsing onto the crude table. The jagged sword slipped from the Goblin Lord's grip, clattering uselessly to the floor.
Augustus stood over the corpse, his breathing steady as he gazed down with cold detachment. "Your arrogance was your downfall. Power without foresight is meaningless."
He surveyed the room briefly, ensuring no hidden threats remained.
Once satisfied, he closed his eyes and strengthened his mental connection with Limloo and the slimes.
"Limloo," Augustus communicated telepathically, his tone calm but commanding. "The Goblin Lord is dead. Ensure the remaining goblins are restrained. I'll return shortly."
"Understood, my Lord," came Limloo's unwavering reply. "The village remains secure."
Augustus cast a calm glance at the Goblin Lord's lifeless body before crouching beside it, his heterochromatic eyes gleaming with anticipation.
He waited silently, his mind already prepared for what would come next.
Half a minute after the Goblin Lord's demise, a golden ball of light emerged from the corpse, radiating a warm, otherworldly glow.
Without hesitation, it surged toward Augustus. He stood unmoving, allowing the light to strike him, its energy merging seamlessly with his being.
The sensation was immediate. The Goblin Lord's authority as a lord—the very essence of his power—flowed into Augustus, intertwining with his own Lord's Authority.
In that moment, Augustus became the master of all that once belonged to the Goblin Lord.
The lives of over 200 goblins were now his to command, their loyalty bound by the usurped authority. The territory of the Goblin Village and the combined power of its inhabitants had also become part of his domain.
The Goblin Lord's D-rank Fertility talent, however, remained beyond his reach. Augustus wasn't surprised.
He knew from the common sense of the Supreme Plane that while a lord's authority could be claimed by defeating them, their lord talent was a personal, immutable trait. Like the very soul of a lord, it was untouchable except through rare, specialized methods.
Augustus rose to his feet, his thoughts shifting to the larger implications of his victory. He was now both the Slime Lord and the Goblin Lord, wielding the combined strength of his two domains.
The slimes, while loyal and efficient, contributed little to his physical capabilities. Their combined power mostly bolstered his mana reserves, making him an unparalleled mage in terms of raw energy.
However, their lack of physical attributes had always left him vulnerable—a "glass cannon," as he once bitterly thought.
Now, with the addition of the goblins' collective strength, that weakness was gone. The goblins' physical attributes—strength, defense, and resilience—had become part of him.
He clenched his fists, feeling the newfound power coursing through his body.
"This… is the balance I needed," Augustus muttered to himself, a faint smirk forming on his lips.
He no longer had to rely solely on his mana. He had become a hybrid of overwhelming magical and physical prowess, capable of dominating in any battlefield.
With his authority now cemented, Augustus turned his attention to the aftermath.
Through his mental link, Augustus reached out to Limloo.
"Limloo, the Goblin Lord is dead. The goblins are now under my command. Ensure the village is secure and have the goblins restrained properly. I'll handle the rest."
"Understood, my Lord," Limloo replied steadily. "The goblins have been immobilized, awaiting your orders. The Slime Village remains secure."
Augustus shifted his focus, extending his Lord's Authority toward the goblins.
The mental link now encompassed them as well, binding their minds to his will. He could feel their confusion and fear as his presence washed over them like a tide.
Emerging from the Goblin Lord's dwelling, Augustus surveyed the disorganized village.
Goblins milled about aimlessly, their morale shattered by their leader's death.
With a commanding thought, he reached out to them through the mental link.
"Bow," Augustus commanded, his voice echoing in their minds like an unbreakable decree.
An invisible force compelled the goblins to drop to their knees, their heads bowed low in submission. The village fell into silence as they acknowledged their new lord.
"You belong to me now," Augustus declared, his voice calm yet authoritative. "Your former leader was weak and unworthy. Under my rule, you will become stronger. Defiance will not be tolerated, but obedience will be rewarded. Serve me well, and your lives will have purpose."
The goblins trembled, a mix of fear and awe flooding the mental link. Their loyalty, albeit reluctant at first, began to solidify under Augustus's overwhelming authority.
Through the link, Augustus directed the goblins to assist with the cleanup of the battlefield. Some were ordered to retrieve the corpses of their fallen comrades from the pit traps, while others dismantled the unused traps and fortified the village defenses.
The slimes, under Limloo's guidance, continued their resource-gathering and scouting tasks, their adaptability proving invaluable.
The goblins, though clumsy at first, quickly adjusted under Augustus's commands. They moved with a newfound sense of purpose, following his instructions without hesitation.
At the center of the Goblin Village, Augustus stood like a beacon of power, overseeing the seamless integration of the goblins into his growing domain.
"You will strengthen the defenses of both villages," Augustus instructed, his tone unyielding. "Undergo training to refine your combat skills. I will not tolerate mediocrity. You are soldiers now, not scattered raiders."