Long Zai Tian looked at the Gnomes and began his interrogation: "Tell me everything about the location of your village." The three Gnomes remained silent at first, but when they saw the fierce soldiers about to resume the flogging, one of them jumped up and cried: "Mercy, my lord! I will tell you everything and lead you to our village; just do not whip us!"
"Very well, you have my word. Now, speak," Long Zai Tian replied coldly. The Gnome said with a trembling voice: "We are from the village of Dorun, and my name is Dorje. There are 96 of us in total, and we have 46 soldiers. Our village is located within tunnels deep underground..."
"Good. Now, you will show us the way. Lead on," Long Zai Tian said, nodding for the Gnome to move. He ordered Bai Qi to gather the soldiers, and they set off into the forest, led by Dorje and the other Gnomes. Upon reaching a hole carefully hidden beneath the brush, Dorje stopped and said: "My lord, this is the entrance to our village."
"Well done, Dorje," Long Zai Tian said, inspecting the hole leading to the subterranean tunnels; it was narrow, barely wide enough for one person. Long Zai Tian turned and said: "Bai Qi, I will descend alone. You and the others stay here."
Bai Qi immediately protested: "But Your Majesty, you will be in danger alone..."
"Do not worry about me, Bai Qi. You have already witnessed my strength," Long Zai Tian said with confidence. Bai Qi recalled the Goblin massacre Long Zai Tian had committed and relaxed slightly: "Very well, Your Majesty. Please, be careful."
"Hmm, I will," Long Zai Tian replied, and then he descended into the darkness of the tunnel...
Long Zai Tian strode through the tunnel, illuminated by flickering torches mounted on the walls; the damp humidity of the underground was slightly suffocating. He pressed on until he spotted a Gnome walking in the corridor ahead. Moving with the lightness of a feather, Long Zai Tian crept up directly behind him and delivered a precise blow to the head, knocking him unconscious instantly.
Long Zai Tian looked down at the Gnome; this captive was his key to reaching the heart of the village without getting lost in the labyrinthine tunnels. Five minutes later, the Gnome struggled to regain consciousness. His vision was blurred at first, seeing only the silhouette of a man before him. Within moments, his sight cleared, and he realized he was facing a human. Panic seized him, and just as he tried to open his mouth to scream a warning to the village, a violent kick to the face silenced him. Wincing in pain, the Gnome sank to his knees and pleaded in the Gnomish tongue: "My lord, please... I surrender..."
At that moment, a system notification reached Long Zai Tian: [Gnome "Brock" has surrendered to you].
Long Zai Tian said coldly, "Lead me to your village, or I shall kill you."
The Gnome replied in terror, "Yes, my lord, just... do not strike me again."
"Fine, I will not. Let us go," Long Zai Tian commanded. Brock rose and began navigating through specific corridors within the tunnels. The paths were not empty of other Gnomes, but Long Zai Tian dealt with them all silently, knocking them unconscious one by one. They continued until they finally reached the village clearing. There, every Gnome's gaze fixed with caution and dread upon the human who had entered alongside Brock.
Long Zai Tian looked over the village; it contained approximately a hundred houses and seemed unremarkable. He said to Brock firmly, "Go and tell the village head to come to me." Brock, visibly tense and uncertain under the gaze of the onlookers, replied cowed, "Very well, my lord... as you command."
He rushed toward the village head's house, and soon an elderly Gnome emerged, his face etched with countless wrinkles. He approached Long Zai Tian, bowed slightly, and said, "I am Doron, my lord, and I welcome you to my small village. What brings us this honored visit? How may I assist you?" Long Zai Tian did not understand his speech until Brock translated.
Understanding the situation, Long Zai Tian told Brock, "Tell him to surrender. They have no power to oppose me, for I am far stronger than they. If you surrender, you shall live a life of dignity; if not, I shall destroy this village and everyone in it." Then, Long Zai Tian released a fraction of his Royal Aura. Suddenly, every Gnome in the village felt suffocated, as a terrifying pressure weighed upon their souls.
Brock explained Long Zai Tian's ultimatum to the village head. Sensing Doron's hesitation, Long Zai Tian intensified his aura until the villagers were on the verge of losing consciousness. Witnessing such overwhelming power, Doron fell to his knees and cried out in the Gnomish tongue, "I surrender, my lord..." Immediately, a system notification rang in Long Zai Tian's ears: [Ding! Dorun Village has surrendered to you. You have gained 50 Achievement Points].
Now that Dorun Village had formally surrendered, the language barrier dissolved, allowing Long Zai Tian to communicate with them directly. He looked at the elder Doron and said commandingly, "Lead me to the storehouse and the Village Hall." Doron replied with a tone of sorrow and submission, "As you command, my lord. Follow me."
They first headed to the storehouse, where Long Zai Tian found a thousand copper coins and five silver coins. Then, they proceeded to the Village Hall, the heart of the settlement, where the system interface appeared before his eyes to display the village status:
• Name: Dorun Village {Rank: Copper - Common}
• Level: Basic (500/5000)
• Village Area: 1 km²
• Village Territory: 5 km²
• Residents: (96/400)
• Soldiers: 46/160
• Options: [Conquer] - [Destroy] - [Relocate]
Long Zai Tian chose the Relocate option, and a system notification appeared immediately:
[Ding! You have chosen to "Relocate" Dorun Village. You have gained 500 XP]
Long Zai Tian took the floating copper Village Heart and handed it to Doron, who stood by in awe. He said in a reassuring tone, "Do not worry; your fate will not be a grim one as long as you have submitted to me. Now, take the Village Stone. It is no longer suitable for you to dwell underground; we shall relocate your village to a better place."
Doron bowed deeply, his voice trembling with emotion, "Thank you, my lord. I am truly grateful for your mercy and generosity..."