## Chapter 1: A Two-Pronged Approach
==============================
“The Great King, the Second Great King requests an audience.”
A slender Butterfly Demon gently lifted the beaded curtain at the study door, reporting in a sweet voice.
Ever since Poison Butterfly Cave officially joined Cold Wind City, there were finally some female characters in the city besides her and Cold Moon.
Flower Butterfly had proactively sent in two Butterfly Demons to serve as maids.
Thinking she needed some company and couldn’t let those clumsy little demons mess up her room, Lin Nan gladly accepted Flower Butterfly’s kind offer.
“Let the Second Great King in.”
…
“I pay my respects to the Great King.”
Cold Moon curtsied at the desk, her knees slightly bent.
“No need for formalities, please sit.” Lin Nan waved her over.
Cold Moon didn’t hesitate, diving right into the plans she submitted that morning.
“Great King, Evil Merman Cave has just been defeated; now is the perfect opportunity for us to press the attack while they’re down!”
Sure enough…
Cold Moon looked like a lady, but deep down she was a fighter.
All Lin Nan wanted was to quietly survive in Cold Wind City, but was that really so hard?
After all, she had already found a way to level up quickly. If she could just lie low for a few months, maybe she’d reach a higher level.
What she needed now was stability and time!
But saying that out loud? Not so simple.
Considering the current attack from Evil Merman Cave,
She, as the cave’s boss, hadn’t really done much.
Cold Moon was the real hero here, defeating them and ensuring Cold Wind Cave’s safety.
If she wanted a quiet life later on, this dependable assistant was indispensable.
So, let’s put aside Cold Moon’s plans for expansion right now.
Lin Nan stayed silent, furrowing her brows dramatically while tapping her fingers on the desk, feigning disinterest in Cold Moon’s suggestion.
Cold Moon picked up on it immediately.
“Great King, do you think it’s not wise to attack right now?”
Lin Nan nodded, “Exactly. We’ve won this battle and subdued a large number of enemies, but can you guarantee these captives will fight for us right away?
So, the battle’s end is just the beginning of another internal struggle. We need to ensure our own people are secure before discussing further attacks.”
Lin Nan pulled out the ‘Draft Proposal for Establishing Cold Wind City Management Organization’ from a stack of documents and placed it in front of Cold Moon.
“The immediate priority is to stabilize our rear. I think this proposal looks good. Let’s start pushing for reforms today.
When the time is right, we can think about other matters.”
Cold Moon stood respectfully, “Understood, my King.”
As soon as Cold Moon left, Lin Nan let out a sigh of relief.
This reason sounded good,
And Cold Moon accepted it without any hint of disagreement.
After all, internal affairs were crucial for farming.
If they failed to properly integrate everyone into Cold Wind City,
It could become a hidden danger over time.
Especially since the Monster Race already revered turf supremacy,
It was the norm for Great Demons to lead groups of Little Demons to establish their caves, constantly fighting and snatching territory.
Now that several Great Demons had just joined Cold Wind City, if they kept the lax policies of the past,
It would never fulfill the grand vision that the red farming newbie had laid out for them.
So, Cold Moon, you just take your time with them.
Ideally for a few months.
This way, she wouldn’t have time to think about expanding her territory.
After all, if a war broke out between the big caves in Chaos Forest, it would draw unwanted attention from high-profile White Feather City, and possibly even involve the Human Race.
At that point, it would be endless trouble—how could she quietly survive?
Not to mention, she had that darn hidden main quest still hanging over her head, and she realized it was already nearing ten days overdue.
The 60-day deadline was creeping up fast.
Maybe she should send another envoy to Evil Merman Cave,
To negotiate a non-aggression pact.
That way, she could restrict Cold Moon and ensure the Evil Merman wouldn’t foolishly launch another attack on Cold Wind City.
What? You’re asking about the validity of the contract?
Of course, it’s forever!
After all, she had no plans to make any big moves in the monster world.
As an NPC with only one life, how could she compete with players who could respawn countless times?
Surviving was the only option, and everything else was secondary.
As for who to send for negotiations, better not let Cold Moon handle that—her imagination often ran wild, and God knows how she’d twist things.
So, who would be a safer choice?
Little Drill Wind?
That guy seemed to have already been led astray by Cold Moon. No way!
Tiger Demon? Wolf Demon?
Those two had only recently pledged allegiance; aside from being good fighters, she didn’t have a solid impression of them.
Plus, sending a Great Demon as a representative might carry a threatening vibe, which could backfire.
After pondering for a while,
A name finally popped into her mind.
Old Drill Wind!
Yes, this guy seemed relatively trustworthy.
Before her seclusion, Old Drill Wind regularly reported on the happenings within the cave,
He was quite diligent.
Perfect, it’s settled.
“Go fetch Old Drill Wind for me.”
“Yes, Great King.”
The Butterfly Demon in attendance turned and left.
Before long, a beaming Old Drill Wind entered the study, bowing and grinning.
“I pay my respects to the Great King!”
“No need for formalities.”
Lin Nan briefly stated her request, “Old Drill Wind, repeat what I just said.”
Old Drill Wind hurriedly replied, “The Great King orders me to act as an envoy to Evil Merman Cave, to sign a non-aggression agreement with them, valid indefinitely.”
Lin Nan nodded in satisfaction, “Good job. Old Drill Wind, I see you are reliable and honest, that is why I’m entrusting you with this crucial task.
This agreement must be signed at all costs.
If you fail, don’t even think about coming back to see me!
Understood?”
“Yes, Great King! Old Drill Wind will give his all to accomplish this task and relieve the Great King’s worries!”
“Excellent! Off you go.”
Old Drill Wind bounced out of her sight like a jackrabbit.
Now, that should be two-fold insurance.
Cold Moon handles internal affairs, sorting out the newly aligned caves and minions,
Old Drill Wind goes off to sign that friendly pact.
At least it would ensure a few months of peace; of course, the longer, the better.
After all, she had no other ambitions,
Surviving until the very last second of the game’s lifecycle would be considered a success.
“Little Butterfly, I’m going into seclusion now.
Don’t bother me with trivial matters.
Oh, and when Old Drill Wind returns from Evil Merman Cave, make sure to wake me up.”
Lin Nan instructed.
Perfect, she could finally focus on researching that new upgraded lottery system.
Character card, character card!
I want more character cards!
Just thinking about the future possibility of rolling multiple character cards made Lin Nan’s heart race.
