Chapter 170: Work Under Me

"Work under you?" Double X muttered, his voice barely audible.

Liam didn’t bother answering the question.

Instead, his attention shifted toward the golden monogram floating in front of him, a strange symbol that seemed to have been designed specifically for the functions of the World Convention. Although this was his first time using the feature, he instinctively understood that the monogram was more than a decorative element, and that interacting with it might allow him to activate certain functions within this space.

Without wasting any more time, Liam reached out and clicked the floating symbol.

The moment his finger touched it, the golden monogram rippled like the surface of a pond, and several thin lines of light emerged from its center. They danced through the air before arranging themselves into a small window, its edges shimmering faintly as a series of unfamiliar symbols appeared across its surface.

’That worked?’

Liam examined the window with a hint of surprise, although he quickly suppressed his reaction. It appeared that the World Convention possessed some sort of built-in communication function, and judging from the way the lines moved and rearranged themselves, he suspected that the window was designed to record and transmit voices.

He had no idea whether it would accept the commands he had in mind, but there was only one way to find out.

Liam turned his attention back toward Double X, his gaze becoming increasingly oppressive as he spoke.

"X_X, I command you to become my puppet and serve under me. From this moment onward, you will obey my commands without betrayal, and you will devote your efforts toward helping me grow stronger and ultimately become a god.

"You will not act against my interests, directly or indirectly, nor will you deliberately undermine the objectives I set for you. However, you will retain the ability to manage your planet, guide your creations, and continue developing your goblin civilization, provided that your actions do not conflict with my orders. In exchange for your absolute obedience, I shall spare your creations and allow them to continue living on your planet."

His voice echoed throughout the chamber, each word carrying an unmistakable sense of authority.

The golden lines surrounding the window suddenly accelerated, swirling around one another before converging into a single point. For a brief moment, the entire window shone with a brilliant light, and then the symbols rearranged themselves once again, as though the World Convention had acknowledged the declaration.

Liam watched the phenomenon carefully, waiting to see whether anything else would happen.

Meanwhile, Double X remained motionless.

He stared at the window, then at Liam, and finally lowered his gaze toward the golden table separating them. His mind was racing, desperately searching for a way out of the situation, but every possible solution seemed to lead him toward the same inevitable conclusion.

He could refuse. But what would happen afterward?

Liam had already demonstrated that he was willing to invade another player’s planet, and there was no reason to believe he would hesitate to destroy the goblins if Double X rejected his offer.

Even if he attempted to fight back, he had no confidence that he could defeat Liam, especially when the other player had apparently managed to enter the World Convention despite being an unorthodox player.

And even if he somehow escaped this situation, where would he go?

The other players in the chatroom might be willing to offer advice, but would any of them truly risk their own planets to help him? They were competitors, after all, and every player had their own ambitions to pursue. Some might sympathize with his situation, while others might even take advantage of his weakened position.

There was also the question of the unorthodox players.

If Liam belonged to their side, then Double X would be forced to confront an enemy he barely understood. He didn’t even know how the unorthodox players operated, much less how to fight against them, and he had no guarantee that the other players in the chatroom would be able to protect him from such a threat.

His gaze slowly returned to Liam.

The other player was simply sitting there, waiting for his response, as though the outcome had already been decided.

’What am I supposed to do?’

Double X’s hands tightened against the edge of the table.

He had spent so much time watching his goblins grow that he had forgotten something fundamental about the planetary selection. The world he inhabited was not a peaceful sanctuary where he could simply observe the development of his creations, but a battlefield where every player was competing for the same ultimate prize.

He had wanted to believe that he could remain uninvolved in the cruelty of the competition, that he could simply nurture his goblins and watch them build their own civilization without becoming entangled in the conflicts between players.

But that dream had just been shattered.

If he refused, his goblins might be destroyed. If he accepted, he would become a servant to someone who had threatened to annihilate everything he cherished, surrendering his freedom in exchange for their survival.

Neither choice was something he wanted.

Yet one of them was clearly better than the other.

"...I don’t have a choice, do I?"

Double X slowly raised his head, his eyes trembling as he looked directly at Liam.

"I can’t fight you, and I don’t think the other players would be able to help me either. Even if they wanted to, I doubt any of them would risk their own planets just to save mine. And if you’re really an unorthodox player, then refusing your offer would leave me with even fewer options."

His voice grew quieter with every passing word, until he finally closed his eyes.

"I don’t want to become your puppet. I don’t want to spend the rest of this competition following someone else’s orders, and I certainly don’t want to help you become a god. But if refusing means that my goblins will die, then..."

He stopped, unable to finish the sentence.

For a moment, the only sound in the chamber was the faint hum of the golden monogram.

"...Fine. I’ll work under you."

Double X opened his eyes again, and this time, there was no confusion in them, only a deep, bitter resignation.

"I’ll obey your commands, and I’ll help you become stronger. Just promise me one thing, Liam. Don’t hurt my goblins. You can take everything else from me, but please, don’t take them away."

Liam studied the player for a few seconds before the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.

"Of course."