Chapter 177 - 13: The Territory’s Rapid Development

Chapter 177: Chapter 13: The Territory’s Rapid Development

Six months passed in the blink of an eye.

During those six months, the territory was in constant turmoil.

Demons were bloodthirsty by nature, especially the less intelligent Low-level Species. It was difficult to bind them with rules and laws, as most of those dim-witted creatures couldn’t even understand reason.

This wasn’t just true for the lowest-ranking Demons; even the minor chieftains who could communicate were often guilty of it. Instances of feigned compliance—publicly promising to obey the rules while privately continuing to do as they pleased—were all too common.

Because of this, Lilia, with Ronan’s help, established a comprehensive system of surveillance, rewards, and punishments.

For any Demon that defied the rules, Lilia would publicly announce its crimes and execute it with lightning speed, regardless of its power, seniority, or status within its clan.

Conversely, for Demons who strictly followed the rules, or even reported crimes to Ronan, Lilia would spare no effort, pouring vast resources into them to forcibly raise their strength and promote them to high positions.

With a few exceptionally gifted exceptions, the difference in potential between Low-level Demons wasn’t as great as one might think. As long as you were willing to feed them resources, even a pig could lie back and get promoted.

The unique ecosystem of the Spirit Realm ensured that Demons couldn’t stay pigs for long. Once their strength increased, there were plenty of opportunities for real combat experience.

Using this method, the previous Lord’s old guard was completely replaced, a total changing of the blood. Soon, aside from the beautiful handmaiden and the Little Demon named Ronan, no trace of the former Lord remained by Lilia’s side.

The purge, it could be said, was thorough.

As for where the resources came from to promote so many to power...

It was simple.

In the Spirit Realm, expanding one’s territory brought land and supplies, while the Demons who died in battle became resources for increasing strength.

It was a textbook example of using war to fuel war.

Furthermore, most Demons craved slaughter. Long periods of peace would suppress their nature, which could easily lead to problems over time.

Sending them to war not only replenished the territory’s scarce supplies but also served as an effective outlet for their emotions, making them more docile and the territory easier to manage.

Killing four birds with one stone.

As she drafted this plan in her tent, Lilia couldn’t even count all the ways she was winning.

In short, through the relentless efforts of the Demons and Lilia’s brilliant war planning, the fledgling tribe, centered on the Red River, expanded outward with incredible speed.

Its pace was so fast that it exceeded the expectations of all nearby clan leaders.

They would often just learn of a new power in the vicinity, only for Lilia’s Demon army to arrive at their gates that very afternoon or the next morning.

Those who surrendered were taken as prisoners; those who put up a stubborn resistance were killed on the spot.

The military discipline was so strict that every Demon who heard of it was astonished.

’They’re already at our gates, and they’re still allowing surrender?’

Such a thing was simply unheard of in the Spirit Realm.

The Demons had their pride. Of course, it was mainly the clan leaders who felt surrendering was a loss of face. Plus, their underlings were mostly a bunch of brainless fools who wouldn’t hesitate to throw their lives away. As a result, whenever Lilia’s side challenged them to battle, a fierce fight was inevitable.

In the early stages, this was fine. Lilia needed the Demon Cores produced after a Demon’s death to increase her own power.

But as Lilia grew stronger, the boost she received from ordinary Low-level Demons became increasingly negligible.

Moreover, her territory was growing ever larger, and she and Ronan couldn’t possibly manage it all by themselves. If she dispatched the minor chieftains under her command, there was a risk they would amass power for themselves and betray her after being given authority.

So Lilia changed her plan. Whenever she intended to take over a clan, she no longer sent her army directly. Instead, she dispatched well-trained diplomats to negotiate, giving the clan leaders a choice.

Submit, or be destroyed.

Among Demons, strength was the only language that mattered.

At first, the diplomats Lilia sent out received no respect from the clan leaders.

Upon hearing their proposal, these leaders often felt insulted. Some would throw the diplomats out on the spot, but most chose to kill the audacious messengers where they stood.

After a diplomat’s death, within half a day at most—or as little as an hour—

A vast army would arrive amidst plumes of black smoke, fulfilling the promise the diplomat had made with their life.

They would completely flatten the territory that had chosen to resist.

After this happened a few times, the surrounding leaders all came to remember the name Lilia.

They were impulsive and bloodthirsty, but they weren’t idiots.

She was offering them the option to submit, only demanding a fixed number of Demon Cores at regular intervals and adherence to a few rules. She wasn’t even asking them to die for her.

’Looked at that way... submission doesn’t seem so bad after all.’

At least it was much better than being completely annihilated.

Once the leaders’ attitudes shifted, the treatment of the diplomats skyrocketed.

Before they even entered the gates, the leaders would deign to welcome them personally.

They were so eager they practically wished they could grab a few humans on the spot to teach them proper etiquette for receiving guests.

Given this shift from arrogance to deference, the outcome of the diplomatic negotiations was self-evident.

Eighty percent of the clans voluntarily joined Lilia’s banner. The remaining twenty percent were... involuntarily added to Lilia’s banner.

And so, Lilia’s name spread far and wide, and the territory she led, known as "Red River," grew ever more renowned.

Because the territory had originated on the banks of the Red River, once it grew large enough, Lilia simply claimed the entire river. This completely put a stop to the chaotic slaughter of newborn Demons.

She marked off a zone around the Red River. As long as newborn Demons did not step past this red line, they were guaranteed absolute safety.

The moment they stepped out, it signified their acceptance of the Spirit Realm’s challenge, entering the brutal game of survival.

...

While Lilia was leading her territory forward, developing it methodically...

「Far to the west of the Red River.」

「Hammond Territory.」

Because most Low-level Species were more like beasts, few places had fixed names, with the exception of extremely important regions like the Red River.

Often, a territory was simply named after its Lord.

「One day.」

The Lord of Hammond Territory, Hammond himself, received a special guest.

"You say... you fled from the area near the Red River?"

Hammond’s scarlet eyes scanned the fellow Demon groveling below him.

His power was considerable; he was just one step away from crossing the threshold to the Middle Level.

The competition around the Red River was fierce. To be able to fight his way out from among so many Demons was proof enough of this one’s strength.

And a Demon like this, according to his experience, should have been able to rule a medium-sized territory near the Red River.

’So why has he been reduced to seeking refuge with me?’