Strategy game? Then I'll have to control you properly.

"Hmph, so you still don't quite trust me, huh?"

Through the screen shown by Paul, Lin Miao could observe the kingdom's inhabitants in detail.

Of course, Lin Miao, like the other residents who spent their lives on the grasslands, knew nothing about the world over there.

So you can't understand much just by looking at it like this, but at least one thing can be clearly distinguished.

Lin Miao murmured to herself, "That child who looks like a king seems exceptionally composed."

It is precisely the enemy-or-friend identification system labeled by the system.

Friendly forces are shown in green, enemy forces in red, and those who come into contact with Paul are mostly shown as neutral or red.

Currently, apart from Paul, no one else has become an ally.

In fact, Lin Miao knew long ago that it would not be easy to persuade people like Bjorn and Paul, who already had followers, to join their side.

But that left him with nothing to do on this land.

"At most, it'll just be enough to smash a table."

Lin Miao thought to herself.

However, if one acts rashly because of a lack of trust, it will obviously turn into a terrorist attack by an evil god.

Lin Miao decided to trust Paul for now and wait and see.

What is most urgent right now is to rapidly expand our influence.

This was by no means a simple act of conquest or annexation.

It is enough to establish trustworthy alliances.

We already have enough enemies to deal with, so gaining even one more ally is a good thing.

"Do these bastards really dare to invade again?"

Lin Miao turned the camera to the western villages under construction.

Chieftain Luke, the man who boasted of unifying the grasslands, seemed to have forgotten the lesson of the previous expeditionary force's disastrous defeat and once again mobilized his army to put pressure on them.

"Thank you for delivering this reason for war to our doorstep."

Lin Miao said with a sneer.

Building new villages on the western lands that Theodore once ruled was by no means in vain.

This is clearly a declaration of expansionist ambitions.

In fact, after witnessing the towering city walls, the various tribes that had been defeated and scattered by Luke are now gathering here again.

Although Lin Miao also realized the necessity of expansion and intended to fully support it, Luke made his move before he could come up with a specific strategy.

The problem is that Luke would never fight a battle he can't possibly lose.

Those guys started to speed up.

They clearly intended to launch an attack before the village on the west side was completed.

Attila seemed to have concluded that it was hopeless to complete the project before the enemy arrived, so he began to gather his soldiers separately.

The company has recently recruited a significant number of staff, making it quite large.

"Are they planning a direct confrontation on the plains?"

Lin Miao asked, puzzled.

The village is surrounded by flat, unprotected land.

Although mobilizing miners and porters could set up obstacles over a considerable area, Attila seemed to be considering a direct confrontation this time, and was gathering warhorses and soldiers.

"I'm a little uneasy..."

Lin Miao hurriedly began constructing basic defensive turrets, judging that they needed more weaponry.

Luke's personal troops are well-equipped, battle-hardened elites.

His intuition told him that fighting in the old way would result in heavy losses.

Moreover, they cannot relocate all the troops stationed in the north.

Lin Miao opened Monster Hunter and began preparing equipment crafted from the byproducts of a more powerful mutant.

"You seem to know quite a lot, huh?!"

A blacksmith looked at Lin Miao in surprise.

The blacksmiths and merchants in the first village now cough and limit sales whenever they see Lin Miao's face, since they've sold too much to him before.

But the blacksmiths and merchants of this new city do not yet know them.

The blacksmith asked, "Do you need this much?"

It seems that Dulin answered the question about the quantity on behalf of Lin Miao.

The blacksmith, who was showing off his homemade equipment, widened his eyes and stammered as if he had heard an unexpected answer.

"Although we can't arm all the soldiers, we can at least equip some of them," Lin Miao thought to himself.

He transported the looted supplies back to the village through Thorfinn and Dulin, and handed them over to Attila intact.

Attila exclaimed in admiration when he saw the equipment that clearly contained more magic than the original equipment.

"That's not enough. We need new power, more power."

Lin Miao looked at the interface where his points were running low and thought to himself.

Points are scarce, but there are countless places where strength is needed.

Overcoming these challenges is his responsibility.

After racking his brains, Lin Miao decided to use his free time to help Lillie advance through Chapter 4 of Dark Souls.

This time, it's not just about Lillie's growth; there's another motive.

The Paladin is a new class available in Chapter 4's Hunting Mode.

Perhaps the warriors who awaken this class will become the key to this battle.

"Let's finish this quickly, it's not the first time anyway."

Lin Miao nodded as he looked at Lillie, who hadn't entered the game world in a long time.

She seemed to understand, and with a faint smile, she took a step forward.

The boss in Chapter 4 of Dark Souls, like those defeated before, is a demon attempting to descend upon the human world.

But this guy is a little different from the other small fry.

Other beings will stop at nothing to try and bring the original body into the mortal world.

The boss in Chapter 4 tries to hide his true identity from beginning to end.

In the end, their actions and goals are no different from those of ordinary humans.

"Can this kind of thing even be called a demon? Although it's none of my business."

Lin Miao thought to herself.

His goal was to speedrun the game and get the rewards.

Lillie, who is traveling with them, may have slightly different goals, but they all share the same goal of eliminating the demon.

"Come this way."

Lin Miao led her to the location of the BOSS.

Unlike other chapters that are fraught with danger from the very beginning, the chapters set in this city of pleasure mainly consist of side quests to find the boss.

Therefore, Lin Miao, who was familiar with the entire strategy guide, was able to find the BOSS very quickly.

"The faces I didn't want to see have come knocking. I'd heard all along, those idiots all died at your hands, huh?"

The man, disguised as an ordinary merchant leader, seemed to have been waiting for them all along, quietly waiting in the deserted open space.

The guy just read his lines from the script verbatim.

While it's good that we weren't affected by the malfunction, thanks to the BOSS's silver tongue, we can still move around freely.

"I don't know what others think, but I have no intention of summoning the legions of hell to wreak havoc on this world." The BOSS paused, then continued, "Everyone values ​​different things, and I'm perfectly content living as an ordinary person."

The BOSS didn't look at Lin Miao, but continued talking to Lillie, seemingly instinctively sensing who was more easily swayed.

"Do you know how many businesses I run in this city? If I disappear, it's not just one or two businesses that will go bankrupt. Orphanages will close, nursing homes will shut down. Think about what true good deeds really are."

The boss forced them to think about right and wrong and make a choice, threatening that if he, as the president of a well-known local chamber of commerce, disappeared, countless people would suffer.

They even sarcastically questioned whether creating such a disaster was in accordance with God's will.

"What exactly do you want? I'm so busy."

Lin Miao thought impatiently.

For him, whose schedule was packed, it was all nonsense.

In the game, his sophistry was only exposed with the help of other competing merchant guilds.

The problem is that Lillie might disagree with him.

"...On the contrary, I should say it's unbelievable."

But the moment Lin Miao turned around and saw her eyes, he gave a bitter smile.

Lillie is no longer the naive girl who can be fooled by the devil's sweet talk.

Like the inhabitants who developed an independent civilization from a primitive tribe, she was the first paladin to establish her own faith through trials and tribulations.

The holy light emanating from her is a testament to her faith.

"These... these guys..."

The BOSS looked at Lillie and his expression changed drastically.

Without hesitation, she drew her sword and pointed it directly at the demon.

The upcoming boss battles are known for their complex mechanics and multiple debuffs, but Lillie has already honed her skills to perfection.

Whether in the game world or in reality, she continues to grow stronger through her ongoing battles against malfunctions.

It has now grown to a level that even leader-level enemies find difficult to reach.

The BOSS roared, "Since they won't listen to reason, then I'll just have to use my body to make these idiots understand!"

In the demon's final struggle, the battle broke out.

This is a true boss battle with no fixed pattern.

◆◆◆

"Their basic tactic is to sway people's hearts, but the methods vary. Fortunately... you weren't swayed."

"A warrior must have the courage to cut away the rotten flesh."

"What one's heart desires and what one actually does are two different things."

As the sun fully rose, Gabriel, arriving in his carriage, smiled as he looked at the bustling ruins.

The demon, despite revealing his true form which he had kept hidden until now, put up a stubborn resistance. In the end, he was defeated last night and banished back to hell after failing to achieve his goal.

The city's garrison was completely ineffective, all thanks to those two men. This was the fourth time they had driven out the demons.

Have you found the answer to the question of faith that has been troubling you for so long?

"I'm not entirely sure yet, but I'm trying."

"Don't put too much pressure on yourself. The path you blaze will be followed by others."

Gabriel looked at the increasingly mature paladin Lillie and nodded in satisfaction.

This is not just polite praise; according to the established system, the opportunity to become a Paladin is indeed available in Chapter 4 Hunting Mode.

"Huh? What's going on?"

But changes followed. When Lillie was talking to Gabriel, he checked the Paladin class change information as usual, only to find a description that differed from what he knew, and he immediately panicked.

"Lillie, who is the paladin you believe in and follow? You don't worship the one I worship, do you? So the paladin's trials will naturally be different."

The god Gabriel worships, the one who appears in Dark Souls, is not the same god Lillie worships. Therefore, the trials to become a paladin also change.

Originally, all that was needed to defeat the afterimage of the nameless paladin was to change jobs, but that afterimage has now transformed into someone else's appearance.

"Lily, Lillie."

Lin Miao stared at the screen and suddenly trembled. Becoming a paladin examiner was precisely the trace left by Lillie.

The marks left by that female knight in magnificent armor now gleam in her eyes, testing the strength and faith of those who aspire to become paladins.

[Achievement Completed: Legend of the Saintess (1)]

[Reward Option: Sacred Crown]

At the same time, achievements also emerged, a great undertaking created together by the two who trusted and followed each other.

"Take this. It is a gift from the lord I believe in, a recognition of your achievements."

"This is……"

Lillie accepted the item from Gabriel with trembling hands.

The shimmering platinum crown automatically shrank to fit the perfect size of her head.

"No, this is actually something to be happy about. After all, it's not simply about choosing the Paladin class..."

Although there have been changes, not all changes will necessarily lead to a bad outcome.

The Paladin Qualification Test is completely revamped as Lillie grows up.

Lin Miao judged that this was actually a good thing, and began to flip through the resident list.

It is now virtually impossible to collect information on tens of thousands of people one by one.

But Lin Miao, who already had a spreadsheet program, only needed to type a few keystrokes to filter out residents with the required skills.

"So becoming a paladin isn't something you can just gain by strength alone."

The first name that appeared in the results window was Rose.

This is a girl with a talent for short swordsmanship who once worked as an assassin.

Among the subsequent candidates, there were both newcomers who had just awakened as warriors and ordinary people who had not yet awakened.

After confirming that Luke's enemy forces were closing in, Lin Miao hurriedly assigned the selected personnel to Dark Souls and arranged for them to participate in the Paladin qualification test.

Lin Miao believed that when these people who had awakened as paladins entered the battlefield with their abilities, they would become a new variable that would change the course of the war.

This is not just about winning the war, but also about minimizing casualties.

"Want to fight me? Are you kidding me?"

"It's true. The examiner said that I must defeat Lady Lillie... to qualify."

Rosette was the first to issue a challenge.

Although she aspired to become a paladin like Lillie, and indeed gained recognition and was even given armor, unlike Lillie who received blessings, Rosie was only a half-baked paladin.

This time, she finally qualified to become a true paladin. Although she was determined to succeed, it was by no means easy.

After all, the path Lillie walked was fraught with thorns.

The untold truth is that Lillie fought alongside the two of them, defeating countless powerful enemies at the level of demon lords.

Her strength had long surpassed that of ordinary warriors, reaching a level that was beyond the reach of most.

"This is a trial personally bestowed by the guardian deity; we must overcome it."

Rose, wielding a double-edged dagger, confronted Lillie's afterimage.

Unlike her usual gentle smile, the hostility emanating from Lillie's lingering image made Rosie tremble involuntarily.

"I am indeed very curious about just how strong Lady Lillie is."

Although they often watched from the sidelines, they never actually clashed with each other.

This idea might be a bit presumptuous, but Roche, who had regarded Lillie as her goal since their first meeting, really wanted to measure how her strength after she grew up compared to Lillie's.

"Haa!"

With gritted teeth, Rose took the lead and charged forward.

With a series of attacks using the assassin's unique Instant Step skill, Rose left afterimages in the air, her blade aimed directly at the weakness in Lillie's afterimage.

The afterimage's reaction was indeed half a beat slower than Rose's. The problem was that, apart from speed, the afterimage was superior in every other aspect.

Despite being hit once, the still-powerful afterimage swung its sword fiercely, unleashing a cross-shaped slash that cut through the air.

"Bang!"

Rose was thrown into the air by the force and rolled several times on the ground.

This was just an afterimage; its power already surpassed that of hundreds of warriors in the tribe, making it arguably the strongest.

"We need to find a different approach."

Realizing that she could not win in a direct confrontation, Rosie decided to use her strengths to slowly wear down her opponent.

Her hand, torn and bleeding from the single blow, was forced to swallow the pain. To become a paladin, one must get used to enduring suffering.

"Keep going, it'll be all over if you give up."

And she wasn't the only one cheering her on. On the other side of the screen, watching her struggle, he was also nervously supporting her.

The residents, including Rose, must undergo trials to awaken as paladins in order to increase their combat power.

"For some reason... I have a feeling of being expected."

Rose raised the corners of her mouth slightly and moved her body.

Using his superior agility, he narrowly avoided the sword's edge and slashed at the opponent's body with his own sword.

Lillie's afterimage healed its wounds in an instant thanks to the paladin's unique regenerative abilities.

Roselle could only grit her teeth and create more trauma before the wound healed; it was the only way.

"Is it possible?"

Faced with overwhelming power and almost suffocating gasps for breath, a strong sense of anxiety swept over him.

The despair that made her want to give up kept rising, but she forcibly suppressed it.

If the battle against the afterimage was a contest of strength, then this moment is a test of faith.

Only by being prepared to risk our lives to complete our mission can we continue this fight.