Chapter 79: The Army Sets Out, The Harvest in Serene Forest
Charles did not rush to mobilize his troops immediately. Instead, he first took out a parchment from his system space and sent a message on the regional channel.
[Overlord No. 1: Ladies and gentlemen, the novice period is about to end, and I believe you all understand what this means. I am preparing to integrate Serene Forest. If anyone is willing to join, you can come directly to the Zerg territory to sign a vassal contract with me.]
The regional channel fell silent for a moment after Charles posted the message, and then it exploded with activity.
[Overlord No. 645: Holy crap! Overlord No. 1 is finally going to integrate Serene Forest! I heard other novice villages have already been integrated!]
[Overlord No. 858: No wonder we haven't seen the big boss around lately. He must have been preparing to integrate Serene Forest. I fully support this!]
[Overlord No. 1858: Boohoo! Thank you, big boss! I thought I was done for and had even prepared a coffin for myself!]
[Overlord No. 333: Big boss, take me with you! I'm a cute girl with big eyes and a 36D bust!]
...
The reaction from the other Overlords was much better than Charles had anticipated.
Although there were some dissenters, they were in the minority.
After all, these Overlords were no longer the rookies who had just arrived on the Continent of Overlords. Many things from the outside world had already reached the novice villages. These Overlords knew what they would face once the novice period ended, and they understood how crucial it was to cling to a powerful ally at this time.
Charles nodded slightly, realizing the process of taking over Serene Forest should go very smoothly. As long as he could secure all the resources of the Serene Forest, his Zerg army would rapidly develop. Even if he encountered that royal Elf, he wouldn't be completely defenseless.
Looking at the flood of messages in the regional channel, Charles sent out another message.
[Overlord No. 1: I will soon be selling newly developed equipment from my territory. Those who need it can purchase it on their own. Overlords who choose to join the Zerg territory will receive a discount. Regardless, I hope everyone can survive.]
Charles's last statement was sincere.
After all, to fill his empty coffers, he had specifically instructed Catherine to develop a large batch of weapons to harvest a good amount of resources from the other Overlords. If these people died, the biggest loser would be him...
In the regional channel, a group of Overlords was moved to tears upon seeing Charles's message.
[Overlord No. 333: Boohoo! Overlord No. 1 is so kind, thinking of us even at a time like this. I'll be the first to join!]
[Overlord No. 703: I will never forget Overlord No. 1's great kindness. I'm joining too!]
[Overlord No. 640: Thank you, Overlord No. 1. I'm joining as well!]
...
Seeing the group of novice Overlords so touched and emotional, Charles fell silent for a moment. These guys were so adorably naive that he almost felt guilty about reaping their resources.
However, a glance at his nearly empty storage space made Charles's resolve harden.
Filling his own coffers was still the most important thing.
After handling this matter, Charles put away the parchment.
Without further delay, he instructed Eve, Catherine, Medusa, and other high-ranking members to start preparing for the military campaign.
Upon receiving the orders, they felt a wave of excitement.
After a month of preparation, the time had finally come for them to showcase their abilities!
Before long, everyone gathered outside Charles's palace.
The army was already assembled outside, fully geared and ready to move!
Charles walked slowly out of the main hall, lifting his gaze to Eve, Medusa, and the others standing outside, as well as the nearly ten thousand Zerg soldiers behind them.
Among these thousands of Zerg soldiers were combat units and production units, divided into twelve corps.
The forces included terrifying Abyssal Serpent women, Battlefield Armor Bug Blueprint that resembled armored vehicles, and worker bees responsible for resource extraction. Each unit had a specific role, and every corps was led by a commander with third-tier combat strength.
They gathered together, resembling a vast black ocean, yet they remained utterly silent. Despite being Zergs with limited intelligence, their strict discipline was deeply moving.
As the tens of thousands of Zerg soldiers saw Charles, their eyes filled with fervor and reverence. Their simple minds couldn't comprehend much, but they knew one thing.
This was their king, the sole Overlord of the Zerg, and their creator.
They were willing to give everything for his sake.
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Charles surveyed the massive army, his expression calm, yet exuding an aura of innate authority. He spoke in a deep, commanding voice: "This time, your mission is singular! Capture Serene Forest as quickly as possible!"
"Anyone who dares stand in your way, be they Overlords, monsters, or dark creatures, crush them with your weapons!"
"Zerg warriors, for me, Charles, your Overlord! Go and conquer Serene Forest!"
As his words fell, the eyes of tens of thousands of Zergs turned blood-red, their battle spirit soaring as they roared in unison.
"For the Overlord!!!"
Their thunderous voices pierced the clouds and echoed to the heavens, their overwhelming momentum sweeping in all directions.
Catherine, Medusa, and the others felt their blood boiling with excitement.
They gazed at the figure before them, their eyes shining with admiration and pride.
This was the man they were willing to follow for a lifetime.
Then, Charles raised his hand and proclaimed loudly:
"Zerg army, march forth!"
With Charles's command, the twelve corps of tens of thousands of Zerg moved in perfect unison, like torrents flowing in all directions.
In the Serene Forest, some Overlords who had come to seek allegiance were watching from afar, feeling a chill run down their spines.
They could hardly believe the sheer force exuded by these troops.
Such cohesion and power!
They even thought these Zerg warriors were on par with the well-trained armies of Blue Star.
They couldn't have imagined that Charles's Zerg territory had reached such a terrifying level.
This realization only strengthened their resolve to join forces with Charles.
Following such a powerful Overlord would surely be far better than struggling alone.
As he watched his army move out, Charles turned his gaze back and returned to his palace.
He didn't join the military expedition, after witnessing his might, he expected that other Overlords would soon come seeking allegiance. He needed to stay behind to welcome them.
Just as Charles had anticipated.
It wasn't long before a group of a dozen Overlords,
all familiar faces from the undead war, arrived at the Zerg territory together.
Charles couldn't help but chuckle and sent a Beetle Tank to greet them.
...
Inside the Zerg territory, Overlords like Karman and Wilton sat atop Battle Armor Bugs.
These were individuals who had fought alongside Charles and Flandre, and they had long admired Charles immensely.
Hearing of the opportunity to follow Charles, they immediately decided to come together.
As they looked around Charles's territory and felt the dense elemental energy, they were astonished.
Karman, the young man with glasses, couldn't help but exclaim, "Boss Charles is incredible. How did he manage this? Just being here for a short while, I can feel my strength increasing!"
Wilton, with his bushy beard, laughed, "I feel it too. Honestly, I want to stay here forever."
The others nodded in agreement.
The elemental energy in Charles's territory was several times denser than the surrounding areas. Just being there made their inner power surge.
This wasn't just a territory.
It was a paradise!
Seeing Charles's Zerg territory and remembering the army of a hundred thousand.
They knew they had made the right choice.
Joining such a high-level territory, people would be willing to sign even a vassal contract, if not a slave contract!
Battle Armor Bugs moved swiftly, and before long, Karman and the group arrived at Charles's palace. The grand Zerg palace left them in awe.
Making them feel a bit self-conscious about their own so-called Overlord residences.
Led by a Queen's Guard, they entered the palace and saw Charles handling state affairs.
"Everyone, long time no see," Charles looked up, smiling as he greeted them first.
Seeing Charles after such a long time, everyone was excited.
Karman, particularly excited, blurted out, "Boss, can we sign a permanent contract? We want to follow you forever!"
The group eagerly nodded, their eyes full of anticipation.
"Permanent contract?" Charles was taken aback for a moment, then couldn't help but laugh.
While others were usually reluctant to sign permanent contracts, these guys were eager to do so.
"There's no need for that," Charles shook his head, rejecting their enthusiastic offer.
Loyalty wasn't something that could be secured with a permanent contract.
If they were truly loyal, it wouldn't matter whether they signed a vassal contract or not.
Karman, Wilton, and the others looked a bit disappointed.
But content that Charles hadn't turned them away.
Charles then took out a stack of temporary contracts he had prepared in advance and handed one to each of them.
Unlike permanent contracts, which required the approval of all territory leaders, a regular vassal contract was essentially a labor agreement.
It didn't impose many strict obligations, aside from some penalties for betrayal, and only required the Overlord's consent.
Karman, Wilton, and the others didn't hesitate and promptly signed their names on the contracts.
As each vassal contract was successfully signed, notifications appeared before Charles.
[Ding! You have signed a vassal contract with "Karman," Overlord of the "Wild Tribe (Silver Level)." Vassal territory expanded by 15 kilometers, vassal population increased by 3,515...]
[Ding! You have signed a vassal contract with "Wilton," Overlord of the "Werewolf Tribe (Silver Level)." Vassal territory expanded by 14 kilometers, vassal population increased by 3,167...]
[Ding! You have signed a vassal contract with "Charlie," Overlord of the "Goblin Village (Bronze Level)"...]
...