---o---
Hearing Cerydra's imperious declaration, Fu Zhu gave her a thumbs-up.
"You're becoming more and more like the king I hoped to see."
"Oh?"
Cerydra's interest was instantly piqued.
"And what kind of king did you hope to see?"
Fu Zhu casually sat down beside her and gestured toward the distant scenery.
"What do you think of the world as it is now?"
Cerydra pondered for a moment, her lowered eyes filled with disgust.
"Chaotic, disorderly, painful, and hopeless."
Fu Zhu nodded. During his time traveling through Amphoreus, he had seen and heard many things.
Despite the world-ending threat of the Black Tide, the city-states of Amphoreus were still embroiled in struggles for power and profit. Tribbie and her fragments had split themselves into a thousand pieces to deliver prophecies meant to save the world, but not only did the lords disbelieve them, they coveted the power of the Chrysos Heirs.
"Harsh times call for harsh measures. Human nature cannot withstand temptation, so a heavy hand is required. Only when a fist lands on their heads will they learn to cooperate. Cerydra, I hope your thinking aligns with mine."
After listening intently to Fu Zhu's words, Cerydra couldn't help but let out a soft chuckle.
"That's not so different from what I was thinking. In that case, Lord Nameless, tell me your methods."
Getting down to business, Fu Zhu held up three fingers.
"I have an upper, a middle, and a lower strategy, any of which can bring light to the darkness of Amphoreus."
Hearing this, and seeing Fu Zhu's earnest expression, Cerydra immediately sat up straight.
"Please speak, Lord Nameless."
"The lower strategy: a trade war. We seize control of their economic lifelines, forcing them to obey our directives. Otherwise, we cut off their economy and let their cities collapse without a single blow."
Cerydra nodded. Although she had never dabbled in economics, she could imagine how such a method, if implemented, would cause immense trouble for her enemies.
However, it would require a massive amount of material support, and the Holy City… was a bit poor.
Fu Zhu saw the fleeting hesitation on Cerydra's face and immediately guessed her concerns. With a casual wave of his hand, a massive pile of gold and iron blocks appeared to one side. Then, with another wave, a mountain of fruits, vegetables, and wheat appeared on the ground.
"If you wish, the resources are limitless."
In Minecraft, the number of farmable resources was simply staggering.
With proper preparation, even the Interastral Peace Corporation would be shocked speechless.
Cerydra gasped as she saw the resources Fu Zhu had materialized.
Although she didn't know how Fu Zhu could make such an audacious claim, the fact that he dared to say it meant he had the confidence to back it up.
"And the other two strategies, Lord Nameless?"
"The middle strategy: decapitation strikes. You provide me with the exact coordinates of every other city's lord, and I will eliminate them all within an hour. With their leaders dead, their cities will inevitably fall into chaos, making them easy to conquer."
Cerydra's eyelashes trembled. To kill every single lord within an hour?
That level of power was beyond belief. Not even a demigod could accomplish such a feat in that timeframe.
But this, in turn, only made Cerydra more curious about Fu Zhu's upper strategy.
"And… the upper strategy?"
"The upper strategy: we don't bother with any fancy maneuvers. We just steamroll them."
My super-brain is telling me it's time to use overwhelming power!
Fu Zhu immediately took out a carved pumpkin and some iron blocks, constructing an Iron Golem right in front of Cerydra.
When the towering Iron Golem appeared before her, Cerydra couldn't help but stare, wide-eyed.
This golem was no mere machine. Its eyes, though small, were full of life, and it clearly possessed a degree of intelligence.
"You can create life at will?!"
The methods Fu Zhu had demonstrated with the lower and middle strategies were nowhere near as shocking as him creating life out of thin air.
"Lord Nameless, who… who exactly are you?"
"Just an ordinary Nameless Guest," Fu Zhu said with a wave, indicating that she shouldn't dwell on such details. He looked at her seriously and asked, "So, which strategy do you intend to use? The upper, middle, or lower? If you choose the upper strategy, I can create countless Iron Golems like this one. We won't need any tricks; we can just march them straight over the enemy."
Cerydra didn't answer immediately. Instead, she stood up and walked over to the Iron Golem. Given her height, she barely came up to its leg.
Frowning, she raised the scepter in her hand and struck the Iron Golem with all her might. With a loud clang, Cerydra hissed and shook her numb right hand.
Fu Zhu jumped in surprise at her sudden attack. He was lucky he'd set Cerydra and the other Chrysos Heirs as allies; otherwise, that single blow would have sent her flying.
Cerydra put her scepter away and reached out with a gleam in her eyes, caressing the Iron Golem's body. A smile spread across her lips, a grin she couldn't suppress. If it weren't for her obvious gender, Fu Zhu might have mistaken her for some kind of pervert.
"It's so hard! I love it!"
Cerydra was already fantasizing about herself at the head of an army of tens of thousands of Iron Golems, marching in perfect unison as they conquered city after city.
"So, what is your choice, Your Majesty?"
Fu Zhu stood behind Cerydra with his hands behind his back, a cheerful grin on his face.
Cerydra spun around abruptly, her eyes shining as she looked up at Fu Zhu.
"I want them all!"
"That's not an option."
"Huh?"
The previously imperious Cerydra faltered, blinking in stunned silence at Fu Zhu.
"Why not?"
Fu Zhu rolled his eyes at her in exasperation. "If you choose the middle strategy, why would I waste materials making Iron Golems? And if you choose the upper strategy, with so many golems, why would I need to go myself? I didn't make them for nothing, you know."
Hearing his logic, the corner of Cerydra's mouth twitched.
When you get right down to it, you're just lazy, aren't you?
But she didn't say anything. Any one of the three strategies was more than enough to fulfill her dream of conquering the world.
"In that case, I choose the upper strategy. I'll have to trouble you for a while, Lord Nameless."
Fu Zhu made an "OK" gesture with his hand.
"My pleasure."
Just as they finished their discussion, Cipher and Hysilens, who had been waiting anxiously nearby, immediately walked over with wine glasses in hand. They flanked Fu Zhu, each taking an arm and trying to pull him in their direction.
"Fu Zhu, come have a drink with me, okay?" they both said at once.
"Alright, as long as you two don't pull."
Just as Fu Zhu was about to head off with them to get something to eat, Cerydra's voice called out from behind him.
"Lord Nameless."
Fu Zhu turned, looking at Cerydra with a puzzled expression.
Cerydra's gaze was searing as she stared at him, her eyes filled with a deep, probing curiosity.
"With the upper, middle, and lower strategies, you've shown me your resources, your personal power, and your uncanny abilities. With all that, you could clearly rule the world by yourself. So why did you choose to join my ranks?"
Fu Zhu just grinned at her, then turned away with a wave of his hand.
"Because I've grown bored of ruling worlds."