Chapter 383: Loli
The biggest difference between spirit gear and ordinary equipment is that it can freely change form.
Although it seems somewhat unbelievable,
in a world of magic, nothing is impossible.
Li Meng placed the ring on Annie's left index finger.
A dragon's claw also has five fingers.
The moment the ring was put on,
Annie's massive golden pupils constricted.
Visible ripples spread across her skin,
dispersing throughout her entire body.
Annie felt a vast and unsettling surge of magic pouring into her through her paw.
An excruciating pain followed, so intense it left her unable to make a sound.
Her bones emitted a sharp "crack, crack" as they shifted.
From Li Meng's perspective, Annie's enormous dragon form began twisting and shrinking at a visible rate.
The sound of cracking bones echoed ominously,
as if they were forcibly breaking apart.
In less than five seconds, the massive fire dragon at the volcanic crater disappeared.
In its place stood a delicate little girl.
She was completely bare, her skin smooth and pristine.
Her long red hair cascaded down to her waist,
two strands barely covering the ample chest that seemed disproportionate to her small frame.
She was tiny, only 1.4 meters tall.
Her appearance resembled that of a thirteen-year-old human girl.
Li Meng reverted to his human form, smiling as he admired the incredibly beautiful and adorable Annie.
"How do you feel, Annie? Does it still hurt?"
Annie shook her head.
She curiously examined herself.
"Boss, do I look pretty?"
Li Meng looked her up and down.
Although she was petite, she was extremely cute and beautiful.
When his gaze landed on her chest, he froze for a moment.
"For your current body, those are too big."
Seeing where he was looking,
Annie's face tensed up,
quickly using her arms to cover her chest as if protecting something precious.
"They can't be small! Mother said males prefer this part to be big."
Li Meng chuckled and waved his hand.
The fabric wrapped around his arms flew out and wrapped around Annie,
forming a pure white, slightly cute dress.
Due to Annie's fiery magic,
the dress gradually turned red.
"She's not wrong. I do like well-endowed women."
Annie's cheeks reddened,
her eyes flashing with a hint of shyness.
She curiously looked down at her dress.
"Boss, this is spirit gear, right?"
"Yeah, seems like you know a lot."
"Of course! Spirit gear is rare, but there are a few pieces on Dragon Island."
Li Meng took two steps forward, standing in front of Annie.
He reached out and picked her up,
holding her in a princess carry.
Instinctively, Annie wrapped her arms around his neck.
"Annie, come back with me."
Now that she had taken human form, she was no longer suited to staying here.
Li Meng's purpose for coming was to bring Annie back with him.
That way, if her parents came looking, they wouldn't escape.
Dragons were fast.
The volcano was quite a distance from the Throne Tribe.
If Annie's parents showed up,
they might not be able to catch up in time.
To avoid this, taking Annie along was the safest choice.
"Alright! I've always wanted to see where Boss lives."
In his arms, Annie eagerly nodded,
her face full of anticipation.
Li Meng grinned as radiant wings spread behind him.
In a flash, he shot into the sky,
vanishing southwestward in an instant.
Within half an hour, Li Meng returned to the Throne Tribe.
"Boss, this place is so lively!"
Looking down at the bustling settlement, Annie's eyes sparkled with curiosity.
"This is my tribe."
Above the palace, Li Meng slowly descended,
landing at the entrance of the throne hall with Annie in his arms.
Two goblin guards at the door were stunned.
They immediately knelt in reverence.
Li Meng carried Annie inside.
As he entered, he set Annie down.
"My king, who is this..."
Just then, Margarita happened to enter the hall.
Seeing the young girl beside the king,
dressed in what looked like fiery robes,
Margarita's eyes flickered with confusion.
The king had only been gone for a short while—less than an hour.
Yet he had returned with a human child?
"This is Annie. Arrange a room for her and take good care of her."
Li Meng patted Annie's head.
"Go ahead. This is Margarita, my queen.
If you need anything, just ask her."
Annie glanced at her boss, then at Margarita.
A centaur and a goblin?
Annie giggled and walked up to Margarita.
"I'm Annie! Margarita, have you given birth to Boss's goblins?"
Her blunt question made Margarita blush.
She nodded lightly.
"Giving birth must be painful, right?"
"N-not too painful."
"But my mother said giving birth is extremely painful."
"Newborn goblins are very small, so it's not that bad."
"I see! Your belly is big again—are you pregnant?"
"Yes."
"Boss sure is amazing."
"Boss is a goblin, and goblins have a guaranteed success rate."
"Goblins are really something!"
As they continued chatting, Margarita led Annie away.
With Annie now back,
Li Meng's days returned to peace.
Though there were many challenges in expanding his power,
as king, he didn't need to handle everything personally.
The development of goblins was left to the high goblins.
He also had no concerns about reproduction.
The Goblin Forest had yet to reach its population limit.
The high goblins only needed to focus on increasing their numbers.
He also granted great autonomy to his vassal tribes.
As long as they paid their taxes,
they had little interaction with goblins.
The construction of floating battleships was gradually reducing the need for barbarian laborers.
In a year or two, they would no longer be necessary.
His offspring were much smarter than normal goblins.
As the number of high goblins increased,
so did the labor force.
Large-bodied high goblins weren't suited for hunting.
They could only become shipbuilders to channel their strength.
Even with war against the humans approaching,
it had not significantly affected the tribe.
Everything was progressing in a positive direction.
Time continued to pass peacefully, day by day.
------
Another new day.
Morning, deep in the southern forest of the Throne Tribe.
Within the forest lay a flower meadow.
The field was overgrown with knee-high grass and various colorful flowers.
Their vibrant hues made the place exceptionally beautiful.
In the middle stood a towering tree,
seemingly absorbing all the nutrients around it,
creating the lush meadow beneath it.
"Woof woof! Over here, over here!"
Annie laughed happily as she played with Wangwang in the grass.
The two little ones ran back and forth,
their joyous laughter echoing through the field.
Under the great tree,
Li Meng lay on the grass, basking in the sunlight filtering through the leaves.