Era of the transmigrating earth-Chapter 2017: The Population Is Even Greater Than We Imagined

Regarding these internal issues, besides having more people keep an eye on them, Du You did not openly confront them.

After all, in name, these entities are independent and not under his jurisdiction.

And because Du You permits these entities to exist, along with internal propaganda, this reputation for benevolence is truly justified. Everyone knows their emperor is a very benevolent and wise person.

Only the Wildgrass Clan and some other city rulers know just how ruthless Du You’s actions are. It’s like he’s forcing them to a dead end, yet they can’t find fault with him.

Finally, some of the wiser city lords saw the trend and did not continue to persist, even if their cities are currently peaceful and prosperous. Ultimately, some lords voluntarily offered allegiance.

Du You dismantled parts of the city walls and reformed them into city gates, then accepted these people willingly.

Once someone sets an example, it becomes easier to follow. More and more internal cities voluntarily joined. The external propaganda naturally portrayed that they were attracted by the good lives of the people and moved by the emperor’s magnanimity.

However, after some time, most of the cities still persisted. After all, not every person is that wise; most city administrators are not so flexible-minded.

These individuals still despise those who joined, calling them traitors.

Daily criticism seems necessary to demonstrate their own valor. But what they don’t know is that after joining, those cities develop very rapidly in all aspects.

Indeed, there is an additional manager above them, but he doesn’t interfere much. As long as they operate within the established framework without causing trouble, he won’t bother them, and their authority hasn’t decreased but has increased in certain respects. Most critically, previous troubles are now non-issues.

Even if they encounter difficulties, the entire empire comes to help, which is the most reassuring.

Day by day passed by, and it had been over thirty years since Du You came to this world. Of course, these thirty years refer to this world’s timeline; actually, regardless of how much time has passed here, only a minute passed in the native world.

Although this world is under my control, I didn’t leave after establishing my territory, so the time ratio hasn’t been adjusted. If time ratio adjustments were needed, it would happen only after Du You leaves.

It’s a rule, but in Du You’s view, it’s essentially a loophole.

With adequate preparation, one can entirely control a world in a single go while only spending a minute in the native world. Monthly Outer World explorations are a method to fully exploit the gains.

Others do this too, but they can’t manage it as effortlessly as Du You.

"How many Puppet Doppelgangers do we have under our control now?" Du You asked.

A serious Doppelganger replied without showing a hint of cheer: "There are now over thirty thousand."

The original personality of this Doppelganger was a silent type, and this characteristic was perfectly inherited after becoming a Doppelganger. Currently, these Doppelgangers possess distinct personalities. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝕨𝕖𝗯𝚗𝚘𝕧𝕖𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝕞

"Thirty thousand, huh? That’s more than I anticipated. It seems the population of this world is more complicated than I thought."

"Indeed, the native world’s population only constitutes a small part of the total; more people have migrated into the Otherworld and reproduced there."

Du You nodded slightly, acknowledging that that was the real bulk of the population. Many people in the Outer World reproduce in controlled worlds. The fast time ratio in the Outer World means more inhabitants.

Although they must adhere to the native world’s rule of entering different worlds only once monthly, their inherent power is presumably weaker than those from the native world, their numbers are greater.

So, each time a mission starts, many people enter each world.

These thirty thousand Puppet Doppelgangers were merely those Du You personally selected; most of them were unqualified, so Du You only made them into Shadow Doppelgangers.

While there are over thirty thousand Puppet Doppelgangers, there are at least three million Shadow Doppelgangers.

With so many Doppelgangers dispersed, it can be said that all major forces have their own people within them.

If they remain vigilant and avoid being discovered for flaws, this marks the completion of the first step of world invasion. Next comes continuous expansion and constant growth of forces.

Aside from Du You’s group, those Puppet Doppelgangers created last time have now entered various worlds.

Whether fighting individually or cooperating with one another, they have already brought several worlds under control. Granted, these worlds are low-level, yet regardless of level, they still constitute a world.

Subsequently, Du You began instructing some Doppelgangers to migrate into those worlds to expand within them.

They could always find many willing individuals, especially since ordinary people from the native world have dismal living conditions. Moving to another world would surely improve their lives significantly compared to their current, undignified laborious existence.

Every time the Otherworld recruits civilians, it receives numerous applicants. But whether they get selected is another matter.

Without a skill or good appearance, they might not get picked.

Though time synchronization means that hasn’t started yet, the plan is in place. Through Du You’s main body connection, the plans are accepted, and upon Du You’s approval, they will commence when the time arrives.

In the world where Du You resides, the storyline is nearing its end. With thirty-some years of campaign, nearly one-third of the world is conquered. Given such a substantial foundation, future endeavors become increasingly effortless.

A third of the land generates substantial profits daily, along with a continuous supply of soldiers and Holy Water.

The speed of conquering new forces will accelerate, and even if kingdoms and empires unite, they struggle to halt Du You’s expansion. Du You’s stance towards large-scale forces is not kind.

If they refuse to join, Du You will conquer them forcefully. In this respect, Du You is quite domineering. Because even if he encircles these unionized forces, they can still survive on their own. Merely blockading them will not easily lead to their destruction, something Du You is well aware of.

However, those smaller cities are now nearing their breaking point.