Chapter 600.5: Winner Takes All
Having mentally prepared for this, Eiris tapped the table lightly, calming the commanders.
Meeting their confused and furious gazes, he sighed inwardly.
He understood Bay Territory's plan.
And they had succeeded!
The familiar sense of powerlessness filled him with despair.
He could see no way forward, and his bodily pain left him too weak to resist. After a sigh, he said directly:
"Besides this letter, Bay Territory also delivered teleportation array materials—and they won't block our teleport spells."
At these words, the commanders' eyes lit up.
No more arguing—they were quickly calculating.
Temptation gripped their hearts!
Seeing through them, Eiris waited a moment and said indifferently:
"Everything is here. If you want to leave, arrange it quickly. Remember—keep it secret."
If word got out.
No one would escape; the camp would descend into chaos!
But they underestimated Bay Territory's ruthlessness.
To complete a perfect "psychological warfare" record, Bay Territory gave them no time to react.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Dull sounds echoed from the nearby walls.
"Enemy attack!!"
The sentries shouted, and the camp burst into action.
Many Cole Elf warriors rushed to battle stations, bracing for a fight.
But unexpectedly, instead of cannonballs and arrows, they were showered by exploding bundles of paper.
Thousands of sheets rained down, causing immense pressure.
At first, they thought it was a new weapon and fled in panic.
But when no one was hurt, they slowly relaxed.
Curiosity soon overcame them, and they cautiously inspected the papers.
Simple sentences were written:
"Cole Elf army withdrew from Rockies, 80,000 dead, 120,000 captured."
"Bay Territory and Ail Elves retook Boulder Fortress."
"Teleportation array materials delivered into the camp."
"Bay Territory will not attack for three days."
Such concise messages stunned the Cole Elf warriors.
Then the camp erupted into chaos.
Everyone discussed wildly.
They couldn't believe the Cole Elf army had suffered such devastating losses.
Fear over their current situation mounted.
No food.
No escape.
No rescue.
Only death awaited.
But what was worse—some might escape!
Realization dawned among the warriors.
"Does this mean someone can escape through the teleport arrays?"
"It must be the mages—they probably already fled!"
"Did they betray us to secure their escape?"
"Of course! We were always the scapegoats!"
"No wonder they insisted we defend passively—trapped like rats now!"
"Their intentions are vile. Why do this?"
"Why else? To survive!"
"Exactly! Just like Tigris abandoning us!"
"Is the kingdom really abandoning us? How dare they!"
"Haha, haven't they always done that?"
"We fight first, retreat last, and die the most."
"Meanwhile, nobles and mages hide safely, waiting for us to win."
"Then they claim all the credit."
"There are countless examples—think about it!"
"..."
Hearing the raging discussions outside, the commanders' faces turned ashen.
They never expected Bay Territory's next move to strike so fast, so cruelly!
With a single blow, they lost the trust of the Cole Elf warriors.
As they stood stunned and helpless.
Eiris sighed heavily, and under everyone's shocked gaze, walked out of the tent and faced the Cole Elf warriors.
The warriors fell silent, staring at Eiris with anger, suspicion, hostility, fear, and despair.
They waited—for an answer, for an explanation!
Their gazes were like shackles and chains, binding Eiris so tightly that he couldn't even summon the will to resist.
This move was vicious, using the will of all Cole Elf warriors to bind Eiris hand and foot.
The seasoned, powerful Legendary Ranger.
Who had shown no fear even against Yaya's claws and fangs, was now extremely fragile.
All his past experiences, the darkness he had witnessed, the pain he had endured, mixed with the gazes and resentment of the Cole Elf warriors, crashed upon him like a tidal wave.
Eiris collapsed!
Under the gaze of countless Cole Elf warriors!
To their stunned cries, he fell!
It was only as he lost consciousness that Eiris realized he was covered in wounds.
Bay Territory's attack was terrifying, deadly!
And utterly unavoidable!
Thus, the only one capable of stopping the chaos in the Cole Elf camp fell.
And a disastrous internal riot broke out.
The enraged Cole Elf warriors unleashed their death, anger, and fear upon the nobles and mages who tried to escape.
In truth, they had not intended to act at first.
But the nobles and mages, taking advantage of the time Eiris bought them, frantically set up teleportation arrays and fled like frightened rats.
In fear of the arrays being destroyed, they struck first.
And thus, chaos became uncontainable.
Watching it all unfold, Jifan and Annie gained a deeper understanding of Bay Territory's tactical teachings.
They both realized they had much more to learn and experiment with.
The more these tactics were used, the deeper the comprehension and the greater the mastery.
Three days later.
Just one day before the Cole Elf warriors ran out of supplies.
The massive Bay Territory army arrived before the Cole Elf camp.
Yaya roared and soared overhead.
Hundreds of magic cannons lined up on the ground.
Over a hundred Dragon Rider No.1 golems marched in formation.
All the Cole Elf warriors waited for death in despair.
But Matthew gave them a "chance."
An unconditional "surrender" opportunity!
Then, each Cole Elf warrior was registered and "questioned."
Followed by reunions with previously wounded, captured comrades.
Most Cole Elves then underwent Bay Territory "ideological education and training."
Those Cole Elves whose hands were stained with blood.
Were publicly exposed before Bay Territory warriors, Ail Elf warriors, Bay Territory civilians, and Ail Elf civilians.
They were then uniformly sent to laboratories as the final batch of experimental subjects for the sixth modification surgery.
While Matthew was handling the Cole Elf prisoners.
News of Bay Territory's victory over the Cole Elves spread rapidly across the Northern Continent.
Countless kingdoms and forces were left utterly stunned.
They had never imagined the "foolish" Bay Territory could possess such formidable power.
Many doubted it, but when the "Resurgent News" revealed more battle details, the truth became undeniable.
The Cole Elf Kingdom's "silence" further validated Bay Territory's claims.
Bay Territory's reputation skyrocketed, drawing tremendous attention.
Many kingdoms and forces realized that the Netheril Empire and Bay Territory were far stronger than they had thought.
Netheril Empire: "Why drag me into this?"
After tying up loose ends in the Rockies, Matthew and Yaya returned to Bay Territory.
Matthew focused on learning, training, and growing, while his clone remained constantly busy.
Yaya had to quickly return to the Underworld—a large number of Cole Elves were about to be transported there.
Without her presence, any unexpected changes could cause Bay Territory to lose control.
And all their previous efforts might go to waste.
Back in his office, Matthew faced a mountain of paperwork.
Naturally, the deeply "resentful" steward Ralph had been waiting for him early.
"The New Continent needs continuous shipments of supplies and personnel to maintain Bay Territory's workforce ratio."
"Wages and benefits there must be raised to attract a new wave of pioneers."
"At least 3 million gold coins must be invested monthly."
"Penglai Island base needs further development."
"It's perfect for developing, researching, and producing weapons, with large markets nearby in the Falsico Kingdom and southern nations."
"At least 4 million gold coins monthly."
"The Underworld ruins site is growing in population but hasn't yet achieved a positive economic cycle."
"Another 5 million gold coins monthly..."
"The Rockies require 5 million monthly too..."
"..."
Matthew's half-year of expansion added nearly 20 million gold coins to Bay Territory's monthly expenses.
Fortunately, Bay Territory's straightforward development model ensured trades wherever they expanded.
Their investments in the Fishing Island region had begun yielding massive profits.
The abundant food and magical materials produced provided immense resources.
The Leviathan Shipping Line generated nearly 10 million gold coins monthly.
Although much of that revenue would be reinvested into expanding and strengthening Bay Territory's navy.
The steady flow of rare metals, magical materials, magical knowledge, and deep-sea resources greatly enriched Bay Territory.
Even the previously money-draining Underworld base achieved food self-sufficiency within a year and a half.
Rare minerals and surface-world-scarce magical materials now brought considerable profits.
Although building Brave Continent and Rockies required heavy early investments, they would achieve returns within 1-2 years.
Supplies from all regions filled Bay Territory's cities, strongholds, and camps with a dazzling array of products.
Affordable and diverse foods.
Clothes and decorations of every style.
Cheap, convenient magical furniture.
Enabling Bay Territory citizens, whose incomes kept rising, to indulge their purchasing desires.
A month's salary.
Could buy the latest magical furniture and half a year's living supplies for a family.
The convenience greatly enhanced everyone's quality of life, letting them feel the territory's progress daily.
Beyond daily conveniences.
The most beloved area was the Bay Territory magical materials market.
Processed magical ingredients and training supplies.
Thanks to Bay Territory's widespread emphasis on development and Professional training.
Every citizen eagerly spent two months' wages.
Buying six months' worth of magical food and training potions to replenish their bodies and sustain their training.
The remaining three months' wages were freely used.
Those who loved leisure.
Could watch magical films, enjoy gourmet feasts, and buy novel magical furniture.
Those striving for career advancement.
Could enroll in various skill training courses.
Learn and practice across factories and workplaces.
Or join Bay Territory staff training programs.
Those passionate about combat training.
Could join combat skill courses.
Purchase ideal training and battle gear.
Begin real combat exercises and semi-militarized management.
A year's salary.
Was enough to cover all short-term needs.
Relaxation, self-improvement, and Professional training—all achievable.
Such favorable conditions ensured even the absorbed refugees became utterly loyal.
The bright future allowed everyone to chase dreams.
No one needed to worry about survival anymore.
Simply improving themselves, working passionately, and spending freely propelled the territory's rapid development!
Thus, every citizen's work and study helped Bay Territory accelerate its positive growth cycle.
Matthew and Yaya's development strategies achieved outstanding results.
With Bay Territory's expansion stabilizing, Matthew finally had time to perform life-changing surgeries on injured veterans.
He chose not to immediately test the risky sixth modification surgery on regular soldiers.
Instead, he stuck to the proven first five surgeries.
After all, these soldiers had been rigorously trained and enhanced through heavy investments.
Every successful modification would strongly reinforce Bay Territory's stretched forces.
As for dangerous experiments and uncertain procedures—those would be reserved for traitors, embezzlers, rebels, death row inmates, and damned Cole Elves.
Cities rose rapidly, and railroads spread across the territory.
After astonishing the Northern Continent with their military feats, Bay Territory quietly resumed its focused development.
Naturally, the Cole Elves watched with deepening wariness.
A "How to Solve Bay Territory" conference convened in the Cole Elf capital, Silvermoon City.