Chapter 668: We All Love Wars of Attrition!
"Make millions of gold coins for free?"
Chief Robert was deeply tempted. The more he interacted with Bay Territory, the more he realized the value and importance of gold coins.
One shiny gold coin could buy enough rations to feed over a hundred Catachans for a day.
According to Chief Robert's understanding, this food was even transported from another world by Bay Territory.
That fact alone had already shocked Chief Robert.
He had even sought out Gater specifically to learn the basics about Bay Territory.
He discovered it had a population in the millions, over 20 to 30 cities, and hundreds of thousands of square kilometers of land that was constantly expanding.
Comparing the prices of goods supplied by Bay Territory, he found that although they earned a decent profit, their pricing remained fair and reasonable—a fact that left Chief Robert full of admiration.
To think a territory could resist the temptation of profiteering and push for honest, transparent trading...
If this were before, Chief Robert would have thought Bay Territory was insane—or foolish.
Not taking advantage of a good deal?
What a waste!
But when the roles reversed and he found himself on the receiving end of fair trade...
A strange and powerful emotion stirred within Chief Robert.
"If they don't even deceive their partners, they certainly won't deceive their citizens."
"No wonder the people of Bay Territory are so united, never worried about their territory..."
Even in the relatively united Catachan tribes, some self-interest and internal struggles were inevitable.
Chief Robert took a deep breath, glanced at the grinning Da Peng, and accepted the supply list he handed over. After skimming it, he spoke without hesitation:
"Alright then. Let's do it. Get us set up first."
"We'll take it all in goods. We need more weapons and equipment."
Seeing the deal sealed, Da Peng was overjoyed. He nodded and grinned from ear to ear, exclaiming excitedly:
"Perfect! I'll get everything arranged right away."
Da Peng's happiness wasn't just about the thousands of gold coins he'd earn from this deal.
More importantly, the contractor for the job included Bloodmoon City.
Lord Annie had spent all her savings just to half-complete her Mage Tower and was racking her brains to earn more money.
If he and his brother solved this issue, they'd definitely reap some benefits!
Da Peng discussed a few more details with Chief Robert, finalized the timing of the transaction and the follow-up arrangements, and both sides felt their relationship had deepened.
Lord Annie was notoriously impatient—she never dragged her feet with a job. She arrived at the Ironbone Tribe within two hours.
Da Zhuang had already led the construction crew to lay the groundwork, just waiting for Annie to begin the real work.
Da Peng introduced Chief Robert and Lord Annie, and together they discussed how to expand cooperation with other Catachan tribes.
Naturally, Lord Annie had no objections.
She had provided the materials and labor for the fire elemental energy pool and was willing to give Bay Territory one-third of the proceeds.
Bay Territory could have taken everything for themselves, yet they still chose to involve her. Annie, while not a political expert, greatly appreciated Bay Territory's way of doing things.
Profit was important—but friendship was essential.
What's more, Matthew had already briefed Lord Annie on the situation.
The materials and, most importantly, the Legendary Fire Elemental Crystal needed for the fire elemental energy pool could be purchased "from other sources."
Lord Annie understood what Matthew meant and fully agreed with the approach.
The Legendary Fire Elemental Crystal was rare—even in the vast Bloodmoon City, there were only two or three.
But across the entire Netheril Empire, plenty of Arcanists had some stored away.
Offer a few hundred thousand gold, and most Arcanists wouldn't be interested.
But if you added some thorium from Bay Territory, most would definitely bite!
In fact, they could even "trade" for more thorium and make a hefty profit.
Just trading with Arcanists alone could easily net Bloodmoon City hundreds of thousands, even millions of gold.
Now that this massive money-making plan was about to launch, Lord Annie was naturally quite invested.
She completed the layout in just an hour and a half.
Instead of leaving, she began examining the endless Catachan jungle.
Strange repulsion, immense pressure, hyperactive flora, and a constant flood of twisted monsters—all deeply fascinated Lord Annie.
She longed to stay and conduct research, but unfortunately lacked the time and energy, so she sighed and let it go.
Lord Annie now had a broader perspective. Since Bloodmoon City and Bay Territory were cooperating, and Bay Territory would share its basic intel...
She didn't need to study it herself—she could just wait for the results.
Scorching heat slowly spread outward.
Plants and animals that noticed the rising temperature began squirming in agitation, causing no small commotion.
Chief Robert watched the scene with a strange sense of wonder.
As the fire elemental energy continued to expand...
The first to suffer were the various microorganisms and insects underground.
Most could only wait passively for death. A few emerged in a frenzy, darting wildly across the surface.
Some predators feasted on them, ignoring the rising heat.
Many twisted creatures also paid no mind. While the heat made them uncomfortable, it didn't feel fatal.
Some even used the heat to kill off parasitic bugs, making their bodies feel better.
But for most of the Catachan jungle's plants, things were very different.
Underground moisture rapidly evaporated.
Rising temperatures hardened and compacted the soil.
Although most animated plants were resilient and showed no immediate effects...
Their high activity levels meant they needed to absorb and retain large amounts of moisture to meet basic physiological needs.
As water became scarce and temperatures rose, their only survival option was to fight and plunder one another.
The entire Catachan jungle descended into chaos, while steam rose and wrapped around them.
This wasn't just a small area—the effect spread over more than 20 kilometers.
The Ironbone Tribe's Catachans stared in disbelief, wiped the sweat from their brows, and began murmuring:
"What's going on? What happened?"
"Looks like it has to do with the deal between the chief and Bay Territory..."
"I saw it too—that thing's on the mountaintop, and it's hotter up there."
"Look! Those monsters are fighting each other!"
"Whoa, you're right! Good! Let them fight!"
"Haha, let them kill each other. We just sit back and enjoy the show."
"Look at those grabbing vines going wild! Are they insane or what?"
"Pfft, even better if they're crazy. Less trouble for us."
"Look at the other trees—most are already wilting. What the hell did Bay Territory set up to make it this powerful?"
"I bet it's some kind of poison..."
"Pfft, what poison could out-toxin this jungle's freaks?"
"True. And at this scale, no amount of poison would be enough."
"I think it's magic. Bay Territory's spells are mysterious and profound..."
"..."
Most of the Catachans agreed with that idea.
To them, the most magical thing about Bay Territory was, well, magic.
At that moment, a Catachan soldier suddenly realized something. Pointing at the twisted creatures fighting each other, he shouted:
"None of you get it! If these freaks are all killing each other, they won't be attacking us anymore!"
Everyone paused, then their eyes widened in delight, breaking into noisy chatter.
Seeing this, Chief Robert relaxed, turned to the grinning Da Peng, and said without hesitation:
"Take me to the other Catachan tribes now. I think they could use a Fire Elemental Energy Pool too."
But Da Peng shook his head with a smile and said eagerly:
"No rush. It takes at least six hours for the Catachan jungle to mobilize troops."
"And without large twisted monsters, even a swarm of small ones can't break through walls backed by flamethrowers."
"Besides, since you're helping promote, maybe you could help sell a few more things too..."
Chief Robert understood what Da Zhuang meant. After a moment of hesitation, he replied:
"No problem. Leave it to me..."
With that, Chief Robert got moving.
He had his warriors train, hoping they'd master the flamethrowers before the next battle.
Bay Territory soldiers who had arrived helped train the Catachans and recorded data on jungle changes.
They focused on plants and animals unaffected or minimally affected by the heat.
Bay Territory was already preparing ahead—the Evil Shadow Spirits remained completely unaware.
They amassed a vast horde of twisted monsters to encircle Bay Territory's advancing army.
"The scorched earth plan is progressing smoothly. If we wipe out this wave of monsters, we'll gain precious momentum."
Angela set down the data and solemnly reminded Bay Territory's commanders again.
The advancing army of Bay Territory suddenly halted.
Artillery crews immediately checked and repaired the magic cannons to ensure they were battle-ready.
Engineers used construction golems to clear a two-kilometer area of jungle and debris.
Combat engineers dug trenches, built simple walls, and set up towers and crossbows.
Troops from all units quickly took their assigned positions.
Some donned engineering exosuits to help reinforce combat stations.
Other soldiers transported supplies, fortified defenses, and calibrated their targeting data.
"Memorize your tasks. Follow orders strictly in the upcoming battle."
"If anything unexpected happens and you can't perform, report immediately."
"Replacement troops, stay alert. Get to your post fast. Focus! Stay sharp..."
"Priority always goes to higher-level commands!"
Commanders shouted to the troops, snapping them out of the monotony of marching and reigniting their fighting spirit.
Nearly 40,000 Bay Territory soldiers felt no fear toward the coming battle.
They had defeated many competitors to earn the right to fight here.
No matter who the enemy was, or how many came, they believed in victory.
With all units ready, the data fed into the magical display.
On the massive, detailed screen, every squad and soldier of the Bay Territory army appeared with perfect clarity.
Angela and the senior commanders used these magical projections to monitor the army in real time.
This new command system...
It was a bold, decisive experiment made possible by advances in spellcraft and golem tech.
About 20 minutes later.
Angela raised her telescope and spotted a huge wave of twisted monsters stampeding through the leaves.
They were coming!
Angela confirmed troop status and reserves, then decisively gave the order:
"Fire!"
The sharp command echoed across the army.
"Target: front of Primary Fire Zone!"
Gunners, who had pre-calculated their coordinates, began adjusting the cannons.
In just two or three seconds, the trained crews completed their adjustments.
Each one slapped the green button on the back of their reporting device.
That signaled: ready!
Seeing everyone prepared, the artillery commander roared:
"Open fire!!!"
Faint glows emerged on the slender cannon barrels.
A stream of magical auras poured out.
Long-range casting + precision casting + spell amplification!
Boom! Boom! Boom!
The magic cannons roared in unison.
Spinning fireballs soared in elegant arcs.
The snarling twisted horde charged madly.
The explosive spell projectiles, surging with mana, struck the front ranks dead-on.
The raging flames expanded mid-air under the array's guidance—both wild and precise.
The air burst apart, shrieking as fire ignited through sheer friction.