Chapter 548: War is an Art
The distant sunset reflected the evening glow.
Under the radiance of the King Slayer Star's aura, faint distortions emerged, transforming into bizarre and fantastical shapes.
Matthew slowly opened his eyes, basking in the tranquility around him. Smiling, he turned his head and said:
"Indeed, after enhancing the mental defenses and thought barriers, it's barely possible to resist such influences."
Yaya shook her head, glanced at the distant King Slayer Star, and curiously asked:
"A lock capable of such widespread effects is stronger than all the legendary spells…"
Her bloodline's many memories, combined with her arcane knowledge, allowed Yaya to make various conjectures.
She felt the subtle whispers in her ears and asked with some excitement:
"In the future, can we eliminate its influence?"
Matthew shook his head and pointed to a nearby dragon-blooded creature used for comparison.
The latter had already descended into extreme madness.
Numerous spells like mental protections had been cast upon it, yet it had completely lost its sanity.
Yaya touched her nose and offered a highly innovative guess:
"Is it possible that our dragon-blood level is higher, giving us stronger resistance?"
"Also, after all, this isn't our true bodies here…"
Matthew was very impressed by Yaya's insight, nodding in approval.
This little one was becoming increasingly clever.
"We need to invest more in this area. We'll likely face more attacks like these in the future—this seems to be our only real weakness."
Counting on her fingers, Yaya nodded in agreement. Her eyes lit up, and she asked expectantly:
"Should the next surgical modifications start from this area?"
Achieving results in one step was exceedingly difficult.
Matthew had no such illusions.
If they approached it as Yaya suggested, using surgical modifications to overcome the difficulty.
Incrementally enhancing themselves to reach the goal could address this shortfall.
The primary purpose of these surgical modifications was to compensate for their shortcomings.
At the very least, to stand before those entities!
While recalling memories in this area and considering their compatibility with future plans, Matthew found Yaya's suggestion reasonable.
"You're right. The sixth surgery should begin addressing this issue."
Seeing Yaya's delighted expression, Matthew felt a deep sense of pride.
As Matthew discussed with Yaya, he walked into the tactics room.
Noticing his arrival, Angela, who was wrapping up a report, flashed a brilliant smile and approached to deliver her update:
"We've successfully repelled the first wave of dragon-blooded creatures, clearing out 43,000 enemies with 32 of our own casualties and an expenditure of 1.6 million gold coins."
This battle was a resounding victory for the Bay Territory.
Nearly ten million fate power points had been gained, bringing Matthew's current total to 30 million.
Taking the documents Angela handed him, Matthew carefully reviewed the details of the battle.
He was very pleased with the performance of the Bay Territory's troops and soldiers.
They proved worthy of the investment—one quarter of the territory's total income.
The 1.6 million gold coins represented just the cost of this battle.
Preparations for the battle had already reached nearly 30 million gold coins.
Here, special thanks were owed to the wealthy Elves of Ail.
Without trading with them, Matthew wouldn't have had the confidence or funds to secure Modenken's team.
This allowed the establishment of a brand-new golem factory and the enhancement of the Bay Territory's overall production capabilities.
"Everyone did well. Spread this good news to everyone and intensify the research on dragon-blooded creature utilization."
Hearing this, Angela nodded quickly. She understood the underlying meaning of Matthew's words.
The steady stream of "gifted" dragon-blooded creatures could supply vast amounts of magical materials for the Bay Territory.
These were normally hard-to-obtain precious resources that had been a bottleneck limiting the growth of professionals' strength.
If they could quickly process and convert these materials into resources for adventurers, the overall strength of the Bay Territory would rise significantly.
With Angela's careful arrangements and the Bay Territory soldiers' subsequent plans, their approach appeared mature and steady.
Relieved, Matthew handed over the task of directing the battle to Angela.
Angela, who had been prepared, accepted the assignment confidently.
She and the other military commanders continued their discussions and research, planning the upcoming defenses and operations.
Years of cultivation were finally paying off.
Matthew could now step back from combat to focus on other aspects of the Bay Territory's development.
Druid Greenhouse.
A large plot of rice was growing rapidly under the influence of spells.
The heavy golden grain weighed down the stalks.
In the blink of an eye, an acre of rice was ready for harvest.
The waiting harvest golems quickly completed the reaping.
The harvested grain was piled into a small mountain.
A glowing number appeared on the ground—872 pounds, the measured weight was already displayed.
"Ah, it broke 850 pounds per acre."
Little Auspicious excitedly recorded the number, her eyes glinting with enthusiasm. She stored all the harvest in the warehouse and reached out to record data on the transparent cultivation room door.
"Experimental Field No. 68, Experiment No. 2732: The Effects of Fertilizer No. 42 on Yield Increase."
With a lively stride, Little Auspicious walked to a large central tree and reported her experiment results to a chubby little girl.
This little girl, with her green hair in a high ponytail, turned around, causing her hair to sway slightly.
Hearing Little Auspicious's report, the girl gave her a big thumbs up, excitedly saying:
"Great job! You hit the 850-pound yield target. Auspicious, you get 2,000 merit points and 20,000 gold coins. Can you buy me some ice cream?"
The little girl appeared to be only three or four years old, yet she seemed very mature, cheerfully perched on a branch of the Life Tree.
She skillfully tapped on a magical display, recording Auspicious's data. Thoughtfully, she added:
"Six separate experiments have now surpassed 850 pounds per acre. It's time to prepare for joint trials."
"Auspicous, you're doing great. Do you want to join Old Li for further experiments?"
Hearing this, Little Auspicious's eyes widened with excitement. Without hesitation, she nodded enthusiastically and said loudly:
"Spring, I want to experiment with Old Li! Haha."
The Life Tree Spirit Spring nodded with a smile, motioning for silence and pointing to the laboratory behind her:
"Hurry there. The Lord is discussing with Old Li."
Her eyes shining even brighter, Little Auspicious thanked Spring and dashed off.
Who wouldn't want to see the Lord?
As Little Auspicious approached, she heard lively discussion.
"Oh, Little Anna, look at this! A new type of konjac—one piece is enough for a meal."
Orianna, brimming with curiosity, pointed at the wrinkled, gray-brown konjac. Remembering its soft and fragrant taste, she blinked her big eyes and asked:
"What dish should we make with this? I love fried konjac sticks the most."
Yaya, who was about to answer, suddenly turned her head. She smiled and beckoned shy Little Auspicious over:
"Little Auspicious, tell us how many new dishes you've come up with recently."
When it came to food, the confident Little Auspicious immediately stepped forward, holding the heavy konjac with both hands, and said:
"I've been enjoying making ice cream lately. I'm thinking of pairing konjac paste with cream to create an ice cream drink."
Yaya's eyes lit up. She rubbed her hands together excitedly and said boldly:
"Feel free to make whatever you want. If you need anything, just let me know. Maybe we can even open a shop together."
Little Auspicious nodded repeatedly, excitedly joining in the discussion.
Orianna blinked her big eyes, full of anticipation, quietly counting on her fingers, ready to record the dishes she looked forward to.
Meanwhile, Matthew gently caressed a batch of remains left behind by dragon-blooded creatures, murmuring:
"Could they sustain stable production for decades? If so, this would be the best fertilizer…"
Old Li nodded, his thoughts drifting to his recent connection with nature, and responded without hesitation:
"That's right. Dragon-beast remains contain abundant nutrients. After evolution, they release them very slowly."
"Using them to cultivate magical plants like konjac yields excellent results, improving both quality and yield."
"Currently, we're seeing at least a 30% increase…"
Various data points gave Matthew quite the "pleasant surprise." The immense "value" of dragon beasts led him to deeper reflection.
He realized that more resources could be allocated to rearing dragon beasts in the semi-plane.
Matthew was even considering a system where dragon beasts were continuously bred and cultivated to expand the semi-plane.
With their formidable combat prowess and adaptability.
They could not only transform the monotonous ecosystem of the Catachan semi-plane.
Perhaps in the future, they might even resist catastrophes like fungal mats and green tides.
Once they fell, their bodies could be fully recovered and utilized to the utmost.
Of course, Matthew wasn't the kind to kill the goose that laid the golden egg.
These measures were reserved only for dragon beasts that refused to join the Bay Territory.
For those dragon beasts willing to "progress," the Bay Territory would provide them with opportunities for growth and advancement.
In the future, their sacrifices or deaths would be handled according to their wishes, much like fallen soldiers.
Matthew reviewed Old Li's year-end summary. He was very satisfied with the string of data and said in a tone of admiration:
"The Bay Territory is indeed fortunate to have all of you."
"I hope everyone continues to work hard and collectively advance the Bay Territory's agriculture and livestock industries."
"If you're missing any resources, just let Steward Ralph know. The territory will do its utmost to meet your needs."
Having just received the data from Little Auspicious, Old Li was delighted by the successful 850-pound yield experiments.
However, he didn't share this directly with Matthew, planning to surprise the Lord during the year-end summary meeting.
Hearing the Lord's words, he smiled as usual and said:
"It's the same old issue: we need more personnel—druids or mages would do…"
Shifting his gaze from various magical plants, Matthew shrugged and replied:
"This is something only the professional education and training academy can address. I'll check in there later and try to resolve this issue as soon as possible."
Old Li nodded excitedly and promptly added:
"Even newly hired druids and mages would be fine. They can start as interns."
"While working here, every experiment and task they complete will also allow them to gain knowledge."
"Yes, and as more people work in each position, the amount of accumulated learning experiences will grow…"
This was why the various jobs in the Bay Territory always improved over time.
The better the accumulated experience and knowledge, the higher the evaluation and rewards.
Matthew left the Druid Greenhouse and headed straight to the professional training academy.
Today happened to be the academy's "end-of-year examination" day.
Every group of students faced corresponding knowledge assessments.
Their grades were based on the knowledge they had mastered, not their year or level.
Once they completed and understood the required knowledge, they could move on to the next phase.
The knowledge assessments.
Were tailored to the Bay Territory's evolving demands and needs.
Addressing these areas by using magic and knowledge to find solutions was their ultimate learning goal.
Of course, the finest instructors would guide them, ensuring they could get hands-on experience.
Matthew had no concerns about the quality of teaching.
What he cared more about was the students' moral and ideological education.
They would be the new generation leading the Bay Territory's future progress, given the best education and growth environment.
For this reason, it was even more important to provide them with positive and uplifting guidance.
Each individual's development was closely tied to the Bay Territory.
The Bay Territory's progress depended on the contributions of each individual.
The Bay Territory's increasing revenue would continually be invested in enhancing the quality of education.
Raising expectations for teachers, conducting more thorough research into various fields, and offering better learning opportunities and positions.
Graduates from the academy could easily integrate into the workforce.
Their jobs would be assigned according to their strengths in knowledge and skills.
Once they completed their three-year designated tasks, their contributions would generally yield reasonable returns for the territory.
At that point, they could choose to change roles or, after further learning and research, transition to different fields of work.
Alternatively, they could leave the work system and join either the military or the pioneers' system.
This was just the career and job progression pathway.
Their personal growth and abilities would also be matched with material provisions based on their contribution level.
In most cases, the Bay Territory's material supplies were sufficient for adventurers to advance their skills.
In special circumstances, appropriate applications could be made.
Having experienced the original world, Matthew understood that any system's implementation required transparency and fairness.
While the Bay Territory might not be perfectly fair, at least it eliminated managerial corruption.
Without widespread embezzlement and fraud, the people's desire for a better life would drive the territory's rapid development.
Matthew's arrival excited nearly all the students.