Chapter 552.5: The Dragon Disaster Strikes
"Is Bay Territory really doing this?"
"Yes, and they have even made an official statement that prices will remain relatively stable. Lords in need of supplies are welcome to purchase and inquire."
"Even though I've never been to Bay Territory or met Lord Matthew, I have to admit—he is truly a great lord."
"Indeed! He takes in refugees, supports other lords, and now provides aid to various territories. He is a role model for us all."
"I could never do this. It's truly impressive."
"I really want to visit Bay Territory..."
"Lately, it seems like more and more refugees are arriving. Why is that?"
"Isn't it obvious? Only Sevinton is safe, so they have no choice but to flee here."
"I saw many refugees being organized and sent through teleportation arrays. Where are they going?"
"Where else? Definitely Bay Territory—it's the only place still accepting refugees. As for the other territories..."
"Sigh... Sevinton really is ruthless."
"Well, Bay Territory is still recruiting people. It's even advertised in the newspapers..."
"..."
Just as Matthew had predicted, the ever-escalating Dragon Madness Disaster was now severely impacting the entire Netheril Empire.
While most towns and cities remained safe, the destruction of villages had resulted in a massive refugee crisis.
Large numbers of refugees were being systematically sent from Sevinton to Bay Territory.
The lords offloaded their burdens.
The Sevinton Council avoided the dangers of a refugee buildup.
Bay Territory gained population.
Everyone won!
Seizing this opportunity, Bay Territory purchased large quantities of supplies and grain.
This time, almost no lord dared refuse to cooperate with Bay Territory.
They had no desire to take on additional burdens, nor did they want Bay Territory to raise its prices on essential goods.
Interestingly, while Bay Territory made a fortune selling combat supplies, it also acquired the corpses of dragon-blooded creatures slain by various territories.
Using materials from these dragon-blooded creatures, Bay Territory produced a variety of war supplies and resold them to these same territories at an astonishing profit.
Transaction after transaction—
Each deal netted Bay Territory more than three times the original cost.
The massive stockpile of goods was stored in newly excavated underground warehouses.
Countless orders.
Busy construction and engineering teams.
A vast array of materials.
A continuously growing population.
All of these factors were solidifying Bay Territory's foundation and increasing its development potential.
Yet as Bay Territory rapidly advanced, the long-accumulating malice finally descended.
January 18.
Bay Territory.
Clear skies.
A cool breeze drifted from the underground laboratory.
Wailing cries and howls faded into nothingness.
Fresh from his latest augmentation procedure, Matthew calmly read through the battle report from Angela.
"An army of over 300,000 dragon-blooded creatures will reach the borders of Bay Territory in three days."
"According to intelligence, this army is led by 16 pack-dwelling Land Dragons, each an elite unit of Extraordinary rank or higher!"
300,000!
A truly terrifying number!
Not to mention they were frenzied dragon-blooded creatures!
Matthew pondered briefly and sent Angela a simple message:
"Preserve strength, trade space for time."
After giving his guidance, Matthew no longer focused on the war effort.
He trusted that Bay Territory's rapidly growing army and commanders would secure victory in this battle.
Instead of immediately relaying Matthew's message, Angela turned to the others and said:
"Let's discuss together—which war strategy should we choose?"
The commanders exchanged glances, feeling immense pressure. They carefully deliberated over various plans.
The war meeting on battling dragon-blooded creatures lasted two hours.
As soon as the meeting concluded, a flood of orders spread throughout Bay Territory.
The army and the Lord's Manor coordinated the preparations to counter the incoming dragon-blooded army.
Nearly everyone in the territory participated in the war mobilization.
They all understood that war wasn't just the soldiers' responsibility—it affected every person in the territory.
Various forms of mobilization and wartime orders unified everyone in the territory as a single force.
Under a common command, with mutual cooperation and effort, any lingering divisions disappeared almost instantly.
People donated supplies.
Factories worked overtime.
Workforces became even busier.
Everyone put forth their utmost effort to contribute to the upcoming war.
Three days later.
In the distance, dark clouds slowly dispersed under the gentle breeze.
Standing atop the city walls, Angela silently observed the vast approaching herd of Dragon Antelopes. Without hesitation, she shouted:
"Cannons ready—fire!!"
Roaring cannons spewed waves of fire.
Shells streaked across the sky, spiraling into the ranks of the Dragon Antelope army.
Boom!
Crack!
Blood sprayed, limbs flew!
The devastating shells tore massive holes through the Dragon Antelopes' bodies.
In an instant, hundreds of Dragon Antelopes collapsed.
These massive, swift creatures with long, sharp horns were heavily wounded immediately.
Dozens of blood-soaked paths stretched between their ranks.
Yet the Dragon Antelopes didn't care. With wild, beastly roars, they charged at the towering city walls.
The new artillery, a fusion of Dwarven and Elven technology with Matthew's "inspiration," had a shocking range of one kilometer.
After running another 200 meters forward, the Dragon Antelopes faced another ferocious barrage of cannon fire.
This time, the even deadlier shells inflicted even more catastrophic destruction.
fff
The fallen Dragon Antelopes were quickly trampled into dust by their own kind.
Arnold shouted for the soldiers to reload.
Leon had already arranged for the archers and crossbowmen to prepare to fire.
As the frenzied Dragon Antelopes galloped forward, their long, powerful legs suddenly found no purchase—what had seemed like solid ground gave way beneath them.
Over a thousand Dragon Antelopes instantly plunged into a six- to seven-meter-wide pit trap.
Once they fell in, the muddy and spike-filled pit ensured they would never escape.
Yet the Dragon Antelopes remained undeterred, leaping high into the air only to crash down heavily into the trap, seemingly willing to sacrifice their lives.
Arnold cast them a brief glance before giving the order to continue firing without hesitation.
The cannons roared continuously from the city walls, eliminating more and more Dragon Antelopes with this "era-defining" weapon.
Just from an attack range perspective—
Arnold, unsatisfied with the cannons' power, turned to the scribe recording battle data and said:
"Can we develop an explosive shell? These solid iron balls alone don't have enough destructive force."
Hammerfist instinctively furrowed his brows, about to shake his head in denial.
But he quickly fell into deep thought, mentally calculating the feasibility of a delayed explosive mechanism.
Beside him, Annie gave him a curious glance and asked:
"Explosions? Can we use magic? There are many types of explosive spells!"
Hearing this, Hammerfist's eyes widened with excitement, and he blurted out:
"You're right! The shells are already made of sturdy material—if we only rely on impact, their damage is limited. But if they carry magic..."
As they discussed, the pit that had swallowed three to four thousand Dragon Antelopes was now completely filled with their corpses.
This shocking sight unsettled the defending soldiers.
Sensing this, Angela turned to Feili without hesitation and ordered:
"Ignite it!"
The thick layers of fire oil spread across the pit ignited, setting ablaze the remains of the ten to twenty thousand Dragon Antelopes that had fallen in.
Towering flames consumed the mass of corpses in an instant.
Yet many Dragon Antelopes, risking immolation, forced their way through the three- to four-meter-high fire wall, charging madly at the city walls.
Most of them collapsed along the way.
The rapid-fire crossbows in particular wiped them out in waves.
Watching these towering, three- to four-meter-tall, muscular Dragon Antelopes, Yaya, observing the battle from the sky, drooled and remarked:
"Wow, these antelopes look delicious! They're big, meaty—if we capture some, we could raise them, right?"
Hearing this, Matthew chuckled and patted her head, replying with a smile:
"That's easy. You can issue an order to the adventurers, set up a ranch, and hire professionals to raise them—problem solved."
Yaya felt no embarrassment at all. Instead, she laughed heartily, dreaming of her future feast.
A Dragon Antelope crashed into the city wall with full force.
Its sharp, slender horns only left a white streak on the rough stone wall.
Meanwhile, its entire skull shattered under the sheer impact.
It left behind a conspicuous bloodstain before collapsing lifelessly.
Nearly all the Dragon Antelopes met their end smashing into the impenetrable walls.
Some attempted to leap high and slam into the walls from mid-air.
But the result was the same. These seemingly threatening creatures had no means to breach the sturdy walls, helplessly colliding against them in futility.
Confirming that the Dragon Antelopes posed no further threat, Angela exhaled slightly and looked into the distance.
There, the main force of the dragon-blooded army was finally approaching.
A variety of dragon-blooded creatures charged wildly, seemingly infected by the frenzy of the Dragon Antelopes.
Angela ignored the smaller creatures—they posed no threat to Mist Fortress's defenses, no matter their numbers.
What truly concerned her were the heavily armored, iron-shelled Dragon Turtles.
These massive creatures, unexpectedly equipped with long, powerful legs, moved at an alarming speed.
Their sheer weight alone was terrifying.
Behind them, hundreds of Land Dragons advanced, roaring and howling aggressively.
Angela took a quick glance and immediately issued her orders:
"Heavy crossbows, form squads of five! Prioritize targeting the Dragon Turtles!"
The heavy crossbow teams sprang into action.
Enormous bolts, as thick as a man's wrist, were lifted onto the ballistae by two soldiers each.
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The giant bolts shot forth, spinning as they struck the Dragon Turtles.
Those that hit their backs merely sparked off the thick shells.
Fortunately, shots aimed at other parts of their bodies proved more effective. Every hit left a gaping wound.
The poison-coated, bloodletting bolts would quickly sap the Dragon Turtles' strength.
The primary goal of these ranged weapons was to slow large creatures before they could reach the walls.
Behind the Dragon Turtles, three colossal Land Dragons charged forward with overwhelming force.
Their speed was astonishing, each step making the ground tremble.
Their bodies were covered in grayish-brown scales, radiating a metallic sheen under the sunlight.
Their razor-sharp fangs gleamed menacingly, sending chills down one's spine with just a glance.
They paid no heed to the dragon-blooded creatures around them.
Every step they took crushed smaller dragon-blooded creatures beneath them.
Yet, the surrounding dragon-blooded creatures didn't mind.
Instead, they instinctively gathered around the Land Dragons.
Following them, they all charged madly toward Mist Fortress.
The sight of this horrifying army of flesh and blood, however, made Angela sigh in relief. She decisively shouted:
"All units, prepare—fire!"
A barrage of weapons was unleashed.
Spiraling cannon shells, soaring crossbow bolts, roaring fireballs, and massive, whistling boulders flew toward the enemy.
These various weapons hammered into the Land Dragons, yet failed to slow them down at all.
Such powerful, terrifying creatures exerted immense pressure on the defenders.
Fortunately, Angela had prepared for this. She subtly signaled Arnold.
Arnold shouted to the hidden dragon-hunting ballista teams: "Fire!"
The war between Bay Territory and the dragon-blooded army had begun!