CHAPTER 425: CHAPTER 361 ANDERSON’S STRATEGY_1

The situation on the Wildwind Highlands in the following days unfolded much as Yan Xing had anticipated.

Anderson had no intention of depleting his troops against the solid defenses of the Eternal Domain. Furthermore, he realized that Yan Xing seemed more adept than he was at dealing with this entirely new mode of warfare.

Consequently, while it appeared the Wildwind Principality’s troops were on the offensive, the entire battle felt very passive for them. Any new tactics they conceived seemed to be met with ready-made counters from the Eternal Domain. And these counters were all very effective.

Thus, Anderson ordered his troops to first fortify their occupied territories. Following the Eternal Domain’s defensive construction patterns, they began to dig similar trenches extensively, aiming to counter defense with defense.

While continuously launching small-scale attacks on the frontline, they also used heavy magic to maintain pressure on the Eternal Domain’s defenders.

The army in the rear began analyzing and practicing this new mode of warfare. They used their combat experiences against the Eternal Domain to readjust troop formations and tactical doctrines.

Regarding Cloud Tower, Anderson actively negotiated, even personally visiting the high tower to persuade the Council of Mage Elders. He wanted Cloud Tower to recognize that the number and performance of the weapons they currently provided to the Wildwind Principality were insufficient to defeat the Eternal Domain’s troops.

If Cloud Tower did not plan to deploy high-ranking Mages directly into the war, they had to produce weapons suitable for this new mode of warfare. For example, they needed aircraft capable of flying up to 8,000 meters to counter the Eternal Domain’s planes. Otherwise, the entire Wildwind Highlands would remain under the Eternal Domain’s surveillance, with any of the Wildwind Principality’s troop movements clearly visible to the enemy.

Charged Magic Wands were suitable for heroes with casting abilities. However, ordinary soldiers found it difficult to hit targets accurately using the complex aiming procedure. In contrast, the Eternal Domain’s individual weapons all came with very user-friendly aiming devices.

Heavy magic siege engines were too inefficient and easily detected by the enemy, allowing them time to evade. With the Eternal Domain’s heavy artillery, by the time one heard the sound, the shell had already exploded nearby.

Anderson also pointed out deficiencies in frontline troop suppression weapons, breaching weapons for destroying fortified targets, and individual throwable weapons.

Anderson even bluntly stated that Cloud Tower’s weapon design philosophy was still stuck in the old mode of warfare, while Thunderous Swamp had already developed weapons suitable for the future.

If Cloud Tower wished to help the Wildwind Principality win this war, they had to develop new types of weapons suited for this new kind of warfare. Furthermore, Cloud Tower needed to increase aid to the Gryphon Heart Empire and actively work to bring the Savage Orcs into an alliance against Thunderous Swamp.

As Cloud Tower’s representative stationed in the Wildwind Highlands, Mage Miler detailed the battle scenes he had observed.

The Eternal Domain’s aircraft could indeed fly above 4,000 meters, and publicly released data indicated a maximum flight altitude of 8,000 meters.

Cloud Tower’s Alchemical Weapons, when used on the battlefield, indeed exhibited the various problems Anderson had mentioned and were unsuitable for the current mode of warfare.

In the past, Cloud Tower would never have admitted to problems with their Alchemical Weapons. But the current reality was undeniable: airplanes produced by Thunderous Swamp flew overhead, visible but unreachable.

This was a great mockery of Cloud Tower’s supposed mastery of Alchemy.

In fact, when Yan Xing first publicly presented the Beak Eagle airliner, Cloud Tower had already begun secretly competing with Thunderous Swamp regarding aircraft altitude and speed. Indeed, Cloud Tower’s Alchemy Technology was strong and remarkably comprehensive.

The Mages had previously focused on transcending the limits of life. Now that they were serious about applying Alchemy, they could readily integrate their knowledge and produce results.

Their first achievement was an upgrade to the existing Divine Beasts, which involved installing more advanced alchemical constructs to enhance the potency of the cyclones generated beneath them. This upgraded version of the Divine Beasts was named the Divine Beast Leader. Testing confirmed that the Divine Beast Leader could maintain good flight capabilities at altitudes up to 8,000 meters.

Their second achievement was combining airship technology with floating island technology. Cloud Tower itself was a type of floating island. Consequently, they were already very proficient in both these technologies.

Floating island technology utilized magical Alchemy to generate a force field that repelled terrestrial gravity, thereby suspending heavy objects. However, moving a floating island consumed a tremendous amount of energy, which was why Cloud Tower remained almost stationary within the unique spatial environment created by the Mages. If floating island technology were combined with airship technology, energy consumption could be greatly reduced.

According to the Mages’ calculations, the buoyancy provided by four airships could lift their designed Floating Warship to an altitude of 8,000 meters.

Designing such a vessel was not overly difficult for the Mages of Cloud Tower. But building it was another matter. Setting aside the cost, Cloud Tower lacked both the equipment and the necessary personnel. The Mages disdained such "menial" labor.

When Anderson learned that Cloud Tower had developed the Divine Beast Leader and the Floating Warship, both capable of high-altitude combat, he immediately proposed organizing Goblins to establish a weapons manufacturing factory in Storm City. He urged them to start production as soon as possible, build these new weapons quickly, and deploy them in the war against Thunderous Swamp.

Anderson also suggested that Cloud Tower establish a new weapons research department in Storm City to develop armaments specifically tailored to battlefield conditions.

After deliberation, the Council of Mage Elders agreed to Anderson’s various requests. Excellent engineers and Alchemists were selected from Goblin Alchemy Factories across the land. They were sent to Storm City under the supervision of Mage Miler to establish a new weapons research department and a weapon manufacturing factory.

Cloud Tower increased its support with Alchemical Weapons to the Gryphon Heart Empire, rewarding nobles who aided the Empire. They also actively facilitated a meeting in Storm City between the Wildwind Principality, the Gryphon Heart Empire, and the Savage Orcs to form a strong tripartite military alliance.

Cloud Tower increasingly felt the threat posed by Thunderous Swamp and prepared to commit substantial resources and endure great sacrifices for the war.

From Storm City, Anderson, acting on behalf of Cloud Tower, more proactively dispatched messengers to the Gryphon Heart Empire and the Barbaric Orcs. He also requested an audience with the Orc Chieftain.

This was a very bold decision.

It was important to remember that during the struggle for the Wildwind Highlands, countless Orcs had died at Anderson’s hands. No fewer than two of their army marshals had perished, one of whom was the Orc Chieftain’s brother.

For Anderson, a secret visit to meet Marshal Old Momu in Highland City and an official trip to the Barbaric Orc capital to meet the Chieftain posed dangers of vastly different magnitudes.

But to eliminate the deep-seated animosity between the Wildwind Principality and the Barbaric Orcs, he knew he had to make this trip himself.

While Anderson was arranging his visit to the lands of the Barbaric Orcs, Yan Xing made a flamboyant arrival by private jet in Dawnspirit City, the capital of the Silvermane Principality. He was there to attend the wedding of his sister, Karol, to Duke Silvermane.