Chapter 548.5: War is an Art
The Bay Territory didn't promote personal worship, but it did encourage recognition and praise for exceptional individuals.
Every positive dream was worthy of commendation and nurturing.
Matthew smiled as he engaged with them, learning about the challenges they faced in their studies and discussing teaching methods with their instructors.
Then, he praised and rewarded several students who excelled in their internships.
Level 3 Arcanist Liana, who led the development of three new types of engineering golems.
Level 4 Druid Rebecca, who created multiple methods for growing magical plants and completed two improvement experiments.
Level 2 Warlock Orianna, who twice improved the mechanical structure of enchanted crossbows and contributed to the design of the Dragon Knight Mark I golem.
Level 3 Mage Merrill, who participated in developing six new types of engineering golems and designed two entirely new construction plans.
Level 6 Ranger Haggis, who had participated in 16 legion battles, received four combat awards, and had become a captain.
Matthew prepared a high-level storage item and two knowledge and skill manuals as rewards for them.
All the rewards were intended to help them grow and develop.
Matthew didn't take up too much of their time and soon left the training academy to inspect the industrial district.
The thriving industrial zone had undergone three rounds of expansion.
Near the Silver Moon River banks by Bay City.
The vast industrial area now covered a stretch of three to four kilometers.
Every day, at least two new factories were built here.
More than 3,000 workers entered the industrial zone daily to engage in tasks they had never experienced before.
Matthew focused on checking for potential safety hazards that might have been overlooked during the rapid industrial expansion.
Industrial accidents were still possible, especially before magical industry was fully developed and implemented, and these occasionally occurred in the Bay Territory's factories.
Fortunately, unless death was immediate, healing spells and vitality potions could resolve most dangers.
Even so, the Bay Territory and factory managers never relaxed their vigilance against potential flaws and vulnerabilities.
They wouldn't ignore issues just because it was inconvenient or costly.
Every dedicated worker was an indispensable part of the Bay Territory.
Matthew carefully examined the production methods.
Ensuring that each factory not only had magical automatic production lines but also semi-automated mechanical ones.
Relying solely on one method was riskier.
It was safer to spread the risks.
As Matthew continued his patrols and inspections of the territory's various aspects.
The Dwarven Kingdom of the Underdark prepared for its first battle with reinforcements.
"The enemy will be in range in 13 seconds. Everyone, get ready!"
Drawing his longsword, Jifan focused on the incoming drow army and shouted calmly:
"Fire the dragon-hunting ballista!"
Hum!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
The sound of bowstrings mixed with the whistle of bolts cutting through the air.
Volley after volley of ballista bolts rained down.
Blazing light illuminated the bolt tails.
Crack!
Crash!
After a series of fierce piercing sounds, swathes of enemies collapsed.
The activated "Light Spell" on the massive bolts lit up the distant darkness.
The shadowy drow army was suddenly exposed in a flood of light.
Many nearby drow warriors screamed in agony.
The unexpected intense light inflicted severe damage on their eyes.
With the glowing illumination, the soldiers on the walls could clearly see their opponents.
Beyond the enslaved gnolls, gray dwarves, dwarves, ogres, minotaurs, and trolls that they had encountered before, there were new enemies.
Bear goblins with terrifying visages.
Unlike their smaller cousins from the surface world, these goblins were not only burly and agile but also armed with sharp teeth and claws.
Some were clad in heavy weapons and armor, rivaling the ogre warriors beside them.
Massive bats filled the sky.
The dwarves called them "Night Stalker Bats."
They flew in flocks, their large forms emitting deafening screeches, with claws and wings that were fearsome to behold.
These bats served as the drow's claws, weapons, and "eyes."
A swift swarm of underground gnomes.
These small figures were savage, shouting and yelling at the commanding drow without hesitation.
They wielded sharp daggers and shortswords, emitting shrill howls as they moved at lightning speed.
Floating behind these slave warriors were several gigantic eyes.
Beholders!
Terrifying and dangerous creatures!
Surrounding them, drow stood off to the sides, hinting at the beholders' status.
Around them, some drow elves stood to the side, which shows their status.
They were composed of a massive central eye surrounded by writhing tendrils.
That fearsome gaze gave off a truly chilling sensation.
A single glance made it seem as if one's mind would be seized away.
Even some of the defending dwarven warriors displayed hints of apprehension in their eyes.
Behind these creatures, enormous siege towers were slowly pulled toward the walls by troll slaves.
Jifan's expression grew somber. This drow force seemed more like a formal army compared to those the Bay Territory had faced before.
They had adopted a basic formation.
Siege weapons and equipment were ready.
The various slave monsters also appeared to be well-behaved.
Their discipline was somewhat chaotic, but the sheer number—over 30,000—was enough to exert significant pressure on Jifan.
Of course, Jifan wasn't overly concerned.
These drow slaves didn't show signs of being fully mind-controlled like the gnoll slaves from last time.
Judging by their combat spirit, they didn't match up to the previous wave of slave soldiers.
Most drow commanders lacked experience leading thousands or tens of thousands into battle.
They resembled Sera from before, more adept at employing agile patrols and raiding parties.
However, Jifan wouldn't underestimate these opponents.
Experience could be accumulated.
With enough battles, drow commanders would become increasingly difficult to deal with.
Jifan had already grasped the drow's general tactics and mindset.
Difficult tasks were assigned to the slaves.
Suicide missions went to the subordinates.
They excelled at ambushes and stealth attacks but were weak in direct frontal engagements.
"Something's off. Why would they deploy beholders? Are they planning an all-out assault?"
Preparing to gather more intelligence from the battlefield, Hammerclash furrowed his brow and, recalling the drow's probing attacks over the past days, couldn't help but ask again:
"Could it be that the drow are preparing for a full-scale attack?"
Jifan didn't think much of it, watching the busy dwarven warriors on the wall, his eyes settling on the roaring dwarven cannons.
These weapons had remarkable range, and with some improvements, they might even be deployable in battle formations.
Jifan's thoughts aligned closely with Leon's, both demonstrating exceptional battlefield acuity.
Boom!
Over twenty cannons roared simultaneously.
The cannonballs hurtled and bounced into the enemy ranks, carving bloody paths.
Hundreds of slave soldiers were slain. The slightly more experienced drow commanders immediately ordered a charge.
Ogres pushing battering rams let out piercing howls.
With brute strength, they forcibly pushed the rams up the slope.
Watching the approaching drow, Jifan held off on giving the order to attack.
Only when the slave soldiers were within 300 meters did he command the archers to fire.
A relentless rain of bolts thinned the ranks of the advancing slave army.
The cannons continued their barrage, wreaking further havoc.
"Aim at the battering rams and prioritize the ogres."
Jifan wouldn't let the drow follow their planned attack sequence.
He ordered the archers to intensify their volleys, inflicting greater losses on the enemy.
The slow-moving battering rams naturally became easy targets for the sharpshooters.
The slave soldiers pushing the rams suffered heavy casualties.
After two rounds of volleys, the enormous battering rams came to a halt.
The drow commanders were forced to order the slave soldiers to continue pushing the rams through the hail of bolts.
Dozens of drow slave soldiers fell every second, becoming casualties of the Bay Territory's relentless volleys.
Other siege engines met the same fate.
Considering the cannons' extensive range, Jifan had Hammerclash direct the dwarven artillery at the siege engines.
This measure proved effective.
Though cannonballs typically caused only around ten casualties per shot with a one-minute reload time, they quickly destroyed three of the slow-moving wooden siege engines.
The Bay Territory's counterattack temporarily slowed the drow army's momentum.
The drow quickly adapted, positioning two beholders near the siege engines.
When spinning cannonballs came hurtling in, the beholders' tendrils waved, conjuring invisible barriers that deflected the projectiles.
Seeing this, many dwarven soldiers hesitated and forgot to keep attacking.
"What are you waiting for? Keep firing!"
"If the beholders are using magic to block attacks, it's better than letting them target us directly."
Fortunately, Hammerclash's timely shout snapped the dwarves out of their panic.
They quickly resumed their attacks.
Watching them fumble before regaining composure, Hammerclash couldn't help but sigh internally.
He wasn't just worried about this fortress but also about the other strongholds along this line.
The attackers could always amass forces and maintain the initiative.
About three minutes later.
The three remaining siege towers were brought to the walls, their arrival celebrated by the slave soldiers' triumphant cries.
These siege towers were massive, reaching heights of eight to nine meters.
They were shielded by thick iron plates, deflecting most of the bolts.
Each tower had four levels, with each level accommodating seventy to eighty slave soldiers.
Two staircases connected the floors, and there was an entry point at the rear.
Once the towers reached the walls, iron hooks would latch onto the parapets.
Drop-down metal ramps would then form bridges between the towers and the walls.
At that point, waves of attackers could pour down onto the walls.
Watching the approaching siege towers, Hammerclash, who no longer had time to reload the cannons, instinctively tightened his grip on his warhammer.
But before he could act, several barrels of flaming oil were hurled down.
Splash!
Crack!
The flaming oil smashed against the barriers and shattered.
The viscous liquid slowly coated the area below.
The slave soldiers inside the siege towers looked on with a mix of curiosity and unease.
Whatever this substance was, it clearly wasn't a welcoming gesture.
Fwoosh!
Raging flames ignited, spreading across the siege towers with the oil.
In no time, the first two towers became towering infernos.
Trapped inside, the slave soldiers screamed as the flames consumed them, leaving them no escape.
The sudden development alarmed the drow commanders.
They immediately issued a flurry of orders, instructing everyone to protect the last siege tower at all costs.
Hum!
A massive magical shield enveloped the final tower, conjured by the combined efforts of three beholders.
The flaming oil was blocked outside, forming a fiery ring around the tower.
Jifan watched as the iron hooks lowered and calmly, confidently called out:
"Blade Corps, engage!"
The burly Blade Corps soldiers moved in unison, surrounding the siege tower.
The first wave of attackers descending from the tower were a pack of gnolls.
Before they could mount a proper assault, the waiting blades sliced them in half.
Occasionally, heavily armored ogres would endure the initial blow with their brute strength and thick armor.
But they couldn't withstand the second strike from the poised Blade Corps soldiers.
The arrival of the siege tower allowed the crowded slave soldiers below to spill onto the walls, providing a new outlet for their charge.
They pressed forward, ascending the tower and roaring as they surged onto the walls.
They had no desire to be reduced to ashes by the surrounding flames—such a death was anything but merciful.
Unfortunately, the drow underestimated their opponents.
Or perhaps they didn't expect the stubborn and prideful dwarven kingdom to actually seek external assistance.
And the ones blocking the siege tower turned out to be the unstoppable Blade Corps.
The more slave soldiers poured in, the faster they were cut down.
In just three or four minutes, over 400 slave soldiers had fallen.
The pile of corpses nearly reached the height of the tower.
With the situation under control, Jifan stared at the three large floating eyes behind the siege tower, lost in thought:
"I need to find a way to deal with them…"