Chapter 194: Equipment That Shouldn’t Be Sold
Frankenstein understood the combat power disparity between the Naga and the Sea Kingdom. The Swordfish Submarine’s debut would surely have an immense deterrent effect, functioning as a ghost in the deep sea when the enemy was ill-prepared.
But now, she was the only one who knew how her submarines were instantly destroyed.
Nicole described the battle between Cromwell and Roger’s gamble in detail. Out of disbelief, she replayed the scene multiple times afterward, gaining a thorough understanding.
The Swordfish Submarine was thought to be a trump card, but it was rendered useless, and a Marshal was lost. Nicole was deeply troubled and heartbroken!
Now, looking at the remaining fifty Swordfish Submarines, she doubted if she could trust them in the next battle.
Of course, the loss couldn’t be entirely blamed on the equipment; the Naga military’s arrogance was also a significant factor.
Cromwell had conducted no reconnaissance before the battle and was ultimately lost. Unless a god descended, no one could save him.
“It was our oversight in supporting the Azurevine Empire that led to this outcome. Master, you don’t need to blame yourself so much.” In the end, Nicole had to comfort a dejected Frankenstein.
However, upon hearing Nicole’s description of the Coral Jungle and the Biochemical Fish swarms, Frankenstein immediately knew it was Lydia’s doing. And then she heard Roger’s name…
Her dejection turned into outright rage and a burning desire for battle!
She had wondered what happened, only to discover that the insidious Lydia had used her latest modified bio-creatures to counter Frankenstein’s masterpiece!
Frankenstein quickly scribbled on her dimensional canvas: “I understand the situation. I’ll update your list of purchasable equipment immediately!”
She rapidly added a series of targeted weaponry based on the characteristics of Base Coral and Biochemical Fish.
Torpedoes would be like shooting mosquitoes with anti-aircraft guns, but what about improved, specialized insecticides for Biochemical Fish?
There were also many other equipment options with similar concepts, priced differently, allowing Nicole to choose according to her needs.
Both Frankenstein and Lydia belonged to the Arcane Society. There were regulations regarding technology disclosure within the system, leading to internal competition and vying for orders. Naturally, they kept abreast of each other’s developments.
After providing a large array of specialized equipment, she still felt somewhat unsatisfied. After some thought, she added two more items that shouldn’t have appeared on such a list.
“繡球菌” (Hydrangea Mushroom): Fission Bomb, tactical nuclear weapon, with yields ranging from five kilotons to three hundred kilotons.
“霸王菌” (Overlord Mushroom): Fusion Bomb, strategic nuclear weapon, limited sale, only two units at five megatons each.
These were secretly developed by the Empire for the system’s chosen ones, with the entire series named after fungal organisms because the Empress found the mushroom-like explosions appetizing.
The smallest yield Hydrangea Mushroom’s destructive power rivaled a Legendary spell like Meteor Shower, and it offered flexibility, speed, and large-scale area coverage.
Hydrangea Mushrooms could serve as replacement warheads for Tidal Wave, and while not necessarily as effective as magic, they offered greater flexibility in terms of quantity and maximum yield.
Furthermore, nuclear weapons detonated underwater, and due to seawater’s far greater density than air, the kill radius for the same yield would be even larger.
Although Cromwell was a gambler, his assessment of the conventional weapons Frankenstein provided was accurate: they offered an additional spear outside the existing spear and shield.
However, before, the Empire had sold common spears to the Naga, modified farm pitchforks.
But now, infuriated, Frankenstein had added standard military equipment to the list.
While the pricing followed the rules, selling them under the guise of experimentation without upward approval was highly irregular.
For example, like Roger, who was also in the same group.
But Frankenstein wasn’t afraid!
If she hadn’t known they were both undercover agents and it wasn’t suitable for them to argue in the group chat, she would have questioned Roger directly about his intentions!
Why did he use that scumbag Lydia’s rotten fish and shrimp to bully her masterpiece?
However, Frankenstein wasn’t truly angry or holding a grudge; she was just a bit displeased. She could feel that Roger used to enjoy discussing new ideas with her, but now he always went to the Life Ritual faction.
Darknight Guard and Terra Investments were also pouring significant funds into that faction, which was a clear sign of support.
Although Frankenstein lacked R&D funds, she felt like Lydia had outmaneuvered her when a “theoretical genius” who used to be close to her abandoned her.
Especially after losing such an unfair match!
Lydia’s modified creatures barely had any technical content; they just mutated on their own. Leaving them unattended for three months could result in two distinct ancestral forms.
In contrast, her crystalloid mechanics didn’t update so rapidly. Every change was the result of their painstaking efforts, repeated deductions, and rigorous argumentation.
Controllable, controllable, still controllable!
In Frankenstein’s view, Lydia’s research was primitive, simply letting her modified creatures breed with each other.
As long as they reproduced for long enough, interesting results would eventually emerge!
Theoretically, this barbarian gacha system had no pity pulls. But Lydia was lucky enough to always pull out strange and wonderful things.
And now, they had “coincidentally” managed to decipher her Swordfish Submarine.
Of course, Lydia also disliked Frankenstein’s research.
Too many rules and regulations, considering this parameter and that attribute, like dancing with shackles.
Yet, because her mechanical creations were more imposing and aesthetically pleasing, from the Empress of Eternal Night to the Empire’s military, they were willing to purchase Frankenstein’s “scrap metal,” which was outrageous!
Upon receiving feedback from the front lines that Roger, using the cleverly arranged Biochemical Fish, had easily crushed the Swordfish Submarines designed by the Chapter of Imbalance, Lydia couldn’t help but exclaim, “Hooray!”
Perhaps this battle would usher in a new era of biochemical war beasts?
Instantly, the Base Coral project’s importance skyrocketed in Lydia’s eyes. She poured more effort into relevant research, striving to make Roger’s victories even more brilliant and effortless.
Thus, the two R&D directors of the Arcane Society began an “arms race” beneath the sea.
Nicole, upon seeing the new “purchasable equipment list” and understanding its functionalities, became as excited as a player who had just installed a new DLC for a game.
Her favorites were undoubtedly the two mushroom bombs; they would be so satisfying to detonate!
Surprise and shock! With these, she would surely fulfill her Lord’s divine decree!
Seeing the mushroom clouds rising from the ground, a chill ran down her spine, accompanied by an uncontrollable excitement.
Even if it meant going bankrupt, she had to obtain them!
A serene saintess falling into a war frenzy wasn’t exactly wrong, was it?
Kindness was a virtue shown to believers, while fanaticism was reserved for enemies. Due to the exclusivity of faith, these attributes could coexist within a single person.
However, Nicole was penniless. The church’s assets had been fully committed to development and construction.
An application written in her capacity as the Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force had already been sent back to the Naga Royal Palace along with the battle report. But after seeing Frankenstein’s list, she realized she had to return in person.
Divine Providence, Naga! With this equipment, victory was assured!
…
…
The Naga of the Eternal Night World were not indigenous. They were elves who researched fallen magic.
Their reckless actions caused great harm to the Elven Empire, leading to divine punishment from the God of Nature and banishment to the sea. To survive, they sought the protection of the Sea God and gradually adapted to the marine environment, transforming into their current form.
Considering the timeframe, this physical transformation was highly un-Darwinian.
The slender, elegant elves with pointed ears were vastly different from the Naga, who possessed giant snake tails, robust bodies, and often mutated with extra limbs.
However, in terms of appearance and physique, the Naga still boasted many handsome men and beautiful women. They also inherited the tradition of matrilineal clans, with the highest leader of the race being the Empress and the highest leader of the church being the Saintess.
The rise of the Naga Empire was inseparable from its generations of wise and ambitious Empresses. They never forgot their hatred for being driven into the sea, harboring dreams of conquering all four seas and avenging themselves against the surface elves.
Incidentally, the Dark Elves of the Underdark harbored similar ambitions. They were one of the most crucial sources of followers for the War Goddess, originally “sheared wool” directly from the God of Nature.
This was also why Olsaya held a grudge against Tebera; she was constantly having her “wool sheared.” When it became too much, she pushed back.
Therefore, when Nicole received a divine oracle from the Sea God to seize a new landing point, which was also the Naga Empress’s long-cherished wish, she received the utmost support.
The first wave of equipment from the Terra Kingdom was an agreement of mutual aid between the Sea God and the War Goddess. The second wave was purchased at great expense by the Naga Empress.
However, after a series of triumphant victories, the news of a crushing defeat suddenly arrived. Marshal Cromwell was forced to commit suicide, and the main force of the expeditionary army retreated two hundred miles. The Naga Empress issued a statement directly during the court session.
The battle report was written by Nicole, who now held de facto supreme command of the expeditionary force. It clearly stated that the primary reason for the loss was the sudden intervention of the Azurevine Empire, and the secondary cause was inseparable from the military’s arrogance and complacency.
Facing such accusations, the military had no recourse. The Crown Prince of the Sea Kingdom, notorious for his cowardice, suddenly led an army. A commander should never be complacent but rather possess keen insight, never overlooking any enemy movement.
Cromwell’s suicide by poison was a refusal to be shamed by the Sea Kingdom and a consequence of failing the Naga Empress’s trust. His lifelong reputation was ruined.
Following the battle report, Nicole proposed active preparations for the next offensive, requesting the rear to provide more troops and funds.
“My loyal ministers, you may now deliberate on the Saintess’s requests.” The Naga Empress, after her outburst, fidgeted with her fingers, allowing her trusted civil and military officials to discuss the next offensive.
As mentioned before, the Naga Empire’s territory, population, and true national strength were far inferior to the Mermaid Sea Kingdom.
However, the mermaids had long since parceled out too much of their territory and had countless vassal races. Over the years, their loyalty to the Sea Emperor’s lineage had largely waned.
The Naga Empire’s repeated incursions received only limited support from these territories and vassals for the royal family. Apart from a few influential families bound by marriage and blood, others offered only symbolic contributions of money and supplies, then disengaged.
Most of them shared Shaq’s mindset from before.
After all, the Sea Kingdom was vast, and when the flames of war approached their borders, they simply fought half-heartedly to prevent the Naga from reaching them; only a fool would expend money and effort.
Life underwater was too comfortable. The sea races could easily find sustenance, and all manner of species were abundant. When nobles lost their drive for progress, their demeanor became truly detestable.
In contrast, the Naga Empire was much more vibrant. They had no dreams of returning to land; every battle was fought with the determination to seize a piece of the Sea Kingdom. In these past few centuries, they had produced many talented individuals, thus achieving a tactical advantage over the Sea Kingdom.
However, in reality, continuous warfare, despite the returns from the Sea God’s church and Saintess Nicole’s efforts to establish new cities, had led to the side effects of the Naga Empire’s militaristic policies:
The main ethnic population had barely grown, taxes were too heavy, and the populace was already quite strained, making troop replenishment extremely difficult.
The dividends from conquered territories required population to fill them.
But the Naga, evolving from long-lived elves, had the side effect of low reproductive capacity and extremely long growth cycles.
If not for the fact that both Naga men and women could produce warriors and mages, gender imbalance would have occurred long ago.
The newly occupied populations were actually filled by vassal races. To keep these races at ease, the Naga could not impose excessively high taxes. In reality, the main ethnic group had been at a disadvantage for years, fostering internal dissent against the war.
This current expedition had cost the Naga Empress dearly. She had collaborated with the church to overcome doubts and organize this force.
If they could establish a permanent landing point, the Empress had promised to temporarily halt hostilities and focus on recovery.
Coupled with the support and purchased equipment from the Terra Kingdom, the army’s combat power was greatly enhanced, and the expeditionary force finally set out.
However, before achieving their ultimate strategic objective, such a severe defeat suddenly occurred. Many officials who were already opposed to the war seized this opportunity to vehemently criticize His Majesty.
At this moment, only the military and the church truly insisted on continuing the fight.
Many high-ranking military officials were Cromwell’s comrades, seeking revenge for him. The church, naturally, aimed to fulfill the Sea God’s divine oracle.
The pro-war and anti-war factions argued fiercely. The Naga Empress used this time to collect her thoughts and, pounding her dragon throne, ordered them to quiet down.
“I wish to press on with the campaign; seizing a landing point is a dream we’ve had for countless years. But we cannot ignore the power of the Azurevine Empire. Can any of you give me a precise figure for the troop reinforcements needed to guarantee victory in this war?”
Her sharp gaze swept across everyone present, hoping for a definitive answer without any deception.
However, under her scrutiny, both civil and military officials lowered their heads.
Who dared to provide a concrete answer to such a question? That would be taking on immense responsibility.
An eerie silence filled the hall. The Naga Empress, however, showed no surprise, but rather a sigh of relief.
A dream was ultimately a dream. The Naga Empire had to endure. Although the failure at the last moment was regrettable, they had still seized enough territory from the Sea Kingdom. With diligent management, they could launch an even more powerful expedition in the future.
“If none of you can answer, then I believe this expedition ends here. We will focus on defending the currently occupied lands and preventing a counterattack from the Sea Kingdom…”
Just then, a guard knelt before the Naga Empress and announced loudly, “Report! Saintess requests an audience. She has urgent military intelligence to discuss with Your Majesty.”
As Nicole entered the hall, she explained the power of the two new pieces of equipment, the Hydrangea Mushroom and Overlord Mushroom, and persuaded them that victory at this price was achievable. The Naga’s pro-war faction erupted.
The Naga Empress, who had just regained control of the situation, found herself completely unable to manage it any longer. The vast majority of officials were clamoring for immediate engagement.
“My ministers, we simply cannot afford the quoted prices for this equipment!” the Naga Empress roared, trying to stop them.
“The Terra Kingdom can provide low-interest loans,” Nicole said with a smile.
“Your Majesty, let us fight! If we win, we will possess the ocean!”
Civil and military officials knelt down. The voices of the peace faction were completely drowned out. Even the Empress could not defy the will of her supporters.
Spurred by the powerful equipment, the Naga Empire ultimately decided to stake everything.
They would rather take out loans than gamble, but to fight for honor.
After all, victory would mean recouping their losses… right?
