Chapter 534: Pre-emptive Drill
Matthew did not block this news.
Some Catachans, after all, still had no intention of joining the Bay Territory.
Matthew never doubted the "ambition" of intelligent creatures.
However, Matthew also understood that he would not let such ambitions ruin his overall plans.
In other times, the violence brought by ambition could be spun into tales of conquest and expansion.
But now, with the Elemental Tides imminent,
the Prime Material Plane, long hungry, would lift its protective crystal walls to usher in a grand "growth spurt."
At the same time, probing tendrils would transform into deadly claws,
tearing massive holes in the plane and allowing more powerful beings to enter.
Evil gods would soon awaken, malign entities would return to the land.
Natural disasters would strike, catastrophes would unfold once more.
The whole world was running out of time, and Matthew had no interest in playing the bloody game of kings and empires.
Many Catachan soldiers who heard the news became quite excited, and began discussing it among their companions.
"Who would've thought, the Catachan Demons are actually passing by our area. I wonder how many will come this time…"
"It's hard to say, but we'll see how big of a stir they cause."
"If we're strong enough, killing one before they arrive might scare the rest off."
"That's true. These creatures are very strong but quite timid. As long as we pose a deadly threat, they'll flee."
"I'm telling you, there's nothing to worry about this time. We're not what we used to be…"
"Don't get cocky. We've only just become professionals, and we haven't even fully integrated our combat techniques yet. Stop dreaming about dying a hero."
"Ha, come on. Even with combat aura, we're nowhere near mastering it yet. Venturing into the jungle now would just be suicide."
"If the Catachan Demons really come, just killing one or two could net us some excellent weapons and armor."
"You're not wrong. In the past, even when a leader killed a Catachan Demon, they could only bring back a small piece to make one or two ghost blades."
"But things are different now…"
"…"
Compared to the usual optimism of Catachan soldiers, Thorne, who was refining his combat aura techniques, pretended not to hear.
As he slowly infused aura into his ghost blade, feeling its smooth flow, Thorne could clearly sense that better weapons served as amplifiers for "power."
It was hard to imagine the combat prowess of those formidable adventurers in the Bay's world.
Dismissing the clutter of thoughts in his mind, Thorne recalled the current state of "Hope" Fortress, just as a call came through on the communicator at his waist.
Gesturing to his trainer to continue overseeing the soldiers' practice, Thorne strode toward the office.
He had grown accustomed to the conveniences provided by various magical tools. Catachans were adept at utilizing all kinds of equipment.
They never trusted dogma—whatever worked, they used.
This approach was forged by survival in dire circumstances.
Upon entering the office, Thorne saw Jifan explaining the details about the Catachan Demons.
Quietly sitting down, Thorne remained very still, though he couldn't help but feel a stir in his heart as Jifan laid out the detailed information.
Catachan Demon.
Species: Demonically mutated aberration.
Challenge Level: 20+.
Danger Level: Extremely High.
Size: Large enemy, 12.3 meters in length.
Weight: 7.62 tons.
Abilities:
Attack Power: Extremely High.
Defense: High, akin to heavy armor.
Mobility: High.
Stealth: High.
Talents:
Extraordinary Feat - Monomolecular Blades LV2.
+30 Attack Power, +6 Armor Penetration, +2 Shatter.
These tightly structured monomolecular blades possess unparalleled destructive and piercing power.
Magical armor below the extraordinary tier cannot resist their destructive force.
Extraordinary Feat - Corruptive Venom LV2.
+40 Poison Damage, with a "Corruptive Decay" effect that inflicts 10 poison damage per second on wounded enemies.
This venom has a high priority, cannot be dispelled or cured, and requires a Constitution saving throw.
Advanced Feat - Stealth Ambush LV3.
Advanced Feat - Power Surge LV2.
Advanced Feat - Situational Awareness LV2.
...
Attributes:
Strength: 27
Dexterity: 22
Constitution: 17
Intelligence: 9
Wisdom: 12
Charisma: 19
Luck: -3
Evaluation: Uncontrolled aberrant evolutionary form.
"As you can see, lone encounters with Catachan Demons in the wild are exceedingly dangerous and rarely end well."
"Therefore, our strategic approach is straightforward: avoid direct confrontation and do not engage them in jungle territory."
"They are somewhat social creatures, and killing one can easily attract others. We must select the battlefield carefully."
"You'll notice that their defense isn't particularly strong, so we must focus more on offensive measures…"
This discussion on combat was unlike what Thorne had imagined.
The Bay didn't set up single-target tactics against individual Catachan Demons.
"Could it be that the Bay doesn't deploy exceptionally strong solo combatants alongside elite squads to eliminate the Demons?"
"After all, while Catachan Demons' defense isn't overwhelmingly strong, their massive size means ordinary soldiers can't hurt them…"
But after listening for a while, Thorne understood.
The Bay's military tactics were completely different from those of the Catachan tribes.
The tribes often sent their best into the jungle for stealthy hunts, gradually clearing enemies one by one.
For small-scale foes, this approach was incredibly effective.
Thanks to their superior jungle combat skills, enemies rarely reached the Catachan fortress—most were ambushed and killed in the jungle.
However, this method had a significant drawback.
While excellent at mobility and ambush, they required more time to deal with large numbers of enemies.
If given time and space, they could slowly weaken and destroy the enemy.
But when faced with a direct assault at their fortress, the Catachans' smaller numbers became a glaring weakness.
Over a third of their warriors fell in defensive battles at the fortress.
Such heavy losses were staggering.
This was one reason Thorne agreed to let the Bay's soldiers take over fortress defense.
Listening carefully to Jifan's strategic discussion, Thorne pulled out the Bay's issued paper and a pen, recording notes in his rough handwriting.
"Paper and writing help pass on experience, strengthening future generations."
This resonated deeply with Thorne.
He had witnessed many brilliant Catachan hunters and warriors perform awe-inspiring combat techniques.
But with their deaths, those hard-earned skills and insights disappeared.
The Bay's attitude towards preserving battle knowledge and techniques left Thorne both pleased and grateful.
No matter what the future held for the Catachans and the Bay, the knowledge he gained wouldn't be lost, and the power he achieved wouldn't fade.
As Matthew observed the Catachan soldiers on the training grounds,
he carefully documented their current attributes and data.
Yaya, perched on his shoulder while reviewing the data, showed a glimmer of excitement:
"Wow, in just over a month, they've basically all become professionals. Their average class level has risen by three."
"Their combat talent is truly impressive!"
Yaya herself was no longer the same. Having undergone hundreds of surgeries, studied countless knowledge and techniques, and reviewed vast amounts of data,
her understanding of fleshcraft had reached an advanced level.
For true dragons, their rapid growth was only limited by their personality and emotions.
When they set their minds to learning, they could assimilate any knowledge with ease.
Because of this, Matthew remained highly vigilant about the impending Mad Dragon's Disarray.
In his memory, this catastrophic "Dragon Havoc" was too much for even true dragons to handle.
While the Bay had made some preparations, Matthew knew it was far from enough.
The arrival of these Catachan Demons provided Matthew with an opportunity for "testing."
"They certainly have potential, but merely learning to fight isn't enough to meet my expectations."
Recalling the training and educational tasks he had assigned to the Thunder Warriors, Yaya nodded in agreement. After some thought, she tentatively asked:
"Will all future warriors need to learn culture and make progress in this area?"
Matthew, oblivious to Yaya's little schemes, replied calmly:
"That's right. In the future, they will learn much more—about their enemies, their weapons, their equipment, and themselves. Wars of the future won't just be about hacking at each other with blades."
Thinking about the various weapons prepared by the Bay Territory, Yaya nodded thoughtfully, then said with great anticipation:
"Can you assign me some tasks for the next surgery development?"
Huh?
This doesn't seem right!
Casting a somewhat suspicious glance at Yaya, Matthew recalled the effort he had put into disciplining this always-lazy little one.
But since Yaya had made the request, Matthew naturally wouldn't refuse. Smiling at her eager look, he said:
"Sure, let's start with what you're best at—your stomach!"
Yaya's eyes lit up instantly, her doubts vanished, and she nodded enthusiastically, striking a pose that said, "Just give me any task!"
In truth, this little one's heart was blooming with joy.
"Hehe, now I have an excuse to eat lots of tasty treats."
Matthew also smiled, chuckling inwardly.
At least I won't have to waste my breath…
November 20.
The Bay Territory.
Bay City.
Soldiers, marching in neat formations, stepped out of the barracks under the watchful eyes of countless onlookers.
Before their appearance, the lord's manor had issued a notice:
"To address potential dangers posed by the 'Mad Dragon's Disarray,'"
"to ensure the safety of our territory, citizens, and hard-won progress,"
"the Bay Territory will immediately enter Level Two alert status."
"The Bay forces will conduct a sweeping purge of all dragon-blood creatures within the territory."
Although brief, the announcement caused quite a stir throughout the territory.
After more than three months of rumors,
the "Mad Dragon's Disarray," once dismissed as hearsay, was officially acknowledged by the lord's manor as a threat.
This sparked considerable curiosity among many Bay residents.
They had occasionally glimpsed the large-scale actions and results of the adventurers in recent days.
Now, with the territory placing such importance on the matter, they naturally paid even closer attention.
A significant number of onlookers were particularly interested in the soldiers.
After all, many of them had only recently arrived in the Bay Territory.
They had heard numerous tales of the soldiers' heroics and learned about their extraordinary benefits.
Some had even attempted to join, only to be harshly screened out.
Seeing is believing, after all.
Today they had a chance to see for themselves.
As the soldiers marched onto the streets,
the synchronized sound of their footsteps rolled like thunder.
Their unified uniforms and armor were visually striking, commanding respect.
The solemn and dignified expressions on their faces contrasted with their usual warmth.
The imposing, cohesive aura they exuded created an overwhelming sense of invincibility.
The street fell silent, and everyone felt a rush of emotion.
Many Bay residents, recognizing familiar faces and noting the dramatic transformations, were filled with an indescribable sense of admiration.
Strengthening cohesion and serving as a recruitment advertisement—
that was why Matthew had them make such a public display.
The prospect of becoming a formal Bay soldier excited everyone, pushing them to give their all during weekend training sessions.
Of course, Matthew didn't forget to build morale by occasionally "motivating" them.
The results were clear.
Matthew noticed the envy in countless citizens' eyes and the awe on the faces of many newly-arrived residents.
He turned to Angela, who was ready and waiting, and said:
"This sweep will serve as our pre-emptive drill for facing the Dragon Havoc."
"Tell the soldiers and commanders to do their absolute best. Praise their strengths and reinforce them, address their weaknesses and improve on them…"
Angela, brimming with confidence, nodded steadily and replied firmly:
"Understood, I'll make sure we get it done."