Chapter 535.5: Raising Dragon-Blooded Creatures
Beyond the carapace, the most valuable parts were the Catachan demon's claws.
The monomolecular claws were not only incredibly hard and flexible, but their magical conductivity made them exceptional weapon materials.
In fact, the most powerful Catachan weapons, the "Ghost Claws," were forged from the monomolecular claws of Catachan demons.
They symbolized both status and strength.
However, as Ash put it, using monomolecular claws as weapons without further refinement was pure waste.
He summoned two dwarf master artisans and invited the renowned magical equipment craftsman Magic Duncan to study the monomolecular claws in depth.
Matthew had high hopes for their efforts and offered a design bounty worth at least 50,000 gold coins.
Moreover, if they succeeded in creating a finished product, Matthew was willing to grant them a 30% sales share.
Hoarding gold coins was pointless; keeping the money in circulation allowed it to generate greater value.
This aligned perfectly with the Bay Territory's principle: the more you invest, the more you gain.
The Catachan demon's flesh was also rich in magic and nutrients.
However, Matthew chose to purify it and send it to the fertilizer factory.
It was used to produce high-quality fertilizers.
Whether cultivating banyan guardians or planting advanced rare magical plants, these fertilizers yielded excellent results.
Better safe than sorry!
With so many "mutated" and "twisted" entities marked throughout the Catachan demi-plane, Matthew wasn't about to take any unnecessary risks.
Besides that, the Catachan demon's internal organs, deadly stinger, and internal mana crystals held significant value.
Fully harvesting and utilizing these materials could generate over 2 million gold coins in revenue for the Bay Territory.
Killing one would fund Fort Hope's operations for two months!
Enthusiastic Thunder Warriors, pocketing their substantial rewards, quickly made up their minds.
They would learn superior combat techniques, purchase better weapons and equipment, and hunt more Catachan demons.
Motivated by the promise of wealth and profit,
the Thunder Warriors and elite adventurers set their sights on the Catachan demons.
Using every method at their disposal, they pursued these terrifying creatures relentlessly.
Thanks to their "efforts,"
the Bay Territory's dragon-hunting crossbows and magical gear were selling extremely well.
Other adventurers weren't far behind.
As soon as the Bay introduced its new antidotes to the market,
they began delving deeper into the surrounding Catachan jungle in search of further spoils.
At the same time, in light of the Green Tide threat and the jungle's inherent dangers,
the areas around both castles
adopted a scorched earth strategy.
To prepare for the Green Tide that might converge upon them,
Matthew, without increasing manpower, deployed additional engineering equipment to construct a railroad connecting the two castles.
Along the railroad,
two rows of watchtowers would be built.
This massive undertaking
required a vast number of engineering golems.
Thus, energy supply became a pressing concern.
Matthew decided to establish an elemental energy pool at Fort Hope, using the third legendary elemental crystal he had obtained from the Eldar.
With virtually unlimited energy supply in a localized area,
the regions surrounding both castles underwent a massive transformation.
Flames erupted.
In this damp world, where fire typically felt "oppressed," blazes burned brightly.
The flames radiated heat and light, passing their energy to everything flammable around them.
Soldiers and adventurers wearing gas masks watched nervously as the fires consumed all manner of creatures.
The trees were alive, as were the grasses.
Snakes, insects, and vermin scurried everywhere.
Trees were felled, bushes were burned, grass was uprooted.
Even the thick layer of humus covering the ground was bulldozed into piles for processing.
The Bay's approach to tasks always interconnected seamlessly.
The soil that was piled up for processing was mixed with coal and churned together.
It was then crafted into mud bricks by the engineering machinery.
After drying, these bricks were baked in kilns.
They were turned into square bricks that became part of the outpost camps.
Everything that could conceal something was cleared out completely.
All that was left was dry, barren land with no nourishment.
Such an extreme strategy naturally drew considerable attention.
Many Catachan predators launched attacks on the working soldiers and adventurers.
Unfortunately, they overestimated their strength and underestimated the power of military formations on open ground.
A barrage of crossbow bolts rained down.
These dangerous monsters found themselves with no escape.
The remaining scattered creatures were swiftly eliminated.
After dispatching a few waves, there were hardly any reckless creatures daring to provoke them.
A proper scorched-earth policy steadily advanced forward.
At the same time, to avoid attracting the Green Tide's attention,
Matthew specifically dispatched Catachan hunters, equipped with large quantities of fire oil, to set fires dozens of kilometers away.
With towering flames appearing everywhere, the commotion around the Bay Territory was naturally much smaller.
In just a few days,
the area around the castle was cleared out.
Two straight railways cut through the Catachan jungle.
Two walls were erected to protect the railway.
Soldiers and golems patrolled these walls.
Adventurers could choose a spot to disembark.
Around the railway walls and the castle,
at a distance of about two to three kilometers,
small camps were established.
These camps were not large, capable of housing only a few hundred people for stationing and living.
Although small, they served an important purpose.
They not only provided early warning for the castle but also offered adventurers a place to rest and seek refuge.
The camps were not permanently inhabited; their small size made them easily overwhelmed by the Green Tide or beast hordes.
Furthermore, the Bay lacked the manpower, and using adventurers for such tasks would be wasteful.
Matthew stationed some dragon-blooded creatures at these camps.
However, he didn't provide them with sufficient food.
Want to eat your fill?
Go hunt in the surrounding Catachan jungle!
After repeated clean-ups by Bay soldiers, adventurers, and the Thunder Squad,
the number of dangerous creatures in the nearby Catachan jungle had greatly decreased.
The dragon-blooded creatures, having undergone toxin resistance training, could easily become top predators within a two-to-three-kilometer radius.
Meanwhile, to boost these dragon-blooded creatures' enthusiasm and initiative,
Matthew arranged for adventurers to bring their food supplies.
This served two purposes.
First, it kept the dragon-blooded creatures from wandering too far and slipping out of Bay Territory's control.
Once they understood the scarcity of food in the Catachan jungle, they would settle down in the camp, waiting for food deliveries.
The second purpose was to better protect the adventurers.
If adventurers encountered an insurmountable danger, they could retreat to the camp.
There, with the dragon-blooded creatures' protection, they could hold out until help arrived.
Or they could escape together back to the walls.
The dragon-blooded creatures Matthew selected shared certain traits.
High combat prowess, ensuring their survival.
The ability to impact and transform their environment, serving as the primary "experiments" for the next phase of the plan.
Intelligence sufficient to recognize the situation and communicate effectively.
Initially,
the dragon-blooded creatures were not obedient.
Even after Matthew and Yaya explained to them
that they were now in a different demi-plane,
where the surrounding jungle was very dangerous,
and that to eat well and stay safe, they had to remain in the camp,
they still tried sneaking out of the camp.
But soon enough, the first batch—the dragon turtle, stone dragon, and land drake—returned to camp battered and bruised.
Luckily, these creatures had tough hides and significantly improved toxin resistance; otherwise, the fierce beasts of the Catachan jungle would have finished them off.
Seeing their sorry state, the other dragon-blooded creatures quickly became much more compliant.
Particularly the multi-headed dragon lizards, which followed instructions to the letter.
With more brains, they figured things out faster.
Seeing the dragon-blooded creatures come to terms with their situation,
Matthew and Yaya, after plenty of stick, finally decided to offer some carrot.
A gift of dragon's blood!
The thick-skinned dragon turtle, which had endured the most "toxic" substances,
received Yaya's dragon's blood gift under the envious gaze of the other dragon-blooded creatures.
The dragon turtle's challenge level soared from 18+ to 20+.
It even gained a simplified version of temporal breath.
Its life stage underwent a transformation.
The aging body, nearing the end of its prime, reorganized and evolved certain organs, returning to early maturity.
Compared to the frail, thin-blooded kobolds and murlocs,
dragon-blooded creatures were much better at harnessing the hidden power within true dragon bloodlines.
Such remarkable benefits led the now smarter dragon turtle to refine its "acting skills."
Proclaiming itself Black Armor, the dragon turtle proudly took on the role of Yaya's number one turtle assistant, dutifully guarding the camp.
Matthew and Yaya then informed the other dragon-blooded creatures
that as long as they diligently guarded the camp and protected the adventurers, they would receive more and more food.
Additionally, every three months, three lucky individuals would receive a "dragon's blood gift."
Under these terms, the dragon-blooded creatures behaved obediently.
Initially, adventurers were highly wary of the dragon-blooded creatures.
But over time, as they realized the creatures were non-aggressive,
they became less resistant to the "protection" they offered.
After all, survival was paramount.
Amusingly, some clever adventurers
developed more cooperative relationships with the dragon-blooded creatures.
They spent gold on magical foods and special magical materials the creatures favored,
gradually fostering goodwill.
Then things got interesting.
Some adventurers lured dangerous prey near the dragon-blooded creatures.
The creatures, prepared in advance, launched ambushes.
If they couldn't defeat the prey, they'd retreat after intercepting it.
If they were confident in victory,
the adventurers would join the fray again.
Together, they'd trap the prey,
and once it was defeated,
the dragon-blooded creatures consumed a portion of nutrients to grow stronger.
The rest was turned over to the adventurers for sale.
The proceeds were divided proportionally.
The adventurers used their share to buy things and supplies the dragon-blooded creatures liked.
This mutually beneficial arrangement tightened their bond.
Of course, not every adventurer played fair.
Those who tried to pull tricks were caught through lie detection.
A tenfold fine reassured the dragon-blooded creatures.
Fined adventurers not only refrained from complaining, but also became more compliant.
The reason was simple: the Bay provided too many benefits.
No adventurer wanted to lose the Bay's "protection" and "care."
Other adventurers followed suit,
developing tailored nutritional packages for each type of dragon-blooded creature.
Even the Bay Territory learned a few things, gaining knowledge about raising dragon-blooded creatures.
At one point, adventurers even began "competing for favor."
Who wouldn't want to earn more?
Interestingly, the more the dragon-blooded creatures interacted and communicated with adventurers,
the more their intelligence and physical traits improved.
Their growth outpaced expectations,
prompting Matthew to marvel, "The brain gets sharper the more it's used…"
Adventurers actively pursued prey.
Dragon-blooded creatures continued to thrive.
Various structures rose from the ground.
The development of the Catachan jungle,
and the raising of dragon-blooded creatures,
were steadily falling into place.