Merchant From Earth in the Magical World-Chapter 526 - 373 Mid-Stage Interlude_1

The war between the Thunder Coalition and the Cloud Alliance was prolonged and intense. Both sides constantly increased the number of troops committed, and large-scale battles involving hundreds of thousands of soldiers erupted frequently.

The war resulted in countless casualties and the continuous investment of massive resources into this bottomless pit, with no end in sight.

Both sides were pushing themselves to the limit, relentlessly sending their armies to the front lines. Neither was willing to give ground in this struggle, because neither had any way out.

This was a zero-sum game. The old era was completely shattered, never to return. The spread of Alchemy Technology would usher the world into a new era.

The victor would become the creator and caretaker of the new world order.

The defeated, after completing their historical mission, would exit the stage of history.

It was that brutal.

As the war dragged on, the scales of victory seemed to be tipping steadily in favor of the Thunder Coalition.

Cloud Tower discovered that even if they opened up Alchemy Technology to their allies and helped them construct numerous Alchemy Factories, the goods produced still fell far short of the war’s consumption. Even if nations and noble domains continually increased their production scale, it was still not enough to equip all troops with new Alchemical Weapons.

Facing the steel-clad armies of the Thunder Coalition with old-era cold weapons and tactics, the outcome was predictable.

Such sacrifices, even among the Orc troops who took pride in dying in battle, led to strong war-weariness.

The Elf and Eternal Domain allied forces on the border seemed to have few troops. Yet, they held their ground with an apparently inexhaustible supply of weapons, preventing their own armies from advancing an inch.

No one knew how many Malevolent Wolf Cavalry and their mounts fell on the charge.

Even a mighty Cyclops, when hit by a high-explosive shell, would be blown to bits.

The Orc Roc Knights had no capability to contend with the Eternal Domain Air Force for control of the skies.

And heavy-duty war golems, airships, Floating Warplanes, Divine Beasts, Divine Beast Masters... there were never enough. Simply never enough. The pace of construction in the rear could not keep up with the rate of consumption at the front.

And yet, Lei Ming’s weapons of this type were becoming ever larger and more numerous.

How were they managing to produce so many weapons? How could flesh and blood prevail against steel?

Some Orcs could not bear the pressure and began to flee—the worst possible thing for the Barbaric Orcs.

The Barbaric Orcs had no choice but to halt their offensive towards Snowland.

They had crushed the main Elf forces of Erelado, but they still had not won on the battlefield.

The Gryphon Heart Empire faced a situation not much different from that of the Barbaric Orcs. Although they had superior numbers, they were helpless against the fortifications of the Kingdom of Silvermane. 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

Countless Imperial soldiers lay dead between the barbed wire and trenches.

The sound of machine guns had become the most feared noise for front-line Imperial soldiers. Many broke down mentally, choosing suicide in the barracks.

Meanwhile, war expenditures transformed into taxes that pressed heavily on the Empire’s common citizens.

Conscription, civilian labor, mining, smelting, and weapons manufacturing consumed a vast workforce. These tasks left many agricultural fields fallow due to a lack of hands to tend them.

Heavy taxation prompted public rebellion, and even some nobles joined the ranks of the rebels.

Suddenly, internal conflict flared up throughout the Empire.

The Empire’s rule teetered on the brink of collapse.

When news of an economic and trade cooperation agreement between the Land of Corruption and the Eternal Domain reached the Gryphon Heart Empire, the Imperial Emperor finally halted the attack, which was already proving fruitless. He wondered: What exactly was this economic and trade cooperation agreement between the Eternal Domain and the Land of Corruption? What economic value did the Land of Corruption even possess? What could the Eternal Domain possibly sell to the Undead? How did Yan Xing convince the Undead to sign this agreement? This is probably something not even a god could achieve!

But the economic and trade cooperation agreement was real. The Land of Corruption had issued a world announcement, expressing hope that the Gryphon Heart Empire would not attack commercial aircraft flying between the Eternal Domain and the Land of Corruption.

"The Undead do NOT wish to come into conflict with the Gryphon Heart Empire."

The subtext was clear: "If you dare attack commercial aircraft, we will be compelled to confront you."

No living creature wants to provoke the Undead.

The Gryphon Heart Empire dared not provoke them either, as it would leave the Empire vulnerable to a pincer attack from the north and south.

The potential threat from the Undead added yet another unbearable burden to the already overtaxed Empire.

With the Barbaric Orcs and the Gryphon Heart Empire initiating retreats, the smoke of war gradually cleared. Both military blocs licked their wounds, readying themselves for the next confrontation.

Yan Xing could finally take a breath.

During the war, he had been operating non-stop almost every day, often waking from a brief sleep only to immediately resume work.

Being the logistics chief was no easy task. The Thunder Coalition’s seemingly unending supply of weapons on the battlefield was entirely thanks to Yan Xing’s tight grip on production.

Furthermore, the defeat of Snowland’s main forces triggered a series of after-effects, creating numerous complications. All of these required Yan Xing to devise and implement various strategies to cope with the constant emergencies.

Fortunately, with the Orcs’ retreat, the absence of external pressure allowed Erelado to boldly tackle its internal issues.

In fact, that defeat was not entirely a bad thing.

Those Royal Elves who believed Erelado would never recover all emerged, each proclaiming themselves first in line for the throne.

However, the Eternal Domain deployed unexpected forces that swiftly suppressed the rebellion. Erelado then flew back to the Royal Court the very next day, leaving all the Elves dumbfounded.

After this incident, Erelado legitimately suppressed the factions opposing him, thereby solidifying his position on the throne.