With the strong support of Guardian Angel Karenna, the first eight waves of monsters were easily endured. However, the ninth wave brought three Behemoths, each with a staggering three million hit points, plunging Nie Yan and his team into a fierce battle.
These massive creatures, towering five yards high, charged recklessly and were extremely difficult to maintain aggro on. The spellcasters could only dodge their attacks using skills like Blink.
Nie Yan summoned his Golden Earth Serpent and the paladin Lefus, hoping to add some strength to the team’s combat capability.
“No good! Their physical defense is way too high; we can’t hold their aggro!” Cui Can Dao Guang shouted anxiously in the team chat. His physical attacks only dealt a little over a thousand damage, while the mages’ critical hits could reach seven or eight thousand, even exceeding ten thousand, making it impossible to draw aggro.
With a loud thud, the Behemoth knocked Cui Can Dao Guang aside and charged toward Tang Yao.
Seeing the Behemoth rushing toward him, Tang Yao quickly blinked several times to evade its charge. He then chanted a spell and hurled several fireballs.
Since the warriors couldn’t control the monsters, the magicians had no choice but to fend for themselves, dodging the Behemoths’ relentless pursuit, causing chaos across the battlefield.
Nie Yan entered stealth and swiftly darted toward one of the Behemoths.
As the Behemoth reached Xia Chong Yu Bing and raised its massive paw to strike, Xia Chong Yu Bing prepared to dodge. Suddenly, he caught sight of a figure zipping past. Instantly realizing something, he cast a Haste spell on himself and dashed sideways for dozens of yards.
As the Behemoth turned to attack Xia Chong Yu Bing, Nie Yan suddenly appeared behind it and executed a Disrupting Strike. With a loud boom, the Behemoth was crippled.
In an instant, a barrage of magic spells rained down on the Behemoth.
While Nie Yan and his team focused on the Behemoths, tensions were rising among several major guilds. Everyone could feel the tense atmosphere before the impending conflict. Angel’s Descent had already entered the underground tunnels and reportedly encountered resistance from Angel’s Domination. Although they suffered some losses, their overall progress was still relatively smooth.
Angel’s Domination’s flying forces had gathered north of Sinful City, silently waiting. Although they had dispatched numerous thieves to locate Nie Yan’s group, all efforts had been in vain. Nie Yan and his team had seemingly vanished into thin air.
At Angel’s Domination’s Clemency Fortress, an emergency meeting was underway. Leaders from both Angel’s Domination and Century Syndicate were present, with over thirty people seated around a large table.
Ang Winged Angel glanced at Cao Xu, who was dressed in simple attire, and said, “The next move should be arranged by you.”
Cao Xu nodded and said, “Now I will announce the latest decision between Brother Angel and myself. In two hours, Angel’s Domination and Century Syndicate will launch a full-scale war against the Bull Man Tribe, going all-in to defeat them! I hope everyone will join us in this endeavor.”
Cao Xu’s words were like a thunderclap, shocking everyone present. Although skirmishes between Angel’s Domination, Century Syndicate, and the Bull Man Tribe had never ceased, they had always been limited conflicts with both sides sustaining losses. There had been a certain level of restraint to maintain a balance of power without causing excessive casualties. Cao Xu’s declaration meant a full-scale war was imminent—one that would end only with one side’s total annihilation.
“Boss Cao, what are our chances of victory?”
“About fifty percent, maybe slightly more.”
“If we only have a fifty percent chance, why should we fight? If we maintain peace, our fortress can still function. Once the war starts, it will be hard to ensure that. Not to mention Angel’s Descent lurking nearby, we won’t be able to fully commit against the Bull Man Tribe!”
“There’s no avoiding it. This war was inevitable. Now is a good time. Angel’s Descent’s main forces have surfaced, leaving their base vulnerable. The Divine Tribe has decided to declare war on Angel’s Descent, and the conflict will begin in two hours. Angel’s Descent and the Bull Man Tribe have long colluded. If we wait until they finish off Divine Tribe and then come after us, we might as well strike first,” Cao Xu explained.
The leaders exchanged glances, realizing that the Divine Tribe was about to declare war on Angel’s Descent, just as the Bull Man Tribe and Angel’s Domination were locked in their own struggle. In the Light Faction, only one guild could ultimately survive.
“If that’s the case, we have no objections. However, the war will be costly.”
“Don’t worry about that. My boss and I will handle it. We can raise one million gold coins within three days, with another three million coming in gradually.” Cao Xu said. As the head of Century Syndicate, he had ample funds, and Ang Winged Angel was no less capable. The two swept the trading platform, buying up all available gold coins and not missing a single high-end item up for auction.
Of course, they weren’t without pressure. Massive credit investments caused market turbulence, pushing gold prices up threefold and causing high-end equipment prices to skyrocket. No one could estimate how much Cao Xu and Ang Winged Angel had spent on the trading platform.
While Cao Xu and Ang Winged Angel were splurging on the trading platform, Nie Yan was profiting handsomely, having placed a large amount of gold and equipment there. These were converted into credits and deposited into the Heavenly Group’s account. Nie Yan couldn’t stop Cao Xu and Ang Winged Angel from buying gold, as their prices would entice many people. He might as well profit from them.
“This amount might still not be enough to rival the Bull Man Tribe. From what I know, their treasury holds hundreds of millions of gold coins, and they have an endless supply of potions. We, on the other hand, will face a shortage of potions once the war starts, forcing us to secretly purchase large quantities from Star Pharmacy. If the war lasts half a month, potion costs alone will exceed fifty to sixty million gold coins, and half a month might not even be enough to end the war.”
“Boss Angel, Boss Cao, if you can hold up, we are ready to fight the Bull Man Tribe!”
“Everyone go back and prepare. In two hours, the full-scale war begins!” Cao Xu declared decisively.
Two years ago, Cao Xu and Ang Winged Angel had unknowingly fallen into Nie Yan’s carefully designed trap. Star Pharmacy, a massive monopolistic group, controlled the entire Light Faction’s potion prices. Even the colossal organizations of Angel’s Domination and Century Syndicate had to bow under the high potion prices. Their monthly income could barely cover expenses, and once war broke out, these two guilds would become nothing more than money-burning machines. This forced Cao Xu and Ang Winged Angel to aggressively buy gold on the trading platform to sustain the war effort.
Nie Yan sold gold while Cao Xu and Ang Winged Angel bought it, then used it to purchase potions and equipment. Most of the gold ultimately flowed back into Nie Yan’s pocket, effectively making them continuously pay Nie Yan in credits for high-priced potions, with credits steadily pouring into Nie Yan’s coffers.
Cao Xu and Ang Winged Angel might have already sensed this trap, but they were helpless. They couldn’t abandon the foundations they had built in the Satyr Empire over the years. At this point, they couldn’t even estimate how much money the impending war would consume.
Nie Yan and his team were still fighting the Behemoths, with two of them nearing death.
Guo Huai called Nie Yan through voice chat, sounding anxious. “Nie Yan, have you finished dealing with them yet?”
“Not yet. What’s wrong?”
“Just received news. Angel’s Domination and Century Syndicate have deployed three legions totaling 1.8 million troops, entering Abernathy Grasslands and the Empire of Grilan from three directions. This time, they’re serious.” Guo Huai said. “Also, all the gold we listed on the trading platform has been bought up. What should we do?”
Nie Yan raised his eyebrows, surprised at how quickly it came. He said gravely, “Immediately assemble all our forces. First, eliminate whoever dares to enter Abernathy. As for the Grilan front, use the fortress for positional warfare to wear down their forces. Also, list another 50 million gold on the trading platform.”
Guo Huai was slightly taken aback. He could understand assembling the forces and positional warfare, but listing 50 million gold on the trading platform seemed like aiding the enemy. “Would listing 50 million gold on the trading platform be a good idea?”
“Just follow my instructions. Have Star Pharmacy triple the prices of all potions. The wool comes from the sheep.” Nie Yan smiled. This was a plan he had long prepared.
Guo Huai thought for a moment and then understood. “Damn, that’s ruthless. Once the full-scale war begins, potion expenses will be a massive burden for Angel’s Domination and Century Syndicate, consuming at least fifty to sixty million gold coins. If potion prices triple, their expenses will skyrocket threefold. But wouldn’t raising potion prices so high affect Star Pharmacy’s business?” Guo Huai couldn’t help but worry, as Star Pharmacy was the Bull Man Tribe’s economic pillar, with most of their war expenses coming from it.
“Don’t worry. I’ve had people study this. Once the war starts, potion consumption will be more than double the usual, while herb supplies and other raw materials will drop by thirty percent, creating a supply shortage. With raw materials rising, we naturally have to raise our potion prices. Our profit margins won’t drop. The only consequence will be a significant increase in Angel’s Domination and Century Syndicate’s war costs.”
It seemed Nie Yan had already thought everything through, so Guo Huai felt reassured.
“Has our war machinery factory in Okolen started construction yet?”
“Yes, fifty war machinery factories are ready. They can produce 120 Frost Iron Catapults and Ballistic Catapults daily. We have sufficient raw materials to maintain production for fifteen days, though it will consume 120 million gold coins.” Guo Huai replied. He had been preparing for this half a year ago, and now it was finally bearing fruit.
“No problem. Money isn’t an issue.” Nie Yan said generously.
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