Chapter 347: Chapter 308 The Goblins Faced with a Choice_1
Goblin Gaga dealt in alchemical weapons in the Wildwind Highlands year-round, so he had some understanding of the respective strengths of the humans, orcs, and elves in this area.
The attack jointly launched by the orcs and elves was an endeavor for which they had accumulated resources over a long period. Now that the attack had failed, the consequences of their depleted supplies were especially stark.
They relied entirely on support from the Eternal Domain to barely cope with this winter.
In contrast, the Human Wildwind Highlands Legion had always been on the strategic offensive. They had built a large number of defensive fortifications capable of housing troops, and their logistical support capabilities far outstripped those of the orcs and elves.
Well-fed and clothed, their combat effectiveness recovered quickly.
The initiative in the War of the Wildwind Highlands had already fallen into the hands of Marquis Anderson.
If Cloud Tower sought an intermediary to attack the Eternal Domain, Marquis Anderson would be the best choice.
But even if it was proxy warfare... Goblin Gaga still worriedly said to Yan Xing, "Cloud Tower will definitely give Storm City many high-grade alchemical weapons. These are alchemical weapons we cannot produce, and they are tremendously powerful. I’m afraid your troops won’t be able to match them."
Yan Xing, however, said, "No matter how powerful a weapon is, it depends on who is using it. The same alchemical weapon would certainly differ greatly in power when in the hands of the Wildwind Highlands Legion compared to the Tower Mages of Cloud Tower. Moreover, the higher the grade of the alchemical weapon, the higher the cost and the longer the production cycle. Once consumed, they shouldn’t be easy to replenish, right?"
Collaboration with the goblins allowed Yan Xing to learn more about alchemy.
Even Cloud Tower did not possess the capacity for industrial production of alchemical items. Everything was handcrafted by alchemists, who at most used alchemical golems or machines for assembly.
In the real world, precision material processing technology could achieve the desired physical properties while keeping costs very low.
In Cloud Tower, achieving the same technical standards required alchemy. Thus, the consumption of alchemical materials and labor meant that the cost of alchemical items was far higher than that of industrial products from the real world.
For example, consider the cannons and muskets currently used by the Eternal Domain. Seamless steel tubes cost only 6,000 Gold per ton—not even a single Gold Coin.
How much would it cost Cloud Tower to make weapons of the same power?
Yan Xing did not know, but in the goblin alchemy store, a small alchemical bomb sold for 1,000 Gold.
Affordability and output were the advantages of the Eternal Domain’s weapons and equipment.
Unless the Wildwind Highlands Legion, after being alchemically enhanced, could achieve a decisive victory in one wave, they definitely couldn’t outlast the Eternal Domain in a war of attrition.
If the enemy destroyed one piece, Yan Xing could produce ten more in the rear.
Furthermore, the high-precision machine tools and weapons ordered through Renlun Investment Bank were being delivered in succession.
The Eternal Domain’s army could undergo another round of weapons and equipment upgrades during the winter.
Come spring, their strength would be an entirely different picture.
Goblin Gaga, having heard what Yan Xing said, also gained some confidence in the Eternal Domain.
"Indeed... Brief training won’t allow the Wildwind Highlands Legion to tap into the full power of Cloud Tower’s alchemical weapons. Furthermore, their high cost and long production cycles mean they are not easily replenishable. The Eternal Domain’s weapons, on the other hand, are much more affordable and also suitable for ordinary soldiers to use. Although our positions differ, I still sincerely wish you victory in this war," he said.
"We can have the same position," Yan Xing suddenly said to Goblin Gaga, urging him to stay. "Our technologies complement each other very well. Goblins’ understanding and design abilities for machinery far exceed my expectations.
"Goblin alchemists are practical alchemists, whereas the Tower Mages of Cloud Tower are idealistic alchemists. If Cloud Tower were willing to accept your ideas, this world would have developed a glorious alchemy civilization long ago.
"But clearly, you have not been given the importance you deserve. In the eyes of the Cloud Tower Mages, you are merely tools for them to make money.
"Now there is an opportunity for goblins to become a great race. Stay here, and together we will defeat Cloud Tower and create a brand new world.
"Leave this place, and goblins will forever live in the prison Cloud Tower has set up for you."
Yan Xing’s words made Gaga and the other goblins stand still in silence.
A bold impulse suddenly rose in their hearts.
Yan Xing truly wanted to keep these goblins. The mechanical talents of the goblin race had been fully displayed in the mechanical workshops of the Eternal Domain. It was hard to imagine that after disassembling a car for the first time, they could perfectly reassemble it. Not long ago, Chui Chui had mentioned that after studying internal combustion engines, the goblins were developing a type of steam implosion engine. The principle was to create a completely enclosed space for heat absorption and release through alchemical enchantments within the cylinder. They only needed to add a little water to the sealed cylinder. When the engine started, the release of heat instantly turned the water into steam, pushing the piston; the instant recovery of heat then condensed the steam back to water, retracting the piston. Throughout the process, the water changed within a closed environment, using the difference in air pressure to drive the piston. With hardly any water loss, there was no need for frequent refilling, and energy wasn’t lost through the release of steam either. Moreover, the residual energy from the water after it had been heated and used to generate power would also be recovered by the magic array inside the engine to participate in the next energy release, resulting in minimal additional energy loss. Real-world material processing technology could create such ideal enclosed spaces. The goblins’ alchemy and design skills, combined with Chui Chui’s computational abilities, made the creation of such steam implosion engines feasible. Beyond the steam implosion engine, the goblins had many other fantastical ideas. The combination of real-world technology and alchemy from the Magic World was on the verge of a technological explosion within the Eternal Domain. If Goblin Gaga left the Eternal Domain with these goblin engineers, Yan Xing didn’t know what end they would face. Most likely, they would never be able to return. Other goblins, wary of Cloud Tower, would not dare come to the Eternal Domain either. This would be a devastating blow to alchemical technology innovation in the Eternal Domain. Therefore, Yan Xing had not come to see Gaga to bid him farewell. Instead, he wanted to retain them by all possible means. Even if he could keep just one, it would be good.
The workshop of the research institute fell silent. Amidst the wooden crates, the expressions on the goblins’ faces revealed they were making the most difficult decision of their lives.
It was here that the goblins truly understood what it felt like for a fish to enter the ocean; they realized they had merely been pitiful creatures trapped in a small tank before. This place was simply a sanctuary for goblins, where all ideas were allowed to be researched, and all seemed achievable. There was also an alchemical robot named Chui Chui here, possessing nearly limitless computational power, able to provide precise data and optimal design solutions. The goblins loved this place to death. They all wished they could work here non-stop, day and night. But to stay meant betraying Cloud Tower, and it meant possibly being annihilated with the Eternal Domain. And the chances of that were significant!