Chapter 290: Unable to Handle a Small Star Alliance
"Star Alliance has taken Ulan Plane."
When Bryce delivered this news, Gavin's expression became particularly complex.
In truth, as soon as he heard about Luke's death in battle, he had guessed that Star Alliance would eventually capture Ulan Plane. However, when it actually happened, he couldn't help but be swept away by a wave of emotion.
Initially, when collaborating with Star Alliance, Gavin's expectations were solely that they would be able to restrain the military forces of the three Planes: Wulan, Manro, and Xige. He never imagined that not only would Star Alliance achieve this well, but they would also exceed expectations and directly occupy Ulan Plane.
Bryce's expression mirrored his amazement. He sighed, "I never thought Star Alliance could capture Ulan Plane. Their military strength wasn't superior at the beginning, and they were even slightly inferior. Who could have predicted they would turn the tables in the end?"
"Star Alliance's strength has grown too quickly," Gavin remarked, a trace of admiration shining in his eyes. "While others usually become weaker in war, Star Alliance thrives on conflict. With the ebb and flow of battle, Ulan Plane gradually fell short against them."
Bryce furrowed his brow in confusion. "Star Alliance has developed and grown rapidly due to the massive support from Magic Stones. But where did they acquire so many Magic Stones?"
Gavin pondered, "Perhaps they discovered a significant deposit of Magic Stones in a certain Plane."
There had been instances where a particular Wizard Faction stumbled upon vast Magic Stone mines, catapulting them onto the fast track of rapid development. This kind of occurrence wasn't rare in the Multiverse, leading Bryce to believe it was the most likely explanation.
A gloating smile formed on Gavin's face. "I can already imagine how dreadful Lucius must look right now."
Just as Gavin had predicted, Lucius's mood was extraordinarily grim. He had anticipated that Black Suo Tower might lose a Plane in this war and had even prepared for the worst.
He never would have imagined, even if you had cracked his skull open, that the Star Alliance, which he had looked down upon with such contempt, would be the first to conquer a Plane of the Black Suo Tower!
This realization filled him with both shock and anger.
The atmosphere within the Council Hall was as still as if frozen in ice.
The high-ranking officials of the Black Suo Tower, brows furrowed and faces grave, remained silent.
At the beginning of the war, they hadn’t believed for a moment that the Star Alliance would pose a threat, unanimously deciding to deal with the Thousand-Headed Bird first.
However, the course of events had given them a resounding slap in the face; it was the most underestimated Star Alliance that had first dealt the Black Suo Tower a crushing blow.
After a long pause, Lucius broke the silence, saying, "Let's hear it. What should we do next?"
One wizard coughed lightly and suggested, "I think we should transfer some troops to support the West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane. If the Star Alliance can conquer Ulan Plane while simultaneously attacking three other planes, then they're probably more than a match for just two planes now."
But as soon as he finished speaking, someone immediately retorted, "I disagree. We've finally managed to suppress the Thousand-Headed Bird. If we pull troops away, we might give them a chance to counterattack, and the situation could spiral out of control!"
"But if we don't provide support, once West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane are occupied, the Star Alliance could turn around and support the Thousand-Headed Bird, making the situation just as dire!"
"In my opinion, we should mobilize our main force to deal with the Star Alliance first, then return to confront the Thousand-Headed Bird."
"Absolutely not! That would lead to complete chaos. The Thousand-Headed Birds aren’t fools; they must have anticipated us doing just that. If we withdraw our main force, they will surely seize the opportunity to intensify their attacks, and we might end up repeating the situation we faced with Ulan Plane."
"So, what do you suggest we do then?"
The discussions among the group grew louder and more chaotic, gradually escalating into an argument.
Lucius listened to the cacophony, his expression growing increasingly dark and grim, a sense of helplessness stirring deep within him.
He suddenly realized that the Black Suo Tower was unable to handle even a small force from the Star Alliance!
No matter what they did, there was a high probability of making the situation even worse.
The once-insignificant, third-rate Wizard Faction that Lucius had once looked down upon now posed a significant headache for him.
"Alright, silence!"
Lucius's impatient shout silenced the noise in the hall.
His cold gaze swept across the room as he spoke in an icy tone, "Reinforce West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane. Have Heimdall and Kui Wen secure their positions. If West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane fall into the hands of the Star Alliance, neither of them will return."
"As for the main force, focus on dealing with the Thousand-Headed Bird!"
The Star Alliance was indeed a nuisance, but the threat posed by the Thousand-Headed Bird to Black Suo Tower was significantly greater.
If they lost their composure and allowed the Thousand-Headed Bird an opening, Black Suo Tower could face annihilation.
At that point, it wouldn't simply mean the loss of one or two planes.
In any case, the threat of the Thousand-Headed Bird could not be disregarded.
To mitigate the situation, as long as they could secure an advantage against the Thousand-Headed Bird on the main battlefield, they could afford to draw some troops to support West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane.
Lucius believed that Black Suo Tower was still capable in this regard.
The prerequisite was that West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane could hold out until then.
---
Ulan Plane, Ulan City.
Inside the City Lord's Study, Su Nan sat behind his desk, listening to Lize report on recent developments.
After taking Ulan Plane, the Star Alliance had not rushed to attack West Ge Plane or Man Luo Plane but had instead focused on consolidating their gains, integrating Ulan Plane, and only sending a portion of their forces to support Scepter and Fakado.
After more than half a year of integration, the Star Alliance had effectively established control over the entire Ulan Plane, eliminating the various influences left by Black Suo Tower.
As one of the major planes under Black Suo Tower's control, Ulan Plane's resources were far richer than those of Wave Plane, even surpassing Starlight Continent, which was gradually recovering and had long been developed by the Star Alliance.
Not to mention anything else, just the two medium-sized magic stone mines and one small magic stone mine were a very pleasant surprise.
However, the most valuable aspect was the human population within Ulan Plane.
"Whether cultivating Wizards or developing the Knight Legion, the primary prerequisite is having a sufficient population.
Therefore, in the Wizarding World, the presence of a human civilization plane is often more valuable than a plane of comparable size inhabited by non-human races.
For example, the Wolf Tide Plane, despite possessing the war machine known as the Biological Nest, would still be preferred, should Su Nan have a choice, to be an area of comparable size with a human plane.
The latter often implies a larger number of Wizards (Apprentices) and Magic Pattern Knights.
“The Black Suo Tower is quite ruthless in its exploitation of the Ulan Plane, but it is also generous in its investments,” Lize remarked, setting down the document in his hand with a smile. “The overall quality of the human race in the Ulan Plane is quite impressive. On average, seven or eight out of a thousand are Knights, while three to five out of ten thousand are Wizard Apprentices.”
The Star Alliance has established numerous Knight Academies across the Starlight Continent and has extensively cultivated and improved Dragon Blood Fruit, promoting it throughout the region. After thousands of years of management, the proportion of Knights stands at only two or three out of a thousand.
The ratio of Wizard Apprentices is even lower, barely reaching one in ten thousand.
By comparison, the average quality of humans in the Ulan Plane is truly remarkable.
However, upon further reflection, it's understandable. After all, the Ulan Plane is not like the Starlight Continent, which was liberated from blockade only a few centuries ago. Managed by the Black Suo Tower for thousands of years, its overall environment naturally boasts greater superiority.
"If we manage the Ulan Plane well, the number of Wizards in the Star Alliance will certainly see a significant increase in a century or two!" Lize said with enthusiasm.
The Star Alliance currently does not lack resources. As long as there is a sufficient population, they can quickly cultivate a substantial number of Wizard Apprentices.
With an increased base of Wizard Apprentices, the number of Wizards will naturally grow rapidly as well.
"What is the status of the repairs on the captured Wizard Towers?"
"They have all been completely restored. They were redeemed immediately after being placed on the exchange list. Many were unable to acquire them and are clamoring to advance into the West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane to capture more Wizard Towers."
Su Nan chuckled wryly.
Indeed, war is the driving force of development.
"What about the upgrading and modification of the Wizard Towers?"
"It's going smoothly. Essentially, all Wizard Towers have undergone upgrades and retrofits to enhance their remote strike capabilities. The people below are very proactive about this, as it directly affects their ability to earn Contribution Points in the upcoming war."
"The Mystic Lock Defense Energy Field has seen less participation, with only about one in three individuals exchanging for enhanced devices. The facilities available for others are even scarcer."
Su Nan nodded slightly.
Time was limited, and the availability of various enhanced Wizard Tower facilities was still insufficient to cover all of Star Alliance's Wizard Towers.
Despite this, the combat power of many Wizard Towers had improved noticeably.
Star Alliance currently possessed a total of forty-four Wizard Towers, while the number of Star Fortresses had also increased to sixty-eight.
The Flying Fleet had suffered significant losses in the previous war and had yet to recover, leaving only twelve fleets operational.
However, in terms of war capabilities, Star Alliance was already strong enough to dominate the West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane.
"The development of the Ulan Plane must continue; we can't afford to let it fall behind."
"Yet it's also time to advance into the West Ge Plane and Man Luo Plane."
Lize inquired, "Which Plane should we focus on next?"
Su Nan had reached a decision and replied without hesitation, "West Ge Plane."
Unlike the Ulan Plane, the population of humans in the West Ge Plane was sparse and not the dominant race.
The main inhabitants of the West Ge Plane were a demi-human race known as Dragonkin, possessing both Dragon and Beastman bloodlines.
Adult Dragonkin were Knight-level fighters and were notably fierce and powerful.
They were particularly well-suited as soldiers.
However, their potential was somewhat limited.
Due to the inherent weakness of their Dragon bloodlines, Dragonkin could reach a maximum of the Fourth Circle Legend realm, with no known individuals achieving the ranks of Bloodline Knight or Elemental Knight, let alone Wizard.
In the past, some Wizards attempted biological modification experiments on Dragonkin in an effort to help them break through their limitations and reach the Wizard level.
Unfortunately, the experiments were abandoned midway.
To allow Dragonkin to transcend their limits, it was necessary to first increase the concentration of Dragon bloodline within their bodies.
However, if that was the case, why not simply use Sub-Dragons to cultivate a true Dragon?
The Dragonkin is a biological race with limited potential, yet it remains quite useful.
In the Man Luo Plane, the dominant races are various types of giants, including the Highland Giant, Sand Giant, Hill Giant, Forest Giant, Swamp Giant, and others. These giant races typically reach the Great Knight level, or even the Legendary Knight level. Some of the higher-ranking giants possess formidable strength comparable to that of a Wizard. However, they suffer from a low reproductive rate.
According to a report from Scepter, the giant race in the Man Luo Plane does not exceed two million, with warriors comprising only about half of that number. Additionally, the environment of the Man Luo Plane is relatively harsh, and its resources are less abundant compared to the West Ge Plane, which in turn is vastly inferior to the Ulan Plane. The West Ge Plane at least has two Small Magic Stone Mines, while the Man Luo Plane has none.
Considering all of this, Su Nan decided to make the West Ge Plane his second target. Taking control of this resource-rich Plane sooner would facilitate faster development.
Seeing Su Nan's decision, Lize expressed no objections.
Once the order was given, the Star Alliance's army quickly mobilized. To ensure defense of the Ulan Plane, Su Nan left behind three Wizard Towers, eight Star Fortresses, one Golem Army Corps, and two Magic Patterned Cavalry Corps. Additionally, three extra Wizard Towers, ten Star Fortresses, and two Flying Fleets were dispatched to support the Man Luo Plane, while the remaining forces marched toward the West Ge Plane.
After nearly ten years of conflict, although Scepter had not gained a decisive advantage in the West Ge Plane, they had managed to secure a foothold, establishing a territory of over 50,000 square kilometers. With a sufficient buffer zone, the Star Alliance's army did not need to rush their troop transportation as they advanced into the West Ge Plane.
Upon arrival, Su Nan went directly to the Star Alliance army's base, where Scepter and a group of his Wizard subordinates were already waiting in the Council Hall.
"My Lord!" they exclaimed, bowing in respect.
Su Nan waved his hand, signaling them not to be so formal. After taking his seat of honor, he immediately inquired about the situation in the West Ge Plane.
"Scepter, having long been prepared, spoke unhurriedly, ‘The ruling force of the West Ge Plane is an empire established by the Dragonkin, who make up its primary ruling class. However, in my view, it resembles a super large tribe. The total population is initially estimated to be at least twenty million, with a formal army of approximately three to four million.’
Adult Dragonkin possess at least Knight-level power; in other words, all three to four million soldiers are at the Knight level.
However, those present did not take this to heart.
After all, including the troops set to be transported in, the Star Alliance has a total of three Golem Army Groups in the West Ge Plane, which equates to three million Knight-level combatants.
Not to mention there are also the Magic Knight Order and the Black Wolf Pack.
More importantly, the Dragonkin cannot mobilize all their forces for battle; they must retain some troops to garrison their lair.
The actual number of troops they can deploy against the Star Alliance would be about three million.
In terms of ground forces alone, the Star Alliance is not weaker than the Dragonkin and may even be stronger."
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