Merchant From Earth in the Magical World

The test on the humanoid alchemical golem, Laura, was, in Yan Xing's view, impeccable. Although Chui Chui still found many aspects unsatisfactory, these were merely details—some even flaws inherent to the low-end alchemical materials themselves.

Regardless, there was no problem using Laura to create other humanoid alchemical golems.

Yan Xing was finally liberated from the Alchemy Laboratory and could devote all his energy to the Thunderous Swamp.

The war inside the Thunderous Swamp was now raging fiercely. Consequently, Yan Xing wasn't as nervous as he had been when the fighting started; he had initially feared his real-world experience might prove unsuitable here.

Every day, he read the war reports collected by Chui Chui to stay informed about the situation within the Thunderous Swamp and methodically dispatched personnel and resources.

Clan Leader Li Zhua had completed his visits to the nearby Werewolf Tribes.

The Werewolf Tribes on the southern edge of the Thunderous Swamp had now drastically changed. When Clan Leader Li Zhua arrived at these Werewolf Tribes, clad in fine armor and accompanied by his similarly armored guards, their elegant fur and gleaming armaments instantly overawed their kin who were still wallowing in the mud.

Strength determined the right to speak.

Those Werewolf Tribes had long noticed the changes in their southern neighbors. Now, learning that their formerly scattered neighbors had formed an alliance with a force of nearly 20,000 troops was enough to make them tremble with fear.

Not to mention, their neighbors were all equipped with weapons of such high quality.

All the Werewolf Tribes Li Zhua visited greeted him with the utmost respect and saw him off with the same deference, terrified of displeasing him and bringing the scourge of war upon their own people.

They even sent envoys to the Eternal Domain to express their goodwill to Yan Xing, wishing to establish trade and jointly maintain peace and stability along the borders.

Yan Xing made no further demands of these envoys.

To actively pull them into the alliance now would definitely come at a price. Just as when I held the Werewolf Clan Leaders' summit, I had to offer sufficient benefits to get those Werewolf Tribes firmly on the Eternal Domain's side. Back then, the Eternal Domain lacked strength, but things are different now. I can't promise too many benefits upfront, nor can I give the Werewolf Tribes that join later the same status as those who joined earlier. Creating a hierarchy among the Werewolf race will be conducive to my rule. Anyway, in my eyes, these Werewolf Tribes are currently just ripe for the picking. Once I return from the depths of the Thunderous Swamp, all of them will be mine for the taking.

While continuing to observe the war deep within the Thunderous Swamp, Yan Xing waited for his troops to reach optimal condition.

The 10,000 chicks bought from the real world had all grown up.

Thanks to the meticulous care of the Werewolf chicken keepers, a total of 900 Carnivorous Birds and 300 Chocobos were bred—an astonishingly high rate of beast transformation.

However, the second generation of White Feather Chickens did not have such a high transformation rate. After all, magical beasts couldn't reproduce; only non-magical chickens could. Naturally, their offspring were also less likely to undergo Demonization.

Yan Xing was very satisfied with this phenomenon. It meant the Carnivorous Birds and Chocobos would be unique magical beasts in his possession. The White Feather Chickens that did not undergo Demonization could be safely raised for food, without fear of them being stolen to breed Carnivorous Birds and Chocobos on a large scale.

Control over the Carnivorous Birds and Chocobos remained entirely within the Eternal Domain. Allied Werewolf Tribes could obtain them only in exchange for contributions. Yan Xing gifted one Carnivorous Bird and one Chocobo to each allied Werewolf Tribe to commend their work in road construction and canal excavation.

Motivated by these tangible rewards, the Werewolf Tribes participated even more actively in Yan Xing's conquest of the Thunderous Swamp.

Two hundred Carnivorous Birds were assigned to the Peacekeeping Forces, distributed among 20 drafted Werewolf Beast Tamers for training and control.

Another 200 Chocobos were integrated into the Peacekeeping Forces, serving as mounts and as pack animals for supplies.

Beyond chickens and horses, Yan Xing didn't rush to introduce new Earth species to the Magic World. He decided to thoroughly research the magical beasts he could currently cultivate before considering the introduction of new breeds. His concerns were twofold: first, biting off more than he could chew, which could lead to an uncontrollable overpopulation of magical beasts, and second, the fear of causing an irreversible species invasion. The cultivation of magical beasts had to be approached slowly.

With each passing day, the Eternal Domain experienced new changes.

When the Werewolf Tribes deep within the Thunderous Swamp repeatedly sent messengers to hasten the delivery of slingshots, Yan Xing knew his opportunity to enter the Thunderous Swamp had arrived.

The war between the Werewolves and the Lizardmen primarily resulted in a massive consumption of slingshot pellets. These pellets could be substituted with stones or bones, but their firepower was nowhere near that of the steel pellets specially supplied by Yan Xing. Moreover, the rubber bands on the slingshots would easily break after a certain number of uses, and there were no substitutes for them.

Initially, the Werewolves were unaware of this; they only saw how their slingshots rendered the Lizardmen archers unable to counterattack. Since entering the swamp, the Werewolves had never fought the Lizardmen with such ease. Fueled by longstanding grievances, the Werewolves launched an overwhelming offensive as soon as they found an opportunity to suppress the Lizardmen.

The attacking Werewolves aggressively seized Lizardman territories, constantly pushing their front line towards Blood Crown Mountain, apparently intent on capturing the Lizardmen's sacred ground. However, by the time the Werewolves reached the edges of Blood Crown Mountain, the attrition of their slingshots had dulled their once-sharp offense. Their rubber bands snapped, and no replacements were available.

The Werewolves were forced to halt their offensive and switch to a defensive stance. They dispatched messengers to the southern edge of the swamp to find their slingshot suppliers, urging them to deliver the previously ordered slingshots as quickly as possible.

The stunned Lizardmen were, for the moment, unaware of the problems with the Werewolves' slingshots. The halt in the Werewolves' fierce offensive granted the Lizardmen a much-needed respite.

The two large Lizardmen Clans gathered at Blood Crown Mountain, preparing to defend this sacred ground. For the first time, Red Eye and Green Tail, their respective leaders, set aside their differences to discuss how to face a crisis the Lizardmen had never before encountered.

If the Werewolves captured Blood Crown Mountain, the Lizardmen would be forced to live the same harsh life the Werewolves had previously endured in the swamp—and possibly even worse. Although Lizardmen were also social creatures, their racial nature meant their sense of community was not particularly strong, far weaker than the pack mentality of the Werewolves. The sight of Werewolves in a bloodthirsty frenzy terrified the Lizardmen. This fear was why the Werewolves, despite being outsiders, had been able to encroach upon the territory of the native Lizardmen and gain a foothold in the swamp.

Red Eye and Green Tail knew that if they lost Blood Crown Mountain, the Lizardmen would lose the spiritual anchor that unified them. Thereafter, hunted by the Werewolves, the Lizardmen could genuinely face the threat of extinction.

What had enabled the historically weaker Werewolves to stand tall and force the Lizardmen into a steady retreat?

It was a powerful Alchemical Weapon: the slingshot.

Upon testing the captured slingshots, the Lizardmen were all astounded by the power of these Alchemical Weapons. They were small, easy to carry, and could be quickly deployed in battle. While not immediately lethal to the lightly armored Lizardmen, their projectiles were powerful enough to render a target combat-ineffective for a period. On the battlefield, this was almost as good as a kill.

Where had the Werewolves obtained so many of these Alchemical Slingshots?