The news of the events in Kolo quickly reached Zhang Nu's ears. He was surprised to learn that Long Yi had been injured by two formidable Heroes. However, instead of anger, he felt a sense of satisfaction, as it indicated that significant players had taken the bait.
These two Heroes were among the most esteemed individuals in the entire Thunder Empire. The fact that even they had taken the bait suggested that their subordinates and other Heroes would soon converge on the scene. If they could capture them all in one fell swoop, it would mark a significant victory.
Zhang Nu had no immediate concerns about the safety of the Kolo region. Zhang San and Li Si had already arrived there, and in times of life-threatening situations, these two monarchs would undoubtedly join the battle.
Furthermore, during this period, the Chaos Federation had deployed a substantial number of troops. This force included over ten thousand troops from various forest tribes, more than fifty thousand ogres, and forty thousand draconian troops from the Darkness City. Among them, a significant proportion were Level 2 and 3 elite units.
Adding to this formidable force were ten thousand knights and several thousand mages. Presently, the elite forces stationed in Kolo by the Chaos Federation numbered between one hundred seventy to one hundred eighty thousand. While this figure was smaller than the four legions of the empire, their elite quality and individual combat prowess far exceeded that of the empire's official army.
Just then, Rao Jian from the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce returned to the main city. He had come to deliver gold to His Majesty the Dark Dragon. Boxes upon boxes of gold coins were laid out before them, shining brilliantly like small mountains.
Rao Jian reported, "In recent days, the Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce not only completed multiple significant orders with the White Sands Merfolk Clan but also expanded its operations to sell federation goods such as food, medicinal herbs, dwarf equipment, jewelry, and more."
"These gold coins represent the profits that belong to the Darkness City after accounting for our operational costs and various revenue sharing agreements."
Zhang Nu nodded in satisfaction. The federation's stockpile of goods and commodities had grown too large. Leaving aside the overflowing medicines, food, materials, equipment, and the like, the gems and treasures collected from Ironheart City and other cities alone could fetch him tens of millions to nearly a hundred million Demon King gold..
The Dark Dragon merchant guide was thriving. They were not only supplying potions to the White Sands Clan but also establishing connections with trade caravans from several other empires. The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce poised to open up markets for raw materials like foodstuffs, herbs, ores, magical items, and weaponry. Given the current trajectory, their progress was swift.
[Gold discovered. Would you like to convert?]
[Gold successfully converted. Gold +65,231,200!]
After choosing to convert, Zhang Nu received a substantial 65.23 million gold coins.
Excellent! This was a substantial sum. Zhang Nu's daily expenditures for the territory were substantial, especially with the increasing number of buildings, including the Spirit Sanctum, Trial Tower, and Training Tower. These structures had considerable daily operational costs, and this had caused a slight dip in the territory's net income over the past few days.
However, with his vast production capabilities and control of ten Demon King Channels and the Demon King Market, Zhang Nu's profits from selling food, raw materials, and potions to fellow Demon Kings more than compensated for these expenses. It would not take long for the daily net income to return to the 2 million Demon King gold mark.
This was just the profit earned directly from Demon Kings. The Dark Dragon merchants' business was expanding rapidly, and it was only a matter of time before it outpaced the Demon King Market. Zhang Nu rewarded Rao Jian with several skill stones to keep him motivated. The Dark Dragon Chamber of Commerce was poised to become a vital economic pillar for the Demon King's development in the mid-term.
Just then, a message from the Third Demon King Channel arrived.
Lich King Bartlett: "Respected Lord Zhang Nu, I noticed your purchase order in the trading area. Are you looking to acquire a Level 5 Restoration Scroll?"
Zhang Nu immediately took note. Upon learning of the need for restoration in the Citadel of Eternity, especially when manual labor was almost insufficient for the task, he had promptly posted a purchase order for a Level 5 Restoration Scroll. These scrolls were quite rare, and he had not expected inquiries so soon, just within two days.
Zhang Nu did not engage in idle conversation. He had set privacy settings on his messages. Only those who had the relevant items could initiate a private chat with him. Since this Lich King Bartlett could send a private message, it indicated that he must have what Zhang Nu was looking for.
Zhang Nu also had some recollection of this Bartlett. He had seen him in several Demon King Channels. This suggested that he was also a Level 5 Great Demon King, probably on par with Han Kexin's level. He was a formidable individual not to be underestimated.
Zhang Nu replied, "How would you like to trade?"
Lich King Bartlett responded, "I don't want gold. I want souls, blueprints, skill stones, or gems!"
Zhang Nu had set the purchase price at three million gold. This was likely a high price for a restoration blueprint, but this Lich King seemed to have no immediate need for those few million gold. For top-tier Demon Kings, the most important thing was to efficiently increase their power. Souls, blueprints, gems, and skill stones were essential materials for a Demon King. Among these, for Zhang Nu, the first three were usually kept for his own use. Only skill stones were expendable.
"I can offer you five B-rank skill stones in exchange," he replied. He rummaged through his collection. Zhang Nu had plenty of B-rank Skills on hand. Their current market value ranged from 500,000 to 800,000 gold each. From his collection of hundreds of skill stones, he selected five B-rank ones that were of average quality and displayed them to test the other party's reaction.
Lich King Bartlett responded, "These skill stones aren't enough. You'll need to add a Level 4 soul or a Level 4 blueprint."
Zhang Nu said, "Friend, your asking price is quite high. While Level 5 Restoration Scrolls are indeed rare, they're ultimately just scrolls for repairs, not Level 5 construction blueprints."
Zhang Nu continued, "At most, I can give you two Level 3 souls. This is the highest offer I can make. You should consider whether you can find a higher bid."
Lich King Bartlett agreed, "Very well, it's a deal!"
He was still satisfied with this trade. After all, he had no use for a Restoration Scroll and did not have any Level 5 structures that needed repairing. To exchange an unused scroll for usable skill stones and a small amount of souls was a worthwhile deal for him.
[Trade successful. You have obtained a "Level 5 Restoration Scroll!"]
Zhang Nu was overjoyed! For him, a few B-rank skill stones and a few Level 3 souls meant nothing. But this Level 5 Restoration Scroll was currently the most crucial item he needed! So, this trade was indeed a significant win for him.
Zhang Nu immediately headed to the Citadel of Eternity with the Restoration Scroll.
[Would you like to use the "Level 5 Restoration Scroll" to repair the "Supreme Magitek Floating Citadel"? This repair costs 10 million gold!]
Repair costs too? And it cost so much! It was more than two or three times the value of the scroll itself!
However, considering that the Citadel of Eternity was a Level 5 special structure and that its malfunction rate and damage level were extremely high, it was understandable to spend a bit more money. There was nothing more to say. While 10 million was not a small sum, it was still reasonable compared to a fully functional magitek citadel.
"Repair!" Zhang Nu gave the order instantly.
At that moment, the entire citadel seemed to be purified by some force. All the rusted metal and dust in every corner vanished, leaving everything gleaming and pristine. With the complete repair of the structure, all of its functions were fully restored.
[Repair successful!]
[The citadel has fully regained all functions!]
[You've unlocked the ability to summon magitek units!]
[You've gained a new summonable population: Basic Magitek Citadel Soldiers +50,000, Intermediate Magitek Citadel Soldiers +20,000, Advanced Magitek Citadel Soldiers +10,000, Magitek Aerial Soldiers +5000, Magitek Guardians +1000!]
[You've gained new summonable facilities: Magitek Missiles +5000, Citadel Cannons +10, Super Citadel Cannon ×1!]
Seeing these notifications, Zhang Nu was greatly surprised. It turned out that the magitek citadel was also a barracks-type structure. He immediately checked the related price list:
[Basic Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 1 elite, costs 200 gold.
[Intermediate Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 2 elite, costs 2000 gold.
[Advanced Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 3 elite, costs 8000 gold.
[Magitek Aerial Soldier] Level 4 elite, costs 20,000 gold.
[Magitek Guardian] Level 5 elite, costs 50,000 gold.
[Magitek Missile] Consumable facility, costs 50 gold each.
[Citadel Cannon] Offensive facility, costs 1,000,000 gold.
[Super Citadel Cannon] Offensive facility, costs 10,000,000 gold.
After examining it, Zhang Nu noticed that the summonable units from the magitek citadel were quite different from other barracks-type structures. Their distinctive feature was that they could summon a very large number of units, although they did not include high-level units like lords or overlords.
Zhang Nu summoned a basic citadel soldier. With a flash of light, the citadel soldier appeared. It resembled the T-800 Terminator, a robust metal skeleton with two red glowing eyes. Its body was filled with complex machinery, but inside its skull, there was an active biological brain.
"Greetings, Master!" the magical construct spoke in a cold voice.
[Basic Magitek Citadel Soldier] Level 1 elite
Skills: Magitek Rifle (C rank), Iron Skeleton (D rank), Self-Destruct (D rank).
Description: These are combat units modified from the era of the supreme magitek civilization. They lack emotions but possess intelligence. Apart from their brain, they have no weak points and can repair themselves by replacing parts, no matter how severe the damage.
Seeing this creature, Zhang Nu was quite astonished. These magitek bio-construct, similar to undead, had the characteristic of not needing food or water, yet they possessed intelligence unlike low-level undead units.
As basic soldiers, they were already quite outstanding. The citadel soldiers had a somewhat monotonous combat style. They were equipped with magitek rifles that could fire magical beams, causing damage comparable to that of the same-level beholders. Their range was also astonishing. Even if they were in close quarters combat, the citadel soldiers would not be as fragile as beholders. They had bodies of steel and could even initiate self-destruct attacks when necessary.
In reality, these citadel soldiers were designed exclusively for defending the citadel itself. Therefore, utilizing the citadel's structural combat was the most potent approach. With all five types of magitek citadel combat units summoned, the offensive power of the Citadel of Eternity would become incredibly terrifying.
What made this occasion particularly special was that, in addition to these combat units, Zhang Nu could even personally purchase Magitek Missiles and Citadel Cannons. Magitek Missiles were a long-range attack means that could only be used through the citadel's built-in missile launching device. They could easily strike targets within a radius of 100 miles, with each missile being equivalent to the power of a full-strength attack from a Level 4 elite magic unit. At 50 gold coins per missile, this consumable item was undoubtedly expensive.
However, it had the dual purpose of both offensive and anti-aircraft capabilities. Besides Magitek Missiles, the Citadel of Eternity could also be equipped with ten Citadel Cannons. Each cannon had the power of an attack from a Level 4 overlord magic unit. Ten of these Citadel Cannons provided the defense equivalent to ten Level 4 magic experts. As for the Super Citadel Cannon, its power was comparable to a Level 6 overlord. Even a Level 5 monarch would find it challenging to withstand its full-force attack.
In summary, the Citadel of Eternity was unquestionably a valuable asset, capable of integrating research, production, offense, and defense. Such a citadel held immense significance for a territory.
Zhang Nu gave the command, "Activate the citadel! Begin levitation!"
The citadel's mainframe replied promptly, "Yes, my master. Initiating void drive engine. Activating levitation mechanism..."
In an instant, a massive area of the towering cliff suddenly collapsed, as if it had been hollowed out from the inside. Simultaneously, an enormous entity, hundreds of meters tall, radiating countless magical formations and magical lights, appeared in mid-air. Its size was colossal, almost comparable to that of an entire city. Its color was a gleaming silver-white, appearing fresh and shiny, like it had just been manufactured in a factory. Just looking at it imposed a profound sense of awe and intimidation!"