Chapter 390 - Chapter 390: Monica’s Exquisite Manipulation, Rebuilding the Home, and Three Main Targets (2)
Chapter 390: Monica’s Exquisite Manipulation, Rebuilding the Home, and Three Main Targets (2)
Translator: Dragon Boat Translation Editor: Dragon Boat Translation
“Not only that, according to the information we’ve obtained, Monica initially didn’t openly reveal that this was a conspiracy planned by the three kingdoms. Instead, she directed public opinion towards us.
At the same time, she used this leverage to threaten the other two kingdoms, making them also focus their public opinion on the Bass Kingdom and join in condemning and pressuring us.
The other two kingdoms were caught in a bind and had to agree to this demand. However, in reality, they were somewhat pleased to see the Bass Kingdom in a tough spot. Over the years, the Bass Kingdom has rapidly increased its military strength, showing signs of territorial expansion along the northwest coast of the Central Ocean.
So, they couldn’t just sit idly by. Monica’s threat conveniently aligned with their interests, and they didn’t have to bear the main pressure…”
Hearing this, Ji Chen couldn’t help but admire Monica’s clever tactics.
When she found out about the conspiracy planned by the four nations, she didn’t choose to confront them head-on but took a more indirect approach. She astutely sensed that the relationship between the Bass Kingdom and the other two nations wasn’t as close as it seemed. By successfully leveraging their fear and concerns about the Bass Kingdom, she used her leverage to pressure them collectively.
This not only spared Lienhardt Grand Duchy from directly facing the pressure of all three kingdoms but also allowed them to focus on dealing with just one country, the Bass Kingdom. After this incident, it was certain that the Bass Kingdom would harbor deep resentment toward the two kingdoms that had betrayed them. Even if they were to join forces again in the future, this crack in their friendship would persist, making it difficult for them to cooperate closely.
It was a brilliant move, killing two birds with one stone.
Of course, convincing the other two kingdoms must have been a challenging process, but based on Ferode’s words, it seems to have been successful.
Monica’s incredibly clever maneuver completely turned the situation around. The Rheinhardt Grand Duchy, which had initially been in a passive position, now had the upper hand. As a result, the Bass Kingdom was left in an extremely awkward position, with few options available to them.
“But in my view, it won’t be long before the king launches a war, using pure military force to attack the Lienhardt Grand Duchy.”
Ji Chen was puzzled. “Why are you so sure about this?”
If what he had just said was true, how could the Bass Kingdom dare to face such enormous public opinion pressure and simultaneously deal with the other three nations?
“The king has always been a fervent instigator of war. He has previously initiated wars with neighboring powers and city-states, conquering and acquiring vast territories, greatly enhancing the kingdom’s strength and prestige.
However, these frequent wars have also cultivated a group of nobles who are extremely enthusiastic about warfare. They crave it because only through war can they gain a plethora of spoils, land, slaves, and more wealth.”
Speaking of this, Ferode glanced cautiously at Ji Chen. “If they find out that the reconnaissance fleet 1 led met its end here, they will definitely urge the king to send a more powerful fleet.”
Ji Chen ordered the soldiers to escort Ferode back.
With a slightly heavy heart, he returned to the Crown of the Ocean.
For them, the Bass Kingdom was undoubtedly a formidable enemy. Just the thousands of steel warships represented a force that could easily overwhelm them.
However, the Crown of the Ocean was not their primary target; the main focus of the Bass Kingdom would undoubtedly be on the Lienhardt Grand Duchy. The Crown of the Ocean might still find a way to weather this storm.
Only a day after the war ended, the Crown of the Ocean came alive as usual.
Many residents of the Crown of the Ocean appeared amidst the charred ruins.
Their tasks were clearly divided, showing no signs of chaos.
Some were clearing the wreckage of buildings, while others were transporting various materials and resources from warehouses that had remained undamaged during the war. Under the direction and planning of Wilus, the chief engineer, they began rebuilding houses and structures.
In just a few months, all the residents had come to regard the Crown of the Ocean as their home. They understood that this idyllic paradise would inevitably be coveted by greedy individuals. Unlike the military, they lacked the means to wield weapons and resist the enemy, so they could only safeguard their homeland in this way.
The shadow of war did not hang over them. In their hearts, they held one belief: to rebuild their homes.
Seeing that the residents were not daunted by the war and that their morale hadn’t suffered much, Ji Chen felt relieved.
However, alongside this relief, a strong desire to enhance the strength of the military and its units surged within her.
After this war, the Crown of the Ocean exposed several problems.
Firstly, when Ferode led his fleet into the Stormy Sea, although the warning lighthouse detected their arrival, the Crown of the Ocean had no resistance to offer as they breached the sea surface defenses and launched a direct amphibious assault.
This was partly due to Ji Chen taking a significant portion of the military with him, but it also revealed the Crown of the Ocean’s lack of a decent naval blockade and coastal defense.
In simple terms, they lacked sufficient steel warships and coastal defense facilities to confront the enemy.
If they had dozens of coastal alchemical cannons, the enemy’s fleet would not have dared to approach so recklessly, nor would they have been able to provide artillery support to the landing forces so brazenly.
Secondly, the military strength of the Crown of the Ocean was gradually falling behind the pace set by their enemies. In battles against kingdom-level foes, second and third-tier units were essentially cannon fodder, while fourth-tier units were considered the main force. Only fifth-tier units could gain a decisive advantage in battles against their enemies.
The reinforcement of unit types was imminent!
Thirdly, the a lack of powerful heroes.
Despite having several heroes who would be considered plentiful by other players, Ji Chen still felt that there weren’t enough heroes at her disposal.
Currently, the main heroes of the Crown of the Ocean were:
– Anina, level 40, Red-Legacy Tier hero.
– Alice, level 39, Red-Legacy Tier hero.
– Verena, level 25 (weakened), Orange Legendary Tier.
– Benbo, level 39, Purple Rare Tier.
– Daro, level 38 (heavily injured), Blue Excellent Tier.
The rest were either ordinary blue, green, or white heroes, or non-combat heroes like Wilus, Irona, and Leysha, who were focused on domestic affairs.
Journeying through the Northern Continent had earned him Verena, a Legendary Tier hero, who had pledged thirty years of loyalty. Once her injuries were fully healed, she would become an incredibly powerful force.
Additionally, Ji Chen had unexpectedly obtained a vial of deep-sea Naga ancestral blood from Yasen’s gift, which was filled with immense energy. It was believed that this could be used to create a powerful Naga hero.
Once heroes like Daro and Benbo returned and recovered, Ji Chen planned to further enhance their strength, providing some much-needed confidence to the Crown of the Ocean in their high-end combat against the Bass Kingdom.
In addition, they needed to find a way to cultivate more low-tier heroes, as this was also a method to improve the army’s combat capabilities.
After contemplating for a while, Ji Chen outlined the three main directions for the future development of the Crown of the Ocean.
Shaking his head, he walked towards the formation of unit recruitment camps, which stood tall like stone forests.
During the enemy’s artillery fire, some of the unit recruitment camps had been destroyed, losing their ability to recruit units.
Fortunately, the recruitment camps for several main unit types hadn’t suffered irreparable damage. At Ji Chen’s request, the damaged recruitment camps were prioritized for repairs, and those completely destroyed were cleared, creating a large open space.
For now, Ji Chen didn’t pay much attention to the existing unit recruitment camps. Instead, she took out the twenty cores he had purchased from the street vendors in Maple City.
Ten of these cores were for Water Nymph Archers, and the other ten were for Giant Crab Guards, evenly split.
Without wasting any time, he chose to construct them directly.
With a rumbling sound, twenty recruitment camps emerged from the ground.
As he looked at these brand-new recruitment camps, Ji Chen’s eyes had a subtle determination.
The reinforcement of unit types in the Crown of the Ocean would begin with these two new unit types..