Chapter 370: No Comparison, No Harm
"Charge!!!"
Carlos led the charge, recklessly plunging forward.
At this moment, he was no longer the elegant knight but a fierce warrior.
With strength surpassing that of ordinary orcs and agile footwork, Carlos effortlessly fought off the orc soldiers surrounding him.
The soldiers following behind him surged forward like a tide.
They pushed through the breach that Carlos had created, gradually embedding themselves in the orc formation and expanding the gap bit by bit.
Despite the overwhelming number of enemies, these soldiers showed no signs of discouragement or fear.
On the contrary, they displayed deadly and seasoned combat techniques, cutting down one orc after another, each larger and stronger than themselves.
Half an hour later.
After repelling the orcs' final counterattack, Carlos ordered his men to repair the fortifications. He looked at the grand, war-torn walls, feeling a deep ache and anger.
The Scarlet Fortress, built at a tremendous cost by the Eastern Province, was now half-destroyed—how could this not fill him with sorrow?
Just then, the adjutant, having finished cleaning up the battlefield, came over with a look of pleasant surprise and said in an excited tone:
"Good news! Although 85 men were wounded in this battle, none of our soldiers died."
"The Vitality Potion from Bay Territory worked wonders, especially for surface injuries."
Carlos, who had been feeling frustrated, was quickly brought back to the present.
This was no time for relaxation or laxity!
He grabbed the parchment and took a good look at it.
He then gazed incredulously at the soldiers, who were bandaging their wounds and catching their breath.
Though several of them were severely injured, none were in life-threatening condition.
Filled with both relief and realization, Carlos suddenly remembered something and said excitedly:
"The enchanted armor from Bay Territory is indeed impressive!"
Seeing Carlos's pleased expression, the adjutant offered a bitter smile and revealed a surprising truth:
"Actually, the soldiers who got injured were still wearing our old enchanted armor..."
Carlos's expression froze as he looked at the wounded soldiers, noticing that they were indeed wearing the Eighth Legion's standard armor.
The adjutant spread his hands with a helpless look in his eyes and said regretfully:
"We just don't have enough of the new enchanted armor."
Carlos silently watched one of the soldiers, full of relief, as he proudly showed his comrades the dented chest plate. He had to admit the truth:
The enchanted armor from Bay Territory was even better than that produced by the Lorcan Foundry.
"But... how could this be?"
"Even with the Searle family helping, there's no way Bay Territory should be capable of such advanced manufacturing."
"This means that Bay Territory has truly mastered the technology!"
Rubbing his temples bitterly, Carlos looked over all the supplies from Bay Territory and said resignedly:
"We need to head back to Bay Territory as soon as possible, before the others catch on!"
Hearing this, the adjutant nodded vigorously, remembering the orcs' relentless assault and added:
"Yes, this time, we need to buy more supplies. Spending more gold is still better than losing soldiers..."
Who could argue with that?
"Burp~ Don't underestimate the enchanted gear from Bay Territory; it's definitely better than most of the gear on the market."
Bronzeton hiccupped as he addressed the adventurers preparing to buy enchanted gear:
"Every piece of enchanted gear here goes through 78 production steps and six quality checks before it reaches you."
"Choosing Bay Territory means choosing peace of mind, doesn't it?"
"As you all know, we dwarves love boasting, but we never lie!"
"So go ahead, take out your coins and merits."
"If you're short on money, borrow some."
"If you're short on merit, then go do some quests."
As soon as he finished, the adventurers burst into laughter.
Soon enough, another batch of enchanted gear from Bay Territory was distributed among the adventurers.
Leon smiled and nodded approvingly, then suddenly remembered something and turned to Old John:
"Where's Instructor Arnold gone off to?"
Old John instinctively reached for his chest, then switched midway to scratching his scruffy beard. With a chuckle, he said:
"Oh, he's chosen to go into seclusion."
"Arnold's preparing to give it his all and try breaking into the transcendent tier, just so he can stay in the Professional Academy for a few more decades."
Seeing Leon's thoughtful expression, Old John's grin grew even wider.
"Kid, it's not that I want to keep secrets from you..."
"But knowing too much right now isn't good for you."
In the underground lab.
Surging waves of magical energy had replaced Matthew's spellcasting gestures as he enchanted the joint components of a six-armed golem.
Matthew watched the automated production line's enchanting process.
The golem's programmed movements were slightly rigid, but the spellcasting was steady, almost eliminating the chance of failure.
The only factors affecting the process were the preliminary handling and materials used for the components.
Satisfied with his understanding of the production line's setup, Matthew turned back and returned to the surgical area.
The Arnold that Leon had mentioned was standing before a transparent glass tank, intently observing the criminal lying inside.
Watching the man's bones grow, his once muscular body becoming emaciated, Arnold couldn't help but sigh in awe:
"Indeed, to gain the power to defy fate, one must pay the corresponding price."
Matthew offered no comfort to Arnold; he knew the old instructor's resolve was unshakable. Collecting some data, he firmly said:
"The general idea for the second procedure is as follows."
"Your tasks are heavy now; you must adapt to your new abilities and continue to strengthen them."
The old instructor nodded with anticipation, then turned and walked toward the others who were training.
Matthew looked at the death row inmate, now enduring the transformation, and nodded in satisfaction as the man looked at him with terrified eyes:
"You're doing well. Keep up the good work, and continue contributing to Bay Territory's growth."
The prisoner, who had survived the ordeal, couldn't bear it any longer and passed out at Matthew's words.
"Tsk, tsk, tsk, can't handle it? Your mental resilience needs some serious work."