Chapter 1142: The Empire's Devastating Defeat
On the fourth day of the Underground Cemetery's emergence, the war within the Leviathan Empire's territory also came to an end.
The result was beyond everyone's expectations.
In the prolonged battle that lasted for a day and night, the titled machines of the Leviathan Empire were defeated.
Even the army of developing mechanical cannons were sent into battle, blowing up half of the central water vein. Over a hundred thousand soldiers were mobilized to face the Sea Dragon Beast, the guardian of the Underground Cemetery, which outnumbers the magic armor of the first powerful country on the continent. However, they suffered a crushing defeat.
This battle made Ludwig XII's eyes turn red.
Five specifically-tailored machines known as "titled machines" were made for the empire's hero-ranked warriors. They faced off against the Emerald Sea Dragon Beast that resides in the central water vein.
The remaining magic armored legion fought against the unmanned weapons deployed by the Emerald Sea Dragon Beast.
The battle lasted for a day and a night, and ultimately the Emerald Sea Dragon Beast emerged victorious.
The imperial main army suffered casualties of more than ten thousand, marking the highest death toll since the Leviathan Empire entered the scientific development era.
Two of the titled machines, the "Mammoth Elephant" and the "Sabertooth Tiger," representing the land assault type, were destroyed.
More than half of the empire's nine major titled machines were destroyed by now.
Three out of the first magic army legion's special joint "Whale Shark," reconnaissance "Yellow Finch," land assault main force "Mammoth Elephant" and "Sabertooth Tiger" were wiped out from the empire's war sequence. The remaining three, "Royal Knight," "Sword Fighter," and "Dark Night," were mostly injured.
From the divine era, a weapon from the Underground Cemetery during the Dragon Tribe War gave a lesson to the proud Leviathan Empire, the strongest military nation on the continent, which suffered a major defeat.
The Emerald Sea Dragon Beast once again dived into the central water vein, collecting hundreds, if not thousands, of destroyed unmanned weapon fragments. It seemed that they would be repaired and returned to the battlefield.
The troops of the Leviathan Empire who died in battle will never be able to come back. This was a completely unequal war, with a gap between the two sides similar to the Empire's magic armored legion dominating the tribal alliance with primitive weapons.
Overnight, Ludwig XII's hair turned half white.
He couldn't understand how such powerful war weapons could exist in this era. How did these destructive giant weapons operate during the period of declining magic?
Ever since his niece Ain triggered that nuclear explosion forbidden spell, the common knowledge of the whole world seemed to have gone astray.
Can't the Leviathan Empire construct giant weapons over a hundred meters?
No, they can, but the problem is what power and core can be used to drive such massive war weapons. Human thinking capacity cannot possibly synchronize with the scale of these magic armors.
"This is not right, not right at all!"
"No living human could ever control such a powerful weapon!"
"Why, what is the matter with that Emerald Sea Dragon Beast!" Ludwig cried in frustration, tugging at his beard.
"The reason is probably simple: the one controlling that weapon is not a living human, it's a technology unknown to us," said the person who could save Ludwig XII from his worries finally.
The Sage Poincaré of the Empire and the first alchemist, Asmid, entered Ludwig XII's study without being invited.
"What should we do next? The morale of our main army is crumbling," Ludwig XII felt powerless for the first time.
As one of the greatest emperors in the history of the Empire, second only to the first knight of the founding continent, he had never encountered such a predicament before.
"I don't care if there are living or dead people inside that weapon, I will destroy it!" Ludwig XII clenched his teeth angrily, realizing that in this war, he and the Empire had no way out.
If the enemy controlled the central water vein, it would mean they had a grip on the lifeblood of the economy.
In just four days, the price of food in the entire Leviathan Empire had doubled. It was clear that if the enemy took control of the central water vein, even doing nothing would cause the entire empire's economy to collapse.
So this battle is a fight that must be fought, whether you want to or not, and we must win.
If we lose, the glory of the Leviathan Empire will become permanent history, and the territories newly conquered by the magic armored legion may all be lost. They will be nailed to the pillar of shame in the history of the Leviathan Empire.
"Don't despair, we have a way to win." No matter when, you will never see any despair or gloomy expression on Poincaré's face, even if the opponent is the ancient weapon of the divine era, the Underground Cemetery.
Sia's world follows a certain law of the world. Even the seemingly unreasonable Emerald Sea Dragon Beast doesn't gain its power for no reason.
At the cost of two destroyed titled machines and over ten thousand casualties, Poincaré finally calculated the biggest flaw of the Emerald Sea Dragon Beast.
That flaw is its "power." Yes, even the seemingly unscientific Emerald Sea Dragon Beast needs power. Its over a hundred meter body doesn't possess the strength to confront the entire Leviathan Empire's magic armored legion and five titled machines for no reason.
Just like the black iron giant is an Earth Child, the Emerald Sea Dragon Beast is a natural ruler of the oceans, able to draw power from the surrounding water element to fight at any time and anywhere.
Therefore, even though the enemy has gained overwhelming strategic advantages, they didn't pursue the retreating Imperial magic armor troops, but only sent out numerous unmanned weapons to drive away these defeated soldiers.
During the period of magic tide decline, why were only the Guardians of the first and second levels of the Underground Cemetery sent out for world conquest first? It is because of the special nature of their bodies.
The big strong iron giant gets power from the earth whenever it walks on the ground.
The creature called Emerald Sea Dragon Beast has the same power in the water and ocean.
During this time when magic is getting weaker, it affects them, but it's only causing more damage in battles within a limit they can handle.
As long as they don't come across something like the faceless god, which is even older and more mysterious than them, both the black iron giant and the Emerald Sea Dragon Beast are almost unbeatable.
"So, Your Majesty, are you really willing to pay this price to win?" Poincaré placed his plan in front of Ludwig XII and waited for his answer.
If this plan succeeds, it can indeed deliver a fatal blow to the Emerald Sea Dragon Beast, or at least drive away this ancient weapon.
But in return, the Leviathan Empire will also suffer a very heavy price, which in some ways may be even more difficult to accept than the thousands of casualties.
"This... you want me to ask that boy's daughter for help!!!!"
Ludwig roared, expressing his angry unwillingness.
