Merchant From Earth in the Magical World

He summoned Duan'er, tasking him with notifying the clan leaders of the Werewolf Tribes "incorporated" into the Eternal Commerce Company to convene for a grand meeting and pay their respects.

Then, he summoned Li Zhua to discuss the construction of the Thunderous Swamp Boulevard and Blood Crown Mountain City.

According to Chui Chui's measurements, the total length of this road, spanning the Thunderous Swamp from north to south, was an astounding 500 kilometers. The terrain was complex and crisscrossed with river networks, making it an enormous undertaking for the Eternal Domain.

Fortunately, labor was not a concern. Yan Xing had good relations with both the Werewolves and Lizardmen within the Thunderous Swamp and had signed road construction labor employment agreements with them. The arrangement basically involved providing food for work, along with some supplies for their tribes.

Li Zhua had participated in constructing the road from the Eternal Domain to the Red Mud Wetland and was one of the few intelligent Werewolves. Therefore, Yan Xing, having little energy to personally oversee the road and city construction in the Thunderous Swamp, entrusted the entire task to Li Zhua. He also instructed Gao Sipa to cooperate fully with Li Zhua to ensure the supply chain for the Thunderous Swamp road construction team remained uninterrupted.

Once the expanded meeting of the Werewolf clan leaders convened successfully, the northern border of the Eternal Domain would gain a degree of strategic depth. By that time, even if an unforeseen situation arose within the Thunderous Swamp, it would not rapidly affect Yan Xing's core circle. Consequently, Yan Xing shifted his attention from the Northern Thundering Swamp to focus more on the southern and western parts of his territory.

Yan Xing was in no rush to visit Nuta City. After all, two months had passed. Although Nuta City appeared very calm, no one knew what might have transpired in the shadows. It was a murky situation, and before stepping in, one had to test the depth of the waters.

The long-range drone swarm controlled by Chui Chui intensified its surveillance over Nuta City. Numerous intelligence reports arrived from the Eternal Commerce Guild and Eternal Farms within Nuta City, along with letters sent by the merchant Eden.

The Orcs and Elves had launched an extremely fierce initial offensive against the Silvermane Principality's Wildwind Highlands Legion. The Wildwind Highlands Legion suffered massive losses in direct combat, especially on the western front against the Elves. Naturally, resource consumption was also immense. Consequently, even with supplemental food from the Eternal Domain, grain prices in Nuta City had nearly doubled. Without the Eternal Domain's food, it was uncertain how high the grain merchants might have driven the prices. A high yet bearable grain price had so far prevented major chaos in Nuta City. Count Theodore occasionally opened the granaries to distribute relief grain, striving to maintain the city's stability.

Reports indicated that Marquis Anderson had reallocated eighty percent of Nuta City's former defense forces. The city's current defense force was only at fifty percent of its original strength, consisting mostly of hastily trained new recruits. While these recruits possessed individual fighting capability, they lacked the cohesive combat strength of a true army. Even so, Nuta City's military forces continued to be depleted. Correspondingly, the nobles, anticipating a worsening situation, actively expanded their private militias. These private militias were then integrated into Nuta City's defense system, significantly increasing the nobles' power within the city and allowing them to control many areas.

Additionally, a large number of mercenaries flooded into Nuta City. With war erupting in the Wildwind Highlands, opportunities for mercenaries to earn money were restricted, and their areas of operation shrank. To avoid being needlessly caught in the conflict, mercenaries naturally flocked to safer havens like Nuta City. These mercenary groups were a motley assortment, some individuals among them adept at navigating relations with Humans, Elves, and Orcs alike. It could be said that Nuta City had truly become a den of dragons and tigers.

I wonder how Count Theodore gets by day after day…

It must be tough.

Originally, Yan Xing had planned to wait until after the expanded meeting of the Werewolf clan leaders to observe the situation before deciding when to enter Nuta City. Now, it seemed he could not wait for that meeting. At this rate… I might wake up to find Count Theodore has met a violent end and the banners over Nuta City have changed. This position must be secured.

Therefore, after reviewing the gathered intelligence, Yan Xing decided to set off for Nuta City immediately to support Count Theodore. After replenishing the Eternal Domain's warehouses with supplies several times and purchasing a batch of machine tools, Yan Xing, not daring to delay further, mounted a Battle Griffin and flew towards Nuta City.

Looking down from the sky, Yan Xing saw the road from the Eternal Domain to Nuta City was under construction. The Eternal Domain had invested over three thousand Werewolf laborers in this section, and construction was progressing rapidly. On the Nuta City end of the road leading towards the Eternal Domain, Eternal Commerce and Trade had recruited five thousand laborers from the city in one go. This initiative absorbed a large number of Nuta City residents who could no longer afford food due to rising prices. According to Chui Chui's calculations, both sections of the road were projected to be completed and connected before the wheat sowing season at Eternal Manor. This would greatly facilitate the flow of people and resources between the Eternal Domain and Nuta City.

On the southward section of the road, besides the main thoroughfare leading to the northern Eternal Domain, many smaller roads branched off east and west. These smaller roads connected to the manors constructed by the Eternal Domain in this region. Vast tracts of farmland were being tilled between these roads. An additional five thousand farmers were working for Yan Xing here. This, combined with the five thousand road laborers, totaled ten thousand workers, supporting tens of thousands of family members. These people, sustained by grain from the Eternal Domain, were a key factor in Nuta City's stability up to this point. This also made countless nobles and wealthy merchants regard Yan Xing as a thorn in their side.

Therefore, unsure of how much strength Count Theodore still commanded, Yan Xing did not directly enter Nuta City upon reaching its outskirts. Instead, he first went to the Goblin Alchemy Shop's warehouse located there.

He found the Goblin, Gaga, and discussed jointly establishing a truck research and development center. After a period of intense fighting, the Wildwind Highlands Legion was short on funds and had naturally reduced its procurement of Alchemical Weapons. Consequently, the Goblin Alchemy Factory had some surplus equipment and craftsmen. Meanwhile, Yan Xing's Eternal Domain had completed the deployment of its information and data network, with humanoid alchemy golems now integrated. The equipment for the vehicle maintenance factory was in place, and some vehicle parts had arrived. Both parties had almost simultaneously completed their preparations for the truck R&D center; all that remained was to combine their efforts for this significant undertaking.

Gaga, who had been eagerly awaiting this, immediately arranged for craftsmen and equipment to be sent to the Eternal Domain upon learning its factory was ready. Yan Xing also took the opportunity to use the Goblins' underground transport network to enter Nuta City stealthily.

Dressed in a pre-prepared hooded cloak, cinched at the waist with a hemp rope, Yan Xing tucked an Alchemical Short Sword he had 'borrowed' from Gaga into his belt. With the oversized hood pulled up, his appearance was indistinguishable from the mercenaries teeming through the city streets.

The streets were literally teeming with mercenaries. It could be said that most mercenaries from the Wildwind Highlands had congregated in Nuta City. The majority of them lacked specialized skills, and the city offered few jobs. As a result, these mercenaries were largely idle. The wealthy ones sought out entertainment, while those without money loitered outside, hoping for opportunities.