My Players Are So Fierce

1559: 524.

Are you saying goodbye?

Or are you showing off your love?

– [Monthly Ticket Extra 6/10]

1559: 524.

Are you saying goodbye?

Or are you showing off your love?

– [Monthly Ticket Extra 6/10]

Administrator Alpha revealed the news of “the upcoming beta test,” which struck like a bolt of lightning on the majority of forum users online, sparking even more heated discussions in the various groups.

The group now has almost 3,000 members, and the activity level is shockingly high.

This news created a ripple effect, causing messages in the group to flood at a rate so fast that normal people couldn’t possibly keep up—basically operating at 999 posts every 10 seconds.

In such a situation, trying to chat was impossible.

As a result, several major guilds started discussions in their private groups, while some well-connected “digital sprites” kept setting up new smaller groups to spread the joy of the upcoming update.

To exaggerate a bit, the forum was as lively as a festival celebration.

However, the “culprit” Alpha, who caused all this commotion, had disappeared without a trace—like a troublemaker who lit a big firecracker, dazzled everyone into confusion, and then fled like a rascal.

In reality, Murphy was wrongly accused.

Indeed, as a “hidden Uncle Party member,” he dropped insider info just to tease everyone, but he was genuinely busy.

Midnight tonight not only marked the end of the ten-day Holy Blood Festival but also the imminent departure of the “exchange student delegation” being sent to Charldo Harbor.

Professor Malcolm had temporarily handed over his duties as the First Secretary of the Governor’s administrative team in Milian’s region.

Later tonight, he would depart alongside carefully selected young delegates and merchants from the Bataxin Business Association to leave Transylvania.

The route had already been determined.

Starting from Andma Hills and entering Smugglers’ Forest, the delegation would arrive at the border of Transylvania and the Kato area.

Then they would travel south along Lake Xiuerpres, reaching the northernmost city of half-body men on the Ligurian Peninsula, “Mocha.” From there, they would switch to a steam train heading south, eventually arriving at Charldo Harbor.

According to the professor’s estimate, the journey would take approximately half a month.

Factoring in potential delays, assuming everything went smoothly, the procurement team would bring back the tools purchased from the half-body city to Transylvania in about two months.

By then, the Black Disaster would have erupted, but it probably wouldn’t have breached the Wasteland Mountain defensive line yet.

Thus, Transylvania should still be in the preparatory phase, and the arrival of these life-saving tools would provide essential reinforcement to Transylvania’s manufacturing sector.

Of course, that’s assuming everything goes perfectly.

If there are some delays on the way…

um, it actually wouldn’t make too much of a difference.

Murphy hadn’t pinned all his hopes on these urgently procured manufacturing tools.

Even if they were successfully brought back to Transylvania, the local, pitiably inexperienced workers would still need time to adapt before industries could begin “upgrading.”

In Murphy and Milian’s plans, this batch of procurement was more aimed at Transylvania’s post-Black Disaster development.

Additionally, should the situation deteriorate to the worst-case scenario—a protracted war similar to previous Black Disasters lasting years—Transylvania would need some autonomous production capability in its dire situation.

Murphy clearly wanted to avoid letting Transylvania fall back into the old “destruction-construction-destruction” cycle.

That kind of scenario could never lead to real development.

“As the Black Disaster looms, even though the half-body men dislike warfare, they won’t suppress our procurement efforts in Charldo Harbor under the banner of supporting the greater fight against the Black Disaster.

So, the Governor can rest assured.

I read similar instances in records from the last Black Disaster.

At the time, the Ceylan Kingdom and Nordtof urgently needed massive amounts of weapons and supplies amidst fierce warfare.

Steam Lords even resorted to rare military regulations to support the Civilized Faction’s fight.

During the hardest times, 70% of the factories in Charldo Harbor were converted to produce weapons and war supplies.

One could say the Continent alliance in the fourth Black Disaster solely survived until the counterattack thanks to Charldo Harbor’s production capabilities.

That ‘wartime production system’ wasn’t abolished after the Black Disaster, and I suspect it’s been kept as the Steam Lords’ way of preparing to cope with this new Black Disaster.”

Under the shadow of the administrative building, Murphy and Milian sat in the same carriage, escorting Professor Malcolm, the leader of the “procurement delegation,” to the outskirts of the city where he’d unite with his team.

In the carriage, which had been imbued with the “Anti-Eavesdropping Skill,” the professor—clad in formal attire and now fully integrated into Transylvania’s ruling circle—spoke earnestly to the Governor and the Administrator:

“Thus, in the most optimistic scenario, when I submit Transylvania’s request for wartime procurement to the Steam Lords, they will promptly provide the necessary support and assistance.

The most challenging part of large-scale procurement lies in gaining local support.

Once official endorsement is secured, subsequent procurement operations will proceed smoothly.

I suspect the Steam Lords might even actively help us coordinate transport for various supplies.

Half-body men are smart and far-sighted.

They understand the catastrophic shifts on the Continental battleground if Transylvania were to fall in this Black Disaster.”

“So, we might even get a chance to bargain for better prices, right?”

Murphy cracked a joke, making the three people in the carriage laugh.

After a few seconds, he spoke seriously to Professor Malcolm:

“Actually, I wasn’t entirely joking.

If the most optimistic scenario unfolds as you expect, I recommend increasing the procurement quantities for all manufacturing tools on that lengthy list by threefold.”