The Magic Empire for 20,000 years

Chapter 272 Artina's Scheme
Artina Shi, the "Lady of Transformation," with her delicate reddish-brown skin, plaster mask, and elegant humanoid form, listened to the report from her demon subordinates while gazing out the window.

Opposite that bottomless rift valley, known as the "Great Abyss," was originally a wasteland.

But now, a large, uninvited group of dark-skinned guests has arrived here.

It was none other than the demon army of Eldoron!

"They're already at our doorstep..."

Altina Shi clenched her fist slightly:
"They're really fast."

"We also have to do something."

Previously, when she heard that the Balrog Lord Latour had returned to his territory and brought with him a force called the Magic Empire Eldoron, which had taken back the Iron Lake region from her control, Artina hadn't paid much attention.

They assumed it was just another insignificant territorial change on the Wanyuan Plain.

However, what happened next completely exceeded her expectations.

Beside her, a succubus maid asked nervously:

"But, Your Excellency Artina, the Poet."

"The demon army of that magical empire, Eldoron, has been frequently waging war, devouring and absorbing a large number of lands and armies of lesser lords. Its current legion strength is unimaginable."

"Not to mention, those humans from the material plane also possess many strange arcane spells. In previous battles, they always remained behind the scenes, and their true strength was hard to predict."

"I'm afraid we're no match for them at all."

"How about we retreat too? Like the other defeated secondary lords, let's escape to other layers of the abyss."

Altina shrugged, a sly smile flashing beneath her snow-white mask:

“I never said I wanted to confront their legion head-on.”

Seeing the bewildered look on her subordinates' faces, Altina recited a poem:

"Those beings from the material plane called 'humans' let the demon army fight on the front lines while they themselves hide behind the scenes, at most providing some magical assistance. They are truly cunning."

"If I could capture a few people in key positions and use my methods to transform them into cute creatures, I might be able to obtain more specific intelligence and perhaps find a breakthrough..."

The succubus maid seemed to understand the lord's meaning.

Should we capture a few humans first?
“But, Lady Artina.”

"This is too dangerous; it will definitely further anger the magic empire of Eldoron!"

"No matter what tactics we use, we simply cannot stand against the legions of the Magic Empire of Eldoron..."

The succubus maid's voice trembled slightly, clearly indicating her unwillingness to take the risk of a direct confrontation with the Eldorian army.

Secondary Lord Artina shrugged:

"So, we need some help."

"If the remaining secondary lords can organize themselves..."

"Moreover, Eldoron's actions are so significant that the King of the Sky must have noticed them as well."

Halfway through her sentence, Altina seemed to remember something, fixed her gaze on the succubus maid, and said in a playful tone:
"To be honest, we haven't even started fighting the enemy yet, and you're already so scared, saying such discouraging things."

"As a reward for your concern for my safety."

"I'll transform you into... a more beautiful creature."

The succubus's mind flashed with images of a terrifying operating room, and her beautiful face was instantly filled with astonishment:

"No, no, Lady Altina, please forgive me, spare me, I will never dare again..."

Before she could finish speaking, she felt a sharp, magical force pierce her brain, her vision went black, she instantly lost consciousness, and collapsed to the ground with a thud.

"Take her to the operating room."

[Lady of Transformation] Artina watched as the unconscious succubus was dragged away by several other demons, then chuckled and turned away:
"You guard this place well. I'm leaving the fortress temporarily to meet another demon."

"Atop the highest stone mountain, the ruler of the sky of Pazunia in the Plains of Ten Thousand Abyss is a demon lord from another abyss level."

"The most powerful demon on this floor, the [Wind Demon King] Pazuzu!" ...

A blood-red sun stood in the sky, casting its crimson rays upon the wasteland.

The area controlled by the magic empire Eldoron is vastly different from the areas controlled by other secondary lords; it's almost immediately obvious.

Vast, boundless, empty wastelands, dotted with the occasional steel fortress. This is what the Wanyuan Plain originally looked like.

However, the situation is completely different within the territory controlled by the Eldoran Empire!
Surrounding the conquered steel fortress, all sorts of fortifications and functional buildings were erected, making it almost like a small town.

In this way, they formed a series of "abyss bases" that simultaneously served the functions of resource development, scientific research, and military defense.

These numerous abyssal bases are interconnected via teleportation arrays.

Inside one of the abyss bases.

"Your Majesty Elion, Mr. Antonio, a renowned wealthy merchant and president of the Chamber of Commerce, wishes to visit the Abyss Colony in Eldoron."

"Antonio?"

El-Erian stood up from his chair, recalling the name.

He knew that Antonio was currently the most famous and wealthy businessman in Eldorado.

Surprisingly, he was not a powerful mage at all.

They're not even considered professionals!
To become a true first-circle mage, intelligence alone is not enough; one must possess a certain level of "magical talent."

However, it is quite remarkable that such an ordinary person with mediocre talent could have his name remembered by Elian.

Elian had heard that this man was quite business-minded. In the more than 20 years of trading with the Elven Kingdom, he started with small businesses and gradually expanded them until he became the wealthiest merchant in all of Eldoron.

“I know about Antonio’s story.”

"The industries he is involved in cover all aspects."

"This includes packaging and distributing goods exported to the Elf Kingdom; owning several magical item shops in the Elf Kingdom; being involved in the tourism industry, leasing hotels, and hosting Elf tourists; and engaging in numerous charitable activities..."

"He is a capable and intelligent person."

"In many ways, he can be considered loyal to the empire."

El-Erian shrugged:

"Okay. Then, find someone to receive him."

Speaking of Elian, my thoughts wandered a bit—

For the past 30 years, he has essentially dominated and controlled the development of Eldoron.

For a mid-level legendary mage who is proficient in divination magic, mind control magic, and teleportation spells, it is not difficult to precisely control a force of more than 200 million people.

However, El-Erian also knew that as the country grew larger and the population increased, precise control would become increasingly impractical and inefficient.

Eldoron ultimately needs to develop on its own.

This includes both political affairs and commercial and economic aspects.

Elian hoped that in the future, he could simply be a igniter, lighting a fire behind the scenes so that the magic empire of Eldoron could race forward and develop on its own.

According to Elian's plan, he only needed to grasp the general direction of the empire's development and be active on the front lines of interdimensional expeditions. The empire would then develop naturally, no longer requiring his meticulous control.

The emergence of business talents like Antonio brought El-Erian some comfort.

This talent was unexpected, but it emerged naturally during the development of Eldoron.

As a businessman, although he earns money for his own benefit.

However, objectively speaking, it did play a beneficial role in the process of trade between the two countries.

If such talented individuals can be properly guided, it will be beneficial for the future development of Eldoron.

(End of this chapter)