“This is only the first phase,” Dr. Villa said, clearly sensing his concern.
“We have planned six phases of construction. Once completed, we can slaughter thirty thousand beef cattle monthly, providing approximately seven hundred and fifty tons of flesh and blood.
“With the addition of pigs, sheep, and poultry, our daily production capacity is expected to exceed one hundred tons.”
“One hundred tons...”
Jiang Lin shook his head.
“It is still not enough.”
Dr. Villa gave a bitter smile.
“This is already the limit of our current manpower and resources.
“To expand production capacity, we would need more people, more land, and more equipment. And those...”
He did not finish, but his meaning was clear.
All of this required time.
“Build it first,” Jiang Lin said, not pressing further. “Produce as much as you can. As for future expansion, we will talk once we have secured more land.”
He turned and walked toward the fodder processing zone.
Several massive grinders and pelletizers were being installed here. Their metal casings still bore traces of rust, clearly old equipment salvaged from ruins and put back into use after repairs.
“The fodder processing zone is the heart of the entire breeding farm,” Dr. Villa explained, following him and pointing to the machines.
“After the forage and alfalfa are harvested, they need to be crushed, mixed, and pelletized here to create a uniform formula feed.
“This not only improves feed efficiency but also allows us to adjust the nutritional ratio according to the growth stages of different livestock.”
He flipped open a blueprint, which was densely marked with various parameters.
“We plan to build three production lines.
“The first will handle roughage feed, the second will handle concentrated feed, and the third will produce silage.
“Once fully completed, the daily processing capacity will reach two hundred tons.”
“What about the equipment?”
“Most of it is salvaged and repaired from nearby abandoned factories.
“Some core components still need to be manufactured at headquarters.”
Dr. Villa sighed.
“With the shortage of manpower, progress is much slower than expected.”
Jiang Lin did not rush him, simply noting the information in silence.
The livestock breeding zone was the largest part of the farm.
Rows of steel-structured sheds were neatly arranged, each about fifty meters long and fifteen meters wide, capable of housing two hundred beef cattle simultaneously.
“We have adopted a high-density intensive farming model.”
Dr. Villa led Jiang Lin into a shed that was mostly finished, pointing to the automatic feeders and watering systems that had yet to be installed.
“Each cow occupies about three square meters, so one shed holds two hundred head.
“Based on the completion of all six phases, we will have a total of one hundred and fifty sheds, with a standing stock of thirty thousand head.”
“A standing stock of thirty thousand, with only five thousand slaughtered monthly... the slaughter rate is a bit low.”
Jiang Lin frowned.
Dr. Villa smiled bitterly.
“There is no other way. After the Great Cataclysm, many superior breeds went extinct.
“The ones we are using now were bred from a few surviving domestic animals. They grow slowly and have low feed conversion rates.
“To achieve a monthly slaughter of five thousand, we must maintain a standing stock of at least thirty thousand.”
“Can we introduce new breeds?”
“Theoretically, yes, but...”
Dr. Villa hesitated for a moment.
“Before the Great Cataclysm, the livestock breeds on Planet Teluofuto were improved over centuries. Our current conditions make it impossible to restore them.
“Unless...”
“Unless what?”
“Unless we can find a well-preserved gene bank.”
Dr. Villa’s voice dropped lower.
“Before the Great Cataclysm, some large agricultural companies and research institutions built gene banks that preserved the genetic material of many superior breeds.
“If those gene banks were not completely destroyed, we might be able to restore high-yield livestock breeds.”
“Where are the gene banks?”
“Uncertain. The most promising ones are deep within the Corrupted Plains.”
Dr. Villa pointed to the regions on the map marked with deep red skull symbols.
“Those are the areas with the highest concentration of Aberrants. Our exploration teams cannot even get close.”
Jiang Lin was silent for a moment before nodding.
“I understand.
“When the time is right, I will go to those places and take a look.”
He walked out of the shed and stood at the edge of the breeding zone, looking out at the land still being tilled.
Massive steel skeletons stood tall under the dark red sky, looking like the bones of ancient behemoths.
Hundreds of workers were busy among them, the sparks of welding flashing in the gloom, the creaking of rotating cranes and the roar of diesel engines intertwining into a single chorus.
This was the full extent of Ember's power.
Three hundred years ago, the humans of this world could build space stations and launch probes to neighboring planets.
Now, they could only salvage rusted equipment from ruins and rebuild civilization in the most primitive ways.
But they were doing it.
They had persisted through three hundred years of despair, passing down knowledge through generations in the ruins, still believing in the darkest of moments that the light would return.
“The first batch of fodder crops has been sown,” Dr. Villa said as he walked to his side, his voice carrying a hint of exhaustion but also a trace of anticipation.
“If nothing goes wrong, we can harvest in fifteen days. By then, the livestock sheds should be finished.
“The first batch of young livestock is also being transported. We have collected over three hundred head from various outposts.
“It is not many, but at least we can get things running.”
“Three hundred head is too few...”
Jiang Lin shook his head.
“I know,” Dr. Villa sighed.
“But this is the limit.
“Most livestock went extinct after the Great Cataclysm.
“The survivors are mostly local breeds with low fertility and slow growth.
“It takes time to expand the population.”
Jiang Lin remained silent.
Time, again.
He looked up toward the deeper, dark red horizon to the southwest.
Deep in the Corrupted Plains, millions of Aberrants still loomed.
There lay the minions of the evil god, the polluted gene banks, and the last hopes of this world.
...
Three days later.
“Mr. Matthew.”
The silver-haired woman’s voice came through the communicator, more urgent than usual, even carrying a hint of a tremor.
“Headquarters has detected an anomaly.
“Deep in the Corrupted Plains, all Aberrant gathering zones have begun to move simultaneously.
“This is not a small-scale probe like before. It is... an all-out offensive.”
Jiang Lin’s brow furrowed slightly as he took out the locator and pressed the video call button.
A holographic image of the silver-haired woman expanded in the air. Her silver combat suit was damp with dew; she had clearly gone another night without sleep.
“The numbers?”
“We are still calculating, but preliminary estimates suggest...”
She paused, her voice dry.
“At least five hundred thousand.”
Five hundred thousand.
Jiang Lin’s fingers tapped lightly on the rusted railing in a steady rhythm, matching the pace of his heartbeat.
“The direction?”
“They are all heading for our defensive lines.
“Advancing from three directions simultaneously.
“The west route passes through the Blood Swamp, the center route is aimed straight at the Rust Mine, and the east route circles the perimeter of the Rust Iron Wasteland.
“The vanguard is expected to arrive within two days.”
“Two days...”
Jiang Lin pondered for a moment.
He stared at the three massive dark red arrows on the locator screen, slowly closing in from three directions like three beasts opening their maws to swallow this newly reclaimed land.
“Five hundred thousand...”
Jiang Lin fell into deep thought.
Thirty-four thousand against five hundred thousand.
In terms of pure numbers, the Blood Demons were at an absolute disadvantage.
But over the past month, his Blood Demon Legion had long since ceased to be a simple force of rampaging beasts.
With every battle, they were evolving, adapting, and growing stronger.
Furthermore, in the coming battle, they would definitely be able to continue doubling their numbers.
“Bloodspeakers.”
Jiang Lin’s voice was not loud, yet it clearly reached the depths of the consciousness of the thirty-four Bloodspeakers.
Thirty-four blood-colored figures rose from the legion, hovering around him.
The crystals in the center of their masks flashed simultaneously, and invisible mental waves spread out like ripples, covering the entire front line of the Blood Demon Legion.
He divided them into eight squads, respectively mobilizing one thousand Blood Demons.
“First and Second Squads, hold the defensive line at Rusty Town.
“Third and Fourth Squads, the Rust Mine.
“Fifth and Sixth Squads, the Blood Swamp.
“Seventh and Eighth Squads, the Rust Iron Wasteland.”
He paused, his gaze sweeping over the three dark red arrows.
“The west route of Aberrants is taking the Blood Swamp. The terrain there is muddy, and the mobility of the Bloodblade Butchers will be restricted.
“Therefore, the Fifth and Sixth Squads must not fight head-on. Utilize the aerial advantage of the crimson claw-wings and the long-range curses of the cursed blood bone dolls to wear them down.
“Stretch the front line and slow their advance.”
Jiang Lin issued his orders, and the Bloodspeakers silently relayed them.
The Blood Demon Legion began to move slowly, starting up like a precision war machine.
“The center route is the main force, with at least two hundred thousand. Their target is the Rust Mine.”
Jiang Lin’s voice remained calm.
“That is the heart of our defensive line and the hub for our breeding farm and supply lines. It cannot be lost.”
He raised his right hand, palm facing down.
The Sea of Blood surged, and thick blood-colored energy erupted from beneath his feet, spreading rapidly through the air.
The Third and Fourth Squads only had twelve thousand units; they could not stop two hundred thousand.
Therefore, he needed more Blood Demons.
He had not used all the flesh and blood from the previously slain Aberrants to summon Blood Demons.
Maintaining Blood Demons required a massive amount of flesh and blood; without a sufficient supply, they could not be sustained.
Thus, once the Blood Demons reached a certain number, Jiang Lin had stopped summoning and instead had them collect the excess flesh and blood.
Five hundred, one thousand, two thousand...
By the time the three thousandth new Blood Demon struggled out of the Sea of Blood, Jiang Lin’s face was as pale as paper.
Though it did not consume his magic essence, acting as the bridge to the Blood Realm still took a toll on his mental strength.
But he did not stop.
Five thousand, seven thousand, ten thousand...
When sixteen thousand Blood Demons had been summoned, Jiang Lin’s body swayed slightly.
Waves of sharp pain emanated from the sea of consciousness within him.
But it was worth it.
On the center defensive line, the number of Blood Demons surged from twelve thousand to twenty-eight thousand.
Combined with the forces on the west and east routes, his total strength exceeded fifty thousand.
Fifty thousand against five hundred thousand.
While still at a disadvantage, he at least had the capital to face them head-on.
He planned to rest for a moment before summoning sixteen more 3rd-rank Bloodspeakers to precisely control these Blood Demons.
“The east route Aberrants will circle the perimeter of the Rust Iron Wasteland. The terrain there is open, suitable for the Bloodblade Butchers to exert their strength.”
Jiang Lin continued to issue orders while recovering his strength.
“The Seventh and Eighth Squads do not need to hold their ground to the death. You may retreat appropriately to draw the enemy into the pre-set ambush zones.
“We have pre-arranged blood crystal traps there; they will be more than enough for the enemy.”
Blood crystal traps were evolved from the crystals on the backs of Bloodblade Butchers.
Meanwhile, the already summoned Bloodspeakers sent back silent responses, and portions of the Blood Demon Legion began moving toward their respective directions.
Once his mental strength had recovered slightly, Jiang Lin continued to consume flesh and blood to summon the remaining sixteen 3rd-rank Bloodspeakers.
Then, Jiang Lin leaped onto the back of a peak 3rd-rank crimson claw-wing and took one last look at the three dark red arrows closing in on the locator screen.
“Let’s go.
“To the center route first.”
A blood-colored streak of light shot into the sky, hurtling toward the Rust Mine.
The Rust Mine, once a nest for Aberrants, was now the core of the Blood Demon Legion's defensive line.
When Jiang Lin arrived, twenty-eight thousand Blood Demons were already in formation.
Crimson claw-wings occupied all the high points above the mine, their bone wings like sharp blades under the dark red sky.
Bloodblade Butchers had constructed three defensive lines around the mine, each five hundred meters apart, with five hundred Bloodblade Butchers guarding each line.
Cursed blood bone dolls hovered deep within the mine, their tiny bone fingers raised, ready to release curses at any moment.
“Report on the situation.”
Jiang Lin landed at the edge of the mine and issued the order to the Bloodspeaker stationed there.
The crystal in the center of the Bloodspeaker’s mask flashed slightly, and an invisible mental wave transmitted the status map of the entire battlefield into Jiang Lin’s consciousness.
The main force of Aberrants was still one hundred and fifty kilometers from the Rust Mine. At their current speed, they would arrive in approximately twelve hours.
But the vanguard had already arrived.
Jiang Lin closed his eyes and “saw” those Aberrants through the Bloodspeaker’s mental link.
Approximately thirty thousand of them, primarily Devourers and Piercers, were approaching from the southeast.
They were in no hurry to attack, instead stopping fifty kilometers from the defensive line, seemingly waiting for the main force behind them.
“This is a probe.
“They are testing the strength of our defensive line,” Jiang Lin analyzed.
He recalled Dr. Villa’s words:
Aberrants have no intelligence, only instinct.
But the evil god surely has it.
These organized attacks and this precise tactical arrangement were very likely being orchestrated by the evil god Mozos behind the scenes.
Clearly, it had noticed the counterattack of the Blood Demon army.
That was why this large-scale counter-offensive was happening now.
It was even learning, adapting, and searching for the Blood Demon Legion's weaknesses.
“Then let it look.”
Jiang Lin’s mind stirred.
“Withdraw half of the Bloodblade Butchers from the first defensive line, leaving only two hundred. Do not expose all the crimson claw-wings; send only five hundred on patrol. Hide all the cursed blood bone dolls deep in the mine; do not let them show themselves.”
The Bloodspeaker silently relayed the orders.
The defensive line began to change.
The once-dense array of Bloodblade Butchers became sparse, and the number of crimson claw-wings patrolling the sky was reduced by more than half.
From a distance, the defensive strength of the Rust Mine appeared much weaker than it actually was.
This was a trap set by Jiang Lin.
He wanted the evil god to believe that the main force of the Blood Demon Legion was scattered across other defensive lines and that the Rust Mine was a weak link.
Then, when the main force of Aberrants attacked with everything they had, the cursed blood bone dolls and reserves hidden deep in the mine would give it a surprise.
...
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