Chapter 362: Elite Guard and the Dungeon （Part 1）
The 1,500 Elite Guard are super soldiers that the territory has spent a full 30 years building. 1,000 of them are Teutonic Knights enhanced by the T-Virus. Each one is 2.3 meters tall, possessing physical abilities and resilience that surpass human limits. They are equipped with relatively mature Elite Guard Power Armor, standard-issue Bolters and Chainswords. When they cut down enemies, it’s incredibly efficient. Although there are only 1,000 of them, they are enough to crush tens of thousands of troops.
The remaining 500 are 300 Limit Warriors and 200 Witch Hunters, two types of true monsters that surpass even the Elite Guard.
As the territory’s most successful bio-modification project, Limit Warriors stand at 2.5 meters tall and weigh close to half a ton. However, their physique is muscular but not bulky. On the contrary, Limit Warriors are agile and their reactions exceed the human range. Using a Chainsword to cut down a fly is child’s play for them.
This is the result of their higher cellular density and extremely developed neural networks. It can be said that every Limit Warrior represents the peak of power below Legendary.
In comparison, the Witch Hunters are also not inferior. These female warriors who originated as witches possess even more refined combat techniques than the Limit Warriors. They are proficient in magic spells, curses, and potions, and have also received training in related skills like those of ninjas, thieves, and demon hunters. In terms of methods, they are the most diverse and difficult to guard against in the territory.
The Elite Guard excels in frontal assaults, the Limit Warriors in unparalleled breakthroughs, and the Witch Hunters in unconventional tactics and tricks. The three complement each other. It’s hard to imagine what kind of army could withstand them.
It can be said that these 1,500 people are the true foundation of the territory’s strength. Even Owen couldn’t find any flaws in them.
However, after looking at the resources consumed by these 1,500 people, Owen’s face changed. They cost more than the entire 50,000-strong army combined.
The main reason is that the Power Armor is too expensive. Even the simplified Elite Guard Power Armor is made using Mithril Steel framework and Composite Armor, making it sturdy and durable, and it can also be enchanted.
In addition, the Power Backpack is also a relatively successful imitation of the Energy Core. Even in this world, it is a remarkable technology.
To say that the combined production cost is equal to the same weight in gold is a bit of an exaggeration, but it is indeed much more expensive than the same weight in silver.
Not to mention the exclusive Power Armor for Limit Warriors, which uses Adamantine Steel framework and Mithril Steel armor. Its value is even higher than the same weight in gold.
Even the seemingly less expensive Witch Hunters require a long training period and consume a large amount of magical resources.
It can be said that none of the three professions that make up the Elite Guard are cheap.
Although expensive, in terms of combat effectiveness, the 1,500-strong Elite Guard winning against a 50,000-strong modernized army is only a matter of time. So Owen felt conflicted.
In any case, the existence of the Elite Guard did give Owen confidence, filling the gap between the territory’s ordinary army and Legendary combat power. But what was strange was, without him exchanging for them, where did the territory get so many Teutonic Knights?
After reading the report, he understood. Teutonic Knights are powerful, but they are also a unit type from the Age of Empires. This means that as long as someone has the physical qualities and potential, they can become a Teutonic Knight through training.
The only problem is that Teutonic Knights are superhuman. Even knights find it difficult to achieve such an exaggerated level of physical prowess. It’s no exaggeration to say that they are one in ten thousand. So previously, the Teutonic Knights in the territory were all exchanged for by Owen.
However, with more and more Northland Barbarians joining the territory, there is now a foundation for the emergence of Teutonic Knights on a larger scale.
The Northland Barbarians, based on physical qualities alone, can be said to be at the peak of pure-blooded humans. Therefore, there is no shortage of candidates with the potential to become Teutonic Knights.
Moreover, after coming to the territory, they have no worries about food and clothing, and their physique can be further improved through systematic training. They are the best source of soldiers.
Owen was immediately delighted. As the ace unit of the Age of Empires, even without further enhancements, Teutonic Knights equipped with well-crafted armor can still withstand firearm damage to a certain extent. At least ordinary bullets have difficulty penetrating steel armor that is almost a finger thick.
If they are enhanced by the T-Virus and further equipped with Power Armor, unless directly hit by artillery, these guys are practically invincible on the battlefield. Otherwise, how could they live up to their expensive equipment?
Seeing this, Owen couldn’t help but head to the Underground City, because the enhancements and equipment for both the Elite Guard and the Limit Warriors originated from there.
The Underground City is still divided into three levels, but in reality, the interior has become much more complex. Especially the first level, as the headquarters of Root, it has been continuously expanding on the basis of the original first level. All sorts of secret passages and mechanisms are spread throughout North City, like roots.
At the same time, because it absorbed the Black Hand’s branch in the Northland, in addition to the ninja system, it also incorporated professions like thieves, robbers, and assassins. The number of informants and spies on the periphery is even more countless. Relying on these, Root’s intelligence network has been laid out to the North Gate Border City Alliance and is currently infiltrating the Hundred Cities Alliance and the Five Southern Kingdoms. However, it still needs more time. After all, personnel need to be trained, intelligence needs to be collected, not to mention the conflicts with other forces, especially the Black Hand. It can be said that both sides have formed a deep hatred.
Currently, the three leaders of Root are Samui, Shinobi, and Mabui, who he summoned before leaving.
Samui and Shinobi need no further introduction. Mabui was the Fourth Hokage’s secretary. She is good at judging and analyzing battle situations and is very capable. She has contributed greatly to Root’s rapid development.
However, the main reason Owen chose to summon her was because of Mabui’s unique secret technique, the “Heavenly Sending Technique,” a ninjutsu that can teleport any object to any location at the speed of light. This secret technique is not affected by any conditions or regions, making it a ninjutsu version of a drop pod.
The initial version of the Heavenly Sending Technique had many flaws, such as limitations on quantity and weight, and a lack of effective protection. This meant that ordinary people could not withstand the drop pod-style delivery method because they would be torn apart by air friction midway. After all, this is not parachuting, but projection at an unimaginable high speed, like a missile. How could a normal person withstand that?
After continuous research, the delivery capacity of the Heavenly Sending Technique has been greatly improved. As for the lack of protection, this thing was never intended for ordinary people. After all, compared to delivering a bunch of soldiers, it’s far more cost-effective to deliver terrifying killing machines like Limit Warriors. Not to mention it can also be used to deliver bombs or biochemical weapons.
In fact, with control of this powerful weapon, North City would no longer be restricted by the Northland. The problem is that without Owen, the system-converted population is fine and wouldn’t have any questions, but once they expand and the population increases, it will definitely lead to instability. This is also the reason why Maya, despite having such resources and foundation, has always been limited to the Northland.
After inspecting everything, Owen was very satisfied. In fact, he didn’t understand the current operation of Root at all. He only knew that if he needed information, he could just ask them for it.
