Magic Industrial Age.

Chapter 445-443: The Army Flooded (Please Subscribe)
At the end of October, in the new divine calendar 314.

The northeastern part of the Bonaparte Empire, where the Isher Canal is located.

More than a decade ago, when the magic industry of the Habsburg Empire was booming, transportation became an urgent problem to be solved.

This sparked a debate that lasted for more than a decade regarding modes of transportation, which can be mainly divided into the railway faction and the canal faction.

That is, whether to build railways as the main means of transportation or to dig canals to connect different rivers to facilitate transportation.

Later, with the emergence of the Magic Power Truck, building highways also became one of the factions.

To be precise, each of the three parties has its own advantages and disadvantages, and its own characteristics. To insist on comparing their merits and demerits is itself a biased approach.

The Habsburg Empire also made the most suitable choices based on different provinces and geographical environments.

Similarly, this trend also spread to the Bonaparte Empire.

The Bonaparte royal family did not give up easily; they summoned many scholars to discuss the matter and eventually came up with a series of solutions.

Of these plans, some were abandoned outright, some were abandoned halfway through, but some were ultimately implemented.

The Isher Canal is one of them.

It originates from the Monz-Kassel River, flows in an arc through the West Flanders department, passes through Nieuport, and finally flows into the Silver Sea.

Once completed, the Iser River immediately became the busiest canal in the northern part of the Bonaparte Empire, and its abundant water irrigated vast tracts of fertile land on both banks, turning them into the best farmland.

This area also became one of the best grain-producing regions in the Bonaparte Empire.

In October, the harvest season, the wheat fields here are already rippling in the breeze.

If these grains are harvested and stored intact, it will certainly alleviate the logistical pressure on the Allied forces.

But this is something the empire will not allow.

Therefore, another fierce battle was brewing here.

The riverbanks are lined with fortified walls.

On one side were trenches and bunkers, layer upon layer, forming a tight defensive line.

Inside the trench, you could still see the barrels of field guns sticking out, pointing into the distance.

There were also densely packed Imperial soldiers moving about, transporting bullets, grenades, weapons, and food.

As the war dragged on, everyone realized that placing cannons outdoors was a very foolish thing to do.

Both sides have air units; dropping a bomb or casting a ranged spell from afar can destroy a large number of magic cannons.

So they began to try to dig bigger and more concealed trenches, and then push the magic cannons into them, using trees as cover, in order to reduce losses in the war.

On the other side of the river, a city stands tall.

Dixmede, one of the major northern cities of the Bonaparte Empire, was an economic and trade center, a distribution center for goods, and a concentration of people.

This place was once synonymous with prosperity; at night, the lights were never turned off and there was no curfew.

But by this time, sacks filled with earth and stones were used to build walls, and machine guns were set up in key locations every few streets.

The buildings on both sides were cleared out, and the interiors were filled with Allied soldiers resting.

Magic cannons were set up at the highest and most strategic locations, and magic gunners were assigned to them.

Currently, the Allied Forces' magic-powered legions are still few in number.

The main problem is that training soldiers with magical abilities takes time. Those who can read are better off, taking about three to six months, but for those who cannot read, just getting them to literacy is a real ordeal.

Moreover, while shooting is easy, artillery is a technical job, especially for main gunners. To shoot accurately, they must learn to calculate the trajectory of the bullet.

If you want to calculate the trajectory accurately, sorry, you'll need calculus!
Those magic apprentices who were the first to gather in the allied forces and survived were all reassigned as artillerymen.

The more they understand the magic-powered machines and the more they realize their value, the more reluctant they are to send them into battle.

Even though it is so precious, it is still equipped with three artillery battalions and five magic gun brigades, which shows the importance the Allied forces attach to it.

However, when the empire had amassed enough troops and was ready to take it all in one fell swoop, such importance seemed rather ridiculous.

At some point, a series of artillery shells were fired, and shells with trails of flame rose into the sky and exploded high in the air.

Then, light shone in all directions, making the night seem like daytime.

Under the light, the outline of Dixmed City was clearly visible.

Illumination flares, one of the Empire's newest special shells, have only one effect: turning night into day. Moreover, they seem to be infused with magic, lasting for an extremely long time.

These flares also triggered panic among the Allied soldiers in Dixmede.

They expected a devastating attack, but in reality, nothing happened after they waited for a long time.

A buzzing sound could be heard from the horizon.

Those were dozens of magical flying machines, the noise of them tearing through the void. They were in formation of three, arranged like arrowheads, chasing after the light.

They were almost all jet black, like ghosts in the night.

Only the aircraft that served as the arrowhead was strikingly bright red.

That is, the Red Baron, Richthofen!

The flares were there to guide them to their location.

They swept through the city, dropping a small number of bombs, but causing chaos and commotion.

The feeling of having a sword hanging over one's head makes it difficult for anyone to remain calm.

Of course, there are also countermeasures within the city!
A dozen or so flying magical beasts, piloted by knights, ascended into the sky. Wyverns, griffins, giant eagles—they were all there!
These knights either brandished weapons or threw out magic scrolls, which was a considerable effort to defend themselves.

But their numbers were far too few, far too few, to stop the formation of magical flying vehicles.

Therefore, another third-tier extraordinary expert unleashed his battle qi, which transformed into wings, and soared into the sky to fight fiercely.

Before the war, the extraordinary combat skill 'Battle Qi Wings' was a closely guarded secret of many families. But now, the allied forces wish that every third-tier expert could fly.

Their intervention did indeed stop some of the magic-powered aircraft, and the two sides began to fight each other, resulting in casualties.

However, this is just the beginning!
At the edge of the sky, more magical flying vehicles came charging menacingly, but that wasn't all. The most terrifying thing was the three Zeppelins following behind.

In fact, the carrying capacity of magic-powered aircraft is limited; they cannot carry many bombs and have little bombing effect.

But the Zeppelin airship is different!

It is slow and large, which makes it look unsafe and it is indeed unsafe, but its load-bearing capacity is also there.

One squadron of magical aircraft engaged the enemy air force, while another squadron escorted them, and three Zeppelins unleashed a barrage of bombs.

As a result, wherever it passed, cities were engulfed in a roaring, intense sea of ​​fire.

This wave resulted in countless deaths and injuries, causing widespread panic and eroding morale.

But that wasn't the end of it. As the Zeppelin airships drifted away, the shelling from the opposite bank of the river began.

Amidst the billowing smoke, each flash of the shell's exhaust brought with it a deafening roar.

And moments later, a distant roar, an explosion, and billowing smoke.

Having lost their formation, the artillerymen were free to do whatever they wanted, and without any more barrages, they just unleashed a barrage of fire.

The results it brought were astonishing!
Especially in the city, explosions were everywhere, leaving the coalition soldiers bewildered.

At the same time, a fourth-tier mage appeared beside the River Iser.

He walked step by step into the river, protected by multiple layers of shields. His opponents, including magic gunners, were also watching him, trying to kill him, but their attacks were blocked by the magic shields.

He then took out a magic scroll, which he slowly unfurled while chanting a mysterious incantation.

On this battlefield, the deafening explosions could not conceal the restless fluctuations of the elements.

As the frost spread outward from the fourth-tier mage, the splashing water was cooled and froze in mid-air.

The water surface froze, and in just a few dozen breaths, the entire river was completely frozen.

Looking into the distance, the river appears to have stopped, covered in ice, and eventually leads to the city.

At this point, the last obstacle to the attack had disappeared.

The piercing sound of bugles rang out, and countless imperial soldiers charged out with their weapons in hand.

They strode quickly across the solid ice, traversing the hundreds of meters wide river in just a few seconds.

The city's defense system has been completely breached, and even the sandbag walls facing the riverbank are riddled with holes from the artillery fire.

Dixmed City is now completely undefended; it seems like it could be taken down with a mere flick of the wrist!
Meanwhile, inside the city, in the underground command post.

The magic mirror reflected the terrible battle situation outside. Everyone remained silent, not even daring to breathe heavily.

Until a middle-aged general with gray hair waved his hand and said, "Pass down the order to execute the 'mutual destruction' plan!"

One of the staff officers couldn't help but say, "General, is there really no other way? If we take that step, we'll all be sinners!"

Do you have any other ideas?

"me……"

"If not, then go ahead and do it!"

"Yes!"

A moment later, an order was sent far away through a magical communication array.

Then, upstream on the Isher Canal, a mage who had received orders couldn't help but wipe the sweat from his hands.

In the end, he gritted his teeth, lost his magic, and activated the buried bomb.

Then, a thunderous roar resounded, and the sluice gate blocking the river shattered in the explosion.
Then, the vast river water poured out, turning into a raging flood that surged through the riverbed and quickly overflowed the banks, submerging the fertile fields.

Meanwhile, in Dixmed City, the Imperial soldiers, who had been confident of victory, witnessed a horrifying scene.

On the canal, the water surged forth like thousands of galloping horses.

The river surface, which had been frozen by magic, was completely shattered into pieces by the flood.

As for the imperial soldiers on the ice, they were no match for them; a single wave swept them away completely.

However, they were not the only ones taken away.

Whether it's the trenches here or the cities there, at this very moment, everything is submerged by the flood, turning into a vast swamp.

Behind the Imperial front lines, inside the command post.
Upon hearing the news, the imperial general couldn't help but stare blankly at the distant battlefield.

After a long pause, he finally said, "To injure the enemy a thousand while losing eight hundred of your own, that's truly ruthless!"

Yes, this bombing almost completely destroyed the best production areas of the Bonaparte Empire, resulting in countless losses of people, economy, and food.

In comparison, the flooding of Dixmed City is nothing.

However, with this one move of flooding the army, the Empire's first major counter-offensive since the Battle of the Marne failed!
(End of this chapter)