Just as Alfred had predicted, Belial soon received news that something had happened at the mine. But Batman moved even faster, deciding to strike first.
Though the mine possessed extremely abundant mineral resources, it still could not compare to a fortress or a city. The complete production chain Batman envisioned required a city to realize, so he set his sights on Sandbar City, the closest city to the mine.
Though it was called Sandbar City, it was really more like a somewhat larger town. Still, it had a complete industrial chain: smelters, foundries, and most of the materials Batman needed for portals.
There was a garrison there, but General Corrupt Heart's status was special, and the demon soldiers under him were all elites. Sandbar City had received no warning to prepare defenses, so its guard was lax. Batman took the city with little effort.
With the first city secured, he could naturally begin building an industrial chain. Besides smelting ore and forging armor, they also needed to vigorously develop magical industry, research new potions, and establish new potion production lines.
There was also a rift behind Sandbar City, where flying beasts lived. They could be captured and tamed. Though flying beasts were not as powerful as flying-type demons, they still counted as an air force. Before long, Batman had formed bomber battalions and deployed them in the ensuing sieges.
The mine lay near the desert. There were not many cities in the desert itself, but several large cities stood along its edges. Most were major industrial cities that survived through mining ore or oil, smelting, casting, and similar industries.
These cities were heavily defended, but Batman was no longer weak. After gathering several towns in the desert, he had also built more than a dozen battalions with respectable combat strength,