Azeroth was a world where magic reigned supreme.
Magic here did not specifically mean the spells used by mages. It was a broad term encompassing many different elements, such as the Holy Light and nature's power. Anything supernatural fell within its scope.
In a world like this, developing technology and pursuing industrialization to replace magic was unrealistic.
Rex was not foolish enough to believe he was special, invincible, and capable of defying the natural order to accomplish feats no one else could.
Rex was a practical man. He would never touch a venture that was dangerous and carried an eighty percent chance of losing everything he invested.
Thus, his plan to establish industrial factories in the Kingdom of Gilneas was not an attempt to pursue pure industrialization. Magic would remain the foundation, with industry supporting it.
Industry could easily solve problems that magic could only address at great expense.
Fans and refrigerators, for instance, could all be produced through magic, but doing so would undoubtedly be costly. With technology and industry, however, the cost would be minimal.
The people of his previous life had vigorously developed industry because they had no choice. Industrialization was the only path available to them. This life was different. The existence of all sorts of supernatural powers naturally offered more choices.
There was another crucial point: industrialization could take him fifty steps forward, but the next fifty would present an insurmountable barrier unless all magic was abolished.
What Rex truly wanted to pursue was magical industry. Yet that path was extremely difficult, because only its earliest beginnings had appeared in Azeroth so far. Races such as the Dwarves, Gnomes, and Goblins had all stumbled upon it, but when choosing their direction, they had passed it over.
That was not because they lacked insight or failed