The conflict between the Ning Family and the Zuo Family grew increasingly fierce. With other factions fishing in troubled waters as well, traffic between Dongshang Guard City and Amey City had been cut off. The area between the two cities had become the fiercest battleground. Even the savage wild beasts had the good sense to give these crazed humans a wide berth.
At first, facing the well-prepared Ning Family, the Zuo Family had been forced firmly onto the defensive. Soon, however, the Zuo Family allied with almost every faction in Dongshang Guard City, and the two sides rapidly became locked in a stalemate. The other factions trying to get a share of the spoils immediately complicated matters further.
Neither side, however, wanted to provoke the Federation Government. Thus, despite the ferocity of their clashes, they chose to fight outside the cities. Neither Dongshang Guard City nor Amey City suffered any serious damage, though scattered clashes still broke out from time to time.
Life had not been easy for the residents of either city lately. The intense fighting severely hampered the transport of supplies, sending prices soaring in both cities. Prices for supplies with both military and civilian uses, such as energy cards, rose to absurd heights.
A stalemate might have seemed relatively stable and dull, but the ones taking the field now were the experts on both sides.
They fought constant small-scale engagements in the area between the two cities. By now, both sides had nearly exhausted their cannon fodder. The contests were between mid- and high-level card adepts, turning this area into an arena where the elites of both sides tested their strength.
This localized conflict soon drew the attention of the entire Federation. Strangely, however, the Federation Government issued only a few lukewarm warnings and took no corresponding