"The 'secret weapon' you were talking about is just these crummy iron sticks?"
Over two meters tall, the dragon-blooded hobgoblin and military commander of Cinder Nest, Duoluo, looked down at the human before him, his small golden eyes filled with doubt.
The player with the ID "Qiexuebifu" hurried forward to explain, "This is Foe-Breaker Fire, the latest firearm developed by our Storm Armory. Although it's still a smoothbore gun, modifications to the barrel have significantly boosted its accuracy and range, even if its stopping power decreased slightly..."
Duoluo picked up a gun at random, weighed it in his hand, and sneered dismissively, "With a short little stick like this, what are you supposed to attack enemies with? In real war, the most effective weapons are the spears, bows, and warhammers in our hands!"
He casually tossed the so-called "rifle" aside.
Seeing the gun about to hit the ground, Qiexuebifu nimbly lunged forward and caught it, dreading any dings or dents.
Though he looked down on this dragon-blooded hobgoblin's ignorance, Qiexuebifu still took the initiative to say, "Lord Duoluo, that's not how this thing is used. Allow me to demonstrate it for you."
Just then, a hobgoblin tender happened to lead an aurochs past them not far away.
Even though Duoluo dismissed such toys, he also wanted to see what the fellow could pull off, so he gave a slight nod of assent.
"Please step aside."
Qiexuebifu practicedly loaded the ammunition, held his breath, and raised the gun to aim.
*Bang!*
A thunderous crack rang out as wisps of blue-gray smoke curled from the muzzle.
The massive body of the aurochs collapsed with a crash. Its flank was riddled with dense puncture holes; steel balls were embedded deep within its flesh and even internal organs, its body virtually turned into a sieve by this single shot.
Duoluo sucked in a sharp breath.
Seeing this thing fell an aurochs in a single shot, he quickly realized its significance on the battlefield.
And its power wasn't even the most terrifying part. Strictly speaking, a bow and arrow could also achieve such one-shot lethality; it just required an exceptional archer.
The truly terrifying thing about this object called a "rifle" was that using it had virtually no barrier to entry. Even the lowest, weakest goblin could pick up a gun and pull the trigger.
Just that alone would allow them to hold their own in an exchange of fire against a skilled archer.
One had to understand that archers were absolute elites in an army, requiring tremendous resources to train, whereas goblins were the most plentiful expendables—a single litter produced a whole brood.
Growing rather excited, he grabbed the human's shoulders, his hot breath practically blasting into Qiexuebifu's face. "These iron sticks—how many can you make?"
Qiexuebifu corrected quietly, "It's the 'Foe-Breaker Fire' rifle."
Duoluo said, "Whatever it's called, I'm asking you: how many can you make?"
Qiexuebifu pondered for a moment before answering, "After all, our Storm Armory was only recently built, and our workforce isn't very large. If we rush and push as hard as we can, we should be able to make three hundred rifles before the war begins. As for bullets, we can supply as many as you need, since Cinder Nest has plenty of raw materials."
"Very good."
Duoluo had already anticipated this number.
After all, expecting such a battlefield killer to be mass-produced casually like ordinary swords was unrealistic. Even with just three hundred rifles, if used properly, they could sway the tide of a battle; Duoluo understood this deeply.
Qiexuebifu returned to the armory to report the situation.
Soon, Zhandi Lunyiren arrived at the Dragon Valley military camp with a hundred guns and a cart full of ammunition.
He said to Duoluo, "This is all the stock we have right now."
Duoluo nodded and summoned several burly bugbears to transport them back into the camp.
However, Zhandi Lunyiren leaned in and said to him, "Lord Duoluo, our Storm Armory has also specifically prepared corresponding tactics for this weapon. You might want to try them out."
"Oh? What tactics?"
Duoluo's curiosity was piqued; hobgoblins never tired of discussing war.
Zhandi Lunyiren pulled out a crinkled piece of parchment covered in crude stick figures.
"An ancient, simple, yet effective tactic. We usually call it—"
Lowering his voice with feigned mystery, he whispered:
"Line up and get shot."
***
Three days later, Dragon Valley.
It was time for another routine military drill.
Whenever this took place, the red dragon would appear at the entrance of Giant's Mouth Cave, looking down to inspect the troops, boosting morale, and preparing for the upcoming war.
Only this time, there was a special hobgoblin unit equipped with new weapons in the ranks.
"Master, this drill will certainly satisfy you."
Duoluo waited respectfully at the side, his tone rather excited.
"Oh?"
Cassius was quite intrigued.
He could roughly guess that the Machine Cult players had played a role in this.
The military drill began. All the minions wanted to show off before the red dragon, so they gave it their all.
"For Cinder Nest!"
"WHAAAAH!"
It was still the familiar charge drill: burly bugbears raised giant hammers, rushing onto the field like beasts, smashing violently into the straw scarecrows before them.
"Heave-ho!"
Short goblins followed closely behind, hurling short spears that stuck into the targets.
"For Lord Cassius!"
There was also a well-equipped hobgoblin unit, shields in their left hands, blades and spears in their right, advancing in a tight formation.
"Not bad, I am quite pleased," Cassius remarked casually.
He didn't really care much about these troops; these monsters were not the foundation of his power, and he wouldn't feel the slightest pinch even if they were all wiped out.
Duoluo said excitedly, "Master, it isn't over yet."
War drums echoed across the valley.
*Boom, boom, boom!*
At the rear of the army, an elite unit of hobgoblins clad in plate armor appeared. Marching with synchronized steps, they kept time to the beat of the war drums, and every one of them carried Storm Armory's latest rifle—Foe-Breaker Fire.
Moreover, they had already loaded their ammunition before entering the field.
"Oh?"
Cassius's interest was piqued at once, his golden pupils lighting up slightly.
The hobgoblins marched in formation, halting about fifty meters from the straw targets and adjusting their line into a semicircular arc.
The drumsticks stopped; the drill ground fell silent.
Duoluo took a proud step forward and bellowed a command down to the troops:
"Ready!"
Following their usual training, the hobgoblins raised their rifles in unison, producing a chorus of sharp rustling clicks.
"Fire!"
They pulled the triggers.
*Bang!*
A single deafening roar shook the entire valley.
A wall of blue-gray smoke drifted lazily from the muzzles, the smell of gunpowder filling the air. Sweat dripped down the hobgoblins' foreheads, but they were thrilled by the spectacle.
As for the straw targets, they were torn to shreds in an instant by the hail of bullets, collapsing row upon row—a display of power that even left the red dragon thoroughly impressed.
"Line up and get shot?"
Cassius recognized the familiar tactic and didn't know whether to laugh or cry. These guys had actually brought this whole routine to Elezerg.
Nonetheless, the red dragon spread his wings and gazed down upon his minions from the clifftop, declaring:
"Excellent! I hope that on the battlefield to come, you will crush our enemies just like this, proving your loyalty to me with their blood."
Duoluo raised his gun high and shouted with exuberant vigor, "For the Master! For Cinder Nest!"
"For Cinder Nest!"
"For the Red Dragon's great will!"
"Conquer all!"
The troops below erupted into a frenzy, cheers surging like an endless tide that echoed long into the distance.
Chapter 97