Chapter 112: Technology and Muskets

Chapter 112: Technology and Muskets

Rotar City, nestled between mountains, was a crucial transportation hub that one had to pass through when crossing the Mudo Mountains. Its strategic value was extremely high, and once occupied, it would be equivalent to controlling the supply lines of the western war route. As a result, the city was home to a significant number of stationed troops.

Due to its location, the city saw a high volume of merchants and travelers, making the composition of its population quite complex. Mountain dwellers, bandits, and thieves all gathered here. Even with the Kolon military occupying the city, they didn't have the resources to purge these elements. This created an environment conducive to covert operations.

The city was shrouded in thick fog, especially in the mornings, which would only clear by noon. In the southern slums, Duru, dressed as a merchant, gathered everyone in an open area. "I've made contact with Gandor's informant in the city. They will provide us with information on our target and assist us in completing our mission."

He continued, "Some of you are new to these operations and may not be familiar with each other. Let's introduce ourselves to make it easier to work together later." An elderly man with white whiskers stepped forward, "I'll start. My name is Bancroft, a member of the Alliance Exploration Team. I'm here temporarily to assist with this mission. I'm an intermediate apprentice wizard, specializing in Energy Manipulation Magic and Puppetry."

Energy Manipulation Magic allowed the user to control various forms of energy to achieve desired outcomes, often producing spectacular effects and significant damage. Examples included Arcane Missiles, Magic Arrows, and Chain Lightning. Bancroft's introduction was met with interest, as his skills and age suggested he was among the top in his field, possibly comparable to some high-level apprentice wizards.

Next to introduce themselves were a couple, Ben and Xue Li. They were original members of the Starlight Secret Society and were well-known to everyone. Ben had striking features, with dense silver hair and a majestic demeanor, reflecting his good upbringing. Xue Li was bright and cheerful, with golden hair and a warm smile, clearly content with her marriage. They were both intermediate apprentice wizards, mainly studying Life Magic from the Nature School, with Xue Li also learning Bloodline Magic, possessing a thin lineage of Druid blood.

The revelation about Xue Li's Druid heritage sparked surprise, as such bloodlines were rare and mostly found in ancient lore. Following them, a young man named Nelius introduced himself. He was an intermediate apprentice wizard who had previously been a thief and specialized in Illusion Magic. Despite his unremarkable appearance and humble background, he was notable for being one of the rare individuals with a Tier 2 Wizard Talent, similar to Mortilis and Oma.

Gavin, a tall and handsome young man, stepped forward next. He was an intermediate apprentice wizard and a knight, specializing in Earth Magic and exceling in protective spells. Alongside him was Amy, who introduced herself as an intermediate apprentice wizard studying Wind Magic and had a magical creature named 'Little Wind.'

Just as Duru was about to proceed with the plan, Amy reminded him that Karl was still absent. Karl arrived shortly, looking fatigued, and apologized for the delay. The group was now complete, ready to discuss their next steps.

"Ah!"

"I'll introduce myself," Karl said with a stable spirit, "I'm Karl, a mid-tier wizard and a Grand Knight, my wizarding aptitude is quite poor, but I'm a great knight now, and I'm not bad at it either."

His body shook, and war aura burst forth, clearly demonstrating the essence of a Grand Knight.

Indeed, Karl had become a Grand Knight, a truly transcended to that level.

"……Good!" Duru laughed, "You're quite strong, and as a wizard, you're not bad at all. We could use the hearted the essence of the Grand Knight."

Karl's strength was astonishing, and even Bebel, who had been taking care of him, was still marveling at his prowess.

It had been a while since Karl became a mid-tier wizard, but he hadn't mentioned anything else.

"Huh?"

Karl had a complex expression as if he had seen something unbelievable.

These were firearms!

The people from the Black Swamp were bewildered, and only Karl seemed to have seen something incredible.

"What is this thing?" Duru asked, confused.

"It's a gun!" Karl replied, holding up a 'gun.'

The firearm was from his memories, and it wasn't just any gun – it was a primitive firearm, the kind that changed the course of war.

In his memories, the gun was a revolutionary war weapon, completely changing the way wars were fought.

The people from the Black Swamp were perplexed, and only Karl seemed to have seen the unimaginable.

"This... is a gun!" Karl said, his eyes complicated.

He remembered the guns!

And it wasn't just a gun; it was a primitive firearm, a game-changer in warfare.

"Even if it's a knight, once surrounded by several of these things, it's hard to survive without armor," Karl said, picking up a 'gun.'

"Even if it's not the beginning, the kingdom's king has developed what's known as 'technology,' and there are firearms, but the war is mostly fought with knights and magic."

Karl's memories of the gun were from a time when it was a groundbreaking weapon, completely altering the way wars were fought.

The people from the Black Swamp looked at each other in confusion, and only Karl seemed to have seen something incredible.

"This is a... cannon?" Bebel asked, his face grim.

"Kolon's military developed these using the power of gunpowder; they can cause massive damage to iron armor," Karl explained.

"Even among knights, once surrounded by several of these, it's difficult to survive, even without armor."

The people from the Black Swamp were stunned, and only Karl seemed to have seen something incredible.

Karl's strength was astonishing, and Bebel was still in awe of his prowess.

"That's... quite a remarkable," Bebel said, still in shock.

"Karl, you're... really strong, and as a wizard, you're not bad either."

Karl's abilities were remarkable, and Bebel was still amazed by his strength.

"Come, let's discuss this further," Bebel said, calling everyone over to a table with a map on it, which was Rotar City.

"Bob is currently living in the north of the city, heavily guarded by hundreds of soldiers, and he has a gun."

Duru pointed to a location far from Bob's residence, which is relatively safe to share knowledge, and by sharing it, we can all learn from each other.

"Please, this way," Bebel said, calling everyone over to a table with a map of Rotar City on it.

The map was of the city, and Bebel pointed to Bob's residence, which was far from Bob's.

"His Highness, the King of Kolon's sister, lives there, and the guards are relatively lax."

Karl thought for a moment.

"Let'ss," Karl said, "We should act, and it will be easier to catch Bob off guard."

"But we can borrow her to lure away the guards around Bob, making the assassination attempt much easier."

Duru rested his chin on his hand and nodded slowly.

Two days later.

The sky was hazy.

"I, Karl, Bancroft, Ben, and the Snowberry couple will assassinate our target, Count Bob."

Duru gathered everyone and spoke in a solemn tone:

"Gavin, you, Nelius, and Amy will go to the King's cousin's manor and create a distraction to lure away the guards around Bob, creating an opportunity for us."

"Rest assured!"

"Priest Dempsey will join you, and he has several knights and over a dozen knight attendants by his side, all experienced warriors."

Over the past two days, the group had discussed their strategy and scouted the area, and now they were just going over the plan again.

Bancroft stepped forward and took out something resembling a beehive, handing it to Gavin.

His face contorted in pain.

"This is called a Firefly Puppet, and inside are over a hundred puppet worms. Each one is very small and won't attract attention. Place them in the right spots, and they can all be detonated simultaneously."

Bancroft explained:

"After the puppet worms explode, the flames they create are hard to extinguish, and you can use them to create chaos."

Gavin's eyes lit up:

"Thank you!"

With this, the plan would proceed more smoothly.

"Let's go!"

Duru waved his hand:

"We'll gather here once the task is complete. If anyone falls into danger... we'll save them if we can."

"If it's truly hopeless..."

"Then abandon them!"

"The difficulty of this task has exceeded our expectations, but fortunately, we have enough manpower and are still highly confident."

The group's expressions turned solemn, and they nodded in agreement.

…………

Suburbs.

Over a dozen figures took advantage of the fog's concealment and approached a manor.

"Nelius."

Among the three, Gavin had the hands, so it was only natural for him to take the lead. He handed the Firefly Puppet to his companion:

"You go and place the puppets."

"Okay."

Nelius, with his background as a thief and his training in illusion magic, was the most suitable for this task.

He took a step back and gently waved his staff, his figure wavering and gradually disappearing into the fog.

This wasn't a true invisibility spell.

But with the morning mist as cover, ordinary people would have a hard time noticing his presence, allowing him to silently and stealthily place the puppet worms.

"Priest Dempsey."

After a brief wait, Gavin spoke again:

"Let your people make their move!"

"Gavin!" Amy exclaimed in surprise:

"Nelius hasn't detonated the puppet worms yet."

According to the plan,

Nelius would first detonate the puppet worms to attract the Kolons' attention, then this side would take action, expanding their influence.

Finally, a few people would directly attack the target, creating a big commotion, and then retreat after the Kolons completed their encirclement.

Their goal on this trip wasn't to kill the King's cousin but to gradually create a disturbance, attract more soldiers, and facilitate Karl's actions. So they couldn't rush.

"Time's up."

Gavin shook his head:

"We can't let Nelius delay us. He might not have chosen the right moment, so we'll make our move first."

"But..." Amy wanted to speak, but the other waved her hand to stop her.

"Priest!"

"Make your move!"

Ever since witnessing the Kolons' developed flintlock muskets, Gavin's heart had been filled with trepidation, and his nerves were constantly on edge.

There were only three apprentice wizards on their side, and their strengths were not formidable. If they were truly surrounded...

He couldn't afford any mishaps! The other side had five people, all experts, so a little pressure was nothing.

"Okay."

Dempsey hesitated for a moment, then took out a whistle and blew it sharply, the piercing sound echoing in all directions.

Immediately.

"Bang!"

"Bang bang!"

"..."

Gunfire erupted around the manor, continuous and coming from various directions, causing an uproar.

These were all pre-arranged resistance fighters.

For today's plan, Dempsey had gathered all the city's resistance fighters, also intending to take a gamble.

"Amy!"

Gavin urged.

Amy reluctantly waved her staff and cast a spell:

"Wind Listener!"

Instantly.

Her ears quivered rapidly, and the surrounding sounds rushed into her eardrums, forming a three-dimensional image in her mind.

The movements of over a hundred people in the manor became crystal clear.

"Some of the soldiers in the manor are resisting, while others have gone to the backyard. Our target should be in the backyard."

She pointed to the wall in front:

"There are two hidden sentries behind this wall."

"Mhm."

Gavin nodded:

"Priest."

"God, grant those before me strength!"

"Speed!"

"Courage!"

Divine power descended from above, enveloping everyone present.

Instantly.

Everyone felt the abundant power, endless energy, and flexible joints within their bodies.

"God, grant you the eagle's eyes and the spider's sense."

"Sense Evil!"

Amy blinked.

She could feel her vision improving to an unprecedented level, and her perception of her surroundings became sharper.

She could even sense the hostile presences around her, as if all enemies appeared as red dots in her perception.

"Divine spells rarely kill directly, but in terms of auxiliary effects, they are indeed much stronger than wizardry."

"Wizardry usually can only be used on a single person, while divine spells can be cast on a large scale."

"Amy!"

Gavin instructed:

"You must carefully observe the surroundings. Once you discover a large number of Kolons rushing over, we'll immediately retreat. We must not engage in a fight."

"..." Amy sighed.

She already understood Gavin's thoughts: to complete the task as soon as possible, regardless of the outcome.

However, this would put a lot of pressure on Karl and the others.

As Gavin pointed his staff towards the wall in front of him, a thought flashed through his mind:

"Stone Dissolution!"

The sturdy wall, constructed from solid rocks, transformed into soft soil under the influence of the spell, crumbling to the ground.

"Charge!"

Dempus waved his hand vigorously.

The accompanying knights and their attendants rushed through the breach into the courtyard, swiftly eliminating the nearby dark sentries.

"Bang!"

Gunshots rang out, accompanied by loud roars.

"Help!"

"There's an assassin!"

...

"Hurry!"

Gavin waved his staff, causing the ground to ripple like water, knocking down several people in front of him.

Amy summoned a magical creature, and with a wave of her hand, a strong wind blew, blinding everyone with sand, and sharp wind blades whirled within.

The group charged into the courtyard, almost unstoppable.

...

On the rooftop.

Under the cover of their spells, they remained invisible to the naked eye.

Below, a large army rushed towards the princess's residence, surprising Duru and his companions, who then rejoiced.

"Well done, Gavin!"

Ben clapped his hands:

"He managed to draw away so many of them, making our mission much easier."

"Perhaps the people of Kolon didn't expect that besides the resistance from Gandor, there's also us in the city, so they were less guarded." Snowberry smiled:

"But this is a good thing."

"Quick and decisive." Duru thought further:

"We'll finish our target quickly, then go help Gavin; this time, they might have a big problem."

Everyone nodded in agreement.

For some reason, almost all the soldiers on this side were mobilized, enough to block off every street near the princess's residence.

Without any help, the chances of Gavin and his companions surviving were slim.

The methods of wizards were indeed mysterious and powerful, but they usually couldn't last long; once their mental strength was depleted, they might even be inferior to a knight's attendant.

"Charge!"

Duru waved his staff and took the lead, his body floating lightly as he rushed towards the manor, landing like an arrow being shot.

With their spells concealing them, ordinary people would find it hard to detect their presence.

Soon after.

The group of five arrived near a study.

"I sense eight auras."

Snowberry narrowed her eyes:

"There are two wizard apprentices, five knights, and one more aura that I can't sense clearly."

"That should be Bob."

She possessed the bloodline of a druid and specialized in perception spells, so she couldn't be wrong in this aspect.

"Get ready."

Duru took a deep breath, took out a bottle of potion and drank it, then used his staff to cast several buffs on himself.

Danger Sense!

Auto Evasion!

Minor Force Field!

...

The others did the same.

Everyone took at least one bottle of potion, and Ben even took three, stacking the buffs.

Life Spring!

Strength Potion!

Calming Potion!

Fast Casting!

...

Karl opened his mouth and obediently took out a bottle of potion that temporarily increased mental strength and drank it.

'No wonder they say that wizard apprentices can be deadly, and high wizard apprentices can even kill legendary knights.'

'With all these buffs, their damage output in a short time is several times that of normal times. Ben's use of multiple enhancement spells even temporarily makes his physical strength comparable to that of a grand knight.'

Actually, Karl also knew that this was the norm for wizard apprentices dueling; it was uncommon for them to fight unprepared.

It was just that he hadn't seen it before, so he was a bit surprised.

When everyone was ready, Duru took a deep breath, held his staff, and looked ahead:

"Let's go!"

Zero-Circle Spell - Soul Shock!

Bancroft's staff resembled an old man's cane, which he held with both hands, his eyes closed.

Zero-Circle Spell - Magic Missile!

Ben and Snowberry stood side by side, each opening their palms, from which seeds flew towards the front.

Zero-Circle Spell - Rapid Growth!

In an instant.

Enhanced by the stacked buffs, the terrifying zero-circle spells erupted simultaneously.

An invisible force field appeared out of thin air.

Countless magic missiles, each the size of a fist, rained down like a storm towards the study ahead.

Numerous vines with sharp thorns grew at an astonishing speed, enveloping the entire study.

Even a legendary creature would likely be torn to shreds in an instant under such an assault.

"Buzz..."

The surface of the study glowed red, and a shield made of converging flames appeared, immediately smashing the attack.

As the group began their assault, the leakage of psychic waves alerted the Kolon side.

However, with the Kolon side prepared and stacked with buffs, they clearly held the upper hand.

"Boom!"

Amidst the roars.

The study completely turned into ruins.

Five of the eight auras had disappeared, and the remaining three had become extremely weak.

"Hurry!"

Duru roared:

"Don't let them escape!"

"Bang!"

The ground beneath Karl's feet shook, and his body shot out like a cannonball with tremendous force.

In mid-air, his double swords clashed, striking down towards one person below.

"Clang..."

"Pfft!"

The person's head fell to the ground and immediately turned into stone under the effect of a petrification spell.

Hmm?

Something's wrong!

This person wasn't their target!

His heart raced, and he crossed his double swords in front of him, instantly casting the defensive spell, Water Guardian.

Along with Minor Force Field, Gravity Control, and more...

"Ding..."

A long sword slashed through the force field and the water current's obstruction, clashing with the crossed double swords.

A terrifying force exploded.

Karl's eyes widened, and the ground beneath him shook, sending him flying ten meters away.

"Huh?"

The attacker expressed surprise, seemingly unable to believe that his full-force strike had been blocked. He then flashed towards Ben and Snowberry.

"Be careful!"

"It's a legendary!"

Before he could finish his sentence, Ben's head had already detached from his body and flew high into the air.

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(End of Chapter)

Chapter end