Chapter 98: Chapter 28 Dolores’s New Army
“You call these ‘secret weapons’ just these broken iron rods?”
Dolores, the military leader of the Ashen Nest, a Dragon Vein Great Goblin over two meters tall, looked down at the human in front of him, his golden eyes filled with doubt.
Chekhov, the player, hurried forward to explain: “This is the latest model of firearm we researched at the Storm Arsenal, the Breaker of Enemies. Although it’s still a smoothbore gun, after modifying the barrel, while the power has somewhat decreased, its accuracy and range have significantly improved…”
Dolores casually picked up a gun, weighed it in his hand, and said disdainfully, “What can you attack with this little short stick? In war, the most effective weapons are our spears, bows, and warhammers!”
He casually threw the so-called “rifle” aside.
Seeing the gun about to hit the ground, Chekhov quickly stepped forward and caught it, fearing any damage.
Though he was scornful of Dolores’ lack of insight, Chekhov still took the initiative to say, “Lord Dolores, this thing is not used like that, let me demonstrate it for you.”
Coincidentally, a Goblin Breeder nearby was leading an aurochs.
Dolores, although dismissive of such a trifle, was also curious to see what would come of it, so he nodded slightly in approval.
“Please step back.”
Chekhov expertly loaded the ammunition, held his breath, and aimed the gun.
“Bang!”
A thunderous sound rang out, and wisps of blue smoke rose from the muzzle.
The enormous body of the aurochs collapsed with a thud, riddled with countless tiny holes. Steel balls were deeply embedded in its flesh, even its internal organs. The creature’s body was turned into a sieve by the single shot.
Dolores gasped in shock.
Seeing this weapon kill an aurochs with a single shot, he quickly realized its significance in warfare.
Moreover, its power wasn’t even the scariest part. If you had to compare, a bow and arrow could achieve the same lethal power, albeit needing an excellent archer.
This thing called a “rifle” was terrifying because it was almost without an entry threshold. Even the weakest, most inferior goblin could pick up a gun and pull the trigger.
Just by doing this, he could be on par in a shootout with a skilled archer.
Remember, archers were an absolute elite in the army, with high training costs, while goblins were the most abundant expendables, prolific in numbers.
He became somewhat excited, grabbing the human’s shoulders, his hot breath almost hitting Chekhov’s face: “How many of these iron sticks can you produce?”
Chekhov softly corrected: “It’s the ‘Breaker of Enemies’ rifle.”
Dolores said, “I don’t care what it’s called. I just want to know how many you can make.”
After a moment’s hesitation, Chekhov said, “Given that our Storm Arsenal was recently established and manpower is limited, if we expedite production, we should be able to make three hundred rifles before the war starts. As for bullets, we can supply them freely since the resources in the Ashen Nest are relatively abundant.”
“Very good.”
Hearing this number, Dolores was not surprised.
After all, expecting such battlefield weapons to be produced as easily as common swords was unrealistic. With just three hundred rifles, if used well, they might sway the course of a war. Dolores was deeply aware of this.
Chekhov returned to the arsenal to report the situation.
Soon, the Battlefield Wheelchair Man arrived at the Dragon Valley encampment with a hundred guns and a cart full of bullets.
He said to Dolores: “This is all our current stock.”
Dolores nodded, summoned several sturdy Bugbears, and prepared to transport them back to the encampment.
The Battlefield Wheelchair Man approached and said to him: “Lord Dolores, our Storm Arsenal has also provided tactical training for this weapon. You should try it.”
“Oh? What kind of tactics?”
Dolores was intrigued; Great Goblins were endlessly fascinated by war topics.
The Battlefield Wheelchair Man took out a crooked piece of parchment, on which simple little figures were drawn.
“An ancient, simple, yet effective tactic. We usually call it—”
He lowered his voice mysteriously:
“Firing squad.”
Three days later, in Dragon Valley.
It was another routine military drill.
At this time, the Red Dragon would appear at the entrance of the Giant’s Mouth Cave to inspect the troops from above, boosting morale and preparing for the coming war.
But this time, there was a special unit in the ranks, equipped with new weapons.
“Master, this drill will definitely satisfy you.”
Dolores waited respectfully on the side, his tone excited.
“Oh?”
Cassius was quite interested.
He could guess that the players from the Mechanical God Cult had played a significant role in this.
The military drill began, and all the retainers wanted to show off in front of the Red Dragon, so they worked extra hard.
“For the Ashen Nest!”
“WHAAAAH!”
It was a familiar charging drill. The burly Bugbears raised their giant hammers and charged forward like beasts, smashing the straw men in front of them.
“Hey-ho!”
The smaller goblins followed, throwing short spears at the targets.
“For Lord Cassius!”
A well-equipped Goblin Corps, holding shields in their left hands and knives and spears in their right, advanced in a tight formation.
“Not bad, I am quite pleased.”
Cassius casually assessed.
He didn’t really care much about these troops; these monsters were not crucial to his standing; even if they were all expended, he wouldn’t feel a thing.
Dolores said excitedly: “Master, it’s not over yet.”
The sound of war drums echoed through the valley.
“Boom, boom, boom!”
At the end of the ranks, an elite Goblin Corps appeared, clad in plate armor. Their steps were uniform, moving to the rhythm of the war drums, and each held the newest Breaker of Enemies rifle from the Storm Arsenal.
Moreover, they had loaded their ammunition before entering the field.
“Oh?”
Cassius’ interest was piqued, his golden pupils brightening slightly.
The goblins formed a line, halting at about fifty meters from the straw targets, arranging themselves in a semicircle.
The drumsticks stopped, and the training ground fell silent.
Dolores, quite pleased, stepped forward and yelled to the army below:
“Ready!”
The goblins raised their rifles according to their training, and a flurry of sounds followed.
“Fire!”
They pulled the triggers.
“Bang!”
A tremendous roar echoed through the valley.
A row of blue smoke slowly rose from the muzzles, the scent of gunpowder filling the air. Sweat dripped from the goblins’ foreheads, but they were also excited by the sight.
The straw targets were instantly shredded by countless bullets, falling in rows to the ground, the power making even the Red Dragon marvel.
“Firing squad?”
Cassius recognized the familiar tactic, feeling a bit amused. These guys had really brought this technique to Erezer.
However, the Red Dragon still spread his wings and looked down at his retainers from atop the mountain, saying:
“Excellent! I hope that in the future, you can smash the enemy on the battlefield just like this and prove your loyalty to me with their blood.”
Dolores raised his gun high, shouting spiritedly: “For the Master, the Ashen Nest!”
“For the Ashen Nest!”
“For the great will of the Red Dragon!”
“Conquer everything!”
The troops below erupted, their cheers rising like waves, unceasing for a long time.