Chapter 239: Gun Testing

Chapter 239: Gun Testing

Do you trust that girl?

I just met her. She could betray us and put in jeopardy our entire operation. But either I trust her, or I cant build what I need. The best people are those who serve out of their own volition, not those who are made to. If she finds purpose in this, then shell be the perfect lieutenant for this war.

I look at the class I got two nights ago when Via left.

[Leader Level 2]

Explain the merging of classes, once again, I tell the big half-giant. They know all my classes, but they also shared some of theirs in return. They told me its better if we play it smart and that I should refuse classes that wouldnt synergize together.

If you want to be an [Engineer], you have to be careful. The strongest or highest leveled class will prevail on the others and put the basis for what youll become. If you are more of a [Leader], its going to be something that influences [Engineers], that boosts them. You would have a class that makes [Engineers] better under your command. But if you want to be more of a [Gunman], then it will get tricky to have [Leader] absorbed under it. Leadership classes are usually the one prevailing upon others. To have [Leader] absorbed, you would have to keep it low-leveled, probably under level 10.

Its amazing how skills and levels work in this world. Few things are as amazing as the process of getting stronger and stronger by the simple concept of gaining a class or levels for your efforts.

Leaders bear the burden, I say. If you want to lead, you cant dedicate the time to become something else. The greatest need all their time to refine their crafts.

Correct.

What about the supply of steel? Whats the inventory like, is it going to be enough for the testing?

We pulled some strings and we are gathering more materials for the testing. Melior has asked for you to appear in the District today to supervise the prototypes.

Ive left very precise indications on how they should be built. Did he invite me just because of courtesy? I ask.

Cordius shrugs.

I look at all the books that I made them gather in one house. Its just a ten minutes walk to Meliors forge, but I need to know more about this world. All the strategies a person can concoct here could be foiled by one individual with the right skills and classes on the other side.

However, its hard to imagine someone would have high-leveled individuals on their side, especially a relatively small city like Keveiz. The half-giants of Leggiadra, even in their pitiful state, could easily raze it to the ground. The problems would arise from the other Humans and races of the continent who would come knocking right after.

Did Melior tell you to keep an eye on me?

He doesnt have to tell me. Its my job to maintain security among half-giants.

I almost jumped on the spot. But Melior actually did, clearly breathing faster than before. His apprentice dropped the papers and is now taking them up from the ground.

[A Blacksmiths Dear], my skill tells me that the weapon is still intact. It has sustained some damage but can probably keep shooting. Lets check.

When we go out, I see that the gun is still all in one piece, surprisingly. If you are not familiar with the standards of medieval forging, theres no way that a normal [Blacksmith] could have engineered something capable of withstanding the force generated to propel a bullet out of the chamber. This is a testament to Meliors skills.

He takes up the tube of metal after loosening the tongs and starts examining it. I look at the targets they placed around 40 meters from the guns. The one they aligned with the first gun has no bullet hole.

The trajectory was faulty, I tell Melior.

The tongs moved. The gun is still intact. Less damage than I thought. My skill gave me information I could not decipher well. The explosion was marked as damage, but theres no sign that this wouldnt be able to keep shooting all day long. How hot runs a smokeless powder?

No idea, I shrug. Well test that. Check the other tongs before we shoot the other guns.

It takes Melior half an hour to secure the guns in a way that the recoil wont mess up with the trajectory of the bullet. Im still skeptical of whether or not this guns can shoot straight, but Melior doesnt seem bothered at all by my doubtsif anything, this might be the first time Ive seen the guy smile.

He cant wait to prove me wrong.

And when the second gun shoots, thats what happens. He does prove me wrong. The target gets hit right in the center of the chest. Some of the half-giants with archery and projectile related classes helped Melior point the gun in the right direction, but this is insane.

As Melior examines the second gun with a frown he starts explaining the ballistics involved in the process. I could have never imagined a person like him could exist at this point in time; what he talks about is basically the inception of the scientific method, something that was developed rather late in Human history and that still gets challenged every day.

They placed it in the best way without using their skills, but mostly their intuition. Its a straight tube, so no great effort was required. I forbid the use of skills because they could have adjusted the trajectory of a faulty gun.

I look at the insane damage this dirty bullet made by half giants, something around the .50 caliber, did to the mannequin they used. The targets look like scarecrows and this one lost a big chunk of his chest. Ballistic mannequins would give us a better idea of the damage on a real person, but this is good enough.

This one is too damaged to shoot again. The internal layer of steel is cracked. It could shoot another bullet, but then it would either crack or explode.

I nod toward Melior and we resume the testing.

After twenty minutes or so, we are sitting in his forge with some blueprints and alloys in front of us.

The first proved to be the best. I cant strengthen it further without making it impossible for other to reproduce. I would need to use special skills that the other [Blacksmiths] do not have. This one, with a margin of error, can be remade. If the [Alchemists] can figure out the powder you described, we can work on the real prototypes.

It took Melior barely a few days to produce an alloy capable of withstanding a bullets propelling force. But what really mattered was the war that we were going to fight.