Chapter 109: Chapter 108: Is High Cliff Castle a Proper Territory?

Sam had just snuck to the foot of the hill when he was dragged back. He collapsed to the ground, clutching the Stone Egg with a look of utter despair.

As a true Wilderness Native, while he had never actually seen a Giant Dragon, he had heard more than eight hundred legends about them.

If they were only facing the four-thousand-strong Giant Dragon Corps, there might still be a chance of victory under the leadership of their Lord.

But compared to a Giant Dragon, High Cliff Castle wasn’t even a sparrow. At best, it was a pitiful ant, and its fate of being crushed was plain to see.

"You’re the only goddamn turncoat in all of High Cliff Castle! Running away on your own is one thing, but you actually stole my Stone Egg too!" The Lord was so furious he could spit nails, immediately granting Sam a ten-lash combo.

You have to understand, the Lord was so poor he had to resort to cheating Miriel just to make a little extra, yet this old coot still dared to run off with what was currently High Cliff Castle’s most valuable possession. The only reason he got just ten lashes was that, with a great battle looming, his Magic might still be of some use, and the Lord was afraid he wouldn’t be able to get out of bed otherwise.

The thumb-thick Cowhide Whip CRACKED through the air, making the Elder Shaman howl in pain.

"Since you’re so eager to run, you’ll be the first one on the front lines when the battle starts!"

After finishing the punishment, Levi rolled up his sleeves and handed the whip to Orak. "This old coot is also a Shaman. I think you two should have a lot to talk about."

"If he tries to run again, feel free to whip him. He knows the Healing Technique, so he won’t die."

Orak took the Cowhide Whip and looked at Sam, who was collapsed on the ground covered in welts. His expression stiffened.

’Is High Cliff Castle a proper territory of the Debei Nobles?’

’Before, he thought the Lord was just giving a disobedient slave his daily punishment. He never expected the guy to be a Shaman.’

’When did Shamans, who are Casters, fall so low?’

’In any other territory, if not a guest of honor, they’d at least be treated with respect.’

’But in High Cliff Castle, their status doesn’t seem to be very high...’

’The crucial part is, he’s a Shaman too...’

"Are the armaments well-stocked?" Levi asked, having arrived at the blacksmith shop.

"My Lord, we have enough weapons and armor to equip a fifty-man cavalry Guard Team, and more than enough light Arrows to sustain a siege against ten thousand men," replied An Zhi, the old, Dwarf-like Blacksmith, without a moment’s hesitation.

As an old man in his twilight years, he had already taken a backseat to teach the Blacksmith Apprentices. As a result, he was so idle that his days were spent taking inventory, so he knew these numbers by heart.

Levi hooked a Curved Saber out of a crate with the tip of his boot and held it in his hand, examining it closely.

Although the Feder Blacksmiths couldn’t compare to master smiths like the Dwarves, who were blessed by the Gods, their work was in no way inferior to that of the Debei Kingdom’s master Blacksmiths.

The blade was forged entirely from Fine Steel, made with generous amounts of material, completely unlike the flimsy, counterfeit-like blades sold to the public. The curve was perfectly angled, allowing the Jackal Wolfman Cavalry to easily reap lives by leveraging the power of their mounts.

This was an exceptionally well-made Curved Saber. No matter where it was sold, the Nomadic Tribes would buy up every last one.

However, the price of such fine craftsmanship was extremely low production. So far, they had only managed to produce the Barbarians’ Heavy Armor and this small batch of weapons. 𝗳𝚛𝚎𝚎𝘄𝕖𝕓𝕟𝕠𝚟𝚎𝕝.𝗰𝕠𝐦

In contrast, the low-quality weapons sold to the Wind Surge Tribe were so numerous they were sold by the pound. As for their quality, well, they were only slightly better than wooden clubs or Grass Forks and would shatter into pieces after just a few uses.

"And what about... that thing?" Levi suddenly asked, his question deliberately vague.

An Zhi, who understood instantly, ran to shut the door. He walked to an inconspicuous spot in the room, lifted a section of the wooden wall, and revealed a hidden space. "This way, my Lord."

The two of them snuck into the small room, which was only about six or seven paces long and wide.

Inside, four Luminous Stones emitted a gentle white glow, making the room as bright as if it were broad daylight.

Three white-haired old Blacksmiths were huddled around an object, studying it intently. They were so engrossed that they didn’t notice the Lord had entered and was watching from the side until he was right there. They hastily moved to salute him.

"My Lord, we are so sor—"

"It’s fine," the Lord said, waving his hand. "Compared to me, you are the ones who deserve more respect. You don’t need to be so formal with me in the future."

He had always respected innovators, so granting them this small privilege was nothing.

"How is it?" Levi asked, looking at the half-finished Bed Crossbow. He bent over, sticking his rear out as he caressed its surface.

That’s right. This hidden workshop was for building Bed Crossbows.

It was no wonder the Lord was being so cautious. The Bed Crossbow was, without a doubt, a weapon of immense power. It was one thing for him to be forging his own weapons and armor.

But if he dared to produce Bed Crossbows openly, he would inevitably touch a sensitive nerve with certain people.

And with High Cliff Castle’s current strength, it clearly couldn’t withstand the resulting censure.

It was just like the United States in his previous life: calling for the elimination of nuclear weapons while keeping a firm grip on its own arsenal.

A classic case of "I can have them, but you can’t."

With enough Bed Crossbows, one could influence the outcome of an entire war.

However, their primary purpose was to snipe the elite of the elite, the finest of all Warriors.

For example, the Debei Royal Family’s Griffin Knight Order, or Southern Damon’s Golden Lion Group.

Specialized Bed Crossbows had even been developed to deal with massive creatures like Giant Dragons, Giants, and Giants.

These corps often numbered barely a thousand strong, but their combat power was terrifying. They could single-handedly annihilate a small faction, confront an army of ten thousand head-on, and at times, play a decisive role on the battlefield.

The top-tier corps were typically used to deter smaller factions. Possessing Bed Crossbows meant possessing the ability to threaten them, which was why Bed Crossbows were so strictly controlled.

Both the blueprints and the finished products were strictly forbidden from being sold to outsiders.

"My Lord, thanks to the mountain copper you brought, the Fine Steel we’re using for the Arm Bow, when mixed with this Magic Metal, can now perfectly handle the flexing needed to transfer kinetic energy. In fact, the power is far greater than we calculated!"

A white-bearded old man, even more burly than the Lord himself, said with an excited expression.

For a while, the Arm Bows they made from Fine Steel would bend or break after just a couple of uses, completely failing to achieve the desired effect.

They had considered using the limbs from a standard Bow and Arrow, but the effect was always diminished.

For perfectionists like them, this was completely unacceptable.

Fortunately, although the industrial level of this world couldn’t produce high-tensile metals like titanium alloys, it did have cheat-like Magic Metals such as Mithril, Refined Gold, and mountain copper.

Levi had written directly to Miriel, asking her to help him buy some, telling her the price was not an issue.

While these Magic Metals were rare, you could always get them if you were willing to spend a fortune. Miriel’s current visit was specifically to deliver the mountain copper to him.

A piece barely the size of a fist cost the Lord Five Hundred Gold Coins, making him exclaim that even armed robbery wasn’t this profitable.

Of course, the results were well worth the price. The Arm Bow, mixed with mountain copper, fully met the calculated requirements—and even far exceeded them.