Chapter 121: Chapter 121: The Industrial Revolution

Chapter 121: The Industrial Revolution

The cold night wind howled across the barren testing grounds. The dark and empty wasteland stretched out for miles in every single direction.

Warlord Bloodfang, Matriarch Vespera, and Lord Vladis Crimson stood a few paces behind me. They wrapped their cloaks tight against the chill.

I walked over to a heavy iron crate resting in the dirt. I kicked the latch open and reached inside.

"The Zenith Academy and the old magic families believe that power is something you must be born with," I said over my shoulder.

"They believe that decades of intense arcane study are required to shape the battlefield."

I pulled a massive steel tube out of the crate. It was a thick metallic cylinder with a complex runic grip and a wide exhaust port at the back. I hoisted the heavy weapon onto my right shoulder.

"They are wrong," I declared.

I aimed the shoulder-mounted tube at a reinforced stone bunker located five hundred yards away. I channeled a tiny and insignificant fraction of my mana into the trigger mechanism.

"This is an Arcane Rocket Launcher," I explained calmly. "It does not use gunpowder. It uses a condensed mana crystal for ignition and propulsion."

I pulled the trigger.

FWOOSH!

A blinding streak of concentrated red fire erupted from the front of the tube. The immense kinetic backblast kicked up a massive cloud of dust behind me.

The glowing rocket crossed the dark wasteland in a fraction of a second. It slammed directly into the center of the reinforced bunker.

KRA-DOOM!

The explosion was absolutely catastrophic. A towering pillar of orange flame illuminated the night sky. The shockwave hit us a second later.

It rattled the bones of the ancient rulers. When the smoke finally cleared, the solid stone bunker was completely vaporized. Only a smoking crater remained.

Warlord Bloodfang dropped his jaw. Matriarch Vespera stared at the crater with wide and unblinking eyes.

I tossed the empty launcher aside and reached back into the crate. I pulled out three small metal orbs. They were scored with deep grid lines.

"Mana Fragmentation Grenades," I announced. I pulled the small safety pins out of the tops with my teeth. I channeled a spark of mana into the metal and threw them far downrange.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

A chain of violent shrapnel explosions ripped the earth apart. The ground shook violently beneath our boots.

I walked back to the crate one final time. I pulled out a sleek and deadly piece of machinery. It had a wooden stock and a curved metal magazine. It was a perfect magitech replica of an Earth classic.

"And this," I said while holding the weapon up in the moonlight. "This is the Model 47 Arcane Assault Rifle. The ultimate equalizer."

I pointed the barrel at a distant row of wooden target dummies. I held down the trigger. 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT-TAT!

A deafening stream of lethal mana bullets tore through the night. The explosive projectiles ripped the target dummies into absolute shreds.

Wood and sand flew everywhere. The sheer firing rate was terrifying.

I released the trigger and slung the hot rifle over my shoulder. I turned back to look at the stunned faces of the Continental Rulers.

"These weapons do not require the insane arcane knowledge that mages require for using magic," I explained while my metal jaw shifted into a cold smirk.

"Anyone can use them. A starving peasant can pick up this rifle and kill a highly trained knight in a single second. It uses pure mana for ignition. It is cheap to produce."

The rulers remained completely silent. They were processing the absolute horror of a world where their elite armies could be gunned down by commoners.

No one on this continent had the power to resist the Industrial Revolution. I knew the deep lore of this world.

I knew that each country possessed at least one Level 100 being hidden away for absolute territorial protection.

But those ancient guardians were bound by divine continental laws. They could not interfere in these mortal military matters.

I put away my enjoyment facades and got completely serious.

"We have a lot more of these than you can even imagine," I stated coldly.

"That was just a small demonstration of our strength. We may not have the highest numbers, but we have enough firepower to completely destroy the Elven Sylvanate and the Zenith Academy."

Lord Crimson adjusted his dark velvet collar. His crimson eyes were sharp and calculating.

"What are you trying to do here, Goblin Lord?"

I stepped closer to the Vampire Lord.

"You know what I mean by this, Lord Crimson. All I want from you all is to stay out of my way when I march my armies to the Zenith Academy and the Elven Sylvanate and burn them down for good."

Matriarch Vespera frowned deeply. "Is it really necessary to cause this massacre?"

"No!" I answered immediately.

"There will be no massacre! If I want, I will only kill the people directly responsible for my grudge. But the line was crossed long ago. Forgiveness is completely off the table."

I looked at all three of them.

"You all are the rulers of this continent, and you are quite aware of the military capabilities of those nations. If they surrender without any resistance and hand over the people who are the cause of this whole mess, I would stop my war preparations."

Warlord Bloodfang suddenly threw his head back.

"HAHAHAHAHAHA!" the Orc chieftain laughed loudly. His booming voice echoed across the empty wasteland.

"You are funny, Ser Grik the Goblin! You know no man in his right mind would give up his Kingdom for this nonsense, right? They will die before doing this shit!"

Bloodfang stopped laughing. His green muscles tensed. He narrowed his eyes and unleashed a heavy suffocating wave of pure Level 50 Orc mana.

"Also, we may be the rulers of the continent," Bloodfang growled while releasing his overwhelming aura. "But if we band together, we can put up a good fight even against you."

I smirked behind my metallic visor. I flared my own crimson mana. The Fire of Rage ignited around my suit.

The two massive auras collided in the center of the wasteland. The immense air pressure cracked the dry earth beneath our feet.

"I do not care if you band together or hide like a rat," I stated with absolute and terrifying confidence. "But if you stand against me, you are done for. Even the first Demon Emperor would not save a coward who hid his tail."

We stared at each other for ten long seconds. We measured each other’s absolute resolve.

Then, Bloodfang blinked. He threw his head back and laughed it off. I chuckled darkly and pulled my heavy aura back into my core. The intense tension shattered instantly.

"Alright!" Warlord Bloodfang declared while slapping his massive hands together. "We offer an alliance with the Forge. What do you think?"

He looked over his massive shoulders at Matriarch Vespera and Lord Crimson.

"You both have a better head than mine on your shoulders. Here is a man who is trying to make an alliance with us. He has shown his hospitality, and then he has shown us his immense power. Diplomatic talks should go smoothly after revealing these cards, right?"

Vespera crossed her elegant arms and chimed in.

"You said one thing right about having a better head than you. I am in."

Lord Crimson nodded his pale head. The Vampire Lord joined in too.

"I am in too."

I snapped my heavy brass fingers. A subtle teleportation flash illuminated the dark dirt. Four pristine crystal wine glasses appeared directly in the hands of these Lords.

They were filled to the brim with rich red wine.

I raised my glass high into the cold night air.

"To the newly formed alliance of the Four Kingdoms!" I proposed loudly.

The three ancient rulers raised their crystal glasses under the moonlight. They chimed in together and sealed the fate of the world.