Chapter Twenty-Six: Sudden Windfall (Part One)

The intervention of the five-member squad from the Inspectorate once again shifted the tide of battle. Euclid’s long spear, gleaming with a white aura, blocked the charging path of the bearfolk. A chill radiated from his body, rapidly dropping the temperature so much that even his four companions kept a deliberate distance from him. His combat energy was the rare ice-type—Glacial Battle Aura—which not only possessed formidable offensive power but also generated extreme cold when circulated, causing further trouble for his opponents.

The half-elf archer unstrapped his elegant bow and nocked a massive arrow. With a single shot, he pierced the chest and back of a bearfolk at the front line. That bearfolk died with disbelief etched in his eyes, his legs still poised for a forward sprint, but his body was forcibly dragged backward by the arrow’s force. He grasped at the protruding shaft, trying to pull it out, but ultimately collapsed limply to the ground.

The white-robed mage played by the book. Unlike his two companions, he did not resort to shock tactics; instead, he cast a series of spells. These spells mainly sought not to kill, but to create obstacles on the battlefield. Walls of fire erupted, fiery meteors streaked toward the bearfolk. Though not all hit their targets, the fires lingered, refusing to be extinguished easily. The bearfolk’s furious charge slowed considerably. Behind the firewalls, the red-haired swordswoman and the monk stood ready. When a bearfolk managed to break through, he faced two opponents at once—the outcome obvious.

This bought precious time for the soldiers of the Third Battalion. They quickly replaced their ammunition with the second enchanted round, but the firewalls and chilling aura brought their own troubles. The view ahead was obscured, and the five helpers were now in their line of fire. The Third Battalion hesitated, uncertain whether to shoot again.

At this moment, Monkfolk were surrounded in the center and being slaughtered, while the bearfolk and the revolutionaries were encircling from both ends, yet facing fierce resistance.

Suddenly, a figure spun down from the treetop above the highway, heading straight for the Third Regiment’s commander, Aberdeel. Aberdeel was guarded by a reconnaissance company, which not only served as scouts but as his personal bodyguard. Even when Monkfolk breached the line, this unit did not move, always remaining by Aberdeel’s side. When they saw another assailant targeting their commander, nearly a hundred flintlock rifles were raised and fired at the figure.

In midair, Wei Wuji let out a surprised sound. He had previously endured attacks from modified firearms, and this time, he noticed a distinct improvement—the force of the bullets was greater, and upon closer inspection, the projectiles were different from those used in the grand hall. Back then, he had been struck by hundreds of spherical metal balls, but now the reconnaissance company was firing conical bullets. These conical rounds were far deadlier than metal balls. Previously, his Five Mountains True Form Talisman blocked nearly half the bullets. This time, even with the Five Mountains True Form Talisman and the North Sea True Water Talisman, he couldn’t withstand a single volley from the company; his defenses vanished after taking half the bullets.

Wei Wuji shouted loudly, spinning his body as he had in the forest. Blades of Gengjin sword energy rained down, colliding with the remaining conical bullets in a metallic cacophony, barely fending off the rest.

Wei Wuji landed in front of Aberdeel. The reconnaissance company’s soldiers, unable to reload, drew the bayonets from their rifles to defend their commander. Aberdeel did not retreat either, drawing his sword to confront Wei Wuji.

“Slash!” Wei Wuji unleashed the Profound Heaven Black Gold Slash—a crescent of Seven Fiends Gengjin sword energy swept forth. The soldiers guarding Aberdeel were sliced clean in two, Aberdeel’s sword broken in half. He wavered, seeming to want to speak, but before he could utter a word, his upper body separated from his lower half and toppled sideways.

With their commander slain, the troops in the center fell into chaos. Monkfolk seized the opportunity to counterattack. Wei Wuji did not pursue the slaughter; he simply stood his ground, cutting down anyone who dared approach with a slash of Gengjin sword energy. The two battalions on either side, seeing Aberdeel killed by Wei Wuji, also fell into disarray. The Third Battalion, with Euclid and his team’s support, had been regaining the upper hand, but now they were left stunned and directionless.

The First Battalion collapsed first, followed by the Second Battalion, which was routed by the combined forces of the Monkfolk and the revolutionaries. Only the Third Battalion managed to fire one more volley of enchanted rounds. However, with Aberdeel dead and enemies pressing from both sides, this volley was scattered in different directions, lacking a unified target. Although it still inflicted considerable casualties on the revolutionaries, the Third Battalion could not reload in time afterward and became victims of a massacre.

Euclid had not expected such a turn of events. Even with the five of them assisting, the Third Regiment was still wiped out, all because Wei Wuji struck during the chaos and assassinated Commander Aberdeel.

“Quick, we must report to Gaul City!” Euclid cast a long look at Wei Wuji, then, taking advantage of the fire still blocking the revolutionaries, the five slipped swiftly into the dense forest.

“Surrender your weapons and you will not be killed!” Several boisterous bearfolk shouted with full lungs. Yet none of the Third Regiment’s soldiers surrendered; only five or six, seeing all their comrades dead, finally gave in.

“All guns—and bullets!” Gamio pried open a crate on the convoy, revealing stacks of brand-new firearms and ammunition.

“These bullets seem different from ours,” a few revolutionaries curiously examined the military supplies in the crate. Not only were the bullets different, but the guns as well.

“Those are flintlock rifles and Hegel bullets,” Hegel’s voice came from the edge of the woods.

Hegel strode quickly to the roadside, glanced at the crates, and explained, “These rifles are a step beyond the modified firearms. By pulling the trigger, the flint strikes and produces a spark, firing the gun. You don’t even need to learn illumination spells anymore.”

“Sir, does this mean we bearfolk can use them as well?” one bearfolk asked.

“Yes. Flintlock rifles make shooting simpler and faster,” Hegel sighed. He looked at the opened crates and judged, “This batch is half smoothbore flintlocks and half rifled flintlocks. No ordinary metal balls, but a large quantity of Hegel bullets.”

“What are Hegel bullets?” Leonardo asked.

“They’re a special kind of bullet I invented, not officially named yet—I privately call them Hegel bullets.”

“Are they enchanted rounds?”

“No, not at all.” Hegel picked up a Minie round to show everyone. The bullet was conical, with a small hollow at the base. “Being conical, it packs more punch than a spherical ball.”

Wei Wuji nodded, knowing the truth from experience; a single volley from a company had shattered his protective spell.

“These Hegel bullets are intended for rifled guns. Rifled guns have much greater range and striking power than smoothbores, but loading them is trickier—the bullet must be wedged into the rifling with a ramrod. So, I designed this Hegel bullet: smaller than the bore, but hollow at the base. When fired, the gas expands the bullet, pressing it tightly against the rifling for a spinning launch. Thus, rifled guns paired with Hegel bullets are much easier to load, and both accuracy and firepower are significantly improved,” Hegel said with a hint of pride.

PS: Yesterday’s update—the black elf’s name should be Leonardo, SORRY.

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