Book 2, Chapter 198 (1/2)
Transaction
Richard received a leather bag that his soldiers had found on one of the gunmen, opening it to find that it was full of gunpowder. He poured some into a bottle and placed it on a rock, moving far away before sending a wisp of fire out towards it.
*BANG!* The explosion was far louder than he had expected. The small bottle had destroyed the rock underneath, affecting even him who was a dozen metres away. The shrapnel even cut a few of the barbarians who were standing too close.
This explosion told him all he needed to know. This was obviously a new formula of gunpowder, several times more powerful than what Norland’s dwarves used. This was the reason those guns were so tremendously powerful.
He called Flowsand over, passing the guns and powder for a look as he spoke in awe, “I never thought there would be something on Faelor that was more advanced than on Norland.”
Flowsand sensed the vigilance and worry within his words. These guns might just be the start; the dwarves might have all sorts of puppets or strange machines that worked with this gunpowder as a base.
This was a system of power not much weaker than Norland’s. Faelor already had legendary beings, and so far it didn’t seem much weaker outside of a lack of runes and the absence of the Eternal Dragon. Norland’s magic was much more developed, yes, but the endless fighting with countless planes had already told them that magic was not the only high-ranking power system.
Flowsand took a close look at every part of the guns and then at the gunpowder, flipping through the Book of Time for a few moments before she spoke up, “Indeed, these guns are far more powerful than those on Norland. However, we probably don’t need to worry too much. Think about it. Norland’s dwarves are a powerful race that occupy a lot of land. They also have several large empires. Don’t you remember what the dwarven tribes are known for?”
Being quite knowledgeable himself, Richard immediately answered, “The foundation of the dwarves’ combat is in their warriors, crusaders, and clerics.”
“Mm. Guns are not their forte, so they have no need for them.”
This left him deep in thought, “You mean to say that Norland’s advanced magic and melee combat systems stunted the growth of guns?”
Flowsand raised the gun in her hands, “These guns are powerful, yes, but in Norland they would still be used in the same way. Their only use would be to deal with monsters.
“You should know that it’s easy to find a dozen great mages in Norland. In front of such a force, any number of dwarven gunmen is just a bunch of cannon fodder holding metal sticks.”
A moment of thought later, Richard shook his head, “That might not be the case. These guns might not affect battles between powerhouses, but they can certainly change the situation on a battlefield. If there’s enough of them they become just like my throwers, gaining unthinkable power. They can also bring nightmares to the enemy in certain special situations like fort defense.
“Also, don’t forget that this is Faelor. Nobody here can pull out a dozen great mages so easily.”