Chapter 211: The Secret of the Depths

At this early hour, the rows of wooden targets and sandbags were deserted. However, at the firing line they already had nine giant insect carapaces stacked one behind the other, mounted on a reinforced rig.

Seeing the stack of armored plates, Kellar stopped in his tracks, his brow furrowing with disbelief.

"Nine carapaces?" asked Kellar, eyeing the two craftsmen. "Isn’t that a bit excessive? I don’t think it should be able to pierce more than one..."

Lennis and Garik grinned broadly, clasping their hands with excitement.

"Please, my lord, believe in us," said Lennis, his voice full of faith. "Just take aim and fire."

Kellar looked at them for a second and let out a soft sigh, shaking his head.

"Well, all right then..." muttered Kellar to himself, agreeing to avoid hurting his two craftsmen’s feelings and enthusiasm.

"Allow me to load it, my lord," said Garik.

Garik opened the rear breech with an action of the lever, inserted the copper-jacketed bullet into the chamber, and closed the mechanism with a metallic snap.

Kellar raised the Spiral Rifle, set the stock firmly against his shoulder, and aimed straight for the center of the nine stacked carapaces. He slowly exhaled and squeezed the trigger.

The blast was deafening. A thunderous roar shook the air and the recoil slammed into Kellar’s shoulder like a sledgehammer blow, forcing him back a step from the shockwave. A dense plume of smoke hissed out from the tip of the barrel.

Downrange, the first six stacked carapaces shattered right down the middle with a sharp crack, punched clean through in a row by the projectile.

Kellar rubbed his sore shoulder, staring at the weapon and the destruction ahead with wide eyes.

"Good God... how is this even possible?" gasped Kellar, stunned by such raw power.

"It happened by accident, my lord," began Lennis to explain, stepping up to show him the inner components of the cartridge. "While we were carving windstones in the workshop, as we were breaking them into smaller fragments, a stray piece flew straight into the forge fire. The second it hit the flame, it triggered an explosion that nearly blew apart our workbench."

"That’s when the idea struck us," chimed in Garik, his eyes gleaming. "We started running tests. We discovered that by grinding the windstone and mixing it with black powder inside the cartridge, the propelling force tripled. And for the primer, we created a mix of plant resin and fine windstone dust. Upon receiving the sharp strike from the firing pin, the mixture detonates. That is what causes this power."

Kellar looked down at the cartridge in the crate and then back at the six shattered carapaces, realizing they had created a devastating tier of ammunition that would reshape the balance of power.

Kellar weighed the Spiral Rifle in his hands, fascinated by the projectile’s raw power, but his mind began evaluating the feasibility of its production. He turned toward Garik and Lennis with a thoughtful expression.

"What are the production timelines?" asked Kellar. "How difficult is it to manufacture this weapon compared to the previous ones?"

Garik stepped forward, clearing his throat.

"In truth, Great Shaman, we are already modifying the older rifles," explained Garik. "The barrel is essentially the same; we only need to cut the rifling grooves slowly using the fixed guide. What is difficult and meticulous is forging the firing pin mechanism and molding the jacketed bullets. If we dedicate the workshop at capacity, in about six months we could have all two hundred and fifty weapons across the village upgraded, allowing our apprentices to focus on bullet production."

Kellar pondered the geopolitical implications for a moment and shook his head.

"Do not modify all of them," ordered Kellar. "Only modify one hundred rifles. Leave one hundred of the old weapons intact for the merchant tribe, and reserve the remaining fifty so that when they return to trade, they won’t see any new weaponry. We must pretend that we are still using the exact same equipment as before."

Lennis nodded in admiration at the Shaman’s strategy.

"I almost forgot, Great Shaman," said Lennis. "I will inform the Mountain Fortress and Commander Brak, arranging everything so that enough weapons of the older model remain visible. That way we can feign ignorance when they return. For now, I will keep the modified rifles stored inside the central workshop; they will only be deployed if a true emergency arises."

Just as they finished settling the production details, the sound of footsteps shattered the calm of the camp.

Thorin ran as if life depended on every stride. Sweat blinded his eyes and his lungs burned like coals, but his fingers clutched the brown crystal fragment with tightness. As he crossed the palisades of the main village, his boots tripped against the gravel, collapsing to his knees right at the foot of the workshop entrance.

"Shaman! Great Shaman!" gasped Thorin, coughing out air in bursts.

Kellar stepped outside, alerted by the commotion. Seeing the messenger covered in dirt with a pale, exhausted face, he bent down to support him by the shoulder.

"What happened, Thorin? Did the beasts attack?" asked Kellar in a grave tone.

"No... no, Shaman," panted Thorin, raising a trembling hand to offer him the stone. "Brak... Commander Brak sent me at top speed. We found this in the depths of the mine. He said you had to see this right away."

Kellar took the object. The rock possessed a deep coffee tone with golden specs shimmering inside, emitting a rhythmic warmth that seemed to pulse upon contact with his skin. The instant his fingers closed around the mineral, the system displayed the information.

[Solid Magma Crystal (Low Elemental Grade)]

Properties: Rock infused with compressed earth mana and geothermal heat. Key material for forging runic weaponry, magic conduits, and catalysts for Fire/Earth attribute beasts.

Geological Assessment: Presence of a Class 2 Elemental Vein detected at the base of the Mountain Fortress.

Associated Risk: High probability of dormant Magma Beast nests in the lower strata.

Kellar read the floating lines, his eyes lighting up with ambition and caution. The revelation fit: this was not only a source of power to raise the tribe’s strength, but also the direct explanation for why the Ash Valley was attracting so many metallic and fiery creatures.

"Good work, Thorin," said Kellar, helping the messenger to his feet while stowing the gem in his pouch. "Tell the guard to assemble the vanguard. We are heading to the mine immediately."