On the vast and barren land outside Winterfell City, a biting cold wind howled, stirring up gusts of dust.
Link, Cecilia, Inisa, and Bernice stood silently in this wasteland, seemingly preparing for something significant.
Cecilia's nimble eyes were full of curiosity. She tilted her head slightly, her gaze fixed on several strange objects carefully wrapped in burlap in front of her.
These burlap packages looked unremarkable, yet they seemed to hide some mysterious power.
"Lord Link, is this the gunpowder you mentioned?" Cecilia asked softly, her voice carrying a hint of doubt and anticipation.
Link's lips curled into a slight, confident smile as he said, "Yes, and no. These are actually explosive packages meticulously crafted using gunpowder. You'll witness their power firsthand in a moment."
Recalling the previous failed gunpowder experiments, Link still felt a sense of emotion.
After countless repeated tests by him and Hanna, they finally identified the cause of the failure—it turned out to be a problem with the saltpeter here.
Although visually, this saltpeter was almost identical to common saltpeter on Earth, there were subtle differences.
To overcome this challenge, they subsequently invested a great deal of time and effort, re-purifying the saltpeter, repeatedly adjusting the proportions of various materials, and after countless attempts, they finally mastered the correct proportions for making gunpowder.
At this moment, the explosive packages presented before everyone were not complicated to make.
According to the precisely calculated measurements and formula, a pile of black granular powder was carefully wrapped inside a sealed paper bag, then tightly bound with rope to ensure no leakage. Finally, a slender rope was inserted as a fuse, held firmly in place.
And just like that, the simplest explosive package was completed.
The reason Link specifically called Cecilia over was because he had his own considerations.
After all, this experiment was full of unknown risks, and no one could predict what might happen.
And Cecilia, the Sword Saintess who could use healing magic, was like a reassurance. With her present, even if someone were injured later, there would be no need to rush too much; her miraculous healing magic would surely play a crucial role at the critical moment.
Link turned to a City Guard and shouted, "Go place a few wooden targets around here, with different distances between each target."
"Yes!" The City Guard responded loudly, then quickly sprang into action.
Before long, the City Guards brought several wooden targets and neatly arranged them around the explosive packages.
The distances between these wooden targets and the explosive packages varied; some were very close, while others were quite far apart, as if setting up different "checkpoints" for the upcoming explosion test.
Then, Link waved his hand, signaling the City Guards to temporarily leave.
Next, he pulled out a fire starter from his Huai, his eyes revealing a hint of determination, preparing to personally light the fuse.
He was no longer the same as he used to be. Ever since he gained Godfrey's power, his speed had greatly improved.
Even for running away, his speed was incredibly fast.
The burning time of this fuse, according to his estimation, was about five seconds.
With his current speed, running back immediately after lighting it would definitely not cause any problems.
Moreover, even if something unexpected truly happened, Cecilia, the powerful mage, was nearby to cover him.
It could be said that the preparations for this time were very thorough.
Inisa, Bernice, and others around also knew the danger of this experiment.
Following Link's instructions, they had run far away early and hid behind a huge cover.
They tightly covered their ears, yet their eyes dared not leave Link and the explosive package for a moment, feeling both nervous and expectant.
Seeing that they were all prepared, Link took a deep breath and slowly walked forward.
He carefully brought the fire starter close to the fuse, and with a gentle puff, the flame on the fire starter instantly ignited the fuse.
The fuse burned with a "sizzle," emitting wisps of blue smoke. Link dared not delay for a moment, immediately turned around, and sprinted back at his fastest speed.
Five seconds passed in a flash amidst the tense atmosphere.
"Boom! ! ! ! !"
With a deafening roar, the explosive package instantly detonated.
A powerful heat wave swept outwards like surging tides, harshly fanning Link's face, who was closest.
The huge explosion made his ears ring, as if countless bees were buzzing around them.
Cecilia was also startled by the sudden explosion. She jogged over, her eyes still a bit dazed, staring blankly at the large pit in front of her.
The place where the explosive package had been was now a huge crater, with soil blasted everywhere, as if it had experienced an apocalyptic catastrophe.
And the wooden targets that had been placed around were now gone, as if instantly swallowed by this powerful force.
Link was also shocked by the power of this explosive package. He didn't expect that the simple gunpowder made from this world's materials could unleash such immense power.
He couldn't help but secretly rejoice, it seemed his "gunpowder" research was very successful!
Cecilia, Inisa, Bernice, and the surrounding City Guards all widened their eyes at this moment, unable to believe what was happening before them.
Such a small cloth package could actually erupt with such a sound, like the wrath of a thunder god; this was simply beyond their imagination.
"This... this is truly terrifying!" Cecilia couldn't help but exclaim, her voice trembling slightly.
Even for them, people of considerable strength, if they stood at the center of the explosion without using magic for defense, they would likely be severely injured even if they didn't die.
Imagine, if on a battlefield, such explosive packages were buried in advance on the enemy's inevitable path, and then detonated when they passed... the scene would be unimaginable.
Would the opposing side still have a chance to win?
This would undoubtedly be a highly deterrent weapon, enough to change the entire battlefield situation.
Link slowly walked to the center of the explosion. A pungent smell of gunpowder still lingered in the large pit, as if recounting the thrilling explosion that had just occurred.
Now it seems my "gunpowder" research was very successful!
...Time flew by like a white colt passing a crevice, and in the blink of an eye, a week quietly passed.
During this period, the lottery also continued. Without points for designated draws, most of what was drawn were some Soldiers and daily necessities. Of course, two character roles were still drawn.
One was Luca from the world of "black beast 2," and the other was the Demon Realm Knight Ingrid from the "Taimanin" worldview.
Both characters possessed healthy, wheat-colored skin, exuding a unique charm.
However, their styles were distinctly different: Luca was a cute and charming younger sister type, while Ingrid was a mature and sexy older sister type. Each had their own merits, but both were captivating.
Let's talk about Luca first.
In the original setting of "black beast 2," Luca was a member of the knight order serving Derek. She possessed mixed human and dark elf blood.
Her childhood was fraught with hardship; she was once enslaved and suffered greatly. Fortunately, Derek rescued her from her predicament, not only buying her but also carefully teaching her survival skills.
In the original worldview, in addition to her exquisite swordsmanship, Luca also had considerable "attainments" in pleasing men, reportedly honed through countless trials.
For her, serving Derek, who had shown her the path in life, was the highest honor and joy in her life.
For her master Derek, she would gladly endure even the dirtiest and most difficult work, without a single complaint.
However, now the situation has changed, and the person for whom she is willing to dedicate everything has become Link.
Link found Luca intelligent, clever, loyal, and reliable, so he kept her by his side, making her his personal secretary.
When there's work, the secretary does it. When there's no work, well, hehehe!
Let's talk about Ingrid; I believe many people are not unfamiliar with her.
As a Demon Realm Knight, she served in the Demon Realm Knight Order. Her personality was resolute and brave, yet also carried a touch of violence and arrogance.
Someone with such a personality must be kept close and supervised at all times; she absolutely cannot be allowed to act alone.
Otherwise, with her impulsive and irritable nature, who knows when something unexpected might happen.
After Link properly arranged Luca and Ingrid, he then materialized the Soldiers he had won from the lottery, letting them each fulfill their duties.
After doing all this, he finally had free time to attend to his own matters.
These days, Link had dedicated most of his time and energy to perfecting gunpowder.
Fortunately, Hanna was very capable; she tirelessly conducted various experiments, and after countless attempts and improvements, she has now successfully developed gunpowder that can be used to fire projectiles from flintlock guns.
Moreover, with the help of the steam engine, the production of flintlock guns also progressed very smoothly.
"Lord Link, Lord Link!"
Just then, the maid Della frantically pushed open the door and rushed to Link's side.
Link looked at Della's flustered appearance, a mischievous smile on his face, and deliberately teased her, "Why are you so flustered? Could it be that you missed me?"
As he spoke, his "restless" large hand stealthily reached into Della's cool yet somewhat sexy maid uniform skirt, gently caressing her soft bottom.
"Don't... don't tease me... I have something important to report..." Della's cheeks instantly turned red from Link's teasing, and she said with a soft gasp.
"Lo... Lord... Hanna asked me to deliver a message. That whatsit... whatsit..." Della stammered due to nervousness.
"Firearm?" Link prompted with a smile.
"Uh... yes, a firearm. Hanna said the first firearm you wanted has been cast, and she asked me to invite you to come and see it..." Della finally managed to finish her sentence.
"Alrighty then ~" Link said, still mischievously rubbing Della's little bottom, "Then I'll come back tonight to properly 'bully' you, Della ~"
"You bad man... Lord Link is... a big bad man! *Whimper*—"
Although Della said that, her body involuntarily shivered, and before long, her underwear was damp with leaked moisture.
"Della wants it too, doesn't she?" Link teased, looking at Della's shy and adorable expression.
"No... no, I don't!" Della, blushing, turned her head away, refusing to admit it.
"Della is not being honest." Link smiled and gently caressed her cheek, then stood up from the chair, "Remember to wash up and wait for me tonight ~"
Della, blushing and with her head down, mumbled softly, "I know..." Her expression was both shy and a little expectant.
And Link, filled with anticipation, prepared to witness the birth of that first firearm.