Chapter 238: Conditions of Use

Powerful as the magic cannons were, they were not weapons just anyone could wield.

First and foremost, each cannon corresponded to a specific spell—be it the Fire Dragon's Heaven-Swallowing Flame, the Heart-Piercing Wave, or the Water Dragon's Roar.

This dictated that the wielder's elemental affinity must perfectly match that of the magic cannon.

Take these two Heaven-Swallowing Flame cannons, for instance; to trigger their destructive fury, a fire-attribute knight or mage had to channel their own battle qi or magic power into the core.

Fire was fire, wind was wind, and water was water.

Furthermore, the energy required to discharge these weapons was staggering.

A sixth-rank Heaven-Swallowing Flame cannon could only be fired three to five times by a peak Silver Knight at full capacity.

A seventh-rank Heart-Piercing Wave cannon could only managed two to three shots from a peak Gold Knight in prime condition.

As for magic crystals, their meager capacity was entirely insufficient to power such formidable magical armaments.

Unless a device existed that could aggregate the energy of a vast heap of magic crystals and inject it directly into the cannon.

However, no such mechanism existed for the time being.

Rulance picked up a recurve bow resting beside him, plucked the string, and released it with a resonant twang.

"This is a powerful bow; with ordinary arrows, its effective lethal range reaches about a hundred meters."

As he spoke, he drew an arrow from a rack nearby.

"But this is no ordinary arrow. It is engraved with the wind-attribute Haste spell, extending its effective range to three hundred meters. If one can draw this bow to its full capacity, it can even reach four hundred meters."

Roning picked up an arrow with curiosity, studying the familiar runic patterns of the Haste spell etched onto the dark red shaft.

"I thought spell runes could only be drawn on the hides of magical beasts. How can they be carved onto ordinary arrows?"

"It seems you have become far more studious than before, to know so much about spell runes."

Rulance nodded, a sudden realization washing over him.

The North Territory possessed a light-attribute mage capable of crafting healing scrolls, so it was only natural that Roning would be well-versed in such lore.

"These arrows must have undergone a special treatment, though I confess I know little of the exact process."

Rulance was not omniscient; his understanding of magical lore was merely superficial.

Roning made a mental note to visit the Magic Commerce Guild when time permitted, or perhaps pay a visit to Dean Miroslav at the Wushan Transcendent Academy to inquire about the craft.

Arrows with an effective range of three hundred meters, amplified by Haste magic, would undoubtedly possess formidable lethal power.

A mid-level wind-attribute knight could utilize them to inflict serious damage on flying magical beasts.

If he could find a way, he might manufacture some for the knights of the North Territory, thereby bolstering the region's anti-air defenses.

Yet, the only mid-level wind-attribute knights in his domain seemed to be Clami and Babulin; the others could not use them yet.

Roning picked up another bow and tested its tension. A mid-level knight could likely draw it halfway, meaning only a high-level knight could pull it to full extension.

Arrows of this caliber would suffice against ordinary flying beasts, but against a colossal dragon like Carlos, they would pose little threat unless targeted at the fragile eyes.

Next, Roning turned his attention to the spears resting to the side.

They were not meant to be wielded by hand; rather, like the Haste arrows, they required specialized launching racks to be fired.

Compared to the arrows, these Haste spears boasted a far greater range and destructive impact.

To a gryphon, the magic cannon posed the greatest threat, followed by the spears, with the Haste arrows being the least formidable.

This was the answer Rulance provided to Roning.

"You possess the fire attribute, as do your subordinates. When you return to the North Territory this time, take one of these Heaven-Swallowing Flame cannons with you. It will bolster your territory's defenses."

In Rulance's view, the North Territory's proximity to the Magical Beast Mountain Range meant that if flying beasts were to assault the castle, Roning would find himself hard-pressed.

"This... is a bit too valuable, isn't it?"

Roning scratched his head, feeling a touch self-conscious.

The price of a magic cannon was invariably higher than a spell scroll of the same tier, let alone one of such advanced magnitude.

A single Heaven-Swallowing Flame scroll cost two thousand gold coins, yet this cannon commanded a price of a staggering one hundred thousand gold coins.

Rulance's gifts were growing increasingly grand.

"Since I purchased these cannons, they have only been used twice during the Battle of the Mist City. They have been gathering dust in Wushan Castle ever since. They might actually serve a purpose in your hands."

Rulance smiled faintly. "If an emergency ever threatens Wushan Castle, you, as the Viscount of the North Territory, are duty-bound to defend it. You can simply bring it back with you then."

Since Rulance put it that way, Roning did not decline further.

"Grandfather speaks with wisdom!"

He pondered for a moment; to prevent outsiders from discovering he had acquired a magic cannon, he decided to store it directly inside his spatial ring.

Rulance's eyebrows twitched slightly as he watched the massive cannon vanish before his eyes.

"A spatial ring?"

His voice mixed surprise with suspicion. "Where did you obtain such a thing?"

Roning looked surprised. "Grandfather, you know of spatial rings?"

"Of course," Rulance replied. "Not only have I heard of them, but I also know that His Majesty Bruno, Archmage Silva, and a few select dukes possess them."

"Even Silva cannot craft these artifacts. The ones they hold are either ancestral heirlooms or recovered from ancient ruins."

He looked at Roning, his curiosity piqued. "Where did you get yours?"

Roning naturally could not mention the seven-day login system, as that would only prompt further questions about what a login system was.

"There is a ruin to the north of the North Territory," Roning said. "I discovered this spatial ring inside, along with a covenant scroll."

He leaned closer, lowering his voice. "There was also a dragon inhabiting those ruins. It has now become my contracted magical beast."

"Hahaha!"

Rulance laughed heartily. "You truly know how to spin a tale!"

Dragons had always belonged to the realm of myth; no living soul had ever witnessed one.

Yet his grandson claimed not only to have seen one, but to have bound it as his contracted beast. If that wasn't boasting, what was?

Roning spread his hands helplessly. "If you do not believe me, I shall summon it tonight for you to see."

"Heh, then I shall look forward to it."

On the surface, Rulance remained skeptical, but a nagging thought lingered in his mind. Roning did not look like he was lying.

Could it truly be real?

Surely not.

Roning offered no further explanations, resolving to give the old man a small shock when night fell.

After all, the old lord always remained as unyielding as a mountain; witnessing a look of sheer astonishment on his face would be quite entertaining.

Roning spent a few more moments examining the array of armaments in the vault before finally accompanying Rulance out of the chamber.

After this journey, he gained a new understanding of the world’s “air defense system,” and realized that Carlos was not invincible—beyond the Silver Moon Knights and magicians, other means existed that could threaten it.

The damage from magic arrows was negligible and could be ignored, but magic spears and magic cannons demanded serious attention—especially the Heart-Piercing Wave Magic Cannon; once struck, even Carlos’s formidable defenses would be crippled.

Fortunately, it took several seconds for a magic cannon to gather energy before firing.

During that time, if one could spot the glow emitted as the cannon charged, there was a chance to evade.

“Brother~”

No sooner had they left Wushan Fortress than a warm voice called out from the far end of the road—it was Breton, waving enthusiastically.

“The boy’s back.”

Rulans smiled at Ronin. “Breton has quite the talent—he successfully advanced to Intermediate Knight last month.”

Ronin was taken aback, and could not help but admire: “An Intermediate Knight at fourteen—his talent is truly extraordinary!” (End of chapter)