Chapter 44

The state of the iron pipe pleased the dwarf greatly. After a hearty meal, he used the momentum to make some cast iron parts. It was said that these would be turned into gun components after being cut, drilled, and polished. Zhao Mai could still recognize the finished products, but he couldn't identify any of the cast iron parts.

This was like how ordinary people see only stones, while artists see statues. How to reveal ingenuity from the ordinary is true art. Undoubtedly, what the dwarf was doing was an art.

Zhao Mai and Green couldn't help much with the next steps and could only wait for the dwarf to finish. Zhao Mai took the opportunity to continue learning the Common Tongue, and Green seized the last chance to teach him.

"Mad Rat" Green had a talent for languages, not only learning quickly but also mimicking perfectly. From the tone of others' speech, he could discern more emotional information than the average person.

A glance, a gesture, an unintentional tremor, he could interpret them quickly and accurately. This ability was invaluable at the card table, but when it came to Zhao Mai, he felt somewhat inadequate. To Green, Zhao Mai came from a completely different place, and the body language had many differences. Moreover, Zhao Mai's native language was like a book written in the sky to him. Whether it was the Common Tongue, Elvish, or Dwarvish, these scripts were all based on alphabets and were consistent in usage. The Chinese characters, however, each seemed like magical runes, and after a few attempts, Green completely lost confidence in learning them.

It was said that the Common Tongue was the easiest to learn, with people smiling when they started and graduated. Dwarvish letters were the easiest to recognize, but due to their long history and isolation in caves, the script had diverged, making it like having too many dialects. So, it was smiling when starting but crying when graduating. Elvish script was too lofty; they had the lifespan to learn it, but other races didn't have such convenience. However, Elvish script ultimately became beautiful, so some said that learning Elvish was crying when starting but smiling when finishing.

Green said that Chinese was a language that made you cry before you even saw the gate. He gave up learning because he didn't want to die.

The next day passed quickly, and the first gun was completed at dawn on the third day. Green's pistol was the smallest, with the fewest components, making it simpler. The rough metal surface had not been polished or decorated, giving it a rugged feel.

This was a standard double-barreled "hand cannon," with thick barrels and a short grip that didn't match well. However, Green prioritized size, so it had to be this way. Zhao Mai examined it for a long time and had to admit that this hand cannon had a unique beauty from another world.

"Sok, Green, I just realized something. You must keep it secret, don't tell anyone else," Zhao Mai said, preparing to suggest something. "I have a feeling that the gun itself isn't the most important thing; the ammunition is. I've come up with two... three types of ammunition. What do you think?"

He drew scatter shots, flat-tipped bullets, and conical bullets on paper. "Once fired, the effect depends entirely on the bullet, right? The spherical bullets we used before might have less power. I've been thinking about this for the past two days. Since we've decided to use fixed metal cartridges, why not change the bullet design?"

The dwarf stroked his beard and thought for a moment, then said, "This would make manufacturing more complex and expensive."

"Isn't our goal to create legendary weapons? Which legendary weapon is cheap?" Zhao Mai shrugged. "If there's a way to increase the power of a longsword by half, even if the cost increases tenfold, I think someone would still want it."

"You're right," Green agreed. "Only by creating legendary weapons can one become a master craftsman, right?"

The dwarf Sok was convinced and began making bullets. Since the cartridges were useless after firing, there was no need to cast molds; he just rolled some iron sheets to try out the effects. Green, considering his weapons were for close-range defense, chose scatter shots. He was interested in the "one shot, a wide area" effect Zhao Mai described and wanted to test it.

The gunpowder was ready, and the dwarf was quick with his hands. The first test was conducted at noon, but it failed to ignite. After checking, they found that the bottom of the cartridge was too thick, and the sealing wax wasn't pierced.

The second test was in the afternoon, and this time it succeeded! The scatter shots left a cluster of small dots on the wooden target, and from the impact, the gun's power was comparable to a crossbow—especially with the area effect.

Since this approach was proven viable, the dwarf started making the second gun. He kicked the other two out and prepared to work through the night.

"No way, you need to sleep!" Zhao Mai insisted. "If you rest well, we can relax, and you might come up with a new good idea!"

The dwarf wouldn't listen to anything else, but for the sake of the gun, he couldn't be stubborn. They all slept soundly in the forge. During the night, Green woke up once, saying the compensation money for the theft had arrived.

"You must take this money," Green said to Zhao Mai. "It's only a hundred gold pieces, use it for petty expenses."

With the hand cannon, "Mad Rat" seemed more confident. He even advised Zhao Mai not to cancel the room at the Fireplace Inn to support the fat innkeeper.

Zhao Mai didn't care about this. He listened to the dwarf working and looked forward to seeing his weapon. However, by the evening of the third day, the dwarf had made a heavy hammer gun.

No matter how you looked at it, this thing was essentially a two-handed war hammer, with a slightly curved handle. The gun barrel was the hammer handle, and the muzzle was hidden in the hammer's top. If Zhao Mai tried to use this hammer gun, he would surely break his wrist, and Green might dislocate his shoulder again. But the dwarf Sok could wield it effortlessly with one hand, holding it in a firing position.

"Don't worry, Mike, I've calculated the timing," the dwarf said confidently. "After making the hand cannon and the hammer gun, I've gained some experience, which will make your weapon lighter and more user-friendly. After all, among the three of us, you have the weakest physical condition..."

"Thanks for your honesty..." Zhao Mai smiled helplessly, worried that his weapon wouldn't be finished.

"By dawn tomorrow, your gun will be ready. Then I'll start fine-tuning it and make enough bullets," Sok patted Green and said, "He needs to leave for the Druid Forest, and we have no urgent matters, so we can take our time with the detailed work. You don't mind, right?"

"I have no objections!" Green replied with a smile.

In fact, the dwarf took a bit longer to finish the final piece. The dawn sun had already risen, and the morning light shone on their shoulders. In the center, a double-barreled shotgun about half a meter long lay quietly on the table. The dwarf had fully considered the convenience of holding it and innovatively installed an automatic flip-out blade under the muzzle. Whether shooting or using it as a short spear, the gun maintained balance.

"I improved the grip, so you can use this weapon with one hand, but you'll need both hands to reload. One hand is just for holding the gun, so it won't interfere with using a shield or something," Sok smiled happily and said to Zhao Mai, "I still need to adjust the balance, but first, I'll make some bullets to test the feel."

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