Chapter 199: The Dwarves’ Newfangled Weaponry

Chapter 199: The Dwarves’ Newfangled Weaponry

In the southern mountains, the “Sons of the Great Mountain,” the Dwarves, began to assemble.

The Mountain King, Dwarf King Soron, declared that the Dwarves would no longer be oppressed by humans and would counterattack!

Naturally, the Dwarves had the confidence to make such a bold declaration.

After centuries of enduring hardship, the Dwarves had been diligently enhancing their skills in the great mountains.

Over these hundreds of years, their technological level had skyrocketed.

They had entered the age of steam!

In the mountains, black smoke billowed up into the sky from various locations.

Their arsenal had also undergone a great overhaul, with old-fashioned weapons like spears and swords being replaced by powerful firearms!

While hidden in their mountain haven, their preparations went largely unnoticed by the outside world.

Humans had hardly paid attention to these “friendly” neighbors lurking deep in the mountains over the years.

Ever since Alexander’s southern campaigns snatched Dwarven technology, humans had stopped taking the Dwarves seriously.

Without those technological upgrades, despite their Orc-like strength, the Dwarves faced a significant demographic challenge.

In the hearts of humans, the Dwarves posed far less of a threat than Orcs.

Additionally, the Dwarves had been quietly staying in the mountains, unlike the Orcs who caused trouble every year.

This allowed their existence to be easily overlooked.

But now, the Dwarves’ explosion of power took humans completely by surprise!

The first target of Dwarven revenge was the Georgia Kingdom, located in the southern part of the continent, next to the Dwarves. Upon receiving their declaration of war, despite having avoided battles for years, they reacted swiftly and bolstered defenses on their southern border.

The goal of the Georgia Kingdom was simple: to block the Dwarves in the southern mountains.

The military forces of both sides lined up in a standoff at the mountain pass.

With a neat formation, the Dwarven soldiers, clad in heavy armor, brandished what resembled fiery sticks in their hands.

Behind them sat larger versions of the fiery sticks.

On the opposite side, Human General Baalman looked at the Dwarven formation with a bemused expression.

He remarked to someone nearby, “These Dwarf brutes have definitely lost their minds in the mountains to bring such a simple formation out here!”

While this formation appeared organized and potentially powerful, it had a critical flaw when paired with the Dwarves’ short legs.

Dwarves’ mobility had always been an issue.

Their lengthy line formation made it difficult for the front and rear to support each other.

Any enemy with a bit of strength could easily split them apart and encircle them.

Moreover, they saw no sign of Dwarven cavalry or crossbowmen.

“General, it’s not just the formation! Look at their weapons; those fiery stick-like things probably won’t even pierce our armor!”

Hearing this, others turned their attention to the Dwarven weapons.

From a distance, they hadn’t sensed any peculiarities, but now that they looked closely, they realized those weren’t “short spears” at all; they were “fiery sticks.”

Yet Baalman was furious. “How dare they come to battle with a bunch of fiery sticks? They really underestimate us!”

So, they dared to challenge him?!

This showed something: his authority—or rather, the authority of the Georgia Kingdom—wasn’t sufficient!

In a fit of anger, Baalman drew his longsword and issued the command to attack: “Soldiers, muster your courage and charge! Drive those Dwarves back to their barren mountain! The fertile plains belong to us humans! Kill—!”

“Kill! Kill! Kill!…”

Once the motivational speech was delivered, Baalman began to direct the army to launch an offensive against the Dwarves.

The entire human army, except for Baalman’s personal guards, moved out in full force.

The infantry stepped forward in unison, slowly closing in on the Dwarves.

While the infantry had to consider their stamina, the cavalry discarded any such concerns.

They charged straight for the flanks of the Dwarf formation, completely ignoring the infantry line behind.

In the eyes of the cavalry, they didn’t need the infantry’s assistance.

They could easily handle this bunch of Dwarves with a single charge!

The infantry could only watch as the cavalry sped past them.

Even if they sprinted, they couldn’t catch up!

In the Dwarven formation facing them, those wielding “fiery sticks” stood unwavering against the rapidly charging human cavalry, their eyes steely with determination.

“Sons of the Great Mountain! We have endured oppression from the vile humans for hundreds of years! Today, we will unleash our wrath with our newfangled weapons!”

As the humans began their attack, the Mountain King commenced his speech.

“Now, steady your weapons and prepare to vent your fury!”

The Dwarves raised their weapons, pointing the rounded, dark openings at the onrushing human soldiers.

Though unremarkable in appearance, combined with the Dwarves’ composure, the approaching human cavalry sensed something was amiss.

But there was no time to dwell on that!

Retreating now would mean loss of face.

Thus, the cavalry quickly shook off their unease and continued their charge.

As the cavalry closed in, the Dwarven officers on either side commanded, “Fire!”

“Bang! Bang! Bang!…”

Thick smoke billowed upward as the sounds akin to firecrackers erupted from the Dwarven ranks.

Baalman frowned at the sight.

Just as he pondered what the Dwarves intended, the wails of human soldiers echoed through the air.

Looking over, he saw many of the charging cavalry collapse, horses and all.

The surviving cavalry glanced around, completely bewildered.

Just a moment ago, they heard a barrage of sounds resembling firecrackers, followed by a strong gust, and suddenly their comrades were falling one by one.

Then, another wave of crackling sounds erupted.

More of the human cavalry tumbled down.

Their once-proud armor failed to provide the protection they expected, revealing a body riddled with holes upon closer inspection.

The few remaining human cavalrymen were engulfed in fear.

Yet they grit their teeth and pressed forward.

Honor and glory still fueled their advance, alongside the concern for their pride.