Xiulote observed for a mont and then had the Samurai shoot several tis at various distances, forming a rough plan for using the Fire Arrows. The stable shooting distance of fire arrows should be within one hundred ters, with satisfactory accuracy within fifty to sixty ters. If on a shaking water surface, this distance would likely decrease further. To increase the burning power, the loading of the gunpowder bag could be further increased as long as it maintained a precise shooting distance of fifty ters.
Xiulote nodded in approval. He clasped Talaya’s hand and praised her.
"Talaya, you did well. This kind of fire arrow can be mass-produced and be called the ’Light Rocket.’ Furthermore, I need you to double the gunpowder in the paper wrap and make a ’Heavy Rocket’ that has a range of about fifty ters, to be used as a weapon to ignite large boats. Now just finalize these two types."
Talaya nodded joyfully and obeyed. Then, she hesitated.
"Your Highness, the Clay Tribulus is sowhat unstable, are we also testing it today? Maybe after so more ti, it could be developed more maturely..."
Xiulote shook his head and firmly said.
"I am leaving for the campaign soon and don’t have much ti to wait, let them start!"
Soon, following the Highness’s command, under the coercion of the Samurai’s war clubs, a row of ten civilians spaced more than ten ters apart stood ready, trembling. They picked up the six to seven-pound Clay Tribulus with grave faces, staring at the yellowish-black spiked sphere, a symbol of death.
Xiulote thought for a mont and had the civilians wear Cotton Armor. Then, the young man watched them nervously light the fuse of the Clay Tribulus, like counting down to their death, and then with all their might, they swung their arms to hurl the heavy Clay Tribulus.
"Boom!..." Before one of the civilians could even throw the Clay Tribulus, the spiked sphere exploded instantly, shooting out countless fragnts. The civilian was like being smashed by a giant’s hamr, flying backward two steps, then spitting blood and falling to the ground, dead instantly. Given the power of the black gunpowder of that era, he was not blown to pieces.
Xiulote turned towards the sound, feeling a chill in his heart. The civilian’s face was charred, his body afla, and on closer inspection, it was riddled with tiny, dense wounds, embedded with nurous ceramic fragnts. His arms and limbs were twisted apart, like a broken and fractured doll, beneath him flowed blood like a spring, gradually stead dry by the flas.
"Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!..." continuous explosions sounded, like the God of Thunder roaring in the mortal world. The Longbow Warriors turned pale with fright, retreating several steps in fear, war clubs, and bow dropping silently from their hands. Many Warriors knelt in terror, praying loudly to the Chief Divine, begging the almighty Chief Divine to co and drive away the roaring Evil Demon.
Xiulote looked around and then saw two civilians on the ground, rolling and struggling. Their Clay Tribulus was only thrown six or seven steps away but still within the effective killing range. The explosion’s fragnts did not penetrate their Cotton Armor but blinded one civilian and cut another one’s neck. Soon, the civilian with the bleeding neck sprawled out, motionless.
"Boom! Boom!..." Two more explosions sounded. The Clay Tribulus exploded near a straw man set up more than ten steps away. Within three steps, the straw man’s Leather Armor was shattered completely by the blast. Within five steps, the straw man’s Cotton Armor was damaged, embedded with many sharp fragnts, and around seven steps, the Cotton Armor defended against all fragnts but was shook by the blast wave.
Xiulote counted the explosions, then frowned deeply, carefully observing as there were two duds in front of him. The young man’s gaze swept over the civilians, paralyzed and wailing on the ground, to so warriors who still managed to remain calm.
"This is a weapon bestowed by the Chief Divine, fear not! Bring two warriors, carry two layers of shields, wear two layers of Cotton Armor. Douse those two unexploded Clay Tribulus with water. Make sure to shield your head and neck with the shields!"
After a mont, only two brave warriors from among the warriors stepped forward. Xiulote silently noted their figures. The two warriors, fully equipped, advanced cautiously with shields and water bottles towards the spiked spheres.
Just as they were about to start the operation, another "Boom!..." A loud explosion resounded, shaking everyone’s heartstrings.
Xiulote watched solemnly, seeing one warrior knocked down by the close-range explosion. The young man quickly commandeered the rescue, bringing the fallen warrior to a nearby location.
He then carefully observed, the warrior’s double-layered shields had one side completely blasted, and the other side embedded with dense fragnts, a few pieces penetrating the shield and stuck in the Cotton Armor. The wooden shield burned with flas, luckily the Cotton Armor was not ignited. The escorts checked briefly, the warrior had no wounds and no bloodstains, but his feet were twisted, and his brain concussed and dizzy, completely unable to stand, which in a battlefield ant death.
anwhile, another warrior had already returned with the extinguished Clay Tribulus, tossing the spiked sphere into the prepared pool nearby.
Xiulote smiled and praised him, asking for the warrior’s na, and silently noted it in his mind. Then, the young man continued to ponder, shaking his head incessantly.
"Out of ten Clay Tribulus, one exploded prematurely, two were duds. The remaining seven had uncertain explosion timings. The biggest problem lies in lacking a stable firing chanism. The quality of the fuse is unstable ... Additionally, grenadiers need to be equipped with specially slow-burning match cords for ignition."
Thinking this, Xiulote sighed. There were no enemies here, just a stable firing test site. If it were on the battlefield, such weapons would be bombs that could explode at any ti, only to be given to warriors ready to die.
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