Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 691 Test Explosion
The test site for the solidification incendiary bomb was chosen near an outpost in the valley area.

Behind the outpost that has been expanded several times, there is a low-lying valley surrounded by dense forest. After the rampant shrubs and vegetation in the valley were cleared away, it became a natural weapons testing ground with safety and secrecy.

As the capital city of Xinghuo City gradually develops, the land within a radius of over a hundred miles on the northern slope of the Divine Ridge Mountains has been designated by the kingdom's construction department as a development area to be used as reserve residential land for the population growth and expansion over the next decade.

Large-scale weapons tests and live-fire exercises are no longer suitable to be conducted frequently near the capital... On the one hand, they are likely to cause frequent public discussion and leaks of information, and on the other hand, the noise and pollution generated by the experiments are indeed disturbing to the people.

Chris and Benoît arrived a day early to prepare the necessary preparatory work for the test explosion, and then began the weapons test immediately after His Majesty the Emperor arrived.

"His Majesty's suggestion really worked!" Chris said excitedly, "The mixture of rubber fruit and saponified oil, after adding a small amount of saltpeter powder... the burning time and efficiency were greatly improved. After Benoît and I observed the reaction during the experiment, we took it upon ourselves to add some white phosphorus powder..."

As the two expected, this natural raw material, which, like saltpeter, contained no magical ingredients, effectively increased the combustion temperature of the mixture. After being ignited in large quantities, it could even melt metal, increasing its power several times over.

Harvey nodded in approval and praised the two for their innovative and insightful research approach.

"Then let's conduct a test explosion first, and see what kind of destructive effect it can achieve when fired as a shell!"

Chris immediately replied, "Yes, Your Majesty."

As the emperor was escorted by his guards into the makeshift protective shelter, the experimenter in charge of operating the test-firing cannon received instructions and methodically completed the loading of the shells, quickly raising the muzzle to aim at the huge metal target hundreds of meters away.

"Aim and position! Three, two, one... Fire!"

The magic cannon emitted a deep hum, and the shell shot out like lightning. In an instant, a ball of blazing fire rose in the center of the valley in the distance. Unlike ordinary solid shot or exploding shells, the explosive power of the incendiary bomb was not particularly shocking, and the spread of the blast was also very limited. Only after burning fiercely did thick black smoke spread wildly, making it impossible to see the extent of the damage to the target's location for a moment.

But as the mountain breeze blew and the thick smoke dissipated, everyone quickly discovered the unique features of the new weapon.

A closer look reveals that the central area of ​​the incendiary bomb explosion is about ten meters in diameter. The scorching air rises high into the sky, spraying out large amounts of ignited gel-like fuel, which falls like raindrops... Adhering to the target and the surrounding soil and rocks, the fine fragments of gel continue to burn. Everything that comes into contact with it is directly ignited. Metals are instantly melted, and rocks even turn into semi-crystalline, glass-like substances under high temperatures. The soil and vegetation are severely carbonized, appearing as a black mess.

Even from dozens of meters away, everyone could still feel the scorching heat coming at them, and their skin exposed outside their clothes felt slightly hot.

What a terrifying weapon of mass destruction!
If they were actually deployed into the densely packed army of the Lizardmen, they wouldn't even need any additional aids; they could probably turn those alien monsters into charred remains.

Pierce, who came with Harvey to inspect the weapons' power, could already envision the enemy's floating islands burning fiercely in the flames, transforming into a giant tower of fire standing on the icy sea in the darkness of night.

The explosion test of a single solidification incendiary bomb caused the target location in the center of the valley to burn continuously for nearly half an hour... without the aid of any other ignitable materials, right on this bare open space composed purely of mud and rocks.

"If we can quickly establish a new weapons production line, how many incendiary bombs can we produce to deploy on the battlefield before the counter-offensive in half a month?" Harvey's sudden question immediately brought the collective silence of the crowd back to reality.

Chris and Benoît exchanged a glance and replied somewhat uncertainly, "The centralized procurement plan for saltpeter and white phosphorus has not yet been implemented. If it is just a matter of buying them at a higher price through private chambers of commerce... we might be able to produce about a thousand rounds within half a month."

Harvey nodded and said calmly, "Notify the Ministry of State that, effective immediately... all saltpeter and white phosphorus mines within the kingdom will be brought under control, and exports will be strictly prohibited... They are now considered important strategic materials that require control."

Rainer, who was also serving by his side, immediately tensed up and nodded quickly, saying, "I'll take care of it right away, Your Majesty."

……

On the way back from the outpost, Harvey suddenly remembered an "interesting incident" that he had previously forgotten and casually asked Asdaren beside him, "I heard that the aerial combat mages and the bloodline warrior special forces captured quite a few winged lizardmen alive during the previous night raid?"

Asdaren chuckled and quickly explained, "Yes, Your Majesty... It would have been more convenient to kill them on the spot, but the spellcaster officers have always been interested in these living alien beings and have repeatedly requested the command to keep some of them so that they could be transported back to the capital and distributed to their respective experimental groups for project research."

The New Union and the Academy of Magical Sciences were not lacking in live test subjects... For the past six months, the defense forces have been continuously sweeping around the capital, wiping out countless orc tribes of all sizes, and capturing countless prisoners.

These primitive and ferocious sub-species, lacking intelligence, can neither be used as forced laborers in mines and forests nor be transformed into fresh labor... Aside from wasting food, they can only contribute to the spellcaster's magical experiments.

With a plentiful supply of living organisms, the spellcasters consumed these experimental materials without hesitation... After the necromancers filled the corpse caves they had repaired in secluded spots outside the city, the black smoke rising from the "experimental waste" incinerator in the Academy of Magic Sciences never stopped for 24 hours.

However, compared to the demon lizardmen whose physical structure is completely different from that of humans, the orcs can only be considered "low-end consumables". Before their racial talents and evolutionary secrets are fully deciphered, obtaining more live experimental materials is always a beneficial and harmless choice.

Winged Beings, who combine the abilities to manipulate black water and red lightning, have become highly sought-after materials for live experiments. Every time a battle breaks out on the front lines, they are snapped up by the spellcaster units involved in the war, to the point that demand far exceeds supply.

Thinking of the battle mages led by the Son of Flame, fighting tooth and nail on the front lines to recruit more winged beings into their experimental groups, Harvey couldn't help but press his temples and chuckle helplessly.

"By the way, has Chief Dawson already returned to the capital?"

"What's the current status of the comprehensive research project on the Lizardman race that he and Lord Salas are leading?"

"Uh... I heard that they still haven't been able to successfully decipher its internal language and communication methods."

(End of this chapter)