Industrial Revolution of the Mage Lords

Chapter 785 Short-acting stimulants

Southeast of Eisengard, wind-eroded ridge.

The Yonggu Base, located in the valley mining area, is under construction. With the assistance of alchemy beasts, thousands of engineering soldiers are cutting and leveling the quarried rocks to build a thick wall around the base.

When the piercing alarm whistle blared across the sky, the bustling construction site suddenly came to a standstill. Everyone immediately put down their work and rushed in an orderly fashion to the nearest air-raid shelter.

The attacks from the winged lizardmen have occurred frequently over the past three days, to the point that the soldiers stationed here have become accustomed to them.

With a temporary air defense system composed of beam weapons, the base experienced almost no casualties from attacks, except for the construction progress being severely hampered.

These enemies, who frequently attacked from the north, seemed to have little interest in direct combat. They would often just linger around the base for a while, making a few probing attacks on the outer defenses. Once they encountered a counterattack from humans, they would immediately leave the battlefield and retreat.

The combat missions they received seemed to be merely harassment, simply creating chaos and hindering the normal operation of human armies.

This put the combat units stationed on the outer perimeter of the base in a very difficult position.

"How many alarms have there been today?" Hick poked his head out of the trench, shook off the layer of dust on his body, and spat on the ground several times in annoyance... A winged being had just casually released a red lightning bolt into their combat zone, and the mud and sand kicked up by the explosion filled his mouth.

His comrade put away his weapon, stretched his aching shoulders with difficulty, and muttered, "We came once at midnight yesterday, and again at dawn this morning... Including this time, that's three times in total!"

"These damn monsters are planning to wear us down to exhaustion by harassing us so often," Hick cursed sullenly. He turned around and saw his comrade pull a small iron box from his pocket, his hands trembling as he poured something out.

He couldn't help but click his tongue and advised, "There's still more than half a day before the shift rotation, don't eat... I bet they'll come back again before nightfall."

His comrade shook his head wearily and sighed, "You haven't slept for a day and a night since you were rotated up yesterday. You also helped move supplies at the base and did most of the work of an engineer. Don't you feel tired?"

The hastily dug outer defense line of the base did not have time to build a semi-underground defensive fortress every so often in the trenches. The soldiers who were rotated to be on guard duty could only huddle in the damp and cold trenches, keeping their eyes wide open to any enemy that might appear at any time.

Hick rubbed his stiff legs and said patiently, "The officer has repeatedly reminded us that we should take this medicine as little as possible unless absolutely necessary. The more frequently it is taken in a short period of time... the worse the effect will be in the end."

"What's the big deal... as long as it doesn't kill me." The comrade shrugged, raised his hand and tossed a round pill the size of a fingernail into his mouth, mumbling, "At least it'll make me feel a little better right now, otherwise I'd really be half dead." He swallowed the pill with a sip of water, and in less than half a minute, the soldier's pale and tired face immediately turned rosy... He picked up his weapon again, looking refreshed, and steadily lay back down at his firing position in the trench, even winking at Hick with a showy air.

Hick sighed softly, and subconsciously raised his hand to touch his waist, his fingers also touching the small iron box.

This drug was suddenly distributed to soldiers as special military supplies just before their departure. The military medical officer in charge of distributing the drugs said that its official name should be "short-acting stimulant"... When encountering extreme fatigue and exhaustion, as long as one pill is taken, one can immediately recover in a short time. Not only will all the discomfort in the body disappear, but even the reaction will be much more acute than before. During the several hours that the drug's effects last, the soldiers who take the drug may even have the illusion of ascending to a supernatural state, with all their physical functions being multiplied.

If you are unfortunately injured in battle, as long as you do not die on the spot, you can temporarily shield yourself from the great pain caused by the injury by taking two or three pills at a higher dose. Even if you lose a lot of blood, you can still stay conscious and survive until the battlefield medics arrive.

Although the side effects of the drug would exacerbate the previous discomfort and pain after the effects wore off, it was still the most effective lifeline for soldiers who were constantly on the brink of life and death.

For this reason, many soldiers who have tried taking the drug like to privately call it a "supernatural potion," and regard it alongside another regenerative potion that can promote the rapid healing of flesh and blood wounds as the most effective alchemical potion in the army.

Heath, who was always cautious, carefully read the prescription attached to the tin box after receiving the pills. The contents were exactly the same as what his superior had repeatedly reminded him of... He must not take an overdose unless he suffered a fatal injury, and there must be at least a six-hour interval between each dose.

Hick also heard that this medicine had been distributed to all combat units on the eastern defense line, and even officers and bloodline warriors with extraordinary strength could receive a certain amount of the medicine... Those soldiers who were actually fighting the Lizardmen on the front line probably understood the necessity of this medicine even better.

Upon arriving at Wind Erosion Ridge, facing the relentless harassment and attacks of the Winged Ones around the clock, without the support of the provided medicines, many soldiers lacking combat experience and mental fortitude would likely not be able to endure such intense rotational garrisoning.

So what my comrade said is right. As long as it doesn't kill you, even the most severe side effects... can be endured when you return to the camp to rest after your rotation.

Thinking of this, Hick took a deep breath, took out an iron box from his waist, picked up a pill and put it in his mouth.

The moment the round pill entered his mouth, an intensely bitter taste filled his entire oral cavity. He quickly swallowed a large mouthful of water to swallow the pill, and a sour taste with a herbal aroma immediately surged up in his throat, making him gag.

Almost instantly, the soreness and stiffness in his shoulders, back, waist, and legs vanished, and the dizziness and headache from not sleeping all night disappeared. He closed his eyes and opened them again... His blurred vision caused by fatigue had become much clearer. He felt as if he had been reborn, and even if he were to face a ferocious alien race right now, he would be fully confident in killing it.

A comrade's teasing voice rang in his ears, "How about it... do you have the illusion that you've become a superhuman too?"

(End of this chapter)