Knight Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence.

Chapter 287: Forging Rare-Grade Armor and Powerful Eternal Shield
Although many engineering projects in the Imperial College of Engineering are full of fantastic ideas, they are useless except for wasting money and grants.

However, there are still some projects that greatly enhance the strength of the empire.

Especially after they saw that Hildreth was the chosen one of the Sun Goddess, they showed great enthusiasm.

After introducing the Engineering Academy, Hildreth went on to describe the results of this exchange: "The Imperial Engineering Academy has agreed to come to our territory. In addition to helping us build a white castle, they have also promised to help us modify various production equipment, such as halfling plows, build city and water conservancy gates and elevators, and even improve our steam machinery."

"Steam machinery?" Su Li's eyes lit up. He heard about this again. The last time he heard it from the dwarf demigod Gao Ye, he said that the dwarves had steam tanks.

Hildurd patiently explained, "In terms of the technical prowess of their engineers, humans and dwarves each have their own strengths. The dwarves prioritized the development of gunpowder, though steam was also their invention. However, due to the dwarves' tendency to stagnate, humans are more innovative in this area. I heard that in the empire's capital, humans even possess steam-powered landships."

A landship is a massive, ponderous imitation of a Dwarven steam tank built by wealthy merchants, a collection of armor plating, numerous ornaments, and other things irrelevant to its purpose.

The idea was initially conceived by a rather restless engineer at the Imperial College of Engineers, Heziga Gutmann, who put together a prototype in record time, combining steam power, shipbuilding technology, and some of Gutmann's "inspired" innovations. The whole thing looked more like a theatrical prop of bizarre proportions than a battleship or steam tank—a rather shameful imitation, but somehow it still worked!
In terms of complexity, this land vessel bears some resemblance to a true steam tank, but it at least meets the requirements of its original design - from its massive armor and overly decorated hull to its oversized, deadly boilers and a steering gear that can only be described as the product of a fuzzy mind.

In battle, a landship was a wild sight, a practically mobile fortress towering over the battlefield, its musket (a light cannon mounted on the bow of a landship, proving incredibly devastating) thundering and crushing the enemy beneath its wheels, while its crew remained (almost) safe on the decks above. That was if it worked properly; if a wheel fell off, a boiler exploded, or an ammunition magazine caught fire, the deck crew, in addition to the complexities of steering the ship and avoiding impending disasters like capsizing or boiler explosions, also had to do their best to keep their deck sweepers (a volley of guns), deck guns (fixed mounts fixed to the deck), and muskets on target.

This thing is like the Dwarf's Thunder Speeder, a legendary and crazy military unit.

Su Li really couldn't understand what the point of installing four wheels more than ten meters high on a boat was and pushing it on land.

Su Li felt that the Imperial Engineering College had clearly lost its focus. They should be researching ways to improve these currently bulky and heavy machinery. For example, could heavy plows be powered by steam, or at least reduce the number of rams needed to pull them, from two to just one?

Seeing Su Li's interest in all this, Hildurde continued, "The greatest advantage of the apprentices at the Imperial Engineering Academy is their ability to use their imagination to the fullest, which is very valuable. For example, they can transform the dwarven artillery into war chariots, allowing the artillery to keep up with the speed of cavalry."

"At the same time, in the territory where the Engineering College is located, general survival equipment will be developed and improved, and our territory's production efficiency will increase by at least 2-3%."

"And most importantly, they are extremely talented in industrial production and will help our territory build factories and workshops to survive. Our Holy Industrial Alliance, Hessen Armory, and Bauhinia Holy Flame Foundry can both increase their output by nearly half."

What Hild said finally cheered up Su Li.

He could ignore those fanciful war machines because his Knights, worshipping the Sun Goddess, were already one of the strongest in the world. They also had dwarven technology and gunpowder to aid him in his wars. He only needed to increase the size of his army, which would be enough to deal with most threats.

However, this meant that farming was the top priority. If the Imperial Engineering College could truly help Hesse Territory improve production, even if it only increased the territory's average production efficiency by 30000%, that would be a fiscal boost of at least + gold crowns per year.

While Su Li was still pondering, Hildurde continued, "And that's not all. The Imperial Engineering College is most famous for its ability to produce large-scale Vibranium Rune Armor. This is because they possess a micro-clockwork machine called the [Multiple Precipitations of Deadly Lead]. Vibranium plate armor processed using this precision tool has an extremely low chance of further compressing the metal during production, causing the armor to bear an additional rune."

Upon hearing this, Su Li immediately stood up excitedly, grabbed Hildre's fair hands, and asked, "Doesn't this mean that we also have a chance of producing rare-grade rune armor?"

Then there is no need to wait until the army takes over the Dragon Rock Forge, the territory can produce Star Iron Armor and rare-grade armor on its own!
The Dragonstone Forge is a wonder and holy place for the dwarves in the entire Grey Mountains, so the dwarven armor produced there can have an additional rune added.

However, given the financial situation of the Hesse Territory, even if it only bought 100 sets of star armor, the territory would be almost bankrupt.

Now that the territory can produce on its own, the problem will be solved as it develops.

As expected, the problems encountered in development still need to be solved through development.

Although this [Micro Clockwork Machine with Multiple Deposits of Deadly Lead] can only produce higher-grade armor with an extremely low probability during production.

But this wasn't a problem for the Hessen Territory at all. As long as the territory continued to produce, with its massive base, even with the smallest probability, it would definitely produce enough high-level equipment.

For example, last year, only one or two thousand sets of dwarven fine armor were produced, and this year, 3000 to 5000 sets may be produced. Then, based on probability calculations, won’t 30 to 50 sets of star iron armor be produced?

The same goes for the perfect-grade Vibranium Rune Armor. Perhaps a rare-grade piece will be produced this year. Especially with the presence of Ether Gold in the territory, this probability can be further increased.

Maybe, during the war this year, Hilde or Orstein will wear rare-grade armor, which will further increase the difficulty for the Knights of the Blue Mirror Territory to defeat such a God-chosen Knight.

Now the God-chosen Knights of the Hessen Territory are definitely blessed with golden experience, golden swords, and golden armor, the only thing missing is a golden shield!
He only thought for a moment, and it was already dark. The halflings began to set up tents skillfully.

This is their talent, to handle various chores. Many knights would bring a halfling with them to war to help them take care of their armor and handle daily chores.

By the time they had finished blowing up the camp, the two Pegasus knights and the green tea Sylvanas had just returned.

As an elf, Sylvanas has powerful long-range archery and certain magical abilities, and she assisted the two knights to deal with the [Bone Speaker Cult].

It would be a bit dangerous for the three of them to act alone. The Bone Talker Cult had more than 50 members, hiding in the Twisted Forest. They were familiar with the terrain and had good combat capabilities.

In particular, more than a dozen of them were influenced by the evil god, and their combat effectiveness had reached the level of elite Chaos Warriors. If they were surrounded in the forest, even a champion knight would inevitably suffer heavy losses.

So they used a little strategy, with Sylvana attacking alone first, using bows and arrows to lure them out of the camp and into the preset ambush battlefield.

The Knights of the Sun Goddess are always accustomed to luring the enemy to a preset battlefield for battle!

They successfully led their opponents to a rugged path, and then the two Pegasus knights charged forward one after the other, completely blocking the opponent.

The twisting paths of the twisted forest were only wide enough for two to walk side by side, and the enemy, squeezed in, had no chance of exploiting their numerical superiority. A champion knight only had to face one or two Chaos Warriors, and the battle quickly devolved into a bloodbath.

However, this battle was not so easy. The opponent was very good at using flying axes. When the two knights charged, more than 20 flying axes flew towards them, which was still very scary.

Fastrik's beloved mount was slightly injured, and when he came back, he made a fuss and dragged Fandral to heal his mount.

Then, the little green tea Sylvanas came to Su Li's tent with the Holy Relic of Glory, the Eternal Shield. When she saw Su Li, she couldn't help but exclaim in amazement, saying, "This is the first time I've seen such a thing. I didn't know I could find a Holy Relic of Glory on a corpse. Lord, you are so lucky. As expected, a good person like you will be favored by the goddess."

Su Li smiled widely. It turned out that the green tea sister could provide the greatest emotional value.

Yes, if this were to be told to others, who would dare to believe that such a powerful holy relic of glory, the Eternal Shield, was actually found by Su Li by touching a corpse in an abandoned monastery?

But if it is so easy to touch the Holy Relic of Glory, why can't others touch it, and only the knights of the Hessen Territory can find it?

In this world with gods, the only reasonable explanation most people can find is that Su Li has received special favor from the Goddess of the Fiery Sun.

Su Li took the shield from her hand and took a look at it. It was obviously the classic shield of the Church of the Goddess of the Fiery Sun. Its appearance perfectly matched the sacred geometry science and war aesthetics.

The teardrop-shaped base, emulating the classic structure of the Imperial Kite Shield, stands 1.5 meters tall, its peak shaped like a sun's corona, its curved base symbolizing the eternal sun. Forged entirely from "sun gold," the surface is coated with a coating reminiscent of molten sunlight flowing across the shield's surface. (Its luster varies between day and night: a fiery gold during the day, a dark red afterglow at night.)
The central emblem features a triple concentric sun disk, the symbol of Violet the Sun. The inner ring is engraved with war runes, the middle ring features twelve flaming spears (corresponding to the goddess's twelve victories in the divine wars), and the outer ring is inlaid with 108 miniature red crystals, creating a dynamic "eclipse-flare" effect. The shield's edge is engraved with a narrative of a phoenix rising from the ashes, its wings unfolding into flaming chains, terminating in the iconic sacred lily.

This shield, while impressive in appearance alone, also boasts a suite of powerful functional components, including removable prominence spikes. Within the sacred symbol disc at the shield's center lie three mithril thorns, which, when infused with divine power, can be extended into three-meter-long flaming spears (activated with the Knight's blood). The dorsal handle is clad in salamander skin and engraved with the Goddess' motto, "Flame and Iron Law." A pure gold wheat chain hangs from its base, symbolizing the Knight's October.

Su Li handed it to the true chosen one of the Sun Goddess, Hildre, who was standing beside him. The female knight had taken off her armor and was lying on Su Li's felt in her pajamas. Her shoulders were exposed, and her whiteness was dazzling.

"Can you feel the full effect of this shield?" Su Li asked with concern.

Hildurde gripped the shield's handle and felt it for a moment before calmly saying, "It's the Eternal Shield, no doubt about it. I don't need to experience its effects in detail. It's appeared at least twice in history, and I already know all of its effects."

Su Li raised his eyebrows in surprise and asked, "Has it appeared twice in history?"

"Yes, at least twice. From what I've seen in church texts alone, it has demonstrated its power in two wars."

"The first battle was the 'Last Redoubt of Montfort'. At the founding of the Empire, the first Duke Garamond used this shield to block a volley of warpstone cannon fire from the Skaven at the Battle of Blackfire Pass. The shield melted, revealing the face of a goddess, and the terrified enemy fled. The fragments are now displayed in the Great Cathedral at Blackfire Pass."

"After being destroyed, the shield reappeared in 1187 Imperial Calendar, participating in the Serf's Oath War. Tens of thousands of peasants, bewitched by Tzeentch, revolted. The peasant mob's leader, Marcus, even received Tzeentch's blessing, possessing powerful Tzeentchian magic. The rebellion swept across the three southern provinces of the Empire, briefly occupying the Blood Wheatfield, a crucial granary of the Empire, and shaking the very foundations of the Imperial Knights' rule."

"Count Bohemond V, known as the Iron-Blooded Purifier, boldly advanced, leading 3000 elite armored knights to quell the rebellion. In the brutal suppression of the riot, he braved the magic of hundreds of Tzeentch wizards and slew the rebellious leader, Marcus. Ultimately, the shield was burned by the magic of the Tzeentch wizards during the battle."

Hearing this, Su Li couldn't help but be shocked.

He simply couldn't imagine what kind of powerful knight and shield could withstand the bombardment of hundreds of mages, rush to the front of the demon believers and kill them?

He became even more curious and asked, "So what exactly is the effect of this shield?"

"The first is its [Scorching Sun Pressure]. When activated, it creates a sacred area with a 50-meter radius, weakening the physical and divine resistance of Chaos units and forcing hidden units to appear. This is a great deterrent to Skaven or Goblin scum."

"The second is the ability demonstrated in these two historical battles, [Faith Repayment]. This ability consumes the durability of this glorious relic, granting the user the supreme power of divine protection. This creates an absolutely defensive force field around the user, so no matter how many attacks are launched, they cannot stop the protected knight from charging."

Su Li touched his chin and thought for a while. This holy relic of glory is somewhat similar to the [Gift of the Ancient Dragon], but it is an ultimate enhanced version.

This is equivalent to consuming this holy relic of glory at one time, allowing a knight to obtain the [Power of God], becoming invincible for a few minutes, able to ignore a large number of ranged attacks and magic attacks, and charge in front of the enemy general.

Compared with [Bright Sunlight], it is obvious that this [Eternal Shield] focuses more on enhancing the knight's own melee ability.

If a knight rushes to the opponent under countless attacks, the powerful [Scorching Sun Pressure] will greatly weaken the opponent's physical resistance (more than 40%). How can the opponent possibly defeat this knight?
So Su Li simply waved his hand and said, "Then I'll leave this shield to you for safekeeping."

The Sun's Light focuses more on improving the combat effectiveness of the entire army, which is more suitable for the commander of the Hessen Territory, Orstein.

This Eternal Shield is suitable for the high-ranking attendant-general Hildurd to lead elite cavalry to carry out decapitation tactics.

In this world, no army can rely on a single trick to dominate the world. It still needs a large number of props and abilities to cooperate with each other to become more comprehensive and powerful.

Hildurd gripped the shield tightly, feeling more clearly the powerful divine power within it. He replied heroically, "With this shield, I will be more confident in tomorrow's battle against the Red Dragon Drake."

The Red Dragon Drake is a high-level God-chosen existence, and is only one step away from breaking through to become a legendary dragon.

The pressure tomorrow will still be great, and I don’t know if Dermest, the chosen one who watches over the God of Death Morr, can hold on.

But considering he has been fighting with the red dragon for three days and three nights, it shouldn't be that easy for him to die, right?

Su Li immediately said, "We still have to travel and fight tomorrow, so everyone should go to bed quickly."

Sylvanas' eyes sparkled when she heard this. She bit her lip lightly, sat astride Su Li, and said sympathetically, "My Lord, Steward Hilde will have to fight the red dragon Drake tomorrow. If she serves you tonight, will it drain her strength and energy? How about..."

This little green tea girl is really good at it. Su Li just realized that after the battle, she actually washed her body specially. She did not wear the green chain mail and coarse linen battle robe, but changed into a green palace dress made of silk.

Now she twisted her slender waist slightly and sat sideways, her long satin skirt slipped off her shoulders like a snake's skin, revealing a pair of round and sexy legs under the skirt. The beautiful flesh-colored stockings reflected the moonlight, making her beautiful legs glow beautifully in the tent.

Su Li's heartbeat suddenly accelerated, and his Adam's apple rolled. This little green tea girl was right. This would be the first night since he traveled through time that he would not have a maid to serve him.

No wonder she repeatedly urged herself to embark on a journey to Maleburg. She had too many opportunities to succeed along the way.

Su Li couldn't help but ask: "Not as good as what?"

"Why don't we go outside and look at the moonlight for a while~" Sylvanas adjusted the angle to make the magnificent rise and fall of her chest more dazzling. An emerald-like gem on her fair chest reflected bright light, making her fair and plump breasts full of temptation.

"Just looking at the moonlight?" Su Li was immediately disappointed. This green tea girl always played these tricks of playing both sides, making people's hearts itch, but they could never break through.

Sylvanas leaned forward slightly, revealing a large gap in her neckline, which was originally tightly closed. When Su Li looked down, he could see the magnificent mountains looming in the distance, as well as a large area of ​​dazzling white.

Even a fleeting glimpse made his blood boil.

Sylvanas smiled charmingly, her slender white fingers gently brushing against her alluring collarbone. She winked at Su Li and said, "Outside, flowers are blooming and the grass is fragrant. It's the perfect time to get close to nature. If you like, my lord, I can lie down with you among the flowers on the cliff edge, gazing up at the bright moon and the brilliant stars, feeling the revival of all things and listening to the natural sounds of flowers and plants sprouting."

"This way, we won't bother Steward Hildreth any more, and we can let him rest in the tent alone."

Go lie down among the flowers for a while? Wouldn't that be tempting to make a mistake in a flower field?
But Su Li secretly gritted his teeth and forced himself to calm down. He couldn't let her take the bait just like that.

If he really went with her to the flower garden, he would be at a disadvantage. This little green tea girl hadn't made any clear statements yet, and Su Li was almost certain that if he went with her tonight, they would really be going to see the moon. She wouldn't let him get away with it so easily.

So Su Li waved his hand and said decisively, "Forget it. I'm a rough man. I'm not interested in listening to the sounds of nature or appreciating the moonlight. I prefer the training of a knight. Steward Hildre will serve me. She won't need to undress, and it won't consume much energy. You should go back and rest quickly. I'll need you to go to the Oak Path tomorrow to deal with the strange beast tamer."

Doesn't Steward Hildesh need to undress?

Sylvanas clenched her fair hands in her sleeves in anger. Damn it! She almost succeeded.

With Steward Hilde around, the lord felt completely safe. Like a cunning fox, the next time he wanted to seduce the lord, he would have to offer a more substantial temptation.

At the moment, she could only smile sweetly and said, "Then I won't delay your cultivation, Lord. I will go back and prepare for tomorrow's challenge."

After she left, Hildreth threw back the quilt and knelt in front of Su Li. He skillfully put his hands behind her fair neck and tied up her soft hair. He looked up at him and said with a smile, "My Lord, you are well versed in the Goddess's military tactics. This little elf green tea will probably fall into your hands smoothly tomorrow."

(End of this chapter)