Lords of Hegemony: Conquer from the Mermaids

Chapter 57 New Shield and Shell Division
Meng Zheng nodded and said to Hong Zhu, "Very good, Hong Zhu. This fish-tendon crossbow will become an important weapon for our territory's warriors, protecting the safety of our territory. You must build a few more, ensuring that the territory and the Hailing Bamboo Forest each have a reserve of four fish-tendon crossbows. Secondly, try to forge some crossbow arrows using other materials, and don't rely on just one material."

When Hong Zhu heard Meng Zheng's affirmation, a proud smile appeared on his face.

"Okay, Chief, I will do it well," Hong Zhu said firmly.

"Where are the other swords, spears, and shields?" After looking at the Yu Jin crossbow, Meng Zheng wanted to know about other military supplies.

"Chief, in addition to these, we have transformed the previously captured clam and turtle shells into new shields. They are not only more defensive but also more convenient to use."

He led Meng Zheng to another room, which was filled with various shields, some of which were made of turtle shells, some of clam shells, and some of which were made of crab carapaces.

These days, the territory has cleared out too many monster groups and accumulated a lot of materials.

All available materials will be processed by Jiang Bin and sent to various workshops.

For example, the early white-browed crabs, pearl oyster beasts, etc., all had logistics troops to take care of the aftermath, and the combat troops only needed to concentrate on fighting.

"How do these shields perform compared to the previous ones?" Meng Zheng couldn't tell just by looking at the shields.

Hong Zhu quickly took a tortoise shield and placed it on the display stand nearby.

Hong Zhu raised his hand and cast a spell. A sharp water arrow shot out and hit the turtle shield in an instant.

The tortoise shield flashed with gray light, and a semicircular shield emerged instantly, covering the shield tightly. The water arrows shot at the shield, but could only stir up circles of ripples, but could not damage the shield at all.

"Chief, since I was promoted to an official craftsman, I have acquired a lot of inherited memories, including this kind of protective shield. As long as you give me enough materials and spirit stones, I can make a large number of them." Hong Zhu said to Meng Zheng excitedly.

"And this, look, clan leader!" Hong Zhu swam quickly to the side of the clam shield, picked up two clam shields, and placed them on both sides, about ten meters apart.

"You two attack the back of the clam shield together." Hong Zhu instructed the craftsman apprentice beside him.

Two apprentice craftsmen each picked up a hydraulic catapult and shot at the back of the clam shield.

Normally, people stand behind a shield. If you shoot at the back of the shield, it is equivalent to a sneak attack from behind, and you will not be protected by the shield at all.

The two water bombs were so fast that they reached the clam shield in the blink of an eye.

Unexpectedly, the two clam shields, which were ten meters apart, emitted light at the same time and each formed a huge clam shell. The two clam shields suddenly closed on their own, forming a complete clam shell.

Under this change, the two water bombs launched naturally could not attack the back and were blocked by the clam shell that appeared.

"What is this?" Meng Zheng was a little shocked when he saw this scene.

They can block attacks for each other even if they are ten meters apart, so if used on the battlefield, it can definitely protect more people.

"That's right, Chief. This is the double-protection clam shield I recently developed. It's made of the shell of the same clam beast. As long as a squad of soldiers has a double-protection clam shield, they can be protected." Hong Zhu said confidently.

"Hong Zhu, you did a great job. The emergence of this double-protected clam shield will greatly enhance the survivability of our soldiers on the battlefield." Meng Zheng nodded approvingly.

"How much reserve do we have now? How is the production efficiency?" The crisis in ten days is not far away, and Meng Zheng decided to arm the troops on a large scale.

I just happened to get a lot of iron weapons from the treasure chest, enough to equip the newly recruited soldiers. But what was lacking was protection.

"I have been mainly dealing with the Yujin crossbow these days, so I have made relatively few shields. If I work hard, I can make five shields a day." Hong Zhu thought about it carefully and gave Meng Zheng a clear answer.

"Can other mermaid apprentices make the Yu Jin Crossbow?" These shields were engraved with complex runes, and Meng Zheng knew that ordinary apprentices could not handle it at all.

"They can help me assemble the structure, and I can focus on the other finishing work at the end. There shouldn't be any problem." In response to Meng Zheng's inquiry, Hong Zhu answered cautiously.

"Well, that's fine. We only have ten days anyway. I hope we can create as much equipment as possible in these ten days. You must arrange it well." Having said this, Meng Zheng said solemnly to Hong Zhu.

"Yes! Chief!" Hong Zhu agreed.

"Okay, you do your job well, I'll go check on the armor manufacturing!" Hong Zhu is in charge of the weapons and equipment of the Canghai tribe, and the armor manufacturing is done by the mermaids of the Shell Division.

The current territory armor is basically made of leather or shells and does not require the cooperation of craftsmen.

The Shellsmith is also a special underwater profession, and is best at using shells to create special items.

Some time ago, the Canghai tribe refreshed a lot of mermaids with special professions, and the Shell Master was one of them.

Therefore, any crustacean materials seized will be handed over to the crustaceans for use.

Meng Zheng gave them only one task, which was to make usable armor and other protective gear.

We arrived at a house that was about the same size as the hydraulic launch tube workshop. It was filled with various shells and looked very messy.

There were quite a few mermaids busy inside, swimming back and forth constantly, and sometimes they would stop to discuss with each other.

Meng Zheng waited for a while, but no one noticed him, so he had no choice but to cough lightly.

Instantly attracted everyone's attention.

"Clan leader!"

"Chief, you are here!" The crustaceans greeted Meng Zheng one after another.

"Well, you guys have worked hard, I came to see if you need anything." Meng Zheng replied casually.

"Mr. Tang, how is the armor going?" Meng Zheng looked at a mermaid with a slightly old face.

Mr. Tang's real name is Tang Jia. He is the leader of this group of armor craftsmen. He is experienced and skilled, and is a master in making armor.

Hearing Meng Zheng's question, he stopped what he was doing, swam to Meng Zheng, and answered respectfully:

"Chief, you've arrived just in time. We've already crafted a batch of armor using the captured shell materials, and are currently undergoing final polishing and testing. These armors are not only lightweight but also offer excellent defensive capabilities, and should be able to meet the needs of the warriors."

Meng Zheng was delighted upon hearing this. He walked to the side and carefully observed the armor being made. He saw that the armor was made from a variety of shells, with a smooth surface and an attractive sheen, as if every inch contained a powerful defensive force.

(End of this chapter)