Traveling Between Two Worlds: From Bread for Maids to Fantasy Overlord

The air in Qin Family Fort seemed to freeze. The ink on the challenge letter still carried the smell of blood, and a tense atmosphere enveloped the entire fort. In the fort's square, the elderly, women, and children were busy moving stones and repairing the city walls, while the able-bodied guards lined up for drills. The crisp sound of armor plates clashing against each other echoed throughout the fort, but everyone's face could not hide their panic. The Black Wind Ridge bandits had been entrenched for many years, and their strength was more than three times that of Qin Family Fort. Moreover, their bandit leader was ruthless and cruel, having not even spared children when he plundered the surrounding villages.

Huang Yiming stood atop the highest point of the city wall, overlooking the entire fortress. His fingertips lightly tapped the battlements, his expression unusually calm. Behind him, Qin Hu clenched his fists, pacing back and forth anxiously, muttering in a simple, honest voice, "Brother Huang, if these bandits really dare to come, I'll be the first to rush out and chop them down! But our crossbows are too fragile; they break after only a few shots. Our bows and arrows have a short range; they can't stop them from climbing the ladders at all!"

Previously, Huang Yiming had demonstrated the astonishing power of his pistol, but ammunition was limited. It was impossible to withstand an army of thousands with just one gun. Qin Hu understood this, and Huang Yiming understood it even better. He turned to look at Qin Hu, a faint smile playing on his lips: "What's the rush? Effective weapons aren't made by brute force, they're modified. Gather all the hardwood, iron sheets, hemp rope, and abandoned crossbows in the fortress at the West Training Ground. In half a day, I'll make you a batch of weapons that can penetrate heavy armor."

Qin Hu's eyes lit up, and he patted his chest to assure everyone, "No problem! I'll get right on it and make sure I get everything together!" As soon as he finished speaking, he rushed out in a flurry of activity. His recklessness almost knocked over the guards walking towards him, causing those around him to burst into laughter and slightly easing the previously oppressive atmosphere.

As Huang Yiming turned around, he saw a petite figure walking briskly towards him. Yang Xiu was carrying a bowl of warm rice porridge, her small face full of stubbornness, and her eyes still carrying lingering worry. She handed the rice porridge to Huang Yiming, her voice soft yet firm: "Young Master, please drink something to warm yourself up. The preparations for battle can't rely on you alone. I also want to help. I can sew, I can take inventory, I can brew medicine and cook. I can do all the logistical work and I will never hold you back."

Looking at Yang Xiu's slender yet upright figure, Huang Yiming felt a warmth in his heart. Since following him, this girl had always given silently, even when she herself wasn't fully recovered, she still wanted to share his burden. He took the rice porridge, patted her head, and said gently, "Alright, then the inventory of supplies, medicines, and dry rations is your responsibility. Make sure to sort the healing medicines, clean water, and dry rations into batches and place them in easily accessible locations on the city wall. Remember to be careful and make no mistakes."

Yang Xiu nodded heavily, her eyes curving into crescents. She solemnly accepted the task, turned around, and strode quickly toward the warehouse, taking each step with utmost care, afraid of betraying Huang Yiming's trust.

Before long, the west training ground was piled high with various kinds of timber, iron parts, and dilapidated crossbows. Qin Hu, accompanied by a dozen or so strong young guards, stood to the side, sweating profusely, watching Huang Yiming expectantly. Huang Yiming didn't hesitate. Relying on his knowledge of modern mechanics and the principles of physics, he began to disassemble and modify the crossbow: shortening the length of the crossbow arm, thickening the crossbow body to increase its load-bearing capacity, adding a non-slip grip, and most importantly, embedding a small iron cone at the tip of the crossbow bolt. He also adjusted the tension of the bowstring, directly doubling the range and doubling the penetrating power.

Qin Hu squatted to the side, staring wide-eyed at Huang Yiming as he skillfully cut wood and polished iron parts, his face full of admiration: "Brother Huang, you're amazing! This thing is more than ten times better than the crossbows in our fortress!" But despite his admiration, his hands-on skills were really worrying. He picked up some wood to help, but the saw was crooked and turned perfectly good hardwood into scrap wood. He almost hit his own foot, causing the guards around him to tremble with suppressed laughter.

Huang Yiming glanced at him helplessly: "You should still be in charge of moving things, don't make things worse." Qin Hu scratched his head, chuckled, and wasn't angry. He obediently became a mover. He was incredibly strong and could carry two thick logs without any trouble. However, he was too reckless when walking and would often knock things over, causing quite a few laughs.

In less than two hours, all twenty improved crossbows were completed. Huang Yiming picked one up, aimed it at a distant wooden stake, and pulled the trigger. The bolt shot through the air, instantly piercing the three-inch-thick stake, its fletching still trembling slightly. Qin Hu and the guards stared in disbelief, exclaiming in astonishment, their eyes filled with even greater awe as they looked at Huang Yiming.

At the same time, Huang Yiming counted the pistol ammunition, a total of twelve bullets, each one to be used wisely. He wiped the gun clean, concealed it close to his body, and stared sharply toward Black Wind Ridge.

Just then, a dark cloud appeared on the distant horizon, accompanied by deafening shouts of battle and the clatter of hooves. A scout galloped back, his face pale, and roared, "Report—Lord! The bandit army has assembled, more than five thousand strong, and is less than three miles from the fortress! Two thousand more than expected, and they've gathered all the scattered bandits in the surrounding area!"

As soon as he finished speaking, the cheers on the training ground vanished instantly. The guards' expressions changed drastically; their newly ignited confidence was instantly replaced by panic. Qin Hu clenched his fists and gritted his teeth, saying, "These bastards have actually gathered together scattered bandits! This is a huge problem!"

Huang Yiming's gaze remained unchanged, his tone calm and forceful, overwhelming all the noise: "What's the panic! Although they have a large force, they're nothing but a rabble. We have high walls, powerful crossbows, and the advantage of terrain. As long as we hold the city gates, they simply cannot break in! Issue my orders: all guards to the city walls, crossbowmen to flank the city, catapults to prepare, defend according to the established plan!"

His voice carried an inexplicable air of authority, instantly calming the previously panicked guards, who responded and sprang into action. Yang Xiu stood at the warehouse entrance, gazing at Huang Yiming's tall and straight back, her eyes filled with admiration and reassurance—she firmly believed that as long as the young master was there, no obstacle was insurmountable. Qin Hu approached Huang Yiming, patting his chest and saying in a憨厚 (honest and simple) voice, "Brother Huang, I'll guard the city gate! Anyone who dares to take a step closer, I'll smash their skull with this stick!" As he spoke, he waved the thick wooden stick in his hand, but slipped and almost fell flat on his face, causing the guards, who had just regained their composure, to burst into laughter, instantly dispelling the atmosphere of panic. Huang Yiming sighed and handed him a modified crossbow, saying, "Take this, it's ten times more effective than your wooden stick, so don't be clumsy." Qin Hu held the crossbow as if it were a priceless treasure, rubbing it back and forth as if it were a rare gem, his憨厚 (honest and simple) manner amusing everyone.