Chapter 627: Chapter 380: Six Different Blueprints
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"Where are they positioned?" he asked absentmindedly while drawing line after line on the paper. Wan, fixated on the rapidly forming drawing before her, had to hear the question twice before starting to answer: "They are stationed just outside the capital. There’s a large plain where the army spreads out as much as possible. I think they’re using the strategy you’ve already guessed, trying to swamp us with their numbers."
Returning to the blueprint, Yan Xiaobao nodded again. One was completed, and another was being created. Drawing six different blueprints took time, but he was determined to finish them. If the army was stationed outside the city walls, then he was convinced that part of their forces—most likely the strongest units—must be inside the walls, ready to seal the city and turn the battle into a siege.
"I need all the Saints here as soon as possible!" Yan Xiaobao said quietly, but somehow, all the Saints heard him. Before long, everyone was standing beside the young man.
"We need to build our own war machines," he said seriously. "This forest that we’re hiding in has the perfect trees for manufacturing such items. While humans will surely notice, it’s unavoidable. We need to construct these machines efficiently, though we’re a bit short on time. I need your help." He continued speaking and then laid out eight different blueprints, placing them neatly on a tree stump in front of them.
"This war will not be as simple as I initially expected," he said in a solemn tone. "It will take place in two phases. First will be the fight against the masses. We may suffer heavy losses because they outnumber us significantly in terms of experts. While most of their forces are lower-ranked, they’ve already prepared to risk their lives for the Hell World."
"After that, it will turn into a siege. We’ll try to breach their city walls and then take over the capital. That’s where we’ll face the strongest experts. We need to be well-prepared."
"I’ve designed blueprints for several weapons that need to be constructed immediately. Here’s a ramp. It’s used as a large shield for beasts, allowing them to approach the walls safely and ensuring that arrows do not strike them. This is very simple to make, but I want the ramps to measure 4 meters by 3 meters!"
"This is a catapult. We can use it both before and during the siege. We need ten catapults. Mr. Pan, I hope you and your forces can manufacture them." Upon hearing this, Mr. Pan nodded and accepted the blueprint; as he examined it, his eyes sparkled with interest.
"This is a Crossbow Cannon!" Yan Xiaobao continued, "Wan, I need your forces to construct ten Crossbow Cannons as well. We can use them throughout the entire war. They are crucial, and we need ten units." Hearing this, Wan Qiao nodded seriously, quickly departing to relay orders to her guards.
"This is a tower! It is critical for the siege. Not all beasts can fly to the walls or jump over them; by making use of these towers, they will be able to scale the walls. We’ll need four towers in total." This blueprint was handed to another expert, who, like the others, promptly left. So far, everyone was filled with excitement and a sense of awe—they had never heard of such weapons before. Once these weapons were built, they were confident their chances of winning the war would improve dramatically.
Yan Xiaobao also worked tirelessly on other designs, including an archaeon, a gallery, an onager, and springalds. These were weapons originally created by Roman forces, and Yan Xiaobao knew just how effective they could be. Crafting these weapons would increase their odds of victory, and soon the entire forest echoed with the sound of trees being felled. Soldiers were closely following the blueprints, working tirelessly to assemble the machines he had ordered.
A day had passed since Wan left the capital and returned to Yan Xiaobao at maximum speed. The young man estimated that they had no more than a week before the enemy sent out their own scouts. In truth, Yan Xiaobao didn’t mind if the machines were noticed, as they would inevitably be exposed when confronting the army. However, he still hoped to construct them quietly. If scouts spotted them building the weapons, they might try to sabotage or otherwise delay the production—something that would frustrate both the beasts and Yan Xiaobao.
As the entire army busied themselves building under the watchful gaze of all the Saints, Yan Xiaobao sat on a tree stump, crafting small objects that might prove useful later. These items ranged from small smoke-screen inscriptions to barbed wire, which he neatly organized with other inscription scrolls.
Yan Xiaobao had a deep interest in metals, which made crafting inscriptions possible for him; however, he had never spent much time honing this particular affinity. Consequently, he could only create small, seemingly harmless inscriptions. While others might think they were insignificant, Yan Xiaobao knew smoke screens were incredibly valuable to the beast tribe. Although they obscured vision, beasts possessed heightened senses far superior to humans. They could rely on their smell or hearing to locate targets, while humans—even experts with enhanced senses—remained at a disadvantage.
The next few days were chaotic, as everyone was busy constructing the many machines Xu Yue had ordered. Saints oversaw all the work, while Yan Xiaobao continued crafting one inscription after another. Although the inscriptions were low-ranked, he managed to synchronize more and more effectively with elements he’d never worked with before. Over time, he began creating stronger and more powerful inscriptions, some infused with his Blue Flame, others with his elemental flame.