Chapter 405: Technology Transfer

Every time Wu Qingsong had ventured out before, Ling had always accompanied him. The one time she hadn’t was when he and Nina had been teleported into the abyss beneath the earth, which made her extremely reluctant to part from Wu Qingsong.

But they all understood that what Wu Qingsong was about to do might very well be Nagrand’s only path forward. Otherwise, when the elves eventually uncovered Nagrand’s true nature, all their years of effort would be for nothing.

Nina had to oversee the Knight Order and affairs on the Stampede Plateau; Ram was needed to manage Nagrand; Xeila was their strongest, most reliable weapon, able to handle any unforeseen troubles swiftly; Ling herself was soon expecting; and as for Liuli…

“I’ll be fine,” Wu Qingsong did his best to comfort them. “What’s this? Do you all really think I’m that weak? That I can’t handle things on my own?”

In the end, they could only accept it. Still, Ling insisted on flying Wu Qingsong to the southeastern edge of the Batiz Desert, so he wouldn’t have to cross the wastelands on foot.

Naturally, Wu Qingsong hadn’t brought along huge amounts of silver. Instead, he carried a large quantity of amber and gemstones acquired from the Stampede Plateau. The elves favored these materials highly. Some of the gems could even be used to craft magical tools and were extremely valuable. 

Once he reached the imperial capital, he would exchange them through Dark Moon for silver coins, which would be enough to settle matters with Julian.

This wasn’t his first time visiting this place, but it grew even more desolate each time he returned.

The past military standoff between Sentalus and Yagata had utterly destroyed the region’s trade routes, leaving vast wastelands in their wake. Some of the mines and villages Wu Qingsong remembered had already been reduced to ruins, stirring a faint sadness within him.

He believed that what he was doing was a cause that would eventually benefit all beastkin across the continent. Yet in the process, it was inevitable that some would suffer even more misfortune. It didn’t shake his conviction, but it did leave a lingering sense of helplessness.

‘If only I had more power.’

He deliberately detoured to the site of the old military encampment where they had once lured an Abyss Lord. The area had long since been abandoned and had clearly been scavenged by the surrounding poor. Anything of value was gone, leaving only debris and trash. Yet at the heart of the old camp, the scars of supernatural battle were still plain to see.

Massive craters, scorched earth, sand melted into glass by searing heat, shattered trees… the signs of destruction stretched far across the camp and even into the Yagata side. 

Standing atop a low hill, Wu Qingsong gazed over the devastation, recalling those chaotic days, speculating on what had happened afterward, and feeling an even deeper hunger for strength.

Just one Abyss Lord had caused such devastation. If the Abyssal Overlords themselves ever came to this world… what would become of it?

Without the power to defeat them, blindly challenging the elven hegemony would be sheer, irresponsible folly.

With two horses, Wu Qingsong continued southeast along the main roads of the Grand Duchy of Yagata. Thanks to the credentials Julian had given him, he encountered no major obstacles.

A few bandits who didn’t know better quickly became corpses by the roadside. Their loot slightly fattened Wu Qingsong’s purse. He even reached the imperial capital ten days earlier than expected.

“These are all fine raw materials,” the Dark Moon appraiser said after carefully examining the amber and gemstones. “One hundred and forty thousand renals.”

“What do you plan to do with it?” Red Moon asked.

Mystic Moon was still in Phoenix seeking opportunities. Only Red Moon had hurried back specifically for this matter.

“Fifty thousand in silver coins to Julian, but make sure the coins are old, worn down, and rough,” Wu Qingsong said. “Ten thousand exchanged into gold sols. As for the rest…” 

He hesitated briefly.

Red Moon gave him a mocking smile, as if ridiculing his so-called hesitation.

“You handle the remaining eighty thousand renals. I want Marquis Osaga’s case to stay unresolved for as long as possible. The longer, the better.”

On a personal level, he hated to do this. But for the sake of Nagrand, the longer Marquis Osaga remained imprisoned, the less attention Julian would have to spare for Nagrand. The more time, effort, and money he invested in this matter, the deeper he would sink, unable to easily give up.

“You’re finally starting to act like a real leader. A real rebel,” Red Moon said calmly, without pushing him too hard. “Sometimes, we have to do things that go against our conscience. But—”

Wu Qingsong interrupted her. “The important thing is that Julian must always be able to see hope, but that hope must constantly slip further away. I know it’s not easy, but do your best. If you need more money or goods, just send word to Nagrand. Whether you want cash or supplies, it’s no problem.”

“You can rest easy about that,” Red Moon said. “Marquis Osaga made a lot of enemies among the elves. He’s an outlier. Plenty would be happy to quietly step on him when the time comes. They may not actively try to harm him, but at the critical moment… they’ll have no qualms.”

Wu Qingsong nodded.

“Now then, the thing you promised us?” Red Moon asked.

Wu Qingsong opened another long package and drew out its contents.

“What’s this?” Red Moon asked, somewhat surprised at the finely crafted item. She had heard through various channels that Nagrand had invented a powerful new weapon. But the look of it…

“This is a musket,” Wu Qingsong said, demonstrating how to load and fire it with an empty weapon.

It was the very first musket crafted by Mahaan. It differed in many ways from the mass-produced models now common in Nagrand, but the basic principles were the same.

It was a formidable weapon, but only truly effective when produced in large numbers through specialized, division-of-labor workshops—workshops that used unified measurements and strict quality control standards. Without mass production and consistent gunpowder supplies, a musket was little more than a curiosity. And far from reaching its full potential.

In some ways, its loud noise and smoke even made it a poor choice for assassinations. Yet its power, size, and concealability made it the perfect tool for a suicide squad’s final strike.

For an organization like Dark Moon, perhaps it could be developed for even more uses, though that was no longer Wu Qingsong’s concern.

“If there’s a suitable location, I can demonstrate it for you. But this thing makes a huge noise and a lot of smoke. We’ll have to find someplace far from the city.”

“I’ll arrange it immediately,” Red Moon said.