Karl Astonished the Crowd

Karl fired his musket, producing a loud explosion.

This wasn't the "biubiu" or "bang" sound of a musket at all; it was the deafening "BOOM" of an artillery piece.

The moment the trigger was pulled, it was as if time had been paused; the entire academic exchange hall, filled with over a thousand people, fell silent.

Everyone froze, their eyes wide as they stared at the target on the stage, which had been blasted into pieces.

Faintly, I heard the sound of everyone swallowing their saliva.

Damn it, is this some kind of exchange meeting between mechanical apprentices, or some kind of top-tier firearms showcase?

For novice gunsmiths, it's already a good thing if the muskets they make don't explode or produce duds; even for advanced apprentices, it's rare to find a few outstanding novice muskets that are truly impressive.

But what the hell is this thing in front of me?

The original procedure was that a slightly flawed apprentice's musket would be brought to the stage for a demonstration. Then, various instructors would offer their critiques, which the trainees would humbly accept, resulting in a happy ending for everyone.

However, Karl pulled out such a bizarre musket and blasted the target to pieces.

This wasn't a surprise at all, it was a shock.

It's like playing Dou Dizhu (a popular Chinese card game). The landlord starts by throwing bombs, what are you going to do to counter them?

Rein was slightly surprised by the extraordinary power of the "bubble gun".

For the past six months, he has been focusing on his cultivation, and Karl has also been immersed in the laboratory. He has no idea that Karl can now create such a monstrous musket.

He had witnessed the entire scene of the musket firing.

Karl's [High-Explosive Bubble Sprayer] doesn't fire cartridge cases and bullets like a regular musket, nor does it scatter like a regular shotgun. Instead, it's like a bubble machine, spraying phosphorescent flames everywhere and exploding in a wide area.

Not only is it powerful, but it also comes with various special effects such as burning, penetrating, and exploding.

Aside from the "Sixteen-barreled Vulcan Cannon" owned by Mr. Tuster, it was the most ferocious musket he had ever seen.

Looking at the Green Flame covering the stage, Rein's lips curled into a slight smile, and he thought to himself, "Tsk tsk, this is getting interesting."

Everyone present was a mechanic; no one thought much of the mass-produced guns sold in gun shops.

Every mechanic has his own unique musket.

This is the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences, and the people here naturally have the most advanced perspectives in the world.

They immediately recognized it: clearly, this was a homemade firearm that had never appeared on the market before.

This firearm is extremely technically challenging.

Even the instructors in the audience didn't understand many of the techniques, let alone the students.

Putting aside its somewhat bizarre design, the sheer power of this musket is absolutely a masterpiece!

But as shocking as it may be.

But anger immediately surfaced in the eyes of those onlookers.

Since this is an academic exchange meeting, what the hell do you mean by bringing out a musket like this?

Even Senior Mechanic might not be able to build such a musket, let alone a mechanical apprentice!

Such exaggerated power involves advanced mechanical knowledge in various aspects such as gunpowder, enchantment, gun structure, and materials.

It is almost certain that this is not a special firearm that a mechanic below the Grandmaster level could "solely" manufacture.

Just then, the host also recovered from his shock.

He looked at Karl, his eyelids twitching, and he tried to subtly reiterate the rules. "Mr. Karl, I think you may have some misunderstandings."

He paused, then pointed to the bubble gun in Karl's hand and said, "What I meant was that you need to demonstrate a firearm that you designed and created independently, not someone else's weapon."

Karl looked puzzled and said, "This is the musket that I designed and made myself!"

Upon hearing this, the large hall immediately fell into a brief silence once again.

Host. "."

Grandmaster Oliver: "."

Everyone: "."

From below the stage, Rein watched these guys with expressions that said, "Only a fool would believe that," and he was secretly amused.

If it were a different kind of musket, Rein might have thought that the power he saw was due to Old Master Tuster helping Karl with some details.

But looking at the whimsical bubble gun design, he was certain that it was designed by Karl himself.

The old man said that this was Karl's talent.

"Imagination" is one of the most remarkable talents of a mechanic.

Karl himself probably didn't realize that his talent in the field of mechanics was nothing short of monstrous.

Although his aesthetic sense does indeed deviate slightly from the mainstream.

After a brief silence, some students in the audience stood up.

"Hmph! You're lying!"

The one who stood up was a handsome orange-haired boy, none other than Mark from the advanced class whom they had met at the academy before.

He pointed at Karl and shouted, "Even Senior Mechanic might not be able to build this musket. You say you designed and manufactured it independently?!"

His words immediately resonated with the other trainees.

"Yes! This country bumpkin who's spouting nonsense has somehow found a musket and claims it's his own. It's utterly ridiculous!"

"Heh, they'll stop at nothing to gain fame through this exchange. You despicable country bumpkin!"

"The gun is a good gun, but it's a pity that it's been used as a dirty means to gain fame. You've insulted the greatest profession of mechanic!"

"."

Not only the students, but even the teachers shook their heads.

It wasn't that Karl's musket wasn't good enough; it was that it was excellent.

It's so good that it's completely beyond what a mechanical apprentice can manufacture.

When Karl pulled out that gun, it felt like a teacher was asking a group of elementary school students to do an interest-based research paper. While the other students were submitting reports on "how tadpoles grow," he submitted a highly professional "anti-cancer paper."

This is a classic example of "dimensional reduction attack".

To an uninformed person, this goes against common sense.

The only possibility is that the strange musket in Karl's hand was a work by another master, which he used to show off.

However, this is not an academic exchange at all; what needs to be demonstrated is one's own work, and it is not allowed to use other people's work.

This is already "deception".

This is a shameful act of cheating during inter-college exchanges.

Didn't you tell me to take the musket?

Didn't you ask me to explain?

Didn't you tell me to shoot?

Karl didn't know what he had done wrong to deserve so much insult and abuse.

It was only after Rein said "You're welcome" that he brought out this most prized piece of work.

Unexpectedly, instead of praise, he was met with a torrent of insults and skepticism. The way those people looked at him made him feel extremely uncomfortable. They saw him as if he were a thief on the street.

Karl thought he had done something wrong.

He turned and looked at Rein and Tuster in the audience, somewhat bewildered, seeking an answer.

Rein chuckled and nodded at him, the meaning clear: go for it.

Old Master Tuster remained expressionless, but scoffed, "The atmosphere at the Oma Academy is exactly the same as it was back then. They love forming cliques and can't stand seeing others succeed. Do they think that just because they can't do it, others can't? But then again, it makes sense. If someone like Breidan can become the dean, and everyone's busy vying for fame and fortune, what kind of good academic atmosphere can there be!"

Thirty years of living a solitary life had made the old man's personality extremely stubborn, and he had become quite harsh in his speech, especially towards his enemies.

This statement is not very hurtful, but it is extremely insulting.

His voice wasn't loud, but it was only the instructors and professors in the front row of the college who could hear him.

These words mocked the entire Oma Royal Academy of Sciences, and everyone's face turned ashen.

The young mentors, unaware of Tuster's identity, couldn't hide their anger. However, because Rein, the "Lord of Black Dragon City," was sitting there, they didn't dare to say anything more.

The older professors knew more or less about what happened back then, and they also knew about the feud between Tuster and Dean Breidan.

But her complexion was also not very good.

Mechanics are judged by their skills.

A single musket is no match for the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences!

On stage, what should have been a proper academic exchange turned into a farce.

"Get out of here, you cheating fraudster!"

"Get out of here! You country bumpkin, we at the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences don't welcome liars."

"Go back to your Black Dragon City."

"."

The students at the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences may not be very skilled in mechanics, but when it comes to cursing, they are all masters.

Karl's face flushed red as he continued to argue, "This is the musket I made myself!"

At this moment, Mark shouted again, "Heh heh. If you really made this, I'll swallow this musket!"

When Rein heard this, he was secretly pleased.

I love hearing people make bold predictions.

At this point, not wanting to miss out on something big, he said to the host on stage, "Since this is an exchange between two colleges, I think the outstanding students from both sides should come up on stage and give a presentation."

He paused for a moment, then continued, "Since there's a debate about whether Karl was the musket maker, let's just set up a competition to see who it is."

This is a good approach and a normal communication process.

The outstanding colleges from both sides took the stage to compete and compare their teaching levels, which roughly determined the relative strengths and weaknesses of the two colleges.

In the past, when other territorial academies came to exchange ideas, even with this segment, the students of the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences would always win with an overwhelming advantage.

I imagine this time will be no exception.

These words immediately resonated with the young trainees.

Mark from the advanced class immediately stood up and walked towards the stage. "Hmph, let's compete then, are you afraid of me!"

When someone went on stage, it immediately drew cheers from the other trainees.

"Brother Mark, teach that liar a lesson."

"Yes! Let him see what real mechanical technology is like."

"This despicable person dares to try and gain fame by stepping on our Royal Academy of Sciences? What a pipe dream!"

"."

Everyone felt that the "liar" on stage should be taught a lesson, and they were sure they would win.

Mark specializes in two disciplines: "Firearms expertise" and "mechanical equipment expertise," and is among the top students in the academy.

Being the best at the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences is naturally being the best in the world.

Among mechanics of this age, Mark, even if he can't win, will definitely not lose.

Everyone was optimistic about Mark, except for the Grandmaster Oliver, who had a vague feeling that something was wrong.

Because he was one of the few people present who knew the original intelligence about the "Plague Base," and he also knew that the old man had mastered very advanced mechanical technology.

Now that Black Dragon City has come prepared, it is clear that they will not "bring shame upon themselves."

However, there was only a slight concern, but it wouldn't have a significant impact. Even if they lost the "exchange," it was still just a competition between students, so it wouldn't be a big deal.

But at the same time, he was even more curious about whether the boy named Karl could really make that musket.

For a master like him, that musket wasn't technically difficult to wield.

But the difficulty lies in "creativity".

Even he himself would never have imagined that bubble gun without seeing the actual weapon.

The exchange meeting appeared to be the home ground of the Oma Academy, but in reality, it was always dominated by the Black Dragon City side.

Rein proposed the contest, and no one could stop him, nor was there any reason to stop him.

Then, Mark from the advanced class went up into the ring.

After taking the stage, he immediately challenged, "Since we're going to have a competition, what are you planning to compete in, Karl?"

Karl, already seething with resentment, looked at the guy who was most adept at mocking him and said unhappily, "Suit yourself. I'm fine with anything!"

Mark sneered, not intending to let Karl skip over the musket incident, and suggested, "How about a musket contest? Let the instructors give us a challenge, and we'll build muskets on the spot?"

After saying that, he couldn't resist a sarcastic remark, adding, "Heh! Since you say you made that musket yourself, you're not afraid to make another one in front of everyone, are you?"

Karl retorted, "Fine, let's compete!"

The two chose to make a musket, and to be fair, they wouldn't let Karl remake a "bubble shotgun," but instead would create a new challenge.

The Oma Academy asked Rein and Tuster for their opinions on the questions, but neither of them cared. After all, Karl was quite proficient with all kinds of firearms.

Finally, the faculty members discussed the matter and came up with a topic on the spot.

Before long, two machine tools were brought to the arena.

Karl and Mark each received three one-meter-long, thick alloy iron pipes.

The task is to use these three iron pipes to build a musket. Other materials can be added, but the iron pipes must be used as gun barrels.

This question is fair; it limits the available materials and eliminates the possibility of cheating.

Even if you memorize a lot of blueprints in advance, it doesn't necessarily mean you'll be able to use such large-diameter iron pipes.

It tests the mechanic's gun design skills, creativity, and basic abilities.

With so many experts watching, it's obvious who's better and who's worse.

About ten minutes later, Karl and Mark had each prepared the materials they needed and began to make the guns.

Mark brought his robotic Mechanical Arm and started rifling the iron pipes directly onto the machine tool.

The grating sound of metal scraping echoed throughout the venue, quite jarring.

The mentors in the audience could tell at a glance what Mark was planning to do.

The iron pipe was rifled as a whole, which clearly indicated that it was intended to be a conventional "three-barreled shotgun".

The mentors watched Mark's performance and began to offer their comments.

"Mark is indeed the best gunsmith apprentice in this class. His fundamentals are very solid, and the rifling is perfect."

"Yes. The better the rifling, the better the accuracy of the final test shot. Mark's gun, even if it were a graduation project, would at least get an 'excellent' grade."

"Although the creativity is a bit lacking, it's not bad for a last-minute task to achieve this level of quality."

"."

The mentors all thought highly of Mark.

Although it was a standard "three-barreled shotgun," the solid foundation meant the final product was at least decent.

On the other hand, surprisingly, Karl did not attempt to rifling.

He carefully measured the length of the three iron pipes, and then surprisingly used a cutting machine to cut the three iron pipes into nine equal sections!

"Hey, that kid actually cut the iron pipe. Is he trying to make a short-barreled gun?"

"Heh, this idiot, he actually divided it into three. While making short-barreled firearms is fine, the finished firearms will be compared in terms of power later. Can such a short musket compare to Senior Mark's long-barreled triple-barreled shotgun?"

"That's not right. Even if it's for making a short-barreled musket, one is enough. He cut off all three iron pipes, what is he trying to do?"

"."

The students didn't quite understand Karl's actions, but the instructors' expressions gradually froze.

Whether someone is an expert or not is immediately obvious to anyone with expertise.

At this moment, Karl on the ring was completely absorbed in his work, seemingly oblivious to all the noise around him. His serious gaze made him appear more like a Mechanical Master deeply engrossed in his work than a boy with a youthful face.

Rein had never worried that Karl would lose, but seeing his serious expression, he glanced at him sideways.

Karl's talent for focus is truly extraordinary. His fluid and efficient work style is very pleasant to watch.

Rein doesn't understand mechanical manufacturing, but the instructors at the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences can!

At this moment, the moment Karl made his move, the expressions of the mentors, who had just been chatting and laughing, immediately became very complicated.

Although they didn't understand what Karl was planning to do by cutting nine iron pipes, they could understand his skillful technique.

Compared to Mark before, this level of proficiency is on a completely different level.

Like stars to the bright moon,

This is a huge difference that can be seen at a glance!

No. Not only compared to the students, but even the instructors who are certified as Senior Mechanic pale in comparison.

If the mentors were on stage at that moment, they wouldn't think they could have done better than that boy named Karl.

Gradually, the academic hall fell silent as everyone quietly began to watch Karl's actions on the arena.

But what's even more shocking is yet to come!

Karl cut the three iron pipes into nine pieces, and then actually started enchanting them with alchemical materials!

Like an electric welder, his workbench glowed with an eerie light.

The mentors were completely stunned when they saw this.

"Alchemy enchanting" has an extremely complex process, much like brewing a potion. It requires a very high level of skill to ensure that the intricate enchanting patterns can be imprinted on the target material.

This requires talent, knowledge, and skills; none of them can be lacking.

"That's Fourth-Tier Enchantment Layer?"

"My God! He really wasn't lying! He can complete Fourth Tier enchantment independently! That's incredible! Even Senior Mechanic might not be able to do that. How did that boy..."

"That's a [Fourth Tier - Solid Rune]. He's even enchanting such a thick iron pipe; what kind of firearm is he planning to make?"

"."

In fact, the outcome of the match was already decided the moment Karl made his move.

Karl only showed this one move, and everyone understood who the "clown" really was.

The two people on stage were not even in the same league; the difference was like that of a ten-story building.

Moreover, the difference isn't just in basic skills; the gap in creativity and talent is even greater.

The creativity of a traditional "three-barreled shotgun" and a "Nine-Barrel Firearm" that is sure to dazzle people without even seeing the result are worlds apart.

The questions were devised by the instructors at the Oma Academy, so there is no possibility of cheating.

Upon seeing this, everyone, especially the instructors, had the same thought, "This is truly a mechanical genius."

It's fair to say that Karl's performance surpassed that of most of the mentors present.

At the same time, they also remembered what Karl had said earlier.

If he wasn't lying, then he also made that bubble gun himself.

So, was it true that he said he was proficient in firearms, Mechanical Arm, ammunition, Steam Locomotive, Mechanical City, demolitions, and energy?

At this moment, everyone realized how foolish they had been to mock such a mechanical genius whose level of skill was beyond their comprehension.

At the same time, they were also puzzled as to what kind of background this "Black Dragon Academy" had that could produce such a powerful genius.

What was supposed to be an exchange and competition turned into a stage for Karl to show off his skills.

In everyone's eyes, besides shock, there was only shame.

After a short while, Karl stopped.

In his hand, he held a finished musket with a very peculiar design.

It has nine barrels, resembling honeycomb briquettes, and is somewhat ugly. It doesn't look like a musket; it looks more like a hammer.

Because it wasn't polished, it looks a bit rough.

But it was this crude and somewhat ugly musket that made the arrogant mechanics of the Oma Royal Academy of Sciences unable to look away.

At this moment, the whole world fell silent once again.

Thank you to 'Daqingshu' for 1,500 coins and 'I Love Sleeping' for 200 coins. Thank you both for your generous support.