The Dragon Above the Altar

Half reluctantly, Adrian was led by the young man named Si Wen into a building constructed of steel and concrete. The air around them was thick with the pungent smell of gunpowder.

Outside the building stood a steel sculpture of guns intertwined with dragon claws, forged from discarded firearms. It carried an inexplicable, startling impact.

"Come, Lord Adrian, this way please." Si Wen's face was flushed as he pointed toward the metal doors, his tone brimming with pride.

"This is the headquarters of our Klaubo Wu Military Industry Group. We are the largest arms supplier in the entire Empire—even all of Fei An Suo. We possess the finest weapons and equipment, as well as the most elite mercenaries. As long as you are willing to pay, we can even help you conquer a kingdom!"

Adrian and Rolf followed Si Wen into the building's exhibition corridor. Models of firearms and artillery lined both sides, accompanied by Magic Images demonstrating their power.

In an image beside an enormous-caliber firearm, Imperial soldiers faced a menacing Abyss Dragon Beast. Holding their breath, they raised their guns, took aim, and pulled the trigger.

Bang!

With a thunderous gunshot, the Imperial soldier was hurled backward by the powerful recoil.

At the same time, a flaming bullet blasted forth, instantly piercing through the dragon beast's chest. Its mountain-sized body crashed to the ground, throwing up dust that filled the sky.

"What tremendous power. Its destructive force is no less than a Fourth Circle Spell!" Rolf could not help crying out in shock.

No wonder there were rumors that these firearms imprisoned mortal souls. It was unbelievable that such power could come from something assembled from steel and wood.

Rolf thought to himself.

Adrian was equally astonished. He murmured, "If we had equipment like this, we could contend