Leon himself was stunned. He looked down at the bow in his hands, then felt the abundant stamina and mental energy still within him.
"I... I feel like I could shoot dozens more times," he murmured.
In the past, he had needed at least a minute to recover after a single shot pushed to that extreme.
Now, it felt as effortless as shooting a wad of cotton.
The corner of Lin Mo's mouth twitched at those words. He felt as though something had just run over his face.
"Again!" Fendona's voice trembled.
"Target, the cliff face one thousand meters away!"
At that, even Lin Mo thought the princess had gone mad.
One thousand meters?
That was beyond even a catapult's range!
And they were going to shoot it with a bow?
Was this a joke?
Leon's eyes burned with intense eagerness.
He drew the bow again. This time, he poured more mana into the Compound Bow while simultaneously enchanting the arrow.
The pale blue-green glow along the bow grew dazzling!
He took aim!
Whoosh!
The arrow vanished.
Every Elf turned to look at the hazy cliff face in the distance.
Time seemed to freeze.
One second.
Two seconds.
Boom!
A muffled boom came from far away. A cloud of dust visible to the naked eye burst from the cliff face one thousand meters distant!
It had hit!
It had actually hit!
The entire workshop fell silent, then erupted in cheers!
"Unbelievable! This is a miracle!" Master Elder's aged eyes streamed with tears.
"A legendary weapon that only a legendary dwarven craftsman could create... I never dreamed I would accomplish this in my lifetime..."
Watching from the side, Lin Mo was dumbfounded too. He could not even make out anything a thousand meters away.
Who would have thought that, paired with Leon's eyesight, this magically modified Compound Bow would not only have such a long effective range, but actually hit its target?
It was absurd!
According to the think tank's data, a compound bow required less effort to hold at full draw than a traditional bow, and that saved strength translated into shorter intervals between shots.
Its overall rate of fire and arrow velocity were more than five times greater.
An Elf archer equipped with such a weapon would have at least five times his former strategic value!
With this round of technological aid, Lin Mo had upgraded archers from the age of cold steel straight into Barrett Snipers.
Fendona clenched her fists tightly, her nails digging into her palms, yet she felt no pain.
She looked at Lin Mo, her beautiful green eyes filled with gratitude!
The tests continued.
The Repeating Crossbow was brought out as well.
Its role was clear: close-range combat and covering fire, making up for the Elf archers' last weakness.
During a break in Leon's testing, an Elf guard picked up a Repeating Crossbow fitted with a magazine loaded with ten bolts.
He easily worked the mechanism to cock it, with no need for precise aiming.
Pointing it at a row of humanoid straw targets ten meters away, he pulled the trigger repeatedly.
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, whoosh!
The dense rush of projectiles through the air blended together like the whisper of death.
Ten bolts poured out in just three seconds, forming an impenetrable barrage of death that completely blanketed the area.
All ten straw targets were hit.
Had those been Demon Clan fodder charging at the front, that single instant could have cleared an entire swath!
It perfectly addressed the Elf archers' weakness once an enemy closed in.
More importantly, both the Compound Bow and the Repeating Crossbow demanded far less of their users.
Every Elf in the workshop was swept up in fervor.
They caressed these new weapons as though caressing the girls they loved most.
Holding the Compound Bow, Fendona drew it repeatedly, feeling that marvelous point where the strain eased.
Then she picked up the Repeating Crossbow and waved it through the air, making "whoosh, whoosh" sounds like a child with a new toy.
Although she was a princess and primarily a mage rather than a dedicated warrior, these two weapons demanded so little of their users.
Whether drawing the Compound Bow or operating the Repeating Crossbow, she could easily do it many times.
The Repeating Crossbow's effective range was also established. Thanks to the Terra Continent's superior materials, it could accurately hit unarmored targets within thirty meters.
Within ten meters, it could pierce the crude leather armor worn by low-ranking members of the Demon Clan, meaning it could effectively kill the Demon Clan's elite creatures.
Most importantly, even ordinary Elves with somewhat weaker physiques, who usually handled logistics, could pick up these weapons and immediately become capable soldiers!
Arming the entire population was no longer just a slogan to boost morale. It had become a real possibility.
Next came the arrow tests.
Using the metal composition formulas and manufacturing techniques provided by Great Xia, the Elf craftsmen forged a batch of brand-new three-edged arrowheads.
An arrow that had pierced through rock was recovered, its head only slightly blunted along the edges.
A craftsman picked up a file and gave it a few simple strokes, restoring its original sharpness.
More badly damaged ones could be reused after quenching and a few hammer blows!
Compared with ordinary arrows, which deformed merely from piercing bone and leather armor, these were stronger by an immeasurable margin!
The logistical nightmare that had plagued the Elves-the predicament of every fired arrow being effectively spent-was ended once and for all.
Watching these scenes overturn everything she knew, Fendona trembled all over with excitement.
She remembered her kin who had fallen on the battlefield, the homeland devoured by the Demon Clan, and the despair that would not fade from her people's eyes.
Now, everything was about to change.
She slowly walked up to Lin Mo, drawing every Elf's gaze.
The noble Elf princess bowed deeply before Lin Mo, the man from another world.
She performed the Elves' highest gesture of respect.
"Sir Lin Mo, please accept my most heartfelt gratitude."
Her voice trembled, yet brimmed with hope.
"On behalf of every heroic soul lost in the war, and every one of my people struggling to survive, I thank you for the hope you have brought us."
Lin Mo accepted her bow without hesitation.
He knew he represented not himself, but the homeland behind him, which was struggling against the fate of an entire planet.
He helped Fendona straighten up and, looking at her reddened eyes, said softly:
"Get production underway quickly. Time waits for no one, and the Demon Clan doesn't take days off."
Fendona nodded firmly. The tear tracks on her face had yet to dry, but her gaze had become resolute.
She turned to face all the craftsmen and guards and issued her orders loudly.
"Master Elder! Set aside every other task and gather all the craftsmen. Work day and night without rest, and put everything into making these two divine weapons and their arrows."
"Yes, Your Highness!"
Master Elder answered in a booming voice, the fervor on his aged face exceeding even that of the young.
Fendona then looked at Leon.
"Choose our finest messenger and have them leave immediately with samples of the bow and crossbow!"
"Report everything that happened here to Her Majesty the Queen in Avenor City!"
"As you command!"
This was more than a revolution in weaponry. It was a turning point in the fate of their entire race.
She wanted the Queen and every Elf to see this first light piercing the darkness!
Soon, an agile Elf messenger mounted the swiftest horned antelope and charged out of camp, carrying a brand-new Compound Bow on his back, a compact Repeating Crossbow at his waist, and newly forged arrows along with the instructions for making them.
Bearing these "divine weapons" that could overturn the Elves' entire way of waging war, he galloped toward Avenor, the capital of the Elf Kingdom.
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