Chapter 179: Automatic Weapons
A full year had passed.
The chemical factory had long since finished preparing the raw materials for the picric acid Caelum had ordered. At the time, he immediately activated the technology tree and completed the synthesis.
[Explosives and Picric Acid Production Complete]
A new technology unlocked.
At last, the mercury fulminate Caelum had been waiting for appeared.
[Explosives and Mercury Fulminate Unlocked]
[Explosives and Nitroglycerin Unlocked]
[Propellants and Nitrocellulose Unlocked]
Mercury fulminate was what people commonly called a primer.
It was an initiating explosive that required no flame and could be set off easily by friction, impact, sparks, or an electric spark.
The appearance of mercury fulminate brought firearms fully into the age of breech loading weapons.
When the trigger of a breech loading firearm was pulled, the firing pin struck the primer and detonated it. The primer then ignited the propellant and launched the bullet.
Only with primers could metallic cartridges truly begin displaying their power on the battlefield.
After unlocking mercury fulminate, Caelum handed its production process to the chemical factory and ordered them to begin large scale manufacturing.
He then gathered the necessary materials and synthesized a batch himself.
That unlocked two more crucial technologies.
Nitroglycerin and nitrocellulose.
Nitroglycerin was an extremely sensitive explosive.
Even a slight vibration could set it off.
Its explosive power was thirty times greater than black powder, making it immensely destructive.
However, mixing nitroglycerin with diatomaceous earth stabilized it and allowed it to be used safely and conveniently in warfare.
Picric acid was highly effective as the explosive filling for long range artillery shells.
But when used during sieges or at close range, the toxic fumes it produced could harm friendly forces.
Nitroglycerin explosives were much safer in that regard.
The invention of black powder had ushered warfare into the age of firearms.
But when it burned, it produced thick white smoke and left residue behind.
After every shot, flintlock muskets and cannons had to be cleaned to remove the black powder residue from their barrels.
Using them was troublesome.
Nitrocellulose solved that problem.
It had another name.
The famous smokeless powder.
It was a propellant that produced almost no smoke or residue after burning.
Its power was also three times greater than black powder.
Cotton and nitric acid could be used to produce nitrocellulose.
After the nitrocellulose underwent gelatinization and further processing, it became a perfect replacement for black powder.
It possessed greater power.
Using it as a propellant meant bullets would gain stronger destructive force, more stable trajectories, and much longer range.
Since it left no residue behind, the barrel no longer needed to be cleaned after every shot.
That created the conditions needed for Maxim machine guns to enter the battlefield.
Steel.
Mercury fulminate.
Gelatinized nitrocellulose.
[Metallic Cartridge Accelerated Production]
An invisible force surged forth.
Under the technology tree’s accelerated manufacturing, the three materials were transformed into steel cartridges in the blink of an eye.
Each cartridge had a metal casing and bullet, along with a primer and smokeless powder.
[Metallic Cartridge Production Complete]
Built upon the breech loading firearm branch and combined with metallic cartridge technology, a new branch of modern firearms unlocked.
A full series of automatic weapons.
[Firearms and Automatic Rifle Unlocked]
[Firearms and Maxim Machine Gun Unlocked]
That was not all.
The artillery branch unlocked new technologies as well.
[Artillery and Mortar Unlocked]
[Artillery and Cannon Unlocked]
[Artillery and Howitzer Unlocked]
[Artillery and Antiaircraft Gun Unlocked]
...
All of this had happened more than half a year ago.
Metallic cartridges.
Automatic firearms.
Modern artillery capable of overwhelming targets with saturated long range bombardment.
Newhaven City’s military technology had advanced to an absurd degree.
Once these weapons were fully issued, the resulting firepower would be terrifying.
However, Newhaven City’s economy and resources still could not support equipping the entire Warden force and Artillery Army with modern weapons.
Doing so would create an enormous burden.
Because of that, more than half a year later, the Wardens and Artillery Army were still equipped with old flintlock muskets and outdated light and heavy cannons.
Even so, training with modern weapons had quietly begun.
Batch after batch of officers graduated from the Military Academy and entered the army.
Modern combat doctrine, firearm training, and marksmanship drills were steadily being introduced across the forces.
Edrick and the members of the Household Guard had also enrolled in the Military Academy and completed advanced education.
Their outlook was no longer limited by their humble origins.
The moment Caelum gave the order, they could lead the army into a modern war.
That day.
"Leader, the airship is ready."
"Good."
Caelum wore his usual white shirt and black standing collar coat.
His bearing was solemn, his posture straight.
He stepped across the threshold and headed toward the airship landing field.
Edrick and the personal guards followed at once.
Their heavy military boots struck the ground with dull thuds, giving them a fierce presence.
Newhaven City’s chemical industry was highly advanced.
Producing hydrogen and nitrogen posed no difficulty.
The material for the gas envelope had been developed jointly by several academies.
Inside the gondola, a diesel engine powered the enormous propellers outside, driving the airship forward.
The diesel fuel had also been refined in Newhaven City.
Although oil extraction had not yet begun on a large scale, Caelum could still purchase crude oil from merchants and refine it into diesel and gasoline.
The merchants did not understand the term crude oil.
But once it was described as rock oil, they knew exactly what he meant.
Natural oil seeped from the ground in many places.
Since Newhaven City offered high prices for it, the merchants were more than willing to collect and sell it.
For this journey, Caelum had already selected an oil field suitable for extraction.
Surveys confirmed that it was a large field with abundant reserves.
Most importantly, it was close enough to Newhaven City.
The merchants came from every corner of the realm.
Some oil fields they discovered were simply too far away.
Developing them would require too much investment, transportation costs would be excessive, and they did not suit Newhaven City’s strategic needs.
At the landing field, two rows of personal guards stood outside the airship’s cabin door.
Every one of them carried the latest automatic rifle loaded with metallic cartridges.
Across the entire military, only Caelum’s Household Guard had been fully equipped with automatic weapons.
Their combat strength was the greatest.
Thanks to extensive training, every guard was an excellent marksman.
Many were also snipers.
The very best could accurately hit targets two kilometers away.
They were elites among elites.
Caelum approached.
"Salute!"
The guards in both rows moved in perfect unison, clenching their right fists and striking them against the left side of their chests over the heart.
Caelum walked between the formations.
Only the heavy sound of his footsteps could be heard.
After he boarded the airship, the guards followed him inside.
The propellers on both sides spun faster and faster.
The airship slowly rose into the sky and flew beyond Newhaven City.
The residents below lifted their heads to watch.
Cries of amazement rang out.
"The Leader’s airship!"
The people from the Grand Concord Dynasty and Thalric who had never seen one before could only stare in disbelief.
