Chapter 377 - 9: Each Side’s Preparations

Chapter 377: Chapter 9: Each Side’s Preparations

Outside the conference hall, the Gladiator Squad brought by Yuan Xiaobo had already begun their demonstration.

They set up some targets and began running through the training exercises from the Militia Camp.

They showcased the LF-2 rapid-fire Spiritual Energy Gun, as well as the YB (Flame Burst), BB (Ice Burst), and SH (Petrify) type small throwable bombs for the spectating lords.

Furthermore, the combat suits they wore could turn invisible and generate a Spiritual Protection Barrier. The suits themselves also possessed extremely high Defense Power.

Each Gladiator carried twenty Basic Spirit Crystals and two portable Spiritual Sources that generated Spiritual Energy by breaking down the crystals—one as the primary source, the other as a backup.

The LF-2 rapid-fire Spiritual Energy Gun was an improvement on the LF-1 model, featuring an additional Spiritual Source. It used a Basic Spirit Crystal extraction array, and a single Basic Spirit Crystal could support 1,000 shots.

If the Spiritual Energy Gun ran out of power and they had no Basic Spirit Crystals or no time to reload, they could use their suit’s Spiritual Source to replenish its energy. Once the primary source was depleted, they could switch to the backup.

If all else failed and they were completely out of Spiritual Energy, they could even use their own bodies’ Spiritual Energy to charge the weapon.

(Of course, a Gladiator’s personal Spiritual Energy wouldn’t last long.)

These Gladiators also had excellent physical constitutions and were incredibly strong. As long as they had enough Spiritual Energy, their combat endurance was off the charts.

The lords stared at the Spiritual Energy Guns, Spiritual Bombs, and combat suits of these "Spiritual Armored Warriors," utterly astounded.

"Spiritual Energy Guns? And they’re rapid-fire?"

The lords present knew their stuff. Spiritual Energy Guns were available for purchase in the Cuiwei Corps’s point shop—not expensive at 100 points each—but they were all single-shot.

The lords were bewildered. "Wait, we’re still working on industrialization, and you guys have already jumped straight to researching Spiritual Energy?"

"Huh? What’s industrialization?" Yuan Xiaobo didn’t understand, a blank, innocent look on his face.

Seeing his expression, which didn’t seem fake, the lords stopped asking questions. Instead, with his permission, they picked up the LF-2 rapid-fire Spiritual Energy Guns to try them out.

After firing it a few times, one lord let out a sigh of relief.

"Thank goodness. Even though it’s a Spiritual Energy Gun, it’s just a basic model. It’s like our flintlock rifles—a product with low technical requirements."

"It doesn’t have functions to compress or amplify Spiritual Energy, nor does it have advanced abilities like tracking or penetration."

"Phew, thank goodness. You scared me to death."

The lord muttered to himself, patting his chest repeatedly. It was clear the demonstration of the Gladiators’ Spiritual Energy Guns had been a huge shock to him.

Other lords who had experience with advanced Spiritual Energy Guns on Cuiwei Star also stepped forward to test the LF-2 and came to the same conclusion.

This conclusion finally allowed the spectating lords to calm down. They had almost thought that Lin Yu’s army was a whole era ahead of them.

"Still, even if it’s just basic Spiritual Equipment, it’s incredibly impressive. We’re still messing with gunpowder, and Boss Lin Yu has already skipped the electrical age and jumped straight to energy-based equipment."

"Its power also looks stronger than our weapons. It seems the boss’s Druid troops have already been phased out."

"The ones sent to us are infantry. On his own territory, the boss must have armored divisions, artillery units, and maybe even flying vehicles and giant war machines."

"I wonder if we’ll get to see the boss unleash his true power during this stage!"

...

Having calmed down, the lords began to discuss animatedly. The hundred-man squad’s demonstration had been a powerful reassurance, making them a hundred times more confident about the upcoming battle.

Li Hua, who was the last to leave the conference hall, was also in a state of shock.

"Are you sure they’re militia?" he quietly asked the messenger who had followed him out.

"Yes, sir. At the time, Lord Lin Yu’s subordinate took me to find Commander Yuan Xiaobo and told him exactly that: to bring the ’trained Gladiators’ to the meeting."

"These soldiers are Gladiators?"

"’Trained Gladiators,’" the messenger confirmed.

Li Hua knew about Gladiators. It was a class that his subjects could transition to in the arena, but it was merely of Excellent grade. Now, equipped with this so-called "Spiritual Armament," their combat power was nearly on par with same-grade Exemplary, or even Legendary, troops.

’Spiritual Armament... could this be the Extraordinary Equipment that the Appraiser from the Cuiwei Corps mentioned in his speech?’

Li Hua knew a few things about Lin Yu’s territory. He knew Lin Yu couldn’t possibly be taking the technology route; otherwise, he wouldn’t have sought him out to trade for Cultivation Manuals. Besides, Lin Yu’s territory also had the "Yao" class, which could become heroes just by changing classes, so he was bound to be on the Extraordinary path.

Li Hua sighed. ’Looks like my territory has fallen far behind Lin Yu’s!’

’Still, Lin Yu’s personal abilities aren’t that strong. I can still compete.’

’I need to step it up and try to beat him in a spar the next time we meet. Otherwise, by the time we reach the fourth stage, I probably won’t dare to fight him.’

Thinking about Lin Yu’s vast territory and what Yun Qihao had previously said in the race’s chat group, Li Hua knew that Lin Yu must be the lord whose territory spanned the size of two continents.

With the resources from such a massive territory, Lin Yu’s power would definitely skyrocket by the fourth stage.

Meanwhile, the squad Yuan Xiaobo brought had finished their demonstration. The lords, now aware of their strength, walked into the conference hall with their minds at ease to begin discussing the upcoming defense arrangements.

The construction of defensive facilities along the border had begun as soon as the border lords had scouted the frontier line.