Chapter 39: The Black Powder Formula

Wu Yuanming’s spirits lifted, a flash of joy crossing his eyes.

"This..."

"Big Brother?" The other three siblings of the Wu family turned to their eldest brother.

The second brother, Wu Yuanguang, whispered his complaint, "We have to handle our own food, clothing, housing, and transportation, and we receive almost no benefits. What is the difference between following him and not?"

"Shut up!" Wu Yuanming hurriedly covered the man's mouth. "If you don't know how to speak, then don't. And who said the Master didn't give us any benefits?"

"Huh? When?" The second brother Wu Yuanguang, the third sister Wu Yuanbai, and the fifth sister Wu Yuanxia all looked at him in confusion.

"The Master didn't take those two corpses, nor did he even search them. If that isn't leaving them for us, what is?" Wu Yuanming looked at his three subordinates with a mix of frustration and disappointment. "You don't really think the Master would make such a small mistake, do you? He essentially intended to give us those blades. As for whether the loot on those two corpses is worth four blades, that depends on our luck."

...

‘This Wu Yuanming has a sharp mind. No wonder the others follow him so willingly; he does have some ability.’

Thanks to his Black Iron-grade thermal suit, Liu Hen’s hearing was far superior to that of an ordinary person, allowing him to clearly hear the conversation between the Wu siblings outside. He didn't concern himself with how the four of them were deliberating, as he was certain they would choose to follow him.

Returning inside the room, he continued to collect small iron ore fragments to craft four new Tang horizontal blades. His decision to accept the Wu siblings was a well-considered one. Firstly, he needed someone to keep watch so he could properly rest his mind; if he were mentally exhausted, his reactions would be sluggish, and in this environment, a slow reaction could easily cost him his life. Secondly, he had the budding idea of establishing his own faction. To change this world, he couldn't rely on himself alone; he needed help. Of course, this was just an initial thought, and whether he would follow through depended on how his "cheat" evolved.

As expected, ten minutes later, the Wu siblings came to pay their respects.

"Master, I am Wu Yuanming. I, along with my second brother Wu Yuanguang, third sister Wu Yuanbai, and fifth sister Wu Yuanxia, swear to follow you to the death and obey your every command."

Wu Yuanming and his subordinates bowed respectfully in a formal display of fealty, as from this moment on, their relationship would no longer be as casual as before.

"Swear to follow me to the death? It hasn't come to that yet." Liu Hen waved his hand, producing four brand-new Tang blades. "Payment upon delivery—ten magic crystals per blade. No credit."

"Yes, Master." Wu Yuanming, having prepared in advance, produced forty magic crystals and handed them to Liu Hen. He then took the four new blades and distributed them to his subordinates. He did not mention what they had looted from the corpses, and Liu Hen did not ask.

"This... what a fine blade!" Wu Yuanguang swung his new weapon, a look of pleasant surprise on his face. "It’s perfectly balanced, and it looks incredibly sharp."

"Well, obviously. It cut through Big Brother's old blade, didn't it?" Third sister Wu Yuanbai said, examining her own weapon with delight. Wu Yuanxia was the same, marveling at the new blade; it was the first time she had seen such a weapon. Both in terms of balance and sharpness, it was far superior to the rusty steel blades they had been using.

In truth, that was a given. While the Black Iron Tang blades were also made of iron, magic crystals had been added during the forging process. Even without special attributes, the inclusion of magic crystals rendered these Black Iron blades extraordinary. Their previous so-called "steel blades" weren't even real steel—they were just iron, merely named "steel blades." After years of use, they were long dull and heavily worn, and no amount of maintenance could stop that degradation.

Wu Yuanming carefully sheathed his blade and turned to Liu Hen, asking, "Master, what would you have us do?"

The other three also looked at Liu Hen, waiting for orders that would dictate their future.

"Just make sure no one disturbs me," Liu Hen said calmly. "You can go about your own business, but I need one of you to keep watch and warn me if there is any danger."

"This..." The Wu siblings looked at each other. The task was so simple they felt a bit uneasy. However, the clever Wu Yuanming didn't ask further, assuming the Master simply had no better arrangements for now and that there would be other tasks later.

"Rest assured, Master," he promised. "No one will disturb you."

"Good. You may go." Liu Hen dismissed them and closed the door.

At that moment, the Creation Workbench finished its upgrade, revealing a new recipe. To Liu Hen’s surprise, it was for a bow and arrows. Yes, a bow and arrows—they appeared as a set, though they could be crafted separately.

‘Others might not be able to use a bow well, but I can, because my eyesight is far beyond that of a normal person.’

He immediately crafted a bow. A bow required ten small pieces of wood and one magic crystal. Arrows were much easier: one small piece of wood could produce ten arrows, with no magic crystal required. Soon, the wooden bow was finished. Like the Tang blade, its data appeared:

[Bow (Rotten Wood): Effective range 30 meters, maximum range 90 meters. Upgrade materials: 10 iron ore, 2 magic crystals.]

Liu Hen decided to upgrade it. Minutes later, the wooden bow transformed into an iron bow—a special Black Iron longbow infused with magic crystals.

[Bow (Black Iron): Effective range 60 meters, maximum range 180 meters. Upgrade materials: 10 copper ore, 5 magic crystals.]

‘A sixty-meter effective range and a maximum of 180 meters. The power should be quite significant.’ Liu Hen tested the draw and found that, thanks to his Black Iron thermal suit, he could pull it with ease. ‘Perhaps I can practice archery when I have time, provided no better weapons appear later.’

Because his inventory space was limited, he set the Black Iron longbow aside and continued collecting iron ore to upgrade the workbench. After the countdown began, he ate some food and went back to sleep to recover his energy.

Finally, as the shallow night arrived again, the Creation Workbench reached level nine. This time, it provided a massive surprise: the new recipe was for black powder. However, the materials required made him shake his head in regret—the recipe called for flint and small pieces of wood. He had all the wood he needed, but he had yet to find a single piece of flint.

‘If black powder exists, even if thermal weapons don't appear in the next level, surely once the workbench reaches Bronze-grade, other thermal weapons will appear, aside from the base cannon.’

This was the main reason for his excitement. Because the base couldn't be moved and the base cannon could only be used within the base, it would be far more convenient if he could craft portable thermal weapons.

‘I can't find flint myself, but if I have help...’

Liu Hen had an idea. He opened the door, just as Wu Yuanming hurried over.

"Master," Wu Yuanming said respectfully, "the group from before asked if they could settle nearby. I dared not make the decision myself and have come to seek your guidance."