As Asher rode toward the gates, the bustling activity parted, with people hastily giving way and lowering their heads in reverence.
The air was filled with a mixture of curiosity and awe as Asher’s imposing presence commanded attention, his authority and power undeniable.
He gazed at the iron stronghold perched atop a corner of the mountain, its walls reflecting the sunlight.
That place was an absolute horror to all. It didn’t matter your strength, once you were within those walls, the custodians were in charge.
Moments later, Asher sat cross-legged in a small room, staring at the planning table before him.
On it were several yellow and white papers, quills, dried inkwells, and some wooden miniature structures that looked similar to the ballistas, trebuchets, lifts and more machines that drew Asher’s attention like a fly to a corpse.
With eyes filled with shock, he grabbed hold of a miniature structure. It was a rectangular structure on four wheels with something similar to a ballistae on it.
However, the bolt came out of a crafted wolf head and the size of the bolt was three times bigger than the ballistic bolts they have now.
It had spikes, horizontally on the beam lying flat and vertically on the two slanted beams that held the crafted wolf head built with the intention of skewering those who came close.
The wheels also had spikes!
This was an archaic version of a modern tank. The only thing Asher yearned to know was how it moved.
Hungry for information, he searched the papers before his eyes finally landed on a yellow paper with detailed sketches of the miniature structure.
It was labelled Wolf Titan Destroyer!
To his greatest shock, Asher discovered this machine could be driven by man but it required warp stones!
He almost collapsed upon seeing that. Sighing heavily, he let go of the miniature wolf titan only to see another eye catching miniature structure.
A ballista, bigger than the rest with a metallic dragon head and at the feet, dragon claws. The bolts were as big as the wolf titan but this dragon head ballista seemed to be made for city walls.
Its size alone required a wall like the Great Dividing Wall!
According to the details on the paper design, this ballista could shoot over 2000 yards with the accuracy of a diamond-ranked archer!
Fortunately there were two calibres, the light one and the heavy one. The heavy one could hit the 2000 yards mark with great accuracy while the light one could hit 1200 yards!
Either of them were heads above their current ballistas that struggled for the 1000 yards mark.
As if these two impressive inventions weren’t enough, Asher was once again stunned by another.
Before his eyes was none other than the Hwacha, the Korean invented multiple rocket launchers that could launch 100 arrows in one volley!
Naturally this was a defensive weapon but this weapon was on a rectangular structure with eight wheels, the middle one being quite bigger than the others because it carried the weight in the centre of the machine.
This machine had a reinforced metal front with two massive steel spikes on both ends, the front wheels also being made of steel.
After that, on the wooden boards, the Hwacha was fixed and a meter beyond was a smaller version of a siege tower!
Named Titan X, this machine could move archers into the battlefield, keeping them out of the reach of close ranged soldiers while from the top of the siege tower, they rain arrows on their enemies.
And the Hwacha would do its work, launching 100 arrows with each volley.
If all these machines could be brought to life, Asher could see his domain’s technology rising to 10/10!
His enemies would become powerless and pitiful once these war machines were out in the field but their practicality was a concern.
As his eyes landed on another one called the Orc Siege Catapult, a war machine meant to be pulled by three giant black wolves, the door creaked open.
Two men entered the room with heavy footsteps, clad in worn aprons that spoke to their laborious profession.
Their skin was deeply tanned, a testament to the endless hours they spent toiling under the scorching sun from dawn till dusk.
The muscles beneath their clothes bulged, a visible reminder of their physical prowess.
One of the men, Ark White, was clean-shaven, his shoulder-length hair a distinguished grayish-white.
In contrast, the other man, Dan, who had traveled from Intis, boasted a wild tangle of black hair and a bushy beard that framed his rugged features.
“I apologize for our late arrival, My Lord,” Ark White said, bowing deeply. Dan followed suit, but before they could take their seats, Asher unleashed a barrage of questions.
“Who created these designs? When did we acquire an inventor within our walls? Why haven’t these designs been brought to my attention?” Asher’s words tumbled out in rapid succession.
Dan shot Ark White a sidelong glance, prompting the older man to clear his throat. “I drew them, My Lord,” Ark White admitted, his voice laced with a hint of pride.
Asher’s eyes widened in surprise. “You designed all of these?” he asked, his tone incredulous. Ark White responded with a firm nod.
“After my children passed away, I found myself unable to continue smithing,” Ark White explained, a tinge of sadness creeping into his voice.
“So, I revisited my childhood passion for inventing. My Lord, I was an inventor from a young age, but my ideas were misunderstood and rejected. My early designs were even burned. However, I believe these new designs surpass anything I created in my youth.” Ark White chuckled, a hint of nostalgia in his eyes.
Asher’s mind flashed back to the time he was informed that Ark White was the mastermind behind the innovative lift system in Ashkelon. At the time, he had dismissed it as a fortunate stroke of genius, intending to reward Ark White for his ingenuity.
However, as he gazed upon the intricate designs before him, Asher realized that Ark White’s talents went far beyond a single stroke of luck.
These machines had the potential to usher in a new era of innovation and progress, leaving Asher eager to explore the full extent of Ark White’s inventive prowess.
“What will it require to bring these machines to life?” His eyes burned with ambition.