Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 201 Flamethrower

Eduardo Calvin crouched in the charred bushes, wearing a battlefield cloak already covered in ash and mud, looking like a bounty hunter of noble birth.

Are you sure you can find some valuable clues here?

He tugged at his gloves and spoke to the greyhound beside him.

It was a dog specially trained to find decaying corpses, its nose twitching slightly, its ears perking up from time to time, pacing anxiously in circles on the scorched earth.

"...No? Another missed opportunity?"

The hound grunted twice, indicating that there was something inside.

"Aha……"

Eduardo sighed, tossed his cloak back, and didn't care about the bloodstains and dust on his clothes.

He casually brushed aside the scorched earth on the ground, then pried open a pile of burnt vines, finally uncovering a section of remains covered with black bone fragments.

The thing was almost unrecognizable, like a wax figure that had been thrown into a furnace and crushed, emitting a foul stench of being half-dead.

His face immediately darkened; "Lord, what sins have I committed..."

As Eduardo complained, he pulled a clean white cloth from his pocket and wiped the mud off his fingers, his movements still displaying aristocratic elegance and restraint.

The hound looked at him, barked softly, and licked his sleeve with its tongue, as if to comfort him for making another wasted trip.

"Yes, yes, I know you're even more unwilling than I am to accept this."

He patted the dog's head, then looked up at the gray-white sky in the distance.

Just as he began to doubt life, doubt dogs, doubt the church, and even doubt why the world had so cruelly arranged for him to dig graves...

A dark shadow swept across the gray-white sky.

Its wings were extremely long, like blades unfurled, cutting through the dull whistling wind, and then it swooped down toward Eduardo.

Eduardo didn't look up, but narrowed his eyes and his lips twitched.

"...Tsk, I'll leave the one for Louis."

He maintained his half-squatting position, extending his left arm.

The grey-feathered bird skillfully flapped its wings and landed on his shoulder, its sharp beak lightly pecking at a silver ring.

He casually picked it up and unfolded the slightly crumpled letter.

The paper wasn't very fine; in fact, it even showed signs of being damp.

The letter roughly stated: "A special corpse has been found, suspected to be related to the Mother Nest's spiritual core. If you have time, you can come to Red Tide Territory to take a look."

He frowned in the first second.

The next second, he took a deep breath.

In the third second, he looked up at the gloomy northern sky, as if seriously assessing whether he had been tricked by fate itself.

Looking down at the pile of freshly dug mud at his feet, a mass so mud that even divine grace couldn't be bothered to resonate with, his lips twitched slightly.

"I spent more than half a month digging thirty-six graves by hand... and he just 'casually' picked up a 'special corpse'?"

Eduardo muttered something in a voice that sounded almost like he was out of his body, then plopped down and hugged the "corpse-sniffing dog" to his chest.

"Little Grey, let's go. Red Tide... at least it's warmer there."

The hound licked his chin in response, while the gray-feathered messenger on his shoulder began to preen its feathers with complete concentration, ignoring the man's inner turmoil.

Eduardo stood up, dusting himself off. "I hope this time it really works out. My unease is growing deeper and deeper."

…………

The north wind howled, and the wasteland north of Red Tide City seemed to have been scraped by ice blades, the exposed land already frozen solid.

This is the "test wasteland" used for weapons testing; the magic explosive bomb was previously tested here.

The knight silently carried the two heavy iron boxes to the center of the wasteland, raising a thin layer of dust as they landed.

"My lord, the two weapons you designed are complete. Please take a look." Mike blinked his bloodshot eyes, but his face showed an undisguised excitement and pride.

Louis stood behind him and nodded quietly.

Mike skillfully opened the first box, and a burst of cold metallic light immediately shot out.

It was a black and red flamethrower, resembling a sleeping beast.

The main unit resembles a heavy metal backpack, covered with engravings and explosion-proof welds, connected to a thick pipe that extends to the nozzle at the front.

The nozzle's front end resembles the open mouth of a ferocious beast, with a faintly glowing blue tinder crystal embedded in its inner wall, subtly hinting at an impending death.

Mike carefully knelt down on one knee and pulled out the tube, as if he were preening the wings of a child he had raised.

He tapped the metal canister lightly with his finger: "This is the main type of flamethrower, weighing about thirty pounds, with a backpack design. It uses a pneumatic system to propel the fuel jet, and has an automatic ignition device at the front; simply pull the trigger to ignite it."

Mike took a half step back and waved to someone not far away. "Let the person who made the recipe explain the kerosene part."

With a smug smile on his face, Hilko walked over to the flamethrower and gently patted the metal canister.

"This is my fourth-generation Fire Scale Oil," he said in a low but clear and steady voice. "It's thick and highly adhesive, and can adhere to armor, leather, and even snow to burn continuously."

In actual testing, it could burn through three layers of leather armor and ignite an entire swamp. Its range is controlled between three and four meters, balancing impact area and accuracy. A single spit lasts a maximum of twelve seconds…

Of course, if you keep spraying, in less than fifteen minutes, a small squad of Snow Oathsworn will be practically turned into a black charcoal illustration.

Louis, having no idea what he was talking about, immediately ordered, "Begin the experiment."

The howling wind swept across the wasteland, stirring up bits of snow and dust.

Today's "target" is still an Ice Wild Boar, since this fire-resistant monster is the most suitable for this kind of experiment.

At this moment, it was bound tightly to the test stake, roaring and growling incessantly. The hot breath exhaled from its nostrils condensed into white mist in the cold wind. Its four hooves frantically pawed at the ground, and its eyes were filled with bloodthirsty ferocity and resentment.

Louis made a selection.

A robust apprentice knight stepped forward slowly, his face tense but showing no sign of backing down.

Under Mike's personal guidance, he carried the main body of the flamethrower on his back and checked the air pressure valve, trigger clip, ignition crystal... He was meticulous in every step and well-trained.

"Aim for the center of the stake, don't be greedy," Mike whispered a reminder.

The trainee knight stood still, feet apart, stabilizing his stance.

He held his breath and focused intently on the wild boar's chest.

The onlookers all retreated and moved to the designated safety line.

The air seemed to freeze instantly, leaving only the cold wind and the sound of metal scraping against metal.

"Begin," Mike commanded.

The trigger was pulled sharply.

"boom!!"

A loud explosion shook the wasteland, and a raging fire serpent suddenly spewed out from the nozzle, its crimson tinged with deep orange, as if a roaring, burning tongue had emerged from the mouth of hell.

The flames crawled rapidly along the ground, advancing close to the earth, instantly scorching the weeds, distorting the air, and the scorching, acrid smell cut like a knife into the nasal cavity.

The moment the flames engulfed the icy wild boar, it was as if a tiger had seized its prey.

The burning fire scales clung tightly to the pig's fur, and the fire immediately spread rapidly along the fat, bursting out in a series of fiery explosions.

"Awooo!!"

The bound wild boar let out a terrible roar and struggled wildly, dragging the cold iron chain and charging left and right. Its thick, tree-trunk-like limbs were bound tightly, yet they still managed to send sparks flying.

Amidst billowing smoke, the black fur rapidly charred and the fat exploded, filling the air with a stench reminiscent of roasting corpses.

Among the onlookers, some gasped and stepped back, some couldn't help but cover their mouths and noses, while many more stared intently at the inferno.

Hilko lowered his head and pressed the stopwatch, observing the details of the flame adhesion, combustion, and target reaction as he timed the process.

Ten seconds, eleven, twelve.

The fire finally began to subside. The wild boar let out one last low growl and collapsed with a crash. Its burning carcass was still smoldering, resembling a mass of hellish remains.

"Adhesion met expectations." Hilko wiped the soot from his nose and nodded. "The twelve-second burst was just right, and the firepower didn't go astray. The ignition crystal was triggered successfully on the first try, with zero delay. The performance was excellent."

He stepped forward and pointed to the apprentice knight's shoulder strap:
"However, there is still room for improvement in this carrying structure. The recoil is too strong during the blast, and the shoulder straps are too tight, which affects aiming stability."

He turned to Mike and said, "We can add a waist belt to distribute the impact and use soft inner padding leather to reduce pressure."

“I’ve got it.” Mike nodded.

Louis stepped forward, his gaze fixed on the still-smoking wreckage, then on the young knight standing steadily, and gently patted his shoulder.

"Well done."

His mind was already rapidly analyzing the battlefield practicality of this terrifying weapon.

If that's the power, a three-person team taking turns operating it would be enough to suppress an entire enemy breakthrough point.

Moreover... if a mere apprentice knight can reliably control a flamethrower, then higher-ranking knights would be even more capable.

The flames finally died down, leaving only a pile of black charcoal in the center of the wasteland. In the ash, one could still vaguely make out that it was once part of a wild boar skeleton.

The wind dispersed the stench of burning, and the crowd slowly approached, still savoring the shocking scene they had just witnessed.

Hilko bent down to examine the wreckage, squatting there to scrutinize the thickness of the charred layers and the traces of grease, muttering to himself, "It's simply art..."

Louis stared silently at the charred boar carcass, but his mind was already conjuring up another battle scene.

Flamethrowers, plus specially designed heat-resistant armor tailored for knights...

This was a fatal blow to the insect corpses!
Can't win a fight? No problem, just verbally abuse them to death.

The insect corpses have virtually no ranged attack methods; they rely entirely on close-range biting.

As soon as the firepower is turned on, the insect corpses rushing up are like moths to a flame, and they can't last more than five seconds.

He couldn't help but chuckle softly, a chilling tactical thrill flashing in his eyes.

This was direct suppression, an overwhelming force, a pure weapon prepared for the "human defense line." Louis stepped forward and patted Mike on the shoulder.

"here you go."

Mike immediately stood up straight, his unshaven face beaming with excitement, and he even spoke a beat faster:

"This...this is all thanks to you, Lord! Your design is truly amazing. I...I could never have come up with such a brilliant structure even if I lived eighteen lifetimes!"
When you first drew the thermal guidance of this nozzle, I thought it was just graffiti, but you actually made it! Not only did you make it, but you did it incredibly well!

Faced with Mike's endless praise, Louis simply smiled slightly, as if listening to the passing wind.

"Stop just flattering me. Tell me about the second one," he said, his tone unhurried.

Mike paused for a moment, then nodded vigorously as if a switch had been flipped: "Yes! This second treasure—I dare say, is absolutely one of your wildest ideas!"

He strode to the second iron box next to him, raised his hand, and the iron lock clicked. He lifted the cover, and a short, heavy launch tube came into view.

The cylinder is cast from cold iron alloy, with sharp lines and faint casting patterns on the surface, giving it a heavy feel.

One side is connected to a simple yet sturdy tripod, with an extendable steel claw hook at the bottom for stable landing.

“This is a magic explosion launcher.” Mike straightened up, his tone solemn.

"It is not a single weapon, but a complete launch system—which can be switched between handheld and stand-up modes depending on the needs of the battlefield."

As he spoke, he lifted the launch tube, supporting the bottom with one hand and the middle with the other, and hoisted it heavily onto his shoulder.

The sheer size of the muzzle, even before it's lit, exudes a chilling and intimidating power.

"The lightweight magic bomb is relatively small and has a shock-absorbing leveling device. Regular knights can shoulder-fire it in field operations, making it suitable for surprise attacks or guerrilla warfare."

"And the real 'teeth' of this thing are here."

He bent down to adjust the position of the launcher, firmly placed the tripod on the ground, pulled out the support claws, and slowly adjusted the launch tube to an elevation angle of 45 degrees.

Then he took out a heavy magic explosive warhead from the bottom of the box.

Unlike gunpowder bombs that rely on physical explosions, it compresses magical essence into the core crystal, creating a focused magical energy shockwave upon release.

“This is a heavy magic explosive bomb,” Mike said softly. “It’s the same type that was successfully tested last time.”

“This kind of thing has to be launched using a tripod. Not because there aren’t enough people, but to control the recoil when it’s ignited. If it’s too strong, the operator will have their shoulder bone broken on the spot.”

He carefully inserted the warhead into the launch tube, making sure the markings and the gaps were aligned, before taking a half-step back.

Mike looked up at Louis. The confidence typical of a craftsman had faded from his face, replaced by a rare calm and solemnity.

“We don’t know what kind of enemy it will eventually face,” he said, “but if the target is the city walls… it’s a siege weapon.”

Next came the testing phase.

The test site was chosen in a scorched earth area, a black vacant lot left from the last test.

The ground was scorched and barren, with only carbonized wooden stakes and twisted iron pieces remaining, and the air still faintly smelled of charcoal ash and burnt metal.

With a wave of his hand, Mike and several knights worked together to drag the two Ice Wild Boars, which were tightly chained, to a distance and fix them at two markers at 60 meters and 80 meters respectively.

They struggled and roared, their huge fangs scraping the ground, but escape was impossible.

Hilko carried a heavy metal canister to the front and took out a lightweight magic explosive bomb.

The object was about the thickness of half an arm, with a dull luster on its shell, clearly indicating that it had undergone cold forging and heat resistance treatment.

The bottom is fitted with a "magic detonator cap," exquisite yet deadly.

He seemed uninterested, coldly introducing, "The maximum range of the light bullet is about one hundred paces. It is propelled by magic marrow and is suitable for knight squads to hand-throw or shoulder-fire. Kill radius: severe injury within ten meters, burning within twenty-five meters. The accuracy of the detonation point is controllable."

After speaking, a tall, imposing knight stepped to the test firing position and steadily loaded the magic explosion bullet into the launcher.

Tighten the locking ring, aim at the target at 60 meters, take a deep breath, and then pull the trigger sharply.

"Bah!"

With a muffled thud, the magic explosion bullet traced an arc as it leaped into the air, trailing a faint magical energy tail as it flew toward its distant target.

In an instant, Weil instinctively turned his head to avoid the light.

boom! ! !
A dazzling orange-red fireball suddenly exploded in the distance, as if a giant burning hand had slammed down on the earth.

Flames shot skyward, and scorching heatwaves swept across the sky, as if igniting the entire heavens.

The shockwave exploded like a thunderclap, causing the ground to tremble slightly.

The icy wild boar at the sixty-meter target point was instantly engulfed by the pillar of fire. Its ice armor melted, its flesh ripped apart, and its bones were blown to ash in the blast.

Eighty meters away, the other end was also affected, its body charred and blackened, its cries of agony intermittent.

Thick black smoke billowed up near the epicenter, and even the test shed a hundred meters away was shaken and dust fell.

“Oh my god…” Will subconsciously took a half step back, his eyes filled with shock.

Even the young knights accompanying them changed their expressions, with many covering their ears and showing fear.

Even elite knights, if hit head-on without any battle aura defense, will most likely be incapacitated or even explode on the spot.

Faced with this overwhelming power, Louis merely narrowed his eyes, revealing a satisfied expression.

In contrast, Hilko had already kept his distance.

He was well aware of the true power of this "lightweight bullet," after all, he had made it himself.

But he didn't really like the finished product, since it was a compromised version.

With insufficient fire-scale ointment, he had to settle for second best, lowering the detonation temperature and explosive intensity, which barely allowed him to mass-produce this batch of lightweight warheads.

Mike had already gotten up from the ground, brushed the dust off his clothes, and couldn't hide his excitement.

The aftershocks of the explosion had not yet completely dissipated, and the air was filled with the smell of burning and gunpowder.

Louis stood there, squinting at the target area that had been blasted into half a crater, and after a long while he nodded.

"The explosive power is decent, it's enough."

His tone was calm, but Mike's eyes lit up, and he became as energetic as if he had taken a pill.

Seeing that Louis was satisfied, Mike then proceeded to the second test.

He raised his hand to signal Louis, and said in a louder voice, "Next, let's move on to the heavy magic explosive bomb testing phase!"

Hilko carefully took the heavy magic bomb out of the second iron box. His movements were steady, but his fingertips trembled slightly, as if he were holding a sacred object.

The appearance of this magic explosive round is almost identical to that of the light round, still featuring a short, thick, and heavy metal casing. Only at close range can one discern the differences in detail.

But the real difference lies within—

Beneath the shell, the fire scale ointment was slowly flowing, like lava veins meandering through metal, faintly emitting an orange-red glow, giving people a burning sensation that was hard to look at directly.

At its core, a red platinum magic crystal was quietly embedded, its fiery light leaping restlessly, like a burning heart that might explode at any moment.

The faint light reflected in Hilko's eyes, his voice low and hoarse, filled with barely suppressed excitement and pride: "This one... its kill radius expands to a severe explosion within fifty meters, causing serious injury from the shock wave within eighty meters, and the temperature at the epicenter... is close to two thousand degrees Celsius."

As he spoke, he couldn't help but grin, his face seemingly devoid of fatigue and grease, leaving only pure fervor and a sense of accomplishment.

A craftsman immediately stepped forward, skillfully secured the tripod, and embedded the heavy magic explosion bomb into the launch slot.

The fire crystal propulsion device began to hum, like the low growl of some kind of ferocious beast.

The angle slowly rose, finally settling at a 45-degree elevation, aiming at the foot of a rocky mountain 300 paces away.

This was a deliberately arranged long-range strike test.

The rock strata at the foot of that mountain are hard and contain veins of cold iron and icy minerals, which cannot be broken by ordinary explosives.

As the craftsman finished his countdown, the fuse was pulled, and the heavy bomb was launched from the tube with a roar!

boom--!
The magic bomb traced a crimson trail, trailing a burning tail flame as it leaped into the sky like a meteor, and after flying for nearly three seconds, it accurately hit the foot of the mountain!
Boom! ...

At that moment, it was as if Vulcan swung his hammer and smashed hard on the spine of the North!
It wasn't just the surface of the mountain that cracked; it collapsed completely from the inside.

At the epicenter of the explosion, a charred, massive hole, several meters deep and tens of meters in diameter, was blasted open. The rocks melted instantly, and crimson flames rolled around the edges, like the gaping throat of hell!

High-temperature blasts and rock debris erupted and rolled towards the mountainside.

The entire hillside collapsed, the snow evaporated by the blast wave, and the exposed soil instantly carbonized, leaving long scorch marks. The ground cracked open, as if torn apart by a giant claw.

Even more terrifying, the cave entrance not only burst open, but also continuously spewed out dark red flames formed by the ignition of fire scale paste.

Flames danced wildly at the foot of the mountain, howling incessantly in the wind, and even visible heat currents twisted in the air.

Even from the observation point a hundred meters away, everyone felt unbearably hot. The air seemed to be on fire, and even breathing was scorching and painful. Dust waves hit their faces, and their eardrums were ringing.

Will was the first to blurt out, "That wasn't an explosion...that was digging a hole! That was...a mountain of fire!"

Mike gazed at the distant, collapsing, burning foothills and whispered, "This is what we're preparing for the siege. One shot will blow up a city wall."

The mountain was still collapsing with a rumbling sound, flames spread, burning through the snow and even igniting underground natural gas veins, accompanied by a series of muffled thuds, spewing out more dark flames, as if the crater was just emerging on the surface.

Thirty seconds passed, and the flames still hadn't died down. The epicenter of the explosion was still surging with fire, and the "eye of fire" seemed to be open and closed.

The crowd remained silent, the air thick with the acrid smell of burning, and the intense heat and roaring sounds lingered for a long time.

Will's eyes widened, oblivious to the bloodstains on his cheek from the flying dust: "If I were standing there... there probably wouldn't even be any dust left."

Hilko, on the other hand, was so excited he could barely contain his smile.

He stared at the still-rolling flame, his eyes filled with pride and a kind of almost fanatical satisfaction.

These are the weapons he created; these are the recipes for destruction he concocted.

More importantly, this is not the strongest version.

Mike looked up at the foot of the still-collapsed mountain, his tone unusually low and solemn: "This is no ordinary weapon...it's a combination of explosion and hellfire."

He turned to Louis, his voice heavy: “Sir, this thing… is not for clearing the way, it’s for ending the war.”

Louis nodded slowly: "Mass production immediately. It's very likely...we'll need it soon."

Upon hearing this, Mike's heart tightened, and he immediately nodded like a chick pecking at rice.

(End of this chapter)