Lord: My Shop Connects to Modern Times

As dawn broke, Lynn summoned Leon, Bray, Old Gorm, and the others to the open space behind the warehouse.

"Sir, why did you call us here so early? Is there anything you need us for?" Leon was the first to ask.

Lynn smiled without saying a word, and pointed to the open space in front of everyone.

Several large, thick waterproof tarpaulins covered the open ground, and the raised outlines underneath made it impossible to tell what they were, which puzzled the group.

"My lord, this is..." Leon looked at the size of it, which resembled some kind of large machine.

Lynn didn't say anything, but stepped forward, grabbed a corner of the oilcloth, and forcefully lifted it off.

The cool morning light fell on the silent steel and hardwood structure, seemingly absorbed by it instantly, refracting a cold and dangerous luster.

That was a ballista.

But it was completely different from any single crossbow used by hunters that Bray knew, or even the legendary siege crossbows used by armies.

Its structure is so compact it's almost unbelievable. There are no superfluous carvings or cumbersome supports. Every beam and every joint exudes a cold, ruthless beauty that seems to be "born solely for killing efficiency."

The most striking feature is its bow arms, which consist of three perfectly curved, jet-black composite recurve bows.

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On the crossbow, a heavy-duty winch with clearly marked gears and a ratchet anti-return mechanism replaces the usual manual lever, next to which is a smooth metal arrow slot.

"Sir, is this a crossbow?" Bray carefully touched the perfectly shaped weapon.

"A triple-bow crossbow," Lynn said proudly, patting the crossbow.

"I've never seen a crossbow like this before!" Leon said with some curiosity. He was a man who had actually been on the battlefield, and he had never even heard of such a new type of equipment, let alone seen it.

Lynn smiled but didn't say anything.

Of course you could never have seen it! This thing was the most powerful defensive weapon for individual soldiers in the Song Dynasty of my previous life, even more effective than a catapult.

It was a bit pricey, though; Lynn still can't forget the price of that thing:

[Triple-bow ballista top-of-the-line version *1: 1500 public opinion points]!

He only had enough money to buy three, but because he needed to equip all the hunters with composite bows, Lynn only replaced one in the end. It would be enough for the time being when it was mounted on the north wall and paired with the watchtower that had been built.

Old Gorm was the second to move. As if pulled by an invisible thread, he staggered to the ballista, his withered, trembling hands not daring to touch the cold bow arm and metal parts, only stroking them from a distance.

Having worked as a miner for most of his life, he had never even seen a regular single-soldier crossbow, let alone a triple-bow crossbow.

He turned sharply to Lynn, his eyes bloodshot, as if he had witnessed a miracle, or perhaps the devil's creation: "Sir! This thing... this thing is impossible for a person to move!"

"It won't require too much manpower," Lynn's calm voice broke the almost stagnant air. "Use that winch to cock it; the range and power... should be alright."

"Not bad?" Bray's lips twitched, his voice extremely dry.

As a seasoned hunter, his understanding of bows and arrows runs deep.

Looking at this thing before me, just the arc of its three stacked bow arms poised to fire, the string requiring a winch to pull, and the enormous arrow almost as thick as a spear: "Sir, how far can this thing... shoot?"

Lynn looked at him: "You want to give it a try?"

Bray nodded emphatically, his fingers trembling slightly with excitement and a certain awe.

Lynn personally demonstrated, following the simple instructions in his mind.

He walked to the side of the ballista and grasped the winch handle. "Watch carefully. First, release the safety catch. Then, turn the winch clockwise."

As he spoke, he slowly and steadily turned the bowstring. The gears meshed with a deep, smooth "click," and the thick bowstring, as thick as a finger, was slowly pulled back and tightened by a terrifying force. Finally, with a soft "click," it was firmly locked in place by the crossbow.

Lynn picked up a giant arrow, placed it in the quiver, and the metal groove at the fletching fit perfectly into the bowstring.

"Aim with this." He adjusted a swivel arm with a simple sight at the rear of the ballista: "Align the target, the sight, and the three points." He pointed to a weathered boulder about three hundred paces away in the distant wasteland, about half a person's height: "Shoot at that boulder."

All eyes were fixed on the stone. Three hundred paces was already the limit of an excellent longbowman's effective range, and the hit rate against a single stone target was extremely low.

Lynn took a deep breath and placed his finger on a trigger-like release lever. "Step back and hold your ground."

He gently pressed the button.

"Boom!"

A deafening roar, unlike anything an ordinary bowstring could produce, exploded out—a sound as muffled as a boulder falling to the ground, yet also accompanied by a metallic tremor!

Bray and Gom, who were nearby, felt as if an invisible hammer had struck their chests, and their ears were ringing.

No one could see the trajectory of the crossbow bolt clearly; they only saw a blurry black line tear through the air in an instant.

next moment!

"boom!"

The boulder, about half a person's height, three hundred paces away, seemed to have been struck head-on by an invisible giant hammer and exploded!

Debris exploded and flew everywhere, and dust rose into the air. Only a shallow crater and a few larger pieces of debris remained in the original location.

The wind dispersed some of the smoke and dust, and people could vaguely see that the steel-spear-like crossbow bolt seemed to have sunk deep into a mound further behind, leaving only a deep hole.

The open space was deathly silent.

The group fell silent. Bray, in particular, was deathly pale. As an archer, he understood better than anyone the terrifying power contained in that strike, a power beyond his comprehension.

Old Gem knelt on the ground, staring at the ballista and then at the stone pit in the distance, his lips trembling, unable to utter a single word.

This isn't some kind of crossbow; this is divine punishment!

Lynn was quite satisfied with the test firing results. Although it was still far inferior to postmodern defensive weapons like the Tiger Crouching Cannon and the Red Barbarian Cannon, it was sufficient for his needs.

He could already picture the cavalry that the nobles of this world were so proud of being torn to shreds by this thing.

The main problem is that he can't afford to exchange for better weapons. Damn it, a single Hongyi cannon costs him 6000 public opinion points. Why don't you just rob him!

Lynn shook his head, dismissing these chaotic thoughts. After using the exchange shop multiple times, he discovered a crucial issue: in the weapon category, the better the item, the more outrageous the price, while the related blueprints sold there were much cheaper.

He plans to stop exchanging weapons directly unless it's an emergency, as public opinion can't withstand such a drain.

If we can change the blueprints in the future, we should do so. Once we have the technology, will we still have to worry about lacking weapons?

"Leon," Lynn instructed, "immediately select twenty of the strongest, most resolute, and most loyal men from the militia. Carry this weapon up the north wall. Also, divide the men into four groups of five, specifically to train them in operating and maintaining it."

"Understood, my lord!"

Lynn then opened another canvas:

"Bray, distribute these composite bows to the best archers in the hunting party. I want them to master these bows completely in the shortest amount of time, just like you. Can you do that?"

"I promise, my lord!"

Lynn then instructed Gorm to have him and Rod take good care of the weapons.

After giving instructions to everyone, Lynn looked at the rising sun, as if the future of Grayrock Town was also rising like the sun.

Let them come, no matter what the threat. He'll show those who dare to mess with him what happens when they provoke him!