Chương 86: In This Moment, Everyone Has Grown

Early morning, the Iron City Artillery Range. Ten soldiers from the 10th Company pushed a cannon into position, its metallic surface gleaming coldly. Iron-Orc checked the weapon three times with obsessive care before instructing the men on live loading. Having practiced hundreds of times on wooden models, the soldiers moved with fluid precision.

"Sir! The Type-1 Field Gun is ready!" Iron-Orc shouted, his face flushed with excitement. Li Qinwu nodded absently. As the fuse burned down, a BOOM shook the air. A cloud of acrid smoke erupted, and the projectile shrieked across the sky, smashing directly into the distant target. The massive recoil sent the gun back a few meters, but it remained steady.

"Success! The Type-1 Field Gun—93mm caliber, 1, 200m range, weighing only 350kg!" Iron-Orc ran over to claim credit, boasting that he could produce one every 15 days if given enough manpower. Li Qinwu gave a distracted "mm-hmm" and told him to expand production. Iron-Orc was baffled; the boss had practically lived in the smithy for weeks for this gun—why the cold shoulder now that it was finished? Anxiety Over Elite Power Li Qinwu's mind was entirely occupied by the "Catgirl Crisis."

He realized that while gunpowder could deal with mobs, it was useless against beings like the Brave Leon or the future Maid Catgirl who could dodge bullets and dismantle armies single-handedly. The Alliance lacked a way to cultivate "Super-Elites." He tried letting soldiers of every race touch the"Medal of the Brave," hoping to trigger a localized hero. However, the medal remained as inert as a common stone in the hands of Goblins, Kobolds, and Ogres alike.

"It can't be forced," Li Qinwu sighed. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. He erected a stone monument in front of his wooden house, embedding the medal within it. He carved an inscription in the common tongue:"He who carries the rise and fall of his people, and shoulders the weight of the state, shall touch this medal and gain the power to protect his land." He allowed anyone to try, while he turned his focus back to the expedition against Thassos.

Now, he only waited for his final strategic asset: the Mount Spiders. A Shocking "New Life" News finally came from the nursery. The Crimson Queen sensed the eggs were ready to hatch. Li Qinwu dropped everything and sprinted to the site. Inside, over thirty dark-yellow eggs, each as tall as a man and as wide as a car, were pulsating. The fleshy walls of the eggs rippled as the organisms within struggled to break free.

"Go on, little ones! The future of the Alliance is in your hands!" Li Qinwu leaned in, his face nearly touching an egg. In his eyes, these were more than just mounts—they were heavy labor, plows, and logistical engines. A sharp point poked at the egg wall from the inside. As a tear appeared and viscous fluid leaked out, everyone held their breath, waiting for the majestic, eight-legged beasts to emerge. Then, under the watchful eyes of the leaders, a Goblin head covered in slime popped out of the tear!

"EH!!?" A collective scream of shock erupted as the crowd scrambled backward. The Goblin gasped for air, sliced through the rest of the egg with sharp nails, and slid out in a pool of fluid. He sat there, dazed, covered in strange red patterns.

"This guy... is a Great Goblin with tattoos? And why does he have an umbilical cord?" One-Ear crept closer, baffled. Li Qinwu stood frozen. He stared at those red patterns; they looked hauntingly familiar. He turned his head stiffly toward the doorway. There was Gobu-Dai, peeking in curiously. Beside him, the Crimson Queen squeezed her massive head into the room, her hundred ruby eyes shimmering with maternal affection. She even used a giant leg to gently nudge Gobu-Dai's shoulder.

Li Qinwu looked at Gobu-Dai, then at the Queen, then at the "Spider-Born Goblin" who looked exactly like a miniature Gobu-Dai. His expression shifted from confusion to horror, then to sheer realization, and finally, it settled into a profound, soul-deep respect for Gobu-Dai. So... this was what "interspecies growth" looked like. Everyone had truly worked hard.