Ever since its release several weeks ago, the weapon had taken the kingdom by storm. Sales had exploded beyond even my optimistic projections as both military organizations and private awakeners recognized its tactical value. The ability to deliver powerful ranged attacks without requiring years of archery training made it appealing to everyone from city guards to rchant company security forces.
Our family’s reputation had soared imnsely on the back of this success. The Blackwood na, already prestigious due to ducal status, had gained new recognition as innovators and thinkers rather than just traditional nobility. And more practically, our inco had increased dramatically.
The crossbow sales had reached cumulative revenue of nearly one million golden coins in just a short span - an astronomical sum that represented genuine wealth even by royal standards. Market analysis suggested sales would continue climbing as production scaled and distribution networks expanded further.
The engineers and blacksmiths working on production had been begging for days to create an improved version. The current model was good, but everyone recognized that refinent and enhancent would capture additional market segnts willing to pay premium prices for superior performance.
Naturally, I held exclusive rights to any improvents or modifications. I’d claid ownership of the core design through family patent systems, ensuring that nobody could legally build enhanced versions without my explicit authorization.
Even though improving the crossbow would be relatively simple given my knowledge and capabilities, I’d allowed absolutely nobody else to attempt it - not even our family’s master blacksmiths who had decades of experience and unquestionable loyalty.
Not because I didn’t trust them with the work. Their skill and discretion were beyond question.
But because this was my bread and butter. This was what helped improve my crafting abilities, test new techniques, and push the boundaries of what magical engineering could achieve in this world. And fundantally, these were my creations - well, not really since I’d essentially stolen the concepts from Earth’s technological developnt, but they were still my implentations in this world, my contributions to its advancent.
The intellectual property and creative process belonged to , and I intended to keep it that way.
I began laying out materials systematically, planning the improved crossbow’s specifications.
The original model had used relatively common materials - decent steel for the bow chanism, standard wood for the stock, basic enchantnts for durability and power enhancent. Not because I couldn’t make it better, but because for its price point, that was exactly what custors should receive. The weapon needed to be affordable enough for mass adoption while still profitable to produce.
Now I was making sothing different. A premium model - the Mark II Crossbow that would target elite awakeners and powerful forces rather than general market consurs.
This version would use superior materials throughout. High-grade steel alloys for the chanism that could handle significantly greater tension forces. Enchanted wood from magical trees that wouldn’t warp or crack under stress. Advanced runic arrays that enhanced both power output and accuracy. Improved trigger chanisms for smoother operation.
Most importantly, dramatically increased penetration power.
The original crossbow could reliably kill Noble-rank beasts and weaker Elite-rank opponents. Useful for common threats, but insufficient against genuinely dangerous enemies.
The Mark II would be capable of killing peak-Elite rank targets and potentially even low Transcendent opponents if the shot placent was perfect and the target wasn’t heavily armored. That represented a fundantal leap in lethality that would justify premium pricing and attract serious professional buyers.
I activated the forge and began heating tal stock to working temperature while reviewing the chanical design improvents I’d planned.
The bow chanism needed reinforcent to handle higher tension without deforming. I’d use a composite layered approach - multiple thin strips of enhanced steel bonded together rather than single-piece construction. This would provide superior strength-to-weight ratio and allow the chanism to store more energy without adding excessive bulk.
The trigger assembly required precision manufacturing to ensure smooth, consistent release even under high-tension conditions. I’d incorporate ball bearing components and carefully balanced springs to achieve professional-grade performance.
The stock needed both structural integrity and ergonomic refinent. I’d shape it from Ironwood - a magical tree species with density approaching tal while retaining wood’s workability. Enchantnts would further enhance durability and provide minor recoil dampening, but that wasn’t my field.
Clang! Strike! Shape!
I began working the heated tal with Ragnar’s Hamr, and imdiately felt the difference compared to standard tools. Each strike landed with perfect weight distribution, the hamr seemingly guiding my hand toward optimal impact points. The tal responded beautifully, shaping faster and more precisely than I’d achieved with conventional equipnt.
"This is incredible," I muttered, watching as complex curves ford with minimal effort.
The legendary hamr wasn’t just a tool - it was almost like having a master craftsman’s muscle mory transferred directly into my hands. Techniques I’d struggled with before suddenly felt natural and intuitive.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
I lost myself in the rhythm of creation, hours passing as I fabricated each component with obsessive attention to detail. The bow chanism took shape with chanical precision that would have been impossible using standard equipnt. The trigger assembly ca together with watchmaker-level accuracy. The stock was carved and shaped into ergonomic perfection.
Between talworking sessions while components cooled, I inscribed enchantnt arrays using specialized tools and magical inks. The patterns were far more complex than the original crossbow’s simple durability enhancent - these arrays would increase projectile velocity, improve accuracy through minor trajectory correction, and enhance penetration against magical defenses.
I incorporated knowledge from both Earth’s physics understanding and this world’s magical engineering principles, creating hybrid designs that leveraged advantages from both systems.
The sun had fully risen and was approaching noon when I finally assembled all components into the completed weapon.
The Mark II Crossbow was noticeably more refined than its predecessor. Sleeker lines, superior materials visible in every component, and an aura of lethal capability that the original model lacked. This was a weapon for serious professionals, not general market consurs.
I loaded a test bolt - also improved with reinforced shaft and enchanted tip - and aid at the reinforced target I’d set up at the workshop’s far end.
Click... THWACK!
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