Chapter 549: The Essence of Blitzkrieg

The craziness of the dwarves didn't stop there.

The cannons of this era lacked the precision needed for large mechanical industry, the steel was substandard, and there were no such things as rifling. Therefore, the range of this "Little Steel Cannon" was not far, only about two kilometers.

Of course, since the cannonball was enhanced, it wasn't a traditional field gun. Translated according to Magni's description, a single shot would leave nothing alive within a hundred-meter diameter.

"Alright, next question? How do ye load the cannonballs? I don't see any loading mechanism?" Duke asked, his eyes twitching at the sight of those giant shells, nearly a meter in diameter.

This thing must weigh three or four tons, right?

"How else? Lift it by hand!" Magni snapped his fingers, and a dwarven chamber guard suddenly inflated like a balloon. His armor was clearly custom-made, splitting apart as he grew. A solid breastplate transformed into something like a heart shield.

His specially-made trousers stretched into shorts without tearing.

Looking at the guard, now gleaming with a silvery metallic reflection, Duke realized, "Stoneform?"

"Aye!" Magni laughed. "Ye seem to understand us dwarves quite well!"

The Stoneform was another crazy racial talent of the dwarves. Those who had awakened this skill could enlarge their size for a short time, greatly increasing their strength, attack, defense, and vitality.

Fine! Let a few dwarves who've awakened the Stoneform carry the cannonballs. You win, dwarves!

Magni and Gelbin were all smiles, looking at Duke's impressed expression.

Magni suddenly leaned in, whispering, "By the way, ye mentioned something about a 'loader'? Can we... talk about that later?"

Duke's eyes rolled, "How about you send 1,000 chamber guards to help us at Redridge Mountains?"

"What? That's nonsense! We only have 1,200 chamber guards in the whole Bronzebeard clan. No! There's no deal!" Magni was adamant, protecting them like a hen guarding her chicks.

Duke's faint smile was all the warning Alleria needed to start chuckling behind her hand.

Ah, Duke was about to trick someone again.

"How about I trade you the great art of tank assault—Blitzkrieg?"

"Blitzkrieg?" The name alone sounded magnificent, and Magni and Gelbin's ears perked up.

Their steam tanks had been the subject of much ridicule over the years.

Useless hunks of metal.

Waste of resources.

Not as good as a 200-pound hammer swung by an orc warrior.

Yep, not even as good as a hammer!

These words stung every time, and though Magni and Gelbin believed in their steam-powered future, the tanks needed to prove themselves on the battlefield first.

And the old-fashioned dwarves continued to insist on training chamber guards.

Duke's words scratched right where it itched, and he showed them a virtual image of a vast plain, with hundreds of dust trails rising from tanks that looked nothing like the dwarven steam tanks, charging forward.

Using their high-speed assault ability, they tore through enemy lines, surrounded and annihilated the enemy.

"Though I admire yer invention," Duke's voice echoed, "ye're using tanks wrong. Tanks aren't for sieges or standoffs. They represent firepower, mobility. Mobility is the soul of the tank."

Mobility!?

The two dwarven lords were jolted awake.

The image was too fast for them to see who the tanks were fighting, but it opened a new window in their minds.

Just as they wanted to hear more, Duke cut off the image.

"Wait, wait!"

Duke ignored them, continuing to tempt, "The Wasteland has gathered nearly three hundred thousand human soldiers, thousands of mages. When will it be the dwarves' turn? By the time yer short legs get there, the battle will be nearly over. Why should the dwarves get the glory?"

"This..." Magni's face turned liver-colored. He was already annoyed at the Lordaeronians acting like saviors, and Duke's words deflated him further.

Gelbin spoke, "So, Duke, do ye have a way to help the dwarves and gnomes take the glory? Take the lead?"

Duke smiled mysteriously, leading them into a dwarven tent before saying, "Warchief Orgrim Doomhammer has indeed challenged the Alliance to battle. But he's crafty; he never promised to fight to the death. What if the Horde loses and retreats into Blackrock Fortress? How long will it take the Alliance to take it? And who will they send first?"

Magni lost all composure.

Dwarves, of course! Those best at tunnel warfare would be the cannon fodder. Even if Lothar was fair, the Bronzebeard dwarves would still suffer a nightmare.

Now, these fifty thousand dwarves were all that Magni could muster for revenge. If the losses were too great, the Bronzebeard dwarves would take a long time to recover.