The firearms of Terra, strictly speaking, are essentially gun-shaped staves. Depending on the individual's Originium Arts, their power can vary dramatically.
Not only are Laterano's Guardian Guns like this, but even the imitations are the same. In short, due to the existence of Originium, the technological development of this world is entirely based on Originium, much like how technology in the Naruto world is based on chakra.
Because of the vast differences in power, aside from Laterano's military, which primarily uses guns as their main weapons, the armies of other nations almost never use guns as their primary armament.
After all, the imitations on the market are mainly small, close-range firearms like pistols. Long-range, high-powered firearms simply don't exist on the market. Whether this is because they can't be successfully imitated or because of concerns about Laterano's reaction is unclear.
It's likely a combination of both, as Laterano is a very mysterious place. Especially since Laterano's guns cannot be used to shoot fellow Laterano citizens, or the user will fall from grace. This is already touching on the realm of rules, something Daniel Davis certainly couldn't replicate.
From this, it's clear that Laterano likely has long-lived beings similar to Nian, Ling, and Dusk. Unfortunately, by the time Daniel Davis transmigrated, there wasn't much information about Laterano. He could only glean some details from Penguin Logistics, Exusiai, and Rhodes Island.
However, while regular armies don't use these small firearms, they are highly favored by security companies, mercenaries, and underground gangs. For example, Blacksteel International equips its operators with firearms. The five-star defender Liskarm carries a pistol, as does a certain cat-eared operator.
This is mainly because small firearms are easy to carry. Compared to other types of crossbows, pistols are much more convenient to hide on one's person.
Think about it: is it easier to hide a pistol on your body or a crossbow?
Of course, such weapons are off-limits to bounty hunters. It's not that they don't like these weapons—portable weapons are always appealing—but guns are simply too expensive. Mercenaries and underground gangs don't care about the price, but bounty hunters are different.
If it were just a single gun, a bounty hunter could afford it. But to master a gun, one needs continuous shooting practice, and Originium-engraved bullets are not cheap.
This is probably why Penguin Logistics operatives aren't afraid of enemy gunfire—their aim is just too poor to hit anything.
Daniel Davis was very curious about Laterano. Not just the guns, but the halos and wings alone made him want to visit Laterano in person. Once he finished his tasks, he planned to go there before leaving.
"I didn't expect a seventh ship. How did you find it?"
About three kilometers southwest of Chernobog, on a barren, vegetation-less hilltop, W looked at the high-speed land battleship not far below and asked curiously.
Whether it was the intelligence W had obtained or the reconnaissance results from the Reunion Movement, the information indicated that Ursus had dispatched six high-speed land battleships. No one had expected a seventh one to be hidden.
"Building the plank road openly while secretly crossing the river—they're determined to destroy Chernobog. It seems the Ursus officials aren't stupid." Daniel Davis didn't answer W's question but instead nodded thoughtfully.
The seventh high-speed land battleship was heading straight for the currently stationary Chernobog, its purpose obvious. This way, even if the six high-speed land battleships failed in their mission, Ursus' ultimate goal would still be achieved, and the Reunion Movement's plan to establish an infected city would be ruined.
The Reunion Movement's acquisition of Chernobog was the result of a complex power struggle among multiple factions. Next time, the Reunion Movement wouldn't be so lucky.
For Ursus, as long as the so-called infected city wasn't established within Ursus, everything else was negotiable. Under normal circumstances, Ursus' plan might have succeeded.
Unfortunately, their opponent this time was Daniel Davis. Knowing that Ursus was about to attack, Daniel Davis had been cautious and periodically used his Observation Haki to scan the area around Chernobog. Fortunately, he had this habit, or he might not have noticed the seventh battleship until it opened fire.
Although an extra high-speed land battleship appeared, it didn't matter much to Daniel Davis. It just meant the number of battleships he had to deal with increased from three to four.
During the earlier discussions on how to counter the enemy's attack, Daniel Davis had stated that he could handle everything himself. However, both Patriot and FrostNova insisted on taking action, so the other three battleships were left to them.
Before receiving Daniel Davis' equipment support, Patriot wouldn't have made this choice, as the gap in strength between the two sides was too large. But now things were different. Not only had his body recovered, but the Shieldguards had also been equipped with new gear. Additionally, the Reunion Movement had undergone significant training and strengthening during this period.
The old problem was that Talulah had been too lenient with the infected. After the Reunion Movement grew, Patriot had wanted to reorganize it and impose discipline, but Talulah firmly opposed it, saying that everyone was comrades and she wouldn't force anyone.
As a result, the Reunion Movement's combat effectiveness was extremely poor. It was only because of Patriot and the Shieldguards' suppression that major issues hadn't arisen. At that time, the only truly effective fighters in the Reunion Movement were Faust's Phantom Crossbowmen. The rest relied solely on numbers.
But now things were different. The Reunion Movement's snipers and caster units had been properly formed.
"Since they've come, they might as well stay. This is a good opportunity to test this."
As he spoke, Daniel Davis appeared in front of the land battleship. With a wave of his right hand, the sky was suddenly filled with countless Truth Keys.
Before the people on the land battleship could react, countless beams of light rained down from the sky. In the blink of an eye, the battleship was torn to pieces.
"It's a shame to lose this land battleship, but now is the time to show our strength. We can't afford to hold back." With his abilities, Daniel Davis could have taken out the enemies on the battleship and seized it, but that wouldn't have had the same shocking effect.
"Roar!"
A deafening roar suddenly erupted from the smoke. Daniel Davis then saw a tall figure wielding a heavy hammer charging out of the smoke. Although his armor was in tatters and his body was visibly injured, a phantom of a giant bear seemed to be protecting him, giving him the strength to continue attacking.
"This is… As expected of a powerful nation. They can't be underestimated."
Being able to summon a phantom of one's race is a sign of a true powerhouse on Terra. Just like how Nearl, after returning to Kazimierz, could summon a golden pegasus.
Boom.
Daniel Davis' right hand glowed with a dark light as he met the incoming hammer head-on. A thunderous explosion followed, and the hammer shattered into pieces. The immense force sent the figure flying dozens of meters before he crashed to the ground.
"This is truly unbelievable." W finally caught up, having been stunned by the sight of the Truth Keys' barrage.
"I'll leave this to you. I need to go." Without waiting for W's response, Daniel Davis disappeared. He still had three land battleships to deal with.
"No problem." W smiled and waved in the direction Daniel Davis had vanished, then took out her phone to contact Chernobog.
"So this is what war looks like in this world. The scale is truly impressive."
On the wilderness, two forces were engaged in a fierce battle. The sound of explosions was relentless, and the sky seemed to be dyed red by the constant barrage of fireballs from the casters.
"You're here already? It's done."
On a high ground near the battlefield, Nian turned to look at Daniel Davis upon hearing his voice, then turned her attention back to the battlefield.
The one who spoke wasn't Nian but Kal'tsit, who stood beside her along with Amiya and the Doctor.
"It's done. It seems things are at a stalemate here. Ursus is really going all out—they've even brought several war casters."
War casters were the elite of the Ursus military, their strength almost on par with the Internal Guards. Patriot had fought alongside them against the Thousand-Handed, Hundred-Eyed monster.
"Should we intervene?" Nian suddenly asked.
"There's no need. This is their choice. Chernobog needs to be defended by its own people. I can't solve everything for them."
It was likely for the same reason that Patriot, Talulah, and FrostNova had chosen to handle the three land battleships themselves.
"Thankfully, they're wearing fourth-generation Herrscher armor now. Otherwise, they really wouldn't stand a chance."
Talulah and FrostNova, relying on the performance of their Valkyrie armor, had disabled the battleship cannons and artillery at the start of the battle.
"Faust and the others have made their move. The tide is turning."
Just as the battle was reaching a stalemate, Faust took out several Ursus casters, including a war caster, with his purple arrows, significantly weakening the Ursus forces.
Faust's purple arrows were incredibly powerful. Ordinary Shieldguards couldn't block them. During the Chernobog incident, Nearl had only barely managed to deflect one of his arrows.
With such powerful arrows, combined with his Originium Arts and the battlefield conditions, Faust was a nightmare for the enemy. With the war casters no longer suppressing them, Patriot finally had a chance to unleash his Originium Arts.
Patriot was famous in Ursus. His achievements were so impressive that even the Internal Guards respected him. He had fought against demons and the elite forces of other nations, which was why Ursus was very familiar with his abilities.
With Patriot's achievements, if he hadn't been from Kazdel, he would have risen to the upper echelons of the empire long ago. But as an outsider, the highest rank he could achieve in Ursus was captain. This exclusionary policy was likely why few outsiders joined Ursus.
If Patriot hadn't met the previous emperor, he probably wouldn't have stayed in Ursus for long.
As Patriot began to act, Talulah and FrostNova were also freed. Even with the latest armor materials provided by Daniel Davis, they couldn't afford to take more than a few hits from the war casters. Fortunately, the new materials could withstand a few blows, whereas even D32 steel would have failed after two hits.
Freed from their constraints, Talulah and FrostNova, one with fire and the other with ice, made life miserable for the Ursus Shieldguards. Talulah's scorching heat was especially devastating, as ordinary armor couldn't withstand it.
Before the battle began, Talulah had used her flames to destroy Ursus' artillery and drones in one fell swoop.
"Hellagr, you've betrayed the empire."
Hellagr naturally participated in this battle. His opponent was another general, a former colleague. From the way they fought, it was clear they didn't get along.
"It's you who have betrayed the empire."
As he spoke, Hellagr seized the moment when his opponent was distracted by a stray arrow to intensify his attack. As a former general of the Ursus Empire, Hellagr's strength was undeniable. Even in the game, he was a six-star guard. While game ratings don't always reflect real-world strength, some characters can serve as references.
After all, people like Rangers are rare. You think I'm a sniper? Haha, I'm actually the Crimson Valley's curved blade.
"The Internal Guards are about to make their move. It seems I can't stay out of this any longer." Originally unwilling to intervene, Daniel Davis decided to act upon seeing the Ursus Internal Guards preparing to join the fray. Their abilities were too disgusting, especially against those far weaker than them.
"This ends here." Daniel Davis used gravity to restrain the Internal Guards before they could act. The contamination from their abilities made it difficult for him to directly kill them, which was frustrating but something he had to consider.
With Daniel Davis holding back the Internal Guards, the battle naturally ended in the Reunion Movement's victory. Although they didn't completely annihilate the enemy, the morale of the Reunion Movement was greatly boosted, and their confidence in establishing an infected city grew.
Hellagr seemed to be in a good mood after taking out a personal enemy. Daniel Davis later learned that the general Hellagr had killed was one of the people responsible for his infection.
As a general of the Ursus Empire, Hellagr had once had a bright future. Unfortunately, even as a general, becoming infected meant he had no place in Ursus.
This experience made Hellagr understand the plight of the infected in Ursus. He was one of those who supported violent resistance by the infected. Even after the fall of Chernobog, he didn't change his stance. In principle, he agreed with the Reunion Movement.
When survival is at stake, people don't have the luxury of considering other issues. Violence becomes a means of survival.
Once you become infected, you become an enemy of Ursus. This was Hellagr's view. If he hadn't fled back then, he would have been captured and executed.
The Ursus military executed a significant number of infected soldiers every year.
"Congratulations. Vytor wants to talk to you."
"He shouldn't be coming to me. I'm not the leader of the Reunion Movement. I'll pass on your message."
After hanging up Wei Yenwu's call, Daniel Davis relayed Ursus' demands to Talulah and the others. Ursus' decision didn't surprise him. After losing the battle, negotiation was the only option. For a nation, interests always come first.
Individuals can act on impulse, but nations cannot. Of course, if you have the power to strike from a distance, that's a different story.
"Negotiations? There's no need for that." FrostNova outright refused, and the Assassin was equally adamant.
"What do you think?" Everyone's eyes turned to Daniel Davis.
"This is your decision. I've already said my piece."
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