Natural Disasters Strikes: I stockpiled like crazy! - Chapter 189

Chapter 189: Acid Bullets and Soldier Ant Armguards
“Metal Spike!”

“Fireball!”

“Soil Thorn!”

Feng Ran, Bingwen, and Yu Baoyin all aimed at the prototype armguards, made from the exoskeleton of a Tier 2 soldier ant’s arm.

Their attacks struck the gear.

The fireball left a slight burn mark, while the metal spikes and soil thorns created only small scratches before being deflected.

The core structure was made of interlocking chitin plates, their surfaces shimmering slightly under the light, shifting between deep onyx and dark crimson hues. The outer shell bore natural ridges and spiky protrusions, similar to the soldier ant’s carapace.

Inside, the arm guards were lined with softened wolf hide, offering both comfort and added protection. Adjustable straps made from wolf tendons secured the arm guards in place.

It was a fine two-star item.

[2-Star Soldier Ant’s Chitin Arm Guards]

[Stab Resistance, Slight Bullet-proofing, Heat Resistance, Durability Enhancement, Slight Impact Absorption, Acid Resistance.]

“Good job.” Nanzhi’s eyes lit up in pleasant surprise. She hadn’t expected Yu Baoyin to craft such impressive gear.

Yu Baoyin scratched her head, cheeks flushed. She hugged Nanzhi’s waist and rubbed her face against her chest. Pouting, she said, “Sadly, the tendons aren’t strong enough to hold Tier 3 materials. Otherwise, I could make more powerful gear!”

Nanzhi patted her head. “I’ll find some suitable materials for you to try. But… are you okay now?”

Yu Baoyin looked up and nodded. She appreciated Nanzhi’s care. At first, Nanzhi had given her gloves and patiently guided her hands for long hours to make her comfortable around the materials. That had greatly eased her trauma. Although she couldn’t work without gloves yet, it was much better than before.

At least she didn’t freeze at the sight of pelts anymore!

“Sister Nan, if only I were a guy! What a shame!” Yu Baoyin sighed, her voice tinged with frustration.

Lin Weihao overheard: It’s a girl. It’s a girl. Hold it together.

Feng Ran glanced at the arm guards, rubbed his chin thoughtfully, then tried them on. “This world is starting to feel more like the games I used to play!” He adjusted the guards, inspecting them. “This would be great, if not for the girlish pink sticker in the middle. Tsk.”

“Even monster parts can be made into gear!” He crossed his arms behind his head, sighing with a mix of awe and dismay.

Nanzhi, intrigued, turned to him. “What kind of games did you play before?”

Feng Ran’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, Sister-in-law, you’re into games too? Do you play Swordsman Online, Moonlight Blade, Westward Journey Online, or Shenwu 4?”

Nanzhi’s interest evaporated instantly. “No. I only play offline mobile games.”

Offline mobile games? Feng Ran thought to himself, Sounds boring and lame.

Just as he was about to voice his thoughts, he noticed the dungeon boss lurking behind Nanzhi. With a gulp, he swiftly turned his attention back to Yu Baoyin. “Hey, craftsman boonie girl, can you make a mage robe too?”

Yu Baoyin’s temples throbbed with irritation. She lifted her head from Nanzhi’s chest and shot back at Feng Ran, “Hey! Who are you calling ‘craftsman boonie girl’? I have a name!”

Feng Ran grinned, reminded of the drawings from earlier that morning. “Why shouldn’t I call you ‘craftsman boonie girl’? You keep stamping all the clothes with those ugly stickers!”

“Those stickers are not ugly!” Yu Baoyin lunged at Feng Ran.

“Hey! Get off me!” Feng Ran yelped, laughing and squirming.

Bingwen chuckled softly, clearly entertained by the bickering.

Lin Weihao nodded in approval. Good job, Feng Ran.

He then turned his attention to the spoils they had gathered.

With Bingwen’s help, Lin Weihao had turned the sickles into a pair a weapons.

They were heavier than he expected, but their sharpness, durability, and conductivity were excellent.

He infused his lightning ability into one of them and struck a practice target.

A deafening thunderclap echoed through the area as the blade left a deep dent in the column. Lightning coursed through the metal rods, sparking with purple energy.

“How’s that?” Nanzhi asked eagerly.

“Good.” Lin Weihao handed the sickles over to Nanzhi, who immediately tested them on the same target. With a single swing, the column collapsed, even without her mental power.

It was, indeed, an excellent replacement for her current weapons.

Lin Weihao and Bingwen clapped, impressed by the result. Well done!

“Bingwen, can you make me a pair as well?” Nanzhi asked, her interest piqued.

“Sure, Sister-in-law!” Bingwen nodded, pleased to help.

“Wait! Let me try too! I’m better with cold weapons,” Yu Baoyin interjected, eager to get her hands on them.

Unfortunately, the sickles proved too heavy for her. Each one weighed over 30 lbs., and they couldn’t be easily cut to smaller components due to the thick resin coating on the blades.

Nanzhi observed this with a thoughtful frown. “It’s better to build up your arm strength first.” She sighed. If only I could buy a physique-enhancing serum, craft one, or have everyone trained in the dungeon…

The cost of 50,000 Tier 1 spars was exorbitant. If she converted it into jades, the system had indicated it would require at least 4 tons of Imperial Jade.

Yu Baoyin nodded solemnly, understanding the challenge.

Bang. Bang. Bang.

Meanwhile, on the other side, Hei Qian was testing the acid bullets.

Yes, you heard that right—acid bullets.

The soldier ant’s acid had a pH level between 0.5 and 1.0.

In the short time since the idea was conceived, Hei Qian and Bingwen had remodeled guns and experimented with resin and alloy coatings to produce acid ampoules.

The group gathered around to observe as they tested the new ammo. The first shot hit a block of wood, leaving a blackened hole and causing smoke to rise as the acid slowly ate through the fibers.

When they tested it on a steel plate, a hole appeared in the 5mm thick metal. The acid burst upon impact, corroding the steel and leaving a small crater.

Bingwen analyzed the results. “It would be great if we could find a stronger material for the guns and bullets. Or maybe once I upgrade my ability, the quality will improve. For now, let’s use tungsten bullets. They have more penetration power than regular ones and are great against armored beasts like the soldier ants.”

“It’s already great!” Yu Baoyin praised, excited.

Hei Qian nodded, a rare smile appearing on his face.

Feng Ran sighed. I’m the only one without crafting abilities. Is this what it feels like to be a newbie surrounded by high-level players?

“How about we find an alien beast to test it out?” Nanzhi suggested, her new weapons gleaming in her hands.

“Okay!”