I had heard rumours that the fortress possessed weapons capable of slaying far stronger magical beasts.
But I had yet to uncover any proof of their existence.
If they did exist, the expenditure of resources required to operate them would be far too significant for casual use. That alone would explain why such weapons remained largely unknown.
Since I was building an army of powerful cybernetic beasts, it was only natural for me to try to fuse the weapons into them next.
As much as I loved my skillset as a Magical Swordsman and Beastmaster, I would much rather snipe my enemies from afar than close in for a fight, especially against an Awakener of the Magus Class.
The combined power of mechanical and magical advancements wasn’t something to be underestimated, and I intended to exploit it to its fullest.
I pulled the top of the bag toward my seat, unlocked the padlock holding the chains with the key still attached, and opened it.
Inside were rows of metallic boxes in varying sizes.
I pulled them out one by one, stacking them neatly against the cave wall.
Taking one box, I unlatched it and looked inside. Read complete version only at novel-fire.net
Within lay a sleek, pistol-sized handgun.
Several cartridges were arranged neatly beside it.
I picked up the weapon, then noticed a small card tucked at the bottom of the case.
The card displayed the weapon’s name and included an instruction manual. Considering most Awakeners weren’t familiar with firearms, I had to admit I was impressed by Bunnytea’s attention to detail.
The handgun’s name: Whisper Pistol.
It was designed to fire ammunition with near-complete silence.
I placed it aside and pulled out another box.
Inside was a slim carbine with silver-etched runes along its long barrel.
I rested my hands on the foregrip, pretending for a moment as though I was aiming at a target.
I glanced at the card.
MK-V Arc Gale Carbine.
I set it aside and reached for another box.
This time, the weapon inside was a chunky, industrial-looking cluster of short barrels housed in a circular frame.
Prometheus Scatter Cannon.
It appeared to have advanced from some kind of shotgun.
The design reminded me of futuristic weapons from the gaming media of my previous world.
The next box revealed a slim, ceremonial-looking rifle with a glossy black barrel and a polished magenta capacitor embedded along the sides.
I took my time reading each card as I opened the boxes one by one.
There were dozens more weapons, ranging from long-range sniper rifles to gauntlet-mounted firearms, portable missile launchers, devices capable of destabilising electronics, and many more.
In total, there were two hundred.
I couldn’t help but feel excited.
I pondered what kind of transformation these weapons would undergo if the integration were successful.
Without wasting time, I summoned CR1.
"Reporting for duty, Master," CR1 said respectfully, pressing his long forearm against his metallic head in salute.
His cybernetic eyes swept across the cave before focusing back on me.
"I’m going to integrate a weapon into you," I explained. "Look at these and tell me which one you want. I’ll handle the rest."
I gestured at the neatly stacked weapons, laid out from the familiar to the strange.
CR1’s eyes brightened with excitement.
I wasn’t sure how it was possible, but spending so much time with them had taught me to pick up subtle cues about their emotions, even without relying on the bond we shared.
CR1 hopped toward the weapons, scrutinising each one along with its card. He moved down the line, one by one, until he suddenly stopped before the Whisper Pistols.
"I’ll choose this," CR1 said, pointing at them.
I picked up two pistols. Why settle for one when you could have two?
I gestured for him to stand in front of me.
Alright... here goes nothing.
I placed one of the Whisper Pistols against his left forearm, then activated Fusion Synchronisation.
A bright blue and silver glow surged from my hand, enveloping both the pistol and CR1’s forearm.
They began to melt, resembling liquid mercury as they merged seamlessly into one another.
Five minutes later, the glow faded.
CR1’s forearm had reformed back into its original shape, but the pistol was no longer there.
I felt my mana and stamina drain, though not as severely as when I first transformed him into a Cybernetic Beast.
Before I could even ask how he felt, CR1 raised his arm.
Suddenly, his forepaw extended, reshaping all the way up to his upper forearm until it transformed into the Whisper Pistol.
It was larger and longer than the original version, sleek and deadly.
The entire transformation had taken only a few seconds.
I summoned CR1’s status sheet.
Race: Cybernetic-Enhanced Sabre-Tooth Rabbit.
Lesser Beast - First Rank (50%)
Fusion Compatibility: 100% ]
I saw a new description of the enhancements.
I quickly clicked on it.
[ Enhancement: Whisper Pistol (Right Forearm)
Function: Fires rapid condensed mana bullets with near-zero muzzle flash.
It looked incredible.
Mana bullets? The cybernetic enhancements had eliminated the need for physical ammunition entirely.
Now, mana itself was condensed into solidified projectiles, capable of piercing low-level magical defences and striking as fast as CR1 could react.
I hadn’t expected such an upgrade. I had assumed I would need to keep changing the ammunition, even after an upgrade.
It was a welcome improvement.
I pointed toward the end of the cave behind us.
I realised he had already absorbed the information on how to utilise the Whisper pistol; there was no need for further explanation.
CR1 stretched his right forearm forward.
A red light slammed into the cave wall.
The cave trembled slightly.
Dust swirled around us as fragments of rock flew outward, clattering to the ground.
Soon, the dust subsided, revealing a scarred section of the cave wall, with steaming smoke.