Chapter 29

Chapter 29

September 6, 2014, the seventh day, 6:00 am Saturday Earth time

Grey grew up in a world where emotions are  shown to those who are  important to him, he is quiet, and reserved, his every movement and action is gentle and calculated, his  mind  was  trained to  adapt and  survive, and he has seen many lives lost because they were too reckless and unprepared in unknown situations, kind  and loving  but he  is a stone cold-hearted  hunter,  harming his family  was a death sentence for him, his brutally  was hardly seen  by the rest of the people inside the  underground bunker, but his teammate saw what kind of a person  he truly was when  lives of those important to him were in grave danger,

they all knew that he was the perfect balance of kindness and brutality, so they never questioned him because they never had to see what he did in order to protect them was no longer an idea, but his dedication to protecting them was tested so many times they already lost track on how many he managed to prove, the scars on his body was the testament to his resolve.

as he entered the convoy bound for the nearest military-protected air base, Grey gave his team and family members a  salute and told them he would be waiting for them at the Magus training centre, with a warm smile  he politely asked  the convoy driver to  go, Lailah has held her emotions and  went back in to prepare for their daily  task of sweeping the area for undead strangles,

Maeve was standing beside her and asked if she was okay,  Lailah just  smiled back and said, two years is not a long time, we will  see him again, as for now, we need to train harder and hunt better, so the moment we see my brother we won't be a burden,  Maeve  was  happy  hearing this  because they all felt the same, they still  need more  hunting experience, and  expanding their skill was the best way to do it, 

Major Andrew Dan Chevalier  suddenly told everybody that  after a year they were planning to expand their  territory and  seeing that certain  large cities were doing the same thing  to  combat the threat around them  the council member wanted to  create a  safe livable  city that surrounds their  current bunker and establish a government acknowledge zone, so they can facilitate  these changes and reclaim their  state to be free and safe,

Humanities  resilience in any known danger has been tested  countless times, in war, plague, nuclear explosions, radiation and natural calamity,  from many  different places mankind  never stop from adapting, at a very fast rate,  creating massive, law-defying  structures that rival natural structures around the world, the infestation of this supernatural  evil  and dark creatures never stop  mankind to  stop innovating  and creating  solutions,

in a short period of time, many  cities were  able to rise up again, food and  clean water were restored, and every civilian was equipped with a device to scan an area within a five-meter radius  and accurately detect a possessed being divine artefact was proven to be effective these were blessed by high ranking Magus and were freely given to the masses all around the world,

The Magus were  given full authority and freedom to govern their organization, with certain rules that they must follow as the United nation  clearly stated they would use their power for the good of mankind, 

travelling toward the air base was smooth, their route never encountered any problems as hours turned to days sleeping inside the two military convoys was the safest way, and alternating drivers were placed and enough supplies to ensure they were ready for anything, Grey also helped out clearing the area as soon they stop to rest.

  gasoline was harvested in specific locations, casual encounters with ghouls and undead were discretely eliminated but were never a priority, bandits were still on top of their concern many roaming scallawags, these are people who thrive in being lazy and just steal to survive, their numbers are fast declining but  Grey wasn't about to test that theory so the seven personnel under his uncle were always on high alert.

Grey might be the youngest among them but seeing him in action earns their respect and admiration, responding to traps were common in the area, this scallawag will use any means to trick passing convoys by placing even a child in the middle of the street to forcibly stop them, as they attack the convoy and plunder everything they have and kill them in the process, but  Grey was using his  All-seeing eyes, to detect miles away if there are traps being implemented in their designated route.

they will just  take a different route, based on what Grey tells them, or he will  ask the convoy to  stop a few meters away,  as he personally takes initiative with a few soldiers to  thwart  their  plan, all seven soldiers serving his uncle were surprised he was able to see and sense  these group of people, they know Grey was a excellent hunter and tracker, but  seeing him now was totally different from what they saw  when he joined their clearing operations,

he was amazing, beyond understanding, they saw he was gifted indeed and sending him to become a Magus was the right choice, his actions and foresight in critical situations were unnatural, even his aura was different, they hardly get tired or stressed for travelling, even the food Grey cooks and prepare were amazingly good and they all felt better around him, even when they were attack by armed bandits on the third day the wounds they receive from gunshot, healed faster, the medic saw and felt that Grey was somewhat protecting them behind the scenes.

every move he made was accurate, every shot from his gun was swift and  fast, and it never  missed its target, their five-day travel was surreal  from their own standpoint, as soon as they reached the walled and protected air port Grey  would  shake their hands and they each felt a certain warm energy flowing in their body, this was Grey ability, as he bless them to have a safe travel back home,

September 11, 2014, the seventh day, 9:17 am Wednesdays Earth time

many  convoys from different locations also gathered at the airport, as  many applicants to join the  Magus training center, because  it  was a  sure  way of  gaining the government's protection, many wealthy families  that survived the initial  spread of the  infection  of being a ghoul  all came to send their eligible sons and daughters, the difference  is they  wanted power and a certain amount of prestige in their community,

You can sense a hint of arrogance in the air as they drop off their family members while their parents are sitting inside their armored luxury cars with a handful of hired mercenaries, keeping a watchful eye on their surroundings. The opulence and security measures on display serve as a stark reminder of the stark divide between the haves and have-nots in society. 

even now after all the deaths and unwanted devastation faulting their riches are still dominant in this world, the seven soldiers were displeased seeing such a vulgar way of seeing the world as it is today. clouds hung low in the sky, mirroring the soldiers' somber mood as they stood in stark contrast to the opulence before them. Their mission to protect and serve felt all the more urgent as they witnessed the stark inequality that plagued society. Grey looked at them and told them that they must remain steadfast in their duty, for it was their responsibility to fight against injustice and restore balance to the world. 

With determination in his eyes, Grey reminded them that their purpose as soldiers was not just to defend the innocent but also to challenge the corrupt systems that perpetuated such inequality. He urged them to stay united and never lose hope, for even in the face of adversity, their unwavering resolve could ignite a spark of change. 

The seven all smiled and remembered what they had promised after becoming soldiers they would never turn a blind eye to injustice. They knew that Grey's words resonated deeply within them, fueling their determination to carry out their duty with unwavering integrity. With renewed purpose, they stood tall, ready to face any obstacle that stood in the way.

  Grey took his backpack gave out his last salute and continued to walk into the plane line as they prepared to travel back home with pride that after this year more of their younger generation will also soon embark on the same journey as Grey.

Grey was standing in line waiting for his name to be called, after  a few minutes a certain announcement made everybody happy as two rank 45 Magus appeared and addressed every candidate that the Magus association had decided to  introduce a preliminary test to ensure  those who were  gifted can ride the plane bound  for the Magus assessment centre,  because the plane has limited seating and storage capacity of only 100, after passing the test will be allowed to  join, judging from the number in the open field their more than three hundred were gathered in the area,

preliminary test will determine if the candidates have what it takes to endure the  real training  to become a Magus, wasting time and effort on talentless candidates  was  not within the rules of the Association, teaching only those who are worthy  can  join them, this test is being conducted all over the world,

many  rich candidates  were outraged hearing this but after showing  what a Rank 45 Magus can do to a concrete drainage pipe with her bare hands she made the candidate shut their mouths, the rules were simple there were  numerous concrete drainage pipes in the open ground of the airport, a forklift will place these concrete drainage pipe as their name called out that person just needs to  destroy  the concrete drainage pipe with their skill,

one candidate  raised his hand and  told the rank 45  Magus that most of them used weapons to fight the enemy, the Magus explained that  killing a vile with guns was easy before  because they were  just normal human beings like  them, who were possessed and became blood-craving psychopaths, but killing a demon was a different matter, normal weapons  no longer work on them, they can  only be wounded and killed by blessed Damascus steel blade,

Grey heard this and wondered if making a Damascus steel bullet was more practical than a knife, but making a bullet made of Damascus steel was new to him. He needed to test out his theory first and understand if the steel indeed was the reason why a demon gets wounded and  even gets killed, or was it the blessing on the knife itself, or perhaps a combination of both.

He decided to consult with other experienced demon hunters and research ancient texts to gather more information about the properties of Damascus steel and its potential effects on supernatural beings. Additionally, Grey planned to conduct controlled experiments to determine the true source of the steel's power before proceeding with any further developments. 

Grey knew that any hardened steel would make a very poor bullet because steel is much harder than lead and would not conform to the rifling in the barrel. It would also cause much more rapid wear on the bore and require complete barrel replacement much more often. It would have no advantage over a jacketed steel-cored bullet and, in any event, would need a gilding metal jacket of its own to lessen barrel wear, and it would be much more expensive to make.

They are made by wrapping steel bars around a form, then heating and hammering to weld the steel in layers. This is great for blades, but gun barrels are very weak and will not take the modern pressures generated by most ammunition. Additionally, the process of wrapping steel bars around a form and hammering them to weld in layers may result in inconsistencies and imperfections in the barrel, making it more prone to failure under high pressure. Moreover, the use of such barrels would require significant modifications to firearms, increasing costs and reducing their compatibility with existing ammunition.