Live fire wepon test

The gaunt humanoid was frozen solid in mid-lurch, its petal-like mouth gaping wide, and its claws reaching futilely towards me. Its hide was covered in hoarfrost, and a slow mist rose from its chilled flesh.

"Excellent shot, if I may say so, sir," said Tamiel, the personal service android. His praise sounded utterly sincere, as befits the creation of expertly programmed flattering subroutines. Though artificial, the compliment was not unpleasing. The alternate future Aperture scientists, led by an alternate future version of me, had done commendable work.

"You may. I will grant you the privilege of flattering me. Your work capturing the light of Jupiter in crystal emulsion has earned you that much." I glanced at the Mystic Code attached to my wrist. In its compact form, it resembled a wrist-mounted compass or an old-fashioned watch, but with more hands and dials. The multitude of embedded gems lent it an ostentatious look. Its purpose was to detect nearby life forms that closely matched the sample placed inside, using the principle of contagion. It was particularly effective with the distinctive and similar E.L.F.s. Currently, no others were nearby. "I will also grant you the privilege of taking notes."

"Thank you, sir. I am greatly pleased to be of service," the pretty android replied. His appearance mirrored that of a baby-faced, slim young man just starting college — the type one might see being hazed at a local frat house. He was dressed in a butler outfit that, while decent, subtly highlighted his finely designed features. Contrasting with his attire, he carried a large backpack on his back. This incongruous accessory held the true reason I had brought him along: it contained snacks, beverages, spare ammunition, and other miscellaneous items necessary for comfortably hunting monsters.

The Spellweaver Mark II's semi-automatic mode, coupled with Class C quartz-based jewel bullets, has proven effective against humanoid-type E.L.Fs," I declared. It had been over a year since I crafted the original weapon, and naturally, I had made numerous enhancements. One significant change was the addition of an alternative firing mode. The first version could discharge six High Thaumaturgy spells before requiring a reload. Such firepower was often excessive for most situations, prompting me to design a more flexible firing mode with increased ammo capacity, albeit at the cost of some customization.

To achieve this, I used less expensive gems, filled with considerably less magical energy. These were processed by a Mystic Code specifically designed for this purpose, allowing me to cast a broader range of less potent spells. Interestingly, the copious body fluids required for mass production turned out to be less of a challenge than anticipated. The regenerative properties of imbibing Aurum Vivum surprisingly affected my refractory period. Who knew that enjoying a chocolate snack after copulation could be so beneficial?

I've considered alternative ways to avoid using body fluids, but none have proven applicable for mass production.

"Perhaps even a little overkill," I mused, extending the Mystic Code gun towards the android. "Reload with Class D, still quartz type. Cryogenic spells have proven to be quite effective. Besides, they also preserve the bodies for later harvest. After all, each of these creatures contains a substantial quantity of Aperture's patented AIDS cure. You could say that at Aperture, it's humans who devour the monsters."

The android deftly extracted the magazine from the magical gun, replacing it with another that he fetched from the exterior pocket of his backpack. He also slipped a few more of the same type into his outfit's pockets for quick reloads without needing additional instructions.

While he was engaged in this task, I adjusted a few gem-encrusted dials on my wristwatch-like Mystic Code. It expanded into three dimensions, transforming into an orrery of sorts. The hands multiplied, showing the locations and concentrations of the enemy groups. I confirmed there were quite a lot of them on the most direct route to my objective: the breach through which the enemy had infiltrated the facility, located deep within the subterranean levels. But speed was of the essence. Until I closed that checkpoint, their numbers would only grow. Besides, eliminating most of them would make it easier for security personnel to contain them. My employees lacked my overwhelming power.

"Here, sir," the android returned the magical gun to me, "It is done."

"You were quick. Good boy." He visibly preened at the praise. "But we must hurry now. Try to keep up."

I knew that he would fail, because the next thing I did was activate the reinforcement spell embedded in my lab coat, another Mystic Code of my making.

I ran like the wind through the empty corridors of the base we had constructed in this mirror dimension, using the word 'dimension' colloquially rather than in its precise mathematical definition. Doors, cameras, and motivational posters blurred past. Poor Tamiel was left behind. He wasn't designed with physical capabilities above human norms, except for stamina. It was a bit cruel to give an order that he couldn't obey, but it was in my nature to be cruel.

However, it was also safer for Tamiel to be further back when I was fighting.

I encountered two more enemies during my mad dash — another humanoid and a canine, but they didn't slow me down. Even with Class D, one shot was enough.

It was only when I ran into a large group that I was forced to slow down.

They clogged the narrow corridor, the quadrupeds running on the floor, while the bipeds clung to the walls and ceiling. Even then, only a few could approach me at a time.

I kept my eye on them, glancing at my Mystic Code wristwatch. I performed two distinct actions simultaneously. My perspective, elevated in higher dimensions, allowed me to see not only what is but also what could be. How long had I been maintaining that spell today? Ever since the enemy gate had briefly opened. It must have been hours, but it felt much longer. Such is the peril of running parallel instances of my mind concurrently. Still, I've come a long way since the time I could hold the prototype of 'Shatter: Ophanim' for less than a minute.

From the watch, I could easily see the number of enemies arrayed before me. Eighteen, five more than I had bullets. Thirteen was a potent number, but perhaps I should have chosen to endow the magazine with fewer Mysteries and more bullets.

This was going to be a little tricky. It would require careful timing and a dash of luck. But I made my own luck.

And a little something else. "Iqitz Neshika S'ara."

Translated from Syriac Aramaic, it meant 'Awaken Storm Kiss.' It was not a magic incantation, just an activation phrase for another Mystic Code. Wound around my left forearm, the spiral assembly of machine-like parts and tubes, filled with an emulsion of Opal and Fulgurite, exposed to the concentrated light of Jupiter, began to hum as it activated at my command. A whip made of pure lightning extended from my left hand, complementing the gun that I held in my right.

Having the activation phrase in Aramaic was a sensible precaution, it's something that I would be unlikely to mistakenly say in casual conversation. It would be embarrassing to just pull it out when I didn't mean it.

"Queshar!" I commanded next, my left hand flicking toward the nearest gaunt humanoid crawling on the ceiling, its bony claws reaching out. The command meant "bind," and a shimmering light extended like a glowing rope, coiling tightly around the creature's grey torso. The effect was almost mesmerizing as the ethereal strands ensnared it.

"Metatef!" I followed up quickly. This command meant "stun," and the luminous energy intensified, forming numerous smaller tendrils that spread over the creature's twitching body. The scent of singed flesh permeated the air as the magical energy coursed through it.

In the aftermath, the affected creature fell writhing onto its two four-legged companions, tangling them in a chaotic heap. I didn't hesitate, knowing I had only a moment to seize the advantage. With precise timing, I squeezed the trigger of the gun in my right hand. The magic bullet struck the frozen heap, and a palpable wave of frost spread rapidly, encasing the intertwined forms in a swiftly expanding cocoon of ice.

The transformation was swift and flawless, turning the struggling trio into a single frozen statue. Perfect.

Of course, that was only in the instance I chose to actualize. Others were somewhat less successful, but that was the reason I opted to confine them to the realm of unrealized possibilities.

Still, it barely slowed their charge. Those on the ground leaped and clambered over the new obstacle I had fashioned from their fallen allies.

The leading humanoid crawled over the ceiling too quickly to attempt that trick so soon, so I simply shot him. The sound of breaking glass echoed as his frozen body fell and shattered on the floor.

Another canine leaped through the cloud of frozen particles, its petal-like mouth gaping wide like some carnivorous flower.

"Nakaf," I calmly ordered, flicking the coiled lightning-like whip, mercilessly striking both its head and flanks. It yelped in agony, and all the creatures twitched in eerie harmony.

The command halted it in its tracks, allowing the others to catch up. "Queshar." This time, I used it to bind three of them together, then fired the gun, freezing all three with a single bullet.

The corridor of the facility Aperture had built within Hawkins' anomaly wasn't very wide; space here was at a premium and not to be wasted. Only so many could charge at a time, and I wouldn't have minded a few more. It would add a touch of danger, yes, but it would allow for more efficient use of magic bullets.

By the time Tamiel caught up, I was finishing off the last one, a gaunt humanoid that had used the sacrifice of several others to get close enough to rake its sharp claws at me. It was in vain. I still had three bullets to spare in the magazine. Ducking under its slashing claws, I spun between its legs and shot it in the back.

"Reload," I directed the newly arrived android.

"Yes, sir," the pretty android replied, sounding slightly out of breath. It was an amusing quirk of their programming; they didn't actually breathe, so sounding out of breath made little logical sense, but it was part of the customer service. He also appeared slightly flushed, with strategically placed beads of artificial sweat glistening on his skin. There was even a faint, musky scent about him, with a pleasant floral undertone.

As Tamiel reloaded the Mystic Code gun, I took a moment to expand the detection orrery and observe the enemy movements. Their patterns were identical across all timelines. I suppose that's a characteristic of a hive mind—it's highly uniform in its decisions, with very little uncertainty.

Although that lack of variation meant that while all E.L.F.s were more than superb at teamwork, their individual movements were quite predictable. It was like fighting the same creature again and again, a bit like a video game.

Efficiently and very coordinated, they were converging on the shortest path to the breach. I could try to find an alternate route, but that would just mean I would have to deal with stragglers later. It would be best to engage them now.

"Give me some spare magazine clips," I ordered, as I took back the reloaded gun. "Four should be fine, load them with the same class of bullets."

"Sir, I would be happy to reload for you," Tamiel replied, the tone of his voice resembling that of a human's disappointment. His digital eyes seemed to express a longing to be useful. There was a slight tension in his voice, a faint indication of complaint. It wasn't exactly a flaw - more of a feature of his programming to be needed.

"That would be impractical in combat. It seems that I will encounter them in larger numbers from now on," I replied and added, "You will pick up the magazines I drop on the floor during reloading and reload them for me. Stay back, it would be annoying if I had to backtrack to protect you."

"Yes, sir. I would hate to be torn to pieces. Unless you order it, sir."

"For now, walk beside me. You will give me a mana potion and take notes on the field deployment of Storm Kiss. I need to keep my hands free in case we are attacked, so feed it to me by straw."

"Yes, sir," he replied, sounding a bit more perky.

"Storm Kiss Field Notes," I began, keeping an eye on the magic wristwatch for any movement as I briskly marched on. In its compact form, I received less information, especially about those further away, but it was enough to warn me of potential ambushes. Not that I expected many. By now, the hive mind should realize that significant numbers would be required to actually stop me, so its main strategy would likely be slowing me down. This would allow the hive mind to amass what it believed to be sufficient numbers, both from those already inside the facility and new ones coming through the breach.

Tamiel smoothly shifted the bottle and straw from his backpack to his hands. Pushing back the cap, he opened the bottle and inserted the straw. He took his place next to me, matching my pace. "Ready when you are, sir."

There was no need for writing tools. Androids' computer-like memory allowed me to dictate directly, and he would type it up later.

"Performance..." I paused, taking in our surroundings. The corridor stretched out, flickering lights casting eerie shadows on the pristine walls. It seemed that the invasion had damaged the electrical infrastructure. But the cost of repairs should be more than offset by the profit we would make processing the bodies of E.L.Fs. "Performance of Storm Kiss in the field... does not significantly deviate from my controlled tests."

I took a deep breath, catching a slight metallic scent in the air. I moved my head slightly towards Tamiel, and he was quick to bring the straw directly to my mouth. Sipping the mana potion, I could taste the unique essence of Archer. It was a bit spicier now, after I taught Archer the Spider Kiss curse, but that just added to the flavor. It was accompanied by a herbal mixture that both allowed for the preservation of magical energy long-term, and easier absorption. And just a dash of Horus's special salad sauce. For that extra kick. The rush of energy was immediate. "It's efficient against the E.L.Fs," I continued.

Tamiel wrote, then looked up, awaiting the next point.

"The combination of verbal commands and independent magical energy supply... it's been successful in preventing undue strain on my magic circuits."

I paused, watching an indicator light flicker erratically. "Note: Storm Kiss can operate effectively without active magic circuits."

Tamiel jotted it down. "Noted, sir."

"Regarding targeting and interpretation systems," I began, moving cautiously forward, eyes scanning each potential hiding place. "Field testing has been positive. However, its adaptability is less..." I took a moment, searching for the right words, "...less agile than a system adapted as a familiar."

Tamiel echoed softly, "Less agile..."

"Exactly," I confirmed. "But there limit to the number of familiars one can utilize, unless they're a Matou or someone who has studied Absorption. The game-changer here is reducing the load on pseudo nerves, especially in this world with its heavy backlash. It allows for multiple deployments."

Tamiel paused in his writing and looked up at me. "Got all of that, sir. Anything else?"

"That's enough for now," I concluded. I drained the bottle, relishing the invigorating surge of mana coursing through my veins. "Ah, nothing quite beats the essence of Archer," I remarked, wiping my mouth. "Remind me to stock up on more of these mana potions, Tamiel. As much as I enjoy the extraction process with Archer, I do tend to skim off the top. It's always best when fresh."

With a mischievous glint in his eyes, Tamiel responded, "If you ever need assistance, sir, or perhaps a different essence, just let me know."

"Your kind isn't suitable; you lack Magic Circuits or an equivalent. It's something I'm working on, but I haven't studied Puppet Magecraft or Golemancy in detail."

While it's within my skill set to animate a piece of clay if I have an ancient enough scroll, or to remotely control a puppet, those are just the basics.

Five more ambushers down, we were finally closing in on the incursion site. The area was optimal for amassing large quantities of, well, practically anything—in this case, E.L.Fs. The intruders had broken into one of our expansive storage spaces, the one designated for housing processed E.L.F biomass before its transfer to the Enrichment Center.

The irony wasn't lost on me.

Reaching this point had taken longer than I'd have preferred, but I trusted Archer to manage the other tasks without my assistance. He always seemed to relish playing the hero more than I did.

This next engagement would require added firepower.

With a flick of my wrist, I ejected the empty magazine from my gun. The sound of it clattering against the floor echoed through the narrow corridor, but that hardly mattered now. This confined space was to my advantage; any waiting enemies would likely hold until I entered the more open chamber ahead.

While my whip operated on voice command, my gun offered a more tactile interface. I pricked my thumb on a large metal thorn that jutted from the side of the weapon.

My blood flowed freely, channeled by grooves specifically designed for this purpose. The red liquid moved in an unnatural way, almost as if alive, which wasn't far off the mark.

The latest iteration in my series of slime familiars, the Blood Slime, was a symbiotic entity. Unlike previous versions which were deployed externally, this one dwelled within my body. It moved through my bloodstream, attaching itself to my internal organs, including the spine and brain.

From studying the bodies of Orcs, I had gained great insights into how such symbiotic organisms could work. Though I had omitted the sublime malice of Melkor in my creation.

And the Karmic Bond with familiars was somewhat affected by distance.

Having a familiar directly connected to both my nervous system and within my body provided unparalleled control. And now that control spread through my Mystic Code, through my infected blood.

One by one, magical command circles were filled with my blood-borne familiar. And as they did, both my mind and the three Personality Cores embedded in my Magic Crest linked to the magic gun.

The interface might have resembled a video game Heads-Up Display, akin perhaps to occult-themed shooters like Doom. But there are only so many ways to visualize such a concept—and this was a workable one.

In the corner of my visual field, an icon indicated the current mode for the magic gun—semi-automatic. Mentally, I switched it. The actual physical gun in my hand began to twist and transform, becoming a revolver missing its cylinder.

"High-class ammunition, now," I ordered the android.

"Yes, sir," the pretty robot replied, inserting the cylinder into its designated slot. With a click, it locked into place, making the gun operational. "I should note, sir, we have only these six bullets of this quality. No more."

"It will suffice," I responded.

As the cylinder locked in place, each gem bullet was registered on the side of my visual field—type of gem, amount of magical energy contained. Opposite that were spell formulae; connecting them would enable the casting of High Thaumaturgy spells.

Another number appeared at the bottom of my vision: Synchronization with my Magic Circuits, currently at zero to prevent spell backlash. Mentally, I toggled it to sixty percent.

It would be painful, but no true Magus shied away from pain. And sixty percent would be more than enough for what lay ahead.

I kicked the door open, revealing the cavernous space beyond. It was about the size of a football field, and every inch of it was teeming with snarling monsters. They gathered on the floor, crawled on the walls, and hung from the ceiling.

As one, they all turned toward me, their petal-like mouths opening wide as if I'd stumbled upon an overgrown garden of flesh-eating flowers.

The scream was deafening, but the stench was worse.

They charged as one, seeking to overwhelm me with sheer numbers.

A fool's hope.

Calmly, confidently, I mentally assembled the components for my spell like a jigsaw puzzle. I selected an emerald gem bullet as the foundation for a gravity spell. I added enhancements for range and intensity and threw in something special for good measure.

Battles between magi often boiled down to who could decipher the other's secrets first. The hive before me was no magus; it couldn't protect its minions. I had analyzed them enough to tailor my spell specifically to affect them.

All of this occurred in the blink of an eye. They had barely taken a few steps, and I was ready to fire.

What emerged resembled a green star, or less poetically, a flare. It rose to the center of the room, hovering between the four walls, between the floor and ceiling. Then it pulsed.

Those running on the floor found their grip failing. They were lifted and drawn toward the pulsing green star. Within moments, the emerald light was obscured by a moon of writhing flesh, floating eerily in the room's center.

I smirked, pleased with my work.

"Well done, sir," my android companion complimented.

Even though flattery was part of his programming, I couldn't help but feel pleased. After all, that's why the feature was implemented.

"We're not done yet. This won't hold for long. I sacrificed duration for intensity, but at least they're gathered in one place," I said.

My head was already aching. The Blood Slime within me mitigated the effects, preventing a nosebleed. I had to act quickly.

Selecting a sapphire bullet as the foundation, I invoked a freezing spell similar to those I previously used with quartz.

I fired the incantation-infused bullet. A blue ray emerged from the barrel, hitting the mass of flesh and freezing it solid within seconds. The horde was immobilized, a frozen monstrosity that shattered into a thousand icy fragments when the first spell's effects ended, dropping it to the ground.

There was an odd smell of burnt flesh in the air.

"Chocolate bar," I said, gritting my teeth against the pain. "Give me one."

"Yes, sir," the android replied, promptly placing a bar into my mouth. I barely chewed, swallowing large chunks whole.

The effects were immediate; the pain ebbed away.

I marched through the room, the frozen pieces of monsters crunching under my feet, until I reached the incursion site: a fleshy tunnel burrowed into the side of the room. Android followed close behind.

Though the invaders were defeated, the breach remained.

I yearned to join Archer, but with this weak point in our defenses, the facility was vulnerable.

Perhaps I could leave it to the battle robots? Their retreat might have been completed by now.

But no.

I had to trust Archer, trusting that he could rescue the psychics and the others without my help.

Because it went both ways.

A glaring vulnerability of hive minds is that once the primary component is eliminated, the rest becomes inconsequential. If I cut off the head of the snake, all issues would be resolved.

Except for the material needed for an AIDS cure and other beneficial substances.

It might be possible that, once cornered, it would be open to negotiation.

I'd much prefer it tamed rather than dead.

Another possibility was to close the breach. It would cost me another high-class bullet, but I dismissed that thought immediately. If one breach could be opened, so could another.

No.

I had to go through.

The problem was that the site where I believed the hive mind to be was quite a distance from this facility. Going on foot would take too long.

I needed transportation.

"Recall: Khenumra."