Creating a weapon

The next morning, I got out from the inn and started my daily routine of exercise while incorporating the new techniques I had learned to improve my training results. I had expanded my regimen substantially, adding handstands, squats, sit-ups, push-ups, and pull-ups to my daily routine. I repeated these exercises until my entire body was drenched with sweat, the physical exertion helping to clear my mind and strengthen my vessel.

This intensified training naturally led to an increase in my food intake and a greater emphasis on proper rest. Thanks to my growing soul power, my physical recovery had been enhanced significantly—wounds healed faster, muscles recovered quicker, and fatigue dissipated more rapidly than before. It was one of the many benefits of becoming a Soul Master that my previous life's knowledge had prepared me for, but experiencing it firsthand was still remarkable.

To sustain myself financially, I began hunting in the nearby forest, selling animal meats and their skins for money. The forest surrounding Nuoding city was abundant with wildlife—not just the omnipresent rabbits, but also wild boars, deer, and various bird species. My Mystic Eye proved invaluable during these hunts, allowing me to track prey and detect potential dangers with uncanny precision.

Occasionally, I would encounter thugs and bandits in the more remote areas of the woods. These confrontations had become less distressing over time, though I still preferred to avoid direct confrontation when possible. Using environmental advantages, I could often sneak up on them and eliminate threats silently. The killing had grown easier—a worrying development that I tried not to dwell on. In this world, survival sometimes demanded brutality.

After one particularly close encounter with a knife-wielding bandit, I realized I needed more reliable weapons. The bow I had crafted served well for hunting, but it wasn't ideal for close combat or urban environments. I could purchase something, but standard weapons might draw unwanted attention or prove cumbersome.

Then a memory from my past life surfaced—the hidden blade and phantom blade from the Assassin's Creed games I had once played obsessively. I didn't remember all the details, but I had made simple prototypes with toothpicks and cardboard when I was younger, fascinated by the elegant mechanisms.

"That could work perfectly," I murmured to myself, sitting at the desk in my rented room.

I purchased some paper and began designing models for both weapons. The hidden blade would be for close combat—a retractable blade attached to a gauntlet that could be deployed and retracted easily with a flick of the wrist. The phantom blade would be a miniature crossbow mounted over a gauntlet, capable of firing small projectiles silently.

As an engineering student in my past life, designing such mechanisms came naturally to me. The principles were straightforward enough—springs, levers, and locking mechanisms combined to create functional, concealable weapons. I carefully drafted each component with proper dimensions, making adjustments based on the materials available in this world and my own physical proportions as Qingxue.

Once satisfied with my designs, I took them to a blacksmith in the city. He examined my schematics with growing confusion, clearly puzzled about what a young girl would do with such unusual weapons. Rather than explain, I simply added five more gold coins to my payment, which promptly silenced his questions. Gold had a way of overcoming curiosity in any world.

"I can forge these parts by tomorrow," he said, pocketing the coins. "The mechanisms are unusual but not complicated."

"Thank you," I replied, maintaining a polite smile. "I'll return tomorrow then."

As the model was smaller and simpler than conventional weapons, the blacksmith completed all the parts in a day as promised. After receiving the components, I returned to my room and began the assembly process. I had purchased extra materials—leather straps, small springs, and screws—to complete the mechanisms.

The work was delicate and precise, requiring all my concentration. My Mystic Eye proved invaluable, allowing me to detect even the smallest imperfections or misalignments that might compromise the weapons' functionality. By nightfall, both the hidden blade and phantom blade were complete.

I strapped the hidden blade to my left forearm, testing its weight and balance. With a practiced flick of my wrist, the blade extended smoothly, locking into position with a satisfying click. Another motion retracted it into its housing, completely concealed beneath my sleeve. The phantom blade attached to my right forearm was equally impressive, capable of launching small, sharp projectiles with surprising force and accuracy.

These wouldn't be effective against high-level Soul Masters with their enhanced durability and defensive soul abilities, but they would serve well against common threats. Even against a Soul Master, a well-placed strike—to the eye, for instance—could prove decisive. The thought gave me pause.

"Shit," I whispered, realizing I'd been repeatedly thinking about killing and combat tactics. "Am I becoming a psychopath, or am I just being cautious about potential trouble?"

The line between necessary preparation and paranoia was blurring. In my past life, such thoughts would have been disturbing fantasy—here, they were practical survival considerations. Still, the ease with which my mind turned to violence troubled me. Was this world changing me, or was I simply adapting to its harsher realities?

I pushed the uncomfortable thoughts aside, focusing instead on the satisfaction of my accomplishment. The weapons were elegant, functional, and concealable—perfect for my needs in this unpredictable world.

As if responding to my sense of achievement, a notification from my system appeared:

[Silver rank achievement: Create your own weapon || Claim: All cold weapon, hot weapon and ammo blueprint.]

My eyes widened as an enormous amount of information suddenly flooded into my mind—detailed blueprints for everything from simple daggers to complex firearms, from ancient siege weapons to modern ammunition designs. The knowledge was overwhelming, burning itself into my memory with perfect clarity.

"Shit," I muttered again, rubbing my temples as the information settled. "What would I even do with all this? Create a weapon factory and start a world war? Conquer the entire planet?"

The irony wasn't lost on me. This knowledge—revolutionary in Soul Land—was completely impractical in my current situation. I couldn't create any of these advanced weapons without significant industrial support, skilled blacksmiths, and materials that might not even exist in this world. And even if I could, did I want to introduce such destructive technology to a world already dangerous enough with its Spirit Masters and soul beasts?

"And I really don't have time for all that shit," I concluded aloud, returning to my immediate concerns.

The dawn light filtered through the thin curtains of my room as I prepared for the day ahead. Today's objective was clear: test my newly crafted weapons in practical field conditions. While they had performed well in controlled circumstances, I needed to evaluate their efficiency against moving targets and in various environmental conditions.

Unlike most Soul Masters who relied almost exclusively on their martial souls and spirit abilities, I preferred a more diversified approach. My Mystic Eye provided extraordinary perceptive abilities but lacked direct offensive capabilities. Until I acquired spirit rings to expand its functionality—something I wasn't particularly rushing toward—conventional weapons would remain an essential part of my arsenal.

I packed light—some dried meat, a water skin, basic medical supplies, and extra ammunition for the phantom blade. My hidden blade required no additional components, its mechanism self-contained and ready for deployment at a moment's notice.

The forest beckoned as I slipped through Nuoding City's eastern gate, nodding casually to the guards who barely acknowledged my passage. My unremarkable appearance served me well; few would suspect that the slight, foreign-looking girl with travel-worn clothes harbored abilities and knowledge that could potentially reshape this world's power structures.

Once beyond sight of the city walls, I veered off the main path, seeking the deeper wilderness where both wildlife and potential threats would be more abundant. The weather was perfect for testing—light cloud cover diffusing the sunlight, mild temperature, and a gentle breeze that would introduce just enough variability for ranged attacks.

Several hours into the forest, I found an ideal testing ground—a small clearing surrounded by diverse vegetation that offered varying degrees of concealment. Using a knife, I carved crude target shapes into several trees at different distances, some partially obscured by branches or foliage.

I began with basic accuracy tests for the phantom blade, loading and firing at stationary targets from various positions and distances. The mechanism performed flawlessly, the spring tension launching projectiles with impressive velocity and consistent trajectory. With my enhanced perception and reflexes, I could hit targets with pinpoint accuracy up to fifteen meters away—more than adequate for ambush scenarios or quick neutralization of threats.

Next came mobility tests—firing while moving, changing position between shots, and rapid target transitions. Here, the weapon's lightweight design proved advantageous, allowing quick aim adjustments without compromising stability. The loading mechanism occasionally caught when rushed, a design flaw I mentally noted for future modifications.

For the hidden blade, I fashioned a practice dummy from bundled branches and vegetation, using vines to bind it into a roughly humanoid shape. I approached from various angles, practicing deployment and strike motions against vital target areas—throat, heart, kidneys, and other critical points.

The blade's extension mechanism operated smoothly regardless of arm position or movement speed, a testament to the precision of the components and assembly. The locking mechanism held firmly during strikes, showing no signs of collapse even under significant impact force. Retraction was equally reliable, the blade disappearing into its housing with a nearly silent click.

Satisfied with the individual performance of each weapon, I moved on to integration tests—scenarios that required switching between them or using them in tandem. I simulated multi-opponent encounters, moving between cover points while alternating between ranged attacks with the phantom blade and close encounters with the hidden blade.

The transition between weapons proved seamless, each responding instantly to the subtle wrist and finger movements I had designed as activation triggers. The hidden blade's positioning on my left arm and the phantom blade on my right allowed simultaneous deployment in extreme circumstances, though accuracy with the latter suffered somewhat when both were active.

As midday approached, I introduced more dynamic elements to my testing. Using soul power to enhance my movement speed, I practiced engaging targets while in motion—sprinting between trees, sliding into cover, leaping from elevated positions. The weapons maintained functionality regardless of g-forces or impact shocks, their mechanisms protected by the sturdy housings I had designed.

During a particularly challenging maneuver—firing the phantom blade while in mid-leap between two large boulders—I caught movement in my peripheral vision. My Mystic Eye activated automatically, revealing three energy signatures moving through the underbrush approximately thirty meters away. Human signatures, moving with deliberate stealth—hunters, or more likely, bandits.

I landed silently behind the second boulder, immediately dropping into a crouch to minimize my profile. They had been moving parallel to my position but were now adjusting course, heading directly toward the clearing where I had been practicing. They had likely heard sounds from my training and were investigating—either from curiosity or predatory intent.

This unexpected development presented an opportunity. While I hadn't planned for live combat testing today, circumstances had delivered potential targets directly to me. I could assess my weapons' performance against actual threats rather than simulated ones.

A cold, analytical part of my mind noted how easily I had shifted from training mode to combat readiness, threat assessment already underway without conscious decision. The ethical implications of potentially killing three strangers for what amounted to a field test briefly flickered through my consciousness before being dismissed by practical considerations. In this world, bandits in remote areas were rarely interested in pleasant conversation—they would attack if they found me alone, and I preferred preemptive action to reactive defense.

I moved silently through the underbrush, circling to approach their flank. My Mystic Eye tracked their energy signatures continuously, revealing details about their physical conditions and movements. Three males, all armed—one with a shortbow, two with crude but functional melee weapons. Their movements showed some coordination but lacked professional discipline; opportunistic predators rather than trained combatants.

Positioning myself in dense foliage with clear sightlines to their approach path, I readied the phantom blade, loading a specially designed dart with a broader head for maximum stopping power. The lead bandit came into view first, a wiry man with a notched axe gripped loosely in his right hand. His eyes scanned the clearing where I had been practicing, narrowed with predatory focus.

He gestured to his companions, signaling them to spread out and approach from different angles—a basic encirclement tactic that might have been effective against an unaware victim. The archer positioned himself behind a large tree, arrow nocked but not drawn, while the third man—wielding what appeared to be a machete of some sort—moved to the opposite flank.

I tracked the archer first—the greatest threat at range and the logical first target. My Mystic Eye revealed his heartbeat and breathing patterns, allowing me to time my attack for maximum effectiveness. As he leaned slightly from behind the tree to survey the clearing, I deployed the phantom blade with a subtle wrist movement, the launcher making barely a whisper as the dart shot toward its target.

The projectile struck precisely as intended, penetrating the archer's throat at the junction of neck and shoulder. A killing blow, silent and instantaneous. He collapsed without a sound, the arrow falling unfired from suddenly lifeless fingers.

One down.

The other two remained unaware of their companion's fate, still advancing toward the clearing from different angles. The machete-wielder would be next; his position was more isolated, making him the easier target to eliminate without alerting the final bandit.

I moved silently through the underbrush, circling to approach him from behind. The hidden blade extended with a soft click as I closed the final distance, my steps perfectly placed to avoid any telltale sounds. Soul power enhanced my movements beyond normal human capability, making me little more than a shadow gliding across the forest floor.

The bandit never sensed my approach. The hidden blade entered at the base of his skull, severing the brain stem for an instant, silent kill. I supported his weight as he collapsed, lowering the body noiselessly to the ground rather than allowing it to fall with potentially alerting thuds and rustles.

Two down.

The leader remained, now standing in the center of the clearing, looking increasingly confused and concerned at the silence from his companions. He called out in a harsh whisper, receiving no response. His grip tightened on the axe as he turned in a slow circle, instinctively sensing that something had gone wrong.

I could have eliminated him easily with another phantom blade shot, but this presented an opportunity to test the hidden blade in frontal combat against an aware opponent. A riskier scenario, but one that would provide valuable performance data.

Stepping deliberately on a dry branch, I created a sharp cracking sound that instantly drew his attention. His head snapped toward my position as I stepped calmly from the underbrush, empty hands held loosely at my sides, hidden blade retracted but ready.