Ch. 8 — Through the Barrel’s Gaze
The calm before pressure. The weapon before war.
The quiet hum of the fifth floor's ambient systems brushed over Caidyn like static wind as she leaned back against a low wall tucked away from the busy thoroughfares. She wasn't at the market hub anymore—not the forges, not the storefronts, not the bustling tradesquare where Dwarven vendors hawked parts and sparring mercs showed off their haul.
No—this place was quieter. One of the tucked-away corners of the Tower's Floor. Quiet enough to sit, unpack her things, and properly install the Radiant and Corrosive Cores into the Anti-Armor Assault Rifle she'd acquired. Her knees had served as a makeshift workbench. The stone was cold, but the moment the rifle locked together—accepting its new heart with a brief system chirp—it had all felt worth it.
Now, the weapon was slotted back in her inventory as Purifier Coil, its burnished frame resting heavy in her mind.
The Twin Vipers, too, had seen a recalibration. Shadow Core in one frame, Void Core in the other. Sleek, dangerous, and untested.
That part was the problem.
I can theorycraft all day, but I won't know a damn thing 'til I pull the trigger.
She pushed off from the wall, stretching lightly as her boots crunched against the gravel-mosaic walkway leading back into the populated sections of Floor 5. The city plaza loomed ahead once again—alive with travelers, adventurers, traders—but her eyes weren't on the people. They were scanning the edges.
Looking for somewhere quieter. Somewhere focused. Somewhere controlled.
A flicker of light drew her gaze to the left—an arched entrance tucked just beneath a hanging set of neon brackets. A small plinth projected a hovering sigil and simple directive.
[Simulated Ranged Evaluation Grounds – Open Access]
There it was.
Her mouth curled slightly. "Bingo."
Kairos chimed in lightly through her earpiece. "Publicly accessible range. Adaptive targets. Impact feedback. Elemental resistance calibrators. Should serve."
"Then let's stretch our legs," she murmured, already heading toward the entrance. The corridor was lined with digital slate walls, the ambient lights dimming as the tower transitioned her into the range proper.
[System]
Simulated Training Range Activated.
Arsenal: All equipped weapons available.
Target settings: Adaptive Armor, Elemental Sensitivity Calibration Enabled.
Caidyn stepped into position on the firing line. She unslung the Purifier Coil with one hand, the barrel humming faintly with heat and pressure.
Her gaze swept the simulated canyon of shifting plates, armored torsos, elemental dummies waiting in silence.
Time to speak in the language that matters.
The sterile air of the tower's Simulated Training Range held the same clinical hush as a firing chamber sealed for a test that mattered. The space around Caidyn was wide, echoing faintly with the low hum of barrier walls and target rigs. She stepped forward, setting her stance at the nearest line as the system confirmed her weapon loadout.
She didn't waste time.
From her back, the Purifier Coil unfolded with a magnetic clunk, the segmented casing humming faintly as the installed Radiant Core pulsed with light. A brief shimmer across its surface signaled that the Corrosive Core had nested properly into the secondary chamber. Twin-core configuration confirmed.
[System]
Arsenal Slot 5 — Purifier Coil
Type: Anti-Armor Assault Rifle
Cores: Radiant / Corrosive
Ammo: Tungsten Core Rounds
Passive Effect: Armor Penetration+ — This rifle gains increased damage scaling against heavily armored enemies and constructs.
The weapon settled into her grip like a conversation about to start.
"Alright, let's see where you peak," she muttered.
[Simulation Configuration Loaded]
Armor Series: Type 1 Light Composite Plating
Rating: Very Low Tier Hardness
Status: Live
A humanoid silhouette shimmered into place roughly thirty meters ahead, its surface a basic synthetic plating. She adjusted her stance, breath steady, and fired.
The Purifier Coil barked once, the tungsten round punching clean through the target, leaving a precise, glowing wound.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 11 / 100
Essence Flow increase: 1 point
Her Essence Flow started at 10 and increased by 1 point with the first successful hit.
"Next," she said.
[Simulation Configuration Updated]
Armor Series: Type 2 Reinforced Plating
Rating: Lower-Mid Tier Hardness
Status: Live
The second target, tougher with thicker plating, took two rounds—both penetrating, leaving scorch marks and corrosive pockmarks.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 13 / 100
Essence Flow increase: 2 points
Two points added on the second hit, bringing her total to 13.
[Simulation Configuration Updated]
Armor Series: Type 3 Advanced Composite Armor
Rating: Mid Tier Hardness
Status: Live
Third target up. The plating was denser, with layered alloys.
Each hit brought visible damage, corrosion eating through seams, radiant heat warping surface fibers.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 16 / 100
Essence Flow increase: 3 points
Three points added, now at 16.
She continued cycling through the armor series:
Type 4: Interlinked alloy plating, heavy but vulnerable to elemental corrosion.
Type 5: Reinforced plasteel, layered with shock absorption.
Type 6: Military-grade exo-armor, tough and reflective.
After downing the Type 6 target, her Essence Flow meter hit a significant milestone.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 25 / 100
Synergy Effect Activated: Armor Penetration +75%
Description: The full weapon system—cores, ammo, and body—enters a synergy state, massively increasing armor penetration efficiency.
The air seemed to hum as the Purifier Coil's internal systems optimized, a slight glow pulsing from the core chambers.
From this moment on, every shot would slice through armor with devastating efficiency.
She felt the shift.
Each subsequent hit—from Types 7 through 10—seemed to melt through layers that had been previously resistant.
Type 7: Experimental nano-fiber mesh armor, adaptive.
Type 8: Heavy siege plating, thick and unwieldy.
Type 9: Reactive energy-absorbing plating.
Type 10: Prototype adaptive armor with kinetic dampening.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 40 / 100
Caidyn let out a slow breath, lowering the rifle.
"That's more like it. Though this floor only tests armor types up to ten... which is good, but not even close to the highest level out there."
She was keenly aware the Tower held layers beyond even this.
"Still got a ways to go, but this weapon's ready to sing."
The simulated range shifted subtly as Caidyn set aside the Purifier Coil and retrieved her Twin Vipers, sleek and compact in their dual holsters. The familiar weight was comforting — a weapon she knew inside and out, now enhanced with the Shadow and Void Cores pulsing quietly in each pistol's chamber.
She checked the Essence Flow gauge, still steady at 10 points, the baseline as always.
"Alright, let's see what happens when you two dance," she murmured.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 10 / 100
Initializing synergy test for Twin Viper cores: Shadow & Void.
The first target materialized — a simple humanoid form with moderate armor, designed for testing elemental effects.
She fired a quick volley, the left pistol releasing rounds imbued with the Shadow Core's penetrating dark energy, while the right sent out corrosive pulses from the Void Core.
Each successful hit fed her Essence Flow meter.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 11 / 100
Increased by 1 point.
The dark, smoky trails from the Shadow Core's bullets seemed to sap the target's strength, while the Void Core's corrosive effect pulled at the target's very molecular cohesion, causing subtle distortions in its form.
With each consecutive hit, Essence Flow ticked upward more rapidly.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 14 / 100
Increased by 3 points.
At 25 Essence Flow, the synergy between cores ignited a unique hybrid effect.
[System Notification]
Synergy Effect Activated (Minor): "Shadow-Void Link"
When a shot from the Void Core lands, the following shot from the Shadow Core is guaranteed to hit and apply its effect.
This new effect created a deadly sequence: a corrosive shot would weaken and disrupt the target's defenses, ensuring the next dark energy strike from the Shadow Core landed with unerring precision and full potency.
Caidyn felt the rhythm build between her shots, the dance of void and shadow syncing perfectly as her Essence Flow climbed steadily.
Pressing forward, she maintained her focus, weaving through the simulated counterattacks while executing the precise alternating strikes that the synergy demanded.
At 50 Essence Flow, the synergy deepened.
[System Notification]
Synergy Effect Upgraded (Moderate): "Void Echo"
Anytime a Shadow Core bullet lands a hit, the next Void Core bullet is guaranteed to land and extends the duration of any current debuffs by 1 second.
The targets staggered under the pressure of prolonged debuffs, the corrosive effects lingering longer, making them even more vulnerable.
Caidyn's movements mirrored this surge, flowing faster and more decisively.
Approaching 75 Essence Flow, the Twin Vipers' cores pulsed intensely.
[System Notification]
Synergy Effect Enhanced (Major): "Shadow Void Nexus"
Combined core energy creates a lingering zone of nullification at target impact points, reducing enemy resistance to elemental damage by 30% for 5 seconds.
Her bullets carved through the air, leaving ephemeral shadows that clung to targets — amplifying subsequent strikes and weakening defenses.
Finally, the Essence Flow gauge climbed to its limit.
[System Notification]
Essence Flow: 100 / 100
Synergy Effect Maxed (Massive Overcharge): "Abyssal Veil"
At maximum Essence Flow, evasion rate is increased significantly for the duration. Essence Flow will drain steadily at 1 point per second to 0, maintaining the evasion boost during the drain.
At full charge, a faint shimmering aura enveloped Caidyn, her movements becoming fluid and elusive. Each shot she fired carried deadly precision, but now she danced through the simulated attacks with near-ghostlike agility.
As the Essence Flow meter gradually ticked down, the evasion boost held strong, allowing her to evade counterstrikes and reposition with ease.
When the meter finally hit zero, the shimmering aura faded, and Caidyn lowered the Twin Vipers, breathing steady, eyes sharp.
That was smoother than I thought.
The synergy between the Shadow and Void cores wasn't just about raw power—it was finesse, survival, and control wrapped in one.
She smirked slightly.
"This is going to be a game-changer."
Caidyn's footsteps echoed faintly as she approached the towering gates of the Colosseum, its massive archways looming like silent sentinels against the muted light of the Tower's interior. The air buzzed with a faint hum of anticipation — the scent of sweat, the murmur of distant crowds, and the cold edge of danger settling into her bones.
The challenge for Floor 5 was no simple trial. It was a relentless test of endurance and skill — a grueling Colosseum gauntlet where combatants fought back-to-back matches, barely afforded three minutes to recover before being thrust into the next battle. Win, lose, or concede, the fight wouldn't end until the body or the will broke.
She paused briefly at the entrance, feeling the weight of her gear settle into place: the twin pistols holstered at her hips, the Purifier Coil rifle strapped to her back, and the soft pulse of her mana-conductive undersuit vibrating faintly beneath her tactical jacket.
This is where it all comes together, she thought, her stormy grey eyes narrowing. Every hit, every dodge, every synergy build — it all matters now.
A voice crackled softly through her earpiece — her AI companion already syncing her vitals and systems for the challenge ahead.
[System Notification]
Colosseum Challenge Initiated.
Best of endurance — fight until KO or concession.
Three-minute intervals between rounds for rest and preparation.
Combat style aligns with prior floors: swift, tactical, adaptive.
Her breath steadied. The Essence Flow meter flickered faintly in her HUD — a reminder that momentum was key. Each match would demand more than brute force; it would require precision, adaptation, and unyielding focus.
The gates before her began to part, revealing the arena's vast interior — a sprawling battlefield marked by high walls, shifting cover, and the promise of unending combat.
Without hesitation, Caidyn stepped forward into the glow of the arena lights, every sense heightened, every muscle primed.
Let's see how far this can go.