Aegis Veritas LV.5 Project Experiment

His eyes remained fixed on the screen. He lifted the weapon, still in its raw form. It wasn't armored yet, but it already felt organic.

The weapon wasn't perfect. There were still many tests to be done. But one thing was clear: this wasn't just a tool. Alaric already saw it as a part of himself. Something deeply valuable.

He had succeeded.

Not because of full support from the system.

Not because of luck. But because this teenager named Alaric had creativity and complete focus.

Alaric tilted his head slightly, studying the weapon he had never imagined before. A hybrid blade capable of reading enemy brainwaves and shifting into the most optimal form to attack or defend.

Not just a weapon, but an extension of the user's mind. While not everything the system gave him had a physical formlike that flower brooch. It had always proven useful.

Now he had created something. With the help of tools he built himself, and with the system's assistance. It should be noted that Alaric couldn't create magical items at will. He could only do so when the system offered, or when the signals showed the system was in high gear.

"A living weapon. Not just a tool," he whispered. His fingers moved again, unlocking parts of the digital prototype, tracing energy lines and artificial neural links.

Every part of the process felt like repairing himself. Reaching Skill Lv.5 wasn't just a number, it was proof of how many nights he had spent alone. In silence, battling with ideas, accompanied only by the hum of electricity and the beat of his own heart.

Alaric didn't need cheers. He didn't need praise.

All he needed was progress.

No matter how small, it was enough.

...

This time he woke up early. Just like before, when the system granted him a skill level-up. But this time, Alaric intended to learn how to use his new weapon.

To create a weapon that not only protected him, but carried a level of sophistication that most people might not even be capable of building.

Alaric lay back casually, one leg resting atop the other. He had been too busy yesterday to run any experiments—or even to try anything beyond his usual responsibilities as an entrepreneur.

The clock on the table not far from his bed showed 06:09.

And as always, the young man was awakened by a sound that wasn't human, nor natural. It was a setting designed to pull someone out of deep sleep. A piece of technology called an alarm.

Alaric slowly lifted his head, sat up, and stared ahead. His vision was still blurry, his pupils adjusting to the sunlight that seeped through the curtain. For a moment, he allowed his mind to wander back before coming to full awareness.

Then, a familiar system voice echoed in his head. A flat tone that couldn't be ignored. His AI system suddenly activated, notifying him of something possibly important.

[🔔 SYSTEM UPDATE - CRAFTING SUB-SKILL]

[Progress: Complete]

[Smart Weapon Prototyping Lv.6 Active]

[Precision micro-energy channeling enabled]

[— Independent targeting AI integration allowed]

[— Emotion-based trigger system: Prototype permission granted]

Alaric's brow lifted slightly. He blinked again, slowly, then raised his hand to cover his face. Trying to push away the lingering sleep, he mentally processed the new information.

"Ah I almost forgot. I'd better run further testing to monitor its development. Especially now that it's already leveled up to six. I don't think I even used it properly yesterday."

"But it finally leveled up," he murmured in a hoarse voice typical of someone who just woke up.

He sat up slowly, back straight. His gaze was clear now. Alaric rubbed his neck, then looked at the small screen glowing on the wall beside his bed, displaying his system stats.

There it was, clearly listed:

[Craft Tree: Active]

[Smart Weapon Prototyping: Lv.6]

[Neural Interface Stability: 81%]

[Material Prediction AI: Synced]

Alaric paused, staring at the numbers. Smart Weapon Prototyping wasn't just a skill. It was a part of an old dream that had already started to come true—starting yesterday.

A dream he had built back when someone, now gone, was still by his side. And now, Alaric had cast that hope far behind him. He didn't want to stand beside that person a second time.

He slowly stood up from bed, washed his face with cold water, and looked at his reflection in the mirror.

"Level six, huh... that means I can start testing the Calix model independently," he said, wiping his face with a towel. His voice was flat, though there was a faint undertone in it.

"Maybe I should study and understand it first before diving into the system's new updates," he thought, staying realistic and cautious.

"Alright then."

He gripped the new weapon carefully. Not because he was afraid it might break, but because he knew that a new creation often came with a wild nature that had yet to be tamed.

Aegis-Veritas was still in its raw form. A sleek black blade with a line of synthetic crystal at its center that sometimes glowed dimly, sometimes flickered like a heartbeat.

He walked toward the test room at the back of his home, which he had designed himself. It wasn't very large, but enough for close-range weapon training and simulations.

The walls were lined with electromagnetic shielding so energy wouldn't leak outside. The ceiling was high, and in the middle of the room stood a humanoid metal statue, his training dummy named "Unit-0."

The metal door shut automatically behind him. The dim lighting in the room shifted into bright blue as sensors recognized that an experimental weapon had entered.

"Mode: Stability & Responsiveness Test," Alaric said, pressing a small button on the base of the weapon's handle.

As soon as the button was pressed, the blade lit up. But it wasn't just the light that stood out. A subtle vibration pulsed from inside the grip, like a heartbeat.

Alaric held it tighter. "It's connected to my brainwaves," he thought. "The response is fast... even without verbal commands."

Yes, as you may already know, ever since the weapon first appeared, it had been able to read enemy brainwaves and project the optimal form for defense or attack.

He stepped forward toward Unit-0.

"Primary function one: Adaptive Blade Form."

Without giving any command and with only intention in his mind, the blade changed shape. From a straight edge to a curved scythe. Its tip extended slightly, and the edge glowed as if ignited by light.

Alaric swung it to the left, then to the right. As he shifted his body, the blade adapted. It tightened when his swing sped up and shortened when he changed direction to maintain balance.

"Fast. Smooth. As if the weapon already knew what move I was about to make."

It wasn't just an extension of his hand. It had its own kind of intuition. Even faster than his own reflexes.

He jumped back, then slashed toward the Unit-0 dummy.

"BZZZT—KRAK!"

The blade slashed through the dummy's chest, leaving a deep scar across its surface. But what surprised him wasn't the slash—it was how the blade instantly changed into a stabbing form in a split second.

This adaptive function responded to emotions, thoughts, even physical pressure from the user. That was the first primary function. And it worked.

Alaric didn't smile, but there was something different in his eyes. He didn't want to speak too soon before understanding it completely. So he moved on to the second function.

He stepped back a few paces and tapped the back of the weapon twice.

"Dual Mode: Folding Shield."

The blade split within two seconds. The center folded like metal wings and connected to the lower part of the handle, forming a thin shield that could expand to cover his chest and left arm.

Its metal surface absorbed the surrounding light, like a chameleon blending into its environment.

Clang!

Alaric summoned a simulation attack from the wall. Three high-speed projectiles launched at him randomly. The shield lifted automatically, blocking two of them.

The last one nearly broke through, but the shield folded its bottom edge at the last second and deflected the projectile to the side.

"This shield... isn't just a passive defense. It reads incoming threats even before I realize it."

Alaric lowered his arm. The shield folded back into blade form.

He quickly committed the functions to memory:

Two primary functions:

1. Adaptive Blade Form – a weapon that changes shape based on its user's intent and fighting style.

2. Folding Shield – a responsive shield that not only blocks but reads incoming attacks and folds accordingly.

But there was still one thing that caught his attention. Not something he had intentionally designed, but more like... a side effect. One that could be useful if used wisely.

As he stood still in the room, Alaric felt a faint pulse at his temple. As if his mind felt lighter. Not as overwhelmed as usual. His vision felt clear, unburdened by overthinking.

"This..."

He opened the system log.

[Support Effect Detected: Psionic Stabilizer – Minor Mental Clarity Boost while Aegis-Veritas is Actively Linked.]

"That support effect isn't a big deal, but it'll be useful. In high-stress situations, when your mind starts to spiral... mental clarity could be the deciding factor between life and death."

He looked at his weapon once more. Light. Silent. But alive, deep within.

It wasn't just a combat tool. Alaric now considered it a tactical partner. A reflection of himself.