Reborn: My Two Systems at War

Chapter 52: A Magic Gun [Bonus]

"Heh, this contraption is nearly as enchanting as actual magic," Tia remarked, nestling comfortably on the floor, her legs folded beneath her, and an old-looking book bound in black leather beside her.

A compact 3D printer buzzed softly, resting on the floor.

She was mesmerized by the printer's choreographed movementsits printhead elegantly sweeping across the build plate. Molten metal flowed like a river, meticulously stacking layer upon layer.

'This is like having my own expert blacksmith always at hand!'

"Beep! Beep! Beep!" The printer signaled its completion, pulling back its printing head to reveal the final product.

Beneath the white glow of the overhead lamp, the two polished, sleek metal objects that were their mirror copies of each other emerged, their looks reminiscent of multiple plates interconnected with pipes.

Tia lifted the newly printed casing, holding it parallel to her gun for a side-by-side comparison. With a nod of approval, she noticed the casing was just marginally larger.

'This should be a perfect fit.'

Her fingers danced gracefully as she slid the gun between the two metallic casings. Mana flowed from her fingertips, carrying her intentions like a current. Almost instantly, the two halves of the casing fused together, enveloping the weapon in a fresh layer of mana-conductive alloy.

She had used a blend of alchemy and mana manipulation to create this unique alloy, fusing Rudite with Durasteel to create a material receptive to her will and command.

The gleaming metal, suffused with a subtle shade of purple, fitted snugly around the gun's handle. It then branched into slender, pipe-like protrusions that extended towards the gun's nozzle, adding just the right amount of length.

'Hmm, this should allow me to easily conduct mana from my hand to the muzzle, where I will engrave the core runes.'

The book beside her sprang to life, its pages fluttering under her telekinetic control. Her lilac eyes scanned the text, each page showcasing a unique rune along with its corresponding explanation.

"Aha, this one!" Her palm hovered above a particular rune illustrated on the page, her eyes closing as she sensed the magical waves emanating from it.

The tome was no ordinary book; it was a grimoire infused with magical runes. These runes were more than mere shapes; they were patterns designed for mana to be channeled into when etched. One couldn't just copy their effect by drawing the same shape on a piece of paper.

'A heat rune. WSystem, please use WP to learn it.'

Ding!

//

You have spent 2 WP to master the novice-tier rune: Heat

[Novice Runic Spellcraft] 35% -> 40%

//

Immediately, knowledge and experience of drawing the rune dozens of times flooded her mind, making her gasp.

Even though she could hazily remember some of the simpler runes, most of her knowledge was gone, forcing her to relearn them like a patient after a head injury.

Once more, her mana spiraled into the gun's new casing. It embraced the metallic surface, and then, one by one, the four runes ignited, self-inscribing into the luminescent, purplish metal at the muzzle of the gun. They formed a perfect ring.

'Enchant linked with power, heat, and speed.'

While she was tempted to incorporate an explosion rune, the prerequisites to prevent it from randomly blowing up were dauntinglogic runes, trigger runes, and an energy cost that far exceeded her present means.

'I should probably start working toward learning higher-ranked apprentice-rank runes.'

The runes she had employed thus far were mere novice-level inscriptionsrudimentary symbols that any fledgling witch or spellcaster would first learn. These basic runes demanded minimal skill and carried a low mana cost.

Finally, the last line of the intricate pattern was etched, and the gleaming, purplish metal hummed with magical energy. Then, in a heartbeat, the glowing light vanished, leaving only the unadorned, yet now enchanted, metal behind.

Tia wasn't surprised, as she had already counted with that, 'There is no focus, so there is nothing to fuel my enchantments.'

With a tender touch, Tia caressed the gun's cool, enchanted surface. Mana flowed from her palm into the handle, coursing through the purplish metal to the runes. They responded by glowing in a soft, white, ethereal light.

'I need to spend my energy to fuel the enchants instead of relying on the item to power itself up, but that is alright as the cost is low.'

Ding!

//

Evaluating the finished product!

Please wait...

//

"Are you delaying again? Come on, witch system, stop being so childish." Tia muttered silently, grudgingly staring at the intentionally lingering text floating in her sight.

Ding!

//

Type: Focusless Magic Gun

Difficulty: With your tools, it should be pretty easy, but it still requires at least a bit of creativity. [+5 points]

Creation Speed: You have done it almost as fast as possible. [+10 points]

Special features:

Projectile Heat Enchantement E | [+10 points]

Projectile Power Enchantement E | [+10 points]

Projectile Speed Enchantement E | [+10 points]

Bonus:

You have created something new and unique | [+20 points]

Please continue developing your unique path to gain extra perks!

Calculating total points, please wait...

//

'This is actually better than I expected.' Tia couldn't help but smile as she was pleasantly surprised at the result. It confirmed all her theories and showed her the potential she could reach in the future.

'With technology, my Esper powers, and magic, the world is just waiting for me to conquer.'

Ding!

//

Total points: 65

Your reward: +1 WP; +2 MAG

Skill progress: [Apprentice Artificing] 25% -> 45%

//

Tia looked at her creation one last time with a smile, her hand itching to try it, 'Is it bad that I can't wait for my next task? I want to shoot this thing!'