CHAPTER 22: GUNS OR SWORDS

A door slowly shifted, forming a crack of light piercing through the darkness inside. Leading Hermes inside were Arthur and Ming themselves. The smell of dust and iron gave the room an aura of antiquity. Arthur broke the silence with his warmly stoic voice.

"This is the cadet Armory. Weapons that are provided for them are stored here. A wide assortment of lower-tiered Quantum Gearworks and Stellar Artifacts can be found inside."

Ming flipped the light switch; Hermes was awestruck the moment the photons entered his eyes.

Rows upon rows of weapons, from daggers to spears, to swords of all kinds. There were weapons he had never seen in his life, neatly arranged onto stands, shelves, or tables. Weapons like Chinese Hook Swords, Indian Katars, and even Chakrams were elegantly displayed for anyone to try.

In other places, Staves, Wands, and Broomsticks straight out of a High Fantasy novel were positioned for the eye to see. Hermes quickly shifted his gaze elsewhere since he knew his archetype was that of an Enchanted Striker.

In another section, stacks upon stacks of long-range weapons were stored. From common pistols or revolvers to bolt-action sniper rifles. Less modern weapons like throwing knives, crossbows, or normal wooden bows were also on display.

Ming's voice echoed out into the room for Hermes to hear, breaking him from his trance.

"As an Enchanted Striker, you can learn any weapon as long as you practice the correct Martial Art technique for it. However, this does not mean absolute mastery. Take those snipers and other long-range weapons for example. You will probably be able to learn how to hold the bow properly or even know how to position yourself when taking aim, but being able to hit your shot will depend on your accuracy."

"Accuracy can be improved; however, by how much or how fast depends on your talent. Not everyone is good at the same things. And your body itself might not be able to match the weapon to its maximum prowess."

Hermes nodded his head while looking at the weapons stored in the room.

'What should I go for... I have no idea. I would go for a ranged weapon since I do have experience with them, but that would mean I would be defenseless at close range...'

'As an Enchanted Striker, I can attack long-range with spells anyway. It would be better to go for a melee weapon than a ranged one.'

Standing near the entrance of the armory, Arthur in his usual black windbreaker and Ming in his open navy trench coat military uniform looked onward as Hermes scoured through the different weapons. Suddenly, Ming asked curiously.

"What do you think he will choose? He seems to be having trouble knowing what he wants."

Arthur nodded and replied in his usual calm, deep voice.

"Do not underestimate him. He was able to come up with a plan in mere seconds when facing off against that Mutant two weeks ago. He is very intelligent."

"... Honestly, I do not see why you seem to favor him so much. That Elizabeth girl is also just as talented. I wouldn't be surprised if she awakens an Aspect. Training someone else is fairly boring, and I don't think he will amount to anything but another pawn. I do not want to waste my time on this, Commander."

Arthur nodded in agreement. He muttered in a low voice, words that shocked Ming Xue extremely.

"It's because he is a Gifted One."

"..."

After reorganizing his thoughts, Ming frowned slightly and nodded. He had comprehended the crux of the situation.

"I see, it makes sense now how he was able to become a Stage 1 Celestial without even knowing it himself. However, I still don't think he warrants this much attention. Gifted Ones are rare but we see them every two to three generations. Elder Luke Ashford is an example of this."

Arthur stood there in silence for a while before asking Ming a simple question.

"Ming, do you know how Gifted Ones first awaken?"

"Of course, they usually do it during their sleep. Without the need for an Elysian Monolith, they are directed to the dreamscape automatically in their sleep to take the challenge. Some say it's through the guidance of the Universe's Will."

"Then why is it that some are born with a higher dimensionality than their stage?"

"... The reason is unknown. The most common theory is that the person's soul or astral projection had a higher dimensionality during a past life and that dimensionality carried over to their current life. But there is no basis for this."

Noticing the string of questions, Ming was left puzzled. He asked in a hushed tone.

"Why are you asking me all of this?"

Arthur's eyes shifted in his direction as he answered with hints of hesitation.

"When I tried checking his dimensional authority, I was able to glean that he is a 1-dimensional being. However, what was confusing was that along with his 1-dimensionality, there were traces of a higher authority, one that was higher than even my own."

"..."

Ming shifted his eyes back towards Hermes who was trying to strike a pose while holding a pair of Chakrams.

"Impossible..."

Arthur nodded his head and reasserted his views once more.

"The dimensionality I measured didn't appear to be his own or in harmony with the rest of his body. It's as if his cosmic force is being suppressed back to a lower dimensionality than what he actually is."

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"Could it be... The Will of the Universe is..."

Arthur stood silently. The words he uttered next made Ming's eyes open wide.

"During one of my excursions outside, my team stumbled upon some ruins. I found a tablet that was weathered and almost unreadable. The only words I was able to understand from the ancient Solari engravings were two words."

"Cursed Ones..."

"..."

Ignoring his silence, Arthur continued.

"We always picture Gifted Ones as those who are blessed or are extremely talented and special. However the more I think about it, the more I believe it's the exact opposite. Not only are the challenges they face extremely more difficult than a regular person using an Elysian Monolith, but they always tend to suffer horrible fates."

"..."

Gazing back at Hermes again, Ming calmed himself, a shroud of indifference colored his face once more. His frown from earlier still showed signs of returning even with his efforts to conceal it.

"Is it even possible to regress in power as a Celestial? I have never heard of such a case before."

Arthur crossed his arms and leaned back against the wall.

"... This world is full of mysteries. It's hard for us to completely rule out something; we are simply too ignorant."

Ming nodded his head slightly.

"Indeed. So are you possibly testing to see whether holding a certain weapon might make him remember his past?"

Arthur stood there silently, neither confirming nor denying Ming's hypothesis. Seeing this, Ming crossed his arms and leaned slightly back against the wall just like his Commander did. He decided to give a final warning to his Commander.

"I will cooperate with you, however, his hidden dimensionality, I will test whether it is real or not myself."

Hermes, unaware of their conversation continued scavenging through the weapons. None of them felt right to him except for one.

In his hand was a common-looking .357 Magnum Revolver that was painted black in color. During his time on Earth, although he was not a gun fanatic, his father's hunting trips would occasionally give him the opportunity to use them. Over the years, he grew more and more familiar with his Father's collection. He knew how to assemble, disassemble, and maintain just about any weapon in their private arsenal.

Hunting rifles aside, his favorite gun to use was his father's Ruger GP-100. Not only did it feel good to grip, but its heavy weight controlled the recoil better than other revolvers on the market.

After his father disappeared and their financial burdens became too much for him and his widowed mother, he decided to sell them all off, except for the Ruger GP-100 which he kept as a memento.

Although the one he was currently holding had a 4-inch barrel instead of the usual 6-inch and the grip wasn't as firm as he was used to, it still gave him nostalgia when looking at it.

His desire to choose it overwhelmed him, however, he knew how impractical it would be during a fight. 'Can I kill a Mutant Devil Wolf with something like this?' Thoughts like this continued to plague him endlessly. But at the same time, he felt like it was the only option he could choose.

The rest of the melee weapons either felt too heavy or impractical during serious combat; nothing felt right to him. Gazing at a 'weapon' on the table, he couldn't help but shake his head.

"Who the hell would use a Den-Den Daiko drum as a weapon? Are they gonna beat their enemies with bad music?" He couldn't help but lampoon.

Sighing to himself, Hermes couldn't help but wallow in self-pity. He felt like picking a sword would do him more good than any other weapon, but none of them felt right when he was holding them. He didn't know why, but he felt put off by each one he picked up.

Just when he was about to give up and ask Arthur for advice, a reflection of light hit the corner of his eyes. Shifting his neck to the left, he saw it.

Sitting on a wall rack, a curved dark oak handle grip led to a polished pure-steel frame. Positioned below the intricate obsidian black revolver cylinder was a sleek matte-silver ring-shaped trigger positioned in front of the handle grip's curved knuckle bow.

Going further beyond the revolver cylinder, silvered accent lines created abstract line motifs on the side of the grey steel frame, drawing one's eye all the way down the barrel. However, what gleamed in pale light was not just a gun's barrel but a seamless razer-sharp blade. Flowing from beneath the gun chamber toward its curved edge like a liquid stroke of midnight, its shape gave off an aura of deadliness.

"A Gunblade..."

In the heart of a world where technology danced a delicate waltz with traditional weaponry, a weapon had to exist to bridge the gap between the two branches. One such weapon is known as a Gunblade. Its sleek form seamlessly blended the craftsmanship of a finely honed sword with the precision of a modernly engineered gun.

A fluid transition between close and long-ranged combat, The Gunblade offered a harmonious juxtaposition between mechanical precision and formless martial prowess. The blade bore a series of intricate grooves and channels, each painstakingly etched into it to rechannel the explosive power of its gun shells towards the blade's edge, adding a chaotic element to its destructive abilities.

Hermes could not help but admire the work of art presented before him. The Gunblade exuded an air of breathtaking beauty, its every line and curve an ode to both form and function.

Picking it up slowly, Hermes couldn't help but struggle against its weight. Even with Mars' gravity, it was still not completely comfortable for him to wield. But for some reason, he continued to feel a resonance with it. It's as if he had been akin to a cripple who had finally gotten his long-lost limbs back.

Even though he knew other swords were lighter and easier to brandish, he still could not choose them over the sophisticated masterpiece before him. It was fairly illogical to Hermes, but he did not care.

'Why... Do I feel like this... The moment it met my eyes, I felt like I was seeing a long-lost friend... Now that it's in my hands, even if another weapon feels more comfortable, I still prefer this heavy Gunblade... Why is that?'

'I'm not sure, but my gut feeling is telling me that I will regret it if I turn back on what is currently in my hands. Sigh, since when did I start preferring superstitious beliefs over logical reasoning? This world has affected my thinking too much...'

With the marvel of engineering in his hands, Hermes turned to face the duo waiting for him at the doorway. He slowly nodded his head to indicate his decision.

Staring at the choice Hermes had made, Arthur looked directly into his student's eyes and spoke in an authoritative tone.

"Hermes, are you sure about this? You can still go back and look at the rest if you want."

Shaking his head slowly from left to right, Hermes' lips curved up into a smile, one he hadn't made since his awakening.

"Yes, I am sure. I don't know why, but I think this is the best-suited weapon for me."

With his wisdom-filled eyes, Arthur nodded in silence.

"Alright, let's register it for you. That Gunblade has been sitting in here for about 30 years now. None of the cadets ever picked it due to its recoil. There was also a high chance for the blast to engulf the user if their form and technique weren't excellent. If you ever reconsider, I will bring you back in here to choose something else."

Turning around, both Ming and Arthur left the room. Hermes swiftly jogged behind to catch up to them. His face was flushed with excitement as he contemplated how he would use It.

Looking down at the toy in his hands, his smile widened even more.

"Voidfall..."

END OF CHAPTER