-Activating it now,- Gypsy said as the suit went invisible.

With a mental nod, Kellin loaded the last magazine into his rifle and opened fire up toward the confused Swarmlings. They responded with loud screeches and anger, immediately bounding down the small clearing toward him the moment they realized the new threat.

[Swarmling Health(27): 20/55

Bleeding, Maimed]

[Swarmling Health(31): 4/35

Bleeding, Maimed]

[Swarmling Health(15): 23/45

Bleeding, Maimed]

...

Several died in the first salvo of the [Canister Rifle], bullets tearing through the front line of them and into the second, sending a plethora of debris and viscera across the green fauna. It didn't fire the quickest, but the rifle got the job done as a ton of notifications flooded in as well from the weakened creatures and headshots. This was their third pack today, though it was almost more accurate to say it was their fifth due to the presence of an [Elder Swarmling]. Besides being a bit larger, faster, and meaner, there was never much of a difference in the evolved variant and back on Redmond, it was really the only type of Swarmling around. Credit to his memories, it had died just as easily as on Redmond as well. The combination of surprise and a few disruption-laced bullets ensured that Kellin was able to place more than a few shots into its temple before a reaction.

The problem was that it hadn't died before the stun wore off and instead, did something Kellin hadn't experienced from an [Elder] before. The ungodly screech that resulted from it either being in pain or realizing it was being killed was a call to action to all the packs in the area, which were unfortunately, or fortunately, only two packs. It also sent his head spinning and disrupted their sensors in some manner, making them unable to lay suppressive fire down on the remaining creatures. All of it had resulted in them fighting on the run while sparingly using [Cloak], as they were lower on [Energy] with it being so late in the day as well. The only reason they'd even engaged the last pack with the [Elder] was because it had been smaller and relatively close to their river, meaning it wasn't exactly deep in Savul territory. Either way, after failing to properly recognize the threat, Kellin and Gypsy had been in a death chase for the past five minutes that was just now coming to an end.

The gun in his hands clanked loudly, signifying the final round had been shot. Before he could get run over by the remaining five Swarmlings, the [Wave Pistol] fired off a half-second charge, sending four of the approaching creatures flying backward with one too far away to be hit by the blast of [Mana]. His arm and shoulder rocked with the recoil yet again, his wrists and forearms feeling like they'd been smashed with a bat over and over again with each subsequent use of the gun. The final ling reached him with a pounce as he rolled to the side, a swiping claw managing to carve a line through his right shin. The searing heat of the deep wound caused his teeth to grit as Kellin landed on the ground in a roll, dropping his rifle and drawing his [Pistol] as the creature righted itself for a second dive. The moment it went airborne Kellin met its skull with a bullet from the .50 cal, receiving a notification instantly as its limp body crashing into his midsection and bowled over his kneeling form.

Thankfully, before the other Swarmlings could get to him and pile on, an invisible Gypsy picked him and his rifle up and the two engaged the remaining injured monsters with their bladed left arm and the .50 cal pistol. Nothing quite stopped a Swarmlings charge like blocking their charge on a giant bladed metal arm and then throwing them off, nearly slicing them in half in the process as the extended portion of the blade tore into them.

[Combat Blade:

Damage: 7-20

Durability: 47/50

Upgrades: None]

"It went down another," Kellin remarked while staring down at their left arm, the most recent notification showcasing their blades edge dulling. "Still, only 58 [Credits] for that massive wave... Almost feels like we've been cheated."

The [System] had confirmed the fight was over, at least the fight with those packs, telling them they had a moment of respite. Kellin took a deep breath and exhaled slowly, stepping out of the suit and grabbing the rifle off the back of the suit. It seemed to automatically attach itself there when they [Equipped] and wasn't part of the combination process.

They'd found they could pick and choose which pieces of [Equipment] got combined once they [Equipped] just yesterday, and despite it not saying anywhere in their [Status], there seemed to be a hard-cap of three. They'd thought to try and combine the rifle with the blade and [Wave Pistol], hoping for a better combination of weapons. Instead, what happened was their guns had disappearing and showing up on mounted to their shoulders. The blade itself just just elongated and splintered into four two-foot in length shards with the sound of shattering glass, falling to the ground inert.

Kellin had been aghast, mouth wide open as he stared at their broken melee weapon, cursing the [System] for giving them an [Ability] that would just straight up destroy their precious equipment. After actually inspecting it for a bit longer though he noticed it wasn't actually broken. It still read off its usual durability and had gained a special called manipulate, but gave no other new information. How they were supposed to control it, if they could change it back, whether you were supposed to have four arms to help wield it... Nothing. He'd thought it was a fluke and hoped the [Wave Pistol] would retain the ability as well, but upon attempting to use it with the shoulder-mounted gun, he found the closest of the four fallen pieces of blade shooting off into a nearby tree instead. Using the ability while focusing on each piece produced the same result, the handgun having been stripped of the ability entirely and reduced to an ornament almost after an inspection of the shoulder-mount showed a damage of 4 and a single fire rate. The [Canister Rifle] mount at least had increased its damage to 10 per shot, but after an hour of practicing outside the Hutch, they'd both concluded the weapon combination largely useless to them currently.

It required way too much multi-tasking, despite its potential at increased damage. Firing the shoulder-mounted guns was already more difficult for Kellin to do without holding them in his arms, yet directing the blades was equally if not more daunting. Gypsy could do either, finding the guns simpler as well, but with both of them devoted to those tasks it still left their body and two free hands. Or, one free hand, as they still had the regular .50 cal [Pistol] to use as well. Either way, they needed a lot more practice or at least more [Dex] and [Int] before it became a practical formation.

Or, Kellin could ignore the shoulder weapons entirely and just use the [Pistol] while Gypsy shredded through their surroundings. It was less efficient use of that offensive kit, but still one all the same.

Thankfully, it was easy enough to [Unequip] and see the blade re-assemble itself, [Canister Rifle] and [Wave Pistol] following suit as they unmolded themselves from their suit, both attaching themselves to Kellin's hip and back as he'd exited.

Halting his musings over their practice, Kellin focused back on the present and Gypsy.

-20 [Credits] gained from the [Elder] alone is substantial,- she commented, Kellin nodding in response.

"I guess that's not so bad, considering they average 10 back on Redmond. Should we continue for another fight? I can probably scrounge enough bullets for one more mag and still have enough [Pistol] ammo for one clip and a reload," he remarked, bringing up their [Condition] to get a general idea how they'd been faring today.

[Marine Condition: Bleeding

Integrity: 72/100

Health: 61/80

Energy: 45/110

Stamina: 76/110

Mana: 11/56

Psionic Energy: 41/50]

They'd made more than a few mistakes throughout the day and if he was honest, Kellin was a bit disappointed in the amount of damage they'd taken. It had definitely not been the first time he'd received a nasty gash on his body, looking down at his open shin. He shuddered a bit at the metallic, silvery sheen of liquid that slowly oozed out of the wound. It hurt, but less than he was accustomed to of late, and Kellin began to clean it out a bit with some of the water Gypsy kept stored somewhere in their suit. After that he held the wound closed and wrapped it with some gauze he'd found in the Hutch, remembering to pull off the silvery-bloody wrap he'd put on his right bicep earlier in the day. Taking it off showcased three dark red and greyish lines running down the width of his arm, scars slowly fading as his body slowly righted itself to its optimal condition.

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Overall he couldn't complain much, though. It had been a lucrative day, even with the few injuries taken.

-Low mana would leave Captain Finnel vulnerable in the event of a failed initial strike or missed [Wave],- Gypsy pointed out, drawing his attention away from his wounds. -Suggest returning to Hutch for the day-

Kellin nodded and was about to respond when a presence washed over the area, a vague feeling of wrongness descending upon them. Gypsy seemed to have noticed as well because her [Cloak] came on instantly, followed by him being absorbed into the suit again. Not even a second later, a massive Savul Brute crashed into the center of the nearby river, water exploding upward and showering its eight-foot, winged, and four-armed form. The creature's extended maw swung back and forth, opening and closing in an x while searching the area until finally its eyes landed on the area they had been, pausing for a moment before it resumed scanning the riverbanks.

-Make sure you mask our heat signature more than anything else. Brutes scout by sensing the heat of others,- Kellin said, moving the suit back toward the carnage of dead Swarmlings to try and blend in before moving elsewhere.

-Hiding thermal output increases [Cloaking] costs above 5 per minute. Suggest a fast retreat up river until out of detection range,- Gypsy responded.

Kellin was about to agree when the monster hunched forward, a single fist propping itself up in the shallow river while its left side bled slowly into it. It was then he noticed a massive wooden pole sticking out of it, nearly the same circumference of a man's wrist. Whatever blade was on the end of it seemed to have done serious damage to the beast as it didn't seem to be healing right, despite most Brute's innate durability.

Gypsy and he both stayed put after noticing, rather than leave like they'd planned on, to watch how things played out. They stayed in the same location they'd finished off the Swarmlings on the southeastern side of the river, finding a small nook in between a few trees where they could observe the creature. It kept trapping at the pole and trying to rip it out, three massive hands gripping onto it and then tightening, pulling with everything it had before eventually slipping off due to the slickness of the water. After a few more attempts, a second fist fell to the ground to help pick itself up and Kellin made a decision before their [Energy] could tick any lower.

-Let's kill it-

-Injured monsters are more dangerous than their counterparts-

-That's flawed logic. Weakened, injured, or cornered creatures you aren't trying to kill and happen across are more dangerous and unpredictable than their counterparts because you might not know they're hurt. An already weakened monster you are trying to kill is just as dangerous as it should be-

Or, that's how Kellin saw it. It was true all creatures tended to get more violent and dangerous the closer you came to killing them as more adrenaline kicked in and the beast entered its final stage of fight or flight. However, when you knew that's where a monster was already, was it really more dangerous, or just a different type of danger?

-It saw us before, so I suggest we use [Cloak] liberally here if we engage. I don't exactly want to get into melee range of it, but I doubt the guns we have can pierce its skin easily-

Two beeps sounded off her agreement with his assessment as they remained still for another few seconds, watching the heavily breathing beast. Finally, Gypsy suggested a plan of action despite Kellin advocating for the kill.

-Melee range unacceptable. Standard Brute strong enough to injure Combat Suit before reset. Potential catastrophic results should we get hit without supportive [Skills] and [Abilities] held in the past. Suggested course of action: Upgrade [Disruption] duration. Retreat to maximum possible range of [Pistol]. Use [Disruption] on two [Pistol] bullets. Drop [Cloak], fire into wound, activate [Cloak], determine results. If positive damage, continue fire. If no damage confirmed, retreat to safe enough distance to travel across river and return to Hutch-

Kellin nodded along as she explained. It was... boring, but safe and practical. If they were testing to see if they could even hurt the thing though, he had a different idea, his earlier train of thought on the weapon combinations coming back to him.

-Let's try combining the two pistols and rifle then, and use that ammo with disruption,- he suggested.

-No tests run utilizing that combination,- Gypsy pointed out.

Kellin watched their [Energy] dip below 35 and nodded, but pressed on.

-I have a feeling we'll get something more damage-oriented, whether its got a longer range or not, for this specific situation. It also frees up the sword in its extended, non-complicated form in the event we need the extra reach-

A second later, two beeps sounded out and Kellin willed their weapon combination to change. In a way only he and Gypsy could see due to [Cloak], the giant blade of metal slowly liquified and unfused itself from their left arm, their gauntlet immediately grabbing hold of it. The rifle that was set on their back began to flow upward and over their right shoulder, breaking down and melding into the suit as parts of the gun began to latch themselves on top of the elongating [Pistol] in their right hand, the small gun becoming increasingly heavier and more unwieldy as it stretched outward. It slowly began to vaguely resemble what the [Canister Rifle] had been, albeit with a much more dense frame and a longer rectangular barrel, seemingly serrated on its sides.

It was no surprise that the weapon was recipient to establishing a mana connection, indicating it definitely held properties of the [Wave Pistol]. Feeding it [Energy] gave off the same effect, if just a little different, yet the gun was accepting of both [Resources] all the same as the ability had been before.

What did surprise him, however, was that after he'd fed his [Mana] into it, he received a notification.

[Congratulations! First [Rare] category weapon created! Bonus Credits awarded based on Threat Level: 20]

[Light Rail(Rare):

Damage: 10-30

Fire Rate: 1 - 10 seconds

Capacity: 1

Ammo: N/A

Durability: 10/10

Upgrades: N/A

Weapon Special - Variable Ammunition: Light Rail will fire utilizing any metallic ammunition provided from weapons utilized in its creation with a small variation in damage dependant on provided ammunition.

Weapon Special(2) - Charge: Channeling Mana or Energy, the Light Rail will increase the impact damage or projectile speed of the bullet fired.

Weapon Special(3) - Stabilize: Channeling of Resources into Light Rail will feed trace amounts of the energies to stabilize the Individual prior to round ejection]

The gun finished forming once it was nearly six feet in length, practically as tall as the suit was. The scope sat atop it was sleek and low profile in design, nearly a foot long itself while only sporting a standard black crosshair and zooming functions. The gun itself was not fused with the suit, but it was attached in several places to their right arm and shoulder. He felt two rectangular protrusions had been created on the shoulders of the suit as well.

-Weapon... increasingly heavy,- Gypsy complained, prompting Kellin to grab hold of it with their left hand as well.

With another look at the struggling Brute, Kellin began backing further up the hillside, away from the river.

-Something tells me we can make just a little more distance,- he replied, moving back another fifty feet until the two came across a small, lifted mound of dirt, rocks, and pine needles.

The Brute remained where it was, no longer struggling or recovering in the slightest as its pained breaths forced a third of its four arms to the ground to support itself.

-It looks like it's been poisoned,- he remarked, laying themselves on the ground.

The moment he brought the gun forward to set on the mound as a stand of sorts, the gun formed itself two small protrusions halfway down the body of the barrel, creating a small stand.

-Indeed-

-Well, if anything, this test will also help put it out of its misery,- Kellin added, not sorry in the slightest they were poaching the kill of someone who used poison. -We are far enough away to react if needed, so let's drop the [Cloak] for now and see what happens-

Two beeps later and their [Cloak] went down. The Brute seemed to detect their presence right away, head immediately swiveling toward them, but didn't or couldn't move otherwise. Kellin pulled out a .50 cal from a hip compartment, charged it with [Disruption], and gripped the protrusion on the massive rifle's right side. With a tug, he pulled the bolt backward as a somewhat loud series of clanks and metal shifting around sounded out, cocking the weapon and allowing him to chamber the round before pushing it back forward with a satisfying click. Gazing down the scope, Kellin found the zoom function entirely hands-off as it responded to his will, the black crosshairs pulling themselves back from the gore-covered spot on the creature's side until the Brute was fully in his vision. He started regulating his breathing needlessly by reflex as his right finger rested on the trigger. All of the Empire's suits were designed to be entirely motionless despite their occupant's respiration, so it was a habit more than helpful a few months back. Now, with him fighting outside of a suit, he found it useful again, if not currently.

Finally, with his signal, Gypsy began to feed [Energy] into the rifle. It began to hum as the rectangular holes on the back of their suit shot two jagged spikes into the ground beside them, Kellin feeling a faint power begin to emanate from the barrel of the gun as he pushed some of his remaining [Mana] into it as well, feeling that go into the bullet instead. His left eye caught the movement of the Brute before his right, pulling the trigger almost in a panic after barely a second of charge. A crackle of electricity lanced down the barrel of the gun and the round ejected with a bang, Kellin throwing their body to the right as the ground erupted where they'd just been laying.