Chapter 32 – So that’s what you do.

“Where did you get it?” Matt asked, looking at the cup shaped item in his hand.

“We made it.” Tobias said. “Well, kinda. We ordered the materials and from there machined it.”

Matt sighed, shot his friend a look and set the item back down. “Where did you order the steel and titanium to make this?” That was just the materials for the blast deflector, not all of what he could see. On the various tables around the workshop were parts made from brass, aluminum, iron and he thought he saw a label that said tungsten.

Tobias seemed to understand what Matt was getting at and elected to fill him in. “We are able to order materials and have them instantly delivered to the forge. These ones are actually rather cheap if you can believe it.” He paused and gestured to some of the acolytes that had wandered in. “I have been having them make simple objects, so they get used to the machines and the materials. Most had no idea what the difference between a mill and a drill press are.”

Matt wasn’t exactly sure what the difference was but thought it had to do with bearings, spindles, and how it accepted lateral forces. “Ok so what all have you made besides a blast diverter for the 25 and my rifle? Not that I’m not thankful but these probably took you half a day to make.”

“Well, we had some decisions to make and ended up spending a lot of time making parts for the repeaters and radio towers.” He led them to another area with neatly bundled objects laid out in rows. “We are trying to get this set up quick since it will provide security for the entire settlement.” He picked up one of the sensor modules and showed it to Matt.

“These are the same ones that we had back home.” Matt observed. He knew this pattern and its ability to sense anything within a set size parameter. Most of the time they could distinguish between small creatures and had a limited function for tracking the movements with a sort of radar.

“That will be paired with these repeater towers to give us a limited ability to track threats but also act as an early warning.” Tobias then held up a cylindrical object a meter in length with a box hanging off one side. “Basic automated repeater and relay. Its super simple and we will only be running plain text, so we don’t need more.”

He then moved down the table and held up what looked like a giant segmented silver plate that was attached to a long cable. The cable had a plug at the far end, but Matt was completely unsure what the device was for. Thankfully Tobias was there to explain all the components.

“My biggest concern was how to power all of this. We can’t have someone running around to charge them all the time.” He set the device back down. “The System had a solution, for a price. These are mana gathering arrays. They will pull ambient mana down and charge a small battery that can run the whole tower.”

Matt liked that but by the look of things it wasn’t so simple. “What’s wrong with them?”

“Cost.” Tobias said and Matt instantly knew what he meant. “The design was based on our solar panels but since that isn’t a thing with the System, we had to get creative. The forge interface proposed this solution but each one is hundreds of thousands of credits. The power is very limited too, so we can’t really use them for other things besides theses low power applications.”

Matt looked around and saw there were 15 bundles plus the one that hadn’t been wrapped up yet. The components would be supported by a tower that would be erected and secured thus making them free standing. This allowed them to be set up in a ring and provide decent coverage to the area around the city.

In the next area over, Matt was shown radios. There were 3 different types, all of which he recognized as being slightly outdated but effective. There were a couple of the very nice, fixed emplacement ones that were usually reserved for long term command posts and allowed for a wide range of networks and channels to be pre-loaded. The next type was commonly found in vehicles and would take no more than 4 channels programmed at a time but that was fine for most purposes. Finally, were the small personal radios with 2 channels, perfect for short range use of within a few kilometers.

All in, Tobias had enough radios to equip a couple infantry companies, at the very least. These would be a massive boon for the people that patrolled the area around the city. Matt was excited to get them set up and in use but was pulled along to another area. One that was much more populated than the previous one.

“Here is where we are doing our development of a few things we need. You might recognize a few of the designs.” Tobias had lead Matt into a much more active part of the forge. There were people moving around all over the place, carrying parts in and out of the room. The door on the far side opened to an area with a bunch of machines, all of which were in use. Among the lathes, drills, and other heavy equipment was what looked like a hammer mill and some stamping machines.

Matt returned his attention to the room he was in, and the parts laid out on one of the tables. The clearly extruded piece of metal shaped into a long rectangular and hollow form was immediately familiar. The parts were not assembled yet, but they were all there. He moved up to the table and began inspecting the parts one by one.

Tobias laughed at Matt as he started inspecting every little item. “Go ahead, this one is ready for testing.”

Not needing any more encouragement, Matt set to his work and began assembling the machinegun. He worked with a slow monotony, inspecting every part before fitting them together. The process took nearly an hour since he had to put together every piece. Every spring, detent, screw and bearing was eventually assembled. He only stopped after running the bolt to the rear and snapping the cover closed. Matt eased the bolt forward and set the gun on its bipods before stepping back and realizing he had a drawn a crowd.

A gaggle of people had gathered around Matt as he worked at the table. The group was a mix of the forge staff, in their standout grey tunics, as well as some of the combat classes in their armor. The entire room had watched silently as he worked. Looking back over his shoulder he found Tobias mouthing the word ‘aura’ and quickly pulled it all back in.

One of the researchers had moved forward and was inspecting the gun as much as he could without touching it. Matt was very curious too and used his identify skill on the weapon.

Light Machinegun (Prototype)

A machinegun chambered in 6x44 mm using disintegrating link belts. This weapon fires from an open bolt at an adjustable rate of 600 - 1200 rounds per minute.

Matt was surprised to see the System classified the weapon as a prototype, not so much that it was but because he didn’t know it accounted for production phases. Stepping back to talk to Tobias, he let the rest of the group crowd around. “So, what does it mean by prototype?”

Tobias turned to face him more directly when he responded. “No idea. The only thing I can think is that the reduced cost of the parts might have an effect if used on enemies or its durability. Regardless, the real magic for this actually involves magic from some folks you should meet.” He then showed Matt to another area of the forge with the sign next to the door labeled ‘Enchanting’.

Where the previous area had been an example of production and activity, the small room Matt found himself in was probably the opposite. There was still work going on, but it was slow and quiet by comparison to the previous areas. The amount of mana he was subjected to when he stepped inside made his eyes water. Around the room were dozens of waist height wooden tables with strange brackets made of a brass material. At each table was one of the forge staff with something suspended in the brackets.

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Tobias just walked over to where a human woman was working on what looked like a normal pickaxe except for the mana it was absorbing. Matt followed along and watched quietly from a distance as the woman seemed to manipulate the mana, pushing it into etchings on the head of the tool. One by one, the symbols began to glow until they were all lit then faded away to darkness. She seemed satisfied with the result and picked up the tool and moved it to a stand beside her bench.

Seeming to notice them standing there, the woman turned to smile at Tobias. “Forge Master, it is a pleasure to see you again. How may I be of assistance.”

“Oh, stop with the forge master nonsense or I’m going to stop calling you Nix and referring to you as Nixeltana again.” Smooth as ever, Tobias brushed aside the formality with a smile and pat on the shoulder. “I brought a guest and was wondering if you and Sari had a moment to chat.”

Seeing Tobias gesture to him, Matt stepped forward and held out his hand. “Hi, I’m Matt and it’s good to meet you, Nix.” His hopes of a normal conversation were dashed as her eyes bugged out of her head and she bowed deeply at the waist. Matt cut her off before she could cause a scene, pushing his aura out just far enough to envelop her with calming influence. “No, stand up please. I dislike titles and formality just as much as Tobias.”

A ripple ran down her as she stood and actually sighed. “Of course. If I may be so bold, shall I refer to you as Matt? You are free to address me in any way you wish.”

“Uh, yeeeaaah. Let’s go with that.” Matt wasn’t actually sure he could pronounce her full name so he would just roll with this one. “Should we find, Sari, was that it?”

Tobias nodded. “Yeah, she should be around here somewhere.” He looked around the room before headed off to the corner. Matt and Nix followed as he led the way to a tall demoness in the back corner of the enchanting room. Her slightly red-brown skin was covered in sweat, and she twitched occasionally as she worked at her project. Matt got a look at what she was working on as he came up to the side of her table.

The object in the supports on Sari’s table was almost an exact replica of the rifle Matt used. There were some differences in the attachments, but the actual gun was the same, except for the color. Matt had his rifle painted in a way to break up its outline, the one on the table was completely black, the bare nitride the only color to it. He watched as mana was forced into tiny runes along the upper receiver of the weapon.

Pulling out his own rifle, Matt inspected the same location and found to his astonishment that there were indeed a series of small marks there. They looked like stampings that would be done at the factory, but these were far more than simple letters. The runes had a depth that was more than just the few microns of the stamping. They had some internal synergy and a meaning that was almost lost on him, almost.

The runes left an instinctual imprint on Matt’s mind, making him passively aware of what they did. It was almost like he was looking at a picture book and getting the meaning of the words through the context of the pictures. He couldn’t tell which rune specifically was doing what part of the job, but he knew which part related to the enchantments for self-repair and which related to imbue weapon. He was startled out of his inspection when Tobias kicked him in the shin, which hurt since he still was in just fatigues.

“Ow!” Matt said then noticed his surroundings. “Ah, sorry, I’ll try to keep it under wraps.” He muttered to Tobias and Nix before turning his attention to the 4th person in the little group. She was not at all where she was supposed to be, or rather where Matt expected her. Instead of at the workbench, she was well within his personal space, leaning over to inspect his weapon.

“At last, I finally get to see the progenitor for these rifles the master has us making.” Sari’s voice was deep and a little raspy but loaded with undertones of reverence. Matt could feel the near fanatical intent in her aura as she inspected his rifle. “Such runes must be System made, the neatness, the surety with which they were carved is evident.”

As Sari reached out her hand to touch Matt’s rifle, he stored it in his ring, getting a little creeped out at the interaction. “Whoa, take a guy to dinner first.” He joked and was momentarily shocked by the sudden change in her aura before it quickly evened out. He sensed a feeling of loss and heartache that had him reeling before it was covered up buy curiosity.

“Ahem, yes. Where are my manners.” Sari then straightened and held out her hand for Matt. “I am Sari, short for Sarintheness but please don’t use that name, the title and lineage no longer apply.” She was exceedingly tall, the horns extending up from her forehead, adding a few centimeters. She smiled warmly, showing her pointed teeth.

Matt took the proffered hand, giving a quick shake before turning to Tobias. “So, what’s the plan?” He wanted to move along and get out of the stuffy room.

“Well, I wanted to introduce you to Nix and Sari, they are some of our best enchanters and it would do you well to be acquainted.” Tobias said as he led them outside and into the open area of the forge, the morning sun now streaming in through the bay doors. “I was showing Matt around and introducing him to some people, but he caused a ruckus in the assembly rooms.”

Nix nodded sagely before speaking. “Indeed, I could see him doing that. His presence is rather, um, distinct.” She hesitated at the last part.

“Oppressive is what you mean.” Sari said.

“What’s oppressive is the mana in that room. Seriously it’s like you guys are hot boxing with magic in there.” Matt tried to make a joke, but it completely backfired as Nix grabbed his sleeve and started shaking him.

“You can see the mana?” Nix nearly shouted. “What’s it look like? What does it do? Trait or Skill?”

Matt was quick to dislodge her by slapping the back of her hand. “A skill that allows me to sense it, but seeing is kind of a different story.” He started explaining quickly as the enchanters looked at him like their lord and savior. “I can see it emanating from beings and from skill usage but only sense it in my surroundings. I can’t see mana floating around unless it is doing something that concentrates it.”

“Oh, well, that’s kind of disappointing.” Nix said. She practically deflated at Matts words, returning to a much calmer state.

Sari was still looking at Matt like she was trying to see through him. He felt a little unnerved at her stare and finally decided to ask. “Sari, What’s the deal?”

“Hmm? Oh, sorry it’s a bad habit that I have from my trait.” Sari looked away, averting her gaze to the side. “I was just caught up in your connections, they are just so thick, and pulsing.” She had gone back to staring at his upper chest again.

“Phrasing.” Tobias coughed. The word startled Sari out of her investigation, making her look honestly abashed. “I thought that you might like to introduce them to your friend.” He gave Matt a knowing look and jutted his chin out the open door toward the mech. The enchanters looked very confused or at least Sari did until her eyes drew a line from Matt straight toward the mech.

“Well, let’s go then. I’m not sure what you are planning though.” Matt said to Tobias as he led the group to where he had left the mech. As they walked, Sari began poking randomly at the air between Matt and their destination, each time she did, he felt a little cold spot flash in his mind and that spot behind his heart. “Can you stop whatever you are doing, Sari?” He didn’t want to be mean but didn’t appreciate the sensation and upon a couple pokes, Echo had flinched and woken up.

Looking thoroughly chastised, once again, Sari apologized and stuffed her hands in her robes. Matt was beginning to see why she was such a successful enchanter and began wondering what the deal was with Nix to make her stand out to Tobias. The human wasn’t giving any hints like Sari who clearly could influence bonds in some way. He supposed that he would find out eventually, they both were level 13 which was high, compared to some of the other crafters he had seen.

When they arrived at the mech, Tobias stepped forward and took over leading the conversation. “So, the reason we are here is because Nix and Sari have rare and powerful traits.” Seeing the looks on their faces he quickly went on. “I will not be outing anyone here, but you are free to share if you wish.” He then looked up to the mech and took a deep breath before getting to his point.

It turned out that Tobias planned to create a spearhead of development and experimentation. While the rest of the forge staff would continue on with work as normal, they would try rapid prototyping and field use for some more exotic items. His reasoning was that he could rapidly design and develop things with the forge, but it would save massively if they did the enchanting in house which is where Nix and Sari came in.

“You two have traits that will be invaluable in this process, but I also wanted you to understand the nature of our work. While this isn’t exactly secret, we will not be working these projects in the open for everyone to know about.” He looked to Matt before going on. “You will be gathering resources in your adventures and doing field testing since you have the greatest power base. One other person and I will be designing and building, while you fine ladies will handle enchanting.”

“Who is the last person?” Nix asked.

“One of the wolfen named Grant. He would have joined but had some business to handle with his housing this morning.” Tobias said. “I would normally have waited till we were all here, but Matt will be busy for a while starting this afternoon.”

That was news to Matt, but he would circle back. He was about to ask more on the gathering of resources, but Sari made a plucking motion in the air and Echo leapt to his feet and began to growl, looking right at her. Matt got a visual of the void where he first met Echo in soul form but one of the lights was being pushed by a red-brown hand. That was enough for Matt, and he pulsed his aura, suppressing the group with the weight of his will.

Matt looked at the now kneeling demoness, who was struggling to keep her head up while Nix had just fallen completely prone next to Tobias. “I thought I asked you to stop that. Echo said that he does not appreciate you influencing our bond. I would like you to explain what you are doing.” Behind him, Van shifted to loom over the group, fist at the ready. Matt didn’t know it but, the eyes of the mech started to glow a pale blue as he spoke.