Preparations for the expedition proceeded in an orderly manner.
Relay drones for long-distance communication with Selene’s drones and coilguns, along with various other equipment, were being mass-produced and carried by the rabbits. Considering the manufacturing speed, it made me shudder at how many resources must have been necessary to build my chassis.
It’s unavoidable given the circumstances, but if things go wrong, this body may end up costing more than a military prosthesis.
[Take your positions!]
Setting aside the cost of my own production, when my command reached the group of warriors who responded to my call amidst the open field, they immediately took aim with the coilguns.
Once dwindled down to just three members, Tech Gob’s combat team has now expanded to twenty-five thanks to Ridelberdy running tirelessly through the forest and negotiating with various tribes.
Though one might question whether all that effort was worth it, the chieftains hiding throughout the forest are doing their best to spare valuable combatants. Given the many casualties we had before fleeing and the need to protect non-combatants from the wandering chimeras, the fact that each tribe has managed to spare a few members speaks volumes.
It’s all thanks to his efforts and the “gifts” of a few coilguns I supplied him with.
Moreover, I have the dependable Sylvanians. Despite their initial disinterest in any conflict beyond self-defense, fifteen of them have volunteered to join in my protection, which is reassuring.
Furthermore, the defensive unit established to safeguard the kingdom now consists of one hundred members, allowing Tisy’s legacy to be left behind without worry. The number of guns equates to firepower, and the depth of the rear support is crucial in upholding the frontlines.
[Aim!!]
The training wasn’t conducted underground where the Kingdom of the Rabbits was located, but on the vast plains. Following the orders, the Tech Gobs, Sylvanians, and Galatea, who insisted on participating despite my wish for her to rest more, lined up and aimed their coilguns.
The targets were wooden stakes fifty meters away, with simple paper targets attached that swayed in the wind.
[Fire!!]
At my command, triggers were pulled, and the harmonized sounds of electromagnetic acceleration and bullets piercing the sound barrier echoed across the plain.
Coilguns, not requiring gunpowder, emit a quieter firing sound. The sonic boom created by the air exploding is both unique and pleasant to the ears.
The biggest advantage, however, is the reduced recoil. There’s some reaction force, but thanks to the shock absorption mechanism built into the stock, the burden on the shooter is minimal.
Furthermore, due to its simple mechanism, the coilgun can withstand a significant amount of rough usage, making it the ideal weapon for distribution among the troops. The simplicity of fewer components and easy maintenance is truly the way to go.
[Reload!!]
For all its convenience, the coilgun has its own set of drawbacks. Unlike firearms, it doesn’t produce gas and therefore cannot utilize a recoil-based automatic loading system. This means that either the internal mechanism has to be more complex—my coilgun uses this method—or the weapon must operate on a bolt-action or similar manual loading system.
Lifting and pulling back the bolt ejects the spent cartridge, which combines the fuse and battery. A new bullet is inserted into the now-empty chamber before the bolt is pushed forward again.
Despite the disadvantage of no rapid-fire ability, the mild recoil and absence of loading shock maintain accuracy, and with merely three days of practice, most of the bullets fired had hit their mark.
“We’ve achieved an 89.24% hit rate. Incredible.”
“Seems they’re skilled in ranged accuracy, having used bows and crossbows all along.”
Indeed, the archers hit the target from fifty meters away with nearly perfect precision using only simple sights, without optical scopes. At this rate, we should have no problem repelling the harpies, or were they Harpy creatures, with a barrage of bullets.
The problem, however, lies in the various monsters we might encounter on our approach. It is essential to consider those that may attack from the ground as well.
Based on intelligence gathered from Tech Gobs and encounters recounted by Galatea, there seem to be three types of land-based chimeras.
First, the Myrmecoleo. This creature resembles a fifty-centimeter tall ant-like arthropod with a ferocious predator’s head, utilizing its jaw, reminiscent of a meat grinder, as its primary attack method. While not particularly sturdy, they are numerous, and eliminating one seems to bring an endless wave of reinforcements. Ridelberdy complained about dealing with upwards of forty individuals at once after eliminating one “stray” that ventured out from “the Great Mother” territory, leading us to estimate hundreds in the vicinity of our destination.
[Prepare for second shot!]
It will take three days to reach the abandoned village of Ridelberdy and another twenty days from there to the Great Mother, so encounters along the way are inevitable. To complicate matters further, these creatures seem to be particularly troublesome.
Second is the Hov, which looks similar to Tech Gobs but features grotesque tumor-like growths all over its body. With inconsistent numbers of fingers and eyes, it’s described as an irrationally violent monstrosity towering at 180 to 200 centimeters tall. In hand-to-hand combat, survival is unlikely—although Ridelberdy claimed to have taken one down with a spear—but the Hov’s sheer size is a threat in itself.
[After reloading…]
Finally, the nameless monster.
The reason it lacks a name is simple: no one who’s encountered it has returned alive. Simply the distant sound of its footsteps and vague silhouette seen from afar are enough to deter anyone from getting close enough to examine it. As such, it remains unnamed out of fear.
Even Galatea has no clear knowledge of it, which adds to the apprehension. What if it’s some sort of monstrous multi-legged land tank that can withstand even my enhanced armor-piercing mode? What happens if I can’t breach its frontal armor?
[Optional fire! Begin!!]
Praying that this unknown enemy isn’t as terrifying as imagined, I ordered optional fire, leading to an even more lively echo of gunshots.
The Tech Gobs favor speed and create a thick barrage, while the Sylvanians, whose too-round fingers make reloading slower, display remarkable precision.
But Galatea…
Her shots barely graze the targets, rarely hitting them. It’s understandable. While Tech Gobs and Sylvanians are accustomed to crossbows, which have a similar shooting stance to guns, Galatea is a complete novice.
“Galatea, tighten your posture. You’re pulling the trigger too hard.”
“Uhh, like this?”
On closer inspection, the rifles made for the smaller Tech Gobs looked disproportionately small in her hands. Speaking of which, now that I observe her more closely, she’s unusually tall. Likely about 180 centimeters, almost the same height as me, and given her broad shoulders and muscular build, she probably weighs close to 80 kilograms.
Hmm, a tomboyish, tall girl with fang-like teeth feline features and brown eyes—and apparently, substantial attributes. Isn’t she a bit too stacked with unique traits?
“Still off. You’re too tense.”
“It’s not like it’s easy! Magius Geanaite uses swords and bows. Outside the sacred swords and bows bestowed in the sanctuary, nothing else can penetrate our exoskeletons. I’ve never handled one of these before!”
She pouted as if the gun was impossible to wield, musing that using it as a spear with a bayonet might be somewhat better.
But sacred swords and bows, you say. She mentioned losing them in battle, but what exactly were they? I speculate the sword could be a single-atomic blade or a high-compression alloy vibrating blade capable of cutting through 20mm armor, but the bow is beyond prediction.
What manner of bow can pierce through such thick composite armor?
Hold on. Now that I think of it, the mechanical crossbows used by the Tech Gobs were effortlessly cutting through harpy armor. Given the lightweight materials, this should have been impossible under normal circumstances. Could it be that the weapons themselves operate on some arcane principle? If simple arrows could penetrate Class A prosthetics, I might cry.
Regardless, sending unfamiliar weapons in an unfamiliar size isn’t helpful. Hmm, maybe I should consult Selene about having them custom-made.
Still, basics remain important. Even if it’s less than ideal, teaching is feasible.
“Alright, like this.”
“Kya!? No-zomu!?”
I positioned myself behind her, supporting her stance almost like holding her, and adjusted her arm placement. At the same time, I guided her into a proper shooting stance by placing my hands on her hips.
“The gun must be held like so. Keep your elbows tight, cheek against the gun, and stabilize your waist to absorb vibrations.”
“S-stop whispering in my ear!”
With her posture confirmed, I gently placed my hands atop hers, focusing our index fingers together.
“Pull the trigger slowly, gently. Like touching the cheek of a newborn.”
“Aaa! I get it, I get it! It’s embarrassing!”
“Embarrassment has no place in training. I’ll stay with you until you can hit the mark. Keep your eyes on the target. Do you see how the rear sight, front sight, and the target align in a straight line?”
“Y-yes…”
I aligned the rear and front sights with the target to make a straight line. At this distance, there’s no need to account for air resistance or gravity, so complex considerations are unnecessary.
Gradually applying pressure through the fingers we had pressed together, I fired. Through her, I faintly felt the slight recoil while watching the paper target tear in the distance.
“There, you hit it.”
“The gun worked because you aimed it, obviously. Look at this.”
Surprisingly, Galatea seemed more stunned than delighted by hitting the target for the very first time.
But I can’t let her be satisfied with just this. Pulling out my waist-mounted coilgun in energy-efficient mode, I performed an impromptu demonstration. Hip-shots in VR games often lack accuracy due to improper sights—despite extensive practice to counteract that—but as a prosthetic with weapon control systems, it’s unaffected. My aim was the right edge of the fluttering target, shifting slightly left each shot, like drawing with dots. The paper target tore neatly in half, its lower section floating away into the grass.
“Wow, that’s amazing! Is that magic on the gun?”
“No, it’s just skill. Here, give me yours for a moment.”
There’s no magic enhancing this gun, only standard electronic control systems typical—and arguably inferior—for normal firearms.
Skill can make even subpar weapons perform admirably.
“Watch carefully.”
I loaded the gun, placing bullets between my pinky and ring finger, and my ring and middle finger, then braced it without the aid of fire control systems.
From here on, it’s pure VR-honed skill.
From the stance to aiming takes around 0.6 seconds. Squeezing the trigger, the first bullet hit dead center, immediately followed by a swift reload. Timing the second shot for when the wind settled, I threaded the second and third shots through the same hole created by the first. Just as I was trying to make all holes overlap into a perfect pinhole, a mid-shot gust threw off the final bullet, creating an odd shape resembling a stacked ice cream cone or snowman.
Had planned for all bullets to create a perfect pinhole, but missed slightly.
With a military-grade prosthetic, I could hit pinheads at 200 meters.
“Well, with practice, you’ll get better.”
Handing her the recovered target, she clearly understood from the repeatedly frayed edges that all bullets had passed through the same hole, gazing at me with awe.
“Amazing! You’re just like a fairy tale marksman!”
“It’s no big deal. With effort, you’ll get there too.”
As I patted her shoulder in encouragement and turned to check on the other shooters, Selene’s communication popped up. Not a vocal message but a cute, puffed-up cat icon representing her expression.
“What’s up, Selene?”
“Have you forgotten our agreement?” she asked, sounding unusually restrained, as if suppressing irritation.
“Huh?”
“Was soft tissue so enjoyable?”
At this moment, asking if she’s jealous feels too tactless.
After all, our relationship spans a hundred and fifty years of my waking life. From time in local defense forces, through military officer school, and even the transfer to the armored unit, we have been side by side, and I can read her perfectly well.
“My partner is you, Selene.”
“If your chassis were safe, I could handle a thousand partners,” she muttered.
“I get it, I get it. You’re the most reliable in the world.”
Perhaps she felt her partnership threatened by someone physical. I stifled a quiet chuckle in my physical form and inquired about the progress of supplies.
“All rifles are prepared, including gifts for the cooperating tribes. Each member can be equipped with two hundred and fifty bullets as planned. We have some extra five thousand in reserve. Water canteens prepared too.”
“Thanks.”
Expedition preparation to the “Great Mother” is almost complete. The Sylvanians are gathering the required food—though their herbivorous diet makes catering to the omnivorous Tech Gobs challenging. Most significantly, the water issue is covered by canteens that condense moisture from the air, much like what I have, so we’re set.
The only thing we lack is transportation for the group, but asking for three divine blessings might be pushing it. Let’s stick to what we’ve got, namely two legs, and move forward.
Let’s hope this monster-hunting operation goes just as well as VR gaming predicted.
The next update is scheduled for around July 13, 2024, at 17:00.
