The Fifth Realm

by Michael Chatfield

  “Also, if there is no cartridge, but only the projectile, there is nothing to extract and remove the spent casing. Just need a magazine to push the rounds up, then the magical rail gun part to send it hurtling forward. We could make the rounds smaller if we wanted. Have a long barrel for greatest acceleration...magazine fed. Bullpup or not? With bullpup, get that longer barrel without the greater length overall, though we can only really use stick magazines. Can’t use drum magazines or you’ve got that sticking in your ribs, making it hard to aim properly.

  “We won’t go with bullpup—if we could make a truly universal weapon, then we could arm everyone with this. Everyone would be a machine gunner, a rifleman, and grenadier.”

  Rugrat leaned forward and started to sketch out what he wanted.

  “It will look like the FAL. So standard forward mounted magazine, so if you have a drum mag, no problem. Put rails on the front to load up a grenade launcher. It won’t be hard to modify the M32 parts to a smaller underbarrel version. I can make a suppressor—just be a band of metal that goes over the barrel with a silencing formation. I’ll pass them off to Special Team One and they can help me in making and adjusting the regular sights on the weapons. We still need to look at different sights, like those with magnification and projection sights like red dots and holographic sights. I need to talk to Qin and Julilah, see if we can make the formations all socket-based so they can be replaced. That way, we can upgrade the formations without having to make a completely new rifle!”

  Rugrat continued to draw out several more blueprints, adding to a list of things he needed to figure out, or get someone’s help to figure out.

  He got up and stretched.

  He felt George through their connection. The wolf was bored, antsy, and trying to get Rugrat to head over to the dungeon that was to the west, near Aberdeen, that he’d located when they were running from the city.

  Rugrat left his workspace and headed over to where Tan Xue was giving a lecture.

  He waited until she finished before walking up.

  “Seems that your open house idea really worked out.” Tan Xue raised an eyebrow at the departing students.

  “Wanted to make sure that you weren’t bored.” Rugrat smiled as he pulled out blueprints. “I was wondering if I could get your opinion on these.”

  Tan Xue waved him forward and they left the lecture hall and went to a private study. She took the papers from him and put them on the table. “It’s always new weapons with you.”

  “Might as well be—been using them for so long.” Rugrat shrugged. “Do you know if Aberdeen is still fighting?”

  “Aberdeen?”

  “The city to the west,” Rugrat said.

  “I have no idea. Ask Hiao Xen.” Tan Xue looked over the pages of information still. “For the barrel, it would be best to use Earth iron mixed with enhancers that disperse heat. Then you can increase the rate of fire without fear of melting the barrel without a lot of punishment. Have you figured out the formations that you want to use on the barrel?”

  “Nope. I was hoping to give that one to Julilah and Qin,” Rugrat said.

  “Good idea. Swapping formations should work but Julilah would be able to tell you more. This is also a lot less complicated than those other versions, without so many moving parts.”

  “The only moving parts are really the trigger that activates the acceleration formation and then the spring or formation in the magazine that pushes the new rounds into the rifle,” Rugrat said happily.

  Tan Xue held her chin as she kept reading.

  “You sleeping well?” Rugrat asked suddenly.

  “Yes, why?” Tan Xue looked at him with a frown on her face.

  “Want to make sure that you’re doing well. We spend so much time working on these different projects and not making time for ourselves, I just wanted to check that you’re okay,” Rugrat said.

  “I’m fine,” Tan Xue said.

  “Seeing anyone?”

  Tan Xue looked over to him with a raised eyebrow. “Do you want me to look at this blueprint or discuss my love life?”

  “Bit of the old multi-tasking,” Rugrat said.

  “I haven’t been dating, nor have I been looking for anyone. I’ve been focusing on my smithing and trying to increase my ability. I’m still young. We can now live till we’re like four hundred years old and we haven’t crossed forty years yet. We’ve got time.” She cleared her throat.

  “From what I can see, it looks like it would work to me, though you’re going to need Julilah and Qin’s help. Making the basic design will be easier than making the current rifles that the army is using. None of those small parts. The stock can be made of wood—the handle as well—the foregrip and body made of Mortal grade metal even while the barrel and this compensator at the front could be Earth grade. The barrels would be something that I think only a low Journeyman could make, but the body, a mid-Apprentice-level crafter with the right workspace would be able to bang them out. These new formation-based rounds, the simple ones, a low Apprentice-level crafter could make them. The formation bit would be a pain, but if we could use that casting method you’ve talked about or a press that could automate it all, I’d think it would be much faster than the gunpowder ammunition. No three different kinds of metals, then the primer and the powder and having to make sure that there’s no static so the factory doesn’t all explode.”

  “Simple and elegant,” Rugrat said.

  “Looks ugly as hell to me, but that’s why I stick to swords, shields, and spears,” Tan Xue said.

  “Beauty is in the eye of the smith! I think?”

  “You can’t make a statement like that and then follow it up with ‘I think!’. How many times have you been hit in the head with heavy objects?”

  “The one thing that I am worried about is people taking the weapon and copying it. It will happen with time, but don’t want it to happen too soon,” Rugrat said.

  “So something that will make sure that others can’t use it, but then make sure that we can use it all the time?” Tan Xue said.

  “Yeah,” Rugrat said.

  “I think you’re worrying about the wrong things. On Earth, did you have any measures to make sure that people couldn’t use your weapons?”

  “No,” Rugrat said.

  “People here are going to be much stronger with the weapons than they are used to, either the bows they have, or their axes, or us with our rifles. It is not going to matter much. While we are training our people with multiple weapons, if they’re just trained with one, then we have the advantage. Unless they’re Sha, it will be hard for them to train with anything that is like our weapons,” Tan Xue said.

  “So I’m being paranoid?” Rugrat asked.

  Tan Xue shrugged. “Some things we just can’t keep a secret all of the time. We just have to pick the ones we care about. Adding in a protection formation would decrease the power of the overall weapon.”

  “Good point,” Rugrat said. “Now, the other problem is how to deal with the people who are interested in buying the weapons that we have already.”

  “Why don’t we sell off our excess and make an agreement with them to not fight us and we won’t fight them? Be a way to create an alliance. I did it with people in Hersht—a good way to get some protection.”

  “If we were to give them some more of the simple repeaters without sockets and such, it wouldn’t be that hard, just need woodworkers and smiths to make them. Apprentice and low Journeymen could do it. If we sell them at a low enough price, then they’ll just come to us to buy them, give us a continuous albeit small income,” Rugrat mused. “Need to think on it some more. Now, want to make one of those semi-autos with me?”

  ***

  The formation competition continued as Qin and Julilah sat in the stands, reading their books.

  “Why can’t the workshops be open even? Do you think the sect would be willing to let us use their workshops?” Julilah asked.

  “We don’t want to owe them more
favors,” Qin said.

  “Well, what are we going to do?” Julilah sighed. They had been reading books for three days.

  “I think that we’ve almost finished with all of the books we can get access to and are useful in the Formation Guild. Once we’ve read them all, then we can head to Vuzgal. They’ve got formation workshops there,” Qin said.

  “We could see Tan Xue and the people from Alva,” Julilah said, her eyes shining.

  “Quiet down. It’s time for the semifinals,” Qin complained.

  “How will me talking disrupt what you’re seeing?” Julilah whined.

  Two challengers stepped up to the platform. One wore a green emblem, the other a red, showing the academies that they came from.

  “Who are they, anyway?” Julilah asked as the two people stepped up on the stage.

  “The red people are from the Tiston Academy. The one with the green is from the Vrajeik Academy. The Tiston Academy’s students have been stronger in their formations’ power but the Vrajeik are powerful formation fighters. In a battle, it is not only the formations that one has prepared, but how they’re able to use them that will impact the fight,” Qin said.

  “Okay.” Julilah looked up to see what would happen.

  The referee started off the round.

  The two competing men threw down their formations. The Vrajeik attacked directly with his formation, a lightning attack striking at the Tiston.

  Their formation clashed with the Vrajeik. Their attacks collided as the Tiston member’s formation was a touch stronger, but the other formation master activated formations that were on his equipment. He charged forward, his body enhanced; a shield flared to life as they burst through the clashing energies.

  The second was just throwing out their second defensive formation as the enhanced Vrajeik man appeared. They weren’t attacking and quickly entered their barrier and struck out with their fists.

  The Tiston formation master was a formation master first and was taken by surprise as they were thrown backward and fell outside of the stage.

  People cheered from the Vrajeik side as the man on the stage showed a pleased smile.

  “He combined his actions with his formations, working against the formation master’s natural inclination to make just formations and leave the fighting to their guards.” Qin nodded in approval.

  “A weapon is only one part of the equation; the person who uses it is the other. If the fighter and the weapon are better suited for each other, then their power will be much greater,” Julilah said.

  “Just when did you start sounding like some old sage?” Qin complained.

  “So how were they?” Julilah asked as people were talking about the match.

  “Above average. Powerful formations from the Tiston Academy guy. No combat experience; the other doesn’t have much, but it looks like he’s sneaky. Formations were good, not excellent,” Qin surmised.

  “Such high praise.” Julilah slumped back in her seat, pulled up her book once again and continued reading.

  The next round was another person from Tiston and someone from their own Aojior Academy.

  The Aojior Academy girl looked at the Tiston boy. The two of them bowed before the referee began the match.

  The Tiston boy activated two formations at once. The Aojior used a defensive formation as she started to throw out formation flags to activate a secondary formation.

  The Tiston boy took out a formation, smacking and throwing it. It was hastily done and Qin shook her head. The formation exploded as the other girl was activating the formation. The formation relied on drawing in mana to activate. With the mana being stirred up by the formation exploding, it wasn’t able to activate and failed. A backlash of power caused the formation to fail. The boy threw out formation flags, stabilizing his defense as the other girl used a formation to send ice rain pelting down on the defensive shield. It shook but with having secondary formation flags, its strength was much higher than a single formation. It shrugged off the attack as the boy used a formation on the ground, casting Mana Bolt. The strength of the mana bolt increased in power under the formation’s power; the mana bolt the size of a fist grew to be the size of a man’s arm as it shot out and collided with the girl’s weakened shield. Three hits took the shield out and the next spell paused in the air above her.

  “Cai Cheng from the Tiston Academy is the winner!”

  “I dedicate my win to Miss Qin and Julilah.” Cai Cheng looked to the two girls and gave them a bow.

  “I think he’s hitting on us,” Qin said.

  “Both of us,” Julilah said, her eyes thinning.

  Everyone looked at the two girls in the boxes.

  “Who you dedicate the win to is none of our business,” Qin said, her voice carrying through the quiet arena.

  Cai Cheng’s bright smile dimmed but he stopped himself from displaying anything else. “I was in the wrong. Seeing two beautiful women and winning my match clouded my judgement.”

  Qin and Julilah nodded, leaving the topic alone.

  The competition continued on and people laughed at Cai Cheng and talked about the two mysterious girls in the box reading books.

  “Are you looking to date anyone?” Julilah asked.

  “No, why?” Qin asked.

  “Not even Erik?” Julilah said.

  “You!” Qin turned and smacked Julilah’s arm.

  “What? I’m your best friend. You think that I didn’t know?” Julilah laughed.

  “Well, what about you?” Qin asked.

  “There are plenty of cute boys here, but most of them have...what Rugrat would say is ‘a stick up their ass.’ All arrogant and showing off, but they aren’t actually interesting people. Don’t have anything to them other than their crafting skill,” Julilah complained.

  “What about Du An? Were the two of you going out?” Qin asked.

  “No, I tried making it clear but he’s as dense as the wood he works on!” Julilah complained and closed her book with a clap. “Let’s go home!”

  “Just like that? But we have the stuff from the sect,” Qin said.

  “Ugh, well, let’s just go and finish that off,” Julilah said.

  “The workshops are closed here except those in the city,” Qin said, revisiting their previous dilemma.

  “Then we go to Vuzgal and we send everything back,” Julilah said.

  “Okay.” Qin stood.

  “That was quick,” Julilah said.

  “You suggested it and I want to see just what this Vuzgal looks like! Also, I got a message that Domonos and Yui are in Vuzgal, training up more soldiers. Though we should say good-bye to Yan Zemin—she helped us out a bit,” Qin said.

  They left the box and headed up toward the main box where Yan Zemin was located.

  “What is your formation crafting skill at now?” Julilah asked.

  “I’m at level sixty-five, so half-step peak Journeyman formation crafter?” Qin said.

  “Oh, that’s good,” Julilah said.

  “What level are you at?” Qin asked, her eyes thinning at Julilah’s pleased expression.

  “Oh, not much further, you know, I think just level sixty-six or so.”

  “How! You!” Qin said but they had arrived at the door to Yan Zemin’s box.

  The guards knew them and opened the doors, allowing them into the large room.

  They moved over to where the three heads of the academy sat, talking to various people.

  Qin and Julilah moved over to Yan Zemin. She had the fewest people around her, not one for small or useless conversations.

  “Julilah, Qin,” Yan Zemin said, looking at them both. “I hope you’re not offended by young Cai Cheng’s words.”

  The Tiston Academy head looked over with a dark expression on his face.

  “No, we just wanted to thank you for your hospitality. We’re going to head home,” Qin said.

  “The books and lessons were eye-opening. They’ve allowed us to solidify our foundations and opened up new paths to
look into formations,” Julilah said.

  “Head Yan Zemin, you haven’t introduced us,” the academy head from Tiston said.

  Yan Zemin frowned but quickly introduced them. “Julilah, Qin—this is Tiston Academy Head Gust Jorjens.”

  “It is good to meet you, Head Jorjens.” The two of them cupped their fists but did nothing else. They turned back to Yan Zemin as if he didn’t exist.

  “These must be your direct students but they’re incomparably rude,” Head Jorjens said. The other elders all looked at the two girls and Head Yan Zemin in a bad light.

  “We still have a few projects to complete for the inner palace, though we can send over a few people to deliver them and work on them from home,” Qin said.

  “Understandable. Vuzgal is a great place to work,” Yan Zemin said.

  There was a stir in the group. There were no crafters in the Fourth Realm who didn’t know about Vuzgal now.

  “Vuzgal? Are you perhaps from one of the crafting clans that has made a home in Vuzgal?” one of the elders asked.

  “No.” Qin and Julilah shook their heads.

  Everyone started to look at them with curious eyes.

  “We’re part of the crafters who work for the city lords, the Vuzgal crafters,” Qin said.

  Quiet conversations started in the room.

  “I have heard that Vuzgal is a holy ground for crafters. The dungeon only costs an Earth-grade mana stone and if one shows their talent in the city workshops or in crafting competitions, then they can win slots to enter the Crafting trial dungeon.”

  “The city is supposed to have workshops for Experts!”

  “The mana density is incredibly high, the kind of atmosphere that would be hard to find outside of a Sixth Realm city, with formations in the workshops and the Battle Arena to increase the concentration.”

  “That’s not all. I heard that there is an Expert-level smith who is less than forty years old!”

  Yan Zemin grimaced and shot those talking a look.

  “Are you sure that you wouldn’t be interested in the Formation Guild? With your talent, you could get the same resources as those in Vuzgal. We also have more Experts and teachers with an in-depth understanding of formations,” Yan Zemin said.