The Creators: From Night City

Page 298

Although the floating weapon support, combined with the magnetorheological damper, absorbed 60% of the recoil of the weapon in the opponent's hand, the remaining impact force was hydraulically dispersed throughout the process from the mechanical arm to the shoulder armor to the spinal frame to the lower limbs. The titanium alloy claw-like feet of the armor were still constantly pushed backward with each shot.

Even under these circumstances, the [Slayer] armor continued to advance steadily, each step of its feet causing a slight tremor in the ground.

The target was a damaged giant metal reactor, with metal walls 230cm deep, which could fully demonstrate the power of the Titan's Grip in the shooter's hand.

Finally, the gunfire stopped, and Sildinger was about to step forward when he was stopped by a nearby 'Black King Guard' who reached out to stop him.

Just as the Witcher was about to explain something, he noticed that the two Palicoes acting as support personnel, dressed in strange-looking but perfectly suited Palico body structures, were carrying another Titan's Grip machine gun to the Slayer armor and raising its specially made grip high.

Under the complex gazes of the Witcher and Matilda, who was new to this treasure land, the Slayer heavy armor reached into the specially designed grip. The corresponding mechanical connection structure instantly locked, firmly fixing it to the left arm of the armor. The more than two-meter-high metal ammunition box on the back extended with the left arm of the armor, and the intelligent ammunition spine instantly and automatically connected the mechanical ammunition belt.

The two machine guns were simultaneously leveled, and several specially designed supports popped out, locking the positions of the two machine guns firmly in place to prevent the recoil from shaking their firing posture.

The firepower this time was incredibly fierce; the two super-heavy machine guns firing simultaneously almost reached the rate of fire of a light machine gun.

This is only with armor-piercing rounds loaded. If the bullets were replaced with high-explosive rounds, the sound of the explosion would be loud enough to reach the city of Saint Denis.

The giant metal reactor, already riddled with holes, was now completely reduced to a pile of mud. Even in this state, the testers were still not satisfied. The titanium alloy claw-like feet unique to the [Slayer] armor suddenly spread out in all directions, instantly increasing the grip on the ground by 300%. This allowed the giant armor to steadily advance step by step without stopping firing.

This design concept of mobile firepower projection is simply insane.

Finally, the ear-piercing gunfire ceased, and the two super-heavy machine guns were unloaded and carried out of the firing range by several Palicoes. Meanwhile, the massive, wall-like [Slayer] strode past the two with heavy steps.

"Instructor Siroding, another new member has joined the instructor team?" As he passed by the two, the Slayer's heavy helmet and visor first slid open to the sides, and the inner armor continued to sink down, revealing the face of the 'Black King Apostle' at the very back.

"Oh, it's Black Bear. What, you have new equipment to test again? This equipment looks pretty cool."

Black Bear, a veteran assault soldier and weapons tester, chuckled twice. He was naturally pleased that such heavy armor would be prioritized for assault soldiers.

"This is only the third round of testing. Further optimizations are expected. After all, Lord 'Black King' isn't here; it's the people from the weapon research and development department who are tinkering with it," Black Bear said modestly.

"It's already excellent. Judging from its momentum, it's more imposing than the [Arbiter] armor we had a few days ago," Siroding praised.

The two exchanged a few more words, but Black Bear, eager to return to the research lab to report, left with heavy steps.

"What's this?" Matilda asked curiously as she followed Sildinger into the firing range.

"The students you'll be teaching in the future." Her words made her swallow hard. She suddenly felt a little worried about whether she was qualified to be an instructor, even as a trainee.

Fortunately, the two arrived at their destination quickly.

As soon as they met, Sirodin started yelling at the other man, "Arthur! You can't teach a child to handle guns, it's too dangerous."

Chapter 595 Cyber ​​Outlaw

"Ah, look who's here, our beloved Instructor Sildinger Blackhand." The speaker was wearing a flannel shirt paired with dark jeans, the knees and buttocks patched with worn leather, but the patches were also worn and frayed, showing that the owner really liked the pants.

A brown leather weapon belt was tied around his waist, from which hung a uniquely designed revolver.

The modified high-top leather boots were covered in mud, indicating that their owner hadn't cleaned them in a long time.

Of course, what caught Matilda's attention the most was the black cowboy hat with a bullet hole in the brim, the rugged and sharp eyes under the brim, and the thick cigar dangling from the corner of his mouth.

"Don't worry, back in the day, when we were playing with spoons, we were already playing with weapons. Unlike now, all the kids have free schools, and nobody needs these things to survive," Arthur said confidently.

“But that’s no excuse for you to corrupt children.” Siroding possessed a gentleness and kindness that was far different from that of the Cat School Witchers.

“It was my request, Uncle Sildringer,” Hayley explained on behalf of Arthur Morgan.

She cleverly placed a Smith & C. military revolver with very low recoil on the firing table and led little Jack to the side to play with a tank made from a bullet casing.

Arthur Morgan chewed on the corner of his mouth, skillfully shifting the cigar from the left corner to the right without using his hands, then shrugged innocently.

"This is our new colleague, Matilda, who is in charge of training in space survival."

"Arthur Morgan," Arthur said, holding out his hand with his belt slung over his shoulder.

Matilda stepped forward and grabbed the other person's hand, reacting very eagerly.

"Mr. Arthur, may I ask if you are a cowboy?"

In the cyberpunk world of 2076, cowboy-themed movies are still very popular. The "Once Upon a Time in the West" series has reached 32 installments and still has a large number of die-hard fans.

While other things on the moon are underdeveloped, entertainment products such as movies, games, and variety shows are exceptionally advanced. After all, only in this way can the growing pressure on the workers who have to work 16 hours a day be alleviated while consuming as little material as possible.

"Ha, I'll disappoint you, little girl. I'm just a desperate gunman." Arthur, relying on his iron lungs that were impervious to smoke bombs, chugdled the end of his cigar until it was bright red. Although he wasn't putting it into his lungs, puffs of smoke still kept coming out of his nostrils.

“Being a cowboy isn’t a good job. You live a life of hardship, sleeping outdoors and living with livestock, getting covered in stench year after year, all for a little bit of money.” Arthur touched the pistol at his waist.

“Being a cowboy isn’t a good job.” Arthur looked at the other person and emphasized again, “It’s definitely not the kind of carefree and glamorous job you imagine.”

But Matilda's enthusiasm didn't wane. "Then Mr. Arthur can do that kind of thing~ that kind of thing~" The little girl gestured with her hand at her waist as if drawing a gun and shooting, mimicking the classic cowboy duels she had seen in Mewtwo.

“Oh, it shouldn’t have worked, but…” Arthur took off his gambler’s hat and fanned the smoke around him. In the illusory smoke, the Sianwistan external armor on his spine gleamed with a dark luster.

As a desperate outlaw who makes a living through violence, he, and not only him, but everyone in the entire Van der Linde gang, found it difficult to resist the temptation of cybernetic implants led by S. A.S. ...

After all, those who live on the edge every day know that only by being strong can they guarantee a greater chance of surviving.

So, not long after Arthur joined the instructor team, he underwent the S.A.W.S. modification. Not only that, the revolver he inherited from Boss Jiang was also further modified and optimized by him.

To be honest, if Arthur hadn't given them enough credits, those gunsmiths in the technical department would have almost gone on strike on the spot.

There's no other reason than that it's too difficult to modify. They studied and studied everything from the structure to the counterweight, but found that it seemed impossible to change. In the end, they could only modify the trigger pull and the grip shape, and made special rapid-fire optimizations to the trigger structure.

"Show us your skills and satisfy our new colleague's curiosity," Sirodinger said, noticing Matilda's anticipation and offering kind advice.

When it comes to maintaining a good team atmosphere, the cat-style witchers are incredibly adept at it, possessing a keen sensitivity to the emotions of others.

"Of course, there's also the curiosity of our two little guests." Fearing Arthur might not agree, he placed another chip.

Sure enough, Arthur glanced back at Hailey and Jack, who were staring at him expectantly, and could only shrug helplessly.

"Okay, okay." Arthur pulled his cowboy hat back up and stood in front of the shooting position with his hands on his belt.

He was able to become the light firearms shooting instructor for the group of 'Black King Apostles' because of his genuine skills.

In this setting, it wasn't convenient to conduct any actual combat demonstrations, so Arthur could only set up six time-lapse humanoid targets and stand casually in front of the shooting window.

'Beep!'

As the timer started, the six targets popped out instantly, and then were shot in succession by Arthur, whose hands became a blur of afterimages, almost simultaneously. With the blessing of S.A.S. and his own superb shooting skills, the gunshots were almost a single, continuous sound.

Beep!

The timer synchronization ended, and the time stopped at 0.6 seconds.

After finishing, Arthur changed to a new magazine, held the gun in one hand, summoned a target, and adopted an extremely relaxed shooting posture. He squinted slightly in the swirling smoke and fired slowly and deliberately. After firing six bullets, he successfully created a single, standard circular bullet hole in the target's forehead.

Compared to Jiang Bing's shooting skills that rely solely on numerical values, Arthur achieved his level purely through his superior shooting skills. The results are the same, but the biggest difference is that Arthur's current skill level is entirely due to technique, hard work, and a tiny bit of talent. In other words, his shooting skills can be replicated and cultivated, which is why he became the light weapons shooting instructor at Target Range 17.

After a brief exchange, Sildinger, accompanied by Matilda who was muttering "I knew it was all real in Mewtwo," bid farewell to Arthur, who was still playing with Jack and Hayley, and continued their tour of the military camp.

The armory, melee arena, warehouse, infirmary, defensive watchtower, workshop, operations hall, helipad, and network room were a complex array of buildings that left Matilda dazzled.

"Where is this?" The two walked past a square supply warehouse, and a magnificent and sacred building came into Matilda's view.

Chapter 596 Black King's Chapel

The building's structure is very similar to a typical Catholic church, but its exterior is eerily painted black, even the windows.

“The Great Hall, which everyone privately calls the ‘Black King’ Chapel,” Sildinger led the other person to the entrance and peered inside through the guards.

"This place is mainly used for formal events, such as armor-giving for new recruits, promotions, selection of new blood, and of course, some magical and religious ceremonies."

"Religion? Magic?!" Matilda felt like she had already eaten up all the surprises she would have in the next few years.

“It’s mainly about the belief in the ‘Black King’.” Sildinger pursed his lips. “Although His Highness Sabur doesn’t quite approve of this belief, he hasn’t explicitly forbidden it either.”

Jiang Bing had certainly considered explicitly banning the belief in him, but looking at his 'Black King Apostles' with their fanatical faces, he knew that if he openly banned the belief in him, these fanatics might secretly ruin his religious image.

After all, there are historical precedents for this. Faith is like flood control; it's better to guide than to block.

Of course, more importantly, after he was promoted to [Forger], he discovered that he could clearly feel the power of faith from many 'Black King Apostles' constantly converging on Him.

Then he discovered that this thing could be converted into cash (ether).

Always pragmatic, Mr. Jiang immediately formalized this path, even specifying its form, rituals, religious imagery, and regulations, turning the path of monetizing the power of faith into a long-term financial product.

"This area is generally not open except for major events and routine meetings. Let's continue our tour. I'll take you to see the instructors' dormitory area."

As soon as Sildinger turned around, his eyes narrowed sharply. His extremely keen senses as a cat-like witcher made him instantly feel three miniature, blazing suns approaching him.

Fortunately, his visual system quickly returned to normal, and the three miniature suns transformed into three unusually tall women.

Or rather, three deities!

Sildring is no country bumpkin from the cyberpunk world or the Red Dead Redemption world. The magical power of the Wizarding World is openly displayed, and the existence of gods is no big secret.

“It’s you, little Matilda.” Clara recognized the old acquaintance immediately.

Kragg, with his usual cold expression, stepped forward to negotiate with the church guards, handing over the authorization documents for their inspection, while Clara kept staring at Sildinger.

The gaze of a demigod is not so pleasant to bear, especially since Sirodinger is the most 'sensory' cat-school witcher.

"Sir, is there a problem?"

“How strange, why does your soul have the scent of other creatures? It’s similar to theirs, but different, mixed with a lot of ‘impurities’.” Clara pointed to a row of ‘Black King Apostles’ behind her.

These 'Black King Apostles' all had solemn yet fanatical expressions. The Native American apostles still had battle markings painted on their faces and bodies, which were only applied during important ceremonies, while the Chinese laborers and Qing Dynasty apostles had all just taken a bath. Sildinger's cat nose could smell the scent of incense on many of them.

"Get to work, Clara, hurry up and catch up." Kragg had finished the process and, as the church doors opened, turned back to give the instructions.

"Why don't you come and try it? Maybe it will help your troubled soul," Clara, with her kind heart, stepped forward and invited.

Just as Sildinger was about to refuse, his new colleague gently nudged the hem of his shirt.

"I advise you to think about this carefully."

Sirlodinger's hesitation vanished without a trace once the medical department's genetic experts Florence, Margarita, and Triss Meligold arrived.

Try it, you absolutely must try it.

Even the Dean of Aretusa Academy and the 'Fourteenth Man of the Hill' have come. It seems they are still assisting those three 'gods'. He definitely wants to get involved in this excitement.

The church wasn't large, as it was just a branch office, but the interior decoration was quite elaborate.

The floor is covered with sound-absorbing black velvet carpet or specially treated matte stone slabs. There are no benches, and the lighting is not the religious candles, but bright chandeliers.

This made the church's technological feel dilute its religious atmosphere, giving the overall impression of being neither ancient nor modern.

Twelve pillars support the dome, which should be painted with scenes like 'The Creation of Adam' or 'The Last Supper', but is simply painted black.

The original plan was to have a mural of 'The Day the Black King Descends', but it was rejected when it reached the company's Grand Steward Gloria.

Mr. Jiang had instructed from the beginning that this flashy style was absolutely not allowed.

Fortunately, the 'Black King' apostles were easy to talk to. If they didn't allow the murals, they said a completely dark ceiling was acceptable.

The interior of the church was unusually empty. There were no facilities such as a lectern, baptismal pool, or pulpit. There were no musical instruments, choir, ark, confessional, or prayer table in sight. The only thing in the empty church was a high platform in the center, on which was placed a metal statue of the 'Black King'.

The statue was indeed sculpted with remarkable realism, after all, it was cast by Jiang Bing himself.

However, the overall image of the statue is quite peculiar. He is dressed in a formal-looking black suit, holding his ever-present cane, standing there solemnly, looking straight ahead. The whole image does not resemble a deity, but rather a sculpture of a famous modern figure.

But this did not diminish the respect the 'Black King's Apostles had for him.

After all, great people are not great because of fame and fortune, and devout people are not devout because of a glamorous appearance.

"Entrusted by His Excellency Sabur, I will preside over the torch-lighting ceremony for this 'promotion ceremony'."

Klara slowly stepped forward, stood in front of the group of 'Black King Apostles' waiting to be 'inherited', and lifted her hood to reveal her beautiful face and long black hair.

"I am Krana, daughter of Chaos, progenitor of sorcery, witch of Izalith, and one of the three Fire Keepers of the soon-to-be-established sorcerer legion."

As the witch announced her identity in a chant-like manner, a solemn yet strange atmosphere began to rise within the church.

"I believe you are all the most elite warriors under the 'Black King's' command, the most outstanding among those who have undergone two 'promotions'."

Clara nodded to Clara, who then took out an amulet made of intertwined emerald green roots, placed it in front of her chest, and prayed softly.

The primary function of this root amulet, forged by Jiang Bing (the forger) using materials generously sponsored by Heiml, is to allow the holder to call upon Heiml across the dimensional void.

Sparkling white stars, like fireflies, rose up, a manifestation of Clara's pure white soul power.

Chapter 597 The Fire-Passing Ceremony

“You fight for the Black King, and the One above bestows grace upon you, generously sharing in His power.”

The shattered star disappeared into the void, but soon, dense roots sprouted from the void, and a spatial rift opened precisely in front of all the Black King's apostles.

Three Palicoes, heaving as they carried a huge stone brazier, ran out of the workshop and warehouse area of ​​'Heiml', instantly diluting the solemn atmosphere inside the church.