Weeks have passed since the day Gerhard fought the Tyranids, and he started out turning into the Gamer version of Tony Stark. And he had a lot to show for it.
[Power Cell – Grade: Rare]
Capacity: 180 shots
Special Effects:
Energy Amplification
→ +15% damage
Improved Efficiency
→ slower drain
-
Gerhard had done the same thing to the power pack as he did with the cartridge. He did extensive research, took it apart, then put it back together, repeating the process over and over again.
And in that process, he had gained new skills with great potential.
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
[Through the successful creation of a functional energy system using mechanical design and mana integration, 'Engineering' has been created.]
Engineering (Passive) Lv.1
| The ability to design and create complex mechanical systems.
Effects:
| Unlocks advanced crafting paths.
| Improves synergy between tools, materials, and components.
| Slight increase in successful creation of multi-stage items.
| +50% INT during the process of engineering.
-
And he had abused his gamer abilities, levelling up his skills over the past few weeks. And it was amazingly effective. The greatest achievement was when he finally reached [Adept Creation]. He had worked relentlessly and reached [Novice Creation - lv. 100], which allowed him to advance the skill to [Beginner Creation]. After that, he hadn't stopped grinding and reached [Apprentice Creation]. And now, after weeks of working and experimenting, improving all his gear, weapons, ammunition and skills, he had reached [Adept Creation].
The next steps for this skill were: Adept -> Special -> Legendary -> Mythical -> Transcendental.
Adept Creation (Active) Lv. 3
| EXP: 19.23%
| A skill to create objects using materials and blueprints. Civilisation has been developed through humans creating items. As the skill level increases, the quality of the manufactured item improves.
Effects:
| Registered blueprint: 182+
| 0% chance of failure when crafting items below Adept Grade.
| 47% chance of failure when manufacturing items of Adept Grade or above.
| 50% less consumption of resources for items below Beginner Grade.
-
It wasn't his goal of [Special Creation], which would have allowed him to forego needing resources for creating Novice Grade items entirely. But it was good nonetheless. The amount of resources needed to create Adept Grade items was the same as they were when he wanted to create Novice Grade items using [Novice Creation]. So that was good.
And he had created some very good weapons and tools.
[M36 Kantrael Pattern Lasgun – Rank: Adept]
- Durability: 250/250
- Damage: 110
- Critical Chance: 8%
- Charge Capacity: 200
Special Effects:
+20% accuracy
+30% damage
+10% firing speed
.
[Power Pack – Rank: Adept]
- Capacity: 210
Special Effects:
+20% damage
improved sustained fire
-
[Custom Autogun – Rank: Adept]
- Durability: 230/230
- Damage: 50
- Critical Chance: 9%
- Fire Rate: 700 rpm
Special Effects:
+25% accuracy
+25% fire rate
no spread increase
.
[Autogun Magazine – Rank: Adept]
- Capacity: 60
Special Effects:
reduced reload frequency
no accuracy loss during bursts
.
[Autogun Rounds – Rank: Adept]
- Damage Modifier: +30%
- Critical Chance: +6%
Special Effects:
ignores 25% armour
+25% damage
-
[Power Sword - Rank: Adept]
- Durability: 280/280
- Damage: 650
- Critical Chance: 17%
Special Effects:
ignores 80% armour
+40% crit damage
- 15% energy requirement
.
[Power Field Generator – Rank: Adept]
- Durability: 220/220
- Energy Consumption: Low
Special Effects:
+20% energy flow
+20% weapon damage
no energy fluctuation
-
Those were some seriously powerful weapons, considering that Gerhard started with scrap and the salvaged weapons he got from the Xenos he killed. But that wasn't even the best part. The coolest of his creations were these:
[Genestealer Hybrid Flak Armour – Rank: Adept]
- Durability: 620/620
Effects:
+60% Physical Resistance
+75% Explosive / Fragmentation Resistance
+35% Energy Resistance
Bio-Reactive Plating
→ slightly adapts to incoming damage type (+10% resistance after hit)
Chitin Reinforcement
→ reduces damage from claws, blades and melee by an additional 10%
Impact Dispersion (Basic)
→ slightly reduces blunt force trauma
Thermal Absorption (Basic)
→ reduces heat-based damage
Set Bonus:
+20% Damage Reduction when stationary
+10% durability to all equipment
+5% HP regeneration in combat
+10 to STR, DEX and VIT when worn
-
[Refined Tyranid Power Sword – Rank: Rare]
- Durability: 290/290
- Damage: 650
- Critical Chance: 18%
Special Effects:
→ ignores 80% armour
→ +60% critical damage
→ +20% damage
-
These were Gerhard's greatest creations to date, because they showed that he could truly create almost anything he set his mind to. And this was only Genestealer and Flak Armour mixed, and Genestealer claws and steel. There were many even greater things to be combined.
But that was that. In terms of skills, Gerhard had 'developed' two more, which, in his opinion, were essential.
Detect Presence (Passive) Lv. 1
| EXP: 0.00%
| MP: 8
| A skill that allows the user to sense nearby presences through subtle environmental changes and instinct.
Effects:
| - 5% increased awareness of nearby entities
| - Slight chance to notice hidden or obscured enemies
| - Instinctive alert when hostile intent is directed at the user
-
Stealth (Active/Passive) Lv. 1
| EXP: 0.00%
| MP: 10 per minute
| A skill that allows the user to move quietly and reduce their presence.
| The higher the skill level, the harder it becomes for enemies to detect the user through sound, movement, and instinct.
Effects:
| - 5% reduction in noise made while moving
| - 3% harder to detect by sight in dark or cluttered environments
| - Slight suppression of hostile awareness when remaining still
-
The stealth skill could be used actively or passively. As soon as he used the skill, it cost 10 MP per minute and wouldn't stop unless he voluntarily stopped using it. Otherwise, it was always on. And 10 MP wasn't that much, honestly. After weeks of studying, experimentation, and grinding, he could afford to have it on at all times.
------------------
|Name: Gerhard
|Class: The Gamer
|Level: LV23
------------------
|HP: 860/860
|MP: 651/651
------------------
STR: 35
VIT: 25
DEX: 24
INT: 62
WIS: 28
LUK: 2
------------------
|Points: 70
|Money: 0
------------------
Gerhard's MP regen was now 27.21 per minute. If he used [Stealth], he was at 17 MP/min regen, and he could even use [Mana Shield] on top of that. In fact, thanks to [Mana Control], the skill, which usually costs 30 MP to cast, now costs 25 MP, and instead of needing 5 MP per minute for upkeep, it now only needs 4.25.
This meant that he could keep four [Mana Shields] active at all times and still slowly regenerate 0.21 Mana per minute.
Glorious grinding for the win.
The difference in his fight against the Genestealer Cult was evident, and it planted a big grin on his face. But it was now time. Time to exit his workshop and show the Xenos what it was like to fight against a Gamer.
In a way, Gerhard was like the Flaxan race from the Invincible comics. Time flowed differently in their dimension, so they usually returned with better gear and strategies. Only that Gerhard was the Gamer, and so, he was far the bigger threat.
.
.
The deeper Gerhard went, the more the disgusting feeling of the Underhive filled the air. Something had definitely changed, in Gerhard's opinion, but he couldn't quite tell what that was. It felt more... alive.
Not alive in the way people were. Not breathing, thinking, with a heart and blood, but active in a sense. The air grew heavier and more tense with every step. It clung to his skin, damp and toxic, carrying the sour rot of decay and poison mixed with metal, Xenos blood, and diseases.
Every breath tasted wrong. It hurt his lungs, and the system confirmed it.
[You have been poisoned]
HP: -2
[You have been infected]
HP: -3
"FUCK!"
HP: -2
HP: -3
HP: -2
HP: -2
HP: -3
Gerhard didn't waste a second. Why hadn't he thought of this? Of course, there were toxins and decay and diseases... he had seen the Plague Zombie, had he not? What a shitty mistake on his part.
He acted quickly, taking out a soul stone and using [Mana Meditation], feeling the energy flow through him. He took out a handful and pressed them on his body, forcing his Mana to flow through them and trying to absorb the energy.
HP: -1
HP: -2
HP: -1
His health was dropping more slowly now, and after a few very tense minutes, he finally succeeded.
[A skill has been created through a special action.]
Burning Spirit Principle (Active) Lv. 1
| EXP: 0.00%
| MP: 50
| This skill is for recovery, originating from shamanism. Some people can possess spirits within their bodies and use the spirits' power directly. With this skill, you can heal yourself and others.
With a spirit stone:
| 50 HP and 50 MP recovered.
| Abnormal condition and sieased recovered.
Without a spirit stone:
| 50 HP recovered.
| Abnormal condition and disease recovered.
-
"Ahhhh... haaaa... permission to say cock?"
Gerhard heaved as he managed to recover and purge the disease and toxins. But he wasn't fully immune to anything. The toxins and the decay returned and affected him once more, forcing Gerhard to use the [Burning Spirit Principle] over and over again.
[Mana Shield] x4
MP: - 100
Gerhard created four shields and waited for the toxins and infections to affect him again.
[You have been poisoned]
HP: -2
[You have been affected by decay]
HP: -4
[Burning Spirit Principle]
[Burning Spirit Principle]
...
...
[A new skill has been created through a special action.]
[A skill to resist toxins, diseases, and other biological contaminations, 'Toxin and Disease Resistance', has been created.]
Toxin and Disease Resistance (Passive) Lv. 1
| EXP: 0.00%
| The body adapts to harmful substances such as poisons, diseases, toxins, decay and biological contaminants.
| Developed through repeated exposure, survival and recovery from harmful effects.
Effects:
| -5% damage and duration from poison, toxins and diseases
| -2% chance to completely resist minor toxins
| Slightly reduces debuff severity (weaken, nausea, fatigue)
-
"Finally. I thought I'd need to stay here forever."
[Mana Meditation]
[Toxin Resistance has levelled up]
Gerhard meditated for a few minutes until his MP was full again and he could get going. He had four Mana shields active, a full Mana bar and the essential skill of Toxin and Disease Resistance—time to move forward.
.
The tunnels narrowed, and then opened again, just like they did the first time Gerhard went exploring down here. Sometimes the paths led through monstrous buildings with broken chambers filled with collapsed structures and rusted machinery. A distant drip echoed through the air, catching Gerhard's attention. A scrape somewhere came from behind. It made orientation unreliable.
Gerhard moved slowly, using [Detect Presence] as much as he could. Each step was placed with care; he distributed his weight, avoided loose debris and unstable metal and didn't rush. His breathing was controlled, following his breathing method. His eyes moved around constantly, using [Observe] on everything, the ceilings, gaps between wreckage, the walls, the ground... everything.
He had gotten considerably more careful.
[Detect Presence]
It wasn't a loud alert like Danger Sense or bloodlust detection, just a faint pressure at the edge of Gerhard's awareness, like a subtle itch in his mind pointing to the left.
He stopped and raised his Lasgun, getting into position behind some wreckage.
There was no immediate movement, only the usual strange sounds and a half-collapsed wall with a mound of scrap. But the feeling didn't fade, so Gerhard crouched slightly and raised his lasgun, moving across the surroundings until suddenly, a small part of something emerged from behind the wall in the distance.
Gerhard didn't hesitate and pulled the trigger, only once.
PEW-
Whatever it was jerked behind the scrap pile, followed by a thin, choked sound of something falling to the ground.
Now, did he know what he shot just now?
No.
Had he used [Observe] first to check what that was?
No.
Did his Danger Sense go off or his bloodlust detection, to tell him that he might be in danger?
No.
What if it had been a mother with a child, or another human? Did he think about that?
Also no.
So was it the right thing to do?
FUCK YES! Gerhard wasn't going to take any chances.
[Scavvy Raider defeated]
[+380 EXP]
He stepped forward cautiously, moving as he thought the special forces would move, keeping his attention on the surroundings.
When he finally reached the place, a scavvy came into view. Its head had a hole in it, where the las-beam cut through it, one eye was still open, and a rusted autogun had slipped from its hands. There was no beam and no warning. No blood whatsoever. The scavvy was just dead.
Gerhard exhaled quietly and placed the body into his inventory, more out of habit than necessity. But he was not going to look down on free resources, now that he wasn't able to create resources from nothing. That required [Special Creation] to do. But he would get there.
Gerhard didn't linger and moved on.
.
Further in, the tunnels changed again. There was less structure to the structures and more collapse and rubble, toxic lakes and radioactive blocks for no reason. The walls looked like they had melted in some places and then cooled again under pressure and time. Entire sections of old hab-blocks had fused into each other, creating jagged corridors that twisted unpredictably.
The smell got worse. The smell of rot. Not the smell of a fresh death, but that old, lingering type that could only mean one thing.
[Detect Presence]
This time it wasn't subtle, and there were multiple pings. Gerhard's eyes narrowed as he looked ahead.
He moved even slower now, almost hugging the wall. He was keeping his head low and his lasgun high. A faint sound reached him. The sound of dragging and uneven footsteps. A wet rasp and throaty groan that Gerhard was well acquainted with at this point. Something was bumping into metal over and over again.
He leaned slightly and looked around the edge of a broken support beam.
There, the figures could be seen: Plague Zombies. Three of them.
Their bodies were bloated in places, and their skin dripped mucus, making a hissing sound as it touched the floor. Skin peeled off in places, stretched loosely in others and even sprouted disgusting tumours. One dragged a leg that barely held together. Another's head lolled at an unnatural angle, with his jaw hanging loose and salivating.
And behind them were several scavvies. They watched the Plague Zombies like tools, keeping a close eye on them, to make sure they wouldn't touch them. Chains ran from their hand to the zombies, wrapped tight around their necks.
Gerhard frowned. There were quite a lot of them. The question was why there were so many. Usually, Plague Zombies were too dangerous to keep as some contagious pets, and the Scavvies pushed them against the enemy. But Gerhard couldn't find an enemy around, so why were they here?
Was there an increase in Plague Zombies? Gerhard hoped not. He begged that this was a random spread. And not that someone was creating them. One of the scavvies suddenly sniffed the air, its head twitching. Realising that his stealth wasn't high enough levelled to avoid detection forever, he acted.
He aimed his lasgun and fired. The first shot punched through a scavvy's skull, killing it on the spot. This created confusion and chaos amongst them, which Gerhard knew would happen. He aimed at one of the chains around a Plague Zombie's neck and fired.
The las-shot broke through the chain and freed the Plague Zombie. The Scavvies who had looked at their deceased brethren were now aiming their weapons forward, firing randomly and looking for the one responsible for the shot. Because of this, they hadn't realised that one of the Plague Zombies had been freed.
And when they did notice, it was too late.
"AAAUUUAUAUAUUUU!!" one of the scavvies roared in pain as the plague zombie bit him in the neck.
Gerhard had already moved and changed positions, firing at another chain to free another zombie. The other scavvies aimed their weapons at the first Plague Zombie, shooting and spilling its blood, killing it. But the first scavvie had already been infected, and it was spreading fast.
The others were just about to put it out of its misery when another red beam punctured clean through the thorax of a scavvy. The chaos was now perfect.
The remaining two Plague Zombies were free, one of the scavvies was about to turn, and two others were dead. Gerhard used the short moment to change positions again, making sure to keep everyone in his line of sight. He pulled the trigger, culling them one by one.
A series of automatic gunfire was buried into the second zombie's chest.
The remaining one turned instantly, reacting to their movement and biting the nearest piece of flesh. The scavvy that had been bitten initially had now lost its mind fully, jumping forward, on one of its brothers.
Gerhard stepped back, already moving.
[Scavvy Raider defeated]
[+380 EXP]
[Scavvy Raider defeated]
[+380 EXP]
[Scavvy Plague Zombie defeated]
[+380 EXP]
The bodies dropped, and all were killed one way or the other.
Silence returned to the place. Gerhard stood still for a moment, listening and using his skill to detect whether there was any presence left.
"Nothing."
He let out a slow breath. Something was strange to Gerhard; he just couldn't say what.