The place gradually fell silent.
Only the hollow sound of wind passing through unseen cracks echoed around them. The soft crackling of firewood mixed with the quiet breathing of four exhausted teenagers sitting in a stone chamber that felt too large and too empty.
All four of them were ditating.
Aliya, Bobby, and Li were digesting the advice Ezra had given them. Each of them replayed their own fights in their minds, noticing mistakes they had overlooked before.
Ezra, however, was replaying his fight with Zack.
He sat still, eyes closed, hands resting on his knees.
The idea of using a variety of Novice-ranked guns was a good one. It really beca a real problem for , especially when he added the Big Four-Barrel Revolver.
He visualized the scene clearly.
The bullets, the clash, and the mont his dagger stopped being enough.
***
The Big Four-Barrel Revolver.
The na explained almost everything.
A revolver designed with only four bullet chambers, each aligned with a separate barrel. The "Big" in its na ca from the ammunition size. While regular revolver bullets ranged between 9.07mm and 10.9mm, this one fired round ranging from 18mm to over 20mm.
Each chamber aligned precisely with one of the four barrels.
When forged properly at seventh or ninth grade, it could leave visible damage even on a flat adamite board.
Within Novice rank firearms...
It was considered one of the apex guns.
***
Ezra’s brow tightened slightly.
The other weapon...
The Acu-Vector Mk.I.
It resembled a flare gun from one of the mory fragnts he had studied. A wide muzzle and a single-slot cylinder.
But its function was different.
***
The Acu-Vector Mk.I fired a specialized bullet.
Inside the bullet casing was a compressed bundle of thin steel needles—anywhere from fifty to two hundred, depending on the skill of the Alchemist who crafted it.
Upon firing, the casing burst open mid-air.
The needles scattered unpredictably, moving in chaotic directions and striking anything within range.
***
Ezra sighed quietly; the sound barely louder than the crackling of the fire behind him.
I could block the needles with accurate shots from my revolver and I could also deflect the rest with my dagger, but that part wasn’t the problem.
His brows tightened slightly.
By the mont he added the Big Four-Barrel Revolver... I lost all balance.
He replayed the exchange in his mind again, the rhythm of defense breaking apart and the way his hands had been forced into choosing which threat to stop.
When those oversized rounds began smashing through my blocking lines, I couldn’t defend properly with both weapons anymore.
He exhaled slowly.
I could’ve used one of my trump cards. That much was obvious, at least I could’ve ended it early.
His fingers twitched slightly on his knee.
But doing that would reveal too much too soon. There are still six trials left in this hell hole.
He let the thought settle.
That’s what I would still be thinking...But things are different now.
His eyes darkened slightly even though they were closed.
Now that I’ve opened the door toward becoming a Binder Alchemist, I don’t need to restrict myself the sa way.
The limitation had shifted.
I can start exploring beyond what I prepared for Novice rank, now that both Novice and Binder-ranked gun series are available to now.
The guns I postponed because of ti constraints and Cognis percentage... Now I can finish formulating them properly.
I can now convert their full chanical structures into Alchemy circles without cutting corners.
During his seclusion before the fourth trial began, he had selected more than just the four guns he labeled as trump cards. He had made notes, rough calculations and structural breakdowns.
But ti ran out and Cognis percentage mattered.
So, he stopped.
The first gun that truly caught his interest back then was...
Kel-Tec PMR-30.
The mont the thought surfaced; the Book of mories manifested inside his mind. Its pages flipped automatically, smooth and controlled, stopping exactly at the weapon he envisioned.
***
Information Record — Kel-Tec PMR-30
A lightweight semi-automatic pistol designed around high capacity and low recoil. Chambered in .22 Magnum (.22 WMR). Recognized for its slim fra and unusually extended magazine capacity compared to traditional handguns.
Function Overview
The PMR-30 operates through a semi-automatic cycling system. When fired, energy from the discharged round drives the slide backward. The spent casing ejects. The recoil spring compresses. The slide then returns forward to chamber the next round.
One trigger pull equals one shot.
The cycle continues until ammunition is exhausted.
Its magazine is engineered to hold a relatively large number of rounds within a compact grip fra, emphasizing the balance between weight and capacity.
Advantages
Lightweight construction
• High ammunition capacity
• Reduced recoil compared to larger calibers
• Slim fra for control and handling
• Lower fatigue during extended use
The pistol favors controllability and balance over overwhelming stopping force.
Manufacturing Overview
The design combines hardened steel for internal stress-bearing components and lightweight composite materials for fra reduction.
The barrel and core internal systems are precision-machined for durability. Other structural components are engineered to reduce overall mass while maintaining alignnt and cycling reliability.
Design Formulas Behind Its Creation
Weight Efficiency = Material Selection × Structural Reduction
• Reliability = Precision Machining Controlled Tolerances
• Recoil Managent = Mass Balance ÷ Energy Discharge
• Capacity Optimization = Magazine Geotry × Cartridge Size
The philosophy prioritizes balance, manageable recoil, extended capacity, and structural harmony over brute power.
***
Ezra stared at the image suspended in his mind.
Honestly... I was shocked the first ti I saw this handgun. Thirty rounds.
A handgun with a capacity of thirty.
Back then, even with mories that weren’t originally mine, the number felt exaggerated.
I never imagined a magazine could hold that many rounds in sothing that small.
And this isn’t even the highest.
The pages flipped again.
Kel-Tec P50 — fifty rounds, using the FN P90 magazines.
Glock 17 and Glock 18 — seventeen rounds standard, thirty-three with extended magazines.
The book shifted back to the PMR-30.
Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly.
The main issue...
Rimfire ammunition, more prone to misfire under stress, and the polyr composite fra doesn’t look suitable for extre reinforcent modification under Alchemical enhancent.
If I reinforce it too much when I reach a higher rank, structural imbalance could occur.
He analyzed it calmly.
Solution? Hmmmm... I could eliminate the polyr material entirely and construct every component using steel, but not ordinary steel.
With Alchemy, I can alter the internal properties. Adjust density without compromising tensile strength and mimic polyr weight while keeping tallic durability.
That ans...
Reducing the steel’s mass while retaining resilience.
He paused.
At Binder rank, that should be achievable, at least in theory. And now that I think about it, other advance guns uses polyrs for its body fra.
His expression steadied.
At least when I reach Binder rank, I should be capable of altering the material properly. He concluded again.
That much made sense to him.
But the last thing discouraging ...
He pressed his lips together slightly.
It’s not ideal for real combat use. He exhaled slowly.
If that’s the case, then I should just forget it. His thoughts tried to settle there.
But sothing kept pulling him back to the design.
He sighed again.
Why do I keep returning to this gun?
The answer didn’t co imdiately.
Instead of forcing it, he flipped the Book of mories again, letting the pages turn until they revealed a different set of firearms.
The guns I must complete... He listed them silently.
M4A1 Carbine.
AK-12 — the upgraded evolution of the AK-47, categorized within Binder rank guns.
Glock 17.
Barrett M82 / M107.
These were the primary weapons the mory bearer had studied deeply, not casually, not as references, but thoroughly.
These designs weren’t random curiosity, they were foundations.
There are more, but this will do for now.
I don’t need to rush; I’ll just build these ones first properly.
He opened his eyes slowly.
The fire had burned lower. Aliya, Bobby, and Li were still seated in ditation. Their breathing was slow and steady.
Ezra studied them carefully.
Their Cognis percentages had improved again.
The change was small, but noticeable.
Progress is progress.
After watching them for a while longer, he stood quietly and walked over to his journal. He wrote down the structural alterations and theoretical adjustnts he had thought of during ditation.
Ti passed.
Later.
And later.
As usual, there was no way to asure it inside the maze, it might have been hours, or days, or even weeks, but eventually...
They were ready.
Aliya stood up first.
She tied her hair back into a tight ponytail, fingers moving quickly. Then she secured the two separated rods of her staff at each side of her waist, adjusting the straps so they wouldn’t shift mid-fight.
She straightened her skirt and leggings. Rolled her sleeves up neatly.
Her expression turned serious.
Ready.
Bobby and Li prepared as well.
Li placed the revolver Ezra had given him carefully inside his space bag. He had practiced the Bullet Alchemy circle repeatedly. Over and over, but he still couldn’t execute it perfectly.
At least, he was closer than before.
Bobby adjusted his gloves and reviewed his internal strategy. As a Flora Alchemist, he had modified his approach entirely. Layered support, controlled enhancent and asured risk.
Ezra’s pointers had changed how he thought about engagent.
"So... from here on, we won’t see each other again until we clear this stage."
Bobby stood before the far-left door as he spoke. His voice carried a nervous edge.
"I’m going to miss you guys," Li whined dramatically before hugging Bobby tightly.
He stood in front of the right-side door.
Aliya narrowed her eyes at them, but her expression shifted when her gaze drifted toward Ezra.
"I’ll see you after this stage," she said softly, trying to keep her tone steady. Trying to sound mature.
"There’s still a chance we continue the sixth stage alone," Ezra replied calmly without even looking at her.
Aliya’s face imdiately changed.
Her mouth dropped open slightly. "Ahhh..."
She slapped her forehead.
"Why do you keep doing this to , Ezra?"
She shook her head dramatically.
Ezra glanced at her.
A faint laugh escaped him.
Aliya froze. "Wait."
She stared at him.
"Did you just laugh at ?"
"I didn’t," he replied flatly.
"You’re lying." She pointed at him accusingly.
"What’s wrong if I did?" Ezra countered evenly. "And what of if, it wasn’t at you."
"Eh... ehmm..."
She stepped back slightly, uncertain.
If he really did laugh... that ans he teased .
For the first ti.
Her face turned pink.
She looked down quickly, not wanting him to see it.
"...Okay," she muttered.
Bobby and Li watched the exchange.
Amused and mildly annoyed.
Aliya and Ezra seem to be enjoying themselves.
The silent cries of two boys inexperienced around girls echoed in their minds.
"Alright." Ezra clapped once.
"Let’s enter."
He looked at each of them.
"It’s been good surviving this stage with you all. Let’s survive this one too. We’ll et at the next stage."
He paused briefly.
"Hopefully Stage Six isn’t individual like the rest."
The three nodded.
Li tightened his fist and pulled his door open.
Aliya glanced at Ezra one more ti, took a slow breath, then opened hers.
Bobby jogged lightly in place.
"I can do it... I can do it..."
He pulled his door open.
Ezra reached for his own.
All four doors opened at the sa ti.
Steam rushed out from within each entrance, curling into the chamber.
Without hesitation...
They stepped forward simultaneously and entered.
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