The Calm Before the Next Storm
The ambient hum of Floor 5's city buzzed faintly around Caidyn as she settled onto a worn bench near the sprawling vendor stalls. Neon signs flickered softly, casting kaleidoscopic shadows on the damp cobblestones. This was the place where warriors, merchants, and wanderers alike converged—a brief respite from the relentless grind of the floors.
Her HUD pinged softly. The long-awaited notification appeared, crisp and clear in her vision.
[System Notification]
Reward Calculation Complete.
Bonus Rewards: Quick Clearing Rounds 1–6.
Regular Rewards: Rounds 7, 8, 9.
Overkill Bonus: Achieved on Round 10.
Her rewards tallied with satisfying precision:
1,500 Gold
240 XP
The XP gain pushed her swiftly through two level thresholds—from Level 3 to Level 5—unlocking a surge of new potential. With this advancement, she gained:
15 Stat Points
5 Skill Points
Her core vitals had improved as well:
HP rose to 190
Mana increased to 150
Stamina climbed to 150
Essence Flow maximum expanded from 100 to 150
A subtle glow marked the expansion of her Essence Flow, hinting at the growing power she could channel through her skills and weapons.
[System Notification]
Level Up Complete: Levels 4 & 5
Stat and Skill Points Awarded.
Maximum Essence Flow Capacity Increased.
Alongside the tangible progress, three class-specific random reward boxes appeared in her inventory, their contents a mystery yet filled with potential. The system reminded her that while these rewards aligned with her classes, their usefulness was never guaranteed.
Caidyn exhaled slowly, feeling the weight of growth settle over her. The city was alive with possibilities—and this floor was only the beginning.
Her journey was far from over. The next trials awaited, demanding every ounce of her evolving strength.
The interface glowed softly before Caidyn as she prepared to assign her stat points. Eight points went to Agility, lifting it steadily from
Agility: 17 → 25.
Next, six points flowed into Intelligence, enhancing her mental acuity:
Intelligence: 19 → 25.
For her final point, she chose to bolster her fortune, nudging Luck higher by one:
Luck: 25 → 26.
As the system recalculated, the specialty attributes updated with smooth precision, arrows marking each shift:
Reload Speed: 26 → 38
Elemental Effect Potency: 30 → 39
Evasion: 29 → 39
Tech Mastery: 27 → 33
Precision: 28 → 39
The numbers settled into place, the increase tangible in the soft glow of the HUD.
Caidyn exhaled, feeling the subtle rush of improvement flow through her — faster, smarter, sharper, luckier. The trials ahead would be relentless, but she was better equipped now.
It's more than numbers. It's survival.
The moment the stat adjustments finalized, a soft chime echoed in her earpiece, drawing her attention to the system interface.
[System Notification]
Agility Milestone Achieved: 25
New Skill Unlocked: Evasive Flow
A passive skill that increases evasion and dodge speed by 15%, while reducing stamina consumption during evasive maneuvers.
Almost immediately, another notification flickered into view.
[System Notification]
Intelligence Milestone Achieved: 25
New Skill Unlocked: Modular Adaptation
An active skill that allows minor on-the-fly modifications to modular weapon components, including barrel, body, ammo type, elemental core, and augment.
Caidyn blinked, a faint smile tugging at the corner of her lips. These foundational skills were exactly the kind of edge she needed for the trials ahead—simple yet powerful tools that enhanced both her agility and weapon versatility.
Small steps. Steady climbs.
Away from the hum of the market lanes and the bustle of Floor 5's inner ring, Caidyn found her way to a quiet, shaded ledge overlooking one of the city's lesser-used loading walkways. It was a place made for people who didn't want to be noticed. She sat down slowly, the metal bench groaning under her weight—not from her, but from the Heavy Suppressor she unshouldered and set gently beside her.
Even now, the familiar heft of it tugged at her spine. Thirty-two pounds, she thought, not for the first time. Ridiculous.
She sighed and brought up her system interface, activating the Modular Adaptation skill. A schematic of the suppressor's core layout sprang into focus, glowing in soft amber light. This new skill had opened a door—a small one, sure, but still a door. She hadn't had time yet to truly test its limits, and now seemed as good a time as any.
Alright, she thought, sliding into the virtual overlays. Let's see what you'll let me do.
Her first thought was to add a second core chamber. With her current setup relying so much on synergy effects, the idea of double-stacking elemental outputs on a rotary cannon was tempting.
But as soon as she began sketching out where it would need to go, the system pushed back. Not a hard stop, but a soft, clear limitation—Modification exceeds current skill tier.
She narrowed her eyes. Not the weapon's fault, she realized. The body can probably take it with a full redesign. I just don't have the finesse for that yet.
Refocusing, she shifted gears—less ambition, more utility. Weight. That was a solvable problem.
She examined the inner chassis, toggling through potential lightweight alloys, trimming unnecessary reinforcement supports, shifting the core stabilizer's housing forward to rebalance the load. Nothing drastic—just enough to shave ounces where she could.
Bit by bit, the projected weight counter dropped from 32 to 30... to 28... and finally landed at 25 pounds. Still a beast. But now, a beast she could carry without it dragging her shoulder into the dirt after three sustained bursts.
That's about as far as I can push it for now, she admitted, saving the configuration and syncing it back to her system.
The physical weapon shifted beside her with a low hiss of recalibration. She picked it up, tested its grip and balance, and nodded to herself. Lighter, but still solid. Easier to carry without compromising the firepower she needed.
There's room to go further, she thought. Once I get better at this. If I keep pushing the Adaptation skill, maybe... a lighter frame, a second core chamber. Maybe both.
She leaned back, one hand resting on the now-trimmed suppressor, the other rubbing the tension from her shoulder. Her eyes turned upward, tracing the spires of the city's vertical skyline. So much of the climb had been brutal. Relentless. But here, in these moments, she could feel herself catching up. Shaping her gear. Making it hers.
Step by step, she thought. Gun by gun. Floor by floor.
The climb wasn't just up. It was inward too. And she wasn't stopping anytime soon.
Just as Caidyn was leaning back, flexing out her fingers from the earlier adjustments, a soft chime resonated in her vision. The system's interface shimmered gently, confirming her last action.
[System Notification]
Confirm Modular Adjustment: Gatling-type Weapon Frame (Heavy Suppressor)
Modification Summary: Weight Reduction –7 lbs (to 25 lbs), Structural Rebalancing, No Functional Loss Detected.
Note: Modification is permanent unless overridden with higher-tier Modular Adaptation skill.
Proceed with Configuration?
"Confirm."
The process sealed with a hiss of approval. When she slung the Heavy Suppressor onto her back again, the difference was clear. Still heavy, yes, but not oppressive. It wouldn't swing as sluggishly anymore, and her stamina would thank her mid-fight.
But the bigger challenge was next.
She turned her attention to the Purifier Coil, her anti-armor assault rifle. It was already powerful, but the dual-core system—currently loaded with the Heat Core and Cryo Core—functioned independently. Two separate elemental flows, never meeting, just alternating or layering effects. She wanted more.
She wanted fusion.
She opened the modular interface again, brought up the rifle's schematics, and began working through a different configuration.
What if… what if it wasn't about combining the cores? Not in hardware. What if it was just about rerouting the output path?
She adjusted the virtual pathways, her fingers sliding along the energy flow channels on the interface. One mode would allow the cores to function as intended—two isolated chambers, each powering their bullets independently. But with the right modification…
A toggle. A manual switch.
It wouldn't physically merge the cores, but it would allow the magical output from both to intersect—forcing both cores to feed their energy into the same internal channel and letting that hybrid essence flow into the ammo casing and barrel instead.
[Modification Request: Core Routing Control - Fusion Path Mode]
Objective: Install a dual-channel routing system allowing toggled output: Standard Dual-Core or Cross-Fusion Output (Hybrid).
System Advisory:
Modular Adaptation Skill Tier Insufficient for Safe Hybrid Routing Installation.
Override Path Available — Risk: Frame Damage or Failure.
Warning:
If modification fails, core chamber may be compromised. Estimated frame durability loss: Catastrophic.
Proceed with attempt?
She hesitated—but not long.
"Proceed."
The rifle locked in place. The system spun up, blueprint lines glowing blue, then yellow, then flickering uncertainly between the two. For a moment, the chamber vibrated faintly. An error warning blinked into the corner of her view.
Core Sync Failure Detected. Flow Channel Overlap Misaligned—
Then, in the flicker of a moment, a gentle silver shimmer danced through the screen.
[Luck Activation Triggered]
Outcome Shift: Success—Minor Deviation.
The rifle stabilized with a resonant hum. The warning cleared, replaced by a different notification.
[Modification Installed]
New Function: Core Routing Switch (Manual Toggle)
— Mode 1: Dual-Core Parallel Output
— Mode 2: Cross-Fusion Hybrid Output (Heat + Cryo Channel Merge)
Durability Penalty Applied
Durability: 100 / 140
She exhaled sharply, heart still racing a little. The gun hadn't shattered. That was enough of a win.
Looking over the schematic again, she saw the faint new symbol etched virtually onto the barrel's interior—a togglable node. It was a small thing. But the output options it offered meant more control, more chaos, and more potential.
It didn't fuse the cores. Not really.
But when she flipped that switch, their magic would collide, creating something far less stable… and far more dangerous.
She gave the weapon a pat, letting it rest across her knees.
"You're not perfect," she murmured. "But you're mine now."
The future upgrades would come. Stronger routing channels. Better housing. Real hybrid synergy. But for now? This would work.
And when she fired it next... she'd be watching very closely to see what kind of elemental storm she'd just created.
The afternoon light filtering through the arched crystal skylight of Floor 5's inner sanctum cast shifting reflections over Caidyn's skin. Her fingers were still resting on the body of the Purifier Coil, feeling the hum of the new routing mechanism settle into place. It had worked—barely. But it had worked.
She leaned back, not quite ready to move. Not yet.
That's when the system shimmered again—no soft ping this time. It was deeper, like a reverberation through her bones.
[System Notification]
Skill Development Milestone Reached.
Two Skills have met evolution criteria:
Modular Crafting
(Current Tier: Basic — Progression Tier 1)
Modular Adaptation
(Current Tier: Basic — Progression Tier 1)
New Evolution Paths Available.
Select one of the following:
Modular Crafting (Advanced)
Focuses on deepening component creation, unlocking rare schematics, blueprint customization, and expanded crafting tiers. Enhances ability to craft custom modules from base materials.
Modular Adaptation (Advanced)
Enhances real-time modifications, grants dynamic weapon rebalancing, elemental slot rotation, and structural tuning. Can apply on-the-fly adjustments mid-combat with reduced cooldown.
Unified Evolution: Modular Engineering
A fusion of crafting and adaptation.
Allows both real-time modification and long-term component design. Grants synergy tracking, hybrid blueprint creation, and unlocks the Core Synthesis Path, enabling attempts to permanently fuse compatible elemental cores into unique, unified cores.
Note: Choosing the Unified Evolution Path will consume both skills and consolidate their experience. This choice is irreversible.
Caidyn stared at the text, mouth dry.
This... is big.
She hadn't even expected Modular Adaptation to evolve so soon. But maybe the system had decided the risks she'd taken—and survived—were enough of a signal.
The individual paths had their merits. Advanced Crafting could eventually let her create components on par with vendor exclusives. Advanced Adaptation would let her rewire weapons on the fly, even during combat, which sounded dangerously useful.
But Modular Engineering...
Her eyes lingered on the line that mattered most:
Unlocks the Core Synthesis Path.
A way to actually fuse cores permanently... not just flow them into a hybrid temporarily...
She leaned forward, a slow smirk pulling at her lips. She didn't need time to decide.
"System," she said aloud, voice steady.
"Choose unified evolution."