Chapter 149: Astonorph

Chapter 149: Astonorph



Valeria moved through the winding corridors of the castle, the rifles hovering behind her, held aloft by her dark magic. The stone walls echoed with the distant sounds of activity as creatures of the dark realm went about their duties. She soon reached a heavily reinforced door, its surface inscribed with ancient runes that pulsed faintly with dark energy. She pushed it open and stepped inside.

Inside the chamber was Astonoroph, the chief engineer of the Demon King's army. He was hunched over a workbench cluttered with various mechanical and magical components. His form was lean and wiry, his eyes hidden behind a pair of intricate goggles that glowed faintly as he examined his latest creation. He looked up as Valeria entered, pushing the goggles up onto his forehead.

"Valeria," he greeted, his voice sharp and curious. "I hear you've brought something interesting."

Valeria gave a curt nod and motioned for the rifles to hover closer to the engineer. "These are human weapons," she stated plainly. "They call them rifles. Devoid of magic, but capable of great power. The Demon King wants us to understand them and their potential."

Astonoroph's eyes widened with a glint of intrigue. He reached out and took one of the rifles into his hands, turning it over and examining its form. "Fascinating," he muttered. "Purely mechanical, you say?"

"Yes," Valeria confirmed. "No enchantments, no magical augmentation. Just metal, some white powders, and science."

The engineer carefully placed the rifle on the table and retrieved a set of tools. He began disassembling it with precision, his hands moving swiftly. Piece by piece, the weapon was laid out before him. Astonoroph's eyes darted across each component, his mind already working to unravel the rifle's secrets.

Valeria watched in silence as Astonoroph removed the bolt carrier group, examined the firing mechanism, and scrutinized the barrel. He picked up a round from a magazine and rolled it between his fingers.

"Interesting... this cartridge. It appears to house some sort of projectile encased in a metal shell, with a small amount of what seems to be an explosive powder inside."

He held the round up to the dim light, squinting at it through his goggles. "Simple yet effective. The weight distribution, the shape... it's designed to maximize speed and penetration."

Astonoroph placed the round down and reassembled the rifle. "We need to test this," he said, his voice filled with anticipation. He led Valeria to a side room, a long, narrow chamber lined with reinforced walls. It was used for testing new weapons and spells, designed to withstand high-powered blasts.

Astonoroph loaded the rifle with a magazine and took aim at a distant target-a thick slab of enchanted stone, usually impervious to most non-magical weapons. Valeria stood beside him, her eyes fixed on the rifle.

The engineer nodded, his resolve returning. "We proceed by studying every aspect of these weapons. We test their limits, understand their mechanisms, and learn how to integrate our dark magic with their function. We may not fully grasp the science behind them, but we can still use them to our advantage."

He picked up the rifle again and looked at it with a newfound respect. "This weapon is foreign, yes, but it's also a tool. One we can wield against the humans if we understand its

uses."

Valeria's expression softened, the earlier tension easing slightly. "Begin immediately. The Demon King expects results, and we must ensure that the humans' innovation does not turn

the tide against us."

Astonoroph bowed his head. "As you command, Lady Valeria. I will dissect every aspect of these rifles and find a way to use them to our benefit. But understand this-while we may adopt their weapons, we must also prepare for the possibility that the humans have even more surprises. Their minds work in ways we are only beginning to comprehend." Valeria nodded slowly. "Do what you must. We cannot afford to be caught unprepared."

With that, she turned to leave the chamber, the door closing behind her with a heavy thud. Astonoroph was left alone with the dismantled rifle, the silence of the room pressing in on him. The weight of the task ahead settled on his shoulders. The Demon King expected results, and failure was not an option.

Astonoroph took a deep breath and glanced down at the array of metal parts and brass casings scattered across his workbench.

"If we are to replicate this," he muttered to himself, "we must first understand the science

behind it."

He grabbed a nearby notebook and began scribbling notes. He detailed the rifle's inner

workings, the firing mechanism, and the chemical properties of the gunpowder residue he could analyze without magic. Astonoroph's knowledge of alchemy and elemental magic had always served him well, but this required a different approach-a scientific method that

didn't rely on arcane forces.

And it is going to become difficult from here.