Bab 7: Fusion of Flesh and Steel: The Synth Antlion Emerges
[MC's POV]
*BEEP!*
"Ah... So, you are finally awake." I said as I tried to Speak, But the only thing that came out was a high-pitched beep.
I chuckled as I turned my turret and gazed at the lifeless bug on the ground.
"It's time to save this leggy critter and add it to my blueprints. Soon, I'll be able to move around and, who knows, maybe even communicate in some weird form of mechanical charades."
I turned my turret and gazed at the lifeless bug on the ground.
"I wonder how these things smell. Probably awful... like a burning trash bag soaked in sewage. Yeah, that's likely it. I'm grateful I don't have a sense of smell right now."
I watched as the Combine Soldier Stood, up and began to walk over to the other one lying on the ground and began to check on him. I was surprised when he Slapped him awake.
"Oof... that looks like it hurt, maybe they aren't friends?"
I Didn't Listen to their Conversation, as I looked at the bug corpse ready to disassemble it
"Since when Were Combine Soldiers, so human? he looks Almost Worried for his Mate, do they know each other or something?"
[User, are you sure you want to Do this in front of them?]
"Hm? Yeah, what's the problem?"
[Because if these two happen to get out of this place Alive, they Could Be Informational Hazards and may lead to more attention drawn to you and likely... lead to your death.]
"It's finnnee... Don't worry about it, I decided not to fix their gear, so they can't call for backup if they decide to double-cross me. And if they do? Well, it'll be a bang! bang! and sweet dreams for them."
[User, Before You Begin, once this is complete, I will be Limited in Assisting you going forth.]
"That's alright, I think I've graduated from needing any more handholding. I'm ready to navigate this mess on my own, no training wheels required."
I locked onto the Antlion Corpse and a white circular crosshair appeared. A horizontal laser began to beam out and scanned over the antlion corpse, causing it to dissolve before my eyes. It did not take long before I completely consumed it. The system notification rang up, prompting me.
[This body can serve as a blueprint for future creations. Would you like to save this template for later use?]
After accepting the Prompt, with a thought I entered the mind menu and Navigated Over to blueprints, and there it was.
[Antlion Worker template.]
I clicked on the Template, and an antlion worker materialized onto the platform, A button appeared asking me if I wanted to start Synthetization.
"Synthetization? So, I can Turn this into a Synth Like the Strider? and what not? Okay... Start Synthetization!"
[This process will Consume a Large amount of your Points, although it is Discounted if we use the original Body.]
"Oh Sure, And... is there any Way, I could customize it A bit?"
[of course, But anything Added extra will Consume more Points.]
"That's Okay, I just want you to make it as Light as Possible, I Don't Care About Armor or whatnot, I don't plan on getting shot.
[of course, and what will be Done with the access biomass?]
"Just... uhm. keep it?"
[ 5 Biomass added.]
[Affirmative, Starting the process now.]
I stood transfixed as a brilliant white glow emerged on the antlion, bathing the tips of its legs in an ethereal light that ascended along its body. I was captivated by the mesmerizing sight of its form undergoing a gradual metamorphosis, as it was being infused with a seamless blend of mechanical and biological technology.
As it was finished, I began to Inspect my newly created, Synth Antlion!
Its outer exoskeleton was now Sort of merged with dark, reflective metal, keeping its original Shape, with Slight Differences, its legs kept their flexibility, staying partially biological but were reinforced with powerful, piston-driven mechanical segments, the ends of the legs ending a razor-Sharp spike.
The head maintained a semblance of its original insectoid shape but was now dominated by a single-barreled pulse gun. Four blue optical eyes arranged slightly up and behind the other on the sides of the head, provided a better field of vision. Two eyes pointed forward, while the other two pointed somewhat outward, ensuring no blind spots.
The thorax was a blend of synthetic muscle fibers, hidden beneath armored plating, a couple of cables and conduits snaked along the sides of its body the Cables attaching to the neck, its abdomen, now a compact and armored segment, housed an internal energy core, glowing faintly.
The slender appendages below the thorax, designed for manipulating objects, underwent a subtle alteration. predominantly composed of the same metallic material, they now sport small claw-like "hands" at their extremities, reminiscent of a hawk's talons.
" This is... Perfect! Alright, I can't wait to Stretch my Legs."
[Quest "Tutorial" has been completed, and you have been awarded, a free technological Upgrade Point, Please Choose a Part of your body you wish to Upgrade.]
"OH? Well, that's exciting to hear! Hmm...let's think..."
"I could Upgrade my eyes, but... I Don't have a problem with them besides the blue filter kind of gets in the way of things...or I Could upgrade my firepower... I kind of think it's a bit lacking, as that Antlion was dangerously close to turning me into a pile of metal mush..."
"Okay! I choose to Upgrade my Firepower."
[Affirmative, you may Choose from this list of Available Tech, Stored in the systems database.]
And at that, a new Screen popped up, and a Long List of upgrades Popped Up, some even Detailing entirely new weapon systems I could add to my body.
"Hm... These Ones seem Quite Simple... Adding a second gun. I could even Switch my Ammo type to Ballistic weaponry. no, I think I'll keep This type of ammo; it seems that ballistic weaponry and pulse ammunition are quite similar, at least in how it looks when I shoot things."
"Hm... what's this? An Energy Resonator? What does that do? hm...by the description here it says that it stores and amplifies energy for a powerful discharge, That Sounds pretty Sick!"
I scrolled past it and began to Look at the Long List of upgrades, after about 5 minutes of Scrolling I Picked out the Most useful ones and started to think about which one I should Pick, I made a list in my Mind, and began to Sort them out.
[Energy Resonator]
[precision, targeting Module.]
[Lightning Arc Projector]
[Electrostatic Disruptor]
[Micro-Missile Pod]
I sighed and began to pick from the five options laid out before me.
"Let's see here... Precision targeting module... Ah, the sniper's dream. Perfect for those times when you want to impress enemies with your impeccable aim and still manage to miss."
"Lightning Arc projector? Seems like a great way to zap enemies and accidentally toast my own circuits. Just what I need, a shocking surprise for everyone."
"Electrostatic Disruptor. Like a fancy taser. Useful for when I want to give enemies a shocking revelation without the commitment of a long-term relationship."
"And here's the kicker, shoot small, guided missiles that explode on contact with enemies. Explosions? Sounds like a blast! But seriously, how big are these explosions anyway? It's not like I can take a test drive to find out."
"GHh....rhhmmmmmmOkay... I think I've Decided."
"I'm Gonna go with the Lightning Arc projector!"
"Considering the massive Swarms of Antlions I'm about to face, having something to Deal with lots of them at once is going to make this a cakewalk, just need to watch out where I'm aiming it."
I selected the Arc projector, and the screen disappeared. Just above my new body was the Lightning Arc Projector, which resembles a sleek, cylindrical device about the size of a large flashlight. At the front of the device, a series of small, circular emitters are arranged in a concentric pattern, encircling a central focusing lens.
Feeling a sense of excitement, I thought to myself, "Nice! Okay, now I guess I'll just incorporate it into my face... just a little below and to the left." With careful precision, I added it on and watched as it integrated seamlessly. Admiring the result, I looked proudly at my new body and, before I did anything else, I made sure to save this body to my blueprints, just in case.
And then I promptly exited, my Mind menu.
Status Power Mingguan
-- Peringkat
Power 
-- Power
stone