As soon as the gate opened and the military finished entering, we were finally allowed to pass. Of course, while waiting, we already returned the blankets and other things to my storage. We can't waste materials after all.
The girls said that they wanted to take a rest, so they rode the car that was already waiting for Toki and went back to the guild building. I, on the other hand, ran fast to the dismantling facility close by.
The design I thought of for the World Fragment's handling device was still fresh in my head, after all. Nothing is better than striking while the iron's hot!
As soon as I entered, I noticed that there were more materials stacked up near the right wall. Toki did mention that she had already sent materials I could use, but to think they could get them that fast!
"The thing I'm creating is partly electrical, after all."
I can't make everything plain out of hammering iron or molding materials.
After giving the newly delivered materials a once-over, I placed them all in my World Storage. With that, all's prepared.
I ran to the forge, started it up, and created a rough outline of the parts I needed. The parts don't really require precision, so I could finish it in under an hour. On top of the table, the parts of the prototype were placed.
I tried lifting up the assembly and was satisfied with its bulk and weight. I needed two hands to hold it up, though, given the unstable center of gravity.
"Now, time to create the main part..."
From the materials I asked for, I took an electronic oscillator, something like a speaker stripped down to its most basic unit, and strapped it into the frame. After setting up the wiring and some basic circuitry, the prototype was done.
"... It's ugly, but it gets the job done." I sighed.
After I placed the World Fragment into the dedicated slot, right in front of the oscillator, I plugged in the entire contraption.
*VWUOOOO!*
The sound of the oscillator coming into life was heard as a short burst of buzzing sound. With that as a sign, I was convinced that my impromptu circuit was working well.
"Now then..."
Playing with the knob and adjusting the "frequency" of the sound that it emits, I tuned it to 919 Hz. As soon as I did, the World Fragment started vibrating slowly. "This is a success, right?"
However, the crystal only vibrated, and that's it. Nothing happened further. Noticing my mistake, I quickly modified the circuit, adding another knob to control the "amplitude" or "volume" of the sound.
During the second test, with the frequency still at the set level, I slowly increased the volume. The sound was beginning to make my ears hurt since it was a one-tone beep inside a sealed room. Fortunately, my sacrifice wasn't in vain.
"Yes! It's reacting!" I cheered, seeing the World Fragment start to release a bluish white glow.
I don't have any high-tech detectors for spatial distortions, but I could see proof of the experiment's success. In the middle of the glowing World Fragment, I could see a glimpse of a red world, almost barren of life.
The only problem was that it was too small. Not even my hand could pass through, I presume. "But that's what the shape is for, anyway!"
As soon as I confirmed that the model was a success, I started to create the final design. A conical nozzle, a spherical compartment in the middle, and a bulky handle that would hold all the "sensitive" parts. After a few hours of tinkering, the Portal Gun was completed!
[
Name: Interdimensional Portal Gun (Prototype)
Type: Gun
Attack Power: 0
Durability: 10/10
Ability: When equipped with a World Fragment, it can open portals leading to different worlds.
Description: An item created by a rising crafter to harness the mystical power of the World Fragment. A precise device that works reliably well but needs constant energy feed.
]
"Nice! It's done!" I celebrated as soon as I completed the finishing touches.
The gun was as long as an RPG launcher, roughly a meter, and had a conical muzzle. The muzzle itself doesn't have a "hole" per se, as I covered the entirety of it with lenses to "expand" the light coming from the World Fragment. The main part, right above the handle in the middle of the device, was the spherical compartment for the World Fragment. I was scared to integrate the orb as is, as I might break it if something bad happened, so I designed it so that I can take out the orb anytime.
"But this thing is too heavy!"
Normal guns would weigh roughly under 10 kilograms, but this behemoth weighs over 40 kilograms! Not only because I used dense metals as a frame, but also because of the several heavy capacitors I added to ensure the steady flow of electricity to the oscillator and a precise and constant stream of frequency hitting the orb.
"Now, to test it..."
I plugged the gun into the socket, as adding batteries would simply make the entire thing too bulky to lift. As soon as I did, I played with two of the three knobs, one more than the initial test design, and aimed the gun forward.
*GIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIN!*
An irritating sound and vibration could be felt coming from the gun, but thanks to the several layers of dampers I added, it wasn't bothering me as much as the initial design. It was now to the same degree as an annoying mosquito flying near your ears.
Before me, a tall, oblong hole in space appeared, bordered by the familiar blue and white light from the World Fragment. At its center, an unfamiliar scene was reflected: that of a barren land with little to no life.
"..."
Although I was curious about the land beyond the portal, I still need to confirm two things. One is the presence of oxygen. Humans can only live with a certain percentage of oxygen in the air, after all. If the other side has no breathable air, then I'll die quickly. And the second and most important factor is, "Are there hostile forces on the other side?"
After careful observation, I determined that the spot I opened the portal on was clear of enemies. That made me feel a slight sense of relief.
For the second test, I have no easy way to check. I don't have any devices to detect the air content on the other side, after all. As soon as I noticed that, I reluctantly released the portal gun's trigger, powering it off. "For now, I should show this to Toki and the rest."
I quickly packed up, cleared the worktable, and went out of there. I guess it was obvious, but I had no idea how the little device I made would impact the whole world by then.
---
"The signal from the last crack in space disappeared," a woman announced in a confused tone.
In an unknown room, lit by nothing but the glowing screen of myriads of computers and one gigantic screen at the far end, showing a map of the world with green, red, and blue dots scattered across its surface, dozens of personnel had frowns covering their faces.
"Any chances that it was just a malfunction of our sensors?" A man wearing what looked like a specific army's uniform, with his chest covered by medals, asked in his deep baritone voice.
The woman pressed several buttons, confirming the state of the sensors, before shaking her head. "The sensors are working as intended, sir. It's just that the signal was too small to pinpoint."
"Hmmm." The man hummed, staring at the blinking blue dot on the screen. It was in a certain part of what used to be Japan, but they failed to pinpoint the location any further. "Keep watch over that country. They've been raising waves for a while there, after all."
The creation of not one but two legendary-level weapons, each rivaling the most prized technology made by the leading powers of the world in secret, was something they couldn't miss. Furthermore, the presence of the Witch of Ruin, the alleged highest-level human in the world at present, and her possession of one of the said artifacts alerted them greatly.
"Such strength is only allowable for our country," the man whispered in a low tone, as if grumbling. "What's the progress of negotiations with the Todoroki Enterprise?"
This time, a man answered his question, "Regarding that, they are keeping their silence and don't want to share the name of the said crafter. However, we've heard news that the man who created the two legendary weapons started a guild sanctioned by three cities."
"A guild? That could make this a bit more troublesome... Their scale?"
Guilds usually number from hundreds to thousands of members, after all. Messing with a member of a large guild could be bad news for even them.
"That... There's currently seven, apparently," the man replied, his tone unsure.
"Seven? Are they that confident with their strength?" The man sitting in the center of the room, who looked like a general or something of higher standing, waved his hand forward and commanded.
"Ignore the negotiations with the Todoroki and move to Plan E-77! If they're not willing to give the crafter to us, then we'll just take him by force!"
A seed of trouble had sprouted, something that would later lead to widespread chaos, but Mahiro had no way of knowing about it just yet.