When it came to golden fingers, Arthur was no stranger. After all, countless movies and novels have depicted these phenomena more than once. These objects often served as tools for protagonists to shake up the world or were essential items for saving humanity.
Their functions varied widely. Some were designed for upgrading skills, transforming even the simplest tasks like noodle-making into a culinary masterpiece fit for royalty. Others were tailored for cultivating flowers and plants, effortlessly yielding spirit flowers and immortal herbs, guiding one to the pinnacle of existence.
Taking it a step further, some could absorb negative emotions from others, leaving the host bombarded with heart-wrenching remarks. Talk about an emotional rollercoaster!
In summary, the types of golden fingers were as numerous as the fish swimming in a river.
Yet, the crucial distinction lay in the "crossed over" genre of golden fingers…
As commonly known, these types of golden fingers were often system-based. Arthur couldn't fathom who had crafted so many systems, casually tossing them into parallel worlds.
Yet, once the hosts received them, not a single one thought to gripe about this littering. They cherished them, safeguarding them from discovery for fear of being dissected or worse.
Arthur suspected that his golden finger fell into the "crossed over" category.
Regarding his own golden finger, the Disassembler, it bore semblance to a system setting. It would abruptly display information, catching one off guard and delivering an unexpected deluge of data.
In his innermost thoughts, Arthur called out to the Disassembler, and true to form, it materialized in his mind.
This marked the first occasion Arthur had to inspect the contraption closely.
The verdict? Aside from being significantly more weathered than its counterpart in the game DNF, it boasted virtually no discernible differences in appearance.
Thus, Arthur deduced that what he had brought over was indeed the Disassembler from DNF.
However, the functionality of the Disassembler was quite distinct from its virtual counterpart.
Furthermore, hovering above the Disassembler were a few sizable characters: "Newbie Intermediate Disassembler!"
Clearly, the level had shifted, and at the bottom, a bar resembling a progress indicator lay. Yet, what confounded Arthur was that the text on the progress bar deviated from the standard 'XX/XX' format; instead, it read '∞'!
"What in the… What kind of format is this?" Arthur mused, bewildered. "Could it be that my Disassembler is already at max level?"
After a thorough examination, he confirmed that it still bore the label "Newbie Intermediate Disassembler." Clearly, it had yet to reach the pinnacle of advancement!
Moreover, what top-tier Disassembler resembled a decrepit piece of scrap metal, akin to discarded junk awaiting recycling?
The predicament arose: How did this '∞' come about?
Poking and prodding with his thoughts was a skill that essentially belonged to the self-taught; anyone could figure it out.
But after tinkering for a while, the Disassembler remained unresponsive.
Arthur realized, "It seems this thing lacks touchscreen capabilities."
Continuing to fiddle with it, he discovered that this Disassembler was exceedingly 'aloof,' practically exuding an air of 'disdain' towards Arthur. Despite his efforts, it remained unyielding, devoid of any advanced AI or similar components. It simply ignored his every action!
Arthur was stumped. Other people's golden fingers, especially those of the system type, would respond instantly, issuing tasks and even making playful threats like, 'If you don't complete the quest, I'll erase you, you know~~~~~.' They might even come with a cute image attached.
But this thing clearly wasn't a system—just a lump of iron, the Disassembler. Apart from popping up announcements and spitting out quite a few skill books, it didn't offer much else!
"Well, it's better this way. It saves me from being startled when doing something I can't tell anyone about," Arthur thought. Suddenly, he felt that a high and mighty golden finger that didn't speak was more comfortable to use. As long as the functions were effective, did it really matter if it could talk?
In fact, when Arthur read novels himself, he sometimes felt disgusted by those talkative system genres. So, the current state was quite satisfying.
However, due to this, he couldn't figure out the various functions of the Disassembler, especially the '∞' experience bar, which left him utterly speechless.
Unable to glean any new information, Arthur decided to halt his exploration.
Recalling the weapons he had brought back from the enemy's ordnance depot, Arthur felt a surge of excitement. Opening the Disassembler space, he extracted a rifle. When the prompt appeared, asking whether to disassemble the 'G43 rifle,' a curious question suddenly crossed Arthur's mind.
During his time in the enemy camp's ordnance depot, there had been no language barriers in either speaking or understanding. Now, reflecting on it, this seemed problematic. He couldn't recall learning any other languages, and he wasn't exactly proficient in English.
Now not only were listening and speaking fluent and natural, but even writing seemed effortless. Arthur pondered whether certain hidden functions of the Disassembler were at play or if there was only one universal language throughout the world.
As this thought arose, Arthur suddenly chuckled. In movies, even Thanos with his 'finger snap' communicated in English. Finding himself dwelling on language issues in such an absurd world felt unnecessary, to say the least.
[Announcement!]
[Equipment Disassembled Successfully!]
[Beginner Rifle Shooting Experience *1]
[Disassemble Experience +1]
[Equipment Disassembled, Would you like to extract at once?]
"Uh!"
Arthur, who had just been chuckling, was instantly dumbfounded when he saw this prompt.
What in the world??
There was only one Beginner Rifle Shooting Experience and not a single Battle Soul.
Did he just disassemble a dud weapon?
He pulled out another one and carefully examined it— there were no issues at all!
"A brand-new, shiny gun!"
Arthur muttered, then chose to disassemble.
However, the result of the disassembly was exactly the same as the last time. Besides a consolation prize-like [Beginner Rifle Shooting Experience *1] and [Disassemble Experience +1], there was nothing else!
This left Arthur dumbfounded.
His primary purpose for venturing into the ordnance depot was to enhance himself, but now?
"Is it a fake gun?"
This thought was absurd, as his knowledge about firearms told him that all these weapons were genuine and brand new!
"Brand new?"
Arthur suddenly froze. "Could the problem be here?"
Scouring through the Disassembler space, he found a weapon he had stripped from a soldier and tossed it into the Disassembler.
A dozen seconds later, Arthur stared at the seven new Beginner Rifle Shooting Experience books and a battered Battle Soul in his hand, his expression somewhat perplexed.