Serum

Dirk spilled everything that happened to him while at Asura's mountain. His two and a half years of hell, along with the horrible curse that sealed his eyes. 

Pandora was quite surprised. She couldn't help but reaffirm in her mind how unlucky Dirk was. To think he got kidnapped and trained to be a killer in two different lives. While it ended much better this time around, it was clear that he was deeply affected by Asura's torture. 

She didn't say much in comfort. There was nothing really to be said. At the same time though, she had her own complex thoughts. 

At some point, Pandora just left Dirk to recover, going about her own business. 

The next day, she revisited him, and the two battled Eldritch again. This time, they gained 20 meters, making Dirk's domain 220 meters deep. 

The day after, they came back and fought once more. But this time, they gained a mere 10 meters before Dirk stopped. 

Upon getting to 230 meters deep, Dirk felt changes in his dark mana heart. It had fully liquefied. 

When that happened, his entire soul shuddered. The mana hearts that filled the cavities in his soul suddenly expanded, and Dirk's mana hearts were voraciously consumed. 

When Dirk left the Mana Dimension, Pandora quickly followed. She saw as all the mana in the room was violently sucked away, filling his soul to the brim. This time, there was no such thing as running out of ambient mana. The cavities in his soul were easily filled all the way up. 

"Enchant the rune!"

Pandora spoke at that moment. Dirk nodded, and while the mana hearts were being consumed, he formed a rune in his hands. It was the one in his book, and he had long since learned it. 

Like that, he enchanted each his mana hearts, combining them with the new rune and letting them sink into his soul.

The mana hearts finally disappeared, and the surroundings became still. 

Dirk felt heavenly when his soul was able to consume all the mana it wanted. After a while, the mana hearts reappeared, beating with a grandeur that made Dirk's blood surge with elemental power. Pandora had to climb off of him as his skin began to burn with fire, even incinerating the bed under him. His body was that potent with mana at the moment. 

At some point though it came under control, and Dirk sat up. 

He was now a Tier 4 mage. 

"...You should now have the mana pool equivalent of a low Tier 5."

"Hm?"

Dirk looked at Pandora with a bit of surprise. Was his mana pool really that big?

She smiled at him.

"Your soul not only opens up the perfect advancement path for you, but gives you much larger energy reserves. The soul has infinite power, but mental energy is still connected to it in some way. So a better soul means you can manipulate more mana. Your mana pool could be said to be a reflection of this. So while you might not have the sheer power of a Tier 5, you do have the reserves of one."

"...Alright."

"Anyway, advancing from now on will be quite a bit more difficult. The next step to increase your Tier is to fuse your mana hearts into a singular and true Mana Heart. You'll be responsible for comprehending all the runes in your book because now they're indispensable to you. On the plus side, you can focus more on your body refining now."

"Okay. But how long will I be holed up here? You can't expect to just lock me in here to train day after day."

Dirk sighed a bit. He hadn't left this room in over two weeks now. According to Pandora's words, the world was currently in utter chaos. Major dungeons across the empires had unleashed hordes of monsters, toppling cities and requiring the response of entire armies. The hostility between the Horizon Empire and the Dark Kingdom had long been dropped, each empire needing to protect their own lands. 

But here Dirk was, being sheltered amidst all this anarchy. While he enjoyed increasing his Tier so fast, he was tired of just condensing mana like a machine. Sure he could throw in sessions of runic comprehension, and his mana sight was being refined more and more, but he was still bored. 

"I was actually planning on letting you out today. Not entirely because you don't need to train anymore. You're still a weakling. But because I talked to your mother, specifically about Asura and his Fallen Asura assassin organization. Turns out, they're in my empire."

Pandora spoke with a hint of anger. These assassins were trouble. She knew that there had been an organization in the shadows of her empire for a long time. She had even been able to collect immense amounts of intelligence on them. After all, she had once run such an organization herself, and on a scale the likes of this one couldn't fathom. It was only now that she connected them with this Asura Dirk spoke of. 

"Your mother is willing to help weed out this scourge. And she wants to do it with you. So I had a few ideas. I've been silently collecting intelligence on them for a long while, and I have enough to take them out entirely. Now, I have you who can help me with this. I don't think there's anybody better to hunt down an organization than you. How about it, mister supersoldier?"

Pandora smiled sweetly, though Dirk frowned at her words. Eventually, he just shook his head. 

"Fine."

"Great! Come with me."

Saying that, Pandora pulled Dirk along out of the room. They left the pagoda he had been in for two weeks, entering the streets of the undercity. 

Before long, they had crossed into the upper city. Pandora led Dirk to Cecilia's room in the spire. She was there, and Pandora pulled her along as well. 

Like that, the three exited the spire before making their way to an inconspicuous building in the outer city. It was a blacksmith shop, and Pandora subtly greeted the forgemaster there before entering the basement. 

"Trains aren't all I've been developing in my time. Modern technology is too useful, so I used my influence to pull forgemasters to my side and have them secretly develop various pieces of tech. While nobody is skilled enough to make anything like computer chips, certain other tools are easy. And with a bit of chemistry, I was able to make functioning prototypes."

Entering a dark room, Pandora suddenly activated a light. When the room was lit, Dirk was stunned. 

Guns.

They lined the walls, racks of them filling the room with the smell of steel. Dirk was baffled as he saw everything from rifles to pistols to rocket launchers. Every kind of weapon was here.

Dirk felt something in him itch, his fingers twitching. He didn't like being a supersoldier, but damn if he didn't love shooting guns. He had been ecstatic when he got his Stigma, but that pistol could only fire magic. It wasn't a true gunpowder weapon. 

"What is all this?"

Cecilia walked into the room, feeling the cold metal of the guns. Many looked like Dirk's Stigma, but she didn't know what they did. 

Pandora smiled at her before glancing at Dirk. She could practically taste his uncontrollable desire to pick these weapons up. 

"There's a range and plenty of ammunition. Go on."

"Mm."

Dirk nodded as he attempted to force down a wide smile. Stepping forward, he grabbed a rifle, stowing it before bringing it to a table with buckets of ammunition. 

Cecilia watched as he suddenly began to strip the weapon. With his fingers, he reflexively disassembled the rifle in mere seconds before putting it all back together just as quick. 

"You remembered these blueprints?"

"Most of it. The rest was easy to fill in. Don't worry, it works exactly as you know."

Pandora reassured him. With that, Dirk pulled out some magazines before loading bullets into them. In a minute, he stepped up to the range that was in the same room. 

With skilled motions, Dirk loaded a magazine and chambered a round. There were targets at various distances. Cecilia just stood back and watched. She realized that this was technology from Dirk's world, so she was curious about how it worked. 

*Bang!*

And she was shocked. After Dirk raised his barrel and pulled the trigger, she could see it. A small projectile that flew out of his gun with an ear ringing explosion. She was able to follow it with her sharp senses as it spiraled through the air and through the paper target 30 meters away. 

But it wasn't a bullseye. Dirk frowned deeply while Pandora laughed. 

"Haha! I think that's the first time you've ever missed! You really are rusty!"

"...Won't happen again."

Dirk grumbled before pointing the rifle again. Of course his first shot wasn't on target. Not only had he not fired a gun in 16 years, but he didn't have his eyes. He had to see everything through his mana vision. It wasn't perfect. 

But he didn't worry too much. That one shot told him everything he needed to know. With a flick of the thumb, the gun was set to automatic. 

*BangBangBangBangBangBang!*

Cecilia's eyes widened as bullets rapidly flew out in succession. Shifting from target to target, Dirk sent 5 bullets through each bullseye before moving on to the next. When his magazine was empty, it dropped before he loaded a new one with scary skill. 

After 10 magazines and 300 rounds, Dirk had put dozens of rounds through every bullseye at every distance, the furthest target being 150 meters away. Pandora grinned when she saw the bullseye of each target. 

In each one, there was a small smiley face formed from bullet holes. It was inhuman accuracy. Of course, this was what Dirk was known for, along with his absurd combat sense. 

Even Cecilia was shocked by his accuracy. She quickly grasped the function of the gun, seeing through its use. Such a weapon could give even ordinary people lethal power. But she knew it was also difficult to handle. It might not be as difficult as aiming a bow, but it wasn't much easier. To achieve basically perfect accuracy with such a weapon proved Dirk's skill. 

Dirk was silent as the two women gazed at him. He looked at the rifle in his hands, feeling something within him resurface. Those blood boiling memories of the battlefield. Clearing buildings, sending bullets through skulls with unfeeling accuracy. Killing targets from miles away with a sniper, watching those familiar puffs of pink mist. 

His gun was at the forefront of it all. Before he would have pushed down these memories. He didn't ever want to remember his days as a supersoldier. 

But now, he smiled at them. He didn't ever want to be controlled or manipulated like that again. But that didn't mean he should forsake who he once was. 

He was a Supersoldier! He was a ruthless killer with the best senses and skill out of every monster to be created by Earth. He was feared by all who heard his name. His deployment meant that someone had signed their life away! His situation then had been bleak. But damn if his skill and renown weren't glorious! 

Why should he run away from his true self? He had a chance to take his instincts and turn them into something far greater. He was no longer limited, magic unlocking every shackle he didn't know he had. Up until now, he had barely used his full potential. He had pushed down all the memories from back then, rejecting the person he had fought so hard to become. 

But now, it was like it all came flooding out. Truly, guns were magical tools. 

Pandora almost couldn't stop a laugh from escaping her mouth. She knew something within Dirk just clicked. With her wide smile, she turned to Cecilia.

"Miss Cecilia, how about we show you just what a supersoldier from another world is capable of?"

...........

"Lock the place down! Nobody is allowed to leave!"

"Nobody enter that door!"

There was a particular building in the outer city beyond the floating city that was currently being surrounded. Guards swarmed the area, locking down the building and ensuring nobody interfered with their work. There were a great many curious spectators that hung around, wondering what was going on. 

Pandora led the way through the crowd, Dirk and Cecilia behind her. When a guard saw the princess, he saluted and shouted. 

"Make way for Princess Pandora!"

"Make way!"

The guards rushed to create a divide, though this proved to be unnecessary. Once everyone heard a princess had arrived, they parted automatically, their eyes full of reverence. Pandora strolled through with a smile, approaching the front of the building. 

Dirk walked behind, though he earned several curious gazes. He was in his armor with a rifle slung in front of him. There was a vest on his chest as well, holding six magazines and a pistol. Nobody in this world knew what a gun was, so they could only inspect his outfit with weird gazes. 

"Princess Pandora!"

"At ease, captain."

After approaching, Pandora scanned the two story building while waving to the captain. He quickly gave a report. 

"There are currently 14 enemies within the building, and they have hostages. We weren't able to make any moves without guaranteeing the lives of the innocents."

"I understand. We'll handle it from here."

"...Understood."

The captain could only nod as he backed away. He didn't know what the princess had that could end this standoff safely, but he wasn't in a position to question. 

Dirk walked to Pandora's side at that moment, his grip adjusting on his rifle. 

"You hear that? 14 enemies across two floors."

"And hostages."

"That's no problem for you. Let's see..."

Pandora rubbed her chin, thinking for a moment.

"...I'll give you 10 seconds to clear that building."

"It'll be done in 8."

With a smirk, Dirk walked up to the closed door of the building. Cecilia walked over to Pandora at the same time.

"8 seconds? How can he kill all the enemies in that short amount of time?"

"Actually, 8 seconds is a lot for him. I've seen him clear entire dozens of hostiles in a mere 3 seconds. But he doesn't have what he did on Earth. Just watch. These are good shows."

Pandora smiled brightly. At the same time, Dirk loaded his weapon, chambering a round before walking to the side. He touched one of the walls a few meters from the door. 

"What's he doing?"

"It's never smart to just walk through the door. So the easiest way to get around that..."

*Bang!*

"...Is to make your own."

Pandora finished as Dirk blew down a portion of the wall. At that moment, the timer started.

Dirk entered in with a large stride, following the flying debris. He sent out a mana pulse at the same time. In his mana vision, he could see 18 people. 14 were hostiles, and 4 were being held hostage. 

The hostages were panicked as knives were pressed against their throats. Upon hearing the explosion, the enemies all turned to it. Before they could even face their enemy though, more explosions rang out. 

*Bang!*

Dirk's gun fired 8 times in the span of a mere second, his barrel sweeping across the room as his finger held down the trigger. 

From outside, Cecilia could see everything happening. For a moment, her heart clenched when she saw Dirk fire right at the heads of the hostages. She thought for a moment that Dirk didn't care about hostages. 

But then she watched as each bullet sailed right passed their heads, entering the enemies' behind them. She was a bit shocked when the next second ticked and all 8 enemies dropped to the floor. 

"6 more."

Dirk mumbled. Then, he looked at the staircase that led to the 2nd floor. He didn't rush up it though. Instead, he looked upward, shooting his hand out. 

*Bang!*

There was another explosion with splintering wood. With a jump, Dirk shot through the new hole in the ceiling, his legs spreading out to catch himself. He didn't even have to send out a mana pulse this time. He already knew where his enemies were. 

And he was right behind them. As they all faced the staircase, the normal mode of entry, he aimed from behind. They couldn't even turn their heads before his finger twitched. 

*BangBangBangBangBangBang!*

6 shots, and 6 thuds. The two hostages were frozen as the men holding them collapsed to the floor. Turning around, they saw Dirk looking at them through the iron sights of his gun. 

"...Clear."

With that word, a long breath was released. 

2 seconds to sweep the first floor, 2 seconds to breach the ceiling, and 2 more seconds to sweep the second floor. 

He finished two seconds faster than expected. 

From outside, Pandora smiled and turned to the guard captain. 

"It's done. Send some men to clean up, and prepare the next raid. We're digging these guys up today."

"Understood!"

The guards saluted before some rushed in.

As Cecilia watched them run in, her thoughts were both complex and impressed. From breaching the wall to breaching the ceiling, Dirk handled the raid with skill and ingenuity. 6 seconds was all it took to sweep an entire building full of asuras. There wasn't even a battle. 

More than that though, she was shocked by the power of the gun. She could sense the power levels of the enemies inside. The weakest were either Tier or Rank 3, while the boss was a low Rank 5. While he didn't specialize in defense, that was still a Rank 5! A single bullet was all it took to kill him. If those weapons were mass produced, she couldn't fathom how powerful even an army of normal men would be. 

At that moment though, the two women were startled.

*Bang Bang!*

Two more gunshots rang out, causing the guards to freeze. A few seconds later, Dirk finally exited the building, a frown on his face.

"What was that about?"

Pandora questioned him curiously. 

"...The boss, the strongest one. The bullet didn't pierce his head. I had to shoot another two before his skull gave out and he finally died."

"Really? But those rounds are armor piercing for that reason... I guess I underestimated how tough Rank 5's are."

"..."

Dirk was silent. He was the most shocked. He knew the rounds were armor piercing, and he knew it was for good reason. Body refiners were tough. Dirk knew that when he finished his muscle destruction, a standard rifle round wouldn't be able to pierce his flesh. When he did bone destruction, he would be even more invulnerable to guns. In this world, guns were basically limited to killing high Rank 4's with relative ease. Even then, a bullet wound could be tanked by Rank 4's many times easier. It took a headshot. 

So Dirk had thought that these armor piercing rounds would be enough to pierce every skull, at least until Rank 6. But he was wrong. The boss' skull could actually survive a shot with that round. It was atrocious, reminding Dirk once again that this was really a different world. 

Cecilia could see her son's conflict. But inwardly, she was shaking her head. This gun was a weapon that didn't use magic in the slightest. Nothing but technology. And yet, it could actually do so much damage. The mere existence of this weapon turned all magical logic on its head. Nothing like this has ever been seen before. And he was disappointed? 

Suddenly, Pandora turned to Cecilia. She could guess her thoughts, which is why she uttered a dangerous statement.

"Hey, Miss Cecilia, what do you think would happen if I were to produce a few hundred thousand of these guns?"