Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

”It uses .45 ACP rounds. If I remember correctly, that’s a 11.43mm caliber.” Gong Jun’s eyes lit up as he held the pistol, unable to bring himself to put it down.

It wasn’t that his memory was exceptional; it was simply that a military arms enthusiast like him could hardly forget the specs of this century-old classic firearm.

”If possible, I could try to replicate this pistol.” Gong Jun had some confidence. Using this as a template, the success rate of crafting a replica by hand would be quite high.

His eyes were his ruler. Rifling the barrel was a true test of personal skill and patience; the depth of each groove had to be perfect, down to the millimeter.

This was far more difficult than making a shotgun.

”Let’s put that on the back burner for now.”

Su Chen agreed. It would be good if everyone could have one for self-defense.

But not right now.

He asked the other man to help with the shotgun’s Enchantment modification, which involved completely integrating the precious Lv7 Acceleration Skill Rune into the gun’s barrel.

This Enchantment technique was truly unique. As a Gilded Warlock, Gong Jun could make the attached Demon Patterns flow like liquid to the most suitable stress points, allowing the open acceleration channel to be perfectly nested within the gun’s barrel.

This was a serious matter.

Involving a Lv7 Rune meant he needed to run some preliminary tests.

One consideration was the much higher chamber pressure, which meant he also had to address the issue with the bullet primers.

This piece of information had been unexpectedly learned from the assault team.

It was a conclusion they had reached through burst barrels and injuries, so it naturally had to be taken seriously.

”No problem. I happened to bring back a lot of materials,” Yan Ziqian said.

At that moment, once the discussion was over, everyone got busy, as their current camp was in the middle of a major upgrade.

Pang Peng went back to connecting the electrical lines and adjusting the antenna to find the best reception direction.

Yan Ziqian sectioned off an area on the second floor for his personal chemistry workshop. He had collected a lot of materials in the city over the past two days, including a large bag of aluminum powder and potassium nitrate. The primers would no longer use black powder but a much more stable composite explosive.

This would reduce muzzle residue and better accommodate the high chamber pressure requirements.

Liao Dahai continued to finish up the concrete wall reinforcement work.

Ms. Cheng spread the Red Millet Grain out on an open patch of ground outside to dry in the sun, then went back to processing the elk.

Everyone had their own tasks.

Soon, Su Chen set out with Yan Ruoruo and Yu Ziyuan for the large lake area north of the forest. That Light Element Earth Realm, protected by an invisible grating, had never been touched by the fungus.

The reason for going to this lake was, of course, to find the Bright Unicorn that Ruoruo had discovered. The Water-Splitting Pearl it held in its mouth would be a great asset for their underwater cave exploration tomorrow.

With the potential for unknown dangers, he had to be fully prepared for any eventuality.

As a biology major, Yu Ziyuan came along to continue searching for Wind Fighter Grass, which provided immense aerodynamic lift, and to see if she could find anything else of value.

The air-sac fungi in the forest had likely gone extinct in this climate, but thankfully, they had a good amount in stock.

...

「In the afternoon.」

The gunpowder smoke that had been drifting throughout Dongfu City had finally settled.

After the civilians finished scrambling for the Rune Essence resources hidden inside the giant insect’s body, someone started a rumor, shouting that it was a ”Tai Sui.” A crowd of people then began to frantically fight over what they called the ”immortal meat” that supposedly granted eternal life.

Some people truly believed it, while others tried to snatch a piece of the giant carcass to see if they could use it for a sacrificial ritual.

”Is it really a Tai Sui?”

From an expert’s perspective, at least, this so-called giant insect could very well be a Tai Sui.

After all, the creature was a large composite of slime mold, bacteria, and fungi. It possessed incredible self-healing abilities, so it made sense that the Bloodthirsty Fungus would target it.

”It’s real! I’m bursting with Vitality, and my wound healed instantly!”

Some skeptical people who snatched a piece of the meat immediately purified it, steeped it in water, and drank it. In less than three seconds, it was as if they had drunk a healing Potion; even minor cuts and scrapes on their bodies healed rapidly.

In an instant, the claim of a ”free fountain of youth” spread like wildfire.

The Law Enforcement Team maintaining order, along with many other powerful individuals, realized something was wrong and immediately moved to forcibly stop this dangerous behavior.

”Are you crazy?! Don’t forget the after-effects of the Hallucinogenic Mushrooms! I don’t care if it’s a Lingzhi or a Tai Sui, you can’t eat it!”

But this was nothing compared to the next piece of news, which struck the entire Security Committee like a bolt from the blue.

People had arrived from another city.

That’s right.

Not long ago, figures had appeared from another magnificent city located at the far end of the southern horizon.

There were eleven of them in total. These foreigners, with their Western features, were extremely conspicuous. They were fully equipped with guns and ammunition, and their bodies were wreathed in surging elemental fluctuations, making them impossible to miss. The outer perimeter guards spotted them the moment they approached from the south.

Three of them, Priests dressed in clerical robes with pistols tucked into their belts, stated that they meant no harm. They had only come to help after seeing the lingering embers of war rising from the city.

To lower the other party’s defenses, they offered to lay down their arms and submit to military supervision.

After an interpreter translated for them, the personnel of Dongfu City understood their request. At the very least, a bridge for communication had been established.

The first point of discussion was the timing. Upon questioning, it was revealed that their ”advent” had occurred at the same time. Although the two cities were in different time zones, both had been transported less than a week ago—one during the day, the other at night.

This allowed the assault team members from Dongfu City to relax a little. From a strength perspective, the two sides seemed evenly matched. Even if there were disparities at the highest level, they were confident in their advantage in numbers.

However, the next two questions the visitors asked left them completely stunned.