Chapter 3: The Ripper

“Mr. Jiang, we have arrived.”

The hovercar stopped outside a military base. The middle-aged driver promptly opened the door, respectfully inviting Jiang Chen to step out and taking the initiative to carry his two massive suitcases.

“War God Lu, there's no need to be so formal with me. Just call me by my name,” Jiang Chen said with a smile.

This bodyguard and driver had been assigned to Jiang Chen by the military after their first collaboration. He was none other than War God Lu Gang, who, according to the original novel, would soon perish in a beast tide. Although his role in the novel was brief, it was subtly implied that Lu Gang died heroically, sacrificing himself to cover the retreat of other warrior squads, falling after exhausting his strength amid the onslaught.

Jiang Chen held genuine respect for such a person.

Lu Gang simply smiled in response, saying nothing more. This exchange had happened many times, but Lu Gang’s respect for Jiang Chen never wavered.

Every technology Jiang Chen unveiled could save thousands of warriors and soldiers on the battlefield against monsters. For that reason alone, Lu Gang, a prominent War God, had no qualms about serving as Jiang Chen’s bodyguard and driver.

Though humanity in this era still struggled internally, their unity in pursuit of survival space was undeniable.

Without lingering on the topic, the two entered the military base.

Upon hearing that Jiang Chen had a new product to test, Li Dawei had arrived early to personally escort him to the testing grounds.

“Is the special target I requested ready?” Jiang Chen asked as he opened a suitcase, withdrawing a gigantic, sci-fi-inspired rifle.

Li Dawei pointed to a row of targets ahead and explained, “As you requested, this row simulates the defensive strength of monsters at various levels. From left to right, the lowest is equivalent to a junior beast commander, while the highest matches the famed defensive prowess of a king-level monster—one of the super beasts of the ocean, the ‘Dragon Turtle King.’”

“A king-level monster is rather exaggerated, especially one renowned for its defense like the ‘Dragon Turtle King.’ This gun is a single-soldier weapon; it could never threaten it,” Jiang Chen shook his head, turning to Lu Gang. “War God Lu, give this rifle a try, starting with the leftmost target.”

As the system level increased, Jiang Chen’s attributes—his physicality—also improved. But for now, he was only on par with an advanced warrior, far from the level of a war commander. Using this weapon himself would be rather forced.

Lu Gang readily complied. He opened the case and picked up the rifle, immediately showing surprise: “The weight of this rifle…”

Jiang Chen nodded. “The bare rifle weighs 223 kilograms. With the magazine, it’s even more astonishing. Considering the endurance needed for prolonged carrying, I believe only warriors above war commander level can wield it.”

Li Dawei looked puzzled and asked, “223 kilograms? Why is it so heavy?”

Having climbed the ranks from the bottom, Li Dawei was acutely sensitive to weapon specifications.

Traditional firearms are relatively simple. Even the highest-caliber models designed for monsters rarely exceed ten kilograms. Heavy machine guns are heavier, but nowhere near this terrifying two-hundred-plus kilograms.

Many warrior squads hesitate to equip gunners not because of the gun’s weight, but due to the weight and cost of ammunition boxes.

With a gun this heavy, most warrior squads would be deterred, and even large military units with logistics vehicles couldn’t equip many.

“This isn’t a traditional powder-based weapon. It’s an electromagnetic kinetic rifle. The bullets have far greater muzzle energy, paired with specialized projectiles for enhanced lethality. Though it has automatic fire capability, I believe it’s best used as a high-power single-shot rifle to snipe formidable high-tier monsters,” Jiang Chen explained, then nodded to Lu Gang, “War God Lu, try its power.”

Lu Gang nodded, loaded the magazine as instructed, and aimed at a distant target. With a brief aim, he squeezed the trigger.

Bang!

A not particularly loud sonic boom echoed, and several hundred meters away, a thick steel target now bore a massive, visible hole.

This was ten centimeters of high-strength alloy—defensive strength comparable to beast commander-level monsters.

It was clear that a shot like this would instantly kill a beast commander, leaving no chance of survival.

“This power…”

Li Dawei and Lu Gang both stared, wide-eyed and utterly astonished.

“How does it feel?” Li Dawei quickly asked Lu Gang.

Lu Gang didn’t answer immediately. Instead, he fired several more shots.

Though still single shots, his firing speed increased. In less than five seconds, he fired a dozen times.

On the monitoring screen nearby, the damage to each target was clearly displayed.

Targets one through four couldn’t withstand a single shot.

The fifth target, representing ‘mid-tier lord-level monsters,’ and the sixth, representing ‘high-tier lord-level monsters,’ were penetrated in three to five shots.

Only the seventh target, with hardness and defense rivaling the king-level ‘Dragon Turtle King,’ withstood seven or eight consecutive shots—resulting only in a deep pit about twenty to thirty centimeters in diameter, not a complete penetration.

Li Dawei let out a gasp of disbelief. Even Jiang Chen, who had already seen the specs on the blueprints, was slightly surprised.

Such firepower was more than sufficient to hunt lord-level monsters, and even some king-level monsters with weaker defenses.

Of course, a single gun wouldn’t be enough, but an entire war commander team equipped with these electromagnetic rifles, plus a war god capable of restraining high-level monsters, could hunt any lord-level beast.

“The recoil is low. Advanced warriors can handle it, though due to its weight, it’s best suited for mid-level war commanders and up,” Lu Gang handed the rifle to Li Dawei, offering a casual evaluation.

Li Dawei tried a few shots himself, instantly agreeing with Lu Gang’s assessment.

“What about the cost of this rifle?” Li Dawei, realizing its value, wanted more details.

“This is the enhanced model. The most expensive components are the electromagnetic launch module and its control chip. Excluding my own labor, the material cost alone is over a billion. I recommend mass-producing a regular version with reduced power—the cost can be kept under two hundred million, which is enough for hunting beast commander-level monsters,” Jiang Chen replied, then added, “If produced at scale, the cost can be reduced somewhat, but not by much—at least over a hundred million. And that price doesn’t include my patent and technical support fees.”

Though the purpose of this weapon was to give humanity an advantage against monsters, Jiang Chen would not forgo rightful profit.

“The cost can be negotiated; we’ll discuss it in detail later. By the way, have you named this weapon?” Li Dawei, knowing he wasn’t skilled at bargaining, naturally shifted the topic.

Jiang Chen answered without hesitation, quoting the name from the blueprint, “Ripper.”

——————

Name: ‘Ripper’ C-14 Electromagnetic Spike Rifle
Category: Assault Rifle / Electromagnetic Rifle
Rating: Zero Tier Level Six to Zero Tier Level Nine
Note: Standard equipment of the Third Regiment, Terran Federation, Milky Way; private imitation prohibited