NOVEL NEXT Chapter 21: Crafting Perfection
[Date: March 10, 2025 | Time: 12:05 AM | Location: Ankush's Bedroom, Kolkata]
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The city had grown quiet, its usual lively streets now tranquil beneath the gentle illumination of scattered streetlights and the silvery embrace of the moon. In the Halder household, silence reigned supreme, interrupted only occasionally by distant echoes of nocturnal life drifting softly through the open window.
Within his dimly lit bedroom, Ankush sat motionlessly before the softly glowing holographic blueprint. His eyes, sharp and intense despite the late hour, meticulously traced every line, rune, and mechanical joint of the Mana Control Laser Sniper. Though the initial blueprint was already considered complete by the system, something within Ankush—an inner, unyielding drive—insisted on refining it further.
The soft glow from the hologram illuminated Ankush's thoughtful face, the gentle play of golden light accentuating his focused expression. With each second, his extraordinary mental prowess ran through countless simulations and theoretical battle scenarios, tirelessly searching for potential weaknesses.
"Cooling, mana efficiency, range...everything seems solid," he murmured, carefully tapping the floating screen. His fingers deftly opened multiple smaller holographic windows displaying performance simulations. Numbers, calculations, and complex magical equations flowed like rivers of glowing script before his eyes.
His mental attribute, surpassing two million points, allowed him an extraordinary advantage in processing such complex problems. He could foresee potential mechanical stress points, inefficiencies in mana pathways, and subtle runic imperfections within moments.
Yet even with this, Ankush felt unsatisfied. Something tugged at his intuition, whispering that a critical flaw remained hidden—something subtle yet significant.
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Resolving the Cooling Problem
Ankush swiftly zoomed into the intricate runic patterns inscribed along the barrel, reviewing each carefully. His gaze paused, focusing on a cluster of runes near the central mana chamber. A slight furrow creased his brow.
"Heat dissipation… still not optimal," he murmured thoughtfully. "Prolonged rapid firing would degrade the internal mana circuits faster than expected. This might cause micro-fractures after sustained usage."
He leaned back slightly, eyes closing briefly as his mind visualized countless possible solutions within seconds. Ideas flashed rapidly, discarded and rebuilt with lightning speed. His engineering mind, honed from three years studying mechanical engineering and now infused with profound magical knowledge, tackled the problem relentlessly.
Minutes later, clarity struck.
"A cooling inscription loop," Ankush whispered, excitement briefly flashing in his eyes. "Circular rune chains along the inner barrel—redirecting and cycling residual mana to stabilize thermal energy."
Instantly, he began adding this concept into the holographic blueprint. His fingers moved swiftly, precisely positioning each new rune, crafting circular inscription chains that wrapped gracefully around the barrel's interior. The system flashed gently, recalculating thermal efficiency.
The updated figures appeared, and Ankush smiled proudly.
[Thermal Stability Improved: +300% Efficiency]
He nodded in satisfaction, now confident that even extended use wouldn't overheat or damage the weapon.
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Next, Ankush focused on the sniper's mana-crystal housing chamber. His initial design was efficient, but as he analyzed it further, he spotted room for improvement.
"Too rigid," Ankush realized, scrutinizing the structure closely. "Vibrations from repeated firing could loosen the crystal cores, causing instability. An adjustable internal clamp system would solve it perfectly."
With swift precision, he redesigned the housing into a flexible crystal mount. A soft, glowing magnetic ring assembly emerged on the hologram, allowing slight positional adjustments automatically, compensating for any recoil-induced vibrations and stabilizing mana output.
Satisfied, he nodded gently.
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Yet, Ankush wasn't finished. Something deeper called to him—an instinct demanding further improvement. He turned his attention now toward the sniper's scope, arguably the heart of the weapon's legendary precision.
His initial design allowed for accuracy up to an astounding five kilometers, but Ankush's ambition soared higher. What if he could push the limits further, allowing even a novice to hit targets at immense distances with absolute ease?
He immersed himself fully, delving into the creation of a revolutionary mana-lens structure. The lenses themselves were basic and easy to obtain, but their arrangement, their curvature, the minute adjustments—these small refinements made all the difference.
His eyes narrowed in deep concentration, simulating numerous lens configurations at lightning speed. He calculated photon trajectories, mana beam coherence, diffraction rates—every tiny factor considered meticulously.
After dozens of theoretical simulations, Ankush finally settled on an arrangement of lenses, forming a dual-layered convex-concave combination. This configuration achieved an extraordinary balance—maximizing range, clarity, and mana efficiency simultaneously.
The scope's enhancement instantly boosted precision to an astounding near-absolute 99.9999%, extending accurate range capability beyond five kilometers effortlessly.
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[Time: 3:25 AM]
Hours blurred by as Ankush relentlessly refined his blueprint, oblivious to the passage of time. Outside, the early morning calm enveloped Kolkata, the city sleeping peacefully beneath the silver embrace of moonlight.
He leaned back finally, breathing deeply, a profound sense of satisfaction washing over him.
This wasn't just a blueprint anymore—it was perfection incarnate, an impeccable blend of mechanical engineering precision and magical ingenuity. Every component seamlessly combined, each material easily available yet ingeniously used.
The system interface glowed gently, displaying the updated stats:
[Blueprint Enhanced: Mana Control Laser Sniper (F– Rank, Growth Type)]
- Range: Up to 7.5 kilometers
- Accuracy: 99.999% precision
- Mana Efficiency: Superior (Enhanced Cooling Inscription Loop)
- Materials Required:
- Basic Mana Crystal Core (x3)
- Mana-Infused Metal Alloy (common)
- Standard Low-grade Rune Circuits (Inscribed for cooling and stabilization)
- Synthetic mana conductive components (common market-grade)
Ankush smiled softly, closing the system interface. This refinement had surpassed his initial expectations. His weapon was now impeccably balanced—formidable yet easily reproducible, a deadly combination of elegance and efficiency.
Slowly rising, he approached the window, gazing silently at the serene cityscape. His heart felt unusually calm despite his excitement. This wasn't just a blueprint anymore—it was proof of his identity as a creator, proof that he could stand confidently in this strange new world.
Tomorrow, he'd begin crafting the first prototype.
But for now, he allowed himself a quiet moment of pride and peace.
"I did it," Ankush whispered softly, smiling faintly into the darkness.
Tonight was merely one step forward. But he knew deep within—this was the beginning of something extraordinary.