'This… this is definitely OP!' Roy stuttered inwardly. Now he wondered — the system had said there could be other Lords with even more broken abilities. His face darkened as he resolved inwardly to get stronger.
If he didn't rise above the majority, how could he enforce justice? As a police veteran, Roy was well aware of the principle of force.
Woof! Suddenly, a subtle bark from Alpha snapped him out of his daze. He saw Richard entering the building, looking fatigued — his half-lidded eyes and weary gait spoke volumes about his condition.
"Um… boss, you wouldn't happen to have any food, would you?" Richard asked hopefully, his stomach rumbling in affirmation.
Hearing this, Roy felt fortunate. Thank goodness for the gacha function — if not, where was he supposed to find food? 'Not in this barren territory of mine, for sure.'
'System, how do I access my inventory?' he questioned inwardly.
[Inventory space is bound to the Host's soul. Host just needs to will it, and any item within can be retrieved.]
Roy nodded in understanding. Concentrating slightly, he felt it — like a space attached to his mind. He could sense the void in the empty slots and the items in the others.
With a thought, two things appeared instantly in the room. By the side of the door stood a four-foot-tall vending machine filled with all sorts of coffee — steaming hot, icy cold, cream-milked, and more.
On the receptionist's desk was a medium-sized, neatly packed box of doughnuts.
Richard's eyes lit up as he inched toward the vending machine, staring at it in awe. "I actually thought things like this would be lost to time now that humans have evolved to a higher plane," he said, voicing his amazement as he fiddled with the buttons, choosing an ice-cold coffee.
The spiral holder swirled as the sealed cup of coffee was ejected from the roll. Richard quickly reached for the drink in anticipation.
"Well, I see things differently. If we have truly reached a higher plane, our technology is only bound to evolve," Roy added, giving his opinion as he stood up to try a coffee himself.
He quickly chose the chilled cream mix. While reaching for his, he saw Richard take a gulp and freeze — eyes wide, but hands and mouth still moving as he continued to take greedy gulps.
Roy stared skeptically. 'Is it that good?' he wondered. Taking the beverage, he opened it and took a sip…
His mind went blank, unable to process anything beyond the wonderful burst of flavour caressing his taste buds, bringing a new level of euphoria he had never experienced in his life.
The liquid washed over his tongue, thick in flavour yet mildly sweet and crisp, cool at the same time. The threefold experience set a whole new standard of taste in his life.
'Moreeee!!!' This was the only thing his mind seemed to process as he stood paralysed with pleasure, unable to lift the lid of the beverage away from his lips.
Only when he emptied the container down to its last drops did it part from his mouth. Glancing at Richard — who was in an awkward state of weeping as he took ravenous bites from a doughnut — Roy swallowed hard as the pleasant scent of freshly baked pastries drifted into his nostrils.
His mouth watered. 'If the coffee is this good, how much more the doughnuts?' he wondered, his stomach immediately overcome with a sudden pang of hunger.
Unfortunately, before he could join his subordinate, a notification flashed in his vision, stopping him in his tracks.
[Warning: Beast Horde incoming…]
[1:03:57]
'Shit, I don't have time for this,' Roy quickly realised. He still needed to create a stock of ammo for the turret so that while he faced the horde, he could have Richard's support — after all, he was the only one with the skill Endless Ammo.
He quickly exited the building, lest the scent drive him mad… and was immediately met with the sight of Richard's work.
A high-rise steel fence about three metres tall stood before him. A small gate was positioned directly opposite the outpost, and a small embedded tower stood right beside the gate — that was where the turret resided.
'Indeed, having a builder is the best!' Roy exclaimed. After all, what was on the blueprint was slightly different from what was built.
As a builder, Richard had the skill and expertise to be more versatile than the system in construction. He could make more custom builds as long as he retained 80% of the base structure — everything else could be adjusted.
And now, with this build, the turret would be easier to wield, and its user would suffer less inconvenience, especially during harsh weather conditions. The best part? He didn't need extra materials.
After ascending the long, winding stairs of the building, Roy reached the peak — and there the turret lay.
He stepped forward, his hands caressing the steel build of the weapon of mass destruction. The moment his palms made contact with the construct, his ability All Tactical Knowledge began showing its effects. Knowledge flowed into his mind like instinct.
Just like how an infant isn't taught how to suck, he didn't need to learn — he just knew. It was as though the construct spoke to him, telling him where to touch and how.
His eyes gleamed. 'This feeling is nice.'
Then, just as the system instructed, he reached for the ability Endless Ammo mentally. Suddenly, he felt a warm current flowing from his abdomen to his fingertips. Instinctively, he knew this was Ether — the new mystical element humans could now wield after ascending to Acrana.
The blue ethereal spark congealed in his palms as a chain of bullets burst into reality in troves.
This continued until his Ether Unit was exhausted, and a total of 188 chains of bullets had formed.
He smiled as the Ether in the surrounding area suddenly grew denser, quickly replenishing his Ether Unit.
'Well… this is fun,' Roy smirked at the sight.