Mythos Of Narcissus: Reborn As An NPC In A Horror VRMMO

Chapter 240 - 240: Metalweave

The Ordeal of the Dusk unfolded in its usual rhythm, the spiraling chaos of Carcosa becoming something of a grim symphony that my Landship had grown accustomed to navigating.

Hours into the ordeal, the relentless spawning of Calamity Objects began to slow. The air shifted, signaling the hibernation phase, where the chaotic energies receded briefly, granting us a lull before the next inevitable wave.

I always love the Ordeal's hibernation phase.

I hope that I will encounter it every night.

Standing atop the observation deck, I surveyed the battlefield below, the ever-busy turrets retracting for self-maintenance while the drones buzzed back to their hangars. The bastioneers and maids alike took this brief moment to regroup, and while most would consider this downtime a reprieve, for me, it was an opportunity.

"Charis," I called to my ever-attentive daughter, who had been at my side for most of the Ordeal. "I'll be heading to the workshop. Oversee things here until I return. Notify me if anything unusual stirs."

Charis straightened, her expression one of focused determination. "Understood, Father. Leave it to me."

"And leave her to me!" Lupine chimed in, still being cradled by my daughter.

"What can you even do, without me," Charis said as she squished Lupina's cheeks.

"Hwuuuuuu! Hwelp!!"

With that, I made my way to the Landship's workshop.

I'm planning to craft something in preparation for the Theotech Expedition tomorrow.

"Hmm, I think I don't need to make anything complex."

While Verina's Furnace and Kuzunoha's arcane mastery had been instrumental in crafting some of our most advanced equipment, this workshop had been meticulously designed to ensure that the bastion could function independently of their abilities if needed.

After all, reliance solely on my confidantes' talents could bottleneck innovation, especially when someone like Naosi needed to maintain and enhance the Prismforges or our myriad Cognitive Engines.

Yeah, Naosi got a lot of roles as the bastion's sole crafter, and I might need to allocate some of the Heavenly Maids to help her from time to time.

"Ah, right, I haven't rewarded Naosi too for being our first test subject for the Mirroring Well shenanigan."

The moment I entered the workshop, the familiar hum of neuromorphic machinery greeted me. The walls shimmered faintly with neural alloy conduits, their soft glow casting the room in an otherworldly light.

Tools of every conceivable function lined the walls—their ergonomic designs were only limited to my obsession with efficiency and precision.

I approached the central workbench, setting aside my usual creat56n of mass innovation for something… simpler.

The Heavenly Maids had been a constant presence in the bastion, working tirelessly yet never receiving the same tools or upgrades as the bastioneers. While they weren't equipped with Prismforges or personal Cognitive Engines, their divine portfolio granted them unparalleled agility and reaction times, and many more abilities that would make them an annoying enemy in battle.

If I wanted them to reach their full potential in combat, I needed to create a weapon tailored specifically to their strengths—something simple and barely remarkable, yet devastating in their hands.

And what better choice than a knife? Or rather, an oversized, impossibly sharp, and beautifully crafted knife.

"Well, this should be fun."

Per the courtesy of Sir Aethernet, there was a re

"Don't you mean 'confidence'?"

"Hmm, I wonder if we're going to have another feast again~"

"I think I started to notice some patterns…"

By the time they entered the hall, their curiosity and apprehension were palpable. They stopped in their tracks as they spotted the Metalweave knives displayed on the central table, their polished surfaces gleaming under the dim light.

"Step forward," I commanded, my voice calm yet firm.

The maids hesitated for a moment before approaching the table. One of them—Maid-11, if I remembered correctly—reached out and grasped the hilt of a Metalweave. The moment her fingers curled around it, her eyes widened in shock.

"This… it's…" she stammered, her voice filled with a foreign sensation that she had never experienced before.

Her reaction was immediate and visceral. The weapon seemed to mold itself to her grip, the neural-reactive material adjusting perfectly to her hand.

It was as if the blade had been made specifically for her—because, in truth, it had been. Her expression shifted from shock to elation, and she clutched the weapon as if it were an extension of her very being.

"Aaahh~!!"

Okay, I didn't expect her to moan like that.

Seeing the positive welcome, other maids quickly followed suit, each one picking up a Metalweave and experiencing the same reaction. Their excitement filled the room, breaking their usual composed demeanor.

"This is incredible!" one exclaimed, spinning the blade with expert precision as their eyes were gleaming with spark.

"I've never held a weapon that feels so… natural," another added, her voice tinged with disbelief. "This is only a mere knife… yet, I felt like I don't ever want to release it from my hand."

"It's like it's alive," Maid-14 whispered, holding the blade reverently. "This is a weapon made for the gods!1"

I allowed myself a small smile, watching their reactions with quiet satisfaction. "How do they feel?" I asked, though I already knew the answer.

"Perfect!!

"I've never felt anything like this before. It's… heavenly."

"Aaaaaahhhnn~!"

"In the name of all things that are great, I'm scared that this knife might mindbreak me."

"I don't want to give it back!!"

As their excitement settled into a quiet reverence, I addressed them. "These are yours," I said simply. "A reward for the beginning of your service to this bastion. And a promise of more to come."

The room erupted into cheers, the maids' gratitude spilling over in a rare display of unrestrained joy. For a moment, they weren't the disciplined and stoic Heavenly Maids—they were simply individuals who had been recognized and rewarded.

"But," I continued, raising a hand to silence them, "There is more. Tomorrow, I will be leading an expedition to a Theotech Vault. And all of you will accompany me. We have detected numerous dangers and threats that are unknown and ineffable in origin. But, to you Heavenly Maids, it should be nothing but a walk in a park, am I right?"

Their excitement turned to determination, their postures straightening as they absorbed the gravity of my words.

Without hearing anything, I already knew their true feelings to my statements.

"If this expedition is successful," I said, "There will be even greater rewards waiting for you. Weapons, tools, and perhaps even something far greater than you can imagine."

Their loyalty and morale soared in that moment, their resolve shining through their expressions, similar to that of a group of soccer fans who saw their favorite team scoring a goal.

As they filed out of the room, each carrying their Metalweave with a sense of affection.

Yeah, I think I made the knife a little bit too comfortable to hold.