Joshua hurried back to his room, shut the door, and lay down on the bed. He closed his eyes, focusing on the transition back to reality.
Reality.
The ceiling of his small apartment came into view as Joshua's consciousness fully returned to his body. His limbs felt heavy, his mind still partially tangled in the other world. He took a moment to adjust before sitting up, rubbing his temples.
The first thing he did was focus, trying to sense the energy around him.
Very little, but it will do for now.
His core seemed to have recovered—at least enough to let him test a few things. He needed to experiment, to push the limits of his new ability.
How small can I make a projectile? How big? How fast?
His mind raced. If he could control the formation and release of his magic without a chant, he needed to determine its limits, its physics.
Then there was the forcefield—something he had instinctively created when he saved the child from the vehicle that lost control. How did he generate it? Could he recreate it at will?
Joshua exhaled and got out of bed. He headed to the bathroom, splashing cold water on his face to clear his mind. After relieving himself, he made a quick snack—instant noodles. The savory broth and chewy texture grounded him as he opened his laptop.
Time for research.
Joshua sat at his desk, his laptop open as he reviewed his combat experiences. The half-eaten cup of instant noodles beside him had long gone cold, but he barely noticed. His fingers flew across the keyboard, jotting down every detail he could remember. After a while, he grabbed a notebook and pen, flipping to a fresh page to start his calculations.
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Optimizing Projectile Selection
Joshua needed to determine the most efficient and lethal attack method. The key considerations were:
1. Power Efficiency – How much energy does it take to generate a lethal attack?
2. Penetration Ability – Can it bypass armor or barriers?
3. Speed – How quickly does it reach the target?
4. Lethality – Can it kill instantly?
He compared his three initial attack options, Piercing Strike, Shattering Impact, and Spreadshot and pondered. He estimated he fired about 70 to 80 Piercing Shots before falling into exhaustion.
Based from that, he estimated he can fire about 15 to 20 Shattering Impacts and 10 to 12 Spreadshots. If he can master a Sniper Shot based from the energy output of a Barrett sniper rifle, he can do 2 shots at the most.
Finished with his estimations, he began his calculations as follows:
Piercing Strike – Standard, Reliable, but Limited
Joshua noted that Piercing Strike felt similar to a 9mm full metal jacket bullet—fast, accurate, and good for repeated use. A real-world 9mm FMJ round carried 500 Joules of kinetic energy. If he could fire 70 shots before exhaustion, that meant his total estimated energy consumption was:
500 \times 70 = 35,000 \text{ Joules}
Not bad for sustained combat, but its power was limited. Against armored targets, it wouldn't be enough.
Shattering Impact – The Anti-Armor Round
This attack had significantly more force behind it. Joshua compared it to a 5.56 NATO armor-piercing round, which carried about 1,800 Joules per shot. If he could fire 15 times before exhaustion, the total energy used would be:
1,800 \times 20 = 36,000 \text{ Joules}
It had excellent penetration, but it was expensive in terms of energy. If he overused it, he'd burn out quickly.
Spreadshot – Devastating Close-Range Attack
Joshua likened Spreadshot to a 12-gauge shotgun firing buckshot. A single blast packed 3,000 Joules, which meant that at 12 shots before exhaustion, the total energy used was:
3,000 \times 12 = 36,000 \text{ Joules}
While powerful in short bursts, it was the least energy-efficient of his options. Spreadshot was only viable in close combat or against multiple enemies.
Sniper Shot – Maximum Lethality, Maximum Cost
Joshua smirked as he jotted down his final theoretical attack: Sniper Shot—a high-powered, long-range killing strike. He compared it to a .50 caliber BMG round, which required around 18,000 Joules per shot. Since he could likely only fire one before collapsing, that meant:
18,000 \times 2 = 36,000 \text{ Joules}
A single devastating attack. He wouldn't be able to use it in prolonged fights unless he found a way to increase his core capacity.
Finalizing His Energy Limit
Joshua leaned back, staring at the notebook. Based on all his estimates, his total core capacity had to be around 40,000 to 45,000 Joules. That was his hard limit. If he pushed past it, he'd collapse from exhaustion and possible core implosion. He should base all future computations to a maximum of 36,000 Joules as useable energy for now. This should provide a leeway of back-up energy for emergency situations.
He tapped his pen against the page. All of these attacks were powerful, but they weren't optimal. The energy consumption was too high, and while they mimicked real-world firearms, they weren't efficient enough for prolonged combat.
If he wanted true lethality with minimal energy cost, he needed to rethink his entire approach.
He flipped to a new page in his notebook, scribbling three words:
Metal Needles. BB Pellets. Tungsten Rounds.
His next step was clear. It was time to create something deadlier, faster, and more efficient than anything he had used before.