Sharath Virayan Darsha's domain was finally coming together.
The city had buildings, magical plumbing, and a sewer system so high-tech the surrounding lords had begun inviting themselves over just to "check it out" (meaning, of course, steal the idea without owning up to it). But Sharath wasn't happy.
Next, the walls. Not symbolic walls for emotional walls — actual stone walls to envelop the land like a fort.
Sharath (to the foreman): "We're aiming for tall, strong, and a bit menacing. I want folks to glance at it and say, 'Hmm, lovely city', and also, 'If I attempt to sneak in, I could end up catapulted into the horizon.'"Foreman: "…So… both friendly and frightening?"Sharath: "Precisely. A hug with a blade in its boot."
Four Months of Dust and Stones
The digging started with the deep foundation trenches, shored up by a combination of stone, compaction magic in the earth, and binding magic mortar. The laborers sang folk tunes as they laid bricks — although the tunes became progressively more insulting near the end of the workday.
NEUROBOOP sometimes offered architectural commentaries:
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: You could make the north wall just a little curved, and you'd increase wind resistance by 2.4% and disorient enemy siege weapon men. Or just make it straight and be dull.
Sharath used straight walls because he didn't feel like explaining "wind resistance" to masons who still believed that bricks were naturally occurring "flat stones from the gods."
It took four months, and then disaster struck.
The Discovery
It was noon. Workers were digging in the north sector when a hammer strike let out an empty thunk. They all stopped. The second blow collapsed the layer of stone, exposing a hole.
By Sharath's arrival, they'd removed enough rubbish to expose a leaning stairway that went down into darkness. Air that wafted upward was abnormally chilly, with a hint of metal and wet stone smell.
At the foot of the stairs was a massive stone door, with faintly shimmering runes carved into it.
Sharath: "Alright… that's either a dungeon or the wine cellar of an extremely paranoid drunk."Worker: "We. don't go inside, right?"Sharath: "Right. We don't go inside. We go around. Construct the wall over it and block it with a sturdy metal door. Install my 'Do-Not-Open-Or-I-Will-Yell' design."
NEUROBOOP beeped.
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Breaking down… Chance: 87% dungeon, 12% locked-up royal crypt, 1% gateway to different dimension controlled by felines. And that glow is generally the 'don't touch me' type of magic.
Lunch at Darsha Estate
Sharath traveled to the Darsha Estate later that week. Lord Bassana, Lord Darsha, Lady Ishvari, and Princess Madhu were sitting down for lunch when he delivered the news.
Sharath: "Hey, quick thing — my workers discovered an underground staircase with a glowing stone door. I plugged it up."Lord Darsha: ".Sharath. did you just say glowing door?"Lord Bassana: "Was it carved with runes?"Sharath: "Uh. yes?"Princess Madhu: "That's bad, isn't it?"
Lord Darsha's fork was halted mid-bite. Bassana placed his goblet on the table so slowly it was like a dramatic stage play. Ishvari's smile disappeared.
Lord Darsha: "That's a dungeon.Sharath: "I may have discovered a dungeon."Lord Bassana: "There is no 'may.' Glowing rune door = dungeon."
They clarified:
Dungeons were not public knowledge. Nobles and adventurers concealed them to prevent wide-scale panic.
They contained valuable, scarce resources and loot.
They also spawned monsters in cycles. Leave one unchecked, and it would "overflow," releasing monsters into the world.
The Verdict
Lord Darsha resolved that an army would be dispatched to clear it.
Sharath quickly raised his hand.
Sharath: "I volunteer as tribute."Lady Ishvari: "Denied."Lord Bassana: "Absolutely not."Sharath: "But I've trained for this!"Ishvari: "You're still a child."Sharath: "A trained child!"
He thought quickly.
Sharath: "If I create a weapon to demonstrate that I can defend myself, will you permit it?"
The room fell silent. They looked at each other, then grudgingly consented — but only if the weapon met their approval.
The Plan (That He Didn't Say Out Loud)
Sharath didn't say it out loud, but his strategy was straightforward:Construct a weapon. Not any weapon — a magical one.
Sharath: "NEUROBOOP, send me blueprints for an Uzi and an M416."[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Oh, right, because what this medieval world really needs is a teenager with fully automatic weapons.Sharath: "Blueprints. Now."[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Uploading. Side effects may include hallucinations of tactical equipment and the compulsion to yell 'clear!' randomly.
Blueprints worked out in his head — mechanical intricacy in each part. But this was a world of magic. Why settle for gunpowder and springs?
The Magic Gun Project
He re-engineered both guns to employ:
Earth Runes: Produce bullets at will from the environment's minerals.
Air Compression Runes: Launch projectiles with tremendous power.
Mana Recharge: Auto-reload ammo every 30 minutes, or instantly if user taps mana.
Attempt 1:The prototype blew up, Thermo getting tossed into a haystack.
Thermo (from haystack): "I'm filing for hazard pay."
Attempt 2:Misaligned earth rune made bullets form as rocks.
Sharath: "Technically still projectiles."[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Technically still useless.
Attempt 3:Overcharged air rune launched a bullet into the ceiling, which rained dust over him like confetti.
Princess Madhu: "Congratulations, you've invented indoor hail."
One Month of Chaos
Days blurred into weeks. Sharath's workshop was now a graveyard of failed prototypes.
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: New record: 14 guns jammed, 3 exploded, 1 became sentient and insulted your haircut before vaporizing.
Thermo turned into a human safety hazard test walker — primarily by "accidentally" dropping guns off tables. The princess would sometimes bring snacks, sit back, and observe his failures with ironic condescension.
But then. success.
The Final Creations
Magic Uzi: Compact, fast fire rate, low mana consumption per burst.
Magic M416: Precision at long range, rune-enhanced recoil control, annihilating accuracy.
Both replenished ammo automatically and were also manually refuelable with mana. The bullets pulsed softly with light, and the triggers vibrated with pent-up energy.
Demonstration Day
The family was assembled in the practice yard.
Lord Darsha: "Show us your gun."Sharath: "Behold, the world's first firearms.Magic-powered, infinite ammo, low mana consumption, self-refueling, and totally safe—"Thermo: "Totally safe is a magnanimous statement."
He stood the dummies in line. The Uzi's burst tore one target to splinters. The single shot from the M416 halved another. The recoil was smooth, nearly pleasurable.
Lord Bassana's brows went up. Lady Ishvari's lips pursed — half pride, half what-have-you-done. Princess Madhu already envisioned "borrowing" them.
Lord Darsha: "It meets with inspection… but I still don't approve."Lady Ishvari: "This is folly."Sharath: "So… I can join the dungeon squad?"Lord Bassana: "You can watch from behind."Sharath: "Success!"
[🐧NEUROBOOP]: Congratulations. You've created the world's first magical assault rifles. Future historians will definitely hold you responsible for everything.