"Repulsion Cannon can actually control gravity? Did you guys hear that? This thing is pretty powerful!" Benjamin exclaimed after hearing Gaia's introduction.
[So future humans can manipulate gravity too? Looks like we're not weaker than the aliens after all!]
[Ret'rd, stop spacing out and try it already!]
↳ PacificRimJob has been muted for 3 days!
"Okay, I'm trying it right now!" Benjamin said as he picked up the Repulsion Cannon.
The device felt heavy in his hands, solid and substantial.
Its power cell was already drained, so Benjamin swapped in a fresh one. The tool hummed back to life almost immediately.
"Alright, we're good," he said, then aimed at the wardrobe floating ahead and squeezed the trigger.
A blue beam shot out, linking to the wardrobe and wrapping around it like a net. The wardrobe, which had been drifting in the water, froze in place.
Benjamin swung the Repulsion Cannon, and the heavy wardrobe swung with it.
"So that's how it works. It really lets you move heavy objects, just like flying a kite. Tsk, future tech is awesome." Benjamin understood the tool's function. He released the trigger.
Bang!
The wardrobe shot forward like a cannonball, slamming into the wall hard enough to leave a visible dent.
[Holy shit, this thing is great! It can control objects and launch them too!!]
[I get it. It's a mini, single-person version of Universal Pull plus Almighty Push!]
[Interesting. I feel like I could play with this toy all day!]
[It'd be really useful against anything that's not too big and carnivorous!]
The viewers marveled while Benjamin felt thoroughly satisfied. With this tool, everything would be much easier from now on.
It could even serve as a weapon, though its power wasn't exactly overwhelming.
"Let's check out the other tool." Benjamin turned his attention to the second device, the one resembling a welding gun.
As usual, he scanned it with his wrist device. This time the result made him even more excited.
"Ding. Stasis Rifle. Utilizing complex and specialized physics principles, it fires an energy orb. Upon hitting any object, the orb expands into a small energy field where time briefly stops.
Common applications:
Slowing down excessively fast objects such as engines or fans for structural research, repair, and installation.
Immobilizing dangerous or quick-moving creatures for close-range study or escape.
The wielder remains unaffected by the energy field.
Warning: Effectiveness on complex organisms or machinery is not fully guaranteed. Prohibited for offensive use.
Usage guide:
Aim at the target and hold the trigger to charge. Longer charge time creates a larger field. Maximum field diameter: twenty meters.
Warning: The energy orb travels slowly with a range of roughly fifty meters. The manufacturing blueprint for the Stasis Rifle has been obtained."
[Stasis rifle image:]
[Did I hear that right? Gaia said this gun can stop time?]
[That's way too broken.]
[Future technology is terrifying!]
[Try it! Try it now!]
[Imagine if this can be brought back to real-world, hehe!]
↳ [Oh, a fellow degenerate.]
The moment Gaia finished speaking, the chat exploded. A tool that manipulated time was something modern science could never achieve. It belonged to the realm of legends.
"This is absolutely a divine weapon. Brothers and sisters, I hit the jackpot this time!" Benjamin shouted, dancing in the water with excitement.
Time stop. How many men had dreamed of that power?
It had always been a centerpiece in novels, comics, and hollywood action films because it was simply that strong!
Who would have thought that devs would bring this ability to life and fulfill everyone's fantasy?
"I'm testing it right now!"
Benjamin sprang into action. To test the rifle he needed a living target, so he swam out of the room and soon spotted a school of small red fish nearby.
They looked somewhat like piranhas but lacked sharp teeth. Instead they had large eyes that gave them an oddly cute appearance.
"Ding. Ghosteye Fish. Frequently found in deep-sea regions. Their large, complex eyes provide excellent night vision.
Assessment: Delicious meat, edible."
"Perfect. We'll use these Ghosteye Fish as test subjects."
Benjamin locked onto the nearby school, squeezed the trigger, and a low hum filled the water as a white orb began forming at the muzzle.
The longer he charged, the brighter the orb grew.
He released the trigger. The orb drifted toward the Ghosteye Fish.
It didn't so much fly as float, moving at roughly the speed of a helium balloon.
"The projectile is slower than I expected. If I want to hit fast creatures I'll need to lead the shot." Benjamin thought to himself.
Fortunately the school was large, and the orb still struck one of the fish.
Hum!
In the next instant the orb expanded into a twenty-meter energy field, enveloping every Ghosteye Fish in the area.
The fish inside froze like statues, completely motionless.
"Wow, it worked!" Benjamin shouted in delight and swam toward the field. He carefully entered it and confirmed he could move freely, unaffected by the time stop.
The Ghosteye Fish had become his personal toys. He could toy with them however he pleased.
[Awesome! It really froze those Fish!]
[ZA WARUDO!]
↳ [ZA WARUDO!]
↳ [ZA WARUDO! x2]
↳ [ZA WARUDO! x3]
↳ [ZA WARUDO! x4]
[This rifle is a true divine weapon. No wonder the Aurora captain lasted so long even with Warpers constantly hunting her!]
[Just imagine if we replaced all these Ghosteye Fish with cute girls instead.]
↳ [With such a powerful and perverted weapon, all you can think about is being horny? Fine, I'll admit it. I was thinking the same thing!]
[I have to say, there's one more reason to buy Subnautica now. Time stop is just too good!]
Watching the scene, the viewers erupted into frenzied discussion. The power to stop time was simply intoxicating. Even watching it felt thrilling, let alone experiencing it firsthand like Benjamin.
After roughly ten seconds the energy field faded. The Ghosteye Fish resumed swimming. Benjamin grew even more enthusiastic. With the Repulsion Cannon in one hand and the Stasis Rifle in the other, he treated both tools like toys. He moved boulders and tossed them around, then froze animals, playing with unrestrained joy.
"Chat, I'm wondering if I can solo a Crabsnake with these two tools!" Once he felt comfortable with both devices, Benjamin had a bold idea.
[Sure! Benjamin, go for it!]
[Try it? Try it and you're dead!]
[It doesn't matter. He can always respawn anyway!]
Benjamin shared that exact thought. His courage had always been considerable, and now that he had powerful tools, he had to give it a shot.
With that in mind, he immediately headed toward the nearest Jellyshroom.
He had just seen a massive snake over ten meters long return to its Jellyshroom cave, and an idea formed.
"Chat, watch this combo!"
Benjamin swam closer. With his left hand he used the Repulsion Cannon to grab a millstone-sized boulder.
His right hand gripped the Stasis Rifle. He pulled the trigger and began charging.
When the charge was nearly complete, he released the Repulsion Cannon. The boulder launched forward and smashed into the Jellyshroom's cap.
"Roar!" The serpent inside the cave burst out and lunged at the boulder.
At that moment Benjamin released the trigger. The Stasis Rifle fired its orb.
His combo wasn't perfectly executed. The orb missed the Crabsnake and instead struck the thrown boulder.
"Hum!"
The orb expanded into an energy field that enveloped the upper half of the pink giant serpent. A comical sight unfolded: the Crabsnake's upper body froze solid while its exposed tail thrashed wildly.
"Didn't pull it off perfectly, but I still froze its upper half!" Benjamin laughed and swam forward. "My chance is here! Watch my dagger attack!"
He entered the energy field, drew his knife, and stabbed the Crabsnake's head repeatedly.
Stab! Stab! Stab!
The sound of blade meeting flesh echoed. Crabsnakes lacked exoskeletons, so the head was quickly reduced to a bloody mess.
[Time stop plus dagger? Is this you Sakuya Izayoi!?]
[Haha, mainly because dodging was impossible!]
[Putangina, ang galing!]
[Benjamin's combo was actually pretty stylish. He used the Repulsion Cannon to throw the boulder and draw the serpent's attention, then launched the ambush!]
[Mainly because those two tools are just too strong. The Crabsnake died without complaint!]
Ten seconds of stopped time had been enough for Benjamin to land dozens of stabs.
As the energy field began to flicker and fail, Benjamin quickly stopped stabbing and backed away from the Crabsnake.
Time resumed its flow!
The field vanished. The giant serpent twisted and convulsed, its wounded head bleeding profusely as it plummeted toward the seabed.
Once it hit the ocean floor, the serpent stopped moving entirely.
Benjamin had successfully solo'ed a Crabsnake!
The chat instantly flooded with Pog and OMEGALUL.
"Whew." Benjamin exhaled softly. There was something deeply satisfying about taking down a creature more than ten times his size.
To summed it up: exhilarating!
No wonder rich folks loved hunting. It really was thrilling!
Benjamin didn't approach the corpse immediately. He worried the Crabsnake might not be fully dead and could suddenly lunge at him.
Just like snakes on Earth, sometimes even a severed head could still attack.
Given that this was a game designed by the New Game Devs, caution was essential.
Benjamin swam to the Jellyshroom and decided to examine the Crabsnake's cave.
To his surprise, he found three pink, egg-shaped stones inside.
He scanned them.
"Ding. Crabsnake Egg. Produced through Crabsnake mating. Used to incubate new Crabsnake life."
"Crabsnake eggs! And there are three of them!" Benjamin said excitedly. "Looks like we'll have to postpone the Gasopad plan for now. Raising a few Crabsnakes sounds pretty cool too!"
[Sure, sure!]
[Having a few Crabsnakes as pets would actually be pretty badass!]
[This is straight-up murder. No, straight-up heartless snake-slaying! You kill someone's mother and then steal her children!]
Benjamin was still speaking excitedly when a strange itch spread across his entire body. He frowned, scratched instinctively with both hands, then suddenly recalled Captain Marriane words. "Those infected with the bacterium first experience full-body itching."
Benjamin quickly scanned himself with his wrist device.
"Scan results indicate you may have been infected by a bacterium. This pathogen differs from all previously known human pathogens. Further data unavailable. Continued observation recommended."
"So I really did get infected!" Benjamin's mood sank the moment he heard Gaia.
[The captain already said we were infected the moment we jumped into the sea!]
[That's right. When Jenny was streaming earlier, she found out she was infected too. She still doesn't know what's going on.]
"Looks like I can't keep messing around." Benjamin grew serious. "Raising animals will have to wait. Time to focus on the main story."
He had no idea when the infection would flare up. That depended entirely on what that old dev had programmed.
If he died from it soon, this save file would be ruined.
The sooner he dealt with the infection, the better.
No longer in the mood to play, Benjamin refocused on the main quest. He could either explore the Aurora or return to the island and use the alien key to open the alien facility.
Checking the distance, the Aurora was closer, roughly fifty kilometers away.
"Alright, brothers, let's head to the Aurora first!" Benjamin decided.
[Sure, sure. The Aurora is really fun too, and there are lots of unexpected surprises waiting. Benjamin is going to be thrilled!]
[Thrilled? Are you kidding? There's a Reaper Leviathan near the Aurora's deck.]
[Shh, don't say it. Don't spoil it for Benjamin!]
[Exactly. Let's give him a nice surprise later!]
Benjamin paid no attention to the chat. He loaded all three Crabsnake eggs into the Seamoth's storage compartment, then piloted the Seamoth away from the massive cave, heading straight for the Aurora.
Over the past few days, Subnautica, already quite popular, had once again ignited the player base's emotions.
Most players had now reached the island. They had witnessed the majestic alien facility and the shocking moment when the Firework was blasted out of the sky!
In that instant, every player who had journeyed this far felt as though their hearts had exploded along with the Firework!
Countless players flooded forums and bulletin boards with frantic complaints.
[Holy shit, Firework, my firework! I waited so long for that rescue ship from our own people, and you just one-shot it into nothing?]
[When I got to this part I genuinely felt despair. I've never experienced anything like it before!]
[Yeah. We were still chatting and laughing with Captain Alex, and you could tell he was a really warm-hearted guy. Then suddenly, boom!]
[Damn it, the worst part is that fucking sadistic developer even threw in some dark humor. The Firework really did turn into actual fireworks!]
[Pro tip: You can read advanced 30 chapters on Patreon.com/EdgyReader]