The Order of Architects (Book 7): A Portal Progression Fantasy Series, page 13
“Let’s start with the melee weapons,” Theodore said. “As you know, jade is the only material that can damage Shadows. But just hitting them with a piece of jade isn’t particularly effective. So, I’ve come up with something.”
He took several types of melee weapons out of the crate.
“Take this butterfly knife with a jade blade, for instance. It’s light and compact — perfect for close combat.”
He demonstrated how the knife could be unfolded with just a single flick of the wrist and pointed out how its razor-sharp blade, which was coated with jade dust, glistened in the light.
“Or this,” he continued. “A double-bladed battleaxe.”
The axe was heavy and powerful, with two sharp jade blades. It had clearly been designed to dispatch all who stood in its path with ease.
“This one’s a real masterpiece,” Theodore continued, taking out of the crate an exquisite blade that resembled a samurai katana. The sword was made out of Damascus steel and had been inlaid with jade. It was light but strong — perfect for someone who knew how to handle such weapons.
Grimrock picked up the katana and examined it with admiration. The blade was immaculately polished, and the jade insets shimmered on its surface like drops of emerald dew.
“Well, what do you think, Uncle Kirill?” Theodore asked.
“Impressive,” Grimrock nodded.
“Different types of Shadow require a different approach,” the young man continued. “For example, when fighting faster ones, it’s better to use daggers and knives. And who knows what the future holds? Maybe the Shadows will learn to wear armor. In that case, we’ll need to use maces and hammers. Like this one, for instance. The most important thing is to be prepared for any eventuality. Having plenty of options is always a good thing. You can leave me any suggestions and requests you may have. If necessary, I’ll make some more gear.”
Theodore then opened another crate that contained some assault rifles.
“These,” he began, picking up one of them, “are a modernized version of the most popular assault rifle in this world… I mean… on the planet — the AZ74.”
“Well, we know all about those,” remarked Fox with a chuckle. “I don’t think there’s anyone among us who hasn’t fired an AZ before.”
“These aren’t the same rifles that you’re familiar with, though,” Theodore replied with a smile. “I’ve completely redesigned them. There are no factory parts left in these.”
He handed a rifle to Grimrock, who began studying it curiously.
“They’re made of new, stronger alloys, and they have an improved ammo feed system, an increased rate of fire, and reduced recoil. Want to try one?” Theodore offered, gesturing toward the targets on the shooting range.
Grimrock nodded, took aim, and fired off a burst of shots. The rifle worked perfectly — the shots were virtually silent, and there was practically no recoil to speak of. It felt like firing a pellet gun.
“Damn,” muttered Grimrock, looking over the rifle in astonishment. “I’ve never seen anything like this before.”
“Now for the most interesting bit,” said Theodore, opening the last crate.
He took out a strange-looking object that resembled some kind of futuristic blaster, the kind you’d usually see in a sci-fi film about space marines.
“Damn… What the hell is that?” asked the usually silent Bumblebee.
“This is a one-off miniature prototype of the Austro-Hungarian superweapon, Thor’s Hammer. I’ve called it the ‘Lightning.’ But you can think up another name for it. The interesting thing about it is that it uses special energy. It’s good for long-distance combat, it’s light and highly accurate, and it delivers a seriously powerful blast. All the things you guys love. I can demonstrate, if you want. But first…” Theodore switched off the safety, and thick steel plates immediately descended to cover the walls of the shooting range. The doors were blocked, too. “…I need to activate the noise suppression system.”
He activated some kind of artifact that absorbed all sound. Then, picking up the “Lightning,” he took aim at the far wall of the shooting range and pulled the trigger.
The explosion was completely silent. However, beneath their feet, the floor quaked, and the whole place was enveloped in a thick smoke. Once the latter had settled, the guardsmen saw that the shooting range wall had been completely destroyed. Fragments of concrete and thick steel plating had been sent flying in all directions. Only the space around them was clear of debris — Theodore’s protective magic had kicked in.
“That’s not a problem,” remarked Theodore calmly. He activated his Gift and began fixing the ruined wall. “It’ll be fine. That was just to demonstrate.”
A couple of minutes later, the wall was as good as new.
“So, what do you reckon to my Thor’s Hammer prototype?” Theodore asked with a smile, walking over to his dumbfounded guardsmen. “This is just a miniature version, of course. It’s less powerful, but it’s got enough of a kick to blow a small bunker or a squad of armored vehicles to smithereens. I can’t make that many of these — they’re too expensive. But I’ll have a couple of Lightnings ready as soon as possible.”
All the guardsmen were in shock. They were used to dealing with regular, albeit amazing, weapons, but this was… something else.
“Now, Uncle Kirill, shoot me in the chest,” Theodore commanded.
“Alright,” Grimrock replied, taking out his pistol, “but you asked for it.”
He took aim and fired. The bullet whistled through the air and struck Theodore right in the chest.
“Colonel Polyanin, with all due respect…” shouted one of the guardsmen, “shooting the boss…”
Grimrock just laughed. He saw that the bullet hadn’t hurt Theodore in the slightest. It had simply bounced off his chest and landed on the floor.
Theodore took off his jacket and unbuttoned his shirt. Underneath, there were two gleaming plates that covered his chest and back.
“This is artifact armor,” he explained. “It activates whenever something dangerous is flying toward you. Until that point, it doesn’t affect your movement whatsoever. I hope to have you all kitted out with this armor very soon.”
“You’re scaring me, Theodore,” remarked Grimrock with a shake of the head. “If this is just for starters, whatever are you going to come up with next?”
“Well, Uncle Kirill, I don’t just know how to replicate Thor’s Hammer, I also know how to modify it and improve it in every way.”
“Ho…ly… crap…” someone said.
Grimrock shook his head again.
“Things never get boring with this guy…” he muttered to himself under his breath.
He looked over at Theodore once again with unmistakable admiration in his eyes. It seemed that Liechtenstein had really gotten lucky with its new hero.
Chapter 9
I COULDN’T HELP BUT SMILE as I watched Grimrock’s and my other guardsmen’s reaction. My little demonstration had really made an impression. I always liked seeing the results of my labors. I enjoyed seeing my ideas coming to fruition — technology and magic fusing to create something new and powerful that could change this world for the better.
It might have seemed that making the weapon had been rather easy, but that was just an illusion. It actually took several hours of detailed, painstaking work involving both metal and magic to make just one Lightning. And that was for me, an Architect! Many centuries of practice had taught me how to approach the design, what materials to use, and how to fuse magic and technology. After all, the task required more than just combining the right alloys in the correct proportions — I also had to reinforce the structure using magic to prevent the weapon from just exploding in the wielder’s hands when it was fired.
Of course, I was no artificer, but my constant search for new solutions and my experiments with different materials and energies in my past world had given me all the knowledge and skills I needed.
Creating artifact armor was an incredibly complex and painstaking process, too. I had chosen the metals carefully and mixed them in precisely the right proportions. Every layer of the armor was imbued with energy, and to secure it, I had applied invisible seals that gave it extra durability.
I had thereby created armor that could not only protect against physical damage but could also suppress the effects of various magical arts and even weaken Shadows. The armor was light and thin, but it was also incredibly sturdy and capable of withstanding direct gunfire.
And that was only the start. I had dozens more ideas whirring in my head — advanced weaponry, protective barriers, and artifacts capable of enhancing magical abilities.
Technology wasn’t as well developed in this world as it had been in my last one, but I had found a new trump card here — the internet. Or more precisely, a forum I’d recently come across that had been created with the support of the Imperial Scientific Academy. On it, people published blueprints and descriptions of various inventions they’d developed but that, for whatever reason, had been scrapped by the army or government.
Among a load of plans that were, frankly, rubbish, I found some real gems — unique technologies whose authors simply hadn’t been able to fully develop them. There were blueprints, diagrams, formulae, descriptions of experiments… and all this was available totally for free. Many of the inventions were incomplete or flawed in some way, but I saw huge potential in them.
For instance, one inventor had come up with “a device for controlling insects remotely.” This technology could turn bees, ants, and cockroaches into “zombies” and make them carry out the user’s every command. The inventor had even conducted some successful tests, but the military scrapped his project due to protests by some environmentalists who believed it to be unethical.
Or there was the “radar for detecting the movement of Shadows.” This particular invention drew my attention immediately. The author claimed that his device could detect the presence of Shadows within a half-mile radius. The project had been rejected due to its high costs and concerns about its reliability, but an instrument like that could have been invaluable not only to the Shadow Fighters but also for protecting places. No more unexpected Shadow attacks! Having studied the blueprints and analyzed its details, I came to the conclusion that the invention’s main problem had been supplying the device with energy — its batteries had been too cumbersome and impractical. But what if I could replace them with energy-rich crystals? That wouldn’t just make the device smaller — it would also significantly increase its power.
I’d already chosen several projects that I wanted to finish developing and bring to life. Many of the inventions were truly works of genius, but their developers simply hadn’t been able to bring them to completion. And I was sure I’d be able to do so better than their original creators.
Following my visit to the barracks, I headed home. After all my recent adventures, I just wanted to get some rest and a good night’s sleep.
“Home, sweet home…” I sighed as I walked in, eager to enjoy some well-deserved downtime. But, as they say, there can be no rest for the wicked.
No sooner had I walked into the lounge than I was greeted by Anastasia. Her eyes were radiant with excitement, and there were huge rolls of paper on the table in front of her, completely covered in various diagrams and formulae.
“Theodore, you’re back!” she exclaimed, rushing over to me joyfully. “I’ve got something cool to show you! Look, I’ve just finished working on a new project!”
“I’m really pleased for you, Ana,” I said, trying to hide my weariness, “but, to be honest, I just need to get some sleep right now.”
“I understand,” she replied, pouting sulkily, “but you promised to help me with my project. You said yourself that I needed more practice. So I tried really hard. I’ve done the drawings, the calculations… So can you check them, pleeeeassse…”
I had indeed promised to help her with her studies. Ana was highly tenacious in her desire to learn, and, to be honest, I was impressed by her efforts. She had a knack for picking things up really quickly. Of course, she was far from the level of an Architect, but she was showing potential.
“Alright,” I replied, smiling and suppressing a yawn, “let’s take a look at what you’ve done.”
She cheerfully unrolled her blueprints in order to show them to me and then began explaining what was what.
“I’ve developed some new ideas for protective barriers,” she said, pointing at the drawings. “Look. This is an energy field generator. It works using Earth magic and can create a shield around itself.”
Anastasia was so engrossed in her project that she didn’t notice just how tired I was. She was literally bursting with ideas. I listened carefully, trying not to interrupt her. As she talked, I recognized myself in her — the same hunger for knowledge, passion for experimentation, and desire to make the world a better place. We spent another hour discussing her projects, doing the relevant calculations, and correcting her blueprints.
“By the way, Ana,” I said, suddenly remembering what I had scheduled, “don’t make any plans for tomorrow evening. We’ve got an important event to attend. And you’ll need to dress the part.”
“What is it?” she asked, her eyes widening in curiosity. “A date?”
“Not quite,” I replied, smiling. “It’s the official opening of the orphanage. A bunch of journalists and all the usual top brass will be there.”
Upon hearing this, Ana’s head drooped for a moment.
“Why didn’t you tell me earlier? I don’t have anything to wear for an event like that.”
“Don’t worry,” I said with a chuckle, handing her my bank card. “You can use my card to buy yourself a nice outfit.”
“Oh, thank you, Theodore!” Anastasia rushed over to me and kissed me on the cheek. “You’re the best!”
Having taken the card off me, she hurried into her room, muttering something about beauty salons and fashion boutiques as she went.
However, a few seconds later, she came back out.
“Theodore, is there a lot on your card?” she asked hopefully.
“Don’t worry, there’ll be enough for a new outfit,” I reassured her.
At that, she began dreaming aloud:
“Well, that means I need to buy a new dress… Shoes… A purse… And I need to make an appointment with a good stylist!”
I chuckled and shook my head as I watched her bustling around, making preparations. A thought struck me, however — had I made a mistake inviting her? I immediately dismissed it. When it came down to it, Ana needed something that would take her mind off her endless work and allow her to unwind.
The following morning started with some training with my guardsmen. When they saw me, they lined up and greeted me. It was great to see how hard the guys worked during their training. As always, Grimrock was on form — he didn’t let us relax for a second, pushing us like a drill sergeant who’d been presented with some new recruits.
After the training, I headed for my store, where I was due to meet the Shadow Fighters.
When I arrived, Alexey, the head of the Guild, was nervously pacing around the room and occasionally glancing at the door. Meanwhile, Andrey, his younger brother, was sitting next to the window, studying some documents that were laid out in front of him.
“Hi there, Theodore!” said Alexey, holding out his hand to me. “Thank you for finding the time to meet with us.”
“How are things?” I asked.
Alexey heaved a weary sigh and began recapping events. He talked about the scope of the invasion and how their forces were nearly depleted.
“…we only just managed to fight them back,” he concluded. “Thank you for helping us. Your guys are real pros! And the weapons you gave us… They basically changed the course of the battle.”
“Did you lose a lot of men?” I asked.
“A few, yeah,” replied Alexey ruefully.
“We got lucky this time, though,” added his brother, Andrey. “We only lost ten men. And only thirty were wounded. That’s just in Vaduz, though. Across the Empire…”
“Well,” I said once they’d finished, “I’m glad I was able to help. Also, I’ve got something for you.”
We went into the next room, where I’d left several large crates. Having opened them, I showed the Shadow Fighters what I’d prepared — ammo, jade swords, and body armor.
We then turned to discussing the next pressing matter — protecting their Guild.
“We’ve already compiled a list of our most important facilities,” Andrey said, nodding.
“Right, then, my crew and I will head down there tomorrow morning,” I replied.
Alexey shook his head hesitantly.
“There’s just one problem, Theodore. We can’t risk letting outsiders into our secret facilities. It’s a matter of security.”
“I understand,” I said, interrupting him. “But I can’t do it all by myself.”
The Shadow Fighters knew full well that I possessed magical powers, of course, but they couldn’t begin to imagine just how potent my abilities were. And I wasn’t planning on showing them all my cards. Not yet, at least.
“Theodore is right,” Andrey interjected. “But we’ll need to discuss it.”
“Okay,” I replied, nodding. “I will await your decision.”
The Shadow Fighters promised to contact me very soon and then left the store.
Now alone with Simeon, I decided to head down into my workshop to make a few “goodies” for my guardsmen. Despite the success of our operation in Austria-Hungary, I knew it was still too early to relax. A lot of challenges lay ahead, and I had to be ready for anything.
I worked tirelessly until evening, finishing a few sets of artifact armor, refining the weapons I’d made for my guardsmen, and preparing a batch of new jade bombs that were highly effective against Shadows.
That evening, once all the work was done, Boris took me to my estate. Anastasia was there waiting for me, ready for the orphanage’s grand opening. She emerged from her room wearing a stunning dress that looked like it had been woven from moonlight itself and that accentuated her slender figure and blue eyes. Her long hair was exquisitely styled, and her face was radiant with some light makeup.
