Arcane: Thicker Than Blood

Cipher brought a large pile of materials to the weapon testing range and began assembling a modified VK-47 Flatline assault rifle, a favorite weapon among mercenaries and skilled fighters in the Apex world, right in front of Lester.

This wasn't just any Flatline—he'd extensively modified the internals to accommodate his special explosive rounds. The feeding mechanism needed complete redesign, and he'd had to improvise with some of the components they couldn't source from traditional suppliers.

Some parts were rough replacements, made in Zaun's factories with whatever materials they could get their hands on. Not perfect, but they'd hold together.

Zaun could manufacture most of the rifle's components, but producing barrels capable of firing explosive rounds was just beyond their capabilities.

They lacked access to high-quality steel alloys that could withstand extreme temperatures. The specialized barrel design of the Flatline made this limitation even more apparent.

This was why Cipher needed to order large quantities of barrels from Noxus.

The choice of the Flatline was simple—it packed superior stopping power, had manageable recoil, and most importantly, was reliable in the worst conditions.

The rifle's name came from the flat line it put on vital sign monitors.

In just 30 seconds, he finished assembling the rifle. The distinct click of the final piece locking into place echoed through the range.

The Flatline's signature aggressive profile made it look deadly even when stationary. He intentionally controlled his speed; half a minute was the time an average person could achieve with proper training.

"General Lester, this is the VK-47 Flatline assault rifle we've developed. It has a simple structure, reliable performance, and can function in harsh environments."

"It's easy to use. With just basic training, anyone can handle it proficiently. As for its power..."

Cipher loaded a magazine filled with standard bullets, switched to full-auto mode, and fired at a metal target 50 meters away.

Rat-tat-tat..

The muzzle spat continuous tongues of fire, and smoke filled the air.

In mere moments, dozens of bullets roared out, leaving the metal target riddled with holes. The impact pattern showed the weapon's characteristic horizontal spread.

"It holds 20 rounds per magazine, with an effective lethal range of 800 meters. The unique recoil pattern might take some getting used to, but it guarantees shooting accuracy within 300 meters and can easily penetrate 6mm-thick steel armor at 100 meters. The hard-hitting rounds make up for any shortcomings in fire rate."

Cipher switched magazines and handed the rifle to Lester, demonstrating how to handle it.

Lester, being experienced, quickly grasped the operation after a brief test.

Without hesitation, he fired, holding the Flatline single-handedly. Judging by the score on the metal target, his first attempt was even more accurate than Cipher's. The rifle's recoil pattern seemed to suit his aggressive firing style.

"Check the target," Lester ordered his adjutant.

"6mm-thick solid iron target," the adjutant soon reported, running his fingers over the clean penetration holes. "The edges are cauterized. Clean through."

"Not bad. The weapon is powerful enough to threaten standard Noxian soldiers but not effective against elites," Lester remarked, studying the rifle with professional interest.

"It's suitable for equipping slave camps and, under certain conditions, ordinary soldiers."

He gave his assessment: the weapon was good but not revolutionary enough to change the dynamics of war.

On Runeterra, magic and all sorts of bizarre abilities existed. The elite Noxian soldiers wielded javelins far more lethal than the Flatline.

For example, in Season 2 of the original story, the Chemtanks equipped with turbocharged tanks wreaked havoc in Piltover. The enforcers' rifles couldn't even scratch their armor. However, Noxian soldiers could take them down with a single spear.

"Not bad? The firearms firing standard bullets have average lethality. But with explosive rounds, it's a different story."

Cipher wasn't discouraged. The Flatline was merely a launcher; the real weapon was the specialized bullets it could fire. He had something special planned for this demonstration.

He waved his hand, signaling for a steel mannequin to be brought forward by his men.

Lester instructed his adjutant to inspect the mannequin. The thorough examination showed no hidden tricks or enhancements.

After both sides confirmed there were no issues, Cipher loaded a custom-made explosive round into the Flatline and handed it to Lester. The specialized ammunition clicked into place with a satisfying sound.

"Hmm, so it's similar to a crossbow design—you can increase its power by changing the bolts. I'm curious how your explosive round compares to enchanted bolts," Lester commented, weighing the now-loaded weapon.

Taking the rifle again, he pulled the trigger without hesitation.

Boom!

The muzzle spat a fiery dragon as a scorching red projectile struck the mannequin. The Flatline bucked in his hands, harder than with standard ammunition.

Bang!

The explosion hit like a thunderclap, throwing a mushroom cloud of fire into the sky. The steel mannequin didn't stand a chance—melted into a puddle while the air around it twisted from the insane heat.

The demonstration room quickly filled with the acrid smell of melted metal.

Even from nearly 100 meters away, a wave of heat rushed over them, forcing everyone to step back. The concrete floor beneath the target had begun to crack and bubble.

Lester stared in amazement at the Flatline in his hands.

The single explosive round had a blast radius of 10 meters, its fiery mushroom cloud more devastating than the attacks of many fire mages. It even outperformed the enchanted bolts crafted by them.

Mages required mana to cast spells, but this weapon only needed bullets. If it could fire 30 explosive rounds in rapid succession like standard ammunition...

Unthinkable!

"General Lester, what do you think?"

Seeing Lester lost in thought, Cipher laughed heartily.

"A truly formidable weapon. Does it have any limitations? With the kind of high temperature from earlier, this gun..."

Lester touched the barrel—scalding hot! He pulled his hand back quickly, impressed by the residual heat.

"The Flatline can fire only one explosive round at a time, with at least a one-minute interval before firing another. The rifle's already high heat generation from its powerful rounds means rapid consecutive shots with explosive ammunition would risk catastrophic failure."

"It would risk melting the barrel and potentially causing the user to burn themselves. But this issue can be resolved with water-cooling or by manufacturing barrels using higher-temperature-resistant alloys."

Cipher candidly explained the weapon's limitations, believing that customers deserved transparency about the parameters. The trust would serve his longer game.

"Even so, it's already an impressive weapon. A single volley would be enough to crush elite soldiers... What's the production capacity of these explosive rounds? We need to supply entire armies with them."

Lester was thrilled. With such weapons, the strength of their military could see a significant leap. This would also increase his and Swain's influence within Noxus.

"It depends on the specifications. The more powerful the explosive round, the harder it is to produce. For rounds like the one just demonstrated, the current factory setup can produce a maximum of 1,000 rounds per month if running 24/7."

Cipher deliberately understated the production capacity—Zaun itself needed a large supply of explosive rounds.

"1,000 rounds? That's not enough for even a small-scale war!"

Lester frowned in dissatisfaction and asked, "Can't you establish more factories to ramp up production?"

"Zaun is undergoing massive construction right now. Everything needs funding, and we don't have the money to build new factories."

Cipher shrugged, making it clear that they were strapped for cash, practically writing "We need funding" across his face. The bait was set.

"Money isn't a problem. I can represent my mentor to invest in supporting Zaun's construction of new factories, but all explosive rounds produced must be sold exclusively to us."

"The power of the rounds can be slightly reduced, but monthly production must reach at least 20,000 rounds."

Lester didn't hesitate to propose the investment. Initially, Swain had only mentioned wireless communication devices as the main focus of their commercial collaboration.

But after witnessing the power of the explosive rounds, he knew they couldn't let this opportunity slip away.

As long as these explosive rounds demonstrated their power on the battlefield, they would attract a flood of buyers from Noxian warlords.

The investment would pay off in no time through a monopoly on the supply chain.

Moreover, his mentor was about to be appointed commander of the southern front, leading the conquest of Shurima. A weapon with such destructive power could significantly aid the campaign.

"That won't be a problem. We'll leave the detailed terms of cooperation to our professionals to negotiate."

Cipher nodded, showing no objections.

As long as he retained control over pricing, there was no way he could lose. A product that cost 1 coin to produce wouldn't be sold for less than 100 coins, fully capitalizing on the monopoly of advanced technology.

At most, middlemen could act as Zaun's regional agents, nothing more.

"Good."

Lester nodded in satisfaction but suddenly remembered he hadn't asked about the production capacity of the wireless communication devices. These devices were even more critical than explosive rounds.

"What about the production capacity of the wireless communication devices? We'll need a large quantity of those as well."

He inquired, his tone revealing his eagerness.

"The factory is still under construction. Once completed, monthly production will reach about 200,000 units."

This quantity would suffice. Lester smiled faintly and extended his hand toward Cipher.

"Mayor Cipher, here's to a fruitful partnership!"

"A fruitful partnership!"

Cipher's grin was wide and genuine. A wealthy investor like Lester was far easier to deal with than the councilors of Piltover.