Valeria's Investigation

Valeria stepped into the dimly lit armory, her eyes immediately locking onto one of the rifles resting on a nearby rack. She reached out and grabbed the weapon, its weight familiar yet foreign in her hands. The rifle was cold to the touch, made of metal she couldn't immediately identify.

With a deliberate movement, Valeria placed the tip of her fingers on the muzzle. Dark tendrils of energy began to seep from her fingertips, snaking around the barrel and spreading across the entire rifle. The tendrils crept over the weapon, covering it in an eerie black sheen as her magic started to analyze its contents.

As the tendrils burrowed into every nook and cranny of the rifle, Valeria's mind was instantly flooded with information. She could feel the structure of the weapon, how the pieces fit together, the materials it was made from. Steel, aluminum, polymer-all basic materials. She could sense the precision of the mechanism inside: the firing pin, the gas system, the trigger assembly.

But there was something off about it. Despite its advanced design, it lacked any magical essence. No enchantments, no protective runes, nothing that indicated it had been enhanced by magic. It was purely mechanical.

She frowned, her fingers tightening around the rifle. For all its technological advancements, it was still just a machine. A well-engineered one, but nothing more than that.

"So this is what they're using?" she muttered to herself. "No magic, no enhancements. Just brute force. Those humans have exceeded their limits." Valeria's voice was a low murmur as she examined the rifle once more. Her dark tendrils receded completely, leaving the weapon untouched by her magic, but now fully understood in her mind.

The humans had developed weapons like these-entirely devoid of the magical energies that had long been essential in warfare on this world. And yet, despite the lack of enchantment, they were powerful. The precision of the parts, the brutal efficiency of the design-these weapons relied on science and technology, a realm far removed from the magic that governed the elves, the dwarves, and even beings like her.

"They rely only on machinery now," she thought. "They've grown without the need for magic. And it's threatening."

The reason why she considered it threatening is due to the fact that she was pushed off by those same weapons in the battle at Akarios Village. Valeria had fought creatures, sorcerers, and magical entities before, but never had she encountered such a force-one that relied on precision and sheer firepower rather than magic. The realization sent a ripple of unease through her, though she would never admit it.

The thought gnawed at her: What if these humans discovered how to enhance their weapons with magic?

She tightened her grip on the rifle, staring at the cold, lifeless metal. In the wrong hands, this was already a dangerous tool. But combined with magic? It could become unstoppable. Valeria's mind raced with the implications. The humans had learned to craft weapons that could pierce through magical defenses without needing to rely on magic themselves. If they figured out how to combine their technological prowess with the mystical arts, they would no longer be limited by their lack of magical abilities.

A surge of dark energy crackled through Valeria's veins, a wave of frustration and fear she hadn't felt in ages. She couldn't let this happen. She couldn't let these humans reach that point of power.

Because if they do, it is almost certain that humanity might become the top species in the world.

Valeria's thoughts were abruptly interrupted by the unmistakable sound of footsteps approaching from the armory's entrance. Her heightened senses snapped her back to reality, and she quickly spun around to face the door.

A squad of elven forces armed with the very rifles she had just analyzed stepped into view. Their sleek black armor glistened in the dim light of the armory.

"Do not move!" one of the elves barked firmly. Several others raised their rifles, aiming directly at Valeria. Their postures were rigid, disciplined, betraying no fear.

Valeria didn't flinch. She held the rifle in her hand with a casual grip, her dark eyes gleaming with amusement beneath her hood. Despite the tension in the air, she appeared unbothered.

"Okay... I won't move," Valeria said, her voice dripping with mock compliance.

With a flick of her wrist, the M4 Carbine she held in her hand suddenly fired on its own.

The lead elf crumpled to the ground, his armor offering little protection against the high- velocity rounds. His comrades were next, barely managing to raise their weapons before Valeria squeezed the trigger again.

The elves were caught off-guard by the ruthless efficiency of Valeria's assault. Their rifles, powered by human engineering, had no chance to return fire before they were cut down.

One of the elves, desperate and bleeding from a wound in his side, managed to scramble for cover behind a tree. But Valeria was relentless. She moved with the speed of a predator, stepping closer as the last elf attempted to rise to his feet, once she was in front of him, she twitched her finger again and the dark tendrils pulled the trigger of the M4 Carbine, ending the last elf.

The silence in the armory was deafening now. Valeria glanced around at the fallen elves, their bodies scattered across the ground. No emotion crossed her face. She wasted no time, moving quickly to gather as many rifles as she could in her inventory.

Satisfied with the amount, she prepared to leave as she wouldn't want the entire elven forces to descend upon her location.

With a flick of her wrist, Valeria summoned a portal of swirling darkness. The air around her shifted as the shadows enveloped her, distorting the space she stood in. Before stepping through, she spared a glance at the fallen elves.

"Fools," she muttered softly.

The portal widened, and with a final smirk, Valeria disappeared into the void, leaving no trace of her presence behind. The portal closed as silently as it had opened, leaving the armory in

eerie stillness.