A few moments since the last chapter...

Succubus Homeland, Research Facility

 

Putting together a gun from its parts for the first time was always the most challenging. Rex had slowly created an entire collection of small files and sandpapers. This was to fix any small imperfections that came from machining the various parts. Shaya was standing on her stool, as she watched Rex piece together the gun for Borscht on the table.

 

It was large and used a belt feeding system. The belt would be pulled from a drum that hung under the weapon, this was because of the size of the ammunition. It was 60 caliber, a massive 20-millimeter bullet tip. It used twice as much high-grade plastic as a 50 caliber round, but this weapon was borderline artillery in its current formation.

 

Looking at the mill, he frowned deeply as he looked at the bit.

 

It's delaminating...

 

Tungsten was one of the hardest materials on modern earth, and it was used in all kinds of drilling bits. The cold iron did not alloy well with the tungsten, and it was falling apart. The bit had held up well in the beginning when he was just using it for small projects, but they didn't hold out as well as other tungsten alloys. This was because cold iron's hardness wasn't incredible by itself.

 

It's can't handle abrasion well, only sudden impact...

 

It held up to short use, but nothing prolonged, it wasn't much different than a lot of steels in production. This meant that its uses were more limited, and its use in cutters wasn't very good for anything but casual use.

 

It's better in bullets.

 

Cold iron could hold a large amount of excess mana, it was like a powerful single-use battery. In bullet form, it created wounds that froze the flesh and muscle, or it created several thousand volts of electricity through a lightning enchantment. The only thing in guns that it worked well for was gun barrels.

 

“Is it done?” The big white bear asked with a shine in his eyes.

 

“It is, but we don't have any bullets for it.” Rex told the bear with a smile.

 

A large white arm covered in fur reached over his shoulder and lifted the gun with one hand.

 

“It is light!” He said happily!

 

This comment caused Rex's pupils to constrict and start shaking.

 

It's 158 pounds(71kg)! No! Stop swinging it around with one hand!

 

“What about mine?” Welch asked him with some embarrassment.

 

Rex looked over at the tan elf who was fidgeting in a mixture of excitement and embarrassment. This caused Rex to sigh out in relief.

 

So much more normal!

 

This thought disappeared when he saw her weapons, so did his smile.

 

They are all monsters!

 

Rex felt a cold sweat begin to drip down his brow when he looked at the next gun. It was an automatic drum-fed shotgun that was chambered to 8 gauge. It fired at 320 rounds per minute, half the speed of Borscht's giant machine gun. The shotgun could fire in semi-automatic and fully automatic. The detachable drum also carried the magic stone that powered the weapon, the same system used in Borscht's gun. The biggest difference was that Borscht's drum held a 300 round belt, and Welch's drum was only built for 32 shotgun shells.

 

It was a little over 15 pounds(~7kg) unloaded, but the recoil would be quite intense. Both of them were out of Rex's league, he wouldn't be able to use them. The next gun on the table was a large revolver that fired 50 magnum ammo. What made a bullet considered a magnum round? It was simple, more gunpowder for the same bullet size. Rex smiled as he looked at these two guns, they would complement her well in combat.

 

“These are both yours, This shotgun is going to be your primary weapon. I would charge them, and just pump the trigger in bursts. The rounds on this will be special, It is filled with rods for more mass.” Rex explained. “The next one is a revolver, it is double action, so you can either fully actuate it using the trigger, or you can set the hammer using your thumb. Keep this side oiled, the enchantment is here, and it can't be damaged or the gun won't fire.”

 

Rex explained all of the different features of the weapons to her, as he pointed out the controls.

 

“What about that gun?” She asked as she pointed to another.

 

Rex looked at his creation and smiled proudly.

 

“Every single gun owner should have at least one striker-fired pistol.” Rex explained. “They don't use a hammer, and instead use a pin and a spring. I attached a small square plate at the end of it to facilitate the enchantment.”

 

Most striker-fired handguns were similar, they usually looked like a certain Austrian-made handgun. That was the most popular version of the firearm that existed in the world. This gun was chambered to 45 caliber, and it held 14 in the magazine and 1 in the chamber.

 

“This is the best I can do! Yep! I just can't handle any higher of recoil.” Rex said in mock excitement, as he looked at his thin wrists with shame.

 

This was all his diet's fault, he just wasn't able to develop properly. This brought a memory to his mind, a recent one.

 

Sitting at the refinery was the younger Rex and a younger Greko, he had just found his first batch of nitrates.

 

“You like that cheese, don't you?” Rex said as he had an ironic smile on his face.

 

Greko looked up at Rex with shock on his face, his tongue darting out of his mouth, and licking the crumbs off of his face. This was a cheese that was made from coconut milk, and was quickly turning into a unique product of the island.

 

“It's the best! There isn't any better food!” He said quickly before his tongue began flying around looking for crumbs.

 

Rex smiled sadly at the mouseman.

 

“Maybe one day I can make this an island where no one has to starve. I don't think food should ever be used as an incentive to work.” Rex said as he looked at his thin frame.

 

“What do you mean?” The mouseman asked.

 

“A single person is capable of feeding tens of thousands if they have the right equipment.” Rex told the mouseman who was eating his cheese. “I don't think food should ever be something that is denied from anybody.”

 

And he still thought this way even now, it is why he didn't care that the beastmen and elves ate their fill from the stuff he had marked out years ago. Rex could never bring himself to let someone else starve. How could someone like Rex who has understood hunger so intimately since he came to this world?

 

“Are you okay?” Welch asked him.

 

“Yeah, I was just thinking of Greko. I hope he is doing okay.” Rex said with a sad smile.

 

-

Meanwhile...

Beastmen Plains, Outside Rattholme

 

Naked elven bodies were being thrown into a swamp, all of their possessions were being taken. These were the victims of the poison gas that the mousemen had used. A group of elderly mousemen was striping off the possessions of these elves. The armor would be shipped by river to the ocean, then it would get picked up by the island's navy. Then new supplies would be airdropped by the succubi.

 

Greko did not sit on a throne as many beast kings would, he was helping toss naked corpses into the swamp. These bodies would break down and become future nitrates for the mousemens fertilizer and trade with the island.

 

“Big Cheese! We discovered a box in the elf's tent!” A mousemen yelled out in squeaks.

 

Greko turned from the knee-high water he stood in, his tawny chest on full display without his shirt on. His white belly had several mud spots in the fur. A lot of the mousemen felt great respect for this new mouseman who stood so proudly against the elves with his comrades.

 

Greko waited patiently for the mouseman to run up to him with a large rectangular box made of metal on his back. Greko waited for the mouse to stand up, and present it to him with an ingratiating smile.

 

“2 pounds of cheese for you, well done!” Greko smiled at this mouse in return.

 

The mouse smiled with deep excitement as he yelled out loudly!

 

“Cheese and Beer!”

 

“That's right!” Greko agreed, as his full attention went to the box in his hands.

 

A large smile spread over his face, as he began making his way over to a large crate that was being filled by the elderly mousemen. Greko looked into this crate that once held poison gas grenades, now it was filled with various pieces of enchanted equipment. Several large urns of the oil that the elven alchemists had prepared sat at the bottom. Greko carefully placed the metal box on top of the crate and positioned it carefully. These were the spoils he had prepared for the Supreme Cheese.

 

Greko took the plastic lid from another crate and put it on top of this box, he began to carefully fasten it down. Looking over, he could see a large group of adult mousemen standing in a line shooting shotguns. These were all the mousmen who had sworn loyalty to Greko and joined his “Family” as he took to calling it. Instead of a Beast King, they could call him “God Father.”

 

Reaching into his coat, he took out a long thin tube. He pulled the top off of it to reveal an orange clay-looking substance. Reaching into another pocket, he took out a small lighter and applied a flame to the clay. After a few minutes, it ignited into a red flame and began to issue bright red smoke into the sky. Greko set this near the crate and went back to tossing corpses into the swamp. This crate would be picked up by the succubi at night and flown back to the island, this was because they couldn't trust flying during the day too often because of the falcon king.

 

“Big Cheese! We have captured 127 fleeing elves, they are all deserters!” A mouseman reported to Greko who was just finishing with disposing of the bodies.

 

Greko didn't need to think long before he came up with a solution.

 

“Knock them out, and tie them up next to the crate!” He said, pointing to the pillar of red smoke rising towards the sky.

 

These prisoners could act as a gift for the Supreme Cheese!

 

-

Meanwhile...

Beastman Plains, Unnamed Foxman territory

 

Lunas stood over a sand table overlooking the area that the Foxman village sat in. A large mountain sat three days away, and another day from there was the Mousemen.

 

“The Foxes will conquer that mountain!” Lunas declared with vigor.

 

The sound of gunfire rang through the air constantly, a large group of female foxes were being trained by a group of succubi to fire rifles. These were the ones that Lunas had deemed the most loyal and dedicated. A few feet away all of their husbands, or lovers, sat huddled together in wooden cages. Some of them had begun fighting when they realized their wife had one or more lovers. Some of them had looks of fear when they saw what the female foxes were shooting at.

 

Tied on wooden poles were the ruined remains of male foxes, very little was left of their corpses. These were the ones who were unfaithful and had slept with one or more of this group of females that they weren't married to. This macabre sight made Lunas smile deeply when she saw it, this would serve as a sharpening stone for this group of female foxes.

 

“Sister Lunas, what is your plan?” A succubus asked her from the side, holding a piece of paper and clipboard.

 

“First we will spend a week training, our food stores should last that long. Then we will begin our path of conquest, until we can meet up with our brethren the mousemen, and slaughter the Falcon King together!” Lunas reported with a savage gleam in her eyes.

 

Conquest, this was what the foxes were planning. In order to become a beast king was a very simple thing, just kill another and take over his throne. No beastman would question your authority if you took down another pack lead by a beast king. If the foxes and mouses took down the Falcon King, then the succubi would not need to be as careful when they were in the area. It would also give them a giant plot of farmland that was more than enough to sustain hundreds of thousands of people.

 

-

Meanwhile...

Succubus Homeland, Research Facility

 

Rex watched Shaya leaving the Research facility, as he rode the white bear next to the tanned elf. The only really unhappy ones in the group were his guards, they didn't like the new firearms he had made for them. To ensure he had 45 caliber ammunition he had created a small sub-machine gun chambered in 45. The gun seemed incredibly underwhelming when they saw the bear's giant weapon, or Welch's shotgun, they didn't even have a golden coating.

 

Rex was quite disappointed as he had made them to be really effective weapons. The fire rate was high at 620 RPM, and they had a 42 round straight magazine. It was a modified grease gun without all of the round nonsense that the original had going on. Even the stock was a wire design and able to extend.

 

“You disappointed them...” Welch told Rex.

 

Looking at the group of guards and their sorrowful faces, Rex reached up and began massaging his temples.

 

“They aren't bad weapons, I think they will like them if they just use them a few times!” Rex defended his decision. “The succubi need something they can use at close range for when their rifles become inconvenient.”

 

Rex just shook his head, as he explained it.

 

“What is it for?” She asked for its specific purpose.

 

“Some of the beastmen have flying forces, and the rifles the succubi use aren't well adapted for air combat.” Rex explained. “These guns are meant to be versatile and easy to wield. I think the gun they really like is your revolver though.”

 

Rex sighed out sadly, as he knew that they much preferred the large and intimidating revolver to the small, blocky sub-machine guns.

 

“It's just hard seeing them all so sad.” Welch commented.

 

“Fine, they can choose whatever sidearms they want!” Rex said with sad resignation.

 

Rex just felt like the choices of sidearms were limited. The gun he had made for himself felt heavy and uncomfortable. This was something Kira had asked him to do, but he had just gotten around to it.

 

“What time do we leave in the morning?” Borscht asked him.

 

“ We need to go pretty early, it will be a long day.” Rex said to the bear. “It will probably take several days of debate to finish everything.”

 

Tomorrow would be the first meeting to establish a government on the island. Rex would be busy for several days, so he made the guns as a way of relaxing with his friends.

 

I need to create some forms of entertainment!

 

Yes, this had all come about because of boredom. With Kira gone, Rex had no idea what to do with himself. He decided to go around the island and inspect the weapons. In his last life, Rex didn't have much free time, but he was an avid fan of movies and television.

 

I could build a car and a small road...

 

Rex leaned up and looked around the walls of the crater, he lived near the edge. The image of a circular track appeared in his head.

 

I'd be just like that guy on that late-night anime... I'd have a tiny road on a little planet...

 

“Why you not mention my wonderful fur has grown back?!” The bear he was riding asked him.

 

“You are right... it was so fast... I am practically still bald!” Rex said in grief.

 

He didn't want to comment on it, it was too unfair. Rex reached up and ran his fingers through his short dark blonde hair. It was more precious than gold to him.

 

“Hahaha!” Welch began laughing at the two men.

 

Rex shook his head at her, she would never understand the pain of male baldness. For every percentage of hair that a man lacked, it meant he had to work that much harder to give himself a rich personality. A man with a full rich head of hair can sit in the back of the room and just smile, that is enough for him to get women. If you shave his head, he will suddenly just seem really creepy.

 

“You will never know the pain of the bald!” Rex told her with a serious expression.

 

“Yeah, I don't have to worry about that!” Welch said seriously before she started laughing.

 

Rex smiled and waved at her as they went their separate ways.

 

“It is good seeing her laugh!” Borscht told him with a smile. “She normally only frown, or she angry.”

 

“She lost everything to the current elven king, I bet she will be watching the results of the Mousemen and foxmen closely. If they do well, I imagine she will want me to support her in a similar capacity.” Rex told the bear and sighed.

 

“Would you?” Borscht asked.

 

“Of course.” Rex said and nodded with a confident smile. “I never tell my friends no.”

 

“Aren't you worried something happen to her?” The bear asked him.

 

“I always worry.” Rex said as he pats the bear's back, avoiding the machine gun. “That is why I have always focused on making the biggest guns.”

 

Rex looked around the succubus city they were passing through, everything had changed so much since he got here. Everything looked new and colorful, this was made apparent by the bright paint jobs that were appearing.

 

“Speak softly, and carry the biggest stick.” Rex said with finality. “We are probably going to be exposed to the elves by the vampires, we also need to see the demon's retaliation. Our time to hide is over, and that means we need to be able to protect ourselves and grow. I had originally planned to have our first ship done already, but the fight at the docks put a stop to that.”

 

An entire week's worth of work was destroyed in a single night, this also made Rex wonder if the ships were even worth building. That was a foolish thought though, as he would need ways to send more supplies to the mainland.

 

“Why are you building ships?” Borscht asked him.

 

“To free up the succubi. I need a better way to move freight to the mainland. We have a serious shortage of people on this island, so I have to utilize them in the best way possible.” Rex said in resignation. “Out of all of the races, I have the best relationship with the succubi. I also feel like having them deliver cargo is inefficient. We also need boats to bring people to the island.”

 

“How are you going to stop them from getting lost?” The bear asked him.

 

“Ah, I have 2 ways to do it.” Rex said confidently. “The first method involves making a magical beacon using one of the different frequencies, but I am against doing this. Obviously, if we can locate it, so can others. I feel like this is just asking for trouble if there are more advanced civilizations out there.”

 

“And the other?” The bear asked with confusion on his face.

 

Rex took a deep breath and sighed out in resignation.

 

“I kept trying to think of how I could navigate on this planet without knowing which way was north or having any real fixed points. I then realized I wasn't thinking broadly enough, I need to start treating it like I am trying to navigate in space.”

 

The bear looked even more confused. “Space?”

 

“Yes, navigation through the sheer power of math!” Rex declared with a serious tone. “I found out that the moon has a stable rotation around the planet, even though the planet has its axis change positions. Using the position of the sun, the moon/, and several stars it is possible to triangulate your position on the planet.”

 

The bear stopped walking, as his jaw slowly started to fall to the floor.

 

“You mean we need to do math every single day?” The bear asked in horror.

 

“No, of course not.” Rex said with excitement in his eyes. “I plan to use the fact that the cores of planets seem to have their own mana signatures and use enchantment to calculate the position of the user when it is activated. You will always know exactly where you are in the solar system, as well as the time and date. I will call it the 'Astrotempus' and I think it might be the greatest contribution to this world I will ever make.”

 

Rex thought of this creation that had been rattling around in his head for a few years.

 

“No one will ever get lost again.” Rex told the bear with a smile.

 

-

Meanwhile...

Beastmen Plains, Rattholme

 

“Cheese and Beer! Cheese and Beer! Cheese and Beer!” The mousemen cheered in unison.

 

Greko watched from his place as barrels of liquor were rolled out one by one and opened. Large wheels of cheese were also rolled out and were being cut into pieces. To Greko's right sitting at a table at the underground burrow that the mousemen used to feast in was Arno. He had a proud expression on his gray and white face. To his left was a tall and thin mouse with white fur and red eyes. He had glasses on and a stoic expression, he was called Bernie.

 

“Shouldn't we be preparing for the elves' counterattack? There are over 50,000 troops in this area alone.” Bernie said seriously.

 

“Stop being a stick in the mud! Don't you see little Jo Teebo over there, having his first taste of beer?” Arno chided the white mouse.

 

“Arno is right, they need to understand why they are fighting.” Greko said with a serious expression. “Every day that I experienced the bombing, I needed moments like this to remind me that I was still alive.”

 

Greko looked at the two mousemen who were his left and right hand.

 

“The Supreme Cheese has already told us that the first time we use the smoke is the time it will be the most effective. Once they come up with countermeasures it will only become less effective over time.” Greko told his friends. “We need to set up traps and collect supplies we can trade for more weapons. We must show the Supreme Cheese that we are better than the foxes! The Greko Family will become the rulers of this entire area!”

 

“Cheese and Beer!” The two mousemen cheered with excitement.

 

“Tomorrow we will begin scouting out the elves, and attacking any wandering groups we find. We also need to find their supply lines and thoroughly cripple them!” Greko announced. “We will show the elves that no one fights dirtier than the mousemen!”

 

Cheers began to erupt among all of the gathered mousemen and ratmen. They had been given several hundred shotguns and rounds. Out of the 4 crates of gas grenades they had used an entire crate. The mousemen were responsible for trading food, nitrates, and ore. This would be a relationship of benefits, and it would be the first alliance they made on the island.

 

“Only the Supreme Cheese saw the potential of the mousemen! We can not fail him.” Greko ordered his two friends.

 

While the other two mousemen that Greko brought with him had participated in the fight, their job was different. Both Ted and Earl were trained as farmers. They were currently scouting out the farmland between the mousemen and the Falcon King. Once their rivals, the foxes, sent word that they were prepared then the mousemen would bare their fangs at the Falcon King. In the meantime, they needed to send a strong message through the swamp that the Greko Family was made of no ordinary mousemen.

 

“What are we fighting for?” Greko yelled out to the gathered mousemen.

 

They all held up their mugs of beer and pieces of cheese with bright looks on their faces.

 

“Cheese and Beer!” They all yelled out in chorus.