4

After getting the shadows reports out of the way, I was sitting at the desk in my inn room. The two bickering children sleeping on the bed's pillows as I went over the wave fight and the total personal gains. Throughout the whole fight, my subclass buff had been triggering sporadically and something else apparently was triggering as there was a blood-red message.

[A Wendigo's spirit has been born through blood and mayhem. You can choose what type of Wendigo XANDUA shall be.]

Below that message were various types, but one stuck out to me. Automaton Wendigo. An Automaton, just like the various people and monsters from the second world. Subconsciously, I selected it and the message changed to a crystal clear red coloration.

[Wendigo XANDUA's race and class is Automaton Wendigo. Automaton Wendigo's are self-adaptive hunters and cannibals who can fit three roles: Berserker, Savage, Chieftain, XANDUA is a Chieftain Automaton Wendigo.]

After that, I felt something take root in my soul, my LITERAL soul, and I knew who and what it was. Chuckling, I just accepted I had gained essentially a third child before continuing to go over everything. Due to my buff activating a lot, my level has spiked, and I knew due to that Gwain and Nilla would soon become much bigger.

[Name: Kaiser Lockheart

Age: 24, Race: Human

Titles: Marksman Hero, Hitman Hero, Wendigo Elder, Insane

Level: 135, EXP: 400/13,500

Str: 34000, Agi: 100000

Int: 45800, Wis: 50000

Def: 148000, Aim: 600000

Skills: Transmutation, Demi-God Mana Regeneration, Extreme Regeneration, Familiar Summoning, Marksman Hero, Dead Eye, Night Vision, Material Knowledge, Enchantment, Legendary Assassin, Cartographer, Father of Kings, Daredevil, Wendigo Summon, Mobile Weapons Platform]

[New Subclass Skills: Wendigo Guardian, Territorial]

[Wendigo Guardian: A slumbering Wendigo Chieftain has been born. Due to being linked to your soul, this Wendigo is exclusively loyal and protective towards you. For you helped birth its existence, and it shall seek to make a pack fit to serve a Guardian of Nature such as you, as it sees you as a wrathful nature guardian. Thus, a strong pack of Wendigo's shall be needed to serve you.

Territorial: Wendigo's are a territorial and protective bunch, you're particularly protective of people you like. Enemies will suffer a constant Fear debuff when facing you, when facing your Wendigo Pack, they'll be Terrified and unable to think clearly.

Daredevil: You are willing to do crazy things for greatness and to kill things. You shall receive a 50% stat increase in all stats when performing stunts called crazy or in dangerous situations against foes you WILL die against.

Vector Variant: Ethereal Hunter - The material form is but a shell for most, to truly kill something permanently you must attack the soul.

All Forms Variant: Sacrifice - To many corpses, so little time… all gun forms can now devour the deceased when in this form. Each corpse consumed grants you a minor permanent stat increase while strengthening all unlocked weapons.

Mobile Weapons Platform: For reaching level 90 and upgrading your subclass, you can now use heavy artillery. All previously unlocked but hidden MWP's are now visible and available for use.]

Yeah, things had definitely changed due to fighting so much and murdering knights. I don't think any other hero is this high of a level yet either or has as many forms like I do, besides Naofumi who uses everything unlike the dick heads. Although Naofumi would also be last in levels, he'd be the most well-trained and advantageous hero after me, as he bothers mastering his forms and using them all. Although my stats are not weird, I can understand them due to already having bad similar stats.

Just the fact my guns can now cannibalize the dead for stats and growth is an interesting twist. It's almost as if the Wendigo subclass is proactively looking to protect me now that Xandua has been created. Turning my weapon into Ethereal, however, I studied the Vector Variant. It was solid in my grasps, but it could phase through other stuff. And given that I now have a soul linked summon, I think of a devious way to use the Ethereal form.

Aiming at a nearby wall bracket while focusing on connecting my gun truly to my soul. I fired a bullet that started out normal and became a pitch black furred metallic monster, with golden eyes and lights from certain cracks in its body, and a bone white metallic skull mask as it hunched over confused. Before, it suddenly made a clicking growl and vanished as a cloud of black swarming insects that phased into my body. The weight of the creature back on my soul. I couldn't help but chuckle at the quick decision to just return to my soul, given there was no fight. After that, I focused on the message from the system when I connected to my weapon on a spiritual level.

[You are the first hero in a long while to try and truly connect with your weapon on a more spiritual level. For your weapon is your lifeline, and you are its chosen one, you two are inexplicably linked as you were married. If you die, your weapon loses its will to fight and must be reset to regain its will, if it cracks, you feel a crushing weight and upon its destruction you die.

This connection, however, if you fully make use of it, shall lead to benefits. One such benefit is knowing what form to use and when to attack during a fight. Your weapon's innate sentience that led to it picking you also is aroused, and it shall briefly at key moments act on its own to protect your life.]

[Due to connecting with your weapon, you have stumbled upon a forgotten Series, the Vengeance Series.]

[Vengeance Series - Rank 1, Revenant: Every time you die you shall revive with a thirst for revenge on your killer. You may die up to five times a day before having to wait until midnight to revive. After a minute, you'll revive, all wounds and damage to your equipment shall be repaired. Your Cardinal Weapon shall also gain Hunter's Mark that tracks your killer and deals 30% true damage to them upon each hit. After each day, the methods of your death, if your soul wasn't destroyed, will then be analyzed and a random permanent weapon ability is unlocked.]

"Huh, so you're a protective one aren't you oh partner of mine? You don't want me dead just yet, or at all apparently, since you practically unlocked this series over a hatred I'm feeling from you."

My weapons gem flashes scarlet, then blue, then yellow, then green once more. Yet with each flash, I understood instinctively what the ever-changing weapon was saying. Turning it back to its base form, I placed the top of its barrel against my forehead, it was vertical between my eyes as the barrel touched my scalp. Humming a low and gentle tune to the weapon, I watched as its gem flashed yellow. The feeling of deep care and affection for its current and most liked user bleeding through a faint connection to me. Chuckling, I hummed along when I felt the weapon slowly starting to emit a small pinging sound as it changed on its own to the Mosin-Nagant form.

The two of us, man and Cardinal Weapon, having a moment after being together so long. Even if it knows my mind has two sets of memories, it still considers me the same man it chose to save a world, the same man it saw something in when I used to be just another regular person. Even though there's a lot I'll never get answers to, I feel thankful to have been recommended and chosen by such a partner.

The cardinal weapons gem flashing a hazy purple color as I felt something tug on my soul. Looking at the gun in my hands, I hummed and thrummed my fingers along its body and barrel. The tugging became stronger as the weapon seemed to unlock a feature in the system.

[Weapon Synchrony: 67% - As you become more in sync with your Cardinal Weapon, your attacks get stronger due to you both bringing out its full potential. This is reflected in your AIM stat, every 50 stat points in it increases your damage by 10%, every 1% of synchrony with your Cardinal Weapon adds an extra 2% to damage. Upon reaching 100% synchrony, your weapon's true nature as a Divine Weapon due to your influence on its current incarnation is unlocked.]

Seeing that, I chuckled as fuck, that's a lot of damage I do in one hit! My weapon seemed to flaunt at that praise that was unsaid, given its gem shined faintly. Eventually, until I passed out at the desk me and the weapon did a humming instrumental of Kids Again since it had my phone twice now as Keltson copied it for this world as well to unlock a music function and other things, like a map, oh… I had a minimap in both worlds this entire time…

Oh fucking well because I made a better map, one I can beat people with if needed! Just still glad he did so since I was doing a job that'd have no real thanks to it. So having all my songs I liked, possibly even movies, was a nice thing to have.

Getting up the next morning when I felt hands slapping me, sunlight, pinging, and growling I opened my eyes. I feel my muscles are heavy from not completely being awake just yet, as my body weights only added to the heaviness I felt. Which in the last couple years has been one of best restful nights I had in a long time. Standing up from the desk and chair, I eventually get about to doinh some stretches and exercises to get my muscles ready for the day. Behind me the chicks are noticeably bigger than last night, they were human a bit ago, but when they got out of bed I truly notice just how big they'd gotten

Gwain now stands tall enough to reach my shoulders, while he wakes himself up by doing small movements, his feathers ruffling and fluffing out every time. Nilla on the other hand now looks like a juvenile griffon that reaches my waist and could probably stand taller than me if she stood on her back legs. After we had each woken up fully, I walked out of the room first after collecting my pocket watch that the chicks took to shine light at me. I was followed by Nilla first, as the young griffin stuck rather close to me, then Gwain as we headed downstairs to the dining room and general inn floor.

Sitting down at a table, I watch Gwain try to get on it before noticing his size and calmly sitting on the ground at the table. Nilla sat on her rear, at the table after figuring out how to put chairs together, and waited patiently for the waiter. Meanwhile as she leaned her head on the table, yawning slightly, Gwain even though he saw a solution,besides turning in a human, just sat where he was indignantly chirping. More likely calling Nilla a smartass. Most people were surprised and on guard by the two appearances, more so Nilla's as she was a griffon.

However, seeing her just lazily lay her head on the table while I placed a hand on her head and idly stroked her head. Electing small growls and chirps from the young empress as I scratched and rubbed at the right angle. Gwain just looked at her with a chuckling chortle of a chirp as he watched a mighty griffon be cute from scratches. I didn't let him get away with it though as I reached up under his beak and scratched at his chin while digging my fingers in slightly, getting him to thump a foot slightly as he chirped.

Both of my young companions found themselves in a pleased state as I gave them some attention. All while a waiter slowly inched towards our table. The waiter was a fifteen year old boy with reddish brown hair and green eyes wearing a slightly nicer style of clothes compared to most. He approached while holding his tray in front of him like a shield. As he eyed Gwain and Nilla like they could attack at any moment, all while he took my order and asked a question.

"Good morning sir, what would you like for breakfast? And if you don't mind me asking where did those two monsters come from?"

"Well you saw these two yesterday as chicks, but they were admittedly asleep then as I guess they were getting ready for the changes to come. Given that I jumped from two digit levels to over one hundred after being summoned with the other four heroes. As breakfast could I please have an omelet with milk, some fruit for Gwain, my Filolial, and any meat that you couldn't use for Nilla, my adorable griffon here?"

"That's a rather amazing growth spurt…. they had overnight then sir, and sure thing I'll be back shortly with your order."

With a bow the boy slowly retreated as I relented on my scratching of the two kids at my sides. Only to chuckle when they pressed their heads into my arms. As we waited for our breakfast some reports were dropped off onto my table suddenly. The reports were disguised in the form of some sort of newspaper which were semi-common for better off inns to have. So I casually picked them up and began reading them while idly commenting as I saw there were bits of actual news mixed in to cover up the real contents.

By the time I finished reading everything in the reports I set them down, just in time as our breakfast had arrived for us to eat. I joined my two large kids in enjoying a nice relaxing morning breakfast. All while looking at the pitcher of milk next to my glass and two big bowls. Smirking, I shake my head at how the scared teen was thoughtful to do something so small without me asking.

After breakfast, the kids and I left our inn and literally proceeded to stalk after the Bow Hero and his party. Since he was seen in the city still and causing some notable havoc. When we found him, the kid was trying so hard to seem sneaky with a cloak while his party did the same as him, except Mald who had a skull appear above his head, along with his name and crime. Which was "misleading and using a hero to destroy crucial members of society." Sighing, I scratched Nilla under the chin as we stalked them from a rooftop, with Gwain following along as his feathery mass swayed in the wind.

Itsuki was currently hunting a pair of adventures being too rowdy in the city, while having injured several guards and knights for some reason. As we stalked the justice freak of a hero, I made a compact chip containing data on several types of gun muzzle attachments. Feeding the chip to my weapon, I watched as silencer and muzzle brake options were added to all my guns, expect the Grom.

Remembering I also had weapons platforms now available, I dug up the blueprints for a certain suite from the Automaton Empire world. Creating another data chip I fed it to my weapon and a new variant appeared that down right sounded scary. Along with some holy water I stole from a priest one time, while he slept of course.

[Grom Variant: Juggernaut Suite - You challenge a fortress? Then prepare for the juggernaut to rain death upon you.]

[Mosin-Nagant Variant: Paladin - Thou shall not rest, the fight is not over, so rise warrior and fight!]

I wonder who writes these descriptions, but looking at my gun I feel as if it's having fun… okay guess I know who is writing them. Shaking my head I focus back onto Itsuki and sigh. Because I was seeing what was happening, Itsuki just got knocked onto the ground while his party was ambushed. Most of them were restrained while the females were well about to have public rape done to them. Thinking about the situation I came to the conclusion these adventures are rogues and fine to murder.

Jumping down into an alleyway, I slowly make my way from the darkness of it with my gun drawn, thinking I might as well try out the Grom variant. Just I need Mald to die and something responds to that desire, may black insects swarm out from my chest and into the surroundings. Chuckling at the fact Mald or "Armor" was going to be in for a horrible time. I watched as Mald and his captors were abducted without a sound, as long clawed hands swiftly and silently abducted them.

As I did so, my figure became wrapped in gears and metal, my figure slowly bulking up, taking on a black color as eventually from the alleyway came well essentially a fucking black templar with skulls on his armor, two compact thirty-six round rocket launcher shoulder weapons. Mortars the size of a person on my back that could level probably four houses at once, and from my wrist two now large hidden blades ejected. As my wrist armor popped open revealing two small gattling launchers meant probably to deal with personnel.

I may not have liked a lot of the Automaton in the second world, but this suit helped me survive the constant unfettered waves. They didn't have to design its bare bones skeleton and weapons for me but they did. And because of that I gained a powerful weapon and armor that kept me alive for so long. The rogue adventurers and Itsuki's party, minus Mald, looked at me as I emerged flanked by my kids. Mald apparently became a birthing bed along with his captors for Wendigo's due to their levels being high. So that's three new Wendigo's from three high leveled individuals.

"Hi, care to have fun with me instead? I'm a big old teddy bear, I swear~ you won't go pop in my arms. For there'll be nothing left to go pop by then."

I chuckled internally at my words, if my weapon was going to fuck with me, then I'll fuck with the enemy. My words and appearance had stunned the adventures and the Bow Hero group. Which was fatal as from above without any warning as to when she had taken flight. Nilla dived and snatched up a male mage, quickly taking him into the sky as her talons sunk into his body. Seconds later from the sky the mage fell screaming bloody murder before connecting with the stone street below him.

Blood instantly ruptured out in every direction, as bones broke and jutted out from his skin in various places, the back half of his head completely caved in. With signs of part of his face having been violently mauled by a beak. A swordsman of the group that formerly had ten members rushed at me only to have a blurred white figure body slam him from the left and through a wall. The sounds of bones breaking on contact could be heard as the adventure didn't reappear, likely died on impact from Gwain. Gwain, however, didn't take chances as he walked over retrieved the adventure before stomping him to death.

Seeing that my two kiddos had already started the festive death match, my hulking frame ran towards a woman wielding a greatsword. When she saw me running at her, she took one swing at me, and her sword did manage to sink into my weapon turned armor. But at the cost of my right arm aiming at her and a small volley of compact missiles assaulting her body. Riddling it with holes. My left hand shot up at an angle and cut her sword in half, before yanking it from my person.

That was when I felt a strong impact to my back that sent me slamming into the ground as a mage holding a war hammer had attacked me. He prepared for another swing to try to crack my back as his hammer glowed with an earthen light. Only for it to be cut short, a feather dripping some green liquid suddenly was jutting out from his chest, followed by a kick from Gwain to the side of the head at high speeds. His talons sunk into the side of the man's head as it popped like a watermelon, the gore painting a wall.

Seeing this I began chuckling happily as I got up from the ground. When I did the launchers on my shoulders came to life. Looking at the remaining seven rogue adventures and the now free hero party. I give one adventure a finger gun with a bang motion. He looked confused before a rocket was launched, and with the sound of its launch his death followed. Without a word he exploded into a red mist that covered a female mage.

The mage looked blankly at where her former friend stood before with a screech, Nilla dive bombed the woman. Nilla's left forelimb swiped and eviscerated the mages lower half from her body. Blood flew along with organs and fabric as the mage's upper half fell onto the stone street with lifeless eyes. One of her organs hit a rogue looking adventure in the face, earning a shrill scream as he tried to run, only for another rocket to fire and turn him into blood mist.

"Four of you left, so I don't need this overkill anymore. Since a normal pistol is enough to clean you up."

Saying this, I reverted to my normal form as my suite and weaponry once more formed my Beretta M9. Aiming my gun at a knight figure among the four still alive, I pulled the trigger and blew the knight's brains out with two shots to the head. The remaining three dropped to their knees and screamed surrender at me, but I'm not kind to criminals. Needless to say, I executed the remaining three with three shots each to the head, two through the eyes and one through the forehead.

"Then there was none, good work kiddo's you did good for your first fight, and you didn't kill each other! I'll see about getting some extra cash and getting you both something for lunch. Wait… Kids, can I have the mostly intact bodies gathered? They may have cash on them and for another reason."

Hearing me, my griffon and filolial quickly brought me the non-blood misted bodies and I began searching them for cash. Itsuki and his party looked at me with blank eyes as I did so, but eventually Itsuki spoke up in a low voice that sounded like a croak. Making me look up slightly, from my work of looting as my hands still moved and collected useful stuff. Free is free after all.

"Kaiser... Those three had surrendered, why did you execute them? Why are you even here?! Why do you have a griffon and filolial?! DO YOU FEEL NOTHING FOR KILLING PEOPLE WHO COULD BE REFORMED?! STOP LOOTING THEIR BODIES, YOU SICK FUCKER!"

"Well, they're rogues of the guild, so they're open season to murder without anything bad to happen to you. Plus they've likely killed and readily rapped a lot of people, if you didn't notice that your party members were about to be raped, you're welcome by the way.

I'm here because I'm here following a kid trying to be batman for no real fuckin reason. Only to see you nearly get your ass killed by not thinking, just charging in. Also don't be rude to my kids. They have names you idiot, the Emperor Griffon is Nilla, she's a big cuddly sweetheart. The Filolial is Gwain, he can be a bully to Nilla but they both worked amazingly together to murder the rogues. As for do I mind killing them and now looting them, you want an honest answer?"

"YES!"

"Then simply... No not at all they're enemies, so they have to die, they have good stuff on them that I can either sell or use so why not loot them? Honestly, I'm surprised you didn't comment on the Warhammer 40k look, kid, did you not know of good culture?"

This was how my day was spent as I mostly had to deal with Itsuki chasing after me, demanding EVEN MORE answers, shooting at me, and preaching at me. When he tried to slam on the table with mine and the kids food and drinks on it in his anger, though. I had enough as I drew my gun and shot him twenty times in the chest with shock style rounds that eventually dropped him into a twitching mess.

A twitching mess in public, on a restaurant floor as he struggled to breathe and move. The kids and I returned to our food, ignoring the pained grunts and twitching of the Bow Hero on the floor. As we left I shot him with another stun round when he was able to move about finally, he screamed gibberish before becoming a twitching mess again. My gunshots were loud but I had told the staff and a few before that I'm sorry for any disturbances if they occur.

Leaving the small town and Bow Hero behind, I rode on Nilla's back. Her and Gwain decided to fly through the air as we left, they two instinctively using Wind Magic to fly for long periods of time. Although I must say flying on the back of a Griffon was awesome just so was the contract message from Keltson.

[Contract for Shield Hero World Updated!

Main threat 0/1, Sub-threats: 1/3]

It seems I only have three, soon two, more people to murder in this world in total. Then I don't know what will happen to me, but I get the feeling a certain gun won't leave my side. When the gem flashed a bright crimson color the contract updated once more.

[Contract for Shield Hero World Updated!

Main threat 0/1, Sub-threats: 1/3

For taking out these primary threats you shall be removed from the world. Your Cardinal Weapon stating its desire to be free of the waves entirely and to follow you shall be the payout for this world.]

Chuckling I pat the holstered gun, finding the sudden update to the payout being hilarious. Yet who in their right mind would say no to having a living evolving weapon join them on their adventures throughout life? Well maybe a few, but not me. I've had this gun for two worlds now I'm keeping it! Giving up my partner in crime and war just would feel like I'm abandoning someone important to me.