47. Javelin
Rangga continued staring at the Weapon Upgrade menu with growing curiosity.
"Alright... let's try the bow first."
He immediately selected the Longbow branch, and the blue screen changed.
Upgrade Bow → Composite Alloy Longbow
Materials:
1 Composite Alloy Bow
20 Reinforced Alloy Plates
20 Reinforced Synthetic Fibers
10 Servo Joint Alloys
10 Copper Ingots
---
Rangga slowly read through the list.
"Oh... So it needs the bow itself too. That means I'm not crafting a new weapon... I'm upgrading the old one."
He nodded.
"Makes sense."
Fortunately, every required material was already stored in his warehouse.
Without wasting any time, he took out his Composite Alloy Bow and placed it on the crafting bench.
One by one, he laid out the remaining materials.
Reinforced Alloy Plates, Reinforced Synthetic Fibers, Servo Joint Alloys, Copper Ingots.
Once everything was ready, Rangga pressed Upgrade. The bow slowly floated into the air as blue light enveloped it.
Metal components fused onto both ends of the bow.
New synthetic fibers wrapped around the limbs, making them sturdier while maintaining their flexibility.
A pair of small pulley wheels materialized at each tip. The bowstring no longer stretched directly from end to end.
Instead, it looped around the pulley system, making every draw far more efficient.
The grip changed as well. It became thicker and covered with synthetic leather carefully molded to fit the shape of a hand.
Thin metal reinforcements ran along the limbs, seamlessly integrated into the frame.
The result looked far more modern while still preserving the primitive aesthetic of the Pioneer World. A few moments later, the light gradually faded.
The upgraded bow gently settled onto the workbench and Rangga immediately picked it up.
"Whoa..."
The moment he gripped it, he could already feel the difference.
Although it was slightly longer than before, its weight felt perfectly balanced.
The pulleys at both ends spun smoothly as he tested the draw.
"...Why is it so light?"
He grabbed an arrow and nocked it before drawing the string.
Creeeak...
Rangga's eyes widened. The draw felt much lighter than before, yet the tension stored within the string was noticeably stronger.
"Huh..."
He quickly aimed at a tree near the edge of the island.
Twang!
The arrow shot forward.
Whoosh!
Its speed was dramatically faster.
Thunk!
The arrow buried itself so deeply into the tree that almost the entire arrowhead disappeared inside the trunk.
"Damn..."
He immediately nocked a second arrow. This time he drew and released even faster.
Twang!
The second arrow struck only a few centimeters from the first. Then a third. A fourth. A fifth.
Twang! Twang! Twang!
Arrow after arrow flew with a rhythm far quicker than his old bow could ever achieve. He barely needed to readjust his grip.
The moment the string was released, the pulley system automatically stabilized the bow.
After several test shots, Rangga simply stared at it in admiration.
"Heh... No wonder they lowered the power... This thing fires insanely fast."
He gently stroked the grip of his new bow.
"From now on... We're going to work even harder together."
He carefully placed the bow back on the workbench before looking once again at the Weapon Upgrade menu.
"Now... The spear."
He selected the Javelin path. The blue screen displayed another list of materials.
Upgrade → Javelin
Materials:
1 Composite Alloy Spear
20 Reinforced Alloy Plates
20 Reinforced Synthetic Fibers
10 Servo Joint Alloys
10 Copper Ingots
---
Rangga nodded.
"Pretty much the same."
Without hesitation, he retrieved the required materials from the warehouse. One by one, they dissolved into light.
His Composite Alloy Spear was absorbed into the crafting bench as well.
Whuuumm...
Mechanical sounds echoed once more and metal gears rotated inside the workbench. Occasional sparks flashed through the gaps.
Not long afterward, the glow gradually faded. A brand-new spear rested atop the table.
Rangga immediately picked it up.
At first glance, it looked similar to his previous spear. But now the shaft was slightly slimmer.
Its weight distribution felt much more balanced. The spearhead was longer and more aerodynamic, clearly designed for throwing.
Then something immediately caught his attention.
"Huh?"
Near the base of the spearhead, right where the metal blade began. There was a small slot.
Its shape looked as though it was meant to hold something. Beside the slot ran a narrow channel extending all the way to the tip of the spearhead.
It resembled the internal channel of a syringe and Rangga turned the spear over several times.
"What's this supposed to be?"
He tried inserting his finger but too small. He peeked inside and its empty.
"What kind of slot is this?"
He scratched his head.
"Maybe it unlocks later?"
Unable to figure it out, Rangga decided to test the weapon first. He walked away from the house and took his stance. Taking a deep breath...
"Alright... Let's see how it throws."
One step. Two steps and he swung his arm.
Whoosh!
The javelin sliced through the air far faster than he'd expected.
Thunk!
It slammed into a tree trunk with tremendous force. The spearhead embedded itself deeply into the wood.
Rangga's eyes lit up.
"Whoa... This feels amazing..."
He ran over and pulled it free then threw it again. And again.
The longer he practiced, the more obvious it became. Its balance had been specifically designed for throwing.
The front wasn't overly heavy. Yet it wasn't so light that it sacrificed impact. After several throws, he gripped it with both hands.
"What about stabbing?"
He assumed a fighting stance.
A forward thrust. A sweeping slash. Another thrust and the weapon still handled beautifully. Even though it leaned toward being a throwing weapon, the javelin remained an excellent melee weapon.
Rangga nodded in satisfaction.
"Still feels great... So even if I miss the throw... I can still fight with it."
His eyes drifted back toward the strange slot near the spearhead. His curiosity hadn't faded.
"This definitely has a purpose... I just don't know what it is yet."
He rubbed the slot with his thumb. For some reason, he felt this javelin wasn't truly complete.
"If that's the case..."
He smiled.
"I'll make four more... Throw one. If it doesn't kill the target... I'll still have backups."
Without another thought, he returned to the crafting bench. He gathered more materials from the warehouse.
One Composite Alloy Spear after another was crafted. Each one was immediately upgraded into a Javelin.
Not long afterward, five Javelins were neatly lined up across the workbench and Rangga nodded with satisfaction.
"Now that's more like it."
He imagined fighting Vespersaurus or Protoceratops.
If the first throw missed, he still had four more. Much safer than having to retrieve a spear in the middle of battle.
After storing all of them in his inventory, he opened the crafting bench menu again.
"Hmm... What else is there?"
His eyes scanned through the categories before suddenly stopping.
"Huh? I don't think this was here before."
A brand-new category had appeared.
Weapon Modules
"Oh... No wonder I didn't notice it earlier... I was too busy looking at the Weapon Upgrades."
He immediately opened it and two new recipes appeared.
Explosive Arrowhead
Materials:
1 Explosion Core
1 Alloy Arrow
---
Melee Explosion Core
Materials:
1 Explosion Core
2 Reinforced Alloy Plates
---
Rangga read the recipes slowly once then again and his eyes widened.
"...Wait."
He looked back at the recipes before glancing toward the Javelins resting nearby.
The empty slot near the spearhead immediately came to mind.
"Could this mean... Explosive arrows?"
He looked at the second recipe.
"...Then... Is this basically ammo for my Javelins?"
He quickly grabbed one of the Javelins.
Staring at the empty slot near its spearhead before looking back at the screen. The more he thought about it, the more it made sense.
"So that's why... It has this slot."
Rangga nodded slowly and a few seconds later, however, he clicked his tongue.
"Tsk... I'm short on Explosion Cores."
He scratched his head. He had never seen an Explosion Core before. Then suddenly, something crossed his mind.
"...Wait."
His eyes widened and he hurried toward the furnace.
"If it's a crafting material... Maybe it's made here."
The moment he opened the menu, another blue screen appeared.
Smelting Furnace Lv.1
Upgrade Requirements
30 Clay
30 Stone
---
Rangga immediately pressed Upgrade. Materials from the warehouse transformed into light. They all flowed into the furnace.
The flames inside roared to life and the furnace itself transformed.
Its walls became thicker. An additional chimney emerged from the top. Several new metal molds and mixing containers appeared beside it.
Moments later, a new menu appeared.
Smelting Furnace Lv.2
Explosion Core ×10
Materials:
5 Charcoal
5 Sulfur
5 Saltpeter
5 Reinforced Alloy Plates
---
The moment he read it, Rangga's eyes widened.
"See?! I knew it!"
He clenched his fist.
"That's why the javelin had that weird slot... So this is what goes inside it."
But his smile slowly faded. His eyes returned to the Explosion Core recipe.
Stopping at two particular ingredients. Sulfur and Saltpeter. Rangga stood there in silence for several seconds.
"...Huh..."
He scratched his head.
"So... This is what sulfur and saltpeter are for?"
A moment later, his eyes suddenly went wide.
"... Wait... So I sent the wrong thing?!"
He slapped his own forehead.
"Come on... I sent Quartz instead... When it turns out sulfur and saltpeter are what you actually need to make this stuff."
Rangga could only shake his head with a bitter laugh.