Landing in the desert I decided to test the gun and ability I traded. Finding a nice flat area surrounded by cactuses, I landed and removed my striker unit.
I had yet to customize the jet boots to use magic as fuel, but after the testing it will be a priority.
Why not use them as is?
Well... Buying aviation fuel as a child probably wouldn't work and if I repeatedly steal fuel someone is going to notice.
But for now the testing will begin with the pistol I traded.
The Lawgiver (a voice-activated machine pistol that serves as the standard sidearm issued to Judges, law enforcement officers of Mega City One). It has a voice-feature that confirms the type of ammunition that the individual can select via voice command.
It is a machine pistol that holds two 25 round magazines. One for the standard ammo under the handgrip and another, holding special ammo, at the front of the pistol.
The different types of ammo provided were;
Full Metal Jacket, or "Standard" ammo: ammunition used in response to generic situations.
Armor-Piercing (AP): ammunition used to deal with Robots or lifeforms wearing body armor. Armor-Piercing rounds are also powerful enough to go through cover or multiple unarmored perps.
Incendiary (I): partially explosive chemical rounds that ignite whatever target they hit.
High-Explosive (HE, Hi-Ex): these rounds can be used when a situation calls for a forced entry into an area.
Heatseeker (HS or "Hot Shot"): rounds that lock on and seek targets by their body-heat. Can be used in combination with Incendiary rounds.
Although I have resorted to killing before, I have no intention of starting a new body count in this life. The only reason I will ever ,purposefully, take another life is because there was no other option.
So I decided to trade the standard ammo included with another provided by the subsystem.
This special ammunition consists of I.C.E.R.s (Incapacitating Cartridge Emitting Railguns), which are non-lethal, blue-glowing, tranquilizer rounds created by a pair of scientist known as Fitz and Simmons (Agents of Shield).
Which is perfect for me, since I am a master thief first and a fighter second.
There is also a fail-safe installed on the weapon, which ensures that it can't be used by another person.
As I put my index finger on the trigger a tone sounds. On the digital readout the words "SCANNING NEW USER" appear for ten seconds before the text changes to "NEW DNA REGISTERED... CHECK CLEARED"
The testing of of the voice commands and different ammo types went by quick and now I needed to test my new magic ability.
Pulling a small red orb from my pocket, I looked up the information provided by the subsystem.
The prompt identified the red orb as a soul gem, the source of power for a magical girl (Puella Magi Madoka Magica). The original soul gems acts as a container for a girl's soul, in exchange for access to various abilities including;
transformation
creation of magic barriers
magic weapon summoning
telekinesis
While this sounded like a "fair" trade, the system revealed that the gem is actually a double edge sword.
In the world that the gem originates from using magic consumes energy, requiring purification of the Soul Gem using a Grief Seed, which is obtained by killing Witches. If the Soul Gem becomes too corrupted by despair or over-use, it turns into a Grief Seed, and the magical girl turns into a Witch.
The gem I received originally belonged to Mami Tomoe, who was able to summon multiple magical muskets and conduct binding magic, but the gem powers differ for each person.
I had some concerns about having my soul transferred to the gem, but the subsystem informed me about modifications made to better suit my needs.
1. only a small portion of my soul will be placed within the gem
2. the need for grief seeds is removed
With the key information reviewed, I decided it was time to activate my gem. I begin to pour my own magic into the gem causing it to shine brightly.
As the light fades, the outfit I was originally wearing changed. Looking down I see a familiar outfit. A red trench coat that covered a black cat suit, with no sleeves and black knee high boots.
On my head I could feel a hat, pulling it off I see a label within the red fedora, a nostalgic reminder of a choice that ultimately shaped my mission in life.
'Carmen Brand Outerwear' from San Diego
"Why hello old friend... ready to begin a new adventure."
Placing the fedora back, I begin to focus on my transformation. Originally I need to move magic throughout my body, but now I can feel the magic circulating on its own.
Using a phrase Player would use, "it's like an active buff turning into a passive one".
... Probably
Still a major upgrade.
As for the abilities, some critical changes were made.
First, since I could make my own magic shield, the barrier creation magic was replaced with extreme temperature resistance.
Second, a magic storage space exists within my trench coat. As long as I can hide an item inside my trench coat it can be stored within the trench coat. I have no idea how big the space is, but for now... every gadget in my possession is getting stored into my trench coat.
The final change is actually to my outfit, not an alteration, but an addition. A bright yellow scarf. It isn't just a scarf, but my magic weapon.
While wearing the scarf it obscures the perception of others. If I don't reveal who I am, personally, then anyone seeing me will remember a "girl in red" only.
If I take off the scarf I can use it in three configurations. A whip, a gauntlet, and a Bo staff.
With a little practice I should be ready to begin a brand new adventure.
Get ready world... here I come.