Villain: Ultimate Mutation System in the Alternate World

"Think you can handle it?" she asked with a grin, excited to test her invention.

If she managed to make it work, her standing on the ship would skyrocket.

The main cannon might be impressive, but in her opinion, it was too large and required too much power.

That's why she wanted to develop a more portable version.

Some of her colleagues had already scaled it down to fit a tank, but she wanted to push it even further.

"Let's find out."

Mara gave a satisfied nod.

"By the way, are all these blueprints of weapons you're working on?" he asked, pointing toward the messy piles of paper on the desk.

He could make out the outlines of different machines scattered among the sheets.

"Yeah, that's right, But most of them are just proof-of-concept ideas. You know, things we could build, but the tech's not quite there yet."

Reign raised an eyebrow, intrigued. "So, basically, these are your crazy inventions?"

Mara chuckled. "Exactly! I'm always trying to push the limits, but some of this stuff is way ahead of its time."

"Like, over there?" She pointed to a sketch on the wall of some kind of energy-based cannon.

"That's a plasma cannon idea, but it'd take a breakthrough in energy sources and control to make it functional."

Reign gave a short, knowing laugh. 'If only she knew that in my mind a 'breakthrough' would just asking the system to perfect it"Nôv(el)B\\jnn

"Most of these projects get shelved, but they're fun to work on when we're not in combat mode. The higher-ups love innovation, but, you know... budgets." She waved a hand dismissively.

"Still, it must be fun to experiment," Reign said, feigning casual interest, though in reality, he was sizing up everything—thinking how easily he could turn their own creations against them.

It was funny how she kept talking, unaware that the more she spoke, the stronger humanity's greatest enemy became.

"Can I take a look at it? I've always dreamed of being an engineer myself, but I just lack the brain for it," Reign asked, thinking that these designs might be more beneficial to him than he initially thought.

Mara heard him and smiled widely, pleased to share her creations with someone genuinely interested.

It wasn't like he could steal anything; in her opinion he lacked the necessary skills and knowledge to even understand half of what was in the blueprints.

Even if he looked at the blueprint, it would just appear as doodles to anyone lacking sufficient knowledge in this specific field.

"Sure! Here, take a look,"

She gestured for him to come closer. She shuffled through the papers, pulling out a few that showcased her latest inventions.

Reign leaned in, studying the intricate designs and annotations.

The diagrams were filled with complex calculations and notes in Mara's messy handwriting, and he felt a spark of inspiration igniting within him.

"This is amazing," he said, faking his shock.

"I can't believe how detailed this is. What's this part here?"

He pointed to a section that looked particularly complex.

Mara's eyes lit up at his enthusiasm. "That's the cooling system. I've been trying to figure out how to keep the temperature stable during prolonged use. It's a bit of a challenge, but I think I'm getting closer." Discover exclusive tales on empire

He nodded, pretending to be interested in her work. "If you ever need a second pair of hands, I'd be happy to help."

She chuckled softly. "I appreciate that! Just don't blow anything up while you're at it."

"I will be careful."

After he finished memorizing everything and let the system take note of it, he shifted the conversation back to the upcoming weapon test.

"So, when do you think we can run the test?" he asked.

He planned to wrap things up quickly so he could explore more of the hangar.

"Oh, I almost forgot! Let's go now!" she exclaimed, a pink flush creeping to her cheeks.

She had been so wrapped up in talking to him that her initial reason for calling slipped her mind.

'This guy is interesting. I wonder what he looks like under the helmet?' she thought to herself, curiosity bubbling up inside her.

As they made their way toward the testing area, Mara stole glances at him, but Reign maintained his composure, focused on the path ahead.

For some reason, he had unintentionally piqued her interest.

Once again, his ability to charm girls without even trying was on full display.

"Is there a giant robot being built here?" he asked, making sure to sound like he was joking.

Mara laughed as they drove towards the massive elevator, the sound bouncing off the metal walls.

"Oh, you have no idea how many times I've been asked that!" she said, pressing a button that would take them to a lower level.

The elevator was huge—easily large enough to fit a tank, maybe two.

"I mean, who hasn't dreamed of building a giant robot?"

Mara continued, leaning casually against the railing of the cart as the elevator hummed to life.

"The problem's always the same, though—power source. You can't just slap metal parts together and call it a day. A giant robot would need a core strong enough to power a small city while also being compact, and the cost would be astronomical."

Reign nodded, keeping up his act. "But if you could build one… what would it look like?"

Mara's eyes lit up with excitement. "Oh, I've got plans for that too! I mean, we're talking a mech with plasma cannons for arms, missile launchers on the shoulders, and maybe even a laser sword,"

She laughed, lost in a daydream about her creation. It was clear how much she loved her job, the enthusiasm shining through in her eyes as she envisioned the possibilities.

DING!

The elevator doors opened with a low hiss, revealing the weapons testing area below.

It was quite big, the size of five basketball courts, and there were others around them testing various pieces of equipment .

"Let's test this baby out," she said, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

***

Authors Note

[Correction regarding the price of Behemoth - It's two hundred fifty billion credits ]