"I can tell you cherish it greatly; even though it's worn to this extent, its machine spirit remains active," Ovilia said, meticulously examining the electromagnetic crossbow, her mechanical tentacles' sensors gently scanning every area of wear.
As a Mechanical Sage, she did not look down on the weapon for its simplicity; instead, she acutely perceived the effort Siddhga had poured into it.
Though crudely crafted, every component was meticulously maintained; though simple in design, every detail had been carefully considered.
In the Adeptus Mechanicus's eyes, a lack of ability and an improper attitude were entirely different—the former could be forgiven, the latter was unforgivable, and Siddhga clearly belonged to the former category.
Ovilia did not roughly disassemble the electromagnetic crossbow. She first extended her mechanical tentacles, gently stroking every mark of wear on the crossbow's body, as if sensing the stories the weapon had endured.
Then, she took out the nano-incense hanging from her waist, a delicate brass device covered in Adeptus Mechanicus runes.
She pressed the button on top of the incense burner, and a wisp of light blue smoke slowly rose, swirling around the electromagnetic crossbow.
Ovilia softly chanted ancient prayers, performing a ritual to appease the machine spirit.
After completing the ritual, Ovilia, under Siddhga's astonished and slightly worried gaze, used her precise mechanical tentacles to disassemble the entire electromagnetic crossbow.
Her movements were precise and elegant; each tentacle was like the most nimble finger, effortlessly loosening fasteners that would be difficult for an ordinary person to handle.
For a Mechanical Sage, the technical level of this electromagnetic crossbow was barely worth mentioning.
Works Ovilia casually made during her apprenticeship were far more advanced than this.
She only needed a glance to point out a dozen design flaws and shortcomings in the crossbow.
The crude solder joints, unreasonable structural layout, and inefficient energy transmission system were all laid bare before her eyes.
Even with her eyes closed, Ovilia could construct at least three improvement plans in her mind, each capable of increasing the electromagnetic crossbow's power severalfold.
But she did not do so; instead, she chose the most conservative approach.
She carefully opened the electromagnetic crossbow's casing, examining every internal component as meticulously as a careful doctor examines a patient.
She cleaned every speck of rust with nano-spray and repaired every crack with a micro-laser, ensuring that every part of the crossbow was restored to optimal condition.
After completing the basic maintenance, Ovilia turned to Siddhga, asking if further improvements were needed.
Siddhga immediately excitedly pulled out her data pad, her slender fingers dancing across the screen, quickly filling it with a long passage.
Her requests were somewhat naive, even fanciful, but Ovilia showed no impatience.
On the contrary, she read each item carefully, nodding or shaking her head occasionally, sometimes pausing to ponder for a moment.
Ovilia took notes while offering suggestions based on her extensive professional knowledge.
When Siddhga proposed adding a rapid-fire function, Ovilia patiently explained the limitations of energy supply; when Siddhga hoped the crossbow body would be lighter, Ovilia presented the pros and cons of several new materials.
They discussed back and forth in this manner, with Ovilia maintaining a professional and friendly attitude throughout, both respecting Siddhga's wishes and ensuring that every improvement was practical.
Ultimately, after this meticulous maintenance and modification, Siddhga's electromagnetic crossbow underwent a complete transformation.
The originally mottled crossbow body now gleamed with a metallic luster, its crude structure became precise and elegant, and the entire weapon exuded a newfound vitality.
The entire crossbow body was made from a new type of lightweight alloy invented by Ovilia herself. This specially treated metal material significantly reduced weight while maintaining strength, allowing Siddhga to hold it more easily for extended periods.
The alloy surface was nano-polished, giving off a subtle metallic sheen under the light, and felt cool and smooth to the touch.
The bow limbs were made from multiple layers of composite materials, each layer precisely calculated and specially treated.
This composite structure gave the bow limbs excellent elasticity while also allowing them to withstand significant impact without easily deforming or breaking.
Ovilia also made revolutionary improvements to the bow limb's structure, enhancing its power and enabling limited rapid-fire while maintaining its original appearance.
Now, the crossbow could fire three arrows simultaneously for dense suppressive fire or switch to single-shot mode for precise aiming.
Most astonishingly, after firing three arrows in quick succession, one only needed to gently pull a handle on the side of the crossbow body, and the built-in mechanical device would automatically complete the entire process of re-cocking and reloading, the whole process as fluid as flowing water.
"This magazine can hold twenty arrows," Ovilia said, her mechanical tentacles pointing to a delicate metal box beneath the crossbow body. She demonstrated pressing the magazine release button: "When it's empty, just press here to detach the magazine and put in a new one."
As she spoke, she demonstrated it once, and a crisp "click" sound came from where the magazine joined the crossbow body, fitting perfectly into the slot.
The Mechanical Sage continued to explain, "I've improved the electromagnetic acceleration rail on the crossbow body; it can now provide 3.76 times more electromagnetic repulsion than before."
She pointed to the newly installed miniature coils inside the rail: "At the same time, these coils will form a rotating magnetic field, which can make the arrow spin when fired, just like a rifle's rifling, thereby achieving a more stable trajectory."
For an Adeptus Mechanicus Sage like Ovilia, these improvements were merely trivial tricks.
But for Siddhga, this was like injecting a brand new soul into her beloved weapon, giving it a performance boost far beyond imagination.
What surprised Siddhga the most was that Ovilia had also added a multi-functional composite aiming system to the electromagnetic crossbow.
This intricate device integrated various aiming modes such as optical magnification, infrared imaging, and low-light enhancement. One only needed to rotate the adjustment ring on the side of the sight to switch between different functions.
The sight's casing was made of lightweight alloy, with precise scale lines etched on its surface, and the lenses used the most advanced coating technology, providing a clear field of view under any lighting conditions.
Siddhga's fingers trembled as she caressed this long-desired sight, her eyes glistening with tears of excitement.
She had always yearned for a professional sight, but the price of high-precision optical equipment was astronomical for a poor Sisters of Silence apprentice.
And now, this professional equipment, more advanced than any commercial sight she had ever seen, was mounted on her beloved weapon.
"Don't thank me, it was just a small effort," Ovilia said, not caring about Siddhga's gratitude. "Your love for machines moved me; I can see you poured too much effort into this electromagnetic crossbow.
Cherish it well! Although my modifications have given it a sturdier casing, the sight is still relatively fragile. If it's not for daily use, you can detach it and put it in a protective case you carry with you, and reattach it when needed.
I designed a small auto-calibration program; you just need to attach the sight, and the electromagnetic crossbow's machine spirit will automatically calibrate the sight. It only takes three seconds, so you don't have to worry about bumping and damaging the sight."
"Thank you!" Siddhga bowed deeply to Ovilia.
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