The fairy maid cheers for her deceased master today.

Something warm and sticky clumped up my eyelashes.

Qin Yufei suddenly opened his eyes.

His gaze focused very slowly. In his field of vision were rusty gears, broken brass calipers, a blood-stained leather apron—and that glaring red patch on the chest.

He tried to sit up, but his left arm bumped into something hard, knocking something over. A metallic clanging sound echoed in the small space, bringing him back to his senses.

But...strange, this isn't his room.

Is this... a common mechanical workshop in games?

A lathe, a vise, scattered spring steel plates, and a painting of Tower Bridge hanging on the wall. The air was filled with the smell of machine oil and metal shavings, mixed with... the stench of blood.

"Ex... Master?" A female voice sounded in my ear, soft and trembling, like a silver bell in the wind.

Who?

Qin Yufei turned his head.

A silver-haired, pointed-eared girl dressed in a black lace maid outfit knelt beside him, her fingers pressed against the red stain on his chest. Her eyes, usually a clear blue, were now brimming with tears, and her pointed ears twitched with each sob.

"Who are you...?" Qin Yufei's throat felt like it had been sanded, and he realized his throat was dry.

The girl's ears trembled even more violently: "It's, it's Angel! Your contracted fairy, Master!"

Master? Contract Fairy?

Then a jumble of chaotic fragments of memory came rushing in.

Axe Moore, a Victorian mechanical inventor, was a down-on-his-luck nobleman who attended the 1851 World's Fair. And—there's also footage of him arguing with someone in the Crystal Palace exhibition hall three days ago.

But I can't remember who I was arguing with.

"I am... X?" Qin Yufei murmured softly, his fingertips touching his face. High nose bridge, deep-set eyes, unfamiliar features.

He just stayed up all night playing games and suddenly found himself transported to another world? He became a down-on-his-luck young nobleman in England named Ax?

Angel nodded vigorously, her silver hair brushing against the back of his hand: "Master, you...you..." She bit her lip, tears falling onto the back of his hand.

"Thump."

A dull thud came from outside the door. It sounded like something hitting the ground heavily.

Angel's pupils suddenly contracted.

The gamer's intuition immediately put Qin Yufei—no, now it's X—on guard.

"What's going on, Angel?"

Perhaps it's because the time travel feels unreal, or perhaps it's because everything feels like a game...

In short, X quickly entered the mindset of a puzzle game player, asking questions in a low voice and beginning to rapidly gather information.

"It's an assassin!" Angel bravely lunged forward, trying to pull X into the inner room, her movements as swift as the wind. "They just shot at you through the window! They're here to check if you're alive!"

Outside the window? Only then did X notice that the workshop window had a shattered hole, cracks spreading like a spider web. Where the bullet had grazed, the wooden table was charred black, with a small hole drilled in it.

"I hear footsteps." Angel's voice was extremely low, her blue eyes fixed on the crack in the door. "Outside the workshop. Three steps away."

Ex instinctively held his breath as well.

thump.

step.

thump.

Two steps. The sound of leather boot soles crushing wood chips could be heard.

thump.

Three steps. It came to a complete stop outside the workshop.

They certainly looked like uninvited assassins, rather than ordinary passersby.

"What should we do, Master?" Angel grabbed his arm, her fingertips icy cold. "I... I'll fight him!"

Ax's gaze immediately swept over the workshop.

A lathe, a vise, scattered parts. No weapons. Not even a decent wrench.

"Calm down. They have guns," he whispered. "We don't."

Therefore, first and foremost, we must have weapons!

As I was thinking this...

【drop--】

A cold, mechanical voice suddenly echoed in my mind, like the sound of gears meshing.

[The Pure Beauty Poem System has been loaded... In the name of the Pure Beauty Fairy Violet!]

[Contract Fairy Detected: Angel]

[Analyzing Angel's abilities... Simulating and improving her abilities... Acquired skill: Equivalent Exchange (Level 1), Effect: Obtain specific items by consuming materials through the principle of equivalence. However, this ability is not omnipotent...]

Ex was stunned.

He glanced instinctively at the brass calipers on the ground, and a thought immediately popped into his head: "You can't directly create a firearm from this, but you can exchange it for a hammer!"

Angel: "Huh?"

There was a loud thumping sound coming from the door. The assassin was trying to push it open.

"No time." X suddenly snapped out of it. He didn't have time to worry about how he got this cheat. "Find the parts. Make a gun first."

Angel looked at her master with complete confusion.

But Ex didn't have time to explain: "Do as I say. First, make the barrel."

He quickly scanned the workshop: "I need seamless steel pipes."

Angel's gaze fell on the abandoned gas pipe in the corner. The pipe was rusty, but the diameter was just right.

"Is this okay?" She ran over and picked up the pipe.

"It doesn't seem enough... add that."

Qin Yufei pointed to the pocket watch collection on the wall. Silver case, engraved, it was a relic of Sir Ax. Yes, a relic of the original owner of this body.

He ripped it off and took the pipe from Angel's hand.

The moment the pocket watch hit the pipe, a burst of blue light exploded.

[Equivalent exchange initiated: Silver pocket watch (made in 1842) + gas pipeline (laid in 1838) = 4-inch seamless gun barrel (compatible with .44 caliber lead bullets)]

The mechanical sound rang out again. Qin Yufei looked down. The original gas pipe and pocket watch had disappeared, and a steel pipe with a cold gleam lay on the ground, its cut as clean as if it had been machined by a milling machine.

Angel was stunned. Her master could use magic?!

"Next up is the revolver." X simply picked up the barrel and weighed it in his hand.

Angel's gaze swept over the scattered parts in the workshop, and she hesitated before picking up a scrap of cast iron: "Will this be alright?"

"Okay." As he spoke, Ex picked up the bronze candlestick next to him.

The blue light came on again.

[Old anvil scrap (cast iron, produced in 1830) + copper candlestick (brass engraving, 1840) = 6-hole low-carbon steel spool (6 cylinders)]

The roller fell onto the carpet and rolled twice. Qin Yufei caught it, checked the size, and found it was the perfect fit.

"We're still missing the hammer and the firing pin." He glanced at the crack in the door; the sound of picking the lock grew clearer.

The clever angel had already figured out the pattern.

As long as the functions are compatible and the materials are matched, the owner seems to be able to conjure up gun parts.

Angel suddenly pointed to the anvil on the vise: "That! And the hair clip on my head!" She pulled off the silver hair clip from her silver hair, which was inlaid with a small sapphire—it was a gift from Sir Ax.

Having inherited the original owner's memories, X's heart skipped a beat.

"Quick!" Angel shoved the hair clip into his hand, her blue eyes showing no hesitation. "Master's life is more important than anything else!"

Without further hesitation, Ax took the hair clip.

The assassin outside the door seemed to have mediocre lock-picking skills, or perhaps the lock in the mechanical workshop had been modified, making it impossible for the assassin to pry it open quickly.

By the time the sound of the lock turning began to ring, X was already kneeling on the ground assembling the gun.

Wheel, hammer, firing pin, trigger and linkage, gunshot, wheel lock, wheel axle, hammer spring...

The parts that were not previously present in the workshop are now in X's hands, together forming a brand new revolver weapon.

This already represents the minimum functional requirements, omitting unnecessary components such as the sights, ejection mechanism, and grip guards, ensuring only the basic cycle of "loading-firing-rotating reloading".

"Bullets." Realizing time was running out, Ex's voice tightened. "Lead bullets, cartridge cases, gunpowder."

"The gunpowder is over there!" Angel pointed to the workbench drawer. Inside was the black powder that Sir Axe used for his experiments, stored in a tin can. It was rare to find it readily available.

She grabbed the can and picked up the other materials scattered on the ground. "These are for changing the warheads!"

[Lead roof waterproofing sheet (pure lead from 1830) + old lead fishing sinker (lead block from 1845) = 6 lead bullets]

[A copper penny coin (1847 copper coin) + mercuric nitrate from a pharmacy (analytical grade, 1850) + charred pine sawdust (homemade charcoal) = 6 primers + 6 grams of gunpowder]

The lock had already been opened when X pushed the ammunition into the cylinder.

The person outside pushed the door, and the latch rattled. That was the second line of defense.

Taking a deep breath, Ax closed the lever, forcing himself to calm down again, when he heard the latch snap.

The door opened.

Two men stood against the light. They wore black trench coats, their top hats pulled low, and each held a revolver in their hand.

X hid behind the table and gripped the newly assembled revolver tightly.

The gun was cold. Yet, X felt his blood rushing to his head.

AX gestured for Angel, who was covering her mouth behind her, to be quiet, and narrowed his eyes.

The assassins entered very quickly.

The one on the left moved first. His gun was pointed down from the window, clearly believing the "body" was still there.

Ax clutched the thing in his pocket—a Victorian silver coin.

Right now.

He flicked his finger.

The silver coin traced a silver arc in the air and crashed into the parts box on the opposite side.

"Ding-dong—"

A crisp sound exploded in the workshop.

The two assassins turned their heads at the same time.

The moment the assassins' guns moved toward the parts box, X moved.

He lunged out from behind the table, aiming his revolver at the unsuspecting assassin on his right.

"Bang!"

The gunshots were so loud they hurt my ears.

The bullet missed.

The assassin on the right sidestepped like a cat, bullets whizzing past his trench coat and striking the metal frame behind him. Wrenches, nuts, and spring steel plates clattered down, crashing to the ground.

"Professional killers never believe a single sound source." The assassin's voice was muffled, like he had cotton in his mouth. "You should read more of the crime section of The Times."

Qin Yufei's heart sank.

The assassin on the left had already turned around, his gun pointed steadily at his chest.

The distance is too close. There's no way to avoid it.

He has no choice but to gamble.

X rolled sharply to the left and pulled the trigger at the same time.

"Bang!"

The second shot struck the assassin in the knee. A hole appeared in his black trench coat, and blood gushed out, staining the ground red.

The assassin grunted and knelt on one knee, but the gun barrel remained firmly on X's side.

"You're asking for it," he said.

Then he pulled the trigger.

The moment the bullet struck his chest, X thought he was going to die from the pain.

but no.

It felt like being bitten by a mosquito.

A dud? Ex instinctively pulled the trigger again.

Instead, the assassin opposite him was left with a gaping hole in his chest, and fell backward in astonishment.

"You bastard!" Another assassin immediately opened fire.

X felt his body tremble again.

But without hesitation, X raised his hand and pulled the trigger.

"Bang!"

The bullet pierced the assassin's forehead, spraying blood. The assassin fell straight down, his top hat rolling to Qin Yufei's feet.

They actually... won?

I actually beat a professional assassin?

Ex was completely exhausted and sat down on the ground.

He looked down and realized something was wrong.

Blood was continuously gushing from the heart...

But... it doesn't hurt. Why doesn't it hurt?

"Angel, something's strange, have I been shot?"

"Um!"

"Then why don't I feel anything at all? Am I going to die?"

It is well known that when humans are in a critical situation, their adrenaline surges and they temporarily block out the sense of pain.

"Could it be... that I'm about to die?"

"Oh, no, not at all," Angel replied softly.

"How so?"

"Because..." Angel's blue eyes grew dimmer, "because you, Master, are already dead!"

I see... no wonder...

Wait a minute! Who did you say died?!