Chapter 106
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 105
Chapter Title: Gravis Ground Zero
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Oh, shoot.
Jin slapped his forehead.
Right, Gravis!
With the sound of something inside him shattering.
He'd completely forgotten about his long-time partner after his body, pickled too deeply in the tournament where cold weapons and spells flew everywhere—a land where the wide sky stretched instead of the skyline of skyscrapers crawling with Purists beyond the horizon.
Grip.
Jin immediately hit the call button.
It hadn't even been five seconds since he checked the message, and Wonder responded to the sharp reply as if he'd been waiting.
[Wonder here.]
"You saw the message. Gravis's upgrade is done?"
[Yes. Developmental Test & Evaluation (DT&E) and Operational Test & Evaluation (OT&E) are both complete. We're just waiting to hand it over to you.]
Straight to business, skipping the pleasantries. With the terminal pressed to his ear, Jin mouthed one sec to Eanna calling him from afar and spoke up.
"I'm not in Downtown right now, so if it's cool, can you leave it at Anecdote like we talked about? I'll swing by later."
[I figured you were in Sector 8. Aren't you in the rotation?]
"Yeah. You knew?"
[I always keep a close eye on your movements.]
It was impossible not to know this time, too.
A faint white noise mixed into Wonder's voice as he trailed off—indecipherable murmurs and clinking sounds.
"You're outside, huh."
[Ah, a café. This place... the espresso's pretty decent.]
"Hmm. Espresso."
Jin, who took his gourmet pursuits seriously, let it slide.
That bitter black liquid—just water brewed from ground roasted beans, utterly baffling why anyone drank it—always had its perfect sweet counterpart.
"Bet you're pairing it with something sweet. Cake would be ideal. Ah, now I want cake."
As Jin smacked his lips, Wonder replied.
[Shall I order some for you?]
"What, gonna do a mukbang? Video call?"
[Afraid not. I don't care much for sweets.]
What? Then.
Jin's thumb froze midway to the video call button, his face falling, but Wonder added flatly in his usual monotone.
[So come eat it yourself.]
"How would I know where?"
[Sector 8. A three-story rooftop café across the intersection—visible from the entrance at the 7 o'clock position toward the train station. Ring a bell?]
"...?"
Jin froze for a moment, speechless.
In the brief silence, Wonder chuckled softly.
[Mind if I send the address?]
*
The café called Urban Grind.
Climbing stairs thick with the scent of beans led to the rooftop, where a sharp-suited man with neatly pomaded hair overlooked the intersection.
In front of his espresso cup—soy sauce packet-sized—sat an assortment of slice cakes that didn't quite match, a perfect strike on Ambassador Wonder's tastes by his capable sales team manager. Sensing footsteps, he turned slowly.
"You've arrived."
It was Wonder.
This was only their second face-to-face; aside from signing the initial contract, it'd all been messages and calls. Even picking up Gravis before, an underling had handled it.
For such a busy man to make the trip, Jin seized the chance to belatedly deliver the skipped courtesy.
That is, the greeting.
"Long time. You good?"
"Same as always. Mostly busy, rarely free. You?"
"Me? Hard to say normally, but right now I'm craving sweets. Mind if I dig in?"
"Of course."
"Alright then."
And so Jin devoured all eight slice cakes (every flavor on the menu). No time wasted. Each forkful vanished one by one—a true Rank 2 feat.
"...Should've ordered more."
"I eat a lot."
Not even a dent, Jin swallowed the complaint with the last bite, setting down his fork.
"So, that it for Gravis? For real?"
"Any other reason?"
"None?"
"Who knows."
Wonder replied with a faint smile, then shrugged one shoulder. He hefted a bulky briefcase—a sturdy metal case—from the floor onto the table.
"Check the goods first."
"Suddenly?"
Jin's question coincided with the click of the case opening.
"Whoa!"
Jin's eyes widened. Black silicone sponge cradled a sleek gunmetal body at the center.
"It's bigger?"
After color, the barrel length jumped out. Already twice a normal pistol's, Gravis had grown even longer.
"Yes, overall length now 35cm, up 10% from 31.94cm. Want to hold it?"
Wonder gestured lightly around—no one else on the rooftop but them, luckily.
"Whoa. Hang on. This."
Jin lifted New Gravis, whistling in awe.
"Way heavier."
Hardly surprising.
The original had zero thought for balance; now it'd thrown caution to the wind. By momentum and mass center equations.
Jin's perceived weight: easily over 20kg!
Like a 60mm mortar.
And balance wrecked too. Practically unusable—
But Jin didn't complain.
Instead, he flicked his wrist every which way, adapting swiftly. Wonder could only chuckle dryly at the absurd strength.
Jin asked him.
"Real weight?"
"17kg—up 7kg from the old model."
"...Isn't that overkill?"
"Necessary. Controlling new round recoil demanded stronger superalloy. Here."
Wonder pulled a round from his pocket; Jin blinked at its sleek form.
"Our new self-propelled round. Simply put..."
Jin's half-listened explanation boiled down to this.
Self-propelled round.
Added propellant inside conventional powder casings maximized kinetic energy with a burst post-muzzle exit.
Sounds amazing, but fatal flaws:
One: Double recoil.
Two: Massive firing energy risked malfunctions.
Three: Even if it held, barrel life shortened drastically.
Commercialization? Light-years away.
But Luger & Dolman? Maniacs.
'Maniac But Dependable.'
MBD slogan for decades.
94.4% failure rate? Barrel melted after five mags? Upgrade materials!
Thus, solid superalloy barrel born.
Far tougher than aluminum alloy, but heavy as a juiced bodybuilder.
Developers' mad shrug: Not my problem—I ain't shooting it.
"Think maxed hardness and strength. Even diamond-coated super-abrasive drill left no scratches."
Jin caught the last bit.
Super tough? Got it. Perfect.
Not wrong thinking.
Unwieldable weight? Nullified in Jin's hands. Pure upsides now.
Why so positive.
But Wonder wasn't done.
"Jin, try infusing mana into Gravis?"
"Mana?"
Head tilt at the curveball.
Suspicious, Jin gripped the handle and slid mana through.
Then—
Hummm.
New Gravis's barrel trembled like a living thing.
"Wh-what the hell."
As Jin's eyes bugged, Wonder explained.
"Rifling engraved with spells. Actually, alloy cast in spell-form molds. Devs said high-mana-conductive metals mixed in superalloy—worth a shot. Consulted top mages too."
"What spell?"
"Enhancement. Rounds absorb mana grazing rifling—imprinted, really. Confirmed after 100,000+ tests. Safe."
"Hold up."
Jin cut in, eyeing Gravis, then looked up slowly.
"Spell-imbued gear? Basically an artifact, right?"
"Close enough. Lacks ancient dwarf polish, but our geniuses have experience."
Wonder brimmed with confidence.
Backstory: Upgrade paths diverge—boost strengths or fix flaws?
Gravis maxed both. Liberating devs.
Might as well go nuts! Spells next.
Mana enchant worsened recoil. Pure dev indulgence.
Thus, fitting name:
Gravis Ground Zero!
Or Gravis GZ.
Brainrot to the end is art.
Explosions are art, some say.
'Ground Zero'—epicenter and genesis. Natural fit.
Gun for one man.
Monster at the starting line.
TL;DR: Brainmelt Mega-Boom! You shoot it.
Anyway.
Jin got a pricier gift than expected.
No price asked, but sales head calling it artifact? Self-explanatory.
Mood lifted.
"I'll treasure it. Need anything? Chant the brand per shot?"
Fiery loyalty flushed his face; Wonder caught it.
"More like... a favor."
"Spill."
Jin urged; Wonder shrugged again.
"Well..."
"What's this?"
Ryukard asked.
Eyeing the sword—no, spear—in his hand. Carlos beside him frowned too.
"Some... spear...?"
Jin explained to their suspicion.
"Gift from a friend. Swing it once and give feedback."
Carlos yawned lazily, eyeing the brand on the shaft.
"R&D? Means what...?"
Shrug. Handed it back with a slouch.
"Too much hassle..."
Normally, Jin'd respect it.
This guy loathed everything but fights—even held his pee till bursting.
Not today.
Wonder—Luger & Dolman—gave too much.
Somehow knew of his prodigy ties; begged to gift company cold arms via him. He agreed.
"Just once."
"Hassle..."
Carlos shortening words.
Days observing: He'd clam up, swing solo till reopening.
Jin sighed.
"Feedback, and two spars."
"For real...?"
Interest sparked.
Current friendly record: 2-1 Jin's favor.
Spear demon snatched R&D spear.
Whoosh whoosh.
Gusts whipped from his swings. Jin shrugged, watching.
"Not now—later. Got checks first."
Then clasped hands at Ryukard.
"Favor. They said your eval's an honor."
"Got it. No big deal."
"You're the best."
Thumbs-up to nodding Ryukard, Jin turned to Katrina.
"Why?"
"Ice pillars."
"That annoying ice-smash contest again? No. Tell Deia to tank hits. She'll say who hurt most."
"Sis?"
Deia's voice ignored, Katrina glared up at still Jin, waving irritably.
"Pisses me off..."
Ice surged from her fingertips.
Ten in a row. Generous for 'no.'
"Thanks."
Grinning, Jin drew Gravis from his waist.
707 or GZ—Gravis was Gravis.
Savoring heft, mag lock!
Mana through extended arm.
What if?
Curiosity hit; cautiously, not mana—another power.
Tricky, rod-shape tugging from chest, but Jin infused [Light of Bygone Era]—holy power—fully.
Bzzz. Barrel quivered ahead.
Past record: Thunder spear hurled through 7.
This time?
"..."
Jin squeezed trigger lightly.
Next instant.
BOOM───!!
Arms thrust victorious; a brilliant beam pierced all ice in one go.
One, two, three, four......eight, nine, ten.
Not a single miss.