Chapter 52
Chapter 52
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Translator: Ace
Chapter: 51
Chapter Title: Luger & Dolman
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Luger & Dolman.
One of Lost City's arms manufacturers (ManuCorps), this company was famous for producing products with a very distinct concept.
Disposable pistols that packed a solid punch but couldn't be reloaded (and they only cost about the price of a plate of meatballs!)
Or a 2-gauge triple-barrel shotgun that completely ignored recoil—which you could read as "So who the hell is supposed to use this?"—such bizarre weapons came from here.
You might think, isn't that a bit much?
But precisely because they had few mechanical failures and stayed true to their role within the bounds of their concept, plenty of collectors had fallen for their peculiar charm.
Anyway, back to the point.
Luger & Dolman!
Like any other arms manufacturer, this place had achieved explosive growth through corporate and clan wars—
They steadfastly flew this catchphrase, known as MBD. Though their market share wasn't huge, they'd successfully carved out a solid position in the industry.
And now, the sales team leader from such a company had come looking for Jin.
Wonder Douglas.
The man, whose neat pompadour suited him well, opened his mouth.
"I've watched a few videos of you in action. Thank you for using our weapons."
His gaze landed on the Gravis holstered at Jin's waist.
"That one there."
At the same time, Jin breathed a sigh of relief.
Good. Shit.
He's not some weirdo.
Letting out a faint sigh, he rested his hand on his holster and spoke.
"Yeah, I'm using it well. This was my first gun."
"...Your first gun?"
"Yep."
Jin nodded.
How could he forget?
He even remembered the price clearly.
2.75 million credits after a 60% discount.
He'd blown every credit from his first commission on it.
The epitome of something bought with his own hard-earned money.
An item impossible not to grow attached to.
That affection shone in his eyes, so a satisfied smile briefly flickered across Wonder's face as he watched Jin—then vanished cleanly.
Of course, it was so fleeting that when Jin looked up again, all he saw was the man's professional face, lips moving.
"Gravis 707. It's our sore spot. We extended the barrel too much, messing up the balance completely. And even though it was targeted at beastmen, the recoil was so brutal even they couldn't handle it properly."
It was a story he'd heard from Brof before.
Thankfully, Wonder didn't waste time on technical jargon like polygonal rifling or magnetic recoil buffers.
He simply tilted the glass of water in front of him to wet his throat, then slowly continued.
"That's why it never hit the market. A model with an unfortunate fate. Must not have been easy to get."
The last sentence lacked a question mark.
But it was a question all the same.
This thing wasn't even mass-produced. How do you have it?
Jin picked up on it.
But he just let it sit.
"Must've been fate or something."
"I see."
Wonder nodded calmly.
Meanwhile, Jin reached toward the table and asked.
"So, why'd you come find me?"
"Ah, I've gone on too long with the small talk."
Wonder twitched an eyebrow lightly.
Then, placing his interlaced hands calmly on his thigh, he said.
"Headquarters holds your combat abilities and potential in high regard. We're greatly anticipating your future path. We'd like to propose a collaboration."
"Collaboration?"
"Yes. More precisely, sponsorship?"
"Sponsorship?"
Jin parroted him like a parrot.
It was just that unexpected.
Honestly, right?
Showing up out of nowhere talking collaboration?
Just from a few videos?
But it could happen.
It was perfectly natural for a company to sign a promising talent to boost brand recognition.
Even back in his hometown, tons of companies sponsored famous athletes.
It was just reinterpreted in the dystopian vibe of Lost City, between solos and arms manufacturers.
"What do I have to do?"
"Nothing special. Just wear the gear we provide periodically. Whether you use the products is entirely up to you."
In short: we'll give you free stuff; handle the rest yourself.
For Jin, it was a no-lose proposition.
No, beyond that—it was a massive win.
And the terms weren't even strict.
Just wear it.
Jin chugged his cola, narrowing his eyes.
What are these guys, suckers?
Anyone overhearing would've slapped their forehead.
A company being suckers? Even a stray dog would laugh.
At least he hadn't said it out loud.
Meanwhile, Jin was oblivious to R&D's internal thinking.
The clan's purists (direct lineage) didn't use firearms to begin with.
They barely handled melee weapons at all. And even then, only the Anarion in swordsmanship and Gershtain in spearmanship cared; the other five clans showed little interest in cold steel.
An antiquated stubbornness that defied the times.
But you couldn't just dismiss it as pathetic, because their backward ways were more than compensated by the power of their secrets.
Like a picky eater shoving away bean side dishes but still tall, fit, and healthy.
As such, arms manufacturers weren't on good terms with the clans.
It was structural, with no room for improvement...
And then this solo appeared out of nowhere.
A hybrid who'd awakened his self-evolution but didn't hesitate to pull the trigger.
A promising star with a bright future ahead.
Plenty of reason to take notice. Plus a spoonful of goodwill.
That gun that half-blew off the berserker's head looked familiar.
Could it be a Gravis?
A sales team leader at Luger & Dolman wouldn't miss talent like this.
Wonder sprang into action immediately.
But caution was needed.
The guy had awakened his self-evolution—a genius.
He might've already signed with a clan...
That's why he hadn't revealed his corporate affiliation upfront.
A prudent choice to avoid unnecessary friction with Zahard. If Jin knew, he'd shake his head, muttering about how complicated the world was.
Anyway.
Wonder had come to Anecdote hiding his identity.
And within 10 seconds, he realized his worries were unfounded.
Jin had the Gravis right there on his hip.
A silent signal he'd keep walking the solo path (not really). Wonder's gaze couldn't help but be obvious.
So now.
"What do you say?"
"......"
To Wonder's follow-up, Jin crossed his arms, pretending to mull it over.
Couldn't look too eager.
You had to push and pull a bit.
Internally, he counted: 1, 2, 3, 45, 678910.
"Alright. Let's do it."
"Excellent decision."
Wonder smiled in satisfaction and opened his briefcase.
After that, it was smooth sailing.
They signed the contract spelling out everything Wonder had mentioned earlier, split copies, shook hands lightly, and left the meeting room.
"Shipping address the bar here?"
"Yeah, do that."
Kalifa narrowed her eyes and turned at the voices behind her.
Wonder, already at the entrance, spoke up.
"We'll be in touch soon."
With a crisp nod, he exited. Jin watched him go, then sank into a nearby sofa.
Then Kalifa's voice.
"What was that about, Jin? Shipping address?"
To her demanding question, Jin gave a three-line summary.
Luger & Dolman offered sponsorship, so I accepted.
They asked where to send the stuff.
I don't have a place, so I said here.
Sorry.
Kalifa, listening intently, sighed deeply.
"Earn some real money and get your own space first."
She didn't say no.
Instead, a faint smile bloomed after her sigh.
"Anyway, congrats, Jin. Sponsorship with R&D? You're really taking off."
"No need for congrats..."
Jin waved it off, embarrassed. Poh chimed in slyly.
"Indeed. For the future Solo King, that's nothing."
"Ahem."
Words that felt casual from your own mouth could embarrass when said by others.
Jin pretended not to hear, pulling out his terminal.
He stared at the screen intently.
Kalifa smirked at his feigned nonchalance.
"Since you're here, rest a bit. No customers right now."
She stretched, heels clicking toward the briefing room.
She had linker business.
The door clicked shut. Jin lowered his terminal and spoke.
"...She does manager duties at night too? Must be exhausting."
"Of course it's tiring. Staying up two out of every three nights. But she insists, so we can't stop her."
"Really?"
Poh set down a plate of cookies.
"We can serve these because the manager skimps on sleep, right?"
"Hey, don't say it like that—makes me feel guilty eating them."
...Jin was already munching.
Hard work made them tastier.
Kalifa would want that.
Mm. Absolutely.
"Rest easy then."
"Oh right, Poh, hold up."
Jin stopped the turning bartender.
A sudden question.
"The Solo Intranet. How do I access it? Searches turn up nothing."
Poh blinked silently for a moment.
Then slowly spoke.
"Didn't I send you the access code before?"
"When?"
A brief silence.
Then the answer.
"43 days ago."
"Oh. Did you? That was two terminals ago; I wouldn't know."
Two? Two-before-last?
He didn't remember anyway.
Terminals kept getting fried or melted.
Poh said.
"Must've contacted you after a breakdown or replacement. No problem. Sending again."
Jin's terminal buzzed right after.
Vibration synced perfectly with the words. Jin eyed Poh anew, then checked the message.
Clicking the URL downloaded an app.
He launched it immediately.
After a loading screen, an unfamiliar window appeared.
The next moment.
A clean web design filled his eyes.
Central search bar, boards in boxed captions below, all on a black background.
"Hmm, feels like this? Membership signup?"
Poh, approaching, answered Jin's question.
"You entered with your unique ID code, so no signup needed. You're already logged in."
"Oh, right."
Jin nodded, tapping his profile in the top right.
Not for any reason.
The red dot blinking annoyed him.
What popped up was—
A long row of stacked messages.
"What the hell is this?"
"Wanted commissions. They've been piling up."
"...Way too many."
No kidding. Assault setups, target tracking, kidnappings, thefts, hits, etc.
Scroll and scroll, endless.
"Everyone get this?"
"Not like this."
Poh smiled faintly.
Jin checked dates and chuckled dryly.
"All recent."
Solo level up one notch.
He'd thought nothing changed.
Wrong.
He just hadn't noticed. Change had already begun. He realized it late.
Ding—
Alarm with a new message.
[91 24.2028, 2 10.4418]
"What is this?"
Jin tilted his head at the unexplained numbers. Poh, peering over, murmured.
"...Coordinates. Mute Town."
That quiet voice summoned a status window before Jin's eyes.
「(Omen!)(Sudden!) Beast of Upheaval」
Save Albus and the resistance fighters.
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