Episode 12
Episode 12
After leaving the pawn shop behind, Emul stopped by a gun shop and turned around the corner.
Various types of firearms were displayed according to their own classification criteria.
The face of the shopkeeper, whom he had met before, stiffened, but since he was visiting as a customer, there was no need to worry about that.
After all, didn't he compensate for the price of the crushed pistol after the unintentional threat last time?
Passing a display stand labeled 'Analog', he saw a shelf with a sign that read 'High-tech'.
'Now this looks like a futuristic firearm.'
They looked similar to the pistol used by the man who had a hole drilled through his forehead after Emul threatened Marvin at the hospital.
They had thicker frames compared to guns that used gunpowder.
As he turned the pistol he liked the most around in his hands, a customer browsing nearby cast a glance his way.
It was likely a silent signal not to point the muzzle at them. Emul gave a slight nod and approached the counter while holding the pistol.
"...Are you going to buy it?"
"For now. But why does the magazine look like this? It's very different from the analog firearms."
When he turned it toward the handle and handed it over, the shopkeeper who received it let his suspicious gaze fade.
"Hmm... I'll explain. If existing analog firearms used a mechanism to fire a cartridge with gunpowder, these high-tech firearms have shattered the limits of the traditional method with electromagnetic force...! Especially the GPX-5000. This guy is the real deal. It's a new release that Machina Corp launched with great ambition, and it even has a superconducting magnet...."
The shopkeeper, who had been watching Emul's expressionless face, continued.
"...Ahem, it's easier to think of them as Mana Bullets. They aren't actual mana, but you plug in a battery instead of a bullet, you see."
Only then did Emul nod. His knowledge of firearms wasn't that deep. He didn't have much interest in them, either.
There were two things that mattered to him.
"I'm curious about the firepower and the price."
"If you fire it at full charge, it'll pierce through most steel. The price is 15 million chips, with a 10% discount applied. That's how reliable this guy is."
Fifteen million chips after a discount. That was the price of a Dregs Collector's life. Did a mere pistol really hold that much value?
Still, it was slightly cheaper than other gun shops in the Dead Zone. Even if he went around looking for a better deal, there wouldn't be much of a difference.
"I'll take this one. Where do I pay?"
"Will you be paying with chips, or with paper money?"
"Chips. I'll transfer it via the network."
"Oh, oh. Then that's good for me. I'll package it up for you right away."
The shopkeeper, whose expression had relaxed at some point, pushed a terminal onto the counter.
Emul, who had become proficient with new technology, held the terminal up, and exactly 15 million chips were deducted.
Watching the account balance count down, he swallowed a groan inwardly.
'I'll never get used to the feeling of spending this money.'
His unusual obsession with wealth was something that tormented him viciously even after death.
"I've included the holster as a service. Thank you for the good business!"
Emul, hiding his hand that felt like it might tremble, took the nicely packaged pistol and left the shop.
He immediately strapped the holster to his waist, hooked his finger into the trigger guard, and spun it around.
Then, he tossed the pistol upward, caught it familiarly, and slid it into the holster.
'Not bad at all.'
The reason he had acquired the handgun wasn't just out of simple interest.
Aero Bolt, Godspeed, Earth Shock. Immediately after using a combination of these three spells, he had experienced a massive loss of mana.
'Once is fine, but twice is difficult.'
If he were to suffer from mana exhaustion during battle, it was obvious that he would be closer to death.
For opponents against whom firearms were effective, he wouldn't need to waste precious mana.
That didn't mean it only had advantages, though.
The power of a gun varies wildly depending on the user's proficiency. If he couldn't hit the target, it would be a useless bluff.
Emul, who had come to a sudden halt, kicked a can that had been discarded on the roadside.
The target flew, drawing a parabola. Watching it intently, he slowly drew his right hand.
'So, the Gunner's proficiency helps, too.'
Gunner, a job that uses guns as its main weapon.
All the experience and knowledge he had gained while playing were being dismantled piece by piece and overlaid onto his muscles and nerves.
Ziiing, pa-ang—!
As the heavy recoil of the electromagnetic force struck his wrist, the can in the air was scattered in all directions.
He stepped forward a few paces, picked up the can that had been torn so badly its shape was unrecognizable, and threw it into a pile of trash.
'As expected, that magic combination from before... was it a sniper skill of a Gunner?'
Magic created by imitating the mechanisms of other job skills, combined with proficient mastery of the corresponding weapon.
It was a weapon and a dagger that only Emul, who had mastered every character, could possess.
Emul, who had holstered the pistol, turned on his terminal.
If he had gained power, he had to test it.
*
Under the unfinished abandoned overpass bridge. People trying to overcome the cold were huddled together, burning firewood.
Even that was almost burnt out, and a faint flame was flickering.
"It's fucking cold. I think this winter is colder than last year."
"That's all because those Megacorp bastards are spraying smog into the sky, causing a climate crisis. They should take it easy. Even while they're making a shit ton of money."
"Wow. Why are you so smart? Did you go to school? Hey. Search that guy's pockets. Doesn't he have a resident ID?"
"Stop the bullshit and just decide what we're going to do today. I think we should lay off robbing old stores. It's been really weird ever since we killed that one guy last time."
Every one of them had their entire bodies covered in excessive piercings and tattoos.
Scavengers, the lower class of the outer districts who didn't mind illegal dyes digging into their flesh to show their affiliation.
One of them stared intently at a terminal with a cracked screen, then suddenly thrust it toward his companions.
"Look at this. We've got a bounty on us. Conspiracy to murder 9 merchants. Keu, idiots. It's 13."
The Scavengers, reacting to the word 'bounty', crowded around to look at the terminal.
"Wow, fuck. Kelpie. This is your face. It's plastered right there."
"What, what. Am I famous? Uhi. Uhahahaha!"
"Hey, you moron. Are you that happy? Sniff, sniff. Ah, damn. This guy did drugs again. I told you to take it easy. If you keep doing that cheap shit, you'll go crazy... well, you're already crazy, so does it matter?"
"What's with all the fuss? It'll be buried in a few days anyway, and no one will look at it. There's no crazy bastard who's going to look for us just to earn a measly 100,000 chips per head."
"Yeah, if we died every time we killed a few people, there would be tons of dead bodies——"
Puseok!
The spurting body fluids touched the burning flames and hissed—evaporating.
A Scavenger who discovered the exploded head shouted.
"Fuck. It's an ambush! It's a hunter!"
Each of them grabbed their weapons, and their eyes moved rapidly, trying to find the attacker by relying on the flames of the oil drum.
Ta-ang—!
One Scavenger, who had been rolling his eyes diligently, flew backward, spraying body fluids.
Even though the construction waste was obstructing his vision. Where, and how was he shooting?
Ta-ang—!
At the sound of the gunshot that rang out again, the Scavenger, whose hair stood on end, turned his head.
Two Scavengers who had become gruesome corpses were rolling in a pool of blood.
"You fucking son of a bitch!!!"
A man holding a submachine gun ran forward, pulling the trigger hard in the direction the bullets were flying.
Dududududu!
The ruthless spray of the machine gun.
Because of the light bursting out with every shot, the scene flowed frame by frame like a movie from the old era.
Every time the barrel flashed, spewing flames, the heads of his companions were shattered to pieces.
The man, having lost his reason, was pulling his index finger so fiercely that the firing mechanism seemed to bend, as if trying to suppress his terror.
Clang—.
The moment the final shell casing fell from the submachine gun that had exhausted all its ammunition.
As if waiting for that fleeting gap.
Ta-ang—!
The headless body fell backward limply like a scarecrow.
The submachine gun, having lost its owner, fell to the ground, spitting out an empty magazine.
The space under the bridge fell into silence, with the metallic sound created by the scrap metal being the last thing heard.
The smell of gunpowder and the fishy scent of blood seeped into the cool night air, spreading eerily.
It was a scene after a slaughter so quiet it made one gasp for breath.
The lone remaining Scavenger sat down, then eventually pushed himself backward, scraping the floor with his hands and feet.
Sharp debris dug into his flesh, but the pain, eclipsed by fear, actually made him feel a sense of relief that he was still alive.
"D-don't come. Don't come! I was wrong! Huk. Huk......!!!"
The embers of the oil drum, which were nearing their end, disappeared with a gust of wind.
Complete darkness, where not even the light of common streetlamps or neon signs could reach.
Jeobeok—.
Emul, who appeared through the darkness, wrinkled his brows.
"Tsk."
He had intended to finish the job, but it wasn't pity or sympathy; he felt pure unpleasantness.
The Scavenger's pants were soaked, and the cement dust was wet. He had even fainted, foaming at the mouth.
The condition written on the bounty notice was the death of the majority. There was no particular loss.
Emul, who was about to put his pistol away, suddenly had his gaze turn sharp.
Because he had deliberately limited his mana to the minimum while engaging in battle, his reaction had been a bit slow.
Even so, the steps from aiming to firing took place before he could even blink.
Ziiing, ta-ang—!
A slug bullet, brighter than a standard bullet, was fired with sub-millimeter precision.
Kka-ang——!
Instead of the sound of flesh being torn that should have been heard the moment it reached the target, the sound of impact against metal rang out under the overpass.
A blade with a vivid glow was captured amidst the scattering dark red sparks.
Puk—.
"Keureureureuk......!"
The Scavenger, who had been foaming at the mouth, soon had his breathing fade away.
Emul, who had lowered his pistol, stared intently at the man walking toward him.
He was watching him because he wasn't emitting any killing intent or energy, but he didn't let his guard down.
The opponent had easily deflected the bullet with a single swing of his sword.
Seureuk, teok. The man, having finished sheathing his sword, opened his mouth while keeping a proper distance from Emul.
"Whoa, my wrist is all numb. I wondered who took such a small request... Hmm. You're a face I haven't seen before. Where are you from?"
"...Are you asking about my hometown?"
"Wow. Nice joke. Obviously, I'm talking about your agency. I work for Rahul-ssi. How about you?"
Rahul. A name he had heard again in less than half a day.
'Right. The Dregs Collector mentioned it, too. Rahul and... Yoon, was it?'
It seemed they were quite famous in the Undeveloped Area.
If he were to go bounty hunting in the future, it would be inevitable that he would run into them.
Emul, who was deliberating because he didn't want to leave a bad impression, brought a word to mind.
"...Marvin."
"Huh? Ah... Hahaha. That joke was pretty funny. So, where are you really from?"
"Marvin."
The man, who had been silent for a while, asked.
"......The doctor who does business at the end of the street?"
"Believe it or not, I don't care. However...."
Emul, who had holstered his pistol, stared fixedly at the man.
He just didn't want to leave a bad impression, but he had no intention of being looked down upon.
Hwi-i-ing—.
The air became heavy as if pressed down without any warning. The corners of the man's mouth, which had been wearing a relaxed smile, quickly stiffened.
Dust reacting to the cold mana began to vibrate minutely.
Emul said quietly to the man who had widened the distance in the meantime.
"...Who told you to lay a hand on my prey as you please?"