Post-Apocalyptic Pistols Are Artifacts in My World - 2
"Thank you! We received the water you sent last time without any issues!"
I returned Lisa's crisp bow with an awkward smile.
"I'm the one who should be grateful. I got the Gremlin Pistols in perfect shape—all five of them. Must've been a hassle to test."
"Compared to the water you gave us, that was nothing."
We both chuckled, praising each other, but I couldn't hide my embarrassment. If only my office job conversations with clients had gone like this.
"By the way, what were you planning to use the Gremlin Pistols for?"
"Plenty of uses."
I flashed a faint smile. It wasn't strange for Lisa to wonder. Gremlin Pistols were less weapons and more junk.
Gremlins were a subrace in the Wasteland 2 world—green-skinned pests not unlike goblins. They loved dirty tricks, were weak alone but dangerous in groups. They wielded crude weapons, but sometimes those had a touch of overtechnology.
The Gremlin Pistol epitomized that. Zero reliability. Like the gremlins' short, worthless lives, the guns broke and got tossed easily. Their firepower was pathetic—honestly, you'd hit harder throwing a rock.
But every Gremlin Pistol had an enhancement: Accuracy +2. Far better than the "Health +1 outside combat" ring I'd gotten. It turned a novice shooter into a decently skilled one instantly.
Of course, it didn't make gremlins sharpshooters—they sprayed bullets wildly. The option just gave their shots minimal accuracy.
But the Accuracy +2 option itself was powerful enough to elevate any shooter.
Normally meaningless with gremlin bullets' weakness—but...
That girl can replace bullets with her own ability.
Bullet power meant nothing to her. She wouldn't use them anyway.
"Anyway, I'm glad you're pleased. For our next trade..."
"Yes. Capacity limits mean I can't send more than this at once, but I can deliver this amount regularly."
"Truly, thank you!"
"No need to make such a fuss..."
Through Shin Yuha, I'd confirmed a few things. Artifact options from Wasteland 2 worked here too.
Pretty much certain... The ring had me doubting a bit.
Yuha was convinced the weapons I gave her were artifacts, treating them like sacred relics. She'd even pieced together my identity from me leaking five precious ones.
In that case...
I licked my lips. Lisa didn't seem high-ranking enough for me to demand various enhanced weapons or artifacts. But confirming Wasteland 2 junk could be insanely useful here was a big win. Water worthless here was treasure there; artifacts worthless there could be priceless on Earth.
Brimming with anticipation, I ended the call. I couldn't wait for tomorrow.
"Shin Yuha. To your position."
The expulsion exam began.
Haa...
Shin Yuha suppressed her tension, feeling the pistol in her hand.
With this, I can do it.
She hadn't slacked on practice. She was confident she'd pass.
She knew she was on the edge. But she couldn't give up.
I want to be a hunter.
Her dream mattered, but the pistol from him was just as precious. No backing down. No quitting.
For oppa, at least—
The exam started. Holographic bats filled the sky: red and black to kill, blue to spare.
"Kieeeek!!!"
Hitting moving, flying targets instantly—tough, but academy hunters had to excel beyond ordinary ones.
"Haaap!"
With a shout, she raised the pistol and fired two flame bullets. They sucked in like magnets, erasing two black bats.
As expected—
But that was it.
Huh?
The flame had flickered. She'd loaded a flame bullet, pulled the trigger—but it didn't fire.
What the—?
Despair flooded her. Punishment, maybe. For skipping classes, endangering others with arrogance and mistakes, daring to chase hunter dreams.
She bit her lip.
No.
Just bad luck. The gun's fault, not hers. Try again. Keep trying. Like he said.
"Kuh!"
She dropped the jammed gun, drew the one on her right hip, aimed at incoming bats.
But it jammed too. Flame loaded, trigger pulled—nothing.
Was it all an illusion?
Terrifying. The world had abandoned her. It worked fine in practice, now it ignored her coldly.
No...
She bit her lip hard.
It's not me. Believe in oppa...!
Bad things were random. No need to connect them. Good things could have reasons.
Oppa told me to try...
He was a miracle. When despair gripped her—"I can't do anything"—he shattered it. Retrieved her lost ribbon. Gave hope on the brink of expulsion: You might make it.
I found that miracle—I can't fail!
Bats were nearly upon her. She grabbed the third pistol from her left hip.
"Haaaa!!!"
It fired flames. Her stance was sloppy, marksmanship poor. But like a dream, a miracle, the bullet flew true.
Time dragged. All bats vanished.
"Shin Yuha, pass."
"Yes!"
She cheered at the teacher's surprised words. She could stay in the Academy.
"So, I was in total despair, then oppa's face flashed in my mind—"
"Yeah, yeah. Thanks."
Listening to this unreliable narrator was more grueling than I'd imagined.
Say something that makes sense... Well, whatever.
At the cafe, I sat across from Yuha, hearing her out. Not much substance. Hard to buy her seeing my face or recalling my words triggering it all.
But not meaningless.
Accuracy correction exists. Confirmed.
Yuha had unwittingly been my test subject. Results: success.
Maybe wear that ring more... Annoying.
"Seriously, all thanks to oppa! I even scouted rooms in case I got kicked from the dorms."
"Weren't you going home to mom?"
"I thought about it... But getting expelled and crawling back? She'd spank me."
"You'd have to anyway. No need to worry now, though."
"Right! Thanks to oppa, I'm staying in the Academy!"
"Shh, others around—keep it down..."
Yuha blushed.
"W-Was I too loud?"
"Not really... Anyway, hand over the guns."
"Huh?"
"I just loaned them, remember?"
Her face fell.
"Um, I... I really messed up..."
"What'd you do?"
"Well, uh, see..."
Tears welled in her eyes.
"Uhheuk..."
Surrounding stares sharpened. The loud girl suddenly crying drew attention.
"What's wrong?"
"The guns... some... broke—"
"You mentioned that."
"Huh?"
Head down, she peeked up.
"When you were going on about my expression or whatever. Said they jammed."
"Oh, right."
She looked like a criminal blurting a confession to police.
"It's fine. They're junk that breaks easy. That's why I gave you three extras and said not to overpractice."
"You meant the guns' health, not mine?"
"Both."
"So... you're forgiving the broken ones?"
Her eyes sparkled.
"Wasn't planning to nitpick. I'm just taking them to toss."
"Toss them?"
"What would I do with fakes like these?"
No issues from fake guns, but spreading them around wasn't ideal. If my ability leaked, regulations could headache me.
"...I'll buy them."
Her eyes gleamed.
"Pardon?"
"Account number! I'll pay anything!"
"Why buy this junk?"
"Maybe nothing to you, but precious to me! If you were keeping them, fine—but tossing? No way!"
"Gotta trash garbage..."
"H-How much? Wallet's light, but take this cash! Bank! Gimme your account! Repay a bit of your kindness—"
"What, rob a kid?"
"Richer than a gatherer oppa, right? For now!"
"Hey, gathering pays big. You're just a kid without money sense— that's all mommy and daddy's cash!"
"I'll repay mom when grown! But my precious pistol in your hands? Straight to the trash—"
"Agh, fine! I give up!"
I surrendered. Couldn't fight this kid's stubbornness.
"Selling's ridiculous. Consider them a gift. Got it?"
"Really?"
"...Sigh, yeah."
Situation turned absurd, but long-term? Not bad. An Academy contact. Could bridge to guilds, top hunters eventually.
Would take time to leverage, but for now, enough.