Chapter 75: Gun (Part 1)

<This seems really unnecessary, Kai>Yeah, yeah, I heard you the first twenty times, you need to chill. I can more than afford it, so I see no reason to hold back.

<But you do not actually need this>

Perhaps, but I want it. And indulging in my wants is one of the main goals I have for this life, so lay off.

<I still think it is a waste of money, but seeing as you have no intention of changing your mind, I shall not say any more>

Mhm, let’s just agree to disagree.

Today’s the 5th of January, 2169, five days since my graduation. And I haven’t done shit since then.

I’d initially planned on taking a couple of days to chill, but then I thought, why rush?

So, I figured I’d take around two weeks to laze around. I have plenty of money and no commitments, so I might as well take it easy.

Earlier today, I decided to get some new gear, since I can pretty comfortably afford it now.

The Greater Demon’s Core was worth thirty million Credits, which Ariella and I split equally, and I also got about half a million Credits from the portion of the profits from the Dungeon that’s divided among the participating Hunters.

For some context, thirty million Credits is enough to buy a decent two-bedroom apartment, so kill a few Critical Level Monsters and you’re basically set for life.

I was back at the Hunters Armory, browsing through the options. I was sticking with the same type of gear, just getting some new designs for some variety.

I’ve just been using the one set this whole time, making copies whenever necessary, so I’d like a wider range of options to choose from. Five sets should be enough, so I’ll be buying four-...

<That seems excessive-...>

<Never mind, I should not even bother>

Glad you’re getting it.

Let’s see, if I remember right, my first set of gear cost a little under one and a half million Credits, not counting the short-sword. So four sets should add up to somewhere between five to six million.

I don’t need to buy blades anymore, thanks to Desecrator.

Ai confirmed that it’s basically indestructible, and when you factor in its special abilities and the ten percent boost to all my stats, why would I ever replace it with another weapon?

Oh, nice, looks like they’ve got some new designs.

<They are all black>

<At least buy some different colors>

Nah, I’m good.

And they’re not all completely black, this one’s got a purple streak on the side. Hm, it matches my eyes, think I’ll go with it.

Oh, and this one’s a hoodie without a zipper...hm, I think the ones with zippers look cooler, but maybe I should get one without, just to mix things up a bit. It’s a little thicker that the ones with zippers, could be a better option in Dungeons with colder terrain.

<Regarding the zippers, you always wear the hoodies unzipped>

<Even though that means your chest and stomach are less protected>

<Please tell me you do not do that simply because you think it looks cool>

Well, I’d be lying if I said that wasn’t a factor, but it isn’t the main reason. I can move a bit more freely when it’s unzipped. Zipping it up isn’t super restrictive or anything, but it does slow me down a tiny bit.

Hm, with that in mind, maybe I should get the zipless hoodie in one size bigger, to make sure it won’t restrict my movements.

Oh, hey, this one looks really cool too, definitely adding it to the wardrobe!

<It is black, it barely looks different to the one you already have>

What are you talking about? It looks totally different. The zipper is a different shape, my old one doesn’t have this pattern, and-...


<Okay, I get it>

Hey, you’re the one who asked, so don’t get all huffy.

<I do not get huffy, whatever that means>

You literally do, you’re doing it right now.

On another note, I wonder if there’s anything else I should get besides new gear? Maybe a secondary weapon? Oh, how about a gun?

They’re usually Ranger weapons, but I don’t see why I can’t use one. What do you think, Ai? Actually, why do most Rangers uses arrows instead of guns?

<Because arrows are more effective>

<Those arrows are made of a special alloy that conducts Mana>

<The bullets used in the guns made for Rangers are made of the same material, but since bullets are obviously smaller than arrows, they cannot conduct as much Mana>

<Not only does Mana enhance the projectiles and imbue them with the Ranger’s Attribute, it also makes the projectiles faster>

<And since arrows can conduct more Mana than bullets can due to there being more of the Mana-conducive material, the arrows end up being faster than the bullets, even with the added propulsion from the gun>

Yeah, the arrows fired by Rangers are pretty rapid. I figured bullets would be even faster though...but if that were the case, I suppose most Rangers would probably opt for guns instead.

<The arrows also inflict more damage since they are bigger, making them especially more effective against larger Monsters>

<Furthermore, arrows are easier to control than bullets, most Rangers possess much higher levels of accuracy with bow and arrows than they do with guns>

<Bows are also cheaper than guns, and while arrows are more expensive than bullets, they are easier to reuse since bullets are more difficult to re-collect after being fired>

Yeah, there was a Ranger in my party during my second raid, he kept gathering up the arrows he fired on each floor after we killed the Monsters.

<Higher level Rangers do not need physical arrows or bullets though, they can create Elemental projectiles based on their Attribute>

<However, it seems there is only one Ranger with that ability at present, and he is an X-Ace>

<And so far, only those with Ace or X-Ace Potential have possessed that ability>

Interesting, that sounds pretty powerful...you know, what? I think I will buy myself a gun, after all. I don’t see any reason not to.

<I can think of a few>

<First, the cost, a gun will be quite expensive, not to mention the bullets>

<And second, there is no guarantee that you will be able to use it effectively, or even at all>

I can just make copies of the bullets if I need to, and I’ll spend some time training with it to see if I’ve got a knack for it.

The Hunters Armory does have a return policy, so I can always get a refund if it doesn’t suit me...I mean, there’s no harm in adding an extra option to my arsenal, after all.