Chapter 27: No way
Nox walked, the busted-up city quiet around him for now. The map the system had given him for Princess What’s-Her-Face was blinking in his mind’s eye, a steady guide through the trashed streets. He kept an eye out, but things seemed mostly dead, at least in this particular section.
His hand drifted to his waist, to the gun still tucked there. ’Seriously, what the hell was I thinking?’ he mused. He’d gone through that whole insane fight with the furry boss, almost got himself disemboweled, and not once had he thought to pull out the gun. Not when the monster was pummeling his face, not even when it had him by the hair. It was just... weird.
’Was I too busy trying to play by the system’s rules? Or did I just forget I even had the damn thing?’ He’d been so focused on leveling up that the simple, old-world solution of just shooting the bastard hadn’t even crossed his mind.
Maybe it was because swinging the pipe felt more... direct, more connected to the strength the system was giving him. Or maybe, deep down, after Mark, part of him just hadn’t wanted to go there again unless he absolutely had to.
’Well, that’s stupid,’ he decided. ’A tool’s a tool. And this is a pretty good one.’ He pulled the gun out, the metal cool and solid in his hand. It felt familiar, but also a bit foreign now after all the stat-boosting.
’Let’s see what the system thinks of you,’ he thought, focusing on the weapon and activating his Appraise skill.
A clean blue box appeared.
[Appraise: Old Model Revolver (Common Firearm)]
[Description: A standard, mass-produced six-shot revolver. Chambered in .38 Special. Reliable but unremarkable. Requires ammunition.]
[Condition: Slightly Worn. Barrel has minor fouling.]
[Potential with Weapon Mastery: Basic proficiency achievable. Limited advanced technique potential due to mundane nature.]