Chapter 110: Hunters And Weapons
Tyler blinked his eyes open from sleep, his gaze meeting the wooden ceiling overhead as soft morning light filtered through the windows. Pulling his blanket aside, he swung his legs out and set his bare feet flat against the cool wooden floorboards below him.
He stood up and stretched his arms wide, a satisfying series of pops echoing down his spine. He felt exceptionally well-rested, a deep wave of refreshment surging through his body that he hadn't experienced in a very long time.
*It feels like weeks since I've slept like this.* A small smile crossed his lips as he rubbed his eyes. *It's definitely because of that potion.*
The system panel materialized floating in the air before his eyes, his eyebrows lifting in mild surprise as he scanned the glowing text:
[MP: 258/258]
His mana pool was completely full. The sleeping potion he had consumed before bed had fully restored his MP while forcing his restless body into a deep sleep. He remembered the sensation immediately after drinking the liquid, climbing beneath the covers and closing his eyes, only for sleep to claim him within a single minute.
It stood in stark contrast to his usual nights spent tossing and turning from side to side, unable to rest due to his high stamina stat.
*I should use this often,* he thought, turning back toward the bed as the system display dissolved into air.
He smoothed out the blankets, making the bed, then lifted his feet one by one as his heavy leather boots materialized around his ankles. Turning on his heel, he walked out of the inn and stepped onto the street.
The crisp morning air brushed against his face as he navigated the cobblestone road. Up ahead, a group of children chased each other through the morning crowd, clearly playing tag.
A little girl almost collided with his hip, letting out a bright chuckle as she dodged past him, a young boy trailing right behind her. Tyler turned his head, watching the children disappear into a narrow alley before continuing along his path toward the workshop, eager to see if the assassin woman would return with more customers today.
*I wonder what kind of classes she's going to bring this time. I just hope it's a lot of knights. I don't have many options for them to choose from.*
Another thought struck his mind as he walked. He slowed his pace slightly, rubbing his jaw with his thumb as he muttered under his breath, "Maybe I can sell them those rings. Once I gain their trust, I can do that, right? I wonder how much we can sell them for."
As he entered the bustling marketplace, a sudden system prompt flared in his vision:
[A RARE METAL HAS BEEN DETECTED]
Tyler came to an abrupt halt mid-stride, his boots skidding slightly against the stones as surprise caught him off guard. *A rare metal?*
The first message faded, and a second system window immediately took its place:
[ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: SOMETHING SPECIAL]
[USER HAS THEIR HANDS ON THE RAREST METAL ON THE PLANET, PHERRIUM]
[+10 POINTS]
"Eh?" Tyler blurted out, his eyes widening in shock as his hand snapped up toward his mouth.
A few nearby shoppers slowed their steps, turning their heads to stare at him with strange, bewildered expressions. Feeling heat rise to his ears, Tyler flushed with embarrassment, lowering his gaze to the ground and picking up his pace to escape their eyes.
*I have Pherrium? That's the metal James talked about. But when did I get my hands on it?*
He looked down at his boots as he walked, his mind frantically tracing back through his recent inventory. *So far, I haven't gotten any ores recently. I haven't made any ingots, so...*
His thoughts broke off. His boots froze on the cobblestones, his head snapping forward as sharp realization hit him. He remembered the wrapped bow he had taken from the dark forest, the weapon belonging to the silver-haired girl he had rescued and left at the base inn.
*Is it that bow?*
The system panel appeared once more, the text confirming his realization:
[THE WEAPON IN THE INVENTORY PARTIALLY HOLDS THE METAL, PHERRIUM. THOUGH NOT AS POTENT AS PURE PHERRIUM, THE WEAPON STILL HOLDS ITS PROPERTIES]
*So it's partially made of Pherrium? Wow. Then this weapon must really be important to her. Who would have thought?*
The system panel vanished from his sight. Tyler walked a few more steps down the street, finally arriving at the shop. The front door was open wide, and as he drew near, his eyebrows shot up in absolute surprise. A dense crowd of people packed the interior of the showroom. Overlapping voices of men and women talking all at once drifted out onto the cobblestones.
*What's going on? Are those customers?* he thought, quickening his pace.
He pushed through the open entrance, stepping behind a cluster of what appeared to be hunters. Most wore heavy steel armor, while a few wore leather gear. Standing among the group, two hunters caught his immediate attention, a young woman and a young man, both appearing to be around his age, wearing bright yellow cloaks emblazoned with a white sun design on the back.
"Sorry, excuse me," Tyler said, maneuvering his way around the group.
"Hey, watch it!" a steel-armored hunter grumbled, shifting his shoulder.
"Sorry," Tyler apologized, weaving past him toward the far end of the counter.
Behind the counter stood Kai, holding up one of the iron helmets while speaking calmly to the crowd, though Tyler could spot a faint tremor in his posture that betrayed his nervousness under so many eyes.
"Kai!" Tyler called out, walking around the corner of the counter toward him.
"Tyler!" Kai exclaimed, a huge wave of relief washing over his face. "You're here! Thank goodness."
"What's going on? Why are there so many people?"
"Yeah, well... that woman brought them," Kai said, pointing a finger toward the assassin woman standing near the front of the counter.
Tyler turned his head to look at her, a broad grin spreading across his face. *She actually did it.*
"You see? Just as promised, I brought ten customers. I actually managed to convince twelve of them to come here," the assassin woman said, a proud, triumphant smile gracing her lips as she crossed her arms.
*Twelve? I didn't even expect her to come back with ten. And it's all in one day, how did she do it?*
"I'll keep my end of the bargain," Tyler said, folding his arms across his chest, genuinely impressed. "But we need to settle things with the customers first."
A thin-framed hunter with a dark mustache, dressed in pleated steel armor, stepped forward. He set both hands flat on the wooden counter and leaned in. "Well, boy, you said that helmet is meant for a knight, didn't you? So only knights get to use the skill? Well, hand it over so I can see it for myself."
Kai looked over at Tyler, seeking confirmation. Tyler gave a firm nod. "Yeah, let him try it."
Kai stepped closer to the counter and handed the heavy metal helmet across the wood. The surrounding chatter died down as the crowd went silent, watching the man.
The knight lifted the helmet and slid it onto his head. The instant the steel settled over his scalp, he gasped loudly, his shoulders jolting upward as if a surge of electricity had shot through his spine.
"What? What is it?" a female hunter standing behind him asked, leaning over his shoulder.
Uncertain mumbles broke out among the customers, a wave of concern spreading through the crowd.
"Calm down. He just recognized the skill," the assassin woman called out, looking back over her shoulder at the group.
"She's right," the knight responded, his voice trembling with disbelief as his hands reached up. "This really has a skill."
"What is it?" the assassin woman asked, her eyebrows rising in curiosity.
"It's... Sonic Immunity," the knight muttered slowly. He reached up, carefully unclasped the helmet, and removed it, staring down into the interior lining. A breathless chuckle escaped his lips. "The skill makes me completely immune to sound-based attacks. I can finally take on the Pixel with no worry at all while wearing it!"
Shock swept through the crowd. Gasps broke out from the hunters, their voices overlapping once more in excited chatter. Tyler smiled as they began processing sales for the helmets.
Every single time a knight took a helmet and placed it onto their head, their eyes widened in shock, instantly knowing the name of the skill, its mana cost, and its exact mechanics, just as if they had leveled up and acquired it through the natural order.
"Is it painful?" a young female hunter asked, gazing down at the metal helmet resting in her hands.
"No, not at all," Tyler said, shaking his head gently. "It's just a little surprising, since it'll be the first time you feel it."
The girl looked at the helmet a little while longer, weighing her options.
"Just wear it already!" the assassin woman shouted from nearby.
The young hunter flinched, caught completely off guard by the barked command, and immediately slid the helmet over her head. She squeezed her eyes shut tight, holding her breath as she waited for the sudden shock that had overtaken the other knights before her.
Slowly, she opened her eyes.
Nothing happened.
"Nothing's happening..." she said, her shoulders dropping in visible disappointment.
"What?" the assassin woman barked, her brows knitting together.
"Oh," Tyler breathed out, a sharp realization hitting him.
Kai stepped forward, scratching the back of his neck as he looked at Tyler with an apologetic expression. "This must be one of the helmets without the skills. Sorry, I forgot to tell you."
"No worries," Tyler said, waving off the apology.
He turned to face the remaining customers standing in the showroom. "Some of the items left now don't carry skills. However, they're still remarkably durable and high quality."
"What?" the young hunter complained, pulling the helmet off."But I want one with a skill."
"Sorry," Tyler said, giving an apologetic shrug. "We're out of items with skills at the moment."
"Sir, wait," Kai chimed in, leaning over the counter. "There are still more items with skills."
"Really?" Tyler asked, his eyebrows rising as he turned toward Kai.
"The spears, remember?"
"Right," Tyler said, unfolding his arms and smacking his right fist into his open palm. "I almost forgot about those. All right, go ahead and fetch them."
Kai turned on his heel and hurried into the back room to retrieve the weapons.
The female hunter laid the helmet down onto the counter. Tyler looked across at her and spoke up, "Even though some of our items don't carry skills, they do carry special effects."
"Effects?" she asked, tilting her head in curiosity.
"Yes. It's similar to skills, but slightly different. For example, just like the Sonic Immunity skill—" Tyler reached into his coat pocket, pulled out a ring that shifted with many colors, and set it flat onto the counter. "—this ring can make you immune to the Pixel's hypnotizing skill."
The woman snatched up the ring instantly, examining the colorful metal. "So you're saying this ring makes me immune to hypnotizing skills?" she asked, excitement brightening her voice.
"Well, no, not exactly," Tyler said, gesturing with an open palm. "It only makes you immune to the Pixel's hypnotizing skill."
"So only the Pixel?" the assassin woman chimed in, crossing her arms.
"Yeah," Tyler acknowledged, dragging the word out with a lack of enthusiasm.
The young hunter slid the colorful band onto her finger. After a moment, her eyebrows rose in genuine realization. Her reaction was far calmer than the exaggerated shock of the knights, but the understanding was clear on her face. "Oh, he's right," she said.
Tyler's eyebrows shot up.
*Wait, so she can sense the rings's effect as well?*
She looked up at Tyler, her eyes bright. "How much is this worth?"
"Um, five copper," Tyler said, sounding a little unsure of his own pricing.
Without hesitating, the woman reached into her pouch, pulled out a silver coin, and set it onto the counter. "I'd like two of them."
Tyler reached into his pocket, letting a second ring materialize inside his palm from his inventory. He pulled it out and handed it to her across the counter, and she slid it safely into her pouch.
Just as the transaction finished, Kai emerged from the back workshop carrying three silver spears.
They continued selling the remaining items to the last knights in the shop. The knights were thoroughly shocked as they unlocked skills like Throw, Pierce, and Seven Strikes upon holding the silver spears. A few disappointed customers lingered when no more skill-bearing weapons remained, though two of them ultimately purchased two pairs of boots alongside several rings before the crowd finally dispersed.
Tyler let out a long sigh of relief as the shop emptied, leaving only the assassin woman behind.
"So, where's my item?" she asked, setting both palms onto the counter and leaning in a bit too close to Tyler's face.
Tyler leaned back slightly to keep his distance. "Let me grab it."
Kai glanced over at Tyler and caught his hands moving beneath the counter, suddenly holding a strange object. *When did he get that?* Kai thought, watching in fascination as Tyler lifted the item.
"It's right here," Tyler said, placing the heavy Hand Cannon onto the tabletop.
The woman frowned, leaning over to inspect it. She picked it up by the cold metal barrel, holding it awkwardly. Tyler could tell instantly that she had no idea what she was looking at.
"What is this?" she asked, turning it over in her hands.
"It's a hand cannon, a long-ranged weapon," Tyler explained.
She tilted her head. "This... is a long-ranged weapon? How come I didn't get any skills when I held it?"
"It doesn't have any," Tyler said with a calm smile.
"What?" Her brow furrowed. "But you promised me you'd get me a better weapon if I brought you more customers!"
"I am, trust me," Tyler reassured her.
"Oh, really?" she challenged, setting one hand onto her hip and locking a suspicious gaze onto his eyes.
*How do I show it to her?* Tyler and Kai exchanged a quick look before an idea clicked in Tyler's mind.
Stepping around the wood, Tyler gestured toward the door. "Follow me."
He stepped out of the shop, and the woman followed close behind, confused yet curious about where he was leading her. He guided her around the side of the building into the shop's private yard. Right before them sat a wide pit filled with discarded scrap metal. Further ahead, near the perimeter wooden fence, stood a thick tree with rough bark and a cluster of green leaves.
"All right, let me show you how to use it," Tyler said, extending his hand.
She handed the Hand Cannon back to him. Tyler reached into his pocket and pulled out a small steel ball. *This already has powder in it, right?*
He bent the barrel open, pushed the steel ball deep into the chamber, and snapped the frame shut. The assassin woman watched his movements in silence, the mechanics of the weapon slowly taking shape in her mind. *Is it some kind of projectile-launching weapon? Like a cannon? Is that why he calls it a hand cannon?*
"Right, we need something to light it," Tyler said, glancing toward the rear entrance. "Let me go into the shop to get some firewood."
"Oh, I have a dagger with a heating rune on it. Can we use it?" she offered, unbuckling the blade from her sheath and holding it out to him.
"Yeah, that can work," Tyler said with a shrug, taking the dagger from her hand.
*Runes, huh? I still don't know how to put them on my weapons yet. How do you even activate this thing?*
The moment his focus settled on the weapon, the silver dagger flared with a faint red glow.
"Wow," Tyler breathed out, eyeing the glowing metal. *So is it intention like with skills?*
Refocusing on the Hand Cannon in his other hand, he pressed the glowing tip of the dagger directly against the exposed fuse.
The woman watched as the fuse hissed, spitting small sparks. A fraction of a second later, a loud, explosive crack detonated from the barrel of the gun. Her eyes widened in absolute shock as the thick bark of the tree shattered in an instant, wood splinters and green leaves spraying in every direction.
She gasped, her mouth falling open.
Tyler turned to her with a broad grin. "So, how is it?"
The assassin woman smiled in return, her eyes sparkling brightly as if reflecting diamonds. "It's... incredible!"