Chapter 42

Three days following the wrap-up of Stage 2.

The fortress town of Crossroads hummed with activity, yet a sense of melancholy pervaded the air.

Throughout the town, funeral flags fluttered in the breeze.

White banners were raised voluntarily by the townsfolk, waving from dwelling to dwelling, besides being hoisted on the town gates and administrative buildings.

Charles Cross, the Margrave, had renounced his lordship, but he was a man who had governed this town for decades.

Not everyone held him in high esteem, but there was no denying his commitment to the town.

It was only natural that the atmosphere was somber considering such an iconic figure had died protecting the town. Morale had plummeted and showed no signs of quick recovery.

'There's still a buffer period before the next stage.'

I glanced at the system window.

[STAGE 3]

- Start in: 12 days

Counting the past three days, the wait until the next stage totaled 15 days.

This was a fairly generous timeframe.

Luckily, the damage to the wall was less severe this time. In about five days, the repairs should be complete.

The chief of the stonemason guild had pledged his life on ensuring the flawless completion. His word was all I could rely on.

'With a flawlessly repaired wall, we can anticipate a more effective battle next time.'

I gritted my teeth at the thought.

'But what if another unforeseen complication occurs in the next stage?'

I replayed the image of the antagonistic NPC, the 'Pied Piper', from the previous stage.

He had merely directed an attack on one section of the wall, but that nearly caused the entire stage's downfall.

'I need to mitigate all potential variables. Unanticipated ones keep surfacing...'

A headache prompted me to rub my forehead, and I remembered a comment Aider made.

- Clear just one more stage, and you'll understand why these things are happening...

"..."

I toyed with the leather necklace around my neck.

According to Aider, its function would be revealed after Stage 3.

- I hope you can handle it. Even after you uncover all the truths of this insane world, I sincerely hope you can continue to fight as you are now.

That's what Aider had told me.

I furrowed my brow. The truths of this insane world?

What else about this game was I still ignorant of?

And how was I to uncover all of it?

There were countless enigmas, but for now, I had to press on.

'Advance to the next stage.'

And then,

'Move on to the stage following that one.'

Step by step. One at a time.

I'm persistently navigating the path to the endgame.

My role remained unaltered. Nothing...

***

Arranging rest for my party members and soldiers.

Repairing the battered walls. Mending the fences and palisades.

Selling magic stones. Procuring people and resources. Managing finances...

After the conclusion of the previous stage, I had been relentlessly occupied for three days, yet one task still awaited attention.

Three gray boxes and a single purple box were neatly stowed in my inventory.

- N grade reward box: 3

- SR grade reward box: 1

These were the random loot boxes I had earned as rewards from the completion of the last stage.

'An SR grade box this early in the game? That's unexpected.'

In the bedroom of the lord's mansion, at night.

Perched on the bed, I inspected the purple box in my grasp.

Why had this dropped already? Was it compensation for bypassing difficulty levels?

'Surely not from a game this challenging.'

The grade of a reward box promised the minimum grade of its contents.

In other words, an SR grade box would certainly yield an item of SR grade or higher. This wasn't something you'd anticipate in Stage 2.

'But, if it's offered, I'll accept.'

No reason to turn it down. Thoroughly examine it, put it to good use.

I opened the N grade boxes first, all three simultaneously!

"Did I hit the jackpot?!"

As if to scorn my outcry, all three boxes emitted a gray light.

They contained only N grade items...

"I wasn't even hoping for anything, damn it."

I muttered as I surveyed the contents of the boxes.

[Rewards]

- Status Abnormality Recovery Potion

- Status Abnormality Recovery Potion

- Standard low-grade Magic Core(N)

Two status abnormality recovery potions and one N grade magic core.

All useful, but hardly thrilling. I threw the unremarkable rewards into my inventory, my lips twisted in dissatisfaction.

'Now for the main event!'

I held the SR grade box in my hand and swallowed hard. Please!

"One more jackpot, please!"

Last time, I got a lucky item akin to comic relief, so this time, just one outrageously overpowered cheat item!

I burst the box open.

"Did I hit the jackpot?!"

And the light that sprang from the box was... purple.

"Damn."

So, an SSR grade was off the table. But an SR grade was still not too shabby.

I picked up the reward from the box. I could sense its significant weight and texture. Could it be a jackpot?!

[Rewards]

- Hunter's Retribution(SR)

"A real jackpot?!"

From the box emerged a lengthy rifle. I quickly checked its features.

[Hunter's Retribution(SR) Lv.25]

- Category: Magic Gun

- Attack power: 50-75

- Durability: 5/5

- Magazine: 10/10

- When attacking an enemy's rear, armor penetration increases by 10%.

- When attacking an enemy's rear, critical hit chance increases by 10%.

"A Magic Gun here...?"

I exclaimed, studying the rifle-shaped weapon in my hand.

Magic Gun(魔銃).

A weapon akin to the guns on Earth, but operating on a different principle. It conjures magic bullets from the magic core slotted into the barrel and propels them out.

Simply put, it's a downsized magic cannon that can be wielded by one individual.

Its range is shorter than a bow, but it boasts superior firepower and firing rate.

At first sight, it might seem formidable. But in truth, this weapon was littered with drawbacks.

To start with, its essentially shrunk cannon-like design made it absurdly challenging to maneuver.

The aim was strenuous, the recoil overwhelming. It was a weapon that turned accurate hitting into a laborious task.

For similar reasons, its reduced size made it unstable.

Breakdowns were frequent, and should the magic core overheat, the equipment could be rendered completely useless.

However, the most critical issue was its ammunition capacity.

The number of magic bullets a magic core could create was set.

Once all the bullets were spent, there was no recourse during the several hours of generation cooldown time.

This caused most players to steer clear of it, making it a phased-out weapon type.

With the widespread use of dependable bows and crossbows, there was no rationale to employ a faulty magic gun.

'I swear, they always hand me some crap items. Why do they do this?'

I groaned.

'Where to use this... hold on a second.'

Just as I contemplated stripping it for parts, an idea struck my mind like a flash of lightning.

'What if Damien wields this?'

A magic gun inflicted the highest damage among personal firearms.

For Damien, devoid of any attack skills, a magic gun could be a very appealing alternative.

'The primary downsides of a magic gun are threefold. It's hard to aim, it lacks stability, and its ammunition is scarce.'

Out of these, aiming wouldn't be a concern. After all, Damien possessed [Far-Sight].

If I could just manage the remaining two issues, it could notably enhance Damien's combat effectiveness...

"...Okay!"

After briefly closing my eyes in thought, I leaped from my chair.

Exiting my room, I made my way towards the mansion's entrance, hollering.

"Lucas! Get the carriage ready! We're heading out!"

***

Despite the late hour, I boarded the carriage Lucas prepared and darted into the city.

I beelined for the blacksmith's.

"Your Highness, what brings you here?"

The blacksmith, tidying up his shop alone, welcomed me with a shocked expression.

"What brings you at this hour..."

"I'm here because I have urgent matters."

Without pausing to explain, I dashed into the blacksmith's and set the item I carried onto the table.

"Do you know what this is?"

The recently procured SR grade magic gun, 'Hunter's Retribution', it was.

The blacksmith, cautiously picking up the magic gun, admired it with a 'Ho-ho'.

"This is... a magic gun."

"You're well informed."

"Indeed. It's a weapon type that was developed around 100 years ago and was studied but later discontinued. It's difficult to handle, unstable..."

It seemed that this understanding was not only in the game but in reality as well.

"So, it's not practical?"

"Haha, it's pricey and inefficient. You're better off using a cannon... It has some value as an antique, though."

I drummed on the magic gun I'd laid on the table with my fingertips.

"Anyway, judging by this, you could craft a new one?"

"Huh? Well, indeed. It is a part of the Imperial Army's standard gear, after all, and its design is much like that of a magic cannon."

The guild leader of the blacksmiths quickly chimed in.

"However, it's closer to a relic than a personal weapon, so an alchemist is needed for its construction."

"I'll discuss this with the alchemist workshop. We'll collaborate on its creation."

"Understood. As long as you supply the magic cores that will be at the heart of the equipment, we can initiate production promptly..."

Before the guild leader could finish his sentence, I emptied out the magic cores I'd brought in my pouch onto the table.

Five magic cores, clinking together, rolled out.

One standard low-grade magic core (N).

Three Ratman Champion magic cores (R).

And, one Black Spider Queen magic core (SSR).

These were all the magic cores I had gathered so far.

"..."

Looking at the magic cores with his mouth wide open, I gave a nod to the blacksmith guild's leader.

"Craft five of them."

Are you short on materials?

Is it unstable?

Well, we can overwhelm it with sheer numbers.

In the game, a character could only utilize one weapon, but this was the real world.

No one would label it as unfair and confiscate them for carrying multiple guns.

'Don't be confined by the game's rules.'

The monster creeps didn't move according to the game's rules. I needed to think more flexibly too.

'I'll certainly beat it, this damned game.'

I bit my lip tightly.

'I'll achieve it, whether it's the true ending or whatever...!'

***

On my journey back to the mansion after a night out.

As I sat in the carriage, deep in thought, I was outlining the forthcoming schedule in my mind.

Then Lucas, positioned on the coachman's seat, tentatively struck up a conversation.

"Your Highness."

"Hmm?"

"You must have thought this through, of course... but magic cores are extremely scarce and are a top-level strategic asset. Maybe it would have been wiser to save some, rather than using them all like this..."

Indeed. Magic cores are costly.

They're crucial for crafting high-tier equipment or artifacts. The automated defense turret I assembled a few days ago also runs on an R-grade magic core.

And I've used them all at once.

More so, I plan to equip one person with several pieces of high-grade gear being created. It's decidedly inefficient.

'But if that user is Damien, it's a different matter.'

Damien's [Far-Sight], which identifies the enemy's weakness as soon as it's activated.

If used correctly, it's not wasteful to use several magic cores.

"Thank you for the advice, Lucas. But we can't predict what will occur in the next defensive battle."

I offered Lucas a wide smile.

"We can't afford to save something like magic cores right now. Besides, we should be able to collect more cores soon."

This was also a fact.

Because in the second exploration area we were about to delve into, magic cores were assured drops. And there would be quite a few of them.

'It's not about recklessly using up everything. Rather than hoarding and saving, let's put them into circulation promptly.'

"Hmm. I admit, that might have been a bit rash, but it's not an issue!"

Lucas said nothing further and continued to guide the carriage. I appreciated his forthright advice.

We hadn't traveled much further when the mansion came into view. Suddenly, fatigue washed over me. I yawned broadly.

"Whew..."

Today, I resolved, I won't accomplish anything more. I'll just get plenty of sleep. With that thought, I turned my gaze towards the mansion.

"Huh?"

Something peculiar caught my eye.

At the mansion's entrance.

A small girl was standing there.

"What's that?"

The girl, her platinum hair glistening under the moonlight, held a strikingly green gaze.

Thud!

As soon as she spotted us, she began charging towards the carriage.

"Lucas, what is that-"

Before I could finish my startled query,

The sprinting girl hurled something she was holding towards the carriage.

It was an exceptionally large lance.

"What the fuck-?!"

As I blurted out,

Thwack-!

In an instant, the thrown lance utterly demolished the carriage.