~~~
Jin smiled as he carefully placed Uncle Mathew's pistol on the polished counter, watching Bobby's eyes widen in recognition and surprise.
"Whoa... Kid, that gun is..." Bobby whistled, his experienced gaze lingering on the sleek black metal and intricate rune work etched along the weapon's surface. "Where the hell did you get this?"
Time to sell this story.
Jin smirked, putting on his best nonchalant teenager act.
"That was my gift upon awakening," he said with practiced casualness, letting just a hint of pride creep into his voice. "Was supposed to be a sword originally, but you know how Uncle Marcus is—always thinking three steps ahead."
"The sword went to Amelia instead," Jin added, trying to sound slightly envious. "She got all excited about it, too. Something about 'finally having a proper blade' or whatever."
Please buy it…
Bobby nodded slowly, his merchant instincts clearly engaged as he studied the weapon without touching it.
"Makes sense. Marcus always was practical about matching equipment to abilities." His eyes flicked back to Jin.
"So you're here for ammo then? I should have some compatible rounds, but they're gonna cost you. Enchanted ammunition doesn't come cheap."
Jin paused.
Good, he brought it! Time for a little push…
And then, as if considering something important, Jin leaned forward slightly.
"Well, with Uncle off on vacation and this unplanned dungeon visit coming up, could you help me with a proper appraisal? Just between us, of course."
I need to know exactly what I'm working with. If this gun is as good as I think it is...
"You know about artifact ranks, kid?"
"Course I do," Jin replied, straightening up slightly. "The ranks for artifacts go common, uncommon, rare, epic, legendary, mythic. Each rank has five stars to further classify quality within that tier."
"Common and uncommon are just labeled plainly, but from rare onwards, each rank goes one-star to five-stars. The difference between a one-star rare and a five-star rare can be massive."
"Good, good. Most kids your age barely know the basics," Bobby nodded approvingly.
"Thank you… Though I'm more excited to know what rank this is."
Bobby raised an eyebrow and tapped the counter with one thick finger, his expression turning shrewd.
"Indeed, I'm too. I'll keep the appraisal between us only if you buy ammunition afterwards. No freebies in this business, friendship or not."
"Done," Jin agreed immediately.
Business is business. Fair enough.
"Good kid." Bobby's grin returned as he turned toward the back of the shop. "Dorian! Get your fat ass out here! I need an appraisal!"
"I'm not fat!" came an indignant shout from the back room, followed by the sounds of boxes crashing and metal clanking.
Jin chuckled. "Still giving him grief about his weight?"
"He's been stress-eating since he started his artificer certification," Bobby said with parental exasperation. "Keeps telling me the theoretical coursework is 'mentally exhausting.' I tell him, try hauling inventory for twelve hours a day!"
A younger, smaller version of Bobby emerged from the back room, looking annoyed and dusting off his hands. His hair was disheveled, and there were grease stains on his apron.
"What is it, Dad? I was organizing the new stock, and you know how—" He stopped mid-sentence when he spotted Jin."Oh, hi Jin! Didn't know you were here!"
"Hey, Dorian," Jin greeted warmly.
Bobby carefully lifted the pistol and handed it to his son. "Express job. Give me a full breakdown—enchantments, grade, estimated value, the works."
Dorian's expression grew serious as he accepted the weapon, his youthful features shifting into professional focus. "Oh, for Jin? Sure! Give me ten minutes."
"Thanks, man!"
Jin barely managed to say before Dorian disappeared back into the shop's depths.
"While Dorian's working his magic," Jin said, pulling out a small list he'd prepared, "I've got some other items I need to acquire."
There are still some more items I'll need for my Mantle evolution and some other stuff.
These components aren't common, but they're not suspicious either—to Bobby, they may sound like common crafting ingredients… but I've game-changing recipes in my mind from the book.
"Oh! Sure thing, let's hear what you need."
Jin consulted his list, putting on his best 'teenager reading from notes' expression.
"Could you get me 10 stalks of Sargoma, 2 bottles of Gharm Wine, 100 grams of Dandelionex Petal, and some nature-attuned skeletal bone powder?"
Bobby's eyebrows climbed toward his hairline. "That's... an interesting combination. Very specific."
"Oh, and Bobby?" Jin added, as if remembering something important. "Make sure those items are properly labeled and packed together in one package, would you?"
Bobby grinned knowingly. "Hmm? That's very thoughtful of you."
"By doing that, it'll be easier on you to sort and decide on the materials, cuz I'd have been hella suspicious if you knew what each of those items looks like."
Jin sighed quietly, not letting any anxiety show. He had dodged a bullet there.
Close call. Good thing Bobby's assuming I'm just being cautious.
Jin put on a mock sad expression. "My mantle isn't properly combat-oriented, Bobby... I'll probably never be able to directly compete with the combat-oriented ones... but I can even the odds by being ready and prepared."
Playing up the 'weak support character' angle. Let him think I'm just compensating for lack of direct power.
"Wow... brat... no, wow Jin... You've truly grown. Your parents would be smiling from heaven, I'm sure of it."
"Marcus raised a fine lad."
"Thanks…" Jin replied, letting Bobby draw his own conclusions.
For dungeon runs—they're for surviving an apocalypse.
"Hmm. Got more items on that list?"
"Yes, actually. Quite a few more."
What followed was a rapid-fire negotiation that would have impressed a commodities trader. Bobby would quote prices, Jin would counter with alternatives or request bulk discounts.
The fat-bellied merchant clearly enjoyed the back-and-forth, probably because Jin wasn't trying to lowball him—just get the best value possible.
"Moonstone essence, 50ml? That'll run you 3,000 Zens."
"What about 30ml of the refined version instead? Should be more potent."
"Hah! Nice try, kid. Refined is 200 Zens per ml, minimum order 20ml. But I'll knock it down to 180 per if you're buying other alchemical supplies."
"Deal, but throw in basic stabilizing salts."
"You drive a hard bargain for someone your age..."
"I'll tell you in my days there was no internet and we had to get all this knowledge in a library or labour under a teacher."
Jin chuckled, "Good to be born in modern times, no?"
Bobby sighed, shaking his head, "All you kids are glued to the phone screens… developing all sorts of weird habits."
The negotiation continued, covering everything from basic survival rations to specialized magical components Jin knew would be crucial for his Mantle evolution.
Finally, after extensive back-and-forth that left both men slightly sweaty, they sat back with simultaneous sighs of relief.
"You, kid, drive a very hard bargain," Bobby chuckled, wiping sweat from his forehead.
"Remind me never to let you negotiate my wholesale contracts."
"I aim to please, Bobby." Jin grinned. "And now I can see why Amber Associations has such a reputation for fair dealing."
"Hahaha, you sure have a way with words."
"That I do."
And I know exactly what I'll need to survive the next ninety-one days.
Right on cue, Dorian appeared from the back room, the pistol now gleaming like new in his careful grip. In his other hand, he carried a professional appraisal report on official letterhead.
"Here's your full breakdown," Dorian said, practically glowing with professional pride. "This thing is a beast."
Jin practically snatched the document, his eyes racing over the technical specifications and estimated values.
His breath caught as he processed what he was reading.
****
[AMBER ASSOCIATIONS OFFICIAL APPRAISAL]
NAME: "Iron Howl"
RARITY: 4 stars Rare Grade.
TYPE: Light Firearm (Pistol-Class, Semi-Automatic)
STATE: Maintained – 92% Rune Integrity
Manufacturer: Kronos Arms, Military Division
➤ CORE ENCHANTMENTS
- Auto-Loading (Tier III)
- Targeting Assistance (Tier II)
- Damage Amplification (Tier IV)
- Recoil Suppression (Tier III)
- Affinity Channel Conduit (Tier VI)
- Durability Enhancement (Tier III)
➤ TECHNICAL DETAILS
- Caliber: 9mm essence-infused
- Capacity: 18 rounds (rune-stabilized magazine)
- Range: 150m effective
- Weight: 1.4 kg (balanced)
➤ VALUE ESTIMATION
Estimated Market Value: 580,000 - 820,000 Zens
Legality: RESTRICTED MILITARY ISSUE
****
"Holy fucking shit," Jin whispered, staring at the numbers. "This is actually gold."
His lips curled into a smirk as he read through the appraisal report. Targeting assist. Damage amp. Recoil suppression.
This class of weapon this early on… I'm set.
Bobby leaned over to read the report, his expression growing more impressed with each line.
"Well, well. Looks like Marcus really went all out for your awakening gift." He looked up at Jin with newfound respect.
"That's not just a weapon, kid."
Jin carefully folded the appraisal report and tucked it into his pack, his mind already racing with possibilities.
"So," he said, looking up at Bobby with his most innocent expression, "about that ammunition..."
~~~