Bang!
The gunshot cracked through the clearing like thunder.
Harold let out a guttural scream. "Gaah!"
He staggered backward, clutching the left side of his face as blood poured between his fingers from his ruined eye.
In that single heartbeat of chaos, Arceus twisted sharply, slipping free from the weakening grip around his chest. He hit the ground hard, rolled once, and sprang to his feet, sprinting straight toward his companions.
Harold lunged after him in desperation, his bloody fingertips brushing the back of Arceus's shirt—but the fabric slipped away.
Ralph and the royal knights surged forward at once, forming a protective wall around him.
Half-blinded, disoriented, and writhing in agony, Harold gave up on taking another hostage. He turned and fled into the dense forest.
"Captain Ralph," Prince Kaelan commanded sharply, "pursue him. Capture him alive."
"At your command, Your Highness!"
Ralph vanished into the trees like a shadow melting into darkness.
"Ark…!"
Sienna rushed forward the instant Arceus reached safety. She wrapped both arms tightly around him, unable to hide the slight tremble in her body.
Looking up, she gently cupped his cheek. "Thank the heavens you're unharmed," she whispered, her voice still shaking with relief.
Prince Kaelan slowly released the breath he'd been holding. The tension drained visibly from his shoulders.
"Arceus," he said, a faint smile breaking through, "that was reckless. You were fortunate that—"
"That wasn't luck."
Lucian's calm voice cut in.
Everyone turned toward him.
Lucian's gaze was fixed on the pistol still in Arceus's hand. "He never intended to kill Harold."
Arceus smiled faintly and raised the weapon.
"Regardless of whether someone is a one-star warrior or a nine-star warrior," he said steadily, "their eyes remain vulnerable if left unprotected."
He glanced toward the forest where Harold had disappeared. "I aimed for his eye from the beginning."
Silence followed.
Even Prince Kaelan looked at him with renewed respect. Rather than acting on panic, Arceus had waited patiently for that single opening when Harold's guard slipped.
Kaelan's attention slowly shifted from Arceus to the strange weapon in his hand.
From where he had been standing, he had only heard the deafening report and assumed it was some kind of black-powder device. Now, seeing it up close, his curiosity deepened.
The weapon bore no spirit inscriptions, no Ether channels, no formation arrays.
Yet a single shot had instantly disabled a fourth-star mage.
"What exactly did you shoot him with?" Kaelan asked.
"Bullets," Arceus replied casually.
"Bullets?" Kaelan repeated, brows knitting together.
Sienna stepped aside, giving him a clearer view.
The pistol's sleek, metallic construction looked utterly foreign compared to every crossbow, cannon, or artifact forged in the empire.
Lucian stepped closer as well. "What an unusual word… 'bullet.'"
Arceus chuckled softly and shook his head.
"No," he corrected, lightly tapping the weapon. "This is called a pistol." He held up a single brass cartridge between two fingers. "The projectile it fires is called a bullet."
Another silence settled over the ancient ruins. The unfamiliar names lingered strangely in the air.
After a moment, Prince Kaelan spoke again. "Where did you obtain such a weapon?"
Arceus didn't hesitate. "From a shop in the Imperial City."
"A shop?" Sienna echoed, surprised.
Arceus nodded. "It's called Nexus Weapon Store."
"And the owner?"
A faint, almost fond smile appeared on Arceus's face. "A young woman named Kiara."
Prince Kaelan quietly repeated the name to himself.
"Kiara of Nexus, huh?"
*
Meanwhile, back at the Imperial City…
Nexus Weapon Store
Kiara rested her chin on the polished wooden counter, staring at the open doorway as if sheer willpower could summon customers inside. Late afternoon light spilled across the floor in a thin golden ribbon, catching lazy dust motes drifting through the still air.
"One entire week," she muttered, voice heavy with frustration. "Two pistol sales besides bullets. At this rate, I'll be old and gray before I finish the main quest."
She let out a slow breath.
"At least that wealthy young master's obsession with bullets helped push me over the line," she added quietly, thinking of Arceus Silver and his unusually frequent visits. Without that steady stream of gold, even the side quests would have dragged like wounded animals.
She leaned back, eyes drifting toward the ceiling.
"Designing a hypersonic missile in my previous life felt less exhausting than trying to convince nobles to buy a simple firearm," she grumbled. "Revenge feels further away with every quiet day."
Right then, the door creaked open.
A short, round middle-aged man stepped inside. His beard was thick and neatly combed, and his cotton clothes were clean but practical. His eyes moved quickly, scanning shelves, corners, and counters with the sharp assessment of someone who had spent years in the trade.
"Big Sister," Zion announced evenly. "A customer."
Kiara didn't lift her head right away.
"Handle it," she replied lazily, cheek still pressed against the cool wood.
In the first few days after opening, she had greeted every visitor with polished enthusiasm. That energy had slowly been worn down by accusations of fraud and endless skepticism. These days, only Arceus Silver could pull a genuine smile out of her.
Zion stepped forward. "Welcome to Nexus Weapon Store. What are you seeking, esteemed customer?"
The man's eyes brightened. "My friend recommended this place," he said in a lively tone. "I've come for the pistols. That's what they're called, right?"
Kiara's head lifted instantly.
"Friend?"
Her mind raced. Arceus didn't seem the type to mingle much with common merchants. Maybe one of the novice adventurers who had bought from her earlier?
The man gave a slight bow. "My name is Harrison. I'm a merchant from Western Phoenix."
Kiara sat up straighter, her attention sharpening at once.
"A merchant."
That single word carried far more promise than ten idle nobles.
Harrison clasped his hands behind his back as he spoke. "I traveled here by caravan to trade goods in the Imperial City. On the outskirts, we were ambushed by bandits. Luckily, two passing youths stepped in and used a weapon unlike anything I've seen in twenty years of traveling this empire."
He walked over to the display shelves, eyes lingering on the polished pistols with clear admiration.
"I've visited cities from the southern coasts to the northern borders," he continued thoughtfully, "yet I've never seen such a compact ranged weapon."
He turned toward Kiara. "I was told they cost five gold coins each. If I purchase in bulk, would you consider a discount? Say… twelve pistols for fifty gold coins."
Kiara blinked.
"Discount?" Now that was a proper merchant. Instead of haggling over quality, he went straight for volume.
Before she could answer, the system chimed in her mind.
[The system does not allow bargaining. If the host agrees below the set price, the difference will be treated as a gift. The host receives no share from the gifted portion.]
She frowned slightly.
Part of her hated the idea of taking a loss for a stranger. Another part quickly ran the numbers.
Bulk sales meant faster quest progress. Faster progress meant stronger weapons sooner.
Harrison waited patiently, reading the hesitation on her face.
After a measured pause, Kiara's lips curved into a polite smile.
"Mr. Harrison, I cannot reduce the price of the pistols directly. However, if you purchase bullets in bulk as well, I can accommodate your proposal."
"Bullets?" Harrison echoed, surprised.
Kiara retrieved a 9mm round from beneath the counter and held it up.
"As a bow requires arrows, a pistol requires bullets. Each one costs twenty silver coins and can only be used once. These projectiles can kill ordinary people and one-star warriors, and they can seriously injure two-star practitioners who aren't on the fighter path."
Harrison's eyes gleamed—not just with fascination, but with clear calculation.
"If this weapon exists only here," he thought, "then these bullets must originate here too. That creates opportunity."
He turned back to Kiara. "How about two hundred and fifty bullets and twelve pistols for one hundred gold coins? A fair compromise."
Kiara ran the numbers silently in her head.
Forty bullets would essentially be given away—roughly ten gold coins of loss. But this time, she wouldn't actually lose money out of pocket. It was still worth it. At the very least, the mission would move forward.
She nodded. "Deal."
"Zion," she instructed calmly, "bring twelve pistols."
"Alright."
Zion retrieved the weapons while Kiara packed the bullets—two full boxes of one hundred each, plus fifty more in a smaller container.
Notifications rang rapidly in her mind as she accepted the one hundred gold coins.
[Twelve pistols sold.]
[Two hundred and fifty bullets sold.]
[Side Quest 1 completed.]
[Side Quest 2 completed.]
While Zion helped load the heavy wooden cases onto Harrison's waiting cart, Kiara opened the quest panel.
[Main Quest: Sell 100 Single-Shot Pistols]
Progress: 15%
*
[Side Quest 1: Earn 100 gold coins from weapon sales]
Completed.
[System Store] (Click to receive)
*
[Side Quest 2: Sell 10 Single-Shot Pistols]
Completed.
[Revolver] (Click to receive)
*
The rewards pulsed faintly, almost eagerly.
As she clicked on them, notifications chimed one after another.
*Ding!*
[You have unlocked the System Store.]
*