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"You know, using a gun isn't as hard as I thought it would be," I said, eyeing my newly obtained revolver as the ten of us walked down a wide street, neon signs flashing everywhere. I wasn't afraid to be out here in the open, since those guys we made enemies out of earlier couldn't come after us immediately. After all, they had to first treat the poor guy's injury - the one that I had shot.

"Yeah? Well, when I first picked up a gun, it took me quite a while to get the hang of it," Xiang Peng said. "I couldn't handle the recoil."

"Hm...well, the recoil on this thing isn't that bad," I mused, spinning the revolver around my finger. "There's only 5 bullets left in the chamber though. I got the weapon, but not the ammo."

"Oh, once you get a Mana Projectile Compactor, you won't have to worry about that," Xiang Peng replied.

"H-Hold on, a what?" Feng Mian asked.

"A MPC. Mana Projectile Compactor. Basically, it uses the mana inside your body, and converts it into bullets for a certain gun. Every gun has a MPC to go along with it," Xiang Peng explained. "Actually, this'll be a whole lot easier if we just went to a gunsmith...oh, matter of fact, there's one right up ahead."

"Hm? Gunsmith? Where?" Flaria asked, looking around.

"The massive sign, idiot," Obsidia snorted. She was looking for every opportunity to insult Flaria, it seemed.

Flaria glared at her, but didn't say anything in return since she was technically correct here. Indeed, there was a massive neon sign up ahead that read 'Guns & Guns'.

Gee, that's a creative name. I wonder what the shop sells? Couldn't be guns, of course.

We entered the shop. Despite it being past midnight, the place still appeared to be open. The lights were on, and a single man stood behind the counter at the back. He wore an eyepatch, and was smoking a cigar. With scars all over his face and arms, I assumed this man was not a weak person, but instead a battle-hardened soldier who has fought and survived countless fights. Around him lay many different types of guns, ranging from sniper rifles to pistols, all hanging on the walls on full display.

"Welcome," he said. His voice was deep and hoarse, but not unfriendly. "How can I help ya today?"

Xiang Peng walked up to the man confidently, and smiled. "This is our first time in The Fortress. We're hoping to learn the basics of gun usage and just in general, some information on this place."

"Heh. Well, for starters...nothin' comes fer free in The Fortress. Physical stuff, information - all of them will cost ya somethin' in return," the man said with a chuckle. "But...most people that come into this shop end up leavin' after seein' all the scars on my body. Why? Because they're scared of me. But you guys...didn't show any sign of fear. I appreciate yer bravery, so I'll tell ya everything ya need to know to survive in this place, free of charge."

"Much appreciated," I replied.

Honestly, looking at it from an objective perspective, indeed, this man looked pretty scary. Big and tall, scars all over his body, eyepatch - everything about him made him look like some thug king. But the ten of us here have seen uglier things - abominations far worse than any human could ever be. The monsters the Midnight Syndicate unleashed upon our home...they were far more terrifying than this man.

First off, the man pulled out a rifle from off the wall behind him. "The first thing ya gotta do...is get rid of all yer common sense."

"H-Huh?" the girls all blinked in surprise at this sudden statement, telling them to abandon their reason.

"Human morals, killin' people is wrong, all that...they don't apply here. This place is a trial of fire, where death is perfectly normal," the man explained. "If ya let yer old ways bind ya down...ya won't last a day in The Fortress. Everyone here came to this place prepared to abandon their old selves and turn into cold-blooded killers for the sake of strength. Well...that, and provin' themselves to reach the location of ultimate glory - Fragment."

"Fragment, huh..." I murmured to myself. That was the same as what Xiang Peng told us, who was currently nodding along as if this was all within her expectations.

"Now...next tip for survival...don't make any unnecessary enemies," the man continued. "Sometimes, trouble will come to ya, but don't go lookin' for it yerself. That's just stupid, not brave."

Well...too bad we already made an enemy. Hopefully, the upsides of doing so and saving that mysterious catgirl will outweigh the demerits of making some unknown party our enemy.

"That's about it, honestly. Every year, a tournament comes around for everyone within The Fortress. This was the opportunity to make it into Fragment. Only two hundred people can make it in every year, hence why everyone is killing one another out here. To eliminate possible competitors before they even have a chance to reach the stage."

"And this is exactly as the IMF has planned?" Yu An Yan asked.

The man nodded. "Of course. The International Magic Foundation...they ain't as good as ya think. They are a group of severe elitists, those bastards. Only the best of the best can receive proper education and resources - the rest have to work for their own. That's their policy. While I understand it, it just...bugs me. A lot."

"That's a completely reasonable policy, in my opinion," I said. "It's not like they are forcing people to come into The Fortress and compete. Everyone here chose this path. If they survive and make it through to Fragment, they will have earned that glory, education, and resources for themselves. And if they die trying, well...at least they'll die knowing it was their own decision that led them to where they are today, and have no one else to blame but themselves."

The man stared at me for a while, before chuckling. "Heh. You're an interestin' one, kid. Are ya an elitist as well?"

I shrugged. "I merely believe those who work the hardest should in return, receive the best. It's only fair." 

"What about those born prodigies?" the man continued asking. "The ones who were geniuses from the moment they opened their eyes for the first time. They easily breeze through their magic studies where others struggle. Without puttin' in a single ounce of effort, they still receive the best. How is that fair?"

"Hmph. Even if they are born prodigies, they will still fall one day or another if their foundation is not firm," Obsidia replied in my stead, leaning on the glass display case on the right of the room. "In the end, only the ones who worked the hardest will fare the best."

"Hm..boy, yer companions here are quite the interesting species as well, eh?" the man mused. "Well, whatever. I like yer theory. It's semi-elitist style, but for some reason...I feel it's different from the IMF's, who only value individual strength - hence this death trial. But yers...may just have some sense to it."

"Whether it has sense or not, I will continue abiding by it," I replied determinedly. "As for those arrogant geniuses born with insane talent...if they don't cross me, I'll leave them alone. But if they do...I'll show them their place like I've done to many others in the past."

"Oho...interesting. I can tell you ain't just tryna act tough, boy," the man remarked, clearly amused. "Those eyes of yers...they belong to a killer. How intriguing. But alas, sadly even if I asked about yer past, there's no way yer gonna just tell me. So I might as well just move on to explaining to you how guns work."

I nodded. "That would be great."

"Alright...so, first, lemme explain to ya what the concept of these guns are," the man said, stroking the rifle in his hands lovingly. "They are a mixture of science and magic...truly beautiful. Combining the laws of physics with the wonders of the arcane world. These weapons...are firearms that don't shoot metal bullets. Instead, they shoot magic."

"Magic...?" Qing Yue tilted her head, eyes dazzling from excitement.

"Yep, little girl," the man said with a laugh. "Ya see...the projectiles these guns shoot are created from yer own mana. Every gun has a Mana Projectile Compactor that goes along with it. The job of these MPCs are to create ammo for the weapon. It's always a good idea to create some reserves as well. But since ya only have so much mana before you need to stop and rest for it to regen, don't make too many extra rounds. Ya can't carry too many around, either."

"So...before using the gun on a mission or whatever, we should use this MPC to create ammo for it on the night before?" Feng Mian asked for confirmation.

"Mhm," the man confirmed with a nod. "Ya wouldn't want to be makin' new bullets in the middle of battle, now would ya?"

"I see...so these weapons essentially combine the pros of both science and magic. By taking the brute power of magic and placing it into a precise and accurate device like a gun, you can create a deadly weapon that has the best of both worlds," I concluded.

"That's about right," the man agreed. "Now then, my dear customers...it's time to see what kind of gun suits you."