"Thinking about the size of the hole created by that gun, I would have a greater likelihood of fighting the Modified Humans, in addition to the Unexpected Creatures." Claire reached out and grabbed the gun that Darlina had used to demonstrate for Claire.
"Excellent selection," Darlina cheered Claire on.
Not paying attention to the robot, Clarie's eyes scanned the remaining weapon to determine her second weapon. "Though this gun is powerful, from my understanding, it's something that's used for short-range combat. For me to survive, I need to be able to handle both short and long-range conflicts." Claire thought to herself.
Walking over to where the long-range weapons were sitting, Claire looked at each of them. Checking out the bow and crossbow, Claire noticed her second choice. Taking the gun, Claire held both her selections in each of her hands.
"That's a smart combination," Darlina nodded. "The gun can handle short-range targets, while the rifle is useful against long-range ones." Darlina waved a hand, and the weapons that Claire hadn't selected vanished. What replaced the rack of arms was a table that had holsters for each of her guns. "These will be useful for keeping your hands free when you're going through the simulator. Each of the straps has already been adjusted to fit your body." Darlina motioned with its hands for Claire to try them on.
Setting the handgun and rifle on the table, Claire first went over to where her armor was hanging. Since the holsters would go around her waist and torso, the leather armor would need to be worn first.
As she grabbed the armor, Claire was surprised by how primitive it looked while having some modern touches to it. Instead of having buttons or zippers, there were several metal clasps that clipped together. The design appeared as though it would be unlikely for it to release easily during a fight.
"Just wear the armor like you're putting on a jacket," Darlina explained. "It's designed to be flexible and not restrict your movement. The design also prevents the wearer from feeling constricted around the chest, seeing that you're still developing." The robot smiled.
Claire looked at the robot, unsure whether it was teasing her or not. She looked at her chest and sighed, seeing how they were beginning to get large enough that it was causing problems with her shoulders. Though she wasn't as big as Ivy and Ruby, she was still confident that he'd take notice.
Blushing, Claire tried not to think about Han and what he thought about her chest. She could feel her face brightening in embarrassment. Quickly grabbing the armor, she stuck her arms through the openings just like she'd have done with a jacket.
Surprised, Claire thought, "It really does feel like it wouldn't restrict my movement." As she began clipping the clasps together, just like the robot had mentioned, Claire didn't feel uncomfortable wearing the armor. She thought that the armor would be uncomfortable on her breasts, but instead, the armor seemed to mold itself to fit her cup size.
Twisting her body, she tested how the armor reacted to the movements and nodded her head in satisfaction at not feeling constrained by the material. Though it appeared to be one thing of leather, the armor was able to move in the right places.
After she had the armor on her torso, Claire made her way to the table where her weapons were waiting for her. Reaching the table, the first thing she did was grab the holster for the handgun first. Wrapping the belt around her body, she clasped the ends of the belt together. There was an audible click as it was secured around her waist.
This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.
Next, Claire grabbed the holster for the rifle. Based on how it looked, the rifle would be resting against her back. There was a strap that went across her chest, while another one that went over her right shoulder. Putting her head through the opening, she could feel the straps on her shoulders. Clipping the various clasps together, she felt as though it fit comfortably on her body. Though it was the first time she had put on such things, Claire felt as though it was appropriate with both the handgun and rifle holsters on her form.
Taking the handgun from the table, Claire took a moment to see how it fit into the holster. She felt the satisfying sense of it belonging to her waist. The weight didn't give a sense of making her off balance.
Next was the rifle. This time, the process took a little bit longer. After fumbling several times, she was able to slide the weapon into place. The barrel of the weapon pointing towards the ground while the butt of it was close to her shoulder.
Taking a moment, she quickly pulled out the handgun and aimed in front of her. Repeating the process, it eventually felt comfortable, so she moved onto the rifle. Once both weapons had a feeling of properly placed and ready to be used at a moment's notice, Claire turned to face Darlina with a determined expression.
--------------------
End of Part 1
"It appears that you're ready to proceed to the next part of this training simulation?" Darlina asked, nodding approvingly at Claire's attitude.
The tables and clothing rack vanished, and they were soon were the only ones in the middle of the grassy field.
"After an adventurer is properly equipped, the next step is dealing with the monsters in the simulation. As mentioned before, the monsters' strength ranges from easy to difficult. For those just starting off, the monsters are on the easy end of the spectrum. This is why it's important to properly manage your resources, such as the raw material and stones acquired, so that you can rent out higher-tiered simulation rooms." Snapping its fingers, Darlina made a monster the size of a lion appear in front of Claire.
Never having been in front of a ferocious animal without the benefits of the bars that contained the animals inside of zoos, Claire took several steps back in fear. Just seeing the animal made her heart begin beating rapidly.
Darlina looked at Clarie and noticed the anxiety and fear of being in front of a dangerous monster. "This creature is one of the easier animals to be found inside of the free area. There are easier ones, such as horned rabbits, but such animals rarely attack adventurers, and the stones they drop aren't worth much." Darlina explained to Claire. "A benefit to training in an environment as the one we're currently inside is not having to worry about dying."
Whipping her head to look at the robot, Claire stammered, "What do you mean?"
Darlina didn't appear to react to Claire's surprise. "This is information that can't be revealed. It can only be accepted. Due to adventurers likely not believing what we've said, the benefit of not dying isn't included in the introduction video and instead explained in this environment." She pointed at the monsters, "Since adventurers would likely be scared about the idea of death, this simulation allows adventurers to train their skills in a safe environment." Raising a finger to caution Claire, "This doesn't mean the process won't hurt. The pain is not dampened, so death will be just as painful if you were to experience it above ground."
Just trying to understand what was being told to her, Claire swallowed. A question couldn't even be formed in her mind as she struggled to grasp the idea of not being able to die, but still experiencing the pain.
"When you enter the simulation, you'll start off at a village, town, or city, depending on which tier you're training inside. The high tiered simulation is going to start off at a larger populated area. If you were to be killed, you'd be respawned from the beginning or designated areas." Darlina continued to explain the process. "This allows adventurers to gather better equipment and supplies, so they don't have to keep being killed. The only caveat is needing the Guild Points to purchase supplies inside or outside the simulation."
Directing Claire's attention to the monster, Darlina said, "Your first task is going to be fighting against this monster. Since this is a training environment, the pain experienced will be decreased to twenty-five percent."
"Why would you need to decrease the pain I can feel?" Claire started to feel a sense of dread building up inside of her, a part of her mind already figuring out what Darlina was hinting at.
Darlina looked apologetic, as though she didn't enjoy giving out the bad news. "It's because the likelihood of you killing this thing before it eats you is extremely unlikely."