I ejected my magazine before fumbling for about 2 seconds before managing to put the new one in. I needed some practice right there. It's fine right now, but later that can't happen. Either way, It's my last loaded one, I don't want to use any more ammo first off, and loading these things is kind of a pain. I've already used a full box of cartridges.
The recoil was a little rough. There were a few other issues too but it wasn't dysfunctional.
Apparently, just about every firearm was designed for those with a right hand, a simple example is where spent cartridges are ejected. On the right side, in a world where I was using both my arms to hold my handgun, I'd be dropping hot brass directly on my arm.
No fun right there, but that's also a problem I can't have, how lucky!
Either way, I'm dropping hot brass a little closer to my torso than I'd like.
And the info card wasn't lying, the thumb guard makes it quite uncomfortable. Can I just sand it off? Probably not. It'd fuck up other bits of the grip and might even make it even worse.
So I should just, uhh, I don't know, get a new one? I guess. Or can you just flip it and put it back on? How does this work? No idea! I'll figure it out later.
Either way, I considered taking a few more shots, but I decided I was done for the day. I ejected my magazine, emptied the chamber, and flicked the safety on.
Should, I take the casings? Nah I'll leave em.
I picked my bag off the ground and slung it over my shoulder. I placed all I had back in and took a look at the tree. I'd hit about half my shots, but it was also an immobile big ol tree, so maybe that was bad?
Grey sap dripped down its grey fleshlike trunk, it looked very similar to my limbs you see. The leaves were translucent and you could see all the bits.
The grass just looked like grass, nothing special there, supposedly grass used to be green.
This is what most of the world looked like now, endless stretches of grey grass dotted with grey trees.
Either way, I started heading back.
As I walked off towards the right I could hear clicking and sticks crunching in the dark. Perfectly reasonable, it's not like my activities were particularly quiet. But it was fine, that's what the orb was for.
Whilst plants born of the mists could last for about 18-20 hours outside before they started to die. The creatures within wouldn't last seconds.
Gnarled tree roots dotted my path, and patches of brambles off to the sides.
After a few minutes of walking, I'd reached my goal. This road led from Mudtooth, too, somewhere? I've never walked its cracked pavement before. Walking directly down the middle made me feel viscerally uncomfortable, and exposed. Mostly because I could see where the dome the orb created to ward away the mists ended. It was just a thick wall of grey, couldn't see more than 8 feet inside of the mists, or so, I'd heard.
But I was well aware that something was in front of me, If I could hear things to my sides, and behind me, there was definitely something there, it just seemed a fair bit quieter than its compatriots.
I was safe, but also surrounded on all sides. It was, an odd feeling. Either way, I just kept walking, it'd take an hour before I got back. But as I kept going I had an idea, a stupid idea.
I reached into my duffel bag and retrieved my handgun, Searched around for that full magazine, and slid it in. I dropped my bag and I set off to my right into the forest.
After about maybe 5 or 6 minutes I reached the wall about 50 feet away from the barrier. Whilst the beasts in the mist couldn't last longer than a few seconds, a few seconds was enough to get in a swipe and retreat if you were close enough.
I felt sick, this was dumb, really dumb, I got closer. I just wanted to see something, I just wanted to know if there really were things following me or if I was just making it up.
I just stared for maybe, 3 minutes? I don't know. I was looking for movement. But it was still, not a sign of life, but I could hear them.
Skittering, lumbering, maybe even a little slithering. Then I saw the faintest flash of movement, then it disappeared.
I turned around and started walking back towards the road, I fumbled through bushes and tripped over roots.
Arriving at the road, I scooped up my bag and turned the safety back off. Or I at least attempted to, was I shaking? Oh, I hadn't noticed that before. I tried to sigh, but it was like the noise was caught in my throat.
So I started walking, and I just kept walking.
I walked
I walked
I walked
Until the mists parted, and I was back in Mudtooth.
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It was almost dark out. So I started off towards the Orphanage.
You'd think that people would be around the perimeter of the mists, you'd be wrong. The lowest lv of the beasts in the mists is 43. The enemies in the dungeons at most were lv 17.
Enemies 5 lv's below you didn't grant xp. There was exactly 1 person in Mudtooth who could fight the fiends in the grey.
So just trust the orbs, watching them won't save you.
I reached into my bag and grabbed my orb.
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Deactive? Y/N
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I clicked yes.
The walk back wasn't special, I'd calmed down about halfway back. Unloaded my gun, I was mostly fine now.
More walking, and I walked in through the back door. Then deflated on my bed, it was almost dark when I got back.
I felt tired, really tired. But before I went to sleep, I loaded the empty mags.
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I woke up feeling sore, and somehow my hands still hurt.
To Load a mag I've developed a simple method, place it between my pointer and middle claws, I could hold it still, (Kind of), and load with my left. Bending this way entirely sucked though, it just kinda hurt, but it was fine, I couldn't think of a better method.
I retrieved my pocket watch from my end table and checked the time 5: 37 A.M.
The dungeons wouldn't refresh for another 6 hours, but they'd be preparing.
So I had some time. I cleaned my gun as best I could. Reading about it was way easier than actually doing it. But I most certainly got it done after a whole lot of sitting and staring at things. And I saw what the description meant, It certainly looked well maintained, except the springs seemed a fair bit worn, and I mean every spring, everything else looked quite good, I'm fairly certain I've been spited by that lovely store owner. Anyway, according to the manual, this could do all sorts of nasty stuff.
So I guess that was the first thing I was gonna do today.
My new favorite life activity must've been walking cause I've been doing a hell of a lot of it.
Either way, he probably wasn't open either. So I guess I just, sit here. And think.
There's a glaring issue in my class, that little bit in Boneworks, about how skeletal friends inherit my knowledge. Yeah, I know nothing about melee combat, or how to use a crossbow or anything like that, that's got renewable ammo.
I barely started learning handguns, My skeletons will be effectively useless in anything that isn't a gun, later I can overwhelm them with my bony boys by sheer numbers. But even then some actual know-how would be far better. Am I going to have to learn nearly everything under the sun too? It's sure starting to look that way and I don't know if I like it.
The simple solution is to build a firing squad and just use the bodies that drop as zombies for melee. But what if it's resistant to my guns? Mudtooth Quarry was not a good dungeon to have your little settlement based around for my needs. First point, nothing in there is humanoid, I can't use them. Second, stalkers are insects and I'm fairly certain I'd need a gun with more power to damage them. And of course the other monster there is the MudTeeth.
Golems don't really care about getting shot, so my options come down too. Absolutely nothing, this dungeon is not built for me. So I'm not too certain how I'm gonna get anything done but I'll find a way.
Either way, I guess I just chill for a bit.
So that's exactly what I did.
--------------------
It was 9: 58, so I grabbed some gold and began the journey back to Greenwood.
Bills were ancient cash, Gold was only really used for electronics, which very few people had an actual use for, and other than that it was used for jewelry before. People don't make jewelry nowadays, so this resource that they'd found very little use for became the new standard currency. It wasn't common, it had little use, it made for the perfect replacement.
Gold coins were back in play. They come in different sizes but they were all gold.
Most gold found in Dungeon resource zones, people would find was already being guarded by and being gathered by the overseers, who were in charge of Mudtooth's finances. They would make sure nobody touched the gold, because destabilizing the economy is "bad" or some other cowardly stuff like that.
Because melting gold into a circular shape was supposedly easy? I don't know anything about that so I can't really say. The only real problem is that gold is yknow, not particurly strong. But they have such an abundance of spare that it's fine.
Anyways I arrived back at the Greenwood office and walked in.
"Back already?"
"Weren't you expecting me?"
He smirked.
"Maybe."
"I need new springs, for my 63, but you already knew that didn't you?"
That smirk of his grew to a nice wide smile.
"Son I've no idea what your talking about."
"Yeah yeah yeah, Just get me what I need."
He got up and disappeared into the backroom.
"Fuckin dick."
He walked out holding some plastic bags.
"You want better better springs or just new ones?"
"Definition of 'better'."
"Oh, more force yknow?"
"When did you even have time to sabotage me? You took it right off the display and put it on the table."
"Oh, who knows, it's not like I did that of course."
I sighed.
"I'll take the better ones."
"Mhm."
I paid up, and left as soon as I was done.
So much for a free gun.
Once more I engaged in my favorite activity, walking.
Once I was home I immediately went to use inform on my 63.
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Name: FEG PA-63
Condition: Well-Maintained
Ammunition: 9x18 Makarov
Description
This is a semi-automatic blowback Handgun Manufactured by FEG, it's somewhat durable and rather reliable, it's even light, which made this handgun rather popular. This weapon was manufactured in 9x18 Makarov, .32 ACP, and .380 ACP and was often marketed as a Makarov. This particular model is chambered in 9x18 Makarov, Recommended to have the springs changed. Lefties should consider changing the grip out to one that doesn't possess a thumb shelf.
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Then I used it on the condition.
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Condition: Well-maintained
Description
For an item from before the descent, this item is of remarkable quality with only a few problems.
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Ah, maybe I should check these more often.