Image [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/852793029303468083/1151758910257119263/8a06f964-9832-40f9-b48c-4e7bc03c58e0.png?width=1080&height=622]Achievement Unlocked!
Touch a gun for the first time!
Rewards: +2 Dexterity
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Image [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/852793029303468083/1151805019625111622/f829aae2-f9dc-4e39-a545-cd7eec3928c9.png?width=915&height=823]A new sub-quest has been generated:
You have finally kickstarted your journey as a true Gunner! Pass the mock test.
Quest clear condition: Kill or subdue the beast.
Quest failure penalty: None
Quest completion reward: [Gunner Craftsmanship (Normal)]
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Luke's eyes widened momentarily as the notifications flashed before his eyes. But almost instantly, he masked his surprise, his face returning to its usual calm demeanor. He gripped the flintlock pistol and made his way to the entrance of the glass room, waiting for his other teammates to pick up their weapons and come. As he stood there, his mind raced.
Are these achievements and quests common to everyone? No one has mentioned them so far. He decided to keep silent about it for now. The last thing he wanted was to become a subject of curiosity or, worse, experimentation.
Curiosity piqued, he focused on the gun in his hand, willing its status screen to appear. To his astonishment, it worked.
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Image [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/852793029303468083/1151772504407420990/caaa9d23-29cb-4258-9710-13fcd7a19025.png?width=672&height=823]
Flintlock Pistol
Type: Firearm
Attack Power: 25-30 Base physical pierce damage (+bullet damage)
Scaling: Dexterity D+
Accuracy: 45%
Details: A single-shot, muzzle-loaded firearm. Requires manual reloading after each shot. In bad condition due to a lack of repairs.
Rarity: Common
Durability: 25/100
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Luke's eyebrows furrowed. The gun's durability was disappointingly low, and it was evident that it hadn't been maintained in ages. He approached Professor Vale, requesting permission to select another firearm. The professor's icy gaze met Luke's, and after a brief pause, he nodded, but not without a stern warning. "This is your first and last exception."
Luke quickly scanned the other guns, but his heart sank further. Each flintlock pistol he examined had similar stats—below-average damage, low durability, and clear signs of neglect. In stark contrast, the melee weapons around him gleamed with care, their edges sharp and their handles sturdy.
With a resigned sigh, Luke picked up the original pistol he had chosen and rejoined the group. By now, everyone had armed themselves. The guy who had been giving him disdainful looks, whom he now recognized as Trenton, held a longsword and shield. Trenton's eyes met Luke's, and he let out a mocking snicker. Luke couldn’t help but feel his guts cringing out at the situation.
Young master type B template 4. He thought as he ignored Trenton completely and looked towards the professor for instructions.
"Now, enter," Professor Vale commanded, his voice echoing across the training ground.
Luke took a deep breath, feeling the weight of the pistol in his hand and the palpitations in his heart. He stepped into the glass room.
The moment Luke and his team stepped into the glass room, a deafening howl echoed through the chamber, causing the very ground beneath them to tremble. The source of the noise was a massive creature at the far end of the room. It was a wolf, but not like any wolf they had ever seen. This beast was easily thrice the size of a regular wolf, its fur a deep shade of midnight blue, streaked with silver. Its eyes glowed a fierce, fiery orange, and even from a distance, the team could see the saliva dripping from its sharp, elongated fangs. Despite the visible wounds and gashes marring its body, the beast exuded an aura of raw, primal power.
Image [https://media.discordapp.net/attachments/1090176937688825956/1151778015739650048/zenferox_blue_and_silver_fur_threatening_wolf_ffc82f38-bbc0-42ed-af61-44c701dd2d5c.png?width=823&height=823]
Professor Vale's voice cut through the tension, "This is a Silvermane Wolf. A low-tier magic beast known for its agility and brutal strength of its jaw. Its hide is thick, making it resistant to most physical attacks. However, its forehead is its weak point. Aim your attacks there if you wish to subdue it."
The room was thick with tension. Every student's heart raced, their eyes locked onto the menacing form of the Silvermane Wolf. Luke's grip on his flintlock pistol tightened. He had watched previous groups from a distance, analyzing their strategies and the behaviors of the beasts they faced. But now, up close and personal with this monstrous creature, the fear was palpable. His heart pounded loudly in his ears, each beat echoing the dread he felt. His legs felt like they were encased in lead, refusing to obey his brain's commands to move.
"Three... Two... One... Go!" Professor Vale's voice rang out.
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As soon as the glass gate that stopped the Silvermane Wolf was pulled up, it wasted no time. With a powerful leap, it lunged toward the group, its growls resonating with murderous intent. Thud! Two of the students, paralyzed by fear, fell backward, their weapons clattering uselessly to the ground.
The beast ran straight towards Luke, lunging above him as it pounced on the students that had fallen on the ground behind him, sensing easy prey. One of its massive paws came crashing down on a student's chest, instantly drawing blood. The student's scream of pain was chilling, making shivers run down Luke’s back as cold sweat trickled down.
Luke's mind raced. The weight of the pistol in his hand was both a comfort and a curse. He knew he had to act, but the fear was overwhelming. The sight of the injured student, the smell of fresh blood, the guttural growls of the beastial Wolf – it was all too much.
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Tch!
The sharp sound of Trenton's tongue clicking echoed in the tense atmosphere, a stark contrast to the growls of the Silvermane Wolf. Even as his body quivered, a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in his mind. He had envisioned this moment differently, a stage where he would showcase his superior skills, honed by years of rigorous training in a prestigious knight family. But the reality was a stark contrast. The sheer aura of the Silvermane Wolf was enough to shatter any semblance of confidence he had mustered.
But pride and ego are stubborn entities. The memory of the orc's triumph flashed in his mind. If that brute could do it, why couldn't he? The very thought fueled a surge of determination. He was Trenton Ignis, the heir to the Ignis lineage. He couldn't falter here.
With newfound resolve, Trenton gripped his shield tighter and, in a swift motion, hurled his sword at the beast's exposed back. The blade whizzed through the air, its trajectory perfect. But when it made contact, there was no satisfying thud of metal piercing flesh. Instead, the blade merely rebounded off the wolf's thick hide, causing mere strands of its fur to flutter to the ground. The beast's head snapped around, its fiery eyes locking onto Trenton with a mix of surprise and fury.
"Damn it!" Trenton's voice was a mix of frustration and fear as his sword clattered to the ground, the recoil proving too much for his already shaky grip. The wolf's growl grew deeper, more menacing, as it lunged at Trenton, who could do nothing but raise his shield in a desperate attempt to protect himself, gripping it tightly with both of his hands.
The beast's paw came crashing down with a force that seemed to shake the very ground. Its claws dug deep grooves into the shield, and Trenton could feel the sheer power behind the blow, making his arms tremble from the impact. But the wolf wasn't done. With a snarl, it clamped its jaws onto the shield, yanking it away with such force that Trenton was sent sprawling, his back hitting the cold floor.
The room echoed with the eerie sound of the shield skidding across the floor, but it was soon overshadowed by another, more unfamiliar noise.
Tap, tack!
Trenton, now defenseless on the ground, turned his head slightly, his eyes widening in surprise. There stood Luke, his face pale but determined, holding the flintlock pistol. It was aimed squarely at the beast's head, though his hands trembled noticeably. The weight of the moment was palpable, with every heartbeat echoing like a loud drum in the silence.
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Luke's heart raced, the weight of the pistol in his hands feeling both reassuring and terrifying. What a mess, he thought, cursing his situation. The Silvermane Wolf's menacing presence was overwhelming, but he had no choice. Taking a deep breath, he steadied his trembling hands as best he could and pulled the trigger.
The room was filled with a deafening bang, echoing off the walls and momentarily drowning out the growls of the beast. Time seemed to slow as Luke watched the steel bullet fly, narrowly missing the wolf's head and drilling a hole through its left ear. Dark red blood spurted out, staining the pristine floor of the glass room.
I'm dead was the immediate thought that flashed through Luke's mind as he locked eyes with the now-enraged Silvermane Wolf. The beast's growls grew deeper, more threatening, its attention now solely on Luke. The injured Trenton, lying vulnerable on the ground, was forgotten as the wolf's bloodshot eyes bore into Luke with murderous intent.
A blue screen appeared in front of him, but in this situation, he immediately hid it from his vision.
Luke's instincts kicked in. He began to move, dodging and weaving, trying to put as much distance between himself and the rampaging beast. Each of the wolf's lunges was met with a swift sidestep or a desperate roll, the gap between them closing with every passing second.
"Trenton!" Luke shouted, his voice echoing in the chamber. "Get its attention! I need time to reload!"
But Trenton, still reeling from his earlier encounter, seemed paralyzed, his gaze fixed on the unfolding chaos. It was then that another voice pierced the tension.
"I'll distract it! Trenton, grab your shield!" The voice belonged to a blue-haired girl, previously frozen in fear. With newfound determination, she began chanting, her hands moving in intricate patterns. "By the flames of Eldoria, heed my call! Burn!"
A small, fiery orb materialized in her hand, its glow illuminating the room. With a swift motion, she hurled it at the Silvermane Wolf. The fireball struck the beast's flank, causing it to yelp in pain and surprise. Its attention immediately shifted from Luke to the blue-haired girl, its low intelligence evident as it charged at the new threat, completely disregarding its earlier prey.
The girl's eyes widened in fear, but she held her ground, readying another spell. Trenton, spurred into action by her bravery, scrambled to his feet, retrieving his discarded shield. He positioned himself between the wolf and the girl, ready to defend her.
Luke, meanwhile, was frantically trying to reload his pistol. The process was cumbersome, requiring him to pour gunpowder, pack it down, and then load the bullet. Every second felt like an eternity, especially with the raging beast just meters away.
The Silvermane Wolf, now focused on the blue-haired girl and Trenton, lunged again and again, its attacks relentless. Trenton, using his shield, managed to deflect most of the blows, but the force behind each attack was pushing him back, making it harder to maintain his stance.
The girl continued her incantations, sending more fiery projectiles at the beast, each one slowing it down but not enough to stop it completely. The situation was growing dire, and Luke knew he had to act fast.
With the pistol finally reloaded, he ran towards the beasts as he slid under his legs and belly, his head right under the threateningly large head of the wolf. Without hesitation, he aimed the pistol right between its neck and chin and pulled the trigger.
“ARRGGHHH!” Luke’s ear-piercing voice rang out as he looked at his bloodied and battered right hand, flesh missing from the bones and a broken pistol falling on his face along with his own blood.
Another blue screen sprung in front of him, but the unbearable pain that he felt immediately knocked him out, his consciousness fading away.
“Haah… this piece of shit… pistol…,” he didn’t forget to curse the pistol before his vision completely darkened.
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A loud silence flowed. The corpse of the mighty Silvermane wolf lay beside the unconscious body of its killer. Trenton and Roxy looked at the handsome yet bloodied face of Luke in silence.
“Healers!!” Professor Vale’s loud voice brought everyone out of their reverie, and a few people instantly rushed inside the glass room with a stretcher.
This day recorded the first-ever Gunner student of Berch Gyara. A student who took down a Silvermane Wolf with a gun.