Early the next morning

As I was getting ready for the expedition, I received a message from James telling me that he was waiting for me outside my house.

After making sure everything was in order for the launch of my game, including checking my online presence and social networks, I headed downstairs.

James had mentioned that the expedition would last three days, mainly to explore an unfamiliar area and to get some training.

When I stepped outside, I found James sitting on a bench, focused on his phone.

"Hi James, how's it going?"

"Ah, quiet. You're up early, that's good. We're in a bit of a hurry; we’ve got an hour to get to the bank to make you a card and then buy you some guns."

"I'm with you—you must know better than me," I said as he nodded.

The drive to the bank was quick. We arrived just as it opened, and thanks to my fingerprints (luckily), I was able to prove that I was the account holder. In less than ten minutes, I had my card in hand.

Next, we went to a gun shop. James had used the money I’d given him to buy me an outfit that suited our body types.

I had asked him to choose my gun, but he insisted that I pick it out myself.

After a ten-minute walk, we arrived at a basic gun store with a simple sword and shield logo on the front.

As we entered, the owner stepped out from behind the counter, parting a curtain.

"Hi James, how’s your crew?" asked a tall, muscular, balding man wearing a blacksmith’s apron.

"Still going strong, Gueulfor!" James replied. "I’m taking Arthur with me; he’s never fought before, so we’re going on an expedition to get some experience, and he needs a weapon. Can you help us?"

"Of course," he said, turning his gaze to me, looking me up and down, assessing me. "Average build, agile, strength concentrated in the back and forearms..." he muttered to himself.

"Come with me, Arthur. I’ll see what I have for you. Perhaps a rapier, or if you’re unsure, a bow. But since you already have an archer, the rapier would be more appropriate. What do you think?" he asked.

After some thought, I made up my mind and said, "Your reasoning makes sense, but I’ve never handled a rapier before, so would it be possible to have a gun as well?"

"Of course," he replied, laughing. "I see you don’t have any rapier equipment. I’ll provide you with one. To start with, I’d recommend a steel one. Later on, a titanium one would be ideal—lighter and easier to maintain."

"Since I’ll be using the rapier more for training than for actual combat, let’s go with a simple steel one for now, and I’ll upgrade to titanium later. Do you have a handgun that can still do some damage?" I asked.

"For the rapier, you’re right, but the gun won’t be very effective against the Murmurs; it’ll only be able to deal with mutated animals at best..."

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"We’re going on an expedition to a not-so-remote area, so it should be fine for the Murmurs," James said, as Gueulfor nodded in agreement.

"I was mainly counting on using the gun to alert the others," I added.

"It doesn’t make as much noise as the old ones, but they should be able to hear it. I’ll take it to the counter and give you the price."

I had expected this visit to the gun shop to be stressful, but everything went very smoothly thanks to Gueulfor, who was both personable and competent.

After doing the math, Gueulfor pulled out a calculator and said, "So, for the steel rapier, that’ll be 90 credits, and for the gun with 5 magazines, 315 credits. I’ll do it all for 400 credits. How does that sound?"

I looked at James, who nodded reassuringly.

I took out my new card and paid at a rather futuristic electronic payment terminal powered by monster cores—no keyboard, just a scanner for my card.

After saying goodbye to Gueulfor, we headed to Emilia’s residence. On the way, James explained the basics of rapiers and gave me the names of specialized channels.

I felt a bit lost. With the rapier at my hip and my pistol, which resembled a modified Glock 19, I was struck by how futuristic it looked, with its dark orange magazine and some openings in the barrel of the same color, showing that the bullets weren’t like any I’d seen before.

While I examined the pistol outside its holster, we arrived at Emilia’s residence, where she was already waiting for us. She approached us to greet us.

After exchanging greetings, she focused her gaze on my pistol and the rapier at my hip and asked, "So, you’ve agreed to the expedition? It’s rare for a newcomer to take the plunge right away," she said, eyeing my equipment.

"Yes, it seemed interesting to get out of the compound, see what’s out there, and learn how to fight. Why, doesn’t anyone want to go outside?"

"Well, people born in cities without real contact with the outside world aren’t too keen on the idea of fighting... That’s why I was so surprised when James told me you accepted."

"Oh, right, but since humanity wants to reclaim these lost territories, isn’t that a bit contradictory?"

"It is true. In the upper echelons of society, it’s becoming a concern. They’re preparing to implement mandatory military service for 18-year-olds and offering better rewards for expeditions, conquests, and hunting," she explained.

"You seem to know a lot about this, Emilia," I said, before James added:

"Her family is part of high society, so it’s to be expected."

"Ah, I see," I replied, understanding better.

We arrived at the East Gate earlier than planned and sat down with James and Emilia at a terrace bar, where James explained what expeditions were all about.

"Expeditions are our daily business," James said. "It’s all about resources."

"Okay, but what exactly are we harvesting?"

"We look for materials, medicinal herbs, food, even relics or ancient technology. There shouldn’t be much risk since the Association has already scouted the area, so if we search thoroughly, we might find something. Even though nature has reclaimed many things, there are hidden treasures everywhere, especially in the city."

James paused to take a drink, then continued, "There are different types of expeditions. Some are simply reconnaissance missions to map unexplored areas or check for dangers, but where we’re going today is not a high-risk area and has been explored for some time," he explained.

He continued, "To train well, you need real combat experience. Theory is good, but practice is worth ten times more," he added.

I took a moment to absorb all the information and said, "You’re right, I still trust you, even if it’s a bit risky."

"I’m glad to hear you say that! It may be a little risky, but it’s also very important. Without these expeditions, we wouldn’t have access to so many essential resources, and we wouldn’t be able to maintain our standard of living. We form teams with a variety of skills: fighters for protection, botanists to identify useful plants, engineers to evaluate ancient structures or technologies, and so on."

Enthralled by the idea, I still said to him, "It pains me to be a bit of a burden on your expeditions..."

James smiled, "Well, to start, you’ll learn to defend yourself and use your weapons. But who knows? Your game developer mindset could be invaluable for strategy and planning. And maybe, just maybe, you’ll discover hidden talents within yourself."

He finished by raising his glass. "Welcome to our world, Arthur. Expeditions are part of our way of life, and in time, you’ll learn to enjoy them as much as we do."