Bob stepped out of the combat simulator to do some research.

“Information Network,” Bob spoke the command he had learned from the quest NPCs. A blank pane appeared before him, awaiting input. The first term he searched was pistol. This lead to him following a convoluted path through the so-called Weave of Interrelated Knowledge (WIK). He learned that a pistol was a small type of firearm, which was itself a style of ranged weapon that propelled hunks of metal at a distant target along ballistic trajectories through the use of chemical propellants contained within a barrel that focused the force in a single direction.

Twenty minutes later, while reading an article on the uses for nitrates in agricultural industries, Bob realized he had gone way off topic in his research.

Well, he may have strayed off his path of inquiry into the brush of useless trivia, but he felt he now had a good grasp on what those weapons in the combat simulator were. Guns. The particular weapon he had chosen was probably among the worst he could have gone for, being meant for very close range use against a heavy target.

Apparently, guns in their many forms were the primary weapon of choice in this world. They were especially flexible as one could prepare many different types of ammunition to use with each type of gun for different situations. There were even some rather exotic variants on the concept using different methods of propelling the projectile or using directed energy.

Bob stepped back into the combat simulator, and inspected a number of the weapons, before settling on something more reasonable and affordable.

9mm Pistol

9mm Pistols in their many variants are one of the most widely produced weapons in Ciro. The ammunition used is the second most widely available, and can be freely swapped between pistols, submachine guns, carbines and long rifles that are chambered to accept this round. It provides moderate penetrative and stopping power, though it will be of little us against a heavily armored target. This weapon contains a ten round magazine, allowing for a maximum load of eleven rounds before reloading.

He took the weapon over to a firing lane, aimed it with his right hand at the target and pulled the trigger.

*BANG*

His shot impacted high and to the right of the target. He squeezed off two more shots.

*BANG*BANG*

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Both shots hit in nearly the exact same place. Bob’s face creased in a frown. These weapons were more difficult than they appeared. He adjusted his aim and tried again.

*BANG*

Low and to the left. Annoyed, he threw the pistol at the target, and surprisingly managed to hit it.

<

“What the abyss was that?”

<^That was a notification. Currently, you have character notifications set to Verbose. Verbose character notifications means you will receive a notification for every change to your character status. You may change these options through the settings menu.^>

“Settings.” Bob browsed the settings, and saw a plethora of options for notifications and logs for a number of different subjects. He left character notifications as it was, and set combat and other notifications to Important Only. He felt like constantly getting notifications during a tense situation might be less than ideal.

Bob grabbed another 9mm pistol and tried again. Ten shots later and still not a single hit on target. He had no idea what he was doing wrong. He was emulating the way he’d seen humans us crossbows, after all; although these handguns did not require bracing a second hand under the frame. He had his elbow tucked into his side for stability, and pointed his arm in the direction of the target when he fired, so why could he not hit?

He gave up on the handguns and decided to try something larger. He selected a particularly sleek looking weapon.

5mm Gauss Rifle

The 5mm Gauss Rifle fires small ferrous projectiles at high speeds to ensure maximum penetrative power. Can be loaded with over-penetrator rounds or fragmenting rounds. Ammo packs act as a combined battery and magazine, with enough charge and projectiles for 45 shots.

This rifle was much heavier than the others, despite its sleek and compact size. Bob fiddled around with how to securely hold it before he realized it was meant to be held firmly against the shoulder of the hand on the trigger grip while being supported with the other hand underneath the barrel. This weapon was also equipped with a framed crystalline pane on the top, with a red dot projected in the center. He tested the weapon out.

*CRACK*

The noise was rather different than the pistols, sounding almost like a lightning bolt spell. He looked at the target and saw he missed by a few inches to the left. He adjusted his aim and tried again.

*CRACK*

This time he hit the left edge of the target.

<

Without thinking, Bob shifted the rifle a bit into a more comfortable position and adjusted his position, which allowed him to see how the red dot on the crystalline pane aligned with where he was trying to aim. Well, that’s convenient, he thought. This must be the Skill Assist System that was mentioned on the box. It subtly altered his movements to improve his form, so long as he had acquired the skill.

He fired a few more rounds, and was finally able to land a proper hit on the center of the target.

Satisfied that he’d learned how to use the rifle, he set it down and exited the combat simulator. After speaking with the last quest NPC one more time, he was granted another 50 credits for completing the tutorial, and sent on his way to the game in proper.