"The Abyssal Howlers. Quite the badass name, don't you agree?" MadWhite said with a chuckle as he slowly removed his gloves from his hands and slipped them back into the bag.
"Fine by me. But, I don't know what to say. These don't look cheap?" Ryuk said as he looked at the gun in his hands, hesitating.
Just from holding these guns, Ryuk could feel much more strength in them than even when he was holding his Nano-Reaper scythe.
These pistols are no doubt the highest-grade weapons he had ever touched in his life, and MadWhite just casually gave them to him!?
"Neither are you, Ryuk," MadWhite said, this time with a serious expression that prompted Ryuk to focus on him.
"I sent you to that death hole, Ryuk."
"And for us humans, power doesn't come cheap due to our lack of potential. Whatever little strength we get, we get it through horrific pain."
"For you to come back from that hellhole, possessing the strength of a Cataclysm stage when you were previously at the Plane of Ascension before you left… I can't possibly imagine the hellish pain you must have gone through."
"And even through all that, you didn't despise me at all for the pain. You simply saw it as your responsibility, not bearing even a grudge."
"And right after, I asked you to save the 7,000 human soldiers, and you did it—instantly, heading to the location without any questioning at all."
"I had thought it would end there, but then you tracked down the location where I was caged and brought me out."
"Mind you, you could have accepted Nathasha's offers and left me, saving your own neck from the wrath of the Titan family. But you stuck by me without even the tiniest of doubts."
"You learned that two years had already passed, essentially ruining your academy life, and still kept your cool right after."
"And now, you're offering to go on another mission with me, without even asking what you would get in return."
"Everything you've done, Ryuk, you never really look or ask for rewards. You saved those 7,000 humans, brought me out of jail, and didn't even ask for pay."
MadWhite paused, then looked Ryuk directly in the eye.
"Tell me, Ryuk. If there were a robot that listens and never questions, that fulfills missions without failing, that does everything without expecting any form of reward or pay—would that robot come cheap?"
Ryuk furrowed his eyebrows. The answer was a clear "No." In fact, such a robot would be too valuable—priceless.
"So in the end, I can only make you what I do best. And that is crafting my literal best creation."
"The Abyssal Howlers' material—you can't get them even if you pay for them. They are the type of treasures you get and store as a family heirloom."
"Every single metal, every single carving and line, even the trigger materials, are family heirlooms that can't be bought."
"So when everything came together to form the Abyssal Howlers, it became a weapon with no price."
MadWhite exhaled before finishing his statement.
"I believe that's the only way to repay someone who does everything without asking for a price."
"A weapon with no price… for one that does without a price. Now, that's interesting…" Ryuk mused to himself before he held the weapon tightly in his palms.
"I'll accept it, MadWhite."
"Good. There are a couple of naturally ingrained abilities in the gun, and you just need to input Mana to activate them."
"But I can't really tell what exactly since I haven't laid my hands on the weapon. I have no idea how many abilities are on there, so you'll have to discover them yourself.
"That should enhance your familiarity."
MadWhite said, and Ryuk nodded his head.
According to what he knew about guns, they usually needed bullets, but MadWhite's pistols didn't seem to require any.
The only explanation was that they used Mana.
Although, having ingrained abilities wasn't something he was expecting.
Still, it would only be a matter of time before he figured everything out.
[Host can place the weapon in the Shop Store, and I'll do a scan. I will then generate a new panel listing all its skills and abilities.]
The system's suggestion was great, and in the next instant, the weapon disappeared into thin air, causing MadWhite's eyes to widen in shock.
"What the!? What just happened to them?" He asked, and Ryuk raised an eyebrow.
"I stored them away."
"That's impossible. My creations are too high-grade and can't be stored away in Spatial Rings. It would collapse the space inside them. That's why I keep them in my suit pockets."
"Let's just say I got a higher-grade spatial ring in that 'death hole.'" Ryuk stated as MadWhite chuckled.
"I won't call you lucky. Okay then, here's the plan."
MadWhite said as he sat down, and Ryuk sat opposite him with a serious expression on his face.
MadWhite's Apex watch flashed a light, and a holographic image soon appeared in the air—one of a gigantic building with an end that pierced into the clouds.
"This is the Ultra Assembly Base. It is where the meetings that decide the entire fate of Endearth are undertaken."
MadWhite began his explanation as Ryuk listened attentively.
"There are 20 levels, and the higher the levels, the greater the importance of the meeting. This particular meeting will be taking place on Floor 12, which is exactly here."
MadWhite said, pointing to a particular floor that seemed to be around the middle of the entire building.
"Hmm…"
"According to reports, there will be a total of ten individuals participating in this meeting—each one a representative of the top ten families."
"These representatives will be around the Peak of the Dominion Stage or the Perfection Stage. The chances of a Cataclysm Stage expert appearing for a Floor 12 meeting are very low… I won't say impossible, though.
"And every one of them will come with at most two bodyguards each, who will undoubtedly be stronger than them."
"Most likely, those bodyguards will be at the Cataclysm Stage!"
MadWhite's expression was calm as he completed.
"So, 10 families mean 10 representatives. Each of them coming with two guards at the Cataclysm Stage.
That means we'll be facing a total of 20 Cataclysm Stage experts… excluding the representatives themselves!?"