Midday in the city of Elfier.
Bright sunlight streamed through the large windows of a luxurious apartment, illuminating the spacious living room. Cool air drifted inside. Along the walls, tall bookshelves were filled with thick books.
A man sat on a soft velvet sofa. His purple hair was messy. He wore all black clothing. His legs were crossed, resting on the table. In his hand, he held a leather bound book with a simple illustration.
The man was Fathir.
"This author..." Fathir hissed quietly. "How could he think of a plot this complicated..."
He turned a page. "Reading this makes me want to adventure again..."
Fathir looked at the book’s cover, searching for the author’s name. "Tree 05?" He chuckled. "What kind of name is that."
He returned his focus to reading. He read page after page. The story held his attention completely. Time felt like it was moving quickly. His desire to adventure again grew stronger.
"This is too interesting." Fathir narrowed his eyes, feeling suspicious. "Could it be... this was written from his own experience?"
He paused for a moment. "Heh, I’ll meet him later. He seems like an interesting person."
He then turned his head toward the kitchen.
"Lairas!" he shouted.
"Yes, dear? Just a moment, I’m cooking," a gentle female voice was Heard from the kitchen.
"Ah okay, finish what you’re doing first!" Fathir replied.
A moment later, the kitchen door opened.
"Yes, dear, what is it?"
Lairas walked in carrying a wooden tray. Her pale, light blue hair was down. Her bright blue eyes looked at Fathir gently. She wore a simple white dress.
Savory and sweet aromas immediately filled the room.
On the tray, there was a plate of roasted meat covered in a thick red chili sauce. Beside it were several pieces of warm bread filled with melted chocolate and honey.
"Let’s go on an adventure. I’m bored here," Fathir said. His eyes looked toward the food on the tray.
"Bored?" Lairas placed the tray on the table, next to Fathir’s feet. "The festival is starting soon. You don’t want to join?" She picked up a piece of bread and offered it to Fathir.
Fathir put his book down. He accepted the bread but didn’t eat it immediately. "Stop telling me to socialize. I hate crowds," he said. "I’m already bored here. I think adventuring will make me feel a bit more alive again."
Lairas sat beside him. Her voice sounded warm. "Where does my strongest and most handsome husband want to go?"
Fathir leaned on Lairas’s shoulder. "Maybe to the elves? The nature is beautiful there. Or to the western continent. They say no one has fully explored that place. Or maybe a level 70 dungeon? The nature there is nice, right?"
Fathir began to chew his bread.
Lairas gently stroked Fathir’s purple hair. "So suddenly, you want to adventure. Why is that, hmm?"
She looked at the book on the table. A faint smile appeared on her face. "Hmm, my husband is motivated by a novel, is that the story?"
"Yes," Fathir answered without hesitation. His eyes returned to the novel. "Reading it makes me want to feel adventure again. I’ve been lazy for too long."
"I see. Maybe I’ll read it later," Lairas said.
Lairas picked up a fork, speared a piece of meat, and held it to Fathir’s mouth. "So, when are we leaving?"
Fathir opened his mouth and accepted the bite. He chewed for a moment.
"This afternoon," he said after swallowing.
"This afternoon?" Lairas was slightly surprised, but her smile didn’t fade.
"Yes." Fathir nodded. He picked his book up again. "I want to finish this novel first."
---
Wednesday morning in the city of Elfier.
Fyar and Illya walked side by side. The morning air felt cool. Yesterday, Fyar had asked Illya on a date to clear his mind. Illya was supposed to be picked up in the afternoon, but she showed up early in the morning instead. Fyar ended up taking her to Robert’s place to pick up his pistol and custom bullets.
Fyar wore a black shirt and brown trousers. Illya, walking beside him, wore an expensive looking pink dress. The dress had lace at the collar and sleeves, paired with a full, elegant skirt.
They walked holding hands. Their footsteps echoed on the stone street. Finally, they stopped in front of Robert the blacksmith’s shop. From inside, the rhythmic ring of a hammer striking metal could be heard.
Fyar pushed open the heavy wooden door. Warm air immediately hit their skin. The strong smell of charcoal and hot metal filled the air.
Robert, the Dwarf, was sitting at his workbench. The table was covered with tools. He was meticulously examining an empty bullet casing. The forge in the corner of the room burned brightly.
"Oh, kid!" Robert grumbled without looking up. "You finally returned. I thought you dead. Hahaha."
What’s so funny?, Fyar muttered inwardly.
Robert pointed toward Fyar’s pistol, which was lying on the table. Beside it was a small pile of new, shiny bullets.
"How’s the progress?" Fyar asked, picking up his pistol. He felt its weight and checked the mechanism.
"Success!!," Robert said curtly. He picked up a small, dull yellow crystal about the size of a pebble. "This is the answer. Thunder Crystal. Only found in a level seven dungeon."
Robert tossed the crystal to Fyar. "This thing is very unstable. When struck with the right energy, in your case, the firing pin in your weapon, this thing explodes. Its explosive power is exactly the same as the gunpowder in those strange bullets of yours."
Illya, who had been observing the various swords on the wall, turned her head. "Thunder Crystal? Isn’t that very expensive and rare, Mister Robert?"
"Of course!" Robert snapped. "And very difficult to work with. I had to grind it into a very fine powder, then load it into your new casings. Complicated work, hahaha, but very challenging!"
Great. I have a second trump card after Neutralize now. Though, I have a feeling this guy is going to charge me more gold coins.
"Have you tested it?" Fyar asked.
Robert snorted. "Of course. In the basement." He pointed to a trapdoor on the floor. "Want to try it yourself?"
The three of them went down to the narrow basement. The walls of the room were made of stone. The smell of damp earth was distinct. A few lanterns illuminated the room with dim light. At the far end of the room, several thick wooden targets were mounted on the wall.
Fyar stood, taking his stance. He loaded one of Robert’s custom bullets into his pistol.
It’s been a long time .
He closed his eyes for a moment, channeling a small amount of Neutralize energy into his hand. The pistol in his grip felt different now. A faint purple energy pulsed slowly around it.
He raised the pistol, aimed, and pulled the trigger.
BLAM!
The report was a little sharper than usual. The bullet shot out and struck the wooden target.
KRAK BOOM!
The wooden target, as thick as an adult’s arm, exploded into pieces. The target was pierced and destroyed. The purple energy from Neutralize seemed to amplify the crystal’s explosive power, turning a simple bullet into a small explosive projectile.
Fyar stared at the destroyed remains of the target, then at the pistol in his hand. A wide grin slowly spread across his face.
Damn, this is incredible. This might be a very deadly weapon in this world now.
"How about it, kid?! Did it meet your expectations?!" Robert asked.
Fyar nodded. "This exceeds my expectations." He looked at Robert and bowed his head slightly. "Thank you. You don’t know how valuable this is."
Robert waved his hand, gesturing it was nothing. "Haha, no, no. I’m the one who should be thanking you for letting me borrow that strange weapon of yours and giving me a challenge to make something interesting!"
"That’s wonderful, Fyar," Illya said, also happy to see it.
After Fyar was satisfied with his test, they returned upstairs.
"I’ll take them all," Fyar said, looking at the bullets.
"That’ll be... another one hundred gold coins for fifty bullets," Robert said, crossing his arms.
Fyar placed a leather pouch on the table. "Here’s one hundred thirty nine coins."
Robert raised an eyebrow at the bonus. He then gripped Fyar’s hand. "You’re my favorite customer, kid! Haha, if you run out of bullets, don’t hesitate to come to me!"
Wait. There’s still one thing . Fyar looked at Robert suspiciously. "You’re not spreading this project around or trying to make a replica, are you?"
Robert laughed. "Hahaah, no, no. As promised, I’m keeping this secret and not trying to make a replica." Robert paused for a moment before continuing, "Although I really do want to make one."
Fyar nodded. "Good, good."
Fyar and Illya then left Robert’s shop.
"Alright, my business with Robert is finished," Fyar said, stretching his back. "We have the whole day free now."
"Yes," Illya replied softly. She took Fyar’s hand again. "I know an interesting place in this city. Where do you want to go first, Fyar?"
"I don’t really know any good places around here." Fyar turned to Illya. "Will you be my guide, Illya?"
"Of course," Illya answered. "Someone unfamiliar like you needs a guide so you don’t get lost. And you found the right person for it!"