Chapter 42: [STAGE 2] Opening Boxes (2)


    Three days following the wrap-up of Stage 2.


    The fortress town of Crossroads hummed with activity, yet a sense of mncholy pervaded the air.


    Throughout the town, funeral gs fluttered in the breeze.


    White banners were raised voluntarily by the townsfolk, waving from dwelling to dwelling, besides being hoisted on the town gates and administrative buildings.


    Charles Cross, the Margrave, had renounced his lordship, but he was a man who had governed this town for decades.


    Not everyone held him in high esteem, but there was no denying hismitment to the town.


    It was only natural that the atmosphere was somber considering such an iconic figure had died protecting the town. Morale had plummeted and showed no signs of quick recovery.


    Theres still a buffer period before the next stage.


    I nced at the system window.


    [STAGE 3]


    - Start in: 12 days


    Counting the past three days, the wait until the next stage totaled 15 days.


    This was a fairly generous timeframe.


    Luckily, the damage to the wall was less severe this time. In about five days, the repairs should beplete.


    The chief of the stonemason guild had pledged his life on ensuring the wlesspletion. His word was all I could rely on.


    With a wlessly repaired wall, we can anticipate a more effective battle next time.


    I gritted my teeth at the thought.


    But what if another unforeseenplication urs in the next stage?


    I reyed the image of the antagonistic NPC, the Pied Piper, from the previous stage.


    He had merely directed an attack on one section of the wall, but that nearly caused the entire stages downfall.


    I need to mitigate all potential variables. Unanticipated ones keep surfacing...


    A headache prompted me to rub my forehead, and I remembered ament Aider made.


    - Clear just one more stage, and youll understand why these things are happening...


    "..."


    I toyed with the leather ne around my neck.


    ording to Aider, its function would be revealed after Stage 3.


    - I hope you can handle it. Even after you uncover all the truths of this insane world, I sincerely hope you can continue to fight as you are now.


    Thats what Aider had told me.


    I furrowed my brow. The truths of this insane world?


    What else about this game was I still ignorant of?


    And how was I to uncover all of it?


    There were countless enigmas, but for now, I had to press on.


    Advance to the next stage.


    And then,


    Move on to the stage following that one.


    Step by step. One at a time.


    Im persistently navigating the path to the endgame.


    My role remained unaltered. Nothing...


    ***


    Arranging rest for my party members and soldiers.


    Repairing the battered walls. Mending the fences and palisades.


    Selling magic stones. Procuring people and resources. Managing finances...


    After the conclusion of the previous stage, I had been relentlessly upied for three days, yet one task still awaited attention.


    Three gray boxes and a single purple box were neatly stowed in my inventory.


    - N grade reward box: 3


    - SR grade reward box: 1


    These were the random loot boxes I had earned as rewards from thepletion of thest stage.


    An SR grade box this early in the game? Thats unexpected.


    In the bedroom of the lords mansion, at night.


    Perched on the bed, I inspected the purple box in my grasp.


    Why had this dropped already? Was itpensation for bypassing difficulty levels?


    Surely not from a game this challenging.


    The grade of a reward box promised the minimum grade of its contents.


    In other words, an SR grade box would certainly yield an item of SR grade or higher. This wasnt something youd anticipate in Stage 2.


    But, if its offered, Ill ept.


    No reason to turn it down. Thoroughly examine it, put it to good use.


    I opened the N grade boxes first, all three simultaneously!


    "Did I hit the jackpot?!"


    As if to scorn my outcry, all three boxes emitted a gray light.


    They contained only N grade items...


    "I wasnt even hoping for anything, damn it."


    I muttered as I surveyed the contents of the boxes.


    [Rewards]


    - Status Abnormality Recovery Potion


    - Status Abnormality Recovery Potion


    - Standard low-grade Magic Core(N)


    Two status abnormality recovery potions and one N grade magic core.


    All useful, but hardly thrilling. I threw the unremarkable rewards into my inventory, my lips twisted in dissatisfaction.


    Now for the main event!


    I held the SR grade box in my hand and swallowed hard. Please!


    "One more jackpot, please!"


    Last time, I got a lucky item akin toic relief, so this time, just one outrageously overpowered cheat item!


    I burst the box open.


    "Did I hit the jackpot?!"


    And the light that sprang from the box was... purple.


    "Damn."


    So, an SSR grade was off the table. But an SR grade was still not too shabby.


    I picked up the reward from the box. I could sense its significant weight and texture. Could it be a jackpot?!


    [Rewards]


    - <Magic Gun> Hunters Retribution(SR)


    "A real jackpot?!"


    From the box emerged a lengthy rifle. I quickly checked its features.


    [Hunters Retribution(SR) Lv.25]


    - Category: Magic Gun


    - Attack power: 50-75


    - Durability: 5/5


    - Magazine: 10/10


    - When attacking an enemys rear, armor pration increases by 10%.


    - When attacking an enemys rear, critical hit chance increases by 10%.


    "A Magic Gun here...?"


    I eximed, studying the rifle-shaped weapon in my hand.


    Magic Gun().


    A weapon akin to the guns on Earth, but operating on a different principle. It conjures magic bullets from the magic core slotted into the barrel and propels them out.


    Simply put, its a downsized magic cannon that can be wielded by one individual.


    Its range is shorter than a bow, but it boasts superior firepower and firing rate.


    At first sight, it might seem formidable. But in truth, this weapon was littered with drawbacks.


    To start with, its essentially shrunk cannon-like design made it absurdly challenging to maneuver.


    The aim was strenuous, the recoil overwhelming. It was a weapon that turned urate hitting into aborious task.


    For simr reasons, its reduced size made it unstable.


    Breakdowns were frequent, and should the magic core overheat, the equipment could be renderedpletely useless.


    However, the most critical issue was its ammunition capacity.


    The number of magic bullets a magic core could create was set.


    Once all the bullets were spent, there was no recourse during the several hours of generation cooldown time.


    This caused most yers to steer clear of it, making it a phased-out weapon type.


    With the widespread use of dependable bows and crossbows, there was no rationale to employ a faulty magic gun.


    I swear, they always hand me some crap items. Why do they do this?


    I groaned.


    Where to use this... hold on a second.


    Just as I contemted stripping it for parts, an idea struck my mind like a sh of lightning.


    What if Damien wields this?


    A magic gun inflicted the highest damage among personal firearms.


    For Damien, devoid of any attack skills, a magic gun could be a very appealing alternative.


    The primary downsides of a magic gun are threefold. Its hard to aim, itcks stability, and its ammunition is scarce.


    Out of these, aiming wouldnt be a concern. After all, Damien possessed [Far-Sight].


    If I could just manage the remaining two issues, it could notably enhance Damiensbat effectiveness...


    "...Okay!"


    After briefly closing my eyes in thought, I leaped from my chair.


    Exiting my room, I made my way towards the mansions entrance, hollering.


    "Lucas! Get the carriage ready! Were heading out!"


    ***


    Despite thete hour, I boarded the carriage Lucas prepared and darted into the city.


    I beelined for the cksmiths.


    "Your Highness, what brings you here?"


    The cksmith, tidying up his shop alone, weed me with a shocked expression.


    "What brings you at this hour..."


    "Im here because I have urgent matters."


    Without pausing to exin, I dashed into the cksmiths and set the item I carried onto the table.


    "Do you know what this is?"


    The recently procured SR grade magic gun, Hunters Retribution, it was.


    The cksmith, cautiously picking up the magic gun, admired it with a Ho-ho.


    "This is... a magic gun."


    "Youre well informed."


    "Indeed. Its a weapon type that was developed around 100 years ago and was studied butter discontinued. Its difficult to handle, unstable..."


    It seemed that this understanding was not only in the game but in reality as well.


    "So, its not practical?"


    "Haha, its pricey and inefficient. Youre better off using a cannon... It has some value as an antique, though."


    I drummed on the magic gun Idid on the table with my fingertips.


    "Anyway, judging by this, you could craft a new one?"


    "Huh? Well, indeed. It is a part of the Imperial Armys standard gear, after all, and its design is much like that of a magic cannon."


    The guild leader of the cksmiths quickly chimed in.


    "However, its closer to a relic than a personal weapon, so an alchemist is needed for its construction."


    "Ill discuss this with the alchemist workshop. Well coborate on its creation."


    "Understood. As long as you supply the magic cores that will be at the heart of the equipment, we can initiate production promptly..."


    Before the guild leader could finish his sentence, I emptied out the magic cores Id brought in my pouch onto the table.


    Five magic cores, clinking together, rolled out.


    One standard low-grade magic core (N).


    Three Ratman Champion magic cores (R).


    And, one ck Spider Queen magic core (SSR).


    These were all the magic cores I had gathered so far.


    "..."


    Looking at the magic cores with his mouth wide open, I gave a nod to the cksmith guilds leader.


    "Craft five of them."


    Are you short on materials?


    Is it unstable?


    Well, we can overwhelm it with sheer numbers.


    In the game, a character could only utilize one weapon, but this was the real world.


    No one wouldbel it as unfair and confiscate them for carrying multiple guns.


    Dont be confined by the games rules.


    The monster creeps didnt move ording to the games rules. I needed to think more flexibly too.


    Ill certainly beat it, this damned game.


    I bit my lip tightly.


    Ill achieve it, whether its the true ending or whatever...!


    ***


    On my journey back to the mansion after a night out.


    As I sat in the carriage, deep in thought, I was outlining the forting schedule in my mind.


    Then Lucas, positioned on the coachmans seat, tentatively struck up a conversation.


    "Your Highness."


    "Hmm?"


    "You must have thought this through, of course... but magic cores are extremely scarce and are a top-level strategic asset. Maybe it would have been wiser to save some, rather than using them all like this..."


    Indeed. Magic cores are costly.


    Theyre crucial for crafting high-tier equipment or artifacts. The automated defense turret I assembled a few days ago also runs on an R-grade magic core.


    And Ive used them all at once.


    More so, I n to equip one person with several pieces of high-grade gear being created. Its decidedly inefficient.


    But if that user is Damien, its a different matter.


    Damiens [Far-Sight], which identifies the enemys weakness as soon as its activated.


    If used correctly, its not wasteful to use several magic cores.


    "Thank you for the advice, Lucas. But we cant predict what will ur in the next defensive battle."


    I offered Lucas a wide smile.


    "We cant afford to save something like magic cores right now. Besides, we should be able to collect more cores soon."


    This was also a fact.


    Because in the second exploration area we were about to delve into, magic cores were assured drops. And there would be quite a few of them.


    Its not about recklessly using up everything. Rather than hoarding and saving, lets put them into cirction promptly.


    "Hmm. I admit, that might have been a bit rash, but its not an issue!"


    Lucas said nothing further and continued to guide the carriage. I appreciated his forthright advice.


    We hadnt traveled much further when the mansion came into view. Suddenly, fatigue washed over me. I yawned broadly.


    "Whew..."


    Today, I resolved, I wont aplish anything more. Ill just get plenty of sleep. With that thought, I turned my gaze towards the mansion.


    "Huh?"


    Something peculiar caught my eye.


    At the mansions entrance.


    A small girl was standing there.


    "Whats that?"


    The girl, her tinum hair glistening under the moonlight, held a strikingly green gaze.


    Thud!


    As soon as she spotted us, she began charging towards the carriage.


    "Lucas, what is that-"


    Before I could finish my startled query,


    The sprinting girl hurled something she was holding towards the carriage.


    It was an exceptionallyrgence.


    "What the fuck-?!"


    As I blurted out,


    Thwack-!


    In an instant, the thrownnce utterly demolished the carriage.