Translator: AnubisTL
After Chen Jiang and Scar Dog scanned their surroundings and confirmed there were no survivors, they left the cave, retracted the Steel Sword Autonomous Turret guarding the entrance, and prepared to depart.
But just then—
A sudden commotion erupted nearby, accompanied by occasional beams of light from flashlights piercing the sky.
Clearly, the disturbance had attracted numerous human players from the abandoned mine to investigate.
"Let's go," Chen Jiang said, his brow furrowing slightly. Unwilling to engage with the newcomers, he quickly retreated.
Their return journey was noticeably faster.
However, the night's weather felt strangely off.
The air was unusually cool.
While they were well aware of the extreme temperature fluctuations between day and night in this wasteland, they had never experienced such a chill before.
Chen Jiang gazed into the depths of the wilderness, his brow furrowed. Without a word, he turned and slipped into the wasteland.
Inside the wasteland:
"Whew!"
Scar Dog exhaled deeply before collapsing onto the ground, wiping sweat from his forehead. His voice hesitant, he asked, "Brother Jiang, do you think we've been exposed? Did the arena master see through our identities?"
"I can't be sure," Chen Jiang replied, shaking his head. He casually retrieved a tattered cloth and began wiping bloodstains from his gun. "It's unlikely these guys would betray us. After all, their first instinct was to approach us."
"But it's uncertain whether the arena master will suspect anything."
"Judging by his tone, he doesn't have a good relationship with the Cold Wolf Gang. He probably won't contact their gang leader."
"This is such a pain."
Scar Dog leaned against a shipping container, visibly agitated. "If they'd just cooperate with the deal, everything would be fine. But if they try any tricks, even if it means risking being hunted by every enforcer in City 18, we'll deal with the arena master first and seize all those semi-scrapped items."
"After all, I have the energy block you gave me, Brother Jiang. With my innate ability, escaping capture shouldn't be a problem."
"Let's inventory these dropped items and then get some sleep."
Chen Jiang shook his head. "We need a window for enhancement. If we can stall for just a day or two, the arena master won't have any reason to live."
Soon, the two had sorted through the items.
There were seventeen firearms of various types: submachine guns, rifles, and pistols.
Among these weapons, some used energy cartridges while others used solid ammunition magazines.
Of course, for them, the only purpose of these firearms was to serve as enhancement materials.
After all, with their own weapons boasting a caliber of three thousand meters, any mechanical race or three-legged race would be annihilated with a single shot.
In addition to these standard weapons, they also discovered some peculiar items.
"Here," Scar Dog said grimly, handing Chen Jiang a handcannon. "This is the handcannon that cracked my skull."
[Item Name]: Starlight Handcannon
[Item Tier]: One-Star Item
[Item Effects]:
Caliber: 3.2cm. Ammunition Capacity: 3 rounds. Firing Rate: 1 round per second. Effective Range: 30 meters. Zero recoil. Uses energy cartridges. Automatically replenishes ammunition 24 hours after depletion.
[Special Effects]:
Slightly increases the user's movement speed while holding the handcannon. When the muzzle is pointed at the ground, it enters continuous charging mode. The longer the charging time, the more powerful the light bullet fired upon subsequent shots.
The exact power increases with charging time, with no upper limit.
If the muzzle is not pointed at the ground during charging, the process is interrupted, not canceled.
[Item Description]: A gun designed for escape. Combining high firepower with enhanced mobility, it allows you to outrun your enemies like a swift-footed bird!
[Modifiable Attributes]: Caliber, Ammunition Capacity, Firing Rate, Barrel Length.
This handcannon was even more compact than the one Chen Jiang usually carried. It resembled the ornate pistols favored by nobles in the last century, designed to flaunt their status.
The entire weapon gleamed with a starlight-infused silver.
The grip was adorned with a constellation of seven stars, crafted from an unknown metal, while the trigger appeared to be made of gold, giving the handcannon the air of an exquisite work of art rather than a deadly weapon.
Chen Jiang examined the overly refined weapon from top to bottom, shaking his head. "This thing looks more like a museum piece than a battlefield weapon. It doesn't belong here."
"Brother Jiang, should we fuse it?"
"It's our first firearm with a special effect. Using it as enhancement material seems like a waste, especially since its special effect looks pretty powerful."
"If you never fire it, it's definitely powerful."
Chen Jiang shrugged and opened the handcannon's enhancement panel.
[Available Enhancements: Caliber, Ammunition Capacity, Rate of Fire, Barrel Length]
[Each +1 enhancement requires 2 one-star items.]
After a moment's thought, he opened the enhancement panel for barrel length.
[Ding! Consumed 2 one-star items.]
[Enhanced the barrel length of the one-star item Starlight Handcannon to +1.]
[Barrel length increased from 20cm to 40cm.]
[Ding! Consuming three one-star items.]
[Enhancing the barrel length of the one-star item, the starlight handcannon, to +2.]
[Barrel length increased from the original 40cm to 60cm.]
[Ding! Consuming four one-star items.]
[Enhancing the barrel length of the one-star item, the starlight handcannon, to +3.]
[Barrel length increased from the original 60cm to 80cm.]
In total, he consumed nine one-star items to enhance the barrel length of the starlight handcannon in his hand to +3.
After this series of upgrades, the handcannon had undergone a dramatic transformation. It had become a long gun with an 80cm barrel and a total length of 91cm.
Chen Jiang stood up and leaned on the starlight handcannon like a walking stick, resting his weight on it.
He examined it with a satisfied expression, finding the length just right.
He tentatively took a few steps inside the shipping container.
He found that his steps felt noticeably lighter, as if a strong wind were pushing him forward from behind.
Moreover, with the starlight handcannon's muzzle pointed downward, a semi-transparent virtual screen popped up before him.
[Ding! Your one-star item, the starlight handcannon, is charging!]
[After each use, the charging mode will enter a one-week cooldown period.]
[Energy accumulation time: 00:00:01]
"Tsk, it's actually quite handsome."
Scar Dog took a few steps back, gazing at Brother Jiang and couldn't help but chuckle. "Brother Jiang, I have to say, this silver-white cane perfectly suits your image. You look like a true aristocrat."
"Especially when paired with that blood- and dust-stained white shirt and suit pants."
"And that slightly disheveled hair and collar."
"You look like a noble who has just emerged alone from the wasteland's hail of bullets, covered in blood, yet still maintaining an air of elegance."
"Your hands are stained with blood, yet you retain your grace."
"All of this, combined with your slightly weary expression, the faint stubble, and that mature face..."
"In one word: Expensive!"
(End of the Chapter)
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