[OP: QJ] Any questions? If anyone needs to reach me, I'll be upstairs in the shop.
[OP: Ringo] Okay, you're on your own. If anyone needs my help, I'm open for questing.
The door to QJ's shop was slightly ajar, swinging inward at his touch. A bare foot peeked from beneath a heap of blankets on the couch facing the wide window. Ra lay asleep there, sunlight washing over her bronze-brown skin.
Her braids were pulled back, her high cheekbones and full lips relaxed into a natural smile even in sleep. When she stirred, dark lashes lifted to reveal warm, chocolate eyes. "I had too many sweet rolls this morning."
QJ laughed softly. "Yeah?"
Ra nodded once, as if that fully justified a nap in his workshop. "Are you going to be loud?"
"Well… it is a workshop." He bent down and kissed her forehead. "But no hammers today—maybe just a little filing. The quiet kind."
Her hand brushed his cheek, then her eyes fluttered closed again.
[OP: Ringo] QJ, how many NPCs are coming to the Leadership Summit?
[OP: QJ] Ra, Barti, Sam, and Jacob. Oh—and Wu said he's streaming the whole trip.
[OP: Ringo] Sam's going? Is she taking appointments?
QJ chuckled, moving to his workbench. "Probably."
Sam's side gig as a masseuse had made her very popular among guildmates.
[OP: QJ] I'm tripling her rates for the train ride.
[OP: Breeze] Not okay.
[OP: Lotte] Worth it.
He shut off guild chat and flicked on the hanging light over his bench. Water hissed into the deep basin as he placed a solid block of sakri steel inside.
Sakri was special—pliable under water, hard as tempered steel once exposed to air. Perfect for gunsmithing.
Pulling down his notebook, QJ began sketching. His last shotgun had been sliced in half during the Martial Law raid; his backup was serviceable, but outdated.
"Hmm… needs dragon's blood."
He added a drop of crimson liquid to the basin. The water flared scarlet.
Dragon's blood—an alchemical mixture of red mineral and heavy water—bonded at the molecular level, enhancing metal density and reactive strength.
Submerging his hands, QJ shaped the softened sakri into the breech of a shotgun. Instead of a fixed barrel, he crafted a rotating disc assembly—a three-barrel cluster that could pivot freely with a selector switch.
"One barrel for HEP rounds, one grappling, one ice."
He refit an old drum feed to handle triple-type munitions, adding a kevlar-reinforced stock with shock dampeners to curb recoil.
Hours passed in quiet focus, broken only by Ra waking to give him a brief hug before heading out. By the time he tightened the last screw, he was grinning.
"This oughta do it."
[Guns & Gore Announcement | All Servers]
A Magnum Opus has been created by Sandhealer Faction Leader QJ.
[Please name your Magnum Opus.]
QJ smiled. "Trinity."
[System Message] Your World Reputation has increased by 100.
[Guns & Gore Announcement | All Servers] Bask in the Glory of a Magnum Opus.
[Trinity] — Magnum Opus
Three-Barreled Rotating Shotgun [Engineered Artifact]
Description: This miracle of engineering houses three reinforced barrels, rotating on command. Each fires a distinct crowd-control round.
• HEP Round – AoE explosive blast; stuns and damages within 5m.
• Grapple Round – Barbed, armor-piercing tether.
• Ice Round – Freezes joints; movement speed −50%.
[System Message]This is your first Magnum Opus under the improved Crafting System.
You have advanced to Grand Master Gunsmith — Step One.
QJ pulled up his skill tab.
Gunsmith: Grand Master 10/100 | Step One.
He frowned. "I'll have to check the forums. What do the steps even mean?"
[OP: Ringo] Bet you hate the new crafting system.
[OP: QJ] Yep. I'd rather have XP any day.
[OP: Breeze] They're just trying to slow the QJ train.
QJ laughed, cleaning his workspace.
[OP: Ringo] We're heading to the Songbird now.
[OP: QJ] Meet you there.
[Kobe, Japan — 2000 Hours | Country Estate]
The recliner straightened with a low hum until it was fully upright. Aota removed the small white ceramic discs from his temples and slipped them into the pockets of his robe.
Obreen Media's latest marvel — the DreamLink Interface Discs — allowed an enhanced virtual connection, fully compatible with Exodus and all its subsidiaries. Auto-translation, sensory filtering, even "sleep play" for immersive rest cycles. Modern magic for an old soul.
He slipped on the newest HUD bracelet, the surface lighting beneath his touch.
The door slid open. "Good evening, Ojii-san."
Bianca Ito entered gracefully, her steps silent on the bamboo flooring.
"How goes the war, Little Bee?" Aota asked, smiling as he gestured for her to come closer.
Bianca carried a tray of tea, her movements smooth and deliberate. "Chaotic, Ojii-san."
A stray lock of black hair fell into her face; she blew it upward, catching it mid-fall to tuck neatly behind her ear before kneeling to pour the tea.
"Show me how the Exodus forums are organized," Aota said.
Bianca smiled faintly and drew her chair closer. "Do you have a login?"
Aota shook his head, careful not to mention Musashi. "Is that required?"
"Yes," she said, "but you can use mine."
Her slender fingers danced across the console, logging in and opening the display. "Here's how it's structured: you start in the Exodus Grand Station General Forum, then move to individual game boards — Martial Law, Iron Mount…"
"And Guns and Gore," Aota finished silently.
"Most guilds also host private subforums linked from their official pages," Bianca continued. "They control visibility and discussion there."
Aota leaned closer. The screen displayed Bianca's Martial Law character: Torrent, Level 60 Daimyo.
"That's you?" Aota asked. "Sixty? What's your main weapon?"
"Naginata and crossbow," she said defensively, raising an eyebrow. "Don't judge, Ojii-san. My Iron Mount character already eats all my free time."
Aota covered his eyes in mock despair. "A naginata? Can you even PvP with that setup?"
Bianca's eyes narrowed. "Do you know what PvP is?"
"I, your grandfather," Aota declared solemnly, "know all."
Bianca burst into laughter — warm and unrestrained, her usual serenity breaking into light. "You've been reading those cultivation novels again."
Aota didn't deny it. "Player versus player, as opposed to PvE — player versus environment."
"Nice, Ojii-san." She sipped her tea. "It works for PvP, but after watching recent Exodus Arena matches, I can see the weaknesses."
He waved off the topic. "Let's talk Martial Law. With General Morakawto dead and the Dohonza Blade stolen, your guild must back its Shogun against the Emperor."
Bianca exhaled, long and weary. "I'm fairly certain I know who was behind it. You were partially right."
Aota's smile deepened. "Was I?"
"The standard reward for a [Red Player] raid is one level and whatever loot you take," Bianca explained, chuckling at the memory. "Our broker tracked it. The forums went wild — everyone wanted to hunt them down. Until…"
Aota tilted his head. "Until?"
"Until he said the first three names: Q, Hashtag, and Bo Jangles."
Aota lifted an eyebrow. "These men are dangerous?"
"Legends," Bianca said simply. "Every week, the Exodus Arena runs a free-for-all day — everyone versus everyone. Most players avoid it because of how chaotic it gets. But if any of those three show up, no one even tries to attack them."
"Formidable," Aota murmured. "But still, that's only speculation."
"All three leveled at the same time," Bianca said. "When you're past a hundred, gaining even one level takes months of grinding. For three of them to gain simultaneously? That's no coincidence."
"Circumstantial," Aota countered. "Who else?"
"The leader and vice leader of One Problem also gained a level — Ringo and QJ. They're not as high level, but they're allied with Fora and Concert Hall."
"And you think those five pulled off the assassination?"
Bianca nodded slowly. "That's my suspicion."
"Ringo," Aota said lightly. "Interesting name."
"She's the guild leader of One Problem — and the first-year instructor at the Exodus Academy, the Guns & Gore school."
Aota frowned. "Your father and uncle have invested heavily into Martial Law."
"Yes," Bianca said softly. "Your sons, Ojii-san."
"I haven't forgotten that," Aota said gently, raising a hand to stop her. "Let's not dwell on it. In chaos, there's always opportunity."
Bianca tilted her head. "What kind of opportunity?"
"War reshuffles the board," Aota said. "Leaders fall, and others rise — the smart, the bold, or simply the lucky." He smiled faintly. "Do you remember what my omikuji said this morning?"
Bianca nodded. " 'Find common ground with your enemy.' "
Aota set down his cup, steam rising between them. "Tell me, Little Bee — if he were in your position, what do you think QJ would do?"