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TJ didn't enter the Dream Echo Battlefield last night. Instead, he slept soundly to recover from what happened to him.
Because of this, TJ woke up refreshed and completely back to his peak state. His spirits were high, and so was his energy. His eyebags were gone, and his complexion was also healthier than yesterday. More importantly, the phantom ache he felt was completely gone. He could move without fighting the urge to wince.
Waking up this way had TJ relieved and slightly giddy. It felt good to be back to his usual self.
The events that led to his painful state taught him an important lesson, one that he learned harshly and that he would remember for the rest of his life.
TJ did his morning ritual; he cooked breakfast, checked his messages to see if there's anything important, watched some news and short videos as he ate, bathed, and put on his training gear before making his way to the training camp.
As he's making his way to school, he passes by the peaceful elders of the Senior Citizen Lane. Some smiled at him, some even complimented him, and some stuffed some food into his arms, not taking no for an answer, saying that food is important for young warriors like him.
It's always like this in this place; that's why TJ liked it here. So much so that even if he were to be given a house at the more expensive side of the district, he wouldn't even take it.
"Psst, oi TJ!"
His musings were interrupted by an old man with a walking stick. He's wearing a top hat, a woodcutter's flannel, faded jeans, and brown leather boots.
"Oh, hey, Grandpa Maxwell! What can I do for you?"
This old man was Sr. Maxwell is a retired magitech engineer—a lifestyle profession. His house was the most unique one on this street.
"Come, I have something for you." The old man gestured him over, so he did.
Then, to TJ's surprise, he took out a firearm from his inventory.
What was shown was a single-file, heirloom magitech blunderbuss built by the old man years ago, an ingenious (if stubborn) magitech engineer. It's old—brass tarnished to a deep bronze, wood rim blackened by years of heat—but still feared on the field because it blends old-school kinetic brutality with carefully conserved arcane engineering.
"What's this?" TJ dumbly asked.
"I call it Hotshot. I'd like you to have it." Sr. Maxwell kindly stated.
"What!? But—oh, this...this is a hefty." TJ was about to complain, but Sr. Maxwell handed the gun to him, and he was surprised by its weight; he nearly even dropped it.
"She's a big girl, alright!" Sr. Maxwell laughed out loud at TJ's surprise. "She served me well during my early days in the field and made me feel safe and secure. Alas, those days are behind me."
"She still got some kick left in her, and it's a pity for her to be collecting dust in my inventory, so I figured I'd give her to you instead."
"B-But Sir, I—"
"Don't feel so burdened, young man. I'm giving her to you, so just accept it." Sr. Maxwell patted TJ's back to comfort him. "Tools like her would feel happier when they're used instead of being buried in some inventory. If you really want to make it up to me, just kill more monsters with her for me, alright?"
TJ wanted to say a lot. Even receiving food from these people feels like too much for him already, and now this. Taking this blunderbuss from the old man didn't feel right to him. But the old man insisted, and he really couldn't refuse him.
It also didn't feel right to call it 'she/her,' but that's beside the point.
"If it's really okay with you, I'll shamelessly accept. Thank you, Sir."
"Atta boy, that's it. Take good care of her, will you? And if she ever kicks the bucket, put her remains in a nice box and bring her to me; I know a place to bury her. But not too soon, I hope."
"Well, then! Off you go; you're going to be late."
The old man smacked TJ's back and sent him away as he walked back home himself. TJ dumbly stared at the old man's back as he slowly looked away before shifting his gaze at the blunderbuss he just received.
TJ resumed his walk towards the camp, but as he did so, he inspected the stats and description of the blunderbuss.
**
[Hotshot]
Type: Heavy Magitech Firearm - Blunderbuss
Class Affinity: Warrior, Knight, Magitech Engineer, Heavy Weapon Specialist
Rarity: Relic (Unique)
Weight: Heavy (16 lbs / 7.3 kg)
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Firing Mods: Scattershot, Slugger
[Scattershot]: Bullets burst into 8-12 pellets.
[Slugger]: Single armor-piercing round
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• Locked
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[Note]: This weapon has regressed due to long-term abandonment. To unlock more of its functions and mods, EXP nourishment is a must.
**
'Holy crap! It's uniquely ranked! What the hell, old man! How can you just part with this? '
TJ did not wake up this morning expecting to inherit a Unique Ranked weapon just by walking to school.
Just like Boons, items and equipment are also graded based on their rarity, with Unique Ranked items being one of those.
Unique ranked items are called as such because they are, obviously, unique. There's only one existing at a given time frame. Although firearms like a blunderbuss aren't new, the fact that the system graded Hotshot like this meant that it's a masterpiece.
This, of course, doesn't instantly mean that Unique Ranked weapons are strong. They are a gambit, like boons. They could be helpful or a burden; they could even be both. The best thing about a Unique Ranked weapon, though, is that they could grow stronger so long as they're being nourished with exp.
'It's like the world is telling me to learn how to shoot sooner rather than later. Is this some kind of a sign? 'TJ couldn't help but think to himself.
Although he did choose the bow as his ranged secondary weapon, by no means is he restricted to it. After all, it's just his secondary option. It could freely be switched at any time he pleased.
Besides, while shooting a bow and shooting a gun might sound different on paper, in the end, they're both shooting methods. TJ wasn't so inflexible as to not consider a firearm instead of a bow.
'This is going to be a disaster, I know it.' TJ was already dreading it.
This gun weighs a little over 7 kgs. TJ can hold it, yes, but whether he could endure Hotshot's kick or not was very debatable.
'How weird is it that the first official equipment I got that's not training equipment was a gun instead of a rapier or an estoc? '
It's truly expected. More importantly, it feels too easy that he felt ashamed for some reason. He knows that the old man meant nothing else, but TJ still felt like a charity case anyway.
That said, he's broke, and this was such a good weapon too, so he couldn't bring himself to return it. Therefore:
'I'll try to kill more of those monsters for you, Sir Maxwell. Rest assured.'
According to the rumors he heard, Sr. Maxwell used to have a really large family. If what he heard was true, then the old man had three wives, 13 children, and many grandchildren.
Sadly, a tragedy struck them. A dungeon breakout occurred near their old home, and it killed everybody but him. TJ could easily imagine how much grief the old man felt at that time. It's even said that the old man had been wanting to die ever since to reunite with his family on the other side. He's the only one they've been waiting for, after all.
Sr. Maxwell had nobody else to pass on his precious creations and equipment to. He might even feel resentment towards them because they weren't able to save the lives of the people that mattered to him the most.
While TJ wasn't planning on becoming a firearm specialist or anything related to it, using this gun to kill more monsters was something he must do since he accepted this gun from him. He owed much to the old man for doing him a favor.
But before he could even think about shooting monsters with this beauty, he must first guarantee a passing grade for the camp so that he could move on to the second semester, where he'd get the chance to do just that.
Actually, he should learn how to shoot this thing first before anything else. That's the real first step. Fortunately, there was a shooting range in the camp to help him with that.
With this additional item in his inventory, TJ attended today's camp and trained as usual. He filed for a permit to use the shooting range, and if he's lucky, it should get approved the next day.
But what started as a good day ended sad and somber. Because upon returning to the Senior Citizen Lane, he heard the news of Sr. Maxwell's passing.