Chapter 22: Weapons

Fran walked in, struggling to carry a stack of six lunch boxes, and placed them one by one on the coffee table.

The others gathered around.

So... were the sofa and benches in the center of the office meant for dining? Not for meetings, as she had assumed?

Xingyu thought to herself, feeling a sudden sense of realization.

What exactly did the Raindrop Agency usually do for work?

The lids of the lunch boxes were lifted, and the thick aroma of grains and fats, along with a rush of steam, hit her.

Xingyu looked down and felt a sense of relief. At least, these were foods she recognized.

The most prominent items in the box were yellowish cornmeal mush and dark brown meat sauce, mixed with some unknown beans. There was also a small bowl of mashed potatoes and a few pieces of lettuce that looked relatively fresh.

In the corner lay a few slices of fruit, dull in color and slightly shriveled. Her [Information Reading] told her they were apples, though they looked rather pathetic.

As she stared at the food, a strange sensation quietly washed over her.

A bit dizzy...

Her vision became somewhat blurry, and her focus felt as if it were slipping away.

Realizing she had drifted off, Xingyu shook her head hard, struggling to pull her attention back to reality. She took a deep breath and decided to try a few bites of food.

She reached out and picked up a slice of apple, taking a cautious bite.

The taste was not as sweet as she had hoped; instead, it had a faint, astringent sourness.

Even so... being able to eat normal food in this world, Xingyu felt an inexplicable sense of comfort.

"The food is this good today? What’s the big occasion?" Jing Cheng leaned over with a grin.

"It’s rare that we’ve hired a newcomer who fits in so well."

Tian Wu, too, had shed his earlier gloom, no longer dwelling on his dark past, and picked up his spoon with a smile. Bian Yin clearly had no desire to join the conversation and sat far away from the others.

Xingyu picked up her cutlery.

The lunch set came with an unusually complete array of utensils: chopsticks, a small spoon, a plastic knife, and a fork—there was even a pair of gloves?

She chose to use the chopsticks and chewed slowly.

To be honest, the texture of the food was not good. Even though the types were the same as the vegetables she knew, the flavors were quite different.

However, in this world, these must certainly count as relatively expensive meals.

Hill tossed her lunch box onto the table casually and leaned back against the sofa. "Phew—the paperwork is such a hassle. Can't even make it to the afternoon session now; I still have to take Xingyu to get her gear."

Fran, sitting beside her, replied vaguely, "If you spent the time you use for drinking in the afternoon on your work, our performance would surely be even more prosperous."

"Haha, don't say that!" Hill laughed awkwardly. "How can you call it drinking? It's outreach! Exchanging intelligence is very important. Most agents, even when they reach a senior level, only know how to brute-force things; they’re all just brainless thugs."

Xingyu swallowed the last bite, set down her chopsticks, and picked up a napkin to wipe her mouth. The texture was rough and stiff; she could even feel the distinct fibrous quality.

Only after doing this did she ask, "What’s the plan for the afternoon?"

"Buying you weapons, of course," Hill said, rubbing her chin. "As an agent, even if you aren't always fighting, you still have to be prepared. It won't do to have no good weapons for self-defense. We’re heading straight to the best weapon workshop!"

...

Along the way, Xingyu’s gaze was drawn to the various weapon workshops of all sizes lining the street.

Though there were many "workshops," they were generally small in scale—mostly crude little shacks with narrow storefronts and mottled walls.

As they gradually approached Ring B, the surrounding environment improved significantly. The roads became wide and smooth, and the buildings on both sides were brand new; there were even some rare reinforced concrete structures.

The scene here was close to the slightly underdeveloped but booming small towns in the memories of her past life.

It was clear that Ring B was a dedicated commercial and economic district. Although its area was small due to its proximity to the center, it was the economic lifeline.

In front of them, heavy alloy doors were shut tight, and a burly bodyguard stood on either side of the entrance, their eyes scanning everyone who approached like torches.

"This is the largest workshop in the North."

Walking inside, Xingyu immediately felt an invisible sense of pressure.

The lighting in the shop was soft, yet it made it difficult to lower one's guard. Various cold weapons were displayed in bulletproof glass counters, reflecting a cold light.

Blades and swords remained the most common type of weapon, but Xingyu also saw some strangely shaped weapons with unknown purposes.

From the back of the shop came the sound of rhythmic metal clashing. The sound reminded Xingyu of the blacksmith shops she had seen in her past life; in a daze, she felt a sense of time and space colliding.

While choosing weapons, she could feel hidden gazes behind her. Those gazes seemed to pierce through her clothing, probing into her background.

Hill, however, was very relaxed. "You don't have a weapon you're comfortable with yet, right? What kind do you want?"

Xingyu thought for a moment and replied without hesitation, "I want a gun."

"Huh?" This answer seemed to catch Hill off guard. "You want to use that troublesome kind of weapon? Don't copy me; even for me, carrying such a large weapon is a hassle."

"No." Realizing her words had caused a misunderstanding, Xingyu looked up at Hill. "I don't mean a long gun. I mean a handgun for shooting, like the ones the Notaries use."

Hill rubbed her forehead. "Fine, I shouldn't have expected you to know... there are only a few specific models of firearms available for purchase, they're all rifles, and they are incredibly expensive. A single bullet could cost you half a year's salary."

"What do you want that thing for? Ordinary weapons are enough for your self-defense and daily life."

Xingyu hesitated, but she wasn't entirely discouraged, adding, "But... I want something with some threat."

"Living in this place, nothing can guarantee your safety—not guns, not armor," Hill replied casually.

"If you use a gun against an ordinary person, it’s too extravagant. It’s cheaper to hire someone to buy their life than to spend the price of a bullet. And if you're trying to deal with someone of my level... it wouldn't work anyway."

Hill tugged at her outfit to demonstrate. Her trench coat was smooth and new, showing no signs of damage or filth.

"I see..." Xingyu nodded. Realizing the reality of the situation, she reluctantly abandoned the idea.

"How about dual swords?" Hill picked up a small, pitch-black sword from the rack.

"Learning to use a new weapon takes time. I saw you carrying a dagger before; switching to this one will be easier to get used to."

"This is made of a special adjusted material, at least it's metal. Most people won't dare to harass you if they see you have a proper weapon. Besides, you’re an agent with extraordinary abilities, and the Council provides subsidies, so it’s not that expensive."

"'Not that expensive'... you mean sixty thousand?" Xingyu said helplessly.

"No, fifty thousand. Don't forget, you still have a full ten thousand in subsidies."

After looking around at the items in the shop, Xingyu gained a slight understanding of the economy and prices here. The weapon manufacturing technology in this world seemed to have taken a path completely different from what she originally understood.

Traditional metal-forged weapons were a rarity here, replaced by various high-strength composite materials. Ceramics, specialized plastics, and composite fibers were widely used in weapon manufacturing.

Many weapons had clever designs that favored the characteristics of the composite materials themselves.

She saw cheap composite ceramic brass knuckles that cost only a few dozen New Credits, seemingly sold as disposable consumables.

Although her [Information Reading] could capture the names of these materials, most of them, like the serial numbers on Hill's coat, were just meaningless codes to her, rather than the elemental names she was familiar with.

However, the small sword Hill picked for her was exceptionally expensive—entirely because its material was composed of a special alloy.

It was obvious—metal was the symbol of high cost!

In this world, being able to carry a metal weapon was undoubtedly a sign of strength and status.

"You should be quite used to this type, right? You're not allergic, are you?"

Although the sword looked very light in Hill's hand, Xingyu found it to be the length of her forearm when she took it.

Xingyu gripped the hilt, feeling its weight and balance. The slightly curved handle had anti-slip engravings and patterns, and the sharp edge shimmered with a cold, piercing light, as if it could easily slice through the air.

The surface of the blade was smooth as a mirror, presenting a deep, abyssal black that seemed to absorb all light. The only thing breaking this perfect plane was a shallow groove along the blade for blood drainage.

"It's too expensive..." she couldn't help but sigh.

"That's why I brought you here," Hill shrugged. "Ordinary weapons are everywhere. But metal weapons can only be bought in Ring B; after all, only the workshops in Ring B have the refining technology. I think it’s safer to have a reliable weapon."

"...I don't know how to use it."

"Although I haven't used this stuff since I was seven..." Hill pinched the sword and gestured casually in the air, "but teaching you shouldn't be a problem."

Recalling this, Xingyu sighed with a pang of heartache again.

She had been persuaded by Hill in just a few sentences and had actually ended up buying these two expensive weapons.

On her first day as an agent, she was already fifty thousand in debt to Hill... well, what a bright future!

She hoped these two swords were worth her expectations.

After all, they would be put to use very soon.