Chapter 10

Chapter 10. First Shopping Trip (2)

“So, is there anything in particular you’re looking for?”

The elderly woman asked as she slung the shotgun over her shoulder.

“Well. I’ve only ever used a K2 or an M16, so I don’t really know much about other guns.”

“Huh? How did a young man like you get to use antiques from such an old era? Even I’ve only seen them a few times.”

“I just happened to have some history with them.”

Are you doing well?

My soulmate, K2, serial number 902851.

I never imagined for even a moment that I’d come to miss the two freezing winters I spent with you.

Damn Picky Eater penalty.

How nice would it be if I could even eat that seafood bibim sauce I used to complain tasted awful?

“Well now. You’re quite an interesting young man.”

Saying that, Seol Myeong-ji walked past me and firmly locked the shop door.

“First, follow me. I can’t exactly bring my boys out here.”

“Sure.”

After carefully lowering the blinds as well, I followed Seol Myeong-ji.

And headed deeper into the shop.

She removed a framed picture from the inner wall and placed her left hand and face against it.

―Beep.

With a sound like an electronic door lock opening, the wall silently slid apart.

Biometric authentication?

The equipment here is pretty cutting-edge―

“...Oh.”

For a moment, I was left speechless at the sight inside.

Beyond the wall was a space of roughly thirty square meters.

And packed tightly throughout that space were lumps of violent iron that spat fire.

‘At this scale, it wouldn’t lose out even compared to a gun shop in the middle districts.’

The level of merchandise at Jigwirang as I remembered it was nowhere near this high.

Even the NPC who sold things had been an outdated android.

‘Why wasn’t someone like this in the main game?’

Even when I searched through the memories of dozens, hundreds of playthroughs.

I had no memory of anyone called ‘Gunsmith Seol Myeong-ji.’

Every time something like this happened, it felt like I was being reminded that this wasn’t quite the R.O.K.A I knew, and it made things feel strange.

“This is impressive.”

...I’ll think about that later.

First, let’s accomplish what I came here for.

“Right? I’ve been doing this since I was young. More kids who used guns ended up disappearing than the number of guns I sold. Before I knew it, they’d piled up like this.”

Seol Myeong-ji answered in a somewhat bitter voice as she lowered the shelves one by one.

“Now then, tell me. What do you need?”

With that, Seol Myeong-ji sat down at what looked like a workbench along one wall.

‘First, rifles are out.’

If I’m going with an infighter build, a large rifle would only get in the way.

Machine guns were out for the same reason.

‘Then naturally, that narrows the candidates down to handguns.’

From experience, if it was some half-baked small caliber, I’d probably hit harder by just walking up and punching them myself.

“Um, ma’am.”

“I’m not old enough to be called ma’am yet, young man. Call me Sister Myeong-ji.”

I think you are that old, though.

“...Ahem. Sister Myeong-ji. What’s the most powerful handgun you can get here? Ideally something that could punch through an ordinary Gorilla Arm.”

“Kahah, so you’re a young man after all, going straight for something ridiculous. I do have one, but it’ll feel like firing a cannon by hand. Think you can handle it?”

Seol Myeong-ji rose from the table with the expression of a champion facing a challenger.

“Well, whether I can handle it or not. Punching is my main profession, so anything rifle-sized starts getting in the way...”

She then took a suitable revolver from the rack where the handguns were stored.

“With a handgun about this size, I feel like I’d hit harder if I just walked over and punched them myself.”

“Huh?”

She stared at me like she couldn’t believe what she’d heard.

“You’re saying your fist is stronger than a handgun? Come on, say something that makes sense. Too much bravado and you’ll end up bleeding one day.”

“It’s not bravado... Want me to show you?”

“Oh-ho, confident, aren’t you? Fine, let’s see it.”

With those words, Seol Myeong-ji pressed a button on the table.

One side of the wall opened, revealing a separate room that looked like a shooting range.

She immediately took the revolver from my hand.

Then, with a flourish, loaded it with bullets I had no idea where she had pulled from, aimed at the distant target, and pulled the trigger.

―BANG!!

Her movements were so naturally fluid that I could only stare blankly for a moment.

She really must have fired a lot of guns back in the day.

After setting down the revolver, Seol Myeong-ji operated several buttons in succession, bringing the target toward us.

When she peeled off the paper target attached to the front, a solid-looking metal plate was revealed.

“This is a special alloy plate coated for impact absorption. As you can see, no matter what you do, a mere handgun isn’t punching through it.”

Seol Myeong-ji said that while peeling away the bullet fragments stuck to the surface of the metal plate.

“It’s made from the same material used in anti-terror suppression Machine Arms. You’d need something around an anti-materiel rifle just to have a chance of penetrating it.”

Then she tapped the metal plate a few times and continued.

“If you’re that confident, try hitting this. It’s the toughest thing in my shop.”

“From what you’re saying, it sounds pretty expensive. If I break it, do I have to pay for it?”

“Still full of bravado, huh. Even if by one chance in a thousand or ten thousand you actually break it, I won’t make you pay, so hit it as hard as you can.”

Oh? She’s generous.

Could probably push it a little further.

“Then if I break that, can I take it with me as a trophy?”

“Kahahah! Sure, whatever. Trophy or anything else, do whatever you want with it, just hurry up and hit it.”

Well, I had the owner’s permission now.

―Crack.

I clenched my right hand hard in front of the upright metal plate.

“Hup!”

And for just an instant, I even activated metalization before smashing it with everything I had.

―CRRRAACK! BANG!!

“?!”

“Whoops.”

Did I hit it too hard?

She’d mentioned Machine Arms, so I thought of Fatty from yesterday and didn’t bother holding back.

With an ugly sound, the plate crumpled under my fist.

Then shattered completely.

―CRASH!! RUMBLE!

Even the concrete supporting the plate couldn’t withstand it, breaking apart along with the rebar and flying backward.

“Um, Sister Myeong-ji?”

“...Huh?”

I smiled awkwardly at Seol Myeong-ji, who stood there with her mouth open at the destruction.

“I really don’t have to pay for that, right?”

The way the old woman’s expression changed as if asking what kind of freak I was made quite an impression.

_____________

“...Yeah. That young man finished his business and left a little while ago.”

<​I see. What did you think of him?>

“What did I think? Ma Cheol-sik, have you lost your mind? Where the hell did you find a monster like that?”

Seol Myeong-ji laughed hollowly while pouring complaints toward Ma Cheol-sik over the holo-call.

“In all my years, I’ve never seen a young man smash a special alloy plate with his bare fist. It wasn’t even a wooden board.”

<​Kahahah, I see. So that’s how it was.>

“He’s got a handsome, gentle-looking face, but his body’s like some enraged beast.”

Even as she said that, Seol Myeong-ji laughed as though she found it amusing.

“Such a polite, decent young man. Where does that monstrous strength come from? If I were twenty years younger, I’d have snatched him up in a heartbeat.”

<​You haven’t changed at all, Seol Myeong-ji.>

“So? What does that young man really do? I heard he’s a rookie hunter worth keeping an eye on, but that’s about it.”

<​I don’t know either.>

“Huh? There’s someone in this district even you don’t know?”

Seol Myeong-ji hurriedly asked back at Ma Cheol-sik’s casual answer.

“Wait, hold on. You let someone whose background you don’t even know into Saetani? What if he harms Maria?!”

<​You’re still obsessed with Maria, I see. Weren’t you just saying he was polite and decent?>

“You old bastard, I’m not joking!”

<​Don’t worry. We’re wary of him, but so far there’s been no sign of anything like that. Besides, is Maria the kind of girl who’d lose to some nobody?>

“Well now. Ma Cheol-sik of all people must be pretty desperate if you’re willing to take that kind of risk.”

<​Of course. If he’s a young man who beat Jeogwi to death with his bare hands... isn’t he worth recruiting even if it means taking a little risk?>

“...What did you just say? He beat Jeogwi to death?”

Seol Myeong-ji’s voice turned serious, losing the light tone from moments ago.

<​Yes. It’s true. I suspected he might have some ulterior motive, so I had him sign a temporary contract and gave him a request as a test...>

Noticing the change in her eyes, Ma Cheol-sik continued.

<​I told him to retrieve one item near Jeogwi’s nest, and he beat the bastard to death with his bare hands and destroyed two gangs.>

“...”

<​And without a single civilian casualty, at that. Isn’t that different from those fools who get drunk on power and can’t tell front from back?>

“...I see. That Jeogwi.”

Seol Myeong-ji took a pendant from her clothes and fiddled with it.

Muttering in a voice mixed with relief and bitterness, she took a deep breath.

“Looks like I’ll have to put some real effort into the piece I’m making this time.”

<​Hm? A piece? Old woman, didn’t you say you were done making guns?>

“Well, there’s something. I’m busy, so I’m hanging up. Don’t work Maria too hard, got it? I’ll be coming to check soon, you hear?”

<​When have I ever worked her too hard―>

―Click.

Laughing loudly, Seol Myeong-ji cut Ma Cheol-sik off and ended the holo-call.

“Jeogwi... so that’s what happened.”

Then she loosened her shoulders, tied her white hair back with a headband.

And picked up something lying on the table.

It was an object about the length and thickness of a middle finger.

“By the way, you said you’re a gunsmith, right? Then could you make a weapon capable of firing this?”

“It can be single-shot. I’d prefer it to be about the size of this handgun.”

“I’m only asking if it’s possible, so if it’s too difficult, you can give up.”

Right before Lee Gang-sik left the shop after buying one of the large-caliber handguns she had recommended.

He had made an unusual request, adding words that scratched at a gunsmith’s pride.

“Fine. I swear on the three syllables of my name, Seol Myeong-ji, I’ll make you a proper one.”

What he had left behind along with that request was...

A hard spike made from an unidentified silver metal.

_________________

“That takes care of the weapon for now.”

Leaving the solid fortress of Garak Market behind.

I returned to Jamsil and crossed the busy streets.

“Got a pretty nice bonus too.”

Inside my backpack were neatly stacked metal fragments, making it quite heavy.

They were pieces of the special alloy plate I had broken at Jigwirang.

She said she always kept her word once she gave it.

So Sister Myeong-ji honored her promise and handed them over to me.

‘Even broken into pieces, this stuff must be pretty expensive. She really is generous.’

And lastly.

“A handgun to use temporarily for now, and as emergency rations(?).”

A thick lump of metal sat in the holster inside my coat.

It was the largest-caliber handgun in the old woman’s shop.

‘She explained something about it being the final freak creation of some firearms company that went bankrupt because of its obsession with firepower...’

I don’t know the details.

Apparently, despite being single-shot, it could fire ammunition used in anti-materiel rifles.

They called it the Wrist Breaker or something?

“And that gun, plus two boxes of ammunition, cost 1.75 million.”

Man, the world really has gone to hell.

A world where you can get a handgun and two boxes of ammunition for less than the monthly salary of a new office worker.

“That just shows how fucked-up this world is.”

The damp, gloomy outskirts of a city where acid rain fell three times a week.

The dark streets wrapped in dazzling neon signs were...

Filled with those who begged for money, those who earned it, and those who took it.

Even if I earned mine by throwing punches, I suppose I was better off since I could make a living with my own strength.

“...Damn it. Why am I suddenly getting sentimental? Am I actually developing some mental illness because I can’t eat proper food?”

Or is it because I suddenly spent a huge amount of money?

Even though I’d reached the point where I could quickly earn that much now.

Given my current finances, spending 1.75 million all at once was still a pretty big expense.

‘But she said she wouldn’t charge me for the custom work because of what she said herself.’

And I got a pile of special alloy fragments too, so I profited much more overall.

So force yourself to smile.

‘They say good fortune comes to those who smile, or something.’

I don’t need good fortune. I just want to get home soon.

Even though I still had four years left on my housing deposit loan.

At the very least, if I could eat something other than metal...

Damn it, my mood is going up and down like a roller coaster.

“...Should I taste this special-whatever alloy?”

I casually tossed one of the alloy plate fragments I had put in my pocket into my mouth, like trying a new snack.

―Crunch.

The moment I bit into the fragment, the forced smile I had worked so hard to put on began to crack.

“Tastes like gunpowder and metal... and a little like rubber. What the hell was I expecting?”

Separate from the thought that I might genuinely develop bipolar disorder at this rate.

The moment I put the alloy fragment into my mouth and chewed, I immediately got a response.

[You have consumed rare material.]

[Your body will be strengthened using the consumed material.]

[You have gained a large amount of proficiency.]

[Your hunger has decreased significantly.]

As expected, expensive stuff is worth the price.

If only the amount gained from eating the same material didn’t decrease the more you ate it, I would’ve reached D-rank long ago.

Still, it feels like I’ll get there soon.

‘Once you reach the higher ranks, the required proficiency increases exponentially anyway.’

I need to raise it as much as possible while it’s still easy.

So that in this city, which is both like and unlike the world I knew...

I’ll be able to handle whatever fucked-up thing happens.

“Let’s see, no word about the next request yet. Does that mean today is a day off?”

Being able to choose which days I work. Is this the sweet taste of freelancing?

“I’ve made a decent amount of money, so maybe I’ll lie in bed all day eating scrap met― Ah, right. The motel exploded.”

I’d forgotten I needed to find somewhere to stay.

Now that I was an official hunter, I probably wouldn’t get turned away for being unidentified.

“But getting attacked again like last time would be annoying.”

Since I was already imposing on them, maybe I should stay at Saetani a few more days.

Or should I push hard and just demand an entire house?

‘There should be one building owned by Saetani that would be perfect.’

No. There’s no reason for me to write the amount on a blank check first.

The main story hasn’t even begun yet.

I can see what stakes Ma Cheol-sik offers first and decide afterward. It won’t be too late.

“Ah, come to think of it, Maria...”

Remembering that she had asked me to contact her when I was done shopping, I reached into my coat to take out my phone.

“―!?”

“...!!...aren’t coming?!”

“That thing’s mou... hurry―”

Noisy voices pierced my ears from the far end of a narrow alley between the buildings.

I Became an Immortal Who Chews on Steel

Author |

Mwiu

Publisher |

Samyang C&C Co., Ltd.

Managing Editor |

Editorial Department

Published by |

Samyang C&C Co., Ltd. - Dream Books

Address |

Rooms 806-810, Kolon Science Valley I, 187-10 Guro-dong, Guro-gu, Seoul

ISBN |

G720:N+A063-20261006118

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blog.naver.com/dreambookss

Twitter (X) |

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