Chapter 33 - Capitalism is Cold
Where is this?
The General Store.
Who am I?
The shopkeeper.
All the materials needed to craft the Mammonite Revolver were ready.
The moment I poured in all the materials and closed the lid.
The 3D printer started working, making some wriggling buzzing whirring hi-tech sounds that didn’t match the fantasy world setting.
“Wooow! Amazing!”
The fantasy world kid seeing advanced technology for the first time sparkled her eyes.
“Ooh.”
…Actually, I was amazed too.
Inside the transparent glass, machines moved yap-yap, drawing out threads and slowly starting to form a shape.
Slowly.
Very slowly.
“Hmm…”
At the sight moving so slowly, not matching the taste of Koreans who like things fast-fast,
I looked at the 3D printer’s panel.
[Time remaining: 47:57:34]
[Quick crafting: 96 Divine Stones]
“It takes a damn long time.”
Two days just to make a pistol?
And quick crafting? Quick craftiiiing?
It’s one of the BM types I hate the most.
Like in Pu■ War or Cla■ of Clans, where you buy attack power with time when beating up people recklessly.
Something that also exists in the form of instant completion permits in a certain avant-garde game.
Why do I hate it, you ask?
[Do you want to proceed with quick crafting?]
[Y■ / N□]
…It’s because I can’t wait for things like this.
The moment I pressed the button, the usual cheap white light sparkled and blinged inside the 3D printer.
Ding–!
With a refreshing sound like from a microwave, the lid opened with a whoosh.
I blew away 5 years’ worth of Divine Stones in an instant.
But in return, I’m evolving into an almighty powerful dealer, so.
It’s not a waste!
…Actually, it’s quite a big waste!
Is the Korean brain okay with this?
“Phew…”
Regretting my monkey-level impulse purchase belatedly, I grasped the Mammonite Revolver in my hand.
The exterior wasn’t anything special.
It was a pistol boasting elegant details similar to a Glock, but.
There was a modern LED panel attached to the side, and two buttons.
One was a power button and one was a mode change button.
Clicking the mode change button.
[Safety Mode]
[Normal Weapon Mode]
[Decisive Battle Weapon Mode]
[Full Power Deployment Mode]
“…?”
It’s not like changing safety, semi-auto, auto on a control lever or anything.
I rummaged through the 3D printer looking for something like a manual, but of course there was nothing like that.
I can kind of guess from the names alone.
“Let’s go back.”
“Nya!”
Since I can’t just fire a pistol recklessly inside the shop.
For now, having finished what I needed to do, I tidied up the shop and returned to the guild house.
Behind the guild house.
The spacious open area our construction crew noonas worked hard to build.
“Tinya? If there’s a huge rock or something around, can you bring one?”
“Nya!”
A moment later, Tinya appeared carrying a boulder about five times her size in one hand.
“…”
Do you feel the difference in strength?
Ah yes, I feel it…
I shuddered for a moment at that overwhelming physical difference.
But originally even SEALs die if they drown in water.
And even Ma Dong-seok dies if he gets shot.
The flesh is short-lived and lead poisoning is eternal.
Convec… guns are the best.
Or not.
“There, you can put it down there.”
Thud!
As Tinya put down the boulder, my heart nearly broke again, but I steeled my resolve with the power of guts.
I aimed at the boulder with one hand in my pocket, like I’ve seen in movies.
“Oh…”
Fortunately, a laser pointer beep-beeped out to help with aiming.
First, Normal Weapon Mode.
Click.
Pow!
As soon as I pulled the trigger, a brilliant golden light burst from the muzzle, making a small hole pop in the rock.
“Oh…!”
Looking closely,
It didn’t penetrate completely, but it still bored cleanly into the rock quite a bit.
“Master! Cool! So cool!”
“Hehehe, I know.”
This much should be enough to cleanly take out goblins or orcs at least.
If Normal Weapon Mode is this much.
I wonder about the other modes…?
“Alright, Tinya. Let’s back up again.”
This time, coolly Full Power Deployment.
Let’s test out the Starlight Breaker.
Taking that pose from earlier, changing modes, the moment I pulled the trigger–
An enormous light incomparable to earlier flickered at the muzzle.
Kwaaaaa–!
A huge beam of light burst from the muzzle almost like an energy wave.
“Urgh–!”
Due to the much fiercer recoil than expected.
My body spun once in the air before rolling on the ground.
Crack!
My wrist twisted.
My shoulder dislocated.
“Ugh…”
…It hurts, really, it fucking hurts…!
“Master?! Did you have an accident again?!”
“Ugh…”
…That’s true, but…!
It hurt too much to even voice a rebuttal.
With my vision getting slightly blurry.
A spoonful of satisfaction seeing the rock completely melted down.
A spoonful of sorrow seeing Tinya’s back as she ran helter-skelter to the guild house going “Hoeeeng Doraemoon”.
Nagging.
Confirmed.
After yet another midnight Ark impeachment meeting and information sharing meeting and marathon meeting with various other names attached.
“I agree with Ark having means to protect himself, but I think it’s best to limit it to only using Normal Weapon Mode.”
“Yes…”
Well, even that much is enough to have pistol-level power.
“Amazing! How does it work? Ark, can I take it apart?”
“Hoho, I wonder if I can imbue it with alchemy’s power?”
“…Both of you, no.”
Harong and Elise’s eyes sparkled, but.
The primitive ancient fantasy technology cannot dare judge the product of modern high technology.
I rejected them.
But curiosity killed the cat.
Harong, who had been fiddling with it, put a glass on the table and fired before I could stop her.
With the firepower I saw earlier, the glass should shatter with fragments flying everywhere.
“That’s dangerous…!”
“Eek!”
To avoid the impending tragedy.
I instinctively tackled Yohena next to me and rolled on the floor, but.
Ting–
“…?”
Instead of the expected shattering sound.
A very light ringing like being shot by a BB gun flowed out.
Pushing aside the blushing Yohena, I looked up at the table.
“W-What?”
Far from breaking, the glass was standing firm in its place.
After snatching the revolver from Harong and confirming it was in Normal Weapon Mode.
Before the other heroes could stop me, I pulled the trigger this time.
Ting–
Where did the power that even penetrated rock earlier go.
A power that couldn’t even burst an insect, let alone rock–
“No way.”
At that moment.
My brain went into full power deployment.
Power varies depending on the amount of money possessed.
Full Power Deployment mode.
That firepower on a different dimension from Normal Weapon Mode–
“I-I’ll be right back at the shop…!”
“Huh? Huh? Ark! Let’s go together!”
“Woof!”
I ran frantically through the night streets.
Finally arriving at the shop.
And under the counter.
My love, my soul, the chest containing my everything.
“T-This can’t be…! Waaaaaah…!”
The gold coins piled up high.
Witnessing the tragedy that they had all been “fully power deployed”, I.
Wailed sincerely.
No!!!!! My gold coins!!!!!!
[Your request has been accepted. The tower’s rules will be amended.]
[To the extent allowed by the tower’s balance, you are permitted to place ‘disadvantages’ in addition to granting ‘benefits’ to climbers.]
“Hehe… It’s… done…”
Arachne smiled.
Not only did the evil hero group inflict tickle torture like death upon her every time they climbed the tower.
They also committed the atrocity of finding and bursting the ‘nutrients’ she had kept in the tower for ‘feeding’.
In such an extraordinary situation.
She gained more authority to control the tower.
For some reason.
They turned back after conquering up to Zone 10 of the 11th floor.
“Foolish… things…”
Arachne sneered at the heroes.
From now on.
From the 12th floor, it will absolutely not be easy.
She will install traps that can compensate for weaknesses like poison pools and non-flammable spider webs.
She will block their path with more beasts, stronger beasts like mutant spiders, giant wasps, armored armadillos.
Of course, in return for placing more and stronger things than regulations, she hid treasure chests all over the corners.
But they’ve been running straight towards their goal all this time anyway.
If they just keep doing that, they will never find the hidden treasures.
…She was a bit worried if she placed too much, but.
They won’t be able to get the treasures anyway.
The heroes will despair at the increased difficulty.
They will become her prey.
“Hehehe… hehehe…!”
Arachne smiled with satisfaction.
[Temporary Closure Today]
[Will go earn money]
“Today? Do you mean Friday, Master?”
“…”
Ignoring Tinya’s stupid words, I shed tears of blood inside.
Can I really keep up?
The speed of a world without money…
“From today, we’re changing our conquest strategy. It will slow down our climb a bit, but we’ll do one clear in the shortest time possible, and one exploring the entire map. It might take a bit longer, so keep your evenings free in advance.”
It’s absolutely not because I’m short on money.
There might be hidden quests that even Lumi’s intuition couldn’t find.
Fortunately, floors 1 to 10.
That is, the floors where Tinya and Elise were bosses, they declared there were no specially hidden elements.
…Honestly, the area Tinya was in charge of is suspicious, but.
It’s a bit much to just blatantly say “You’re an idiot” and hammer it in.
So for now.
From the 12th floor, we’ll thoroughly comb through every area.
We’ll collect everything that could be worth money.
And if we find a hidden quest along the way, that’s a jackpot.
Let’s chant the magic spell.
Capitalism, ho!