Tch!

The sharp sound of Trenton's tongue clicking echoed in the tense atmosphere, a stark contrast to the growls of the Silvermane Wolf. Even as his body quivered, a whirlwind of thoughts swirled in his mind. He had envisioned this moment differently, a stage where he would showcase his superior skills, honed by years of rigorous training in a prestigious knight family. But the reality was a stark contrast. The sheer aura of the Silvermane Wolf was enough to shatter any semblance of confidence he had mustered.

But pride and ego are stubborn entities. The memory of the orc's triumph flashed in his mind. If that brute could do it, why couldn't he? The very thought fueled a surge of determination. He was Trenton Ignis, the heir to the Ignis lineage. He couldn't falter here.

With newfound resolve, Trenton gripped his shield tighter and, in a swift motion, hurled his sword at the beast's exposed back. The blade whizzed through the air, its trajectory perfect. But when it made contact, there was no satisfying thud of metal piercing flesh. Instead, the blade merely rebounded off the wolf's thick hide, causing mere strands of its fur to flutter to the ground. The beast's head snapped around, its fiery eyes locking onto Trenton with a mix of surprise and fury.

"Damn it!" Trenton's voice was a mix of frustration and fear as his sword clattered to the ground, the recoil proving too much for his already shaky grip. The wolf's growl grew deeper, more menacing, as it lunged at Trenton, who could do nothing but raise his shield in a desperate attempt to protect himself, gripping it tightly with both of his hands.

The beast's paw came crashing down with a force that seemed to shake the very ground. Its claws dug deep grooves into the shield, and Trenton could feel the sheer power behind the blow, making his arms tremble from the impact. But the wolf wasn't done. With a snarl, it clamped its jaws onto the shield, yanking it away with such force that Trenton was sent sprawling, his back hitting the cold floor.

The room echoed with the eerie sound of the shield skidding across the floor, but it was soon overshadowed by another, more unfamiliar noise.

Tap, tack!

Luke's hands trembled as he raised his pistol. His breath came in quick, shallow gasps. His heart hammered against his ribs, threatening to burst free. This was nothing like target practice. The Silvermane Wolf was real, alive, snarling, and moments away from tearing them apart. The weight of his pistol was both comforting and terrifying. He had spent a week training under Garhan’s watchful eye, but no amount of practice could prepare him for the sheer terror of this moment.

Gritting his teeth, Luke forced his shaking hands to steady. He aimed, took a deep breath, and squeezed the trigger.

BANG!

The bullet shot forward, aimed for the wolf’s forehead—but in his panic, his aim was slightly off. The bullet struck just above its eye, scraping against its skull rather than piercing it. The beast let out an ear-splitting roar, its fiery gaze snapping onto Luke, filled with nothing but unbridled fury.

"Shit!" Luke hissed, his pulse spiking as the wolf lunged toward him, murder in its glowing eyes.

With no time to reload, he whispered under his breath, "Double Round."

[Skill: Double Round (Level 2) Activated]

Effect: Instantly fire another shot using the same type of ammunition as the previous shot without consuming ammunition.

Second shot deals 75% additional damage.

Cooldown: 4 minutes 30 seconds.

BANG!

A second shot rang out instantly, slamming into the wolf’s shoulder. This time, the bullet tore through muscle, leaving a deep, bleeding wound. The Silvermane Wolf staggered, but its rage only intensified. It whirled on Luke with a vengeance, its massive form bearing down on him.

Luke barely had time to react. His mind screamed at him to move, but his legs felt like lead. Just as the beast pounced, he forced himself to whisper, "Leap."

[Skill: Leap (Level 1) Activated]

Effect: The user's next jump propels them 3 meters into the air, significantly enhancing mobility and evasiveness.

Cooldown: 10 minutes.

His body felt weightless for a moment as he shot into the air, narrowly dodging the wolf's deadly claws. He landed a few feet away, barely managing to steady himself. The beast, momentarily thrown off by his sudden movement, snarled in frustration.

But Luke had no time to celebrate. Pain flared in his side—a shallow but deep enough wound from when he had dodged too late. Blood seeped through his shirt, staining the fabric a dark crimson. He gritted his teeth, forcing himself to ignore it. He couldn’t stop now.

The Silvermane Wolf charged again, and this time, Luke didn't hesitate. He raised his second pistol, aiming for the beast’s forehead. At this range, he couldn't afford to miss.

BANG!

The shot echoed through the chamber. The bullet struck true, embedding itself deep into the wolf’s skull. The beast’s momentum carried it forward, but its legs gave out mid-stride. It collapsed just a few inches away from Luke, its body twitching before finally going still.

Luke’s breathing was ragged, his body shaking from a mix of adrenaline, exhaustion, and pain. He blinked as translucent blue screens popped up in front of him, his vision blurring at the edges.

But before he could even process them, darkness consumed his vision, and he crumpled to the floor, unconscious.

A loud silence flowed. The corpse of the mighty Silvermane wolf lay beside the unconscious body of its killer. Trenton looked at the handsome yet bloodied face of Luke with horror.

“Healers!!” Professor Vale’s loud voice brought everyone out of their reverie, and a few people instantly rushed inside the glass room with a stretcher.

This day recorded the first-ever Gunner student of Berch Gyara. A student who took down a Silvermane Wolf with a gun.

Hazy, fragmented memories clouded Luke's vision, a swirling tempest of past and present that made it impossible to discern where he was. A dull throb pulsed through his skull, intensifying his disorientation. The room surrounding him was unfamiliar, yet carried an eerie resemblance to a place he had desperately tried to forget.

Where am I? He wondered, his thoughts sluggish and unfocused.

A gruff voice shattered the silence, its coarse tone laced with unmistakable disdain. "Hey, you little shithead, are you still sleeping?"

Luke's breath hitched. The sound was like nails scraping against rusted metal, dragging forth buried memories he had spent years suppressing. His heart pounded violently against his ribcage, every beat a frantic drum of terror. Beads of cold sweat formed on his brow, sliding down his temple as dread rooted itself in his bones.

He wanted to deny it, to reject the impossibility of what was happening. But as his gaze darted downward, his stomach twisted into knots. His hands—small, bruised, and trembling—clutched at the frayed fabric of a tattered shirt. His body was that of a child. A weak, vulnerable child.

His breathing turned ragged, uneven. The weight of memories threatened to crush him, paralyzing his limbs as the horror of realization set in. Then, a shadow loomed over him.

A man. Unkempt, disheveled, and reeking of cheap alcohol. His greasy brown hair bore a resemblance to Luke's, but the similarities ended there. His eyes—cold, dead, and filled with rage—held none of the warmth or kindness that Luke wished for. His face, contorted in anger, was partially obscured by an overgrown, unkempt beard speckled with remnants of his last meal.

“I-I—” Luke stammered, his voice barely a whisper, strangled by fear. He wrapped his small fingers around his throat as if trying to force out the words that refused to come.

The man’s face twisted further, his fury intensifying. “What, I-I?! That’s all you have to say to me?! Huh? HUH?”

A grimy bottle dangled from the man’s grasp, its contents sloshing menacingly as he raised it. The intent was clear. The brutal strike was imminent.

Luke’s body reacted before his mind could catch up. His hands shot up to shield his face, his shoulders curling inward as he braced for the inevitable pain.

Then—

“Huffff!”

Luke’s eyes snapped open, his chest rising and falling in rapid, shallow breaths. Sweat clung to his skin, his heart still hammering in his chest. He was no longer a child. The weight of his adult body, the dull ache of fatigue, and the sterile scent of disinfectants surrounding him confirmed that he had woken from the nightmare.

He clenched his fist, his knuckles turning white. Anger. Resentment. They burned like embers in his veins, threatening to consume him. His hand instinctively reached for his shoulders, where an old scar should have been—a scar that had defined him for years.

Shock paralyzed him. The scar was gone.

Memories of the past few days rushed in, crashing against his consciousness like tidal waves. The academy. The battle. The Silvermane Wolf. His first true kill.

A voice pulled him from his reverie. “Oh, you’re awake?”

Luke’s gaze snapped toward the source. An elderly man, hunched yet lively-eyed, stood at the doorway. His white robes and air of calm authority identified him as a healer.

Luke took a moment to observe his surroundings. The walls were painted in soft, calming hues, and the windows allowed the warm glow of the setting sun to filter in. The crisp white sheets of the bed beside him, the faint scent of medicinal herbs, and the quiet hum of distant voices confirmed that he was in the academy’s clinic—a sanctuary for the weak and injured.

The old healer chuckled as he stepped closer. “You should be more careful, young man,” he said, amusement twinkling in his eyes. “But then again, that’s what I’m here for.”

Luke bowed his head slightly, his gratitude evident. “Thank you for healing me, sir.”

The healer waved a dismissive hand. “It’s my job, lad. And please, just call me Wang. ‘Sir’ makes me feel ancient.”

A small smile played on Luke’s lips. “I’ll remember that.”

Wang glanced at the clock on the wall, his eyebrows rising in mild surprise. “Good heavens! It’s already 6:30 PM. You’ve been asleep for hours. You should get going; the academy grounds can be a bit tricky at night.”

Luke nodded, pushing himself upright and gathering his belongings. “Thank you again.”

As he made his way to the door, Wang watched him go, his expression turning thoughtful. He stroked his beard, murmuring under his breath, “Such a young soul... Just what kind of suffering has he endured to wear such an expression even in sleep?” He let out a sigh, whispering a quiet prayer. “May the goddess watch over him and guide his path.”

The clinic’s corridors were eerily silent, save for the soft echo of Luke’s footsteps. The weight of the day’s events settled heavily on his shoulders.

As Luke was walking out, he suddenly remembered the few notifications that had popped up when he had killed the beast. He had fainted, so now was the time to check them. With a mere thought, he brought up all the unread notifications.

Achievement Unlocked!
Slay any beast using a gun for the first time!
Rewards: +5 Dexterity

You've completed a quest!
Pass the mock test with a B or above grade.
Final Evaluation: A- grade
The rewards have been increased significantly!
Rewards: +3 Dexterity, Magic Infused Lead Balls (x9)

The inventory feature has been unlocked!
Check your inventory to find your Magic Infused Lead Balls!

A new main quest has been issued!
Show the world of buffoons the true power of guns!
Increase your strength and shock the world! Make them know that guns are a viable weapon!
Quest Duration: 729 days, 18 hours, 16 minutes left
Failure Penalty: Removal of the Ultimate Gunner System!
Quest Rewards: ???

Luke stopped in his tracks, staring at the system screens in front of him. His Dexterity had shot up significantly, now tied with Wisdom as his highest stat at a whopping 12. He had apparently gotten an A- in his mock test, which meant the system had increased his rewards—giving him +3 Dexterity and 9 Magic Bullets instead of the originally promised +2 and 6 bullets.

He made a mental note: If he exceeded a quest’s requirements, the system would increase his rewards accordingly.

Then came the thing he was most excited about—the inventory feature! Instantly, he opened it.

Inventory
Slots: 1/64 used

• Magic Infused Lead Balls (x9)

Luke thought about withdrawing the bullets, and they instantly appeared in his hand. The lead balls shimmered faintly, a soft glow pulsating through them as if infused with raw energy.

Magic Infused Lead Balls
Category: Ammo
Base Damage: 100
A fusion of craftsmanship and magic. They pack a serious punch.

He examined them closely. Compared to regular lead balls, which only had 10 base damage, these were leagues better. With a combination of Magic Bullets and his Rare-rank flintlock pistol, he could potentially dish out some serious damage.

Satisfied, he thought about storing the bullets back, and they disappeared from his hand, reappearing in his inventory.

To test if the inventory worked on non-system items, he took off his holster and tried to store it. It vanished—along with all the guns attached to it—and reappeared in his inventory. However, the guns were placed in separate slots from the holster.

So only identical items can stack… good to know.

Although he only had 64 slots for now, he was certain that number would increase as he progressed. The sheer convenience of an inventory system was game-changing. Since he was the only person with one, he needed to make sure nobody found out about it.

Then, he turned his thoughts to the main quest. The wording was vague, but the message was clear. The system wanted him to get stronger and prove that guns were viable weapons. And he had a time limit to do it.

"Two years, huh? I'd be ashamed of myself if I can't even complete this quest in that amount of time."

Luke chuckled to himself. With how much the system was helping him, he was determined not just to get stronger—but to become one of the strongest people in this world. And, hopefully, to figure out why he and so many others kept getting abducted here.

With those thoughts in mind, Luke finally walked out of the academy clinic—only to spot a familiar figure leaning against a tree in the distance.

It was Trenton.