[gun...... Very effective,]

Selina hedged.

[There are only six Magical Guardians who usually use firearms as their signature weapons.] ]

I shrugged. "So?"

[Sword and sorcery have fantastical symbolism, are the image of heroes, and give people faith.] Guns give a more realistic and sober feeling, a sense of war and conflict. ]

"I know, but I don't know how to use a sword or something. Besides, without stat bonuses, can I really use them effectively? ”

Selina seemed to ponder for a moment.

[I see what you mean.] The only problem I have is that I have a few ...... about certain things that I didn't tell you worries, and the increase in guns will almost certainly make some of these problems worse. Knowing this, are you sure this is the path you want to choose? I know that the idea of the brand is the last thing you care about right now, but I assure you that I wouldn't recommend a path if I didn't believe it was possible. With or without stat bonuses, the melee weapons you have are sure to get you to the Vault safely. ]

I bit my lip and thought. If you see a magical girl running around with a magic wand or sword, it won't look out of place. But are there guns? Sure, it doesn't look natural, but I don't think it scares me either. In fact, the juxtaposition of frilled dresses and guns makes it look less belligerent and more supernatural.

"If you're just worried about the image," I said. "I don't think the image of a magical girl running around in a skirt with a gun in her face won't be so bad."

[No, in fact, there's a rather unique market for asymmetrical images of cuteness combined with guns.] Moreover, the "girl with a gun" genre is very popular in its own right. In fact, I'm sure the general public will look favorably at these images alone, but it still leads to complications, involving what I'm hiding from you. ]

I sighed in frustration. Now I just want Celine to tell me everything, regardless of the consequences. Still, she is an advisor. After seeing how uncomfortable it was for her to keep a secret, it would be very foolish to ignore her decision. Whatever it is, it has to wait, and I can only trust her word because it could have an impact.

"Okay," I concluded. "This ...... It's frustrating, but that's okay. I guess my question is why can't I use a gun for a while and then decide on something else? I can't transform, so I'm not going to make any promises about my image anyway. ”

[This is certainly an option.] Note that you will spend a lot of points to unlock the vault and buy any weapons and ammo. ]

"How much did we talk about?"

[It costs 100 points to unlock the Kinetic Pistol.] Then, depending on the choice of weapons and ammunition, it will differ]

"What's the cheapest option?"

[Spend two points to get a five-round with normal ammo.] Left ×pistol]

"Only two points?" I flinched. "Shouldn't guns be more expensive?"

[Nope.] Keep in mind that bargains have little to no effect other than the lowest level of curses. ]

"Incongruous, incongruous?" I asked.

"How does this work for guns?"

[Same as bow and arrow.] A faster, stronger projectile with more kinetic energy. The weapon itself will also receive some durability benefits, but this is a digression. ]

"Okay." I shook my head. "What gun do you recommend?"

[Can we take a look at your unique enhancements before finalizing your weapon selection?] Depending on the impact, you can reconsider your decision. ]

I sighed. It was clear that Selina did feel uncomfortable when she handed me a gun and tried to get me to choose something else. I want to respect her opinion, but I'm also not keen on fighting supernatural monsters in close quarters again.

She has a point of view, though, that depending on the system deciding what special rewards I should receive, it might change things.

"Okay. What exactly does my unique augmentation do? ”

[I don't know.] ]

I stared at Selina. Her tail wagbled back and forth innocently.

"What do you mean you don't know?" I narrowed my eyes.

The next second, a text box appeared in my field of vision.

[Sable Wanderer's Demon Eye]

[Oh sable wanderer, awaken now the power to whisper truth and lies.] Now sing your sad song, your unforgettable melody. Open your forbidden eyes, the hateful roots of contempt and hostility, and look. Become a part of the demon you portray and discover that the tragic side turns into unparalleled power. ]

I narrowed my eyes and re-read the description.

Then I read it again.

And then again.

"Selene, I don't even ......"

[Yes,] Selina sighed. [More or less what I think.] This seems to be one of the oddities of the arcane system that I mentioned earlier. Due to the uniqueness of the augmentation, its description seems somewhat arbitrary. ]

I thought about it for a while, and then I realized. Suddenly, a cold shiver ran down my spine. I found myself reflexively grabbing my left forearm, even though my mouth was dry.

[Anyway,] Celine continued, seems to have something to do with your red eyes. Even without knowing exactly what it does, I recommend accepting it. ]

"Wait, what?" I flinched. "It's called 'the devil' and says 'be a part of the devil.'" Which part of this sounds like a good idea? ”

[It's colorful language, but there's nothing to worry about.] There are no enhancements that are harmful to its users. I believe the correct term to describe it is "flavor text". ]

"Still ......," my voice faded. Looking at the description again, I'm upset at how well it knows me. Sure, it's the Arcane system, not the people, who know these things, but it still doesn't feel right, like it's snooping on the secrets of my life without asking. I also don't like that it's centered on my eyes, this stupid thing that makes me stand out in the first place and gives me so much ...... Oh. Oh, and that's surprisingly accurate.

[Unique enhancements are one of your starting bonuses.] Selene interrupted my thoughts. [Less than 5% of magical guardians receive this special gift, putting you in a rare and enviable position in this regard.] Even if the description is unusual, there is nothing good in refusing to enhance. Over time, I hope that the description will become more meaningful as you get more information. Also, once you've received the reinforcement, I'll have full access to its actual functionality and can explain them to you. ]

I sighed. As always, she was right. If it's a tool tailored specifically for me, there's no reason to shy away from it.

"Okay. How do I accept it? ”

[Enhancements seem to be magically changing your eyes.] This feeling can be uncomfortable. I'll also take off your blindfold as it only works when using your right eye. ]

I nodded, took a deep breath, and took off my blindfold.

Accept? I think.

Then I started to feel it. At first there was a breath of heat behind my eyes, then it slowly started to grow. Then, the heat turned jagged, sharp, and painful, and my vision flashed white. Suddenly there was a feeling that something had carved a pattern into my eyes, and I forced myself to scream as the pain intensified into excruciating pain. My hands clenched my eyes tightly as I reflexively closed them. I felt something warm and wet spill out of my fingers and run down my face.

All of a sudden, it was gone, coming and going. I was panting, sweat running down my face, and my head aching.

"Are you alright?" Selene asked, with a hint of panic. [Sorry, I didn't expect it to be like this...... Suffering. 】

"yes," I gasped. "Yes, I'm fine. Give me a minute. ”

Even without pain, the hallucinations it left behind made me shudder. It took me a minute or two to open my eyes, and when I did, I found a text box waiting for me.

Sable Demon Eye Wanderer

Grade: MAX

Original sin: Sloths

When activated, it displays health, mana, astral transformation duration, costume durability, status effects, map data, overlays, and visual aids. Unlimited. There is no mana cost. Keywords: lullabies.

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked] [Already.]

Locked]

[Locked]

[Locked]

[Oh.] Selina said in surprise. [This...... This was a bit unexpected. 】

"What do you mean?" I asked.

[You should clean your face before proceeding.] Don't panic, you're fine, it's just that you're bleeding some from your right eye. ]

I put my hand on my cheek and my fingers turned red. My throat suddenly tightened, but I tried to listen to Selina and I just cried bloody? Looking around, I realized that there was nothing to clean my face except for a uniform. I sighed and wiped my face vigorously with my sleeve.

"Better?"

[Leave a small touch of red, but that's fine.] Now, for your enhancement. I recommend you give it a try by saying the keywords out loud in your head or out loud. It would be easier to explain from there]

I thought about "lullaby" as I wiped my face again.

In an instant, something translucent appeared in the corner of my vision, and in the lower left corner of my vision, there was the outline of a body. Except for a small black dot on the belly, the color of the whole thing is slightly grayish-green, pale yellow. 75% of the center of the text is written in the same yellow-green color. Next to the silhouette of the body is a blue horizontal bar that fills almost two-thirds of the way and says 193/300. At the same time, in the upper right corner of my field of vision there is a circular section showing some kind of map. There was a blue arrow in the middle, and I squinted and saw that it showed a map of the third floor of the mall.

"Wait, this isn't ...... What do you call it, a heads-up display? ”

[Head-up display, yes.] Now that it's unlocked, I can see what it's all about. Not only does it show your status in real-time, but it has a variety of other features. For example, the minimap in the upper right corner. If you've looked at a map of a location, it accurately depicts the location and updates it in real-time based on where you are and the direction you're facing. With the map data, you can also place a waypoint on it, and directional arrows will appear in your field of vision, guiding you to your goal, just as the arrows are displayed in the shelter.

The outline of your body in the lower left corner shows your health and injured area, and the blue bar accurately represents your current mana. Your HUD seems to have a variety of other features as well, but all in all, it's a huge gift. ]

I looked at Selina for a while, and listening to her words, my heart sank.

"What do you mean?" I asked, trying to suppress the frustration in my voice. "It didn't help me in my fight at all! All it does is show me something that I can see as soon as I open the status menu or pull out the map. I thought it was some kind of special enhancement made just for me, but which part of it was custom-made, or even rare? ”

[Well, on the one hand, it already predicts how much you love firearms.] ]

I blinked.

"Huh?"

[The Arcane system seems to have recognized your interest in guns and embodied your unique enhancements in a way that reflects this.] I don't want to spoil the surprise, just to simply say that once you have the surprise, things will become clearer. Needless to say, now that you have this enhancement, I'm 100% behind this decision. ]

I looked at Selina and tried to understand what she was saying, but didn't think of anything. However, her views have changed completely.

"I really don't understand," I shook my head, pinching the bridge of my nose to relieve some of the pressure that had built up on my head. "It looks like a passive utility, and to be honest, not that great."

[Let me help you put it in perspective.] Enhancements like this are usually only available at the second or third tier, i.e. rare or legendary. This means that just unlocking the vault is difficult, and buying it requires at least 3,000 points. Even so, it only has a small part of the features. Meanwhile, if you choose the cheapest option, it will cost you around 5,000 credits to purchase the Control Eye and the corresponding brain enhancement device. ]

My eyes widened. If you kill a Troll Hound and only get 10 points......

[All of this is really nothing in the long run.] While the cost of credits is undoubtedly a major milestone that is out of reach for you, many MGs can afford it without much effort. The most important thing is what it says at the end. It doesn't have any requirements and no mana cost

。 while

I shuddered. Now that Selina mentioned this, the idea of actually removing parts of my body and replacing them with technology made me a little nervous.

[So not only do you get more features than any other enhancement of a similar nature, but you have more.] It has no mana cost. Zero. All enhancements should take away a certain amount of mana regeneration to be effective, remember? It's almost unheard of for someone who doesn't need anything. You can use it with hardly any drawbacks. But wait, there's more. Those [lock] boxes in the description? Usually, MG's attributes provide them with additional rewards at a specific level. However, your aspect gives you this unique enhancement, which means that like other MGs, at levels 10, 25, 50, 100, 250, and 500, you'll unlock more features. The whole HUD is just the first layer, and you don't even realize it's half of what it's for. I assure you, this is pretty much the best combat upgrade you'll ever ask for.

"Alright, alright," I said, throwing up my hands in surrender. "I guess that's really good. I just don't understand how this will help me in my fight. ”

[Don't worry, you'll see.] 】

I squinted at Selina. Is this a deliberate pun or a ......?

"Okay. And what about guns? ”

[gun,] Selina nodded wisely. [If I'm not mistaken, the only real experience you had was the video games you saw in the movies and you played.] ]

"yes, even though I've only played shooters a few times at Lily's house......"

The thought of her brings another wave of worry and a sense of betrayal.

It's unrealistic, even unfair, to feel like she's doing something wrong, especially when she's likely to try to stop someone who activates Emergency Shield. Still, I can't forget her promise to stop anyone from using it. We've all heard horror stories of survivors locked out, and some have died of fear for no apparent reason. It's almost a nightmare.

Now I live in one.

I trembled and forced myself to reorient myself to Selene.

[According to Ze.]

Ith record, you may play relatively little, but you did spend quite a bit of time focusing on online first-person shooters and even tried some on your phone. During that time, you even have a fairly extensive history of gun searches. What pleases your interest? ]

"Hmm......" I began to speak, feeling my face flush. I think it all started when Lily showed me a series of movies. The guy lost his dog and then ...... I don't know, it's just the first time I've actually seen a movie like this. I thought, he could pick up any gun and become ...... Powerful, maybe, right? Aside from the movies or TV series that Lily showed me, that was the first time I actually saw guns in action. That's really ...... That's cool.

I don't know, it sounds stupid when I say it out loud. ”

[nonsense,] Selina's tail stood up. [If you like something, you should have it.] No one has the right to decide whether you can enjoy something or not. ]

I nodded. "Hmm...... However, they are indeed not so girly. I hope this doesn't completely ruin the overall image of the magical girl. Ha ha. ”

[Okay,] Selina began dryly, "I guess we could always paint them pink.] ]

I burst out laughing, and Selina seemed more energetic.

[Continued.] Gun. Do you have any preferences for your first gun? 】

"Not pink," I smiled. "But other than that, no, not really. I guess I don't know enough, so I'll believe what you think is best. ”

[Very good.] For 100 points, you can unlock the Kinetic Pistol (Normal) Library. Then I would recommend "Umb."

a" P30 Type A. It holds 15 rounds of 9mm bullets and has a large capacity with little to no recoil. It is capable of being enchanted and is already aligned with Agility, capable of handling a wide range of ammo types. I now recommend the Silver Bullet, which costs 1 point per 15 round magazine. ]

"Silver Sword?" I frowned. "What are they doing?"

[Silve

ba

e bullets are made of a special alloy and are made of A

athema is complete poison. In short, the Cursed form their bodies with corrupted mana and pull them into a frame. Silver class ammunition in particular resonates, tearing this frame and destroying them radically. Even if the bullet doesn't hit any "significant" areas, the creature will still be severely unstable. In other words, with these bullets, almost every hit still does a lot of damage. ]

"Sounds really powerful." My eyes widened. "Why should I use something else?"

[With A

The athema gets stronger, and the silver class bullet needs to penetrate the inside of the spell to be effective, so there may be problems with heavily armored targets. This is where different types of silver class bullets are used, such as piercing bullets or enchanted bullets. Different types of monsters, in addition to the silver ore that makes up the Silver Class ammunition, they are also significantly less resistant to metal. ]

"Oh. So what other types do I have access to? ”

"And how much does this gun cost?"

[10 points, it will be customized according to your hand size and physical strength.] I recommend using your remaining twenty points to buy the enchantment of the Umbra. As long as you have fifteen points, you can enchant it with a smaller sound suppression rune. Finally, I recommend five more magazines. Count the umb

A comes with a magazine, you can get a total of 90 bullets to destroy A

athema。 ]

I forced myself to think about it for a moment, but I didn't notice any flaws in her reasoning.

"Okay. So let's do it. ”

[Kinetic Pistol (Normal) unlocked!] ]

[-100 points.]

[Purchased:"Umb.]

a" P30 Type A - Enchantment]

[-25 points]

[Purchased: 9 mm Silve.]

ba

E Magazine x5]

[-5 points]

[Points remaining: 0]

[Warning: Zero points remaining.] Please contact the nearest Magical Guardian for assistance, code: EMPTY NIGHT. ]

A seven-pointed star bloomed at my feet. In its center, more light condenses into a vague box shape, and then, with a flash, turns into a sturdy carbon fiber briefcase that banishes the seven-pointed star into decomposed particles. I ignored the pop-up message while looking at it.

"What's that warning about?" I asked, getting up from my chair and crouching down in front of the gun box.

[Ignore it," Serena said in an exasperated tone. [These are just some of the interventions that have been made at the request of human nations.] They believe that the Magical Guardian, who has a score of zero, is in an unusually desperate situation and should seek help. The code triggers a quest to motivate other magical guardians to help. ]

"Sounds pretty good," I shrugged. "I mean, I'm in a desperate situation right now, aren't I?"

[Yes, but it's a useless message.] Usually, the message is a suggestion, not a command. Ignore it. ]

Inside the box was a matte black pistol and six magazines, all inlaid in black foam dents. This pistol looks ...... Well, it looks a lot like other guns I've seen. Smooth, metallic, and cool. The only other thing I've noticed is "Umb

A "is embossed along the silver slider, as well as the crescent moon symbol between the slider of the grip and the gun.

[Please pick up a gun and point it at the wall.] ]

I bent down and carefully raised my gun. I can feel how strong this gun is, how dense and compact its construction is. Not only the weight of the body, but also the grip of the pistol made me nervous. In my head, it seemed as if something was suddenly ringing, and I was holding a dangerous weapon in my hand that could kill me if I pulled the trigger. Click, boom, and death. It's as simple as that.

I held it tighter, and as I pointed the gun at the wall, I hoped my hands wouldn't tremble,

New images appeared in my field of vision, on my heads-up monitor, and I blinked in surprise when I saw them. Slowly, as I realized what I was seeing, my heart began to beat faster with excitement. In the lower right corner of my field of view, the outline of my pistol appeared, along with the number "0/15". However, this is secondary compared to what occupies the center of my field of vision. There was a small circle with a dot in the middle, kind of like a minimalist bull's-eye, and I was shocked to recognize it when I moved the gun slightly. Wherever I point the pistol, the image follows, separate from where I see with my eyes.

"Do I have a line of sight?" I exclaimed, blinking.

[Indeed it is! Selene replied happily. [As I said, your augmentation is a sign of your fondness for firearms.] While the real-time status feature is good, the value of aiming reticles is invaluable. Your accuracy will increase dramatically, and target capture will become insignificant. Since the reticle is directly related to your stats and weapon, it will even change size to predict where your bullet might hit. ]

I stared, swung the gun a few times, and watched as the outer ring of the bullseye reticle widened with my quick movements, shrinking as I held the gun steady. It's almost like I'm playing a shooting game right now. I almost felt stupid because I didn't realize before that heads-up monitors in video games always had crosshairs or sight reticles, even when there was no sight for the aiming gun.

[To say that this optimizes your combat potential is an understatement.] While it won't automatically make you a perfect shooter, it will allow you to use guns effectively with supernatural proficiency. ]

"I feel like I'm cheating," I said, my voice trembling with hesitant awe.

[Exactly!] Selene's tail swung back and forth. [This boost is part of your special starting bonus and is less than 5% of the MG buff.] While other enhancements can provide similar targeting capabilities, none have the full functionality or accuracy that yours has. I also want to remind you that the Arcane system considers this to be your most optimized and completely unique choice, a reflection of who you are. It's not what Zenith chooses for you, it's what the system recognizes in your personality, your magic, and your sense of self. Believe me, there is nothing to be ashamed of. This is part of what makes you special, and over time you'll understand how special a magical girl really you are. ]

My face flushed at hearing her words, and I put down my gun. Something rose in my chest, warm and powerful, and my throat tightened slightly. This enhancement ...... It offers such small and simple rewards, but it also makes it so powerful. I didn't have to spend years practicing learning how to use a firearm, and I didn't have to spend countless hours hitting the target accurately, I could just aim and shoot. I don't even have to look down at the sights to know where I'm going to hit!

And it's all mine. My power, my power. It's a part of my soul that manifests itself through magic.

The feeling of warmth in my chest was even stronger, and for the first time in a long time, I felt a feeling very much like hope.

[So,] Selina said. [Familiarize you with how to use the gun, and then we can start moving on to the next shelter.] ]

I nodded firmly, focusing all my attention on my angel. She coughed softly, as if clearing her throat.

Okay, let's start with the basics. First things first: guns are not toys......]