Guns exist in this game. We knew that much from the shapes of the Legacy Weapons that had been excavated.
However, no player had ever become an Ancient Craftsman, because the Job forces you into the bullshit contradiction of requiring a functioning Legacy Weapon just to qualify for the Job needed to make Legacy Weapons. So guns were basically a weapon type we knew existed and little more.
Vysache aside, Bilac has only just become an Ancient Craftsman, and she seems like she doesn't even know what a gun is in the first place. Even if she does, it'd probably be something like, "That weird thing... is it stronger'n a sword?"... So even though I've had an advantage when it comes to Ancient Craftsman-related stuff, I've spent a long time with almost nothing to do with guns.
I mean, sure, Wethermon's parting gifts had guns in them, but those are kind of a separate case—more like weapons limited to event scenes.
Shangri-La Frontier's current civilization level is just shy of medieval. This is a setting where people seriously fight with swords and spears. Crossbows are one thing, but outside the Divine Era, there simply isn't an age where "guns" appear.
Which meant it was practically certain that Leviathan—a Divine Era spaceship—would have them. But who would've expected them to be sold from a vending machine in the tutorial area?
Sunraku: "Is that a Legacy Weapon?"
Isana: "Legacy...? Ah, no, one moment please..................... Ah, you mean whether or not it's a Device? In that case, no. That's a low-cost model equipped with nothing more than a very simple attack function."
Sunraku: "...Sorry, I still don't really get the difference."
Isana: "Exceed Charge and material-activation control have been omitted. Therefore, it differs from what you next-generation primitive humans refer to as a 'Legacy Weapon.'"
So they're just ordinary firearms? That's still more than enough to make me want one.
Saina: "Supplement: The armaments used by us Conquista Dolls are mass-produced models with only the 'Exceed Charge' system omitted. Their specifications differ from those firearms, but manual operation is possible."
Well, obviously. It's a killing tool where all you have to do is pull the trigger; even a monkey could use one. There's no reason a humanoid Conquista Doll with five-fingered hands couldn't.
Sunraku: "Is that free too?"
Isana: "No. Those can be purchased by spending the virtual currency known as 'Score,' which accumulates by defeating enemies aboard Leviathan."
Name says it all, huh? If that's how it works... yeah, thought so.
Sunraku: "I've killed plenty of Technomagigelus, so I guess I've built up a decent amount."
I can afford it! Hehehehe. Time for some nice, fun shopping.
Sniper rifles and shotguns are a no-go. I can use them just fine, but a sniper rifle that pins me down doesn't fit the way I fight as Sunraku, and if I'm getting close enough for a shotgun, it's more efficient to just rush in and slash the enemy. Rush-sniping is an option, but... nah, not something I'd prioritize. If I'm going to bend over backward to make a sniper work, it'd be more efficient to give it to Saina instead of using it myself.
An assault rifle... the classic choice. But the one downside is that it ties up both hands. It was the same when I played Cosmo Buster, but personally, I prefer weapons I can handle one-handed. There's no getting around the disadvantage in firepower, but the advantage of having one hand free is huge.
Sunraku: "Ideally, something I can use one-handed that still packs a punch..."
I know exactly that kind of gun. Or rather, whether it was Survival Gunman or Cosmo Buster, pretty much any game with FPS elements lets you use a handgun from the start, and preferably, I want a large-caliber one.
Sunraku: "Isana, is there anything here I can use one-handed that's large-caliber... Actually, I'm not even sure these things have calibers. Anything high-powered?"
Isana: "In that case, how about this one? Maximum range: 150 meters. The bullets are Mana Materialware-type. The high-output handgun 'Aguacate'! Equipped with a safety to prevent friendly fire against humans, and right now it can be yours for 250,000 Score!"
Sunraku: "That's steep."
I mean, I did hunt Technomagigelus for Score, but it's not like I went all-out mass-farming them, and they're only trash mobs to begin with. Even so, I'm barely scraping by? Guess rifles and the like are out of reach either way.
Sunraku: "Can I test-fire it? Ah, never mind. I can just shoot the real thing."
With a clunk, some kind of box drops into the back of the pickup slot at the bottom of the vending machine, just like a can of juice.
When I pull it out, only the box burns away into particles, leaving a smooth, featureless white handgun in my hand. It looks like someone took a huge block of plastic and carved it into the shape of a handgun. It doesn't have that distinctly gun-like "assembled from parts" feel.
Still, if it isn't a Legacy Weapon, that means it's a category I've never seen before. I eagerly check the item description I just acquired.
[ • B2: Civilian Subdevice "Aguacate"
Maximum Capacity: 10 Mana Required per Round: 15 (Full Load: 150)
A subdevice developed in-house aboard Leviathan. It functions as a firearm by loading Mana Particles stored in the main device.
As it is intended solely for the self-defense of Leviathan's citizens, its performance is several tiers below that of military armaments. However, it is capable of repelling small minions.
This weapon functions when loaded with the user's mana and can fire mana bullets that deal non-elemental damage.
In short, by the time circumstances have deteriorated to the point where this weapon needs to be used, everything is already over. Even so, a portable violence device brought peace of mind to innocent people—even if it was inferior to their own fists. ]
Sunraku: "Knock it off with the flavor text..."
Uh, I'm seeing some pretty ominous stuff in there about it being worse than bare hands...?
Still, surely it isn't literally the airsoft gun that description makes it sound like. At the very least, it apparently has enough firepower to give ordinary Divine Era folks some peace of mind.
Hmm. This is kind of a pain... Is this thing a weapon for magic classes? You're telling me a meathead can't even load it? That's some nerve. Too bad for you, though... I've got something in mind for the ammo.
Sunraku: "The design looks like a toy... Hmm. Does the center of gravity feel about the same as a normal large-caliber handgun?"
I spin it around in my hand, lightly toss it up, catch it by the grip, and take aim. Compared with realism-focused games, it definitely feels a little off, but not enough that I can't chalk it up to the difference in setting.
It probably wouldn't work on Technomagigelus in the first place. Those things are apparently strong against magic, and these are magic bullets, right?
Sunraku: "But that... doesn't matter..."
A toy is fine. All I need is power. I don't need lethality.
Sunraku: "As long as it can punch through the walls and floor, that's enough. I know, Isana. The technology for making weapons out of a single material only came along later in the Divine Era, right? Which means those floors and walls aren't solid chunks of iron... they're precision machinery. A bullet should be able to punch through them, shouldn't it? It's the 'poor-maintenance gimmick' after all... right?"
Isana: "Hehe... Ufufufufu. Was it unfortunate that our very first guest turned out to be someone as knowledgeable as you? Or fortunate? You're leaving me with fewer and fewer chances to explain things... Whatever shall I do?"
Nice. I thought an area that was just huge and only spawned trash mobs would be nothing but boring, but with this, clearing the labyrinth ought to be fun.