The hard leather boots stepped onto the stone pavement of the port at Golden Wheat Island.
Alka was wearing a cotton undershirt, leather pants, and a pair of short boots.
He was carrying bags full of things he had bought.
"Finally back."
He couldn't help but stretch as he spoke.
This return voyage was very smooth. With no encounters with pirates and a favorable wind the entire way, it took just over two days.
He turned back and said to Hawls, who was conversing with someone on the shore, "Uncle Hawls, we'll go ahead."
Hawls in the distance turned and nodded to them.
Smiling, he waved his hand.
After saying goodbye, the two of them walked through the small town, exchanged greetings with familiar faces, and along the small path through the golden wheat fields, they returned to the gate of their courtyard.
"Siegert, I'm going in first."
"Hmm, I have to head back too."
Siegert said, then took the path around to the other side.
Alka returned to his small house and organized all the bags he had.
Afterward, he sat down in front of the table.
He laid out all the real gains from this trip on the table: a bag of coins, a handgun, a short-barreled shotgun, and a thumb-sized blue crystal shard. And a pile of bullets.
He then carefully took out the most important map and placed it beside the table.
Looking at the money in the coin bag, Alka thought to himself, I still have 20 Silver Snakes left.
On this sea voyage, he had only taken the Silver Snake coins and those two Ruby Shards with him. The Golden Sail and Golden Leaf, being of large denominations, were left at home.
The two Ruby Shards sold for four Silver Snakes. After processing the spoils from the defeated pirates, everyone got a share.
Alka, because he had taken down that Archer, received three Silver Snakes.
That's equivalent to over half a year's wages.
But it was a risky job, and not without casualties. There was one sailor who died on the spot. Two other sailors had injuries so severe that it was said they didn't survive treatment on Tulan Island.
However, buying ammunition, plus clothing and tool materials, cost him another five Silver Snakes.
Adding in the two previous treasure hauls on this island, he was left with only 20 Silver Snakes.
If I add the Golden Sail and Golden Leaf, my assets actually amount to 50 Silver Snakes. An absolute fortune. That's equivalent to a carpenter's ten years of wages. To be honest, with these 50 Silver Snakes, I could live on the island doing almost anything. This money is security. And it also shows the high profit of treasure hunting. Not to mention the even more important gains.
Thinking of this, he looked at the two guns.
He set the handgun aside and picked up the Locking Device-G3.
With his current strength, holding it in one hand was no problem.
But what special abilities does this weapon have? I have no way or technology to discern it. I'll have to test it out, Alka decided.
With that in mind, Alka opened the ammo box nearby.
The box containing the handgun bullets was a very fragile, thin wooden box. It seemed that if he applied force, he could snap it. Its workmanship and materials were exceptionally cheap.
The wooden box also had black-stamped prints indicating the model and origin:
[Suke Island Armory—Handgun—No. 3]
[gw455-6-4, DF.]
Alka knew Suke Island was a crucial steel manufacturing island for the Alliance. The numbers after "gw" likely signified the date, used from the founding of the Blood Gold Alliance. This year was 456, meaning it was made last year. He didn't know what DF meant.
He picked up the revolver and popped the cylinder out to the left. Revealing six chambers inside, he loaded the bullets, closed the cylinder, and gave it a spin.
He picked up the handgun and gestured with it a couple of times.
After enjoying himself, he brought over the shotgun ammunition.
This box was noticeably thicker and had a waterproof layer. The ammunition inside was wrapped in oilcloth. It was much better than the handgun ammo box.
After all, it costs several times more.
There were ten rounds neatly arranged. This ammunition consisted of cylindrical rounds, each about the size of an index finger. They were wrapped in a very thin, unidentified material and encased small pellets. Shaking it slightly, he could feel the pellets inside. This ammunition was essentially a container full of small pellets.
He took the Locking Device-G3 and broke it open at the connection between the grip and barrel, inserting two bullets.
Once done, he tucked the handgun into the holster under his arm and placed the short-barreled shotgun into the holster on his thigh.
Taking the two boxes of bullets, he headed to the courtyard.
Alka looked around.
He grabbed some wooden boards stacked in the corner by the wall and stood a few up at a distance.
Then he retreated to nearly 10 meters away. Any further back and he would hit the house wall.
He drew the handgun and aimed.
BANG!
With the pull of the trigger, the pellets launched out with the vibration of the gunshot.
The sound of the gun wasn't as loud as those he had known before; instead, it was a deep, muffled noise. It sounded as if vibrations were striking the projectile, producing a dull sound within the barrel. From a bit further away, the sound might be indistinct. It seemed to have its own silencing effect, likely more stealthy than guns from his previous world.
A crisp crack sounded as the board was pierced clean through.
I wonder if practicing Magic and the Ring gave me such control over my body, he mused. This shot could be considered a precise hit.
Alka thought with a smile, Who would have thought I'm a shooting prodigy?
Then he frantically pulled the trigger. He fired five consecutive shots, emptying the cylinder. Almost all of them hit, shattering the board. Not a single miss.
The recoil is virtually nonexistent; it's really amazing!
This handgun's construction was unclear. The blueprints from the secret chamber were already stained and tattered, making them illegible. He could feel vibrations, but the recoil was insignificant. This was likely related to its name.
Vibration Stone? Perhaps it's some material unique to this world.
He reholstered the handgun.
He reached down to draw the short-barreled shotgun from his thigh.
This is the one that really matters.
Taking aim.
BOOM!
A thunderous roar erupted, and the recoil kicked the short-barreled shotgun high. This recoil was much more pronounced. However, with mental preparation, he could still control it enough to fire two shots consecutively within a certain range.
A distant wooden board was instantly pulverized. Steel pellets penetrated the board and even embedded themselves into the wooden wall behind it, which was constructed of solid wooden stakes.
The penetration is strong.
But he didn't feel anything peculiar about the weapon itself.
Alka couldn't help but frown.
He picked up the firearm for closer inspection, noticing a small, thumb-sized eagle decoration near the top of the grip. After firing a shot, he noticed this part could be toggled. After toggling it a couple of times, the distinct spring-back feeling indicated it had two different settings.
He nudged it upwards lightly.
Alka fired another shot.
This time, the new board was completely penetrated and split, but not shattered.
Sensing a difference, Alka reloaded two more cartridges.
Using the toggle, he fired two shots.
I see... but is this its only function?
The toggle's up-and-down movement controlled whether the shot would spread or concentrate.
But if that's all it does, it's too disappointing.
After studying it back and forth, he discovered nothing new.
Surely I need Magic Power to use its true capabilities?
The more Alka thought about it, the more likely it seemed. Feeling a bit discouraged, he tucked the gun back into the holster on his thigh.
Returning to the room, he lay down on the bed, staring at the ceiling of the small wooden hut.
It seems not all Magic Items are like the Ring I first found, capable of producing effects without using Magic Power.
Alka couldn't help but think, I wonder when the Treasure Hunting Team Priest Parker mentioned will arrive.
He was increasingly longing for that mysterious power.