He examined the torn metal ribs, then nodded once.
"I will take it."
The woman said nothing this time.
Kiara explained the loading process in concise steps, demonstrating how to insert the bullet and reset the chamber. Once finished, she placed the pistol and ammunition back into the case and slid it toward him.
Her smile this time was no longer purely professional.
As he accepted the box and she returned the excess coin, notifications chimed within her mind, sharp and immediate.
[One single-shot pistol sold.]
[Four gold and fifty silver deducted.]
[Six 9 mm Bullets sold.]
[One gold and eight silver deducted.]
[Main Quest completed.]
The warmth in her chest thinned slightly at the deductions, yet her expression did not waver.
"Please visit again," she said.
The couple departed without further words, wolves resuming their steady pace as the carriage rolled away.
Once the shutters closed and silence reclaimed the shop, Kiara returned to her seat and opened the quest panel.
[Main Quest: Sell your first system weapon.]
[Status: Completed.]
[Reward: Dismantling Skill.]
She selected it.
[Dismantling Skill acquired.]
[Skill tab unlocked.]
[New Main Quest issued.]
[New Side Quest issued.]
She opened the updated list.
[Main Quest: Sell 100 Single-Shot Pistols.]
Progress: 1%.
Reward: Single Shot Firearms Unlock.
*
[Side Quest 1: Earn 100 gold coins through sales.]
Progress: 6%.
Reward: System Store.
*
[Side Quest 2: Sell 10 Single-Shot Pistols.]
Reward: Revolver.
*
[Dismantling: Convert any object owned by the host into equivalent credits.]
Cost: 0 Ether energy.
Cooldown: None.
*
Kiara read the description twice, then let her gaze drift toward the aging weapons lining the walls.
"At last," she murmured. "Time to clear the shelves."
She instructed Zion to gather every displayed blade, spear, and battered shield, along with the neglected stock stored in the back room. While he worked with mechanical efficiency, she lowered the shutters and sealed the shop from wandering eyes.
Soon, a mound of steel and leather rose at the center of the floor, a small hill of forgotten craftsmanship.
Kiara then opened the skill interface.
A circular array appeared before her, etched with rotating mystic symbols. Beneath it, the word Dismantle rested in pale gray.
She picked up a sword from the heap and moved it toward the star.
The moment its edge brushed the projection, the sword vanished from her hand. Its image materialized within the star, and the once dull command glowed softly.
She tapped it.
A prompt appeared.
[Item will be permanently destroyed. Proceed?]
"Yes."
Light burst from the runes, striking the spectral image. The blade shimmered once before dissolving into nothing.
[You dismantled a nameless sword.]
[Credits gained: 0.]
Kiara blinked. "Zero?"
Her tone cooled instantly. "System, please explain."
[Ungraded weapons hold no credit value. Dismantle higher-quality items for credit gain.]
She exhaled slowly. "That would have been useful information earlier."
Had she sold it, she could have earned at least a few silver coins. Even trivial currency carried weight when multiplied.
[Compensation denied. Host failed to inquire.]
Her eyes narrowed slightly. "So the system compensates only when it errs."
No response followed.
She considered that carefully, filing it away.
"Very well," she said. "What are the exchange rates?"
A long list unfolded before her vision.
Copper grade: 1 to 5 credits.
Silver grade: 10 to 50 credits.
Gold grade: 100 to 500 credits.
Platinum grade: 1,000 to 5,000 credits.
Diamond grade: 10,000 to 50,000 credits.
Crystal grade: 100,000 to 500,000 credits.
Ruby grade: 1,000,000 to 5,000,000 credits.
Mythril grade: 10,000,000 to 50,000,000 credits.
Celestial grade: 100,000,000 to 500,000,000 credits.
God grade: 1,000,000,000 to 5,000,000,000 credits.
Kiara stared at the expanding figures.
"As far as this Empire goes, platinum should be the peak," she muttered. -
She recalled the previous owner guarding a mere gold-grade staff as though it were a dragon's heart and let out a quiet laugh.
Zion tilted his head slightly, uncertain.
Kiara waved the matter away.
"Continue."
Three hours passed beneath steady lamplight as weapon after weapon dissolved into brief flashes of arcane radiance. Steel vanished. Leather crumbled into particles of light. The pile shrank steadily until nothing remained.
Total equipment dismantled: 445.
Total credits earned: 687.
She regarded the number without visible disappointment.
"Modest."
For now, credits held no direct use. She dismissed the screen and ascended to the upper floor.
The world lacked refrigeration, yet her inventory preserved food without decay. She withdrew leftover rice from storage, cracked a pair of eggs into a pan, and stirred together a simple meal fragrant with oil and salt.
After eating, she retired without ceremony.
Zion remained downstairs, seated upright and motionless, a silent sentinel beneath the dim lantern glow.
Morning light filtered through the shutters.
Kiara descended the stairs after washing, her eyes sweeping across the now barren walls.
"Right," she said quietly. "We rebuild."
She opened the gallery and selected the pistol.
[Create.]
[Single-Shot Pistol created.]
[Single-Shot Pistol created.]
[Single-Shot Pistol created.]
The notifications continued until roughly twenty rested within her inventory.
She nodded toward Zion. "Place them evenly along the shelves."
He obeyed without comment.
Kiara then turned to the ammunition.
Bullet after bullet materialized in her inventory, the count climbing past one hundred before she stopped. She gathered them into a wooden box and slid it into a drawer beneath the counter.
"Ready," she said.
Zion moved to the entrance.
The shutters lifted, and daylight returned to Nexus.
*
Meanwhile, at the Silver Manor;
*Bang*
A sharp crack split the morning air.
Another followed.
And another.
In the central courtyard, Arceus Silver stood with feet planted firmly, both hands gripping the pistol. Ten meters away, a porcelain vase rested on a pedestal.
The first shot shattered a different vase entirely.
The second tore into the earth beside a gardener's foot, sending the poor man scrambling backward in panic.
Arceus adjusted his stance, reducing the distance to five meters. This time, the bullet struck true, porcelain exploding into shards. The recoil forced his eyes shut briefly, yet satisfaction flickered across his expression.
*Bang*
By the fourth shot, the sound no longer startled him. His grip steadied. The recoil felt manageable.
*Bang*
Another vase burst apart.
Behind him, several maids flinched at every report, hands clasped nervously.
The echo of the explosive shots traveled across the estate, drawing attention to the courtyard.
From the first-floor balcony, Wester Silver stepped forward, gaze settling on the strange weapon in his son's hands. His expression held neither alarm nor anger, only deep curiosity.
"Do you recognize that object?" he asked quietly.
His wife joined him, studying the pistol below.
"I do not," she admitted.