Gun Gale Online - Partners

Chapter 03

The next day, in a dimly lit town bar of GGO, the atmosphere buzzed with the clinking of glasses and the soft murmur of conversations. In one corner, two guys leaned over a billiards table, their casual banter blending with the sounds of the game.

"Hey, have you heard?" one of them said, leaning back slightly to take a sip of his drink. His eyes sparkled with excitement. "The Morelli squad got completely wiped out on the field yesterday." The other guy, his brow furrowing in surprise, paused mid-shot. "Ah? Isn't that the squad that just won the latest Squad Jam tournament? How did they go down so easily?"

With a conspiratorial glance around the bar, the first guy lowered his voice, as if sharing the juiciest secret. "Well, the rumor goes like this: They were hunting for a monster in the city ruins when some PK rigged the streets with explosives. Apparently, they were caught off guard. Some of the squad members got blown to bits in the explosion, and those who survived were sniped before they could even get back on their feet."

The second guy's eyes widened, a mix of disbelief and morbid curiosity on his face. "Eeeh, that's pretty bad... Sounds like a real massacre. I mean, how does a squad that good get taken out like that?"

As they continued their small talk, punctuating their conversation with laughter and the crack of the cue ball hitting the rack, I leaned back in my seat, nursing a drink in the shadows. My jacket hood obscured my face, a deliberate choice that concealed my identity from the world. Little did they know that I was the PK they were gossiping about, the very specter lurking behind their tales.

"Looks like you've already make a name for yourself, Bell." A small male voice whispered to me,

"Hmph. It's not like i'm proud of it."

A chestnut haired person that sitting next to me is my friend Kazune. Who invited me to play this game a while ago. We were there, drinking and resting a little after hunting monsters together.

After the incident yesterday, I was going by different rules when i'm going out on the fields. 'Try to evade players while you can, and only engage if you're engaged' this is my new rules. It's better than having people trying to shoot at me all day. For the most part, i'll hunted monsters like always, but if any players came near, i'll avoid them.

"You know, with a skills like that, you could be one of the most competitive player in no time." Kazune said.

"Yeah, if you mean that by 'drawing more attention of people to me', i would rather took a hiatus for a while. even now, i needed to lay low in the city for a while, otherwise people will put a bounty on me."

I guess he doesn't know, how terrifying it is, being targeted by so many players at once. Heck, the last time i even went on the battlefield, i was almost killed. I'm not a pro at the first place.

Once we finished our drinks, the warmth of the tavern began to dissipate, and the reality of the game world seeped back in. The clamor of laughter and clinking glasses faded behind us as we stepped out into the cool evening air.

"So, what are you gonna do after this?" Kazune asked, leaning against the alley wall, arms crossed and a curious glint in his eye.

"Well... I think I'm gonna look for a new rifle." I replied, the words rolling off my tongue as I gazed into the distance, already picturing the weapon that would replace my trusty Mini-14.

"Huh, why? Aren't you happy with your current one?" he questioned, tilting his head slightly, eyebrows raised in surprise.

"Yeah, it began to show some flaws. I need some upgrade." My voice held a hint of frustration. The Mini-14 had served me well, but after countless battles against some monstrous foes, the wear and tear was evident. I could feel it in my hands—a slight looseness in the trigger, a nagging uncertainty in its reliability. It was time for something better.