Darkness.
Then… slowly, light returned.
My eyes opened.
The dull ceiling of Ryvolin's clinic greeted me. The smell of metal and medicine still pierced my nose.
"…hah…"
My body felt heavy. My head spun.
"Finally awake," Ryvolin's voice sounded casual.
I tried to move my body. Then—I saw it.
My hand.
No… not my old hand.
A mechanical arm, dull gray, with clearly visible joint connections. Thin cables could be seen between its frame.
I tried to move it.
Delayed.
The command from my brain came first—but the hand moved a few seconds later.
"…slow," I muttered.
"Yeah, of course it's slow," Ryvolin replied with a small laugh. "It's second-hand. And this is my first time installing a prosthetic."
I moved the fingers again. Stiff. Heavy. Unnatural.
And painful.
The lingering sensation from the surgery without anesthesia was still there. Like pain that hadn't truly faded—only suppressed.
"Just accept it," he continued. "It's free, you know. And my experiment didn't leave you completely crippled. That's already good."
I stared at the hand silently.
"…yeah," I replied softly.
Ryvolin then pointed to my shoulder. "Oh, and your gunshot wound. I took care of that too."
I touched the area. A fresh bandage was neatly wrapped.
"And one more thing," he said with a grin. "I installed a universal port in your prosthetic joint."
I frowned. "A port?"
"If someday you have money, you can replace your hand with a better one. Just detach it and install a new one. Practical."
He lightly patted my shoulder.
"From now on, just become my regular."
Reina floated beside me, letting out a long sigh.
"…just as I thought," she said tiredly. "We really don't have many choices."
I slowly raised my new hand. Even though it was delayed, even though it was stiff… it still moved.
Not mine.
But… now, it's the only one I have.
"…good enough," I murmured.
I stood up from the metal chair and walked out of the clinic.
My steps were still a bit heavy. The mechanical hand at my left side moved slowly, following commands that felt delayed.
"Oi," Ryvolin called from behind.
I stopped and glanced back slightly.
"Be careful if you're going to collect scrap again," he said casually. "The official clinics are full right now. Beginners coming in… most of them are half-dead. Some don't even make it."
I stayed silent.
"And from your injuries… I can guess," he continued. "You're another victim of Beginner Hunters, right?"
I looked at him.
"…in that case," I said quietly, "do you have information about them?"
Ryvolin looked back at me. This time, his expression wasn't casual.
"Information like that is expensive," he said flatly. "Do you have the money to pay for it?"
My hand clenched.
The metal creaked softly as the fingers closed.
I didn't answer.
Ryvolin sighed. "Tsk… let's just say I'm talking with a scalpel."
He turned away, going back to lifting boxes in the corner.
"Sector F-02 is crawling with them now. If you don't want to die again, stay away from it for a while."
I stared at his back for a few seconds.
Then I turned around. Without saying anything, I walked out of the clinic.
The outside air felt colder.
Reina immediately appeared beside me.
"…strange," she said quietly. "He said that information was expensive, but still gave it to you."
"Who knows," I replied shortly. "Maybe he's in a good mood."
"He's not the 'kind' type."
I didn't respond.
I just kept walking.
"So?" I asked. "Have you found those two bastards?"
"Not yet," Reina replied. "Their data doesn't show up on the open network. We'll have to go back to where you almost died yesterday."
I stopped for a moment.
"There might still be heat traces, energy residue, or movement patterns I can track," she continued. "Or… if we're lucky—"
"We'll run into them again."
But Reina stopped me.
"We can't go straight to Sector F-02."
I turned. "Why?"
"Because you have nothing right now."
I looked at my hand. Then at my waist. My weapon, ammunition—everything was gone.
"…true."
"We go to a weapon shop first."
I let out a long breath.
"With the money I have left?"
"One hundred Nexbit," Reina answered quickly. "I've calculated it. With that amount… you can still get a cheap pistol and one clip of ammo."
"Just one clip?"
"That's if we're lucky."
I looked at the road ahead. People passed by, some carrying heavy weapons, thick armor, even bodies that were half machine.
And me…
"Just one pistol and one clip…" I muttered.
"That's enough to start again," Reina said firmly. "We spend the money on a weapon. Then go back to F-02."
I frowned. "Didn't Ryvolin say not to go there?"
"He's right," Reina replied. "But we don't have another option. There's still scrap there. And possibly… your targets too."
I stayed silent.
"If you want to rebuild your capital," she continued, "that's the only place."
I closed my eyes for a moment, then exhaled deeply.
"…being poor really sucks."
Reina didn't reply.
I opened my eyes again.
"Alright," I said. "Let's buy a weapon."
My steps turned toward the row of shops along the side of the city.
One hundred Nexbit.
One pistol.
One clip of ammo.
And one chance not to die again.
I walked through the shopping district.
Large glass windows reflected my own figure—worn down, dusty, with a mechanical arm that still felt foreign.
The shops here… were too luxurious.
Heavy weapons displayed behind glass. Shining armor. People coming and going in full gear. They looked like professional hunters.
"…no way," I muttered.
"With our money? Impossible," Reina replied.
I kept walking until I reached the corner of the district.
There, one last shop stood.
The sign above it was simple.
Gun and Greed.
The door opened, and two women stepped out. Their gear… ordinary. Not flashy. But not cheap either.
Beginners.
"Like us," Reina said.
I nodded slowly. "Then… there's hope."
I took a breath, then stepped inside.
A small bell chimed softly.
"Welcome~"
A gentle voice greeted me.
Behind the counter stood a young woman. She wore a hat, her smile natural.
I paused for a moment.
My eyes scanned the room.
Weapons everywhere. Pistols, rifles, swords, even plasma weapons. The shelves were full, but it didn't feel luxurious—more like… a place constantly used.
The woman approached.
"This one's semi-auto, good for beginners. That one has high recoil but strong damage. And this one—"
I flinched slightly.
"Ah—I'm… just looking," I said awkwardly.
"That's fine," she replied casually.
"…I only have 100 Nexbit," I added.
Reina immediately whispered sharply in my head. "Don't tell your budget! You won't be able to negotiate!"
I stiffened.
But it was too late.
The woman simply smiled.
"In that case, I have a few options for you."
She returned to the counter, then took something from below.
A pistol.
"This one. 92 Nexbit."
I stared at it.
If I bought this… my money would be almost gone.
And… ammo?
The woman looked at me again.
"If you register as a member here," she said lightly, "I'll give you a bonus: one clip of ammo and one baton."
I frowned.
"Member?"
Reina immediately analyzed. "That weapon is an old model. Registered about six years ago. Likely unsold stock."
"…and?"
"Original price is around 120 Nexbit. She's selling it to you for 92. Plus bonus ammo and a baton…" Reina paused. "…this is the best deal we have."
I looked at the pistol again.
Cheap.
But enough to survive.
"…alright," I said finally. "Sign me up."
The woman smiled wider. "Name?"
"…Archemidas."
"Alright, Archemidas. Registration complete."
Fast.
She handed me the pistol, one clip of ammo, and a short baton.
"Here's your bonus."
I accepted them slowly.
"By the way," she said, resting her chin on her hand, "my name's Lana. Come by often, Arche."
I paused.
"…ah… yeah."
For some reason… I felt a little nervous.
Reina floated beside me, looking at me with a strange expression.
"…Arche."
"Quiet."
I smiled faintly.
It had been a long time… since someone greeted me like that.