The first lesson about gunfights I learned was that bullets traveled faster than my brain could process second thoughts.
The second lesson I learned was that cover was useless against enemies armed with technology that could turn wood into splinters.
"Move!"
Nyx grabbed the back of my coat and shoved me sideways.
The first volley of gunfire ripped through the alley where I had just been standing.
Sparks and small bits of stone shot up from the pavement, and the scent of scorched metal filled my lungs.
I landed on my backside.
"I’m starting to think this was a bad idea."
Nyx fired two shots over my shoulder.
"It was."
"Thanks for the encouragement."
"You’re welcome."
She peered out from behind a metal pillar and fired again.
One of Grim Locke’s men dropped.
The rest of them opened fire.
I crawled behind an overturned carriage and stared at my hands.
They were shaking.
Not from fear of death, well, not entirely from fear of death.
Something else churned in my gut.
Up until this point, the System had made me feel like a god.
I had upgraded Nyx,
upgraded my knife,
opened a lock without knowing how.
But it hadn’t prepared me for this.
Now I was staring down a man who had probably killed more people than I had seen in my life.
The System appeared.
[Combat Analysis Available.]
I stared at it.
"Can you teach me how to shoot?"
[Host possesses insufficient firearm proficiency.]
"That’s what I figured."
[Recommendation: Acquire firearm.]
I glanced around.
There was a weapon lying next to one of the fallen guards.
A pistol.
Old.
Scratched.
Probably inaccurate.
Perfect.
I lunged for it.
"Riven!"
I ignored Nyx.
A bullet snapped at my boot.
I dove.
My fingers closed around the grip of the pistol.
The weapon was heavier than I expected.
It was mostly dark metal, with a worn wooden grip.
The cylinder was dented, and the barrel was pitted with rust.
It looked like something that belonged in a museum.
I raised it.
[Target acquired.]
The System suddenly projected combat information over my vision.
Red lines outlined the enemies, marking distance and speed.
It was all very helpful.
Suddenly, the chaos of the firefight didn’t seem so confusing.
I could see the path of incoming bullets.
I could see where Grim’s men were standing.
I could see where Nyx was taking cover.
"What the hell?"
[Combat Assist activated.]
I didn’t hesitate.
I sighted in on the nearest enemy and fired.
Bang!
My wrist nearly snapped from the force of the recoil.
The bullet missed entirely, embedding itself in the wall several feet away.
"Okay."
I stared at the pistol in my hands.
"That was embarrassing."
Nyx shouted from behind cover.
"Stop wasting ammunition!"
"I’ll keep that in mind!"
I dove as another volley of gunfire stitched through the air.
The System updated.
[Firearm proficiency: 1%.]
[Combat pattern analyzing.]
The next time I raised the pistol, the crosshair was more stable.
I fired again, compensating for the recoil.
Bang!
The bullet struck one of Grim’s men in the shoulder.
He stumbled, and Nyx put a shot between his ribs.
[Host contributed to hostile defeat.]
[Upgrade Energy acquired: +1.]
I stared at the message.
"That’s useful."
Grim pushed himself to his feet.
He wasn’t impressed.
"Cute."
The barrel of his rifle rotated, and a blue cylinder at the weapon’s center glowed.
Nyx’s face tightened.
"Riven!"
"What?"
"Get down!"
I hit the deck as a beam of blue-white light carved through the street.
It wasn’t a bullet.
It was a stream of raw Aether.
The metal carriage behind me split in half.
I stared at the glowing beam.
"That weapon is completely unfair."
Grim’s mechanical eye locked onto me.
"You’re the one who upgraded her."
I went cold.
Nyx shot me a look.
Grim continued.
"I’ve spent years tracking down modified humans, illegal Aether users, and corporate experiments."
He raised his rifle.
"But I’ve never seen technology like yours."
My stomach twisted.
"How do you know?"
"Your handiwork leaves a signature."
The System flashed a warning.
[Warning.]
[Host ability has been identified by external entity.]
Not good.
Grim charged.
His mechanical legs pounded against the pavement, sending cracks up the stones.
He was fast, faster than I expected.
I fired, but he caught the bullet in his armored forearm.
"Damn!"
He swung at me.
I barely ducked, and his fist punched a hole in the wall behind me.
I rolled away and fired again.
Miss.
Again.
Miss.
Grim chuckled.
"You’re terrible."
"I’m new!"
He kicked me in the chest, and I flew backward, slamming into a metal container.
Pain bloomed across my ribs.
For a moment, I couldn’t breathe.
The System appeared.
[Physical damage detected.]
[Endurance insufficient.]
I coughed.
"Really?"
[Recommendation: Upgrade.]
My eyes widened.
Of course.
Why didn’t I think of that?
I stared at the five Upgrade Energy I had.
Then the System showed something else.
[Emergency Body Upgrade available.]
[Cost: 5 Upgrade Energy.]
[Upgrade: Reinforced Musculature.]
I grinned despite the pain.
"Do it."
Blue light flared over my body.
My muscles clenched, and heat rolled from my chest into my limbs.
The pain in my ribs dulled.
My heart pounded harder.
My senses sharpened.
[Upgrade successful.]
[Strength increased.]
[Endurance increased.]
[Physical recovery improved.]
I stood, and Grim’s eyes narrowed.
"What did you just do?"
I flexed my fingers.
"I upgraded myself."
He stared.
Then he laughed.
"Interesting."
Grim charged again.
This time, I didn’t freeze.
The System predicted his movements.
I sidestepped, and he nearly face-planted into the wall.
I grabbed his arm, and he pulled me off my feet.
He was stronger than me, faster than me, and had more experience than I had in a lifetime.
But for the first time, I wasn’t completely helpless.
I twisted, and he stumbled.
Nyx fired, and the bullet struck him in the joint where his armor met his leg.
Grim roared in pain.
I saw my opening.
I raised the pistol in my right hand.
The System showed me the optimal shot.
[Optimal target detected.]
I fired, and the bullet struck Grim’s mechanical eye.
Sparks showered from the impact, and he staggered back.
Nyx fired again, and the next bullet struck him in the chest.
Grim dropped to one knee.
For a moment, there was silence.
Then he laughed.
"You’ve got talent."
I leveled the pistol at him.
"Are you surrendering?"
"No."
He reached under his coat.
Nyx immediately fired at his head.
"Don’t."
Grim stopped.
His mechanical eye blinked.
Then he lowered his hand.
"This isn’t over."
He activated a small device on his belt.
A wisp of smoke curled from his body.
"Damn it!"
Nyx fired into the cloud, but there was nothing to shoot.
When the smoke cleared, Grim was gone.
The other bounty hunters had vanished as well.
I lowered the pistol.
My hands were still shaking.
Nyx approached.
"You survived."
"Barely."
"You fought."
"I panicked."
"You still fought."
I stared at the pistol in my hand.
It was ugly.
Old.
Rusty.
Almost useless.
But it had helped me survive.
The System appeared.
[Weapon detected.]
[Target: Rusted Revolver.]
[Condition: 23%.]
[Upgrade Potential: Extremely High.]
My eyes widened.
"Nyx."
"What?"
I held up the pistol.
"I think I found our next project."
She looked at the weapon, then at me.
"What are you planning?"
I smiled.
"I’m going to make this thing dangerous."
The System responded.
[Upgrade available.]
[Upgrade Cost: 5 Upgrade Energy.]
I looked out over the dark horizon.
Steam curled from the towers of Aetheria, and airships floated over the city.
Somewhere out there, corporations, bounty hunters, nobles, criminals, and monsters waited.
And I had just learned the first lesson about surviving in Aetheria.
If you wanted to live,
you needed something to make people fear you.
I looked down at the pistol in my hand.
"Let’s give them something to fear."