Dante reached into the inner pocket of his jacket and took out a pistol he had previously picked, letting it hang from between the index and thumb of his right hand. Under the bald man’s watch, he slowly placed it on the counter.
"You know the drill." Said the man.
Dante glanced at the gun, a corner of his mouth rising.
"I took it off some punk who tried to rob me."
"Did you shoot anyone with it?"
"No. I got it only a few minutes ago."
"Only a few minutes ago, huh?"
The bald man held his gaze in silence then gazed down at the pistol. He picked it up, ejected the magazine, then inspected it. Inserting it back, he pulled the slide and caught the bullet that sprang out. Staring at the weapon some more, he let out a sigh and placed it down.
"This one I will sell." Saying that, Dante reached into his armpit holster. "This is the one I’m looking to trade."
The second pistol was a spare he had kept hidden in his old apartment. It was barely used since he got it, and was just collecting dust all this time. Since losing his main weapon, Dante had been thinking about getting a new one, but never got the chance.
Reaching for the second pistol, the bald man went through the same inspections and asked the same questions then placed it back on the counter.
"I will give you 40 for the first one." He said. "As for the second... I don’t have anything to match it. You have to make up the difference."
"Fair enough." Dante turned his sight to the display shelves behind the counter. "I’m looking for something that packs a punch."
"With those scrawny arms?" The man raised an eyebrow.
"Let me see that Blue Berry 5th gen juggernaut."
Dante ignored the man’s comment and gestured to one of the shelves behind him. Letting out an annoyed grunt, the bald man went and picked the exact weapon then placed it on the counter. It had a bulky frame for a handgun, with a slightly thicker handle than the usual. Its dark blue coating was scratched along the edges, revealing the gray metal underneath. The manufacturer and serial number had been scratched off, leaving behind a messy patch.
Picking it up, Dante went through the same examinations that the bald man put his guns through. He then turned away from the counter and took aim, extending both of his arms, then pulled them back to his body.
"It’s a little light." He said after a while.
"Light, you say?" The bald man’s frown deepened.
"Give me a few rounds. I will take it for a spin."
Same as before, the bald man grunted then reached under the counter, producing a small pack with a logo depicting a red skull shattering.
"The range is that way." He gestured to a door on the other side of the room.
Dante said nothing and grabbed the small pack, which turned out to be heavier than expected. He then made his way to the door in the corner behind him.
[Not a very friendly fellow.] Volcan offered a comment after a rather long silence.
’Places usually do business only with the locals.’ Dante explained. ’When an outsider shows up, their first suspicion is that they’re a cop.’
As if a seal had been broken, the sound of gunfire slammed into Dante the instant the door slid aside to allow him passage. He wasn’t bothered by it that much- the atmosphere was quite familiar, even.
A long passage stretched in front of him. Long benches stretched along the wall on his left while several booths lined the one on the right, the divisions between them made from durable alloy.
Loud banging came from several booths, some fast and chaotic, others slow and rhythmic. Dante proceeded until he found an empty one and entered, placed the pistol down on the small counter in front of him, emptied the box of ammo, picked a handful, then went about loading the magazine. Once done, he inserted it back into the weapon then pulled back the slide.
There was a noticeable increase in the weapon’s weight, which brought it to Dante’s preferred range. He held it up, adjusted his grip a few times, then stood motionless for a few minutes, his hands outstretched. Heaving a sigh, he glanced at the partition to his left then pressed the button hanging on it.
A dozen or so meters ahead of the booth, a rectangular panel appeared from the ceiling. On it was a simplified silhouette of a person, divided into several sections by white lines, each section marked with a number.
With the target in front of him, Dante shifted his body and took aim once more, holding the bulky gun with both hands and keeping his fingers off the trigger. Just to be on the safe side, he bent his knees slightly and leaned forward.
Slowly sucking in a deep breath, he placed his finger on the trigger and squeezed.
A spark ignited and the entire gun jerked back with such an explosive force it almost went flying. The shock traveled through Dante’s arm and reached his shoulder in an instant, pushing him back slightly. The entire range happened to be entirely silent, making the bang seem much louder than it should, closer to the roar of a shotgun than that of a simple pistol.
The empty round dropped to the floor a second later with a deafening clang, snapping Dante out of his momentary daze. Slowly lowering the dark blue pistol, he exhaled the air held in his lungs and relaxed his shoulders. Seconds later, he adjusted his stance and took aim once more.
The blasts thundered one after the other, easily drowning the rounds fired from the other booths. By the time he was done firing all twenty bullets that were in the small ammo box, a smile had formed on Dante’s face, a dangerous glint igniting in the depths of his light blue eyes.
============================================
There will be no Chapters tomorrow (30 April)
There will be a mass release of 10 Chapters on the 1st of May.
For the months of May, June, and July, the first privilege tier (10 advanced Chapters) will cost only 1 coin!
Make sure to read the Chapters as they come out, since that will greatly help the book.