OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 66  Upgrades 

With the familiar bell jingle announcing his entrance to the shop, Mariana, standing behind the counter, looked up at Emir, startled.

"…Hey, Emir, welcome to Hunters Den. I thought that we had lost you there. It's great that you decided to visit our shop again."

He smiled at her and replied: "Yeah, I've been busy with some things, but I'm back now with some money to spend. So, I'm expecting a lot from you."

She let out a  laugh while tapping on the counter. "You know you can always count on me, so what can I help you with today?"

"I need some new gear for when I go ruin diving. Specifically, I'm looking for a fast and durable bike, along with some A-rank weapons: an assault rifle, a rail gun, and a minigun. Oh, and the best A-rank augmented suit you have, along with an information gathering device of the same rank."

"I have a budget of 500 million UC, so see if you can work with that."

Mariana's eyes widened in surprise.

"500 million UC? You must have hit it big this time. Congratulations, Emir!"

He followed her words with a quick: "Thanks."

"Since you really mean business today, then let me show you the best of what I can do."

She disappeared into the back of the shop for a few minutes and came back with a massive grin on her face.

"I think I have just the things you need, usually deliveries would take a long time for bikes and such vehicles after ordering, but since we're located in the heart of it, expect this bike to reach the delivery garage in half an hour at most."

"So for the bike, I'd recommend the new Blade Runner model from Apex Dynamics. It's one of the fastest and most durable bikes available on the market, perfect for hunters who prioritize speed. This bike is also ideal for new hunters as it provides great value for its price and is known for its reliability, especially as a first vehicle purchase."

"Good choice, now for the weapons, I have exactly what you asked for. The Vindicator Assault Rifle from Vanguard, a subsidiary of Hyperion Arms, is an excellent choice for its accuracy and firepower. The Tempest R3 Railgun from Hyperion Arms itself is the perfect choice for long-range engagements, and the Maelstrom Minigun from Revenant, a rising competitor to Hyperion, is a great all-rounder. These are all top-of-the-line A-rank weapons, just as you requested."

"Of course, if you're looking for something with more cargo capacity or something weaponized, there are other options available. What are your thoughts on this?"

"This is exactly what I wanted for a bike. Let's go with the Blade Runner model."

"Good choice, now for the weapons, I have exactly what you asked for. The Vindicator Assault Rifle from Vanguard, a subsidiary of Hyperion Arms, is an excellent choice for its accuracy and firepower. The Tempest R3 Railgun from Hyperion Arms itself is the perfect choice for long-range engagements, and the Maelstrom Minigun from Revenant, a rising competitor to Hyperion, is a great all-rounder. These are all top-of-the-line A-rank weapons, just as you requested."

As Emir nodded in agreement, she continued on with her recommendations:

"Last but not least, the augmented suit, we have the latest model from Helix-Tech, the HTLX-LMT suit. It's the most advanced A-rank suit available on the market currently, with a high damage-resistant force shield and a power increase of almost 50% compared to other A-rank suits. However, due to its superior performance, it requires energy packs that are a lot more advanced than your current ones. It's also a limited edition from Helix Tech, so you can expect the best in terms of quality and design."

"And to top it all off, I've got an information gathering device of the same rank to go with it."

He was impressed by Mariana's selection, she really knew her stuff.

"Wow, Mariana, you outdid yourself this time. These are perfect, I'll take them all."

"I knew you would like them, Emir. You won't be disappointed, I guarantee it."

"The total cost for all of these items would be 480 million UC. The augmented suit, energy packs, and information gathering device will cost you 140 million UC. The weapons and ammo will cost 31 million UC. Finally, the bike from Apex Dynamics will be the most expensive item at 309 million UC. So, if you're comfortable with that price range, we can start getting everything together for you. Do you have any other questions or concerns?"

Not affected by the generational wealth that he would be spending away on a single purchase, Emir shook his head and gave her his hunter ID.

The hunter identity document is not a typical card, as one might expect. It is made of a glass-like material that automatically displays updated information about the individual.

Which of course includes their rank. It's also worth noting that the card doesn't require any electricity or anything similar to work, as it's entirely self-functioning.

Once the transaction was done, she gave back his ID with surprise once again coloring her face.

"Is this going to be a routine where you come back with your hunter rank almost doubling each time?" She asked, letting out a soft giggle.

"What can I do? Trouble loves following me around, and with said trouble, I can rank up quite quickly. Expect that to stagnate now though; I'll be going ruin diving, and I won't focus on my hunter rank anytime soon."

Mariana grinned.

"Well, I have to admit, mister, you're climbing up fast in the hunter world. I'm just hoping that you won't forget about us little folks when you become a big shot."

"Well... I'll make sure to keep coming back to you as long as you keep supplying me with the best gear. Maybe someday I'll even have enough money to buy out your whole shop!" Emir retorted with a chuckle.

"I'll hold you to that. And just know that I'll always have the latest and greatest gear for you, no matter how much you rank up."

"That's good to hear. But don't get too attached, yeah? I might have to start shopping elsewhere if you don't keep up the good work." He smirked.

Mariana acted as if she was sulking.

"Hey, now. You wouldn't do that to me, would you?"

Emir shook his head.

"Of course not. You're stuck with me, plus, I don't want to miss out on your charming company."

Mariana rolled her eyes playfully and said:

"Come on, let's get you suited up in that fancy new augmented suit of yours."

Following her, he made his way to the changing room at the back of the store, feeling excited about trying on the new augmented suit.

After taking off his clothes and stuffing them in his rucksack, he stepped into the augmented suit.

He immediately noticed how it hugged his body perfectly—not too tight nor too loose, it felt snug but not constricting.

The suit's weight was noticeable, but it was incredibly light compared to the other suits he had worn in the past.

It was as if it was custom-tailored to fit him like a second skin.

As the suit started to synchronize with his neural network, he felt an electric surge running through his body.

It was analyzing his physical and mental data.

So knowing what that signified, Emir took a deep breath and closed his eyes, allowing himself to adjust the suit to his exact specifications.

Gradually, he felt the suit and his body becoming more and more integrated as if they were becoming one.

In contrast to the Velocity type, which automatically syncs with the user's neural network and body, this augmented suit, like his previous ones, is a Neuro-Link type that requires the user to manually set it up.

The Neuro-Link Suit is a type of augmented suit that directly interfaces with the user's neuro-signals, allowing for heightened speed and power beyond their natural physical limits.

It reads the user's intentions and moves accordingly, making it highly responsive and capable of powerful movements. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

However, despite its obvious benefits, this augmented suit type is unpopular among new hunters, simply due to the fact that the Neuro-Link augmented suit demands precise control and fine-tuning to prevent accidental and potentially hazardous movements.

Fortunately, this doesn't pose a problem for Emir, all thanks to his upgraded neural network, manipulating the suit is as effortless as breathing.

When he opened his eyes again after ending the process, he simply felt...

Invincible.

The suit was a gleaming, black full-body suit that covered him from head to toe.

It was outfitted with various sensors and technology, and it felt like a powerful weapon in and of itself.

Emir flexed his fingers and felt the suit respond with slight pressure.

As he moved around, the suit moved with him, enhancing his movements and reactions.

It was like nothing he had ever experienced before, and he couldn't wait to take it out for a spin.

Emir promoted the suit to turn on its combat functions, and the HUD automatically came to life, displaying a wealth of information in his field of vision.

He could see his heart rate, the suit's energy levels, and a variety of other stats and readings that would be useful in the field.

Unlike his previous suit, which had a visor, this one sends a hologram right in front of his non-existent irises, displaying all the information needed.

He then manually filtered out the useless information in his HUD and kept only relevant information, like the mental energy and suit energy level, ammo count, health, and of course the radar for signal detection, from his information gathering device.

Mariana looked Emir all over and grinned.

"Now that's what I call a hunter."

He nodded as he finished the final adjustments to the augmented suit.

"Thanks, Miss Manager. It feels great, I can already tell that this is going to be a game-changer."

Mariana smiled at his enthusiasm and handed him his other purchases in a small cart.

"I'm glad you like it. Just remember to take good care of it. That augmented suit is worth more than some people's homes."

"Hah, don't worry, I'll make sure to treat it with the respect it deserves."

Emir then stowed away all his new weapons and information gathering device, then carefully placed ammunition and magazines into his rucksack.

Mariana walked with him back to the front of the shop.

"Emir, it was great to see you again. The bike will be delivered to the garage by the time you get there. And just so you know, that's where all vehicle deliveries end up in this district, so always head there for any future vehicle purchases."

"Don't be a stranger, okay?" She added.

"I won't. You'll be seeing me again soon enough. I hope... Anyways, thanks a lot for today, Mariana," he replied, waving his hand goodbye as he exited the shop.