Chapter 2: Bankrupting Myself for Gear (2)
The Hagia Sophia, the largest church in Constantinople and the headquarters of the Imperial Orthodox Church, was surrounded by numerous shops, almost all of which were Church-owned and operated by deacons. Asker found one specializing in alchemical goods and stepped inside, rapping his knuckles lightly on the counter.
“Greetings, customer.” Behind the counter, a deacon in a black robe nodded slightly. “What can I do for you?”
“I have two shops I wish to sell to the Church,” Asker stated.
“Ah, you must be Asker from the Achilles family.” The deacon recognized him.
After all, before Asker’s parents disappeared, they made substantial annual donations to the Church. The deacon was quite familiar with the young master of the Achilles family. “You intend to sell both shops your parents left you?”
“Yes,” Asker confirmed. “Give me an offer.”
“I’m familiar with both properties. They’re both highly profitable businesses.” The deacon elaborated, “For the apothecary on Teodosia Avenue, I can offer 700 pounds. As for the tavern near the Marina Tower, considering the recent downturn in the restaurant industry, I can offer 550 pounds…”
“However, I must advise you, Master Achilles, these properties were your parents’ legacy. They provide a stable monthly income of around 10 pounds. If you’re simply facing a temporary financial shortage, you can apply for a mortgage from the Imperial Bank. There’s no need to sell them outright.”
“I understand your concern,” Asker lied, “but I’m returning to my hometown to get married. I won’t have the time to manage these properties or collect rent, so I’d prefer to liquidate them.”
The deacon frowned. Returning home to get married? Wasn’t Asker a native of Constantinople? But judging by his fully-armed appearance, marriage was likely a fabrication. Venturing out on an adventure seemed more plausible.
Ultimately, it was Asker’s own business. The deacon couldn’t interfere with his plans. He turned and retrieved a standard real estate transaction contract from a box on the shelf, placing it on the counter.
“In that case, please fill in the names of the properties you wish to sell and sign your name at the bottom. Once we’ve verified the details of your properties, we can finalize the transfer and provide you with the payment.”
Dealing with private buyers would have been a logistical nightmare. They would have demanded lawyers to review contracts, identity verification, property deed inspections, and the Church’s presence for notarization. The entire process could easily drag on for a day or two.
This was precisely why Asker chose to sell directly to the Church: convenience.
After Asker signed the contract, the deacon fed both copies into a fax machine and invited him to have a seat.
About half an hour later, the deacon returned after finishing a phone call. “We’ve verified your properties, and the transfer is complete. Would you prefer a direct bank transfer or cash?”
“Cash, please,” Asker replied.
The deacon produced a stack of banknotes, counted them meticulously, and handed them over.
Asker accepted the money but didn’t immediately stow it away. Instead, he asked, “Do you have blank Soul Contract templates? I’ll take two.”
“Soul Contracts?” The deacon was taken aback. “What do you need those for?”
“Returning home to get married. Signing a fidelity agreement with my wife,” Asker fabricated smoothly.
“Ah, I see.” The deacon thought to himself, Leave it to the nobility to have such… arrangements.
Soul Contracts were oaths bound by supernatural forces, directly affecting one’s mental body.
For example, a couple could write into a Soul Contract a vow of absolute fidelity after marriage. Once signed, their minds would develop an intense aversion to infidelity. Any attempt to break the vow would inevitably result in a mental breakdown.
However, Soul Contracts were incredibly expensive, typically costing around 100 pounds each. They were beyond the reach of ordinary people.
Even wealthy nobles rarely indulged in such extravagant purchases. They were primarily used for political marriages, as a “fidelity agreement,” as Asker had put it. The underlying reason was the fear of their spouse’s infidelity tarnishing their reputation, not necessarily a lack of trust.
Having just received 1250 pounds, Asker parted with 200 without a hint of hesitation. He carefully stored the two Soul Contracts and asked with a smile, “Since we’ve conducted such a significant transaction, how about throwing in a handgun as a bonus?”
“A handgun?” The deacon was starting to believe the marriage story. Just how little trust do you have in your future wife?
A fidelity agreement wasn’t enough? He needed a handgun too? Was he planning to shoot a cheating lover or his wife?
“Of course.” The deacon chose his words carefully. “According to our policy, for transactions exceeding 50 pounds, I’m authorized to offer a 5% discount. For 10 pounds, you could purchase a semi-automatic rifle. However, you’d need a permit for automatic weapons.”
“I don’t have a permit. A handgun will suffice,” Asker said. “Do you have any particularly powerful handguns? Preferably large caliber, with good armor penetration.”
“In that case, I highly recommend the Desert Eagle.” The deacon produced a black case from beneath the counter. “It’s a .50 caliber. With specialized heavy hunting rounds, its muzzle energy exceeds 10,000 joules. It could even take down a Titan. To be honest, we primarily sell these to the Kalmar Empire in the north. They use them to hunt Frost Giants.”
He opened the case, revealing a silver revolver and a row of gleaming .50 caliber bullets, each as long as an adult’s palm.
“Excellent.” Asker nodded in approval. “I’ll take it. But do you have any rapid-fire automatic pistols? Preferably with a silencer?”
“You must be referring to the Aphrodite.” The deacon retrieved another box from a nearby shelf. “As the name suggests, it’s a specialty of the Syris Province, known for its compact size and rapid fire.”
“God as my witness, I must be honest with you. This pistol was initially designed for noblewomen in the Empire. However, it gained popularity among mages after its release due to its minimal recoil, making it suitable for women and even children.”
“If a single pistol can provide adequate self-defense, why bother hiring expensive mage guards? Of course, I recommend purchasing this as a secondary weapon to complement your Desert Eagle.”
“I’ll take both then,” Asker decided. “How much?”
“11 pounds,” the deacon replied. “7 for the Desert Eagle, 4 for the Aphrodite. I apologize, but I can’t waive the remaining 1 pound as it’s already factored into the discount.”
“Here’s 20 pounds.” Asker handed over a banknote. “Exchange the rest for Identification Aura scrolls.”
“Identification Aura scrolls?” The deacon chuckled. “A wise choice. After all, if the adulterer possesses supernatural powers, even the Desert Eagle might not guarantee a kill… Ah, forgive my presumption. I was lost in thought and misspoke.”
“Don’t worry about it,” Asker assured him. “There’s no adulterer.”
“I understand. It’s your wife, then? Supernaturally gifted spouses are a leading cause of domestic violence. These pistols are a worthwhile investment.” The deacon coughed, retrieving two boxes from the shelf. “Allow me to offer you two boxes of ammunition as an apology for my earlier slip of the tongue. One box of .50 caliber hunting rounds and another of 9mm standard rounds.”
“You’re too kind. Apology accepted.” Asker took the two pistols, packed the scrolls and ammunition, made the sign of the cross with the deacon, and departed.
“Ah, love…” The deacon sighed, gazing at Asker’s retreating figure. He envisioned a young nobleman, once wealthy and promising, reduced to a trembling husband, constantly threatened and abused by his superpowered wife.
“Now that’s more like it.” Passing by a shop, Asker examined his reflection in the window. Clad in armor, armed with a sword and two pistols at his hip, he looked every bit the part of a fully-equipped adventurer. He had regained that familiar feeling of being a player at full strength.
In the early stages of the game, firearms were far superior to swords. However, as NPCs leveled up and their stats increased, ordinary firearms would become less effective.
After all, the power of a bullet depended on the explosion of gunpowder, its muzzle velocity constant. As enemies developed greater physical resistance, the lethality of bullets would diminish.
Swords, on the other hand, scaled with the user’s strength, their killing power increasing alongside their wielder’s might.
This body… does it resemble my previous life? Asker scrutinized his reflection. Apart from the slightly deep-set eyes, high cheekbones, and overall Western features, the basic structure of his face bore a striking resemblance to his former self.
After all, the Solomonic people in the game also had dark hair, brown eyes, and tanned skin. At least in terms of coloring, they weren’t that different from his people in his past life.
Perhaps it was a combination of soul and body transmigration that resulted in this mixed-race appearance?
Or maybe he was just a brain in a vat, hooked up to a virtual reality simulation like in “The Matrix” or “Sword Art Online”?
And the programmers, in their laziness, simply copied his appearance, made a few tweaks, and pasted it onto his character?
Asker shook his head, banishing these unanswerable questions from his mind.
He glanced at his equipment again, lost in thought. Although this body was currently level 0 and weakened from blood loss, his strength, agility, and endurance were surprisingly higher than those of an average adult male. He couldn’t explain it. Now, thanks to his transmigration, the vampire’s hold on this body had been broken. Moreover, “Fire and Iron” wasn’t a game that solely relied on stats. Tactical awareness and combat skills were equally crucial.
In his current state, Asker was 100% confident in his ability to eliminate all those unsuspecting vampires back at the mansion.
But it wasn’t time yet. He needed to find Peggy first.
Dusk settled over the cemetery.
“…May the flames that consumed her flesh not touch her soul. May she find peace in the Lord’s embrace. Amen,” the priest concluded the funeral service.
“Amen,” the mourners echoed in unison. They were all neighbors from the same district.
Asker tossed the last shovelful of earth onto the coffin. According to Imperial custom, the closest relative should be the one to do the honors. However, Peggy’s entire family had perished in the fire, so Asker had volunteered.
The grieving neighbors sighed in relief. In truth, with his imposing armor, sword, and pistols, no one dared to challenge him for the shovel.
As the priest and neighbors departed, Asker settled onto the freshly erected tombstone, stifling a yawn.
“Seems like rain’s coming.” He inhaled the humid air, glancing at the darkening sky, heavy with clouds.
In the world of “Fire and Iron,” levels and attributes were two separate systems. Attributes stemmed from supernatural power, obtainable through slaying monsters, consuming ethereal substances, or performing rituals. Incidentally, the in-game term for experience points, EXP, stood for “Ethereal Xeno Power.”
Once acquired, this supernatural power could be converted into two primary attributes through training or combat.
The first was Stamina, which enhanced physical strength, control, endurance, and reaction speed.
The second was Magicka, which boosted intelligence and willpower. These two attributes determined a character’s “hardware” capabilities in combat.
Levels, on the other hand, were a different system altogether. All players and human NPCs began at level 0 and could only level up by consuming specific substances.
In the magically advanced Eastern Solomon Empire, this substance came in the form of Bloodline Elixirs. In the now-fallen Western Solomon Empire, which had adhered to traditional human technology, the Solomon Church provided Gene Modification Serums.
Essentially, both methods involved integrating ethereal substances into the body, triggering mutations and granting special abilities.
If attribute increases represented quantitative improvements to combat prowess, then level increases were qualitative leaps.
Peggy, now a vampire, naturally possessed her first supernatural trait: Flesh I.
Her level had already risen to 1, granting her significant boosts to strength, control, endurance, and reaction speed. She also gained enhanced regeneration, rendering all but her heart and brain non-vital areas.
In the early stages of the game, having such a companion would be an invaluable asset to Asker, their combined strength far exceeding the sum of their parts.
