A Sour Note
[Welcome to Guns and Gore, the Phoenix Server.]
Location: Laredo
Time: 1312 hours
Server Population: 7,121
[System Message] You have joined the guild, One Problem.
[System Message] You have received an Advanced Starter Package.
"Advanced starter gear? Looks like Ringo got the job done." QJ stepped off the entrance platform, glad he had waited a few minutes to avoid the initial rush. People were still everywhere, but they were spreading out more.
Laredo was exactly like he had imagined. A frontier town thriving with saloons, shops, and various miscreants. Unlit gas lamps were on every corner, overlooking streets paved with crushed rock. Most buildings were single stories; the only exception was a two-story saloon that spawns three lots.
QJ glanced up Main Street; the Laredo Corral would be where his class trainer was. A long line would already exist, so he pushed that down on his list. He accessed his inventory and opened the advanced starter package.
1 set of advanced medium armor has been added to your inventory.
1 advanced Pump Shotgun has been added to your inventory.
1 advanced Six Shooter has been added to your inventory.
1 Lariat has been added to your inventory.
1 Holster has been added to your inventory.
[Guild Message of the Day]
Welcome to One Problem (OP). Because of your performance in the Doubler Canyon Raid, OP will receive the advanced starter kit rather than the basic one that new players usually receive.
QJ grinned at the message of the day. "Equip all advanced starter package items." Many of his classmates would have spent their hard-earned funds upgrading their initial gear, but this would cover their needs for the first ten levels.
[System Message] The appearance of Advanced gear may be altered. Do you wish to customize your equipment?
"Yes. Make everything black." A big blinking sign that read 'Laredo Saloon & Casino' caught his attention. "I'll check out my gear first, then try my luck with the dice."
Advanced Shotgun
Pump Action
Battle Rating 5
Hardened Leather Vest
Medium Armor
Battle Rating 5
Advanced Six-Shooter
Pistol
Battle Rating 5
"Not bad." From the GnG forums, QJ knew that the basic starter kit would have a battle rating of 2.5. The difference might not seem like much, but gear BR dropped as the player levels increased. So it would have been useless before level 5.
The Casino was the most prominent building on the block, with painted glass windows and batwing doors. QJ could hear the faint sound of piano music, nearly drowned out by the crunch of crushed rock beneath his feet. Several saloon girls outside the entrance were busy trying to lure in customers.
"I'm sick of that DAMNED SONG!" A voice shouted from inside the Saloon. An instant later, gunfire erupted from the building, followed closely by a mass evacuation.
[System Message] Timed Special Event.
A Sour Tune
Quest Type: Server Special Event.
Remove Gunner Phoenix from the Laredo Saloon.
Reward: Unique Recipe.
QJ moved from the center of the street to the boardwalk that led to the Laredo Casino. The sound of gunfire erupted again, lasting for several seconds.
"Damn..." QJ glanced at the timer that had appeared on his hud; it was counting down from twelve minutes. Every few seconds, two or three players would charge into the Saloon.
[OP: Ringo] You still in Laredo, QJ?
[OP: QJ] Yes. Why?
[OP: Ringo] Two third-year players were just insta-killed in the Saloon.
[OP: QJ] Some sort of special event. Did they say anything else?
[OP: Ringo] I got the news second-hand from Dessi. Getting killed by Gunner gets you a 24-hour lockout.
"Ruthless." QJ laughed suddenly. "That's one way to slim down server traffic."
[OP: QJ] Sounds terrible.
[OP: Ringo] Only if you go in.
[OP: Lotte] He's totally going in.
[OP: Ringo] QJ?
[OP: Breeze] Pull this off, and you're a Rockstar.
QJ kept his eye on the timer while watching the steady traffic of players rush into the Casino. The initial flow cooled substantially; with seven minutes left on the timer, there were only one or two attempts per minute.
[Meanwhile at the Songbird]
Quinn wiggled his eyebrows at the Songbirds. "No takers?"
Ren exhaled loudly, she knew better than to bet with Quinn, but she also knew her brother well. "He's too smart to go in."
Robin's pretty face watched the live stream displayed above the bar. "How did you find this?"
"By luck mostly, there was a live streaming message from the GnG Phoenix Server." Quinn pointed at the screen. "I thought, hey, that's QJ's server. And there he was."
Nightingale watched QJ for a moment before nodding to herself. "I'll take the bet. He would have gone in by now."
Quinn snapped his fingers. "Done! One barrel of Brandy!"
Ren watched for a few seconds longer; her brother was leaning against the side of the building without a care in the world. The stream would switch to the inside footage whenever someone entered the Casino. Everyone who entered died almost immediately. "Fine! I'll take it!"
Quinn clucked his tongue at his childhood friend. "Two barrels," he laughed and glanced back at the screen. "And there he goes."
The timer hit three minutes as if on cue, and QJ started toward the door.
"Damn," Nightingale said.
"I should have known better," Ren sighed. "Turn up the sound, Quinn."
Quinn nodded and turned up the sound while zooming in on the feed. The inside of the Casino was littered with bodies; apparently, you couldn't recover your corpse until after the event was over. "Just don't trip on the bodies... That would be embarrassing."
Robin nodded in agreement and crossed her fingers. "Just walk in shooting, QJ. Serve that bitch up a lead sandwich."
The Songbird occupants collectively held their breath when QJ entered a few seconds later. Instead of charging in with his guns blazing, QJ had his thumbs looped in his belt as he nonchalantly stepped over the corpses.
Gunner Phoenix glared at the latest arrival, her twin six guns instantly tracking him as he moved. "The saloon is closed."
"Right... Put the guns down, please. I can't audition while staring down the barrels." QJ sat on the stool next to the piano and spun to face the keys. A quick glance at the timer said two minutes, just enough time.
"The hell are you doing, son? Shoot her in the face!" Quinn watched as QJ placed his fingers on the keys. "This is your fault, Ren."
Ren laughed nervously. "Honestly, I don't know wh... Hold on..." Ren's head tilted sideways as the first notes carried into the room. "Hey... You can't play that."
QJ's fingers flowed over the keys, blurring the notes in a staccato beat that bled into a ridiculously fast tempo. With his focus on the keys, he missed the approach of Gunner Phoenix.
Ren clapped her hands excitedly. "I taught him that piece! It's Bumblebee..."
Robin whistled softly. "Whatever it is, he's playing the hell out of it."
QJ finished with a flourish precisely 90 seconds after he started. Since he was still alive, he stole a glance at Gunner Phoenix. "That's a personal best. What do you think?"
The tall woman stared for a moment before nodding to herself. Then, with a sudden movement, she holstered both of her guns.
"Finally, a song I haven't heard." Her long strides brought her to the batwing doors within seconds, where she paused to speak. "I hope you can play next time I come to town."
QJ glanced at the timer; the jangle of Gunner's spurs exited the saloon seconds before it expired.
[System Message] Your World Reputation has been increased by 100.
Guns and Gore Announcement: All Servers: QJ from the One Problem Guild has completed the Sever Special Event: Gunner Phoenix, A Sour Tune.
[System Message] You have received a special recipe.
[OP: Ringo] Outstanding!
[OP: Lotte] What did you do?
[OP: QJ] I played her a tune.
[OP: Breeze] See? I knew you were a Rockstar.
QJ accessed his inventory and pulled out a small scroll.
[Gunner Phoenix's Special]
Type: Bullet recipe, consumable.
QJ read the description carefully. "So...."
[System Message] Activate the Gunner Phoenix Special?
"Yes," QJ replied.
[System Message] You have learned a new recipe.
[OP: Ringo] Did you get any XP?
[OP: QJ] Nope, just this bad boy!
[Phoenix Bullets]
Type: Fire-based Ammo.
Description: All your guns now have a fire-damage modifier. This modifier stacks with your normal damage.
[OP: Lotte] Wow.
[OP: Ringo] How big is the modifier?
[OP: QJ] I'll let you know when I shoot something.
A short while later, QJ resumed his place on the boardwalk, watching as the NPCs started reappearing. He returned to the entrance when the saloon girls were back in place.
"Hey, Wrangler! Want to have some fun with me?" A brown-haired girl with bright lipstick and lots of makeup pushed her bountiful chest against QJ's arm.
QJ let her slide an arm through his, "I'm QJ. What's your name?"
The brown-haired girl smiled and leaned closer; the scent of jasmine flooded QJ's senses. "I'm Dixie."
He returned her smile and stepped through the batwing doors. "Can you handle a gun, Miss Dixie?" The player corpses from a few minutes earlier were gone.
Dixie's smile faltered for a moment. "Pardon?"
"Nevermind, where can I use these?" QJ held up the platinum dice that he had received from the Academy.
Dixie latched onto his arm tighter, her face lighting up excitedly as she pulled him toward a table in the center. "Stand back. We have a high roller here!"
QJ found himself at a dice table surrounded by Saloon girls; an older gentleman hurriedly rushed down the far stairway when he noticed the commotion.
"Platinum Dice?" He rubbed his hands together greedily, "I'm Ezra Charles, the establishment's owner."
QJ bowed his head slightly, "I'm QJ. Nice to meet you, sir."
The older man's smile widened, he had a full head of white hair, but his face had no wrinkles. "That's a very respectful greeting, young man. You may roll the dice whenever you are ready!"
QJ blew on the dice and tossed them onto the table; the moment they made contact with the surface, a wave of pressure pushed everyone back a step.
[System Message] The Laredo Saloon & Casino is awarded 10 million credits as the receiving establishment.
[System Message] Dixie Jones is awarded 1 million credits as the personal host.
[System Message] You have received the Skill: Show Stopper.
[System Message] You have received 1 million credits.
[System Message] Ezra Charles has formed a good opinion of you.
[System Message] Dixie Jones has formed a good opinion of you.
QJ noticed the Casino was steadily filling up; the commotion from the Platinum dice was drawing a lot of attention. He lowered his voice and bent close to Dixie's ear. "Can you show me the back way out of here?"
Dixie glanced at her boss, who surprisingly seemed to have heard. He nodded, and she pulled QJ to a backroom that exited into a short hallway. "Did you get something grand, QJ?"
"Dunno yet. I'll check it out once I get some privacy."
She brought QJ to a door and opened it for him, "To answer your question, I can handle a gun. Come back and see me when you get to level 10, and I'll show you something special."
[System Message] You have received a Quest.
Something Special
Quest Type: Hidden
Talk to Dixie Jones after
you get to level 10.
QJ stepped into the back alley; he heard the door close and then lock behind him. No one was around, so he decided to peak at his prize. "Display skill list."
QJ
Skills
[Phoenix Bullets]
Pistol 5/100 Level 1
Shotgun 5/100 Level 1
[Show Stopper]
The amount of XP you
need to reach level 10
has been tripled.
"Sweet mother..." QJ felt his stomach slowly sink, "Display all Stats."
QJ (Cursed)
Wrangler
Agility 30
Perception 25
Stamina 12
Wisdom 9
Strength 10
Command 5
BR 5/12
(Battle Rating Avg)
Skills
[Phoenix Bullets]
Pistol 5/100 Level 1
Shotgun 5/100 Level 1
[Show Stopper]
The amount of XP you
need to reach level 10
has been tripled.
QJ cleared his throat and looked around the alley. "Well... I guess there's nothing more to do. Display leveling progress."
[0/3000 You need 3,000 XP to reach level 2.]
"I know for sure that should read 1,000XP. Sometimes you're the hammer and other times the nail." QJ made his way out of the alley and turned down Main Street to the Corral.
His hud blinked at him, and Ringo's face popped up a moment later.
"Did you roll the dice yet?" Ringo smiled at him; the effect made him feel a little better.
"Yep, it was a curse." He quickly linked her skill.
[Show Stopper]
The amount of XP you
need to reach level 10
has been tripled.
Ringo whistled, "Woah, that is a show stopper. Probably stings a bit less when you think about Phoenix bullets."
"A valid point," QJ agreed. He heard a familiar voice speaking in the background, "you grouped up with Lotte?"
Ringo nodded. "We made a group along with Thalia."
QJ scratched his head as he approached the Corral. Thalia, one of their male classmates, had decided to roll a female character. "Going to pick up my class skills and start digging my way out of this hole."
"Good thinking QJ; hang in there." She cut comm just as QJ arrived at the Corral.
"Now I've seen everything." QJ grinned at the trainer. She was the spitting image of Jobo, the Striker Rider he had played in the Doubler Canyon Raid. "Someone is a bit obsessed."
Red Dawn shook her head when he stepped in front of her. "That's a hell of a curse you got there, Wrangler."
"...." QJ. " So mean...Return all stats to anonymous."
"I didn't mean anything by it; I'm sure you will pull through." Red Dawn placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. Her clear pale skin was slightly sunburned on her cheeks, pretty blue eyes fluttered when she talked.
"I would like to see the available skills, please." QJ understood that Skills were upgraded every ten levels, so getting them now would take care of things until level 10.
Red Dawn leaned forward, her substantial attributes pushed against the front of her red and white checkered shirt. "Of course, here's what I have."
[Lasso]
Single-point pull,
AE calm in effect.
Reuse: Instant
[Kneecap]
Slow down your
target by 40 percent.
Reuse: 5 seconds.
[Feign Death]
Fall down and pretend
you're dead. Lose all aggro.
Reuse: 20 seconds.
"I'll take them all, Miss Dawn." QJ pressed the receive icon; there was no charge for class skills at this level.
[System Message] You have learned Lasso.
[System Message] You have learned Kneecap.
[System Message] You have learned Feign Death.
"There you go, Wrangler. Good luck to you!" Red Dawn slapped his shoulder hard and laughed like she had said something funny. QJ couldn't help but crack a smile.
"Thanks." He pulled his bridle from his inventory and activated it. A moment later, he climbed up on Scorch.
Red Dawn's eyes widened, "now that's what I call a horse!"
QJ didn't answer as he kicked his heels and took off toward the Town Gate.