A Flintlock Pistol!?
Everyone was glued to the World Auction Channel. When the next item up for bid turned out to be a pistol, they were shocked.
Some folks were so hyped, they were itching to snag that piece right then and there.
Everyone knew what a leveler a gun could be. In this dog-eat-dog world, who wouldn't want a piece to defend themselves?
And this wasn't just any pistol… it had unlimited ammo!
Okay, so it was a flintlock, with only six shots, and it took ten seconds to reload one. But still, whether for yourself or the team, having someone with a gun like that could seriously boost your firepower.
Some were already daydreaming about how much safer and deadlier they'd be with a pistol.
Goblins, beasts, you name it, one shot and they're down.
So, car owners with Escape Coins started throwing bids left and right, ready to win that gun.
Jason was also gearing up to bid on that flintlock.
He knew that in his past life, David snagged that gun and it became one of his main weapons.
Don't let the two-star rating fool you. David powered it up to a four-star with monster essences.
One shot from that thing was like a cannonball. A bullet could crater the ground. Anyone below B-Rank wouldn't even think about tanking that shot.
Now, leveling up weapons was a pain. You needed monster essences.
You only got those if you killed a C-Rank or higher monster guarding a treasure chest, and even then, it was only a chance.
Monster essences were good for a lot of things, including leveling up gear.
Once you had enough, you had to find a pursuer with enchanting skills and pay them some Escape Coins for a 'chance' to upgrade a two-star item.
David managed to get that pistol to four-stars, so that meant it had potential. It could at least reach four-stars again.
That's why Jason had to win that gun.
Ellie was sitting in Jason's lap. When she saw the pistol, she glanced at him, her big blue eyes blinking.
"What's up? You want this pistol?" Jason asked, noticing her look.
Ellie quickly shook her head, "Nah… not really. My crossbow works just fine."
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Of course she wanted that pistol. But she didn't want Jason spending too many Escape Coins on her.
Jason didn't push it. He wasn't much of a marksman anyway. He was going to win it for Ellie.
He pictured Ellie blasting monsters with that flintlock, and it sounded pretty good.
Jason checked the World Auction Channel. The flintlock was already up to 5400 Escape Coins.
Once it hit five grand, most of the competition was priced out.
But Jason wasn't jumping in yet.
He remembered David winning it for over seven grand. So, five or six thousand wasn't going to cut it.
Sure enough, the price jumped to 6300 Escape Coins.
But it kept climbing. Sounded like a few players were still in the game.
Soon, it hit a high of 7000 Escape Coins.
Ellie pouted, "It's just a pistol. Is it worth that many Escape Coins?"
That was way too high, she thought. Even if Jason was doing it for her, she'd tell him to stop.
Her crossbow was just as good, no need to overpay.
But then she saw Jason tapping his system to place a bid.
"Wait! Hold on…" Ellie tried to stop him, but it was too late.
Jason had bid 8000 Escape Coins.
The price surge brought the auction to a standstill. That was more than anyone expected.
How many people in the world could save up eight thousand Escape Coins in just a few days?
And who was crazy enough to drop that kind of cash on one piece of gear?
Eight thousand could buy tons of supplies and gear. No pistol was worth that.
But Jason knew that this one could reach four-stars, so he was ready to pay.
Just when Jason thought he had it locked down, someone bumped it up to 8100 Escape Coins.
Jason frowned. This guy was testing him, seeing where his limit was.
If Jason only went up a hundred or two, that meant he was tapped out.
So, he had to go high to scare him off.
Jason bid 8500 Escape Coins, showing he was serious about winning.
Ellie was speechless, her eyes glued to the World Auction Channel.
The other girls in the RV exchanged glances, but no one said anything. Whatever Jason did, they were behind him.
The price jumped again, 8600 Escape Coins.
Jason didn't hesitate. 9000 Escape Coins.
With his blueprint-collecting ability, making Escape Coins was easy. Nine grand was nothing.
Once the chat channel got more people, and everyone got stronger, spending would go up too. He could make tens of thousands of Escape Coins a day.
And Escape Coins were only good if you spent them. What was the point of hoarding them and letting them lose value?
Jason was betting no one could outbid him now.
He was right.
Once it hit 9000 Escape Coins, no one dared to bid again.
The flintlock was his.
The high price was partly due to Jason's earlier bidding on other items. He had set the bar at six or seven grand for two-star gear.
He basically inflated the market.
That was why David had won his flintlock for a little over seven thousand back in the day, while Jason just dropped nine.
Of course, Jason was way stronger than David was at this point in his past life.
David only had about ten thousand Escape Coins saved up, and just that one pistol. And he only had three or four women in his RV. His favor Points and strength were nowhere near Jason's.
Rebirth gave Jason a head start. That was how he got so far, so fast.
Back in reality, Jason won the flintlock, leaving him with just over 6000 Escape Coins. Enough for one more two-star item.
Jason looked at the flintlock in his hand. It was just like he remembered.
He handed it to Ellie, "Go fire a couple of shots out the window, just be careful not to point it at anyone inside."
Ellie took the flintlock and kissed Jason hard on the cheek. She had seen him spend nine thousand Escape Coins on her. She was seriously touched.
"Got it, Jason. I'll use this gun to wipe out all your enemies," Ellie promised.
Then, Ellie, Lily, Jenna, and ?Joy all gathered around the window, chattering excitedly and trying out the pistol.
Jason went back to the auction channel, ready to spend his last six grand.
