Chapter 7: The Last Weapon Shop

With my sister’s black card in hand, the issue of financial strain was swiftly resolved.

I then began searching online for crucial information, which led me to pinpoint the locations of several master workshops.

In the apocalypse, a weapon was tantamount to a second life.

A shoddy one meant certain death.

Over the decade of the apocalypse, I had witnessed countless individuals perish, their poor-quality weapons failing them in critical moments, leaving them devoured by zombies.

Thus, while time still permitted, I needed to commission a substantial quantity of high-grade weaponry.

There was no time to waste. With the addresses committed to memory, I tucked the black card into my pocket and promptly departed.

My sister had already divulged the password when she handed me the card.

However, I had quickly sent her away. Procuring weapons was not a task suitable for her involvement.

Those who dared to trade substantial weaponry within the city undoubtedly possessed significant backing from powerful forces.

Otherwise, they would be apprehended by the police before even opening for business.

I would never permit my sister to venture into such a treacherous, mixed environment. Should any mishap occur, my regret would be utterly futile.

I visited three or four establishments consecutively, only to find their wares either abysmal in quality or requiring excessively long production times, rendering them impossible to acquire before the apocalypse struck.

Was it truly impossible for me to obtain high-quality weapons?

I gazed up at the dilapidated rows of houses before me. This was the most rundown district in H City.

Ordinary residents had long since evacuated, leaving behind only those with criminal records or who were wanted by the authorities.

Most of those who dwelled in the shadows of the great city found refuge here.

I had deliberated for a considerable time before deciding to come here.

This place was ill-suited for my current situation, fraught with unpredictable dangers.

But this was the last shop.

If this too proved fruitless, I would have no choice but to consider… acquiring some inferior weapons.

I would simply have to weather the arduous initial phase of the apocalypse, then, with time, I could seek out a large base where high-quality weapons would surely be obtainable.

As I navigated the narrow, grimy alleys, my expression remained impassive, unaffected by the stench of the sewers assaulting my nostrils.

In the apocalypse, the scent of the deceased was far more offensive than this.

After a winding, circuitous route, I finally located the weapon shop. I pushed open the ancient wooden door and stepped inside.

The interior was not, as I had imagined, adorned with an array of weapons. Instead, an old man, seventy or eighty years of age, sat continuously rocking in a chair.

A radio rested on a low table nearby, its broadcast interspersed with the crackle of static, echoing incessantly through the room.

Despite seeing only an ordinary elder, my guard remained firmly up.

I had personally witnessed a child, barely ten years old, brutally murder over a dozen people.

Appearances could be deceiving, a truth brought into stark relief by the apocalypse.

“Elder, I wish to purchase some fine wares.”

“Do you carry silver?”

“Can I pay by card?”

“You may. Follow me!”

Indeed, the address was correct. After I spoke, the old man opened his cloudy eyes and regarded me.

In that instant, the elder’s previously languid and harmless aura vanished, replaced by an intensity akin to a sharpened blade. Merely observing him sent shivers down my spine.

His gaze, imbued with such potent deterrence, would surely have caused an ordinary person to tremble uncontrollably.

Yet, I remained unfazed. Under the old man’s scrutinizing stare, I maintained my composure. Having clawed my way through a decade of apocalypse, having survived mountains of corpses, there was no one left who could instill fear in me.

The elder’s intimidating aura held no sway over me whatsoever. It was like a child’s toy gun; to an adult, merely a plaything.

Perceiving that I was not intimidated by his presence, but rather wore an expression of serene self-possession, the old man’s eyes held a glint of appreciation as he regarded me.

The elder then nodded at me. Only after confirming I possessed funds did he slowly rise from his rocking chair, leading me towards the inner room.

I quickly followed, trailing behind the old man until we reached the innermost chamber.

The moment the door swung open, I beheld hundreds of gleaming weapons adorning the walls.

Upon closer inspection, I raised my hand to test one. The razor-sharp blade instantly sliced open a gash on my finger.

These were truly magnificent weapons!

I proceeded to examine the quality of other weapons, and the results were astonishingly delightful.

Every weapon here was of exceptionally high quality, surpassing those in the large establishments I had visited earlier by more than a hundredfold!

“All the items are here. Take your pick. But let me tell you now, these blades aren’t cheap. If you can’t afford them, get lost.”

“Yes, I’ve made my selection. I’ll take all the weapons here.”

‘How grateful I was to my sister! If not for the black card she’d given me, these treasures in the room would be visible, yet unattainable!’

After I spoke, the old man immediately fixed me with a suspicious gaze.

He likely thought I was lying, daring to claim I would buy *all* the weapons with such audacity!

“How much in total?”

“This much.”

Seeing the disbelief in the old man’s eyes, I said no more, directly asking for the price and preparing to pay.

However, the old man did not state the price outright. Instead, he flicked his thumb and index finger, forming the number ‘eight’.

“Eight hundred thousand?”

“Wrong. Eight million. If you possess that much, these items are yours.”

The figure the old man quoted startled me; I hadn’t anticipated such an exorbitant price.

Still, my sister had told me to spend freely from the card.

‘It should be enough, shouldn’t it…?’