Azure: Gunner Chapter 1-11

So of the most compelling oddities of the System lie in the ways in which it impacts language. The very way we speak, write, and even think has been subtly and undeniably impacted by the System in nurous areas.

One of the most well-known, yet least understood, is the capitalization of concepts important to the System. Indeed, the word itself must always be capitalized when referring to the entity that grants Classes – you may refer to a system of asurent with a lowercase ‘s’, yet it is functionally impossible to write, say, or even think of the System without the emphasis of a capital letter. The sa, of course, is true of Classes, as distinct from a class taught in school, Levels, and so on.

Speculation abounds as to whether the change in language has anything to do with the way the System functions, or is sothing completely arbitrary and capricious.

- Rufus Veres, Level 29 Prolix Historian, Oddities of the System

I made sure the safety was on before sitting down against one of the walls, placing my gun next to .

“Level up,” I said with a mix of enthusiasm and dread.

[WELCO TO LEVEL 2! – ]

“I got it, thanks PAST,” I interrupted, then used Inspect.

Huh, my Shotguns Skill leveled… I wonder when that happened? It must have been when I killed the big spider and passed out. OK, let’s get this over with. I braced myself, then said, “PAST, put my free point into Barrier.”

I hoped it would be better the second ti, since I knew what to expect. It was not. When I’d finished moaning and cursing, I slowly sat up. I took several deep breaths, trying to calm my racing heart. While I waited, my stomach growled fiercely, reminding that the only thing I’d kept down today was that small loaf of bread.

I doubt I’m going to find anything to eat here… I need to finish this Wasted Tutorial and get back ho!

“I’m ready for the chest now,” I told PAST.

[VERY GOOD, GUNNER ZIMRMAN! HERE IT IS!]

My second reward chest was bigger than the first. I hoped that ant it was better, too. Aside from the size, the only difference was that it was numbered ‘2’ on the top. I opened it with an excited smile, revealing a set of body armor. It was in a style that I hadn’t seen before but it matched my helt. Picking it up, I was happy with how light it seed, though I was sure that it wouldn’t be as strong as heavier armor. Identify.

Item: Composite Combat Body Armor

Level: 2

Type: dium-Light

Condition: Excellent

The armor consisted of front and back plates, both of them shorter than I was used to seeing on the town guards’ breastplates, and there was so kind of padding on the inside. I held it up to my body to check the size, but as soon as I touched it to my chest I was interrupted by a ssage.

Do you wish to attach the Composite Combat Body Armor to the Gunner Class Armor baselayer?

“Sure.”

Apparently I wasn’t going to have to figure out how to put the body armor on, because suddenly the back half of the armor seed to dissolve montarily. Before I was sure what had happened, the chest piece was pressed firmly against my baselayer and I felt the weight of the armor settle onto . Confused, I reached awkwardly around my back and confird that the back plate was in place as well.

Weird yet convenient, I decided. My bandolier had sohow slipped through the armor and was now strapped across the chestplate, still fitting perfectly even though it must have had to expand in the process. From what I could see looking down at myself I liked the way the armor looked.

The dark grey color matched my helt, and the hard ‘composite’ plate fit snugly to my chest. It extended down below the bottom of my ribs in both the front and back. Below the hard plate, the padding extended into a section of thick, black fabric that extended down to the top of my hips. Pressing against it experintally, I discovered that it was stiff but flexible. The sa thick fabric protected the small gaps along my sides between the breastplate and backplate.

Feeling a great deal safer, I tested moving around and aiming my gun, even running through the reloading drill I’d made up earlier a few tis. Satisfied that my movents weren’t impacted by my new armor, I was about to ask PAST to move on to the next part of the Tutorial when a thought occurred to .

“PAST, do I have enough Essence for an item?”

[INDEED YOU DO, CITIZEN!]

“Why didn’t I get a notification?” I asked in exasperation.

[YOU WERE UNCONSCIOUS AT THE TI, GUNNER!]

“And you didn’t remind after I woke up?”

[REWARD REMINDERS ARE NOT ENABLED BY DEFAULT! YOU MAY CHANGE YOUR SETTINGS ONCE YOU COMPLETE THE TUTORIAL! DO YOU WANT YOUR ITEM NOW?!]

Sighing, I told PAST yes, and I received another mod, identical in appearance to the first – a small, glowing white orb. Identifying it brought up almost the sa ssage as last ti, the only difference being the Level.

The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Item: Weapon Modification

Level: 2

Effect: Unknown

I placed the mod against my gun for a mont and waited. As soon as the color changed, a new ssage appeared.

Item: Weapon Modification – Attuned

Level: 2

Effect – Weapon: Variable Choke – enables the user to control the spread of their shot

Type: Passive

I tried placing it against my bandolier, but nothing happened. “This mod won’t work with my bandolier?” I asked.

[THAT IS CORRECT!]

Well, at least I don’t have to debate about what to do with it… I held the mod against my gun, and a few seconds later it was absorbed just like the first one. I examined the gun and found another new switch, this one on the side of the gun just above the trigger. There were two positions, each with a tiny diagram above it. The one it started on looked like a ‘