Right after I first entered this damn Western game.
I desperately tried to make money to return to my original world.
But even with my sharpshooting skills, being stuck in a 6-year-old’s body had its limits when it came to earning cash.
No matter how hard I tried, I couldn’t even make $10,000 by the time I turned 13.
Only after my body grew and I finally shed my childish appearance did I get the chance to make real money.
From then on, I went all out to earn cash, no holds barred.
Other NPCs couldn’t even imagine the kind of money I was raking in… and I wasn’t satisfied. I was hell-bent on reaching my goal of $1 million.
But if you run too fast, you’re bound to trip over a rock.
Three years ago.
After going through a certain incident and getting properly burned… I left San Francisco and moved to Justice Town, vowing never to cross the line again.
For the past three years, I’ve been making money like a moderately crazy person without crossing that line.
But now, I’m starting to wonder…
What even is the line?
It’s just a standard I set for myself.
A boundary I created to keep myself in check.
But do I really need to hold back against NPCs?
The Rush and Gold Gang members in front of me were trash, but they weren’t outlaws with bounties on their heads.
According to my original standards, I shouldn’t have killed them.
They had no bounties, and killing them wouldn’t benefit me.
But I decided to kill them anyway.
Because standards can change at any time.
And unlike these NPC punks, I have the authority to change those standards.
Oh yeah, I almost forgot.
I’m the one who sets all the rules in this world.
Good and evil.
Who lives and who dies.
I’m the one who decides all of that in this world…
The player of this game.
<Outlaw Hunt> Chapter 4 [Liberation of Justice Town]
I wasn’t particularly interested in justice or anything…
But I started wiping out the Rush and Gold Gang out of personal feelings and to vent my anger.
*Click.*
The first weapon I grabbed was a shotgun.
*Bang.*
As soon as the Rush and Gold guys fired, my trait [Best Gunslinger in the West] activated.
I fired the shotgun at the bullets flying toward me.
The shotgun was both an excellent weapon and a shield.
*Bang! Bang!*
“Aaaah!!”
The scattered pellets from the shotgun blocked the incoming bullets and embedded themselves in the gang members’ bodies.
*Click.*
As soon as I emptied the magazine, I turned and grabbed the next weapon.
Next was the Winchester M1873 lever-action rifle, one of the company’s masterpieces.
Many people think of the trademark lever-spinning performance when it comes to lever-action rifles, but I didn’t have time for flashy moves right now.
*Click, bang bang bang bang bang!*
“Aaaaah!!”
“…Ugh!”
The rapid-fire capability was the main reason I loved lever-action rifles.
After quickly taking out five heads, I grabbed the next weapon.
Next was my beloved Colt Single Action Army.
But unfortunately, I didn’t have time to savor the moment as I immediately had to use it.
*Bang bang bang bang bang!*
I used fanning to shoot down all the incoming bullets and then discarded the empty gun without hesitation.
Next was the Volcanic Pistol, the Volcanic Repeater.
Since it wasn’t a revolver, I couldn’t fan it for rapid fire.
*Bang!!*
“…Ugh!”
Despite being a pistol, it had rifle-like firepower, so I took out the closest guy with one shot and moved on to the next weapon.
“Oh, it’s been a while.”
The next gun was the Smith & Wesson Model 3, also known as the Schofield Revolver.
While it had some drawbacks compared to the Single Action Army, it was a weapon I’d used from childhood through my teenage years.
*Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!*
“Aaaaah!!”
After blocking a few incoming bullets, I used the rest to take out a few more guys and then discarded the empty gun.
“Ahaha! This feels like shopping at a weapons store!”
The Rush and Gold guys had a variety of guns, each with their own tastes.
I felt like I was shopping at a big weapons store as I switched weapons.
“Su, surround him!”
“Push him back!”
As I switched weapons, blocked bullets, and took out approaching guys, they eventually surrounded me in a circle.
I grinned and charged into them.
“Ki, kill him!!”
“Aaaaah!”
“Do, don’t shoot! You’ll hit our own men!”
“Then what do we do… Aaaah!”
Once I got in close, the Rush and Gold gang members couldn’t shoot carelessly for fear of hitting their own.
*Stab, stab, stab.*
“Ugh!”
I picked up a knife and started slicing through the guys at close range.
With my right hand, I switched guns to block incoming bullets, and with my left, I swung the knife to stab nearby enemies. It was the perfect blend of offense and defense.
Riding the momentum, I began a full-on massacre.
My brown clothes were already soaked in red, and there was more gang blood in my mouth than my own saliva.
I tasted the metallic blood as I swung the knife with ease.
*Swiish!*
“Aaaaah!”
The most overpowered trait in <Outlaw Hunt> was [Best Gunslinger in the West].
But after actually rolling around in the game, I realized the best trait wasn’t [Best Gunslinger in the West] but [Master of Weapons].
Without the [Master of Weapons] trait, I wouldn’t have been able to swing a knife like a swordmaster.
But even with my knife skills, the short reach of the dagger had its limits.
*Thud.*
“…Ugh!”
After slicing through so much flesh, the dull blade got stuck in a gang member’s rib without piercing through.
“Tsk.”
Without hesitation, I discarded the knife and…
*Thwack!!*
Picked up a rock from the ground and smashed it into the guy’s head.
“……!”
Guns and knives are tools made for killing, so they deliver a clean death.
But rocks don’t.
The gang member whose head was smashed by the rock collapsed with a grotesquely caved-in skull.
“This is insane….”
“That devil….”
The sight of their comrade’s horrific death seemed to shock the gang members, freezing them in place for a moment.
Meanwhile, I was thoroughly satisfied.
“Oh….”
With a pistol in my right hand and a rock in my left, I looked down at the blood-soaked rock and asked the gang members with a smile,
“Hey guys, is a rock a weapon or not?”
“…….”
Whether they thought I was crazy for asking such a question or simply didn’t know the answer, they stayed silent.
Those guys couldn’t easily open their mouths.
I rushed at those bastards and taught them the answer to the problem.
“The correct answer is that even a rock counts as a weapon.”
“St-stop him!!”
Bang-!
Bang bang bang-!
I dodged and blocked the incoming bullets while raising the rock high.
Swinging the rock could injure or kill people.
A rock is also a weapon.
Therefore…
This rock also benefits from the [Master of Weapons] trait effect.
Thud-!
Another guy got his head smashed by the rock and collapsed.
Thud-!
Thud-!
With a graceful swing, I wielded the rock instead of a sword, taking down members of the Rush and Gold Gang.
Turns out, the rock was a surprisingly handy one-handed blunt weapon.
The gang members crumbled before this unexpected new weapon.
But even this secret weapon had its flaws…
Crack.
“Oops.”
Seems like its durability wasn’t great.
After a few swings, the rock shattered, and I quickly searched for the next weapon.
The next weapon was quite close.
“Is this liquor bottle a weapon or not?”
The answer was yes, the liquor bottle was a weapon.
Crash-!
“Ahhh-!”
The liquor bottle, enhanced by the [Master of Weapons] trait, smashed a gang member’s head and shattered.
The next weapon was right beside me.
“Is this fire poker a weapon or not?”
The fire poker was an excellent weapon, with longer reach and better durability than the liquor bottle.
Thwack-!
“…Ugh-!”
Bang bang bang bang-!
I kept firing my pistol with my right hand while smacking a few more with the fire poker in my left.
Crack.
When the fire poker broke, I immediately grabbed another weapon nearby.
“Is this frying pan a weapon or not?”
“…Y-you crazy bastard.”
As I picked up the frying pan with my empty left hand, the gang members looked at me in terror.
“Ahhh-!”
Some couldn’t handle it and started backing away, eventually running off.
Bang-! Bang bang-!
“Ahh-!”
“Ugh-!”
I shot the fleeing ones with my revolver in my right hand and raised the frying pan high with my left.
“…Correct.”
“…Ugh, you crazy…”
“…The frying pan is a very, very, very excellent weapon.”
Honestly, the frying pan could block bullets and was great for smashing heads—it was a weapon fit for war.
Thwack-! Smack-!
I kept smashing gang members with the frying pan until my hands were too slippery with blood to hold it.
“Ahhh-!”
“P-please… Ugh…!”
Bang bang bang bang-!!
After that, I swung whatever weapons I could find—hammers, pots, kettles, cups—and took them all down…
“Haa… Haa…”
When I came to my senses, I was the only one left standing, covered in blood and gasping for air.
Did I finish them all?
“…Ugh.”
“……”
Just as I thought that, I heard a groan from a corner.
I slowly walked toward the sound.
There, someone was bleeding from their leg, struggling on the ground.
It was that Weasel brat who had tried to punch Bob in the Deaf Man’s Tavern and got a lesson from me.
“…Y-you inhuman monster…”
“…Huh? How’d you know about my berserk button?”
I chuckled softly at his muttering and raised the revolver in my right hand.
But…
Click.
Out of bullets, the gun only made empty sounds.
So, I searched for a new weapon to finish him off and found something very suitable nearby.
Swish.
Remembering how this Weasel had punched Bob, I asked him:
“Is a fist a weapon or not?”
“…Hiiiiik-!”
Hearing the familiar line, Weasel seemed to sense his doom and screamed desperately.
“D-don’t come closer! You monster…!”
“……”
Ignoring his plea, I trudged closer and drove my fist into his face.
Thud-!
“The answer is, a fist is also a weapon.”
“…!!!”
Weasel couldn’t even scream as my fist landed squarely.
I continued punching him, speaking calmly.
Thud-!
“A fist can hurt others, so don’t swing it around carelessly next time.”
Thud-!
“And I’m not a monster.”
Thud-!!!!
The final punch left him a bloody mess, gasping for air.
Killing someone with just your fists is no easy task.
My hands stinging, I picked up the revolver lying on the ground and finished him off.
Bang-!
Thud.
And just like that, Weasel breathed his last.
After confirming his death, I looked around to see if anyone else was alive, but there was no sign.
Seems like this Weasel was the last survivor of the Rush and Gold Gang.
“Phew…”
Alone in the quiet camp, I wiped the wetness from my face.
I thought it was rain, but it was just the blood of the Rush and Gold Gang members soaking me.
“……”
I wondered how long it had been since I’d gone on a rampage like this, killing NPCs without a second thought.
Looking down at the blood-soaked bodies of countless NPCs, I was reminded of something.
Something I didn’t really want to remember…
Thud.
I just sat down right there.
And then…
Step, step.
Someone slowly approached me as I sat in the pool of blood.
The familiar, fearless footsteps made me chuckle dryly, and I asked her:
“Do you still like me, Emma? Even like this?”
“……”
What did I look like right now?
Surrounded by corpses, covered in blood, sitting calmly amidst it all.
A normal woman would’ve run away crying at the sight…
But I wondered what she, who said she liked me, was thinking.
