Chapter 2: Pull the trigger!
Maxwell continued walking through the streets of the Metroplex until he finally stopped in front of a modest apartment. Slapping his shoes to get the dirt off, Maxwell pushed open the glass doors; the atmosphere inside was cool and cold.
A young woman was reclining her head on her arms at the counter. When she saw the door swing open, she stood up straight, an inviting smile growing on her face.
"Welcome!" she greeted cheerfully while fixing her hair. "How can I help you today?"
"Say, Ma'am. I'd like to know if there are any rooms available."
"Of course, of course." The young woman nods several times. She turns to check the available rooms on her computer. "Hmm… let me see here…"
"Oh, sixty-ninth floor. A fully equipped kitchen, a cozy air-conditioned bedroom, a bathroom, and a balcony offering a view of the sunset.
"How much for a month?"
"The monthly rent is $1500."
"Meals are included?"
"No, But there's a restaurant two blocks away."
"..." Maxwell turns his face to street, it's already very late and there may not be any other places open. He puts the money on the counter. "Well, at least it's on the sixty-ninth floor."
"I also need your ID card."
"M-my I-ID card? S-sure, I think I left it somewhere."
Maxwell panics for a moment as he searches the pockets of his jeans. He only breathes a sigh of relief when he picks up a card with a photo of himself, or more precisely the former owner of the body.
'Rest in peace, you little bastard.' Maxwell says a quick prayer for the poor soul.
Checking the information, the young woman hands over the card and hands him a key with the number 69 printed on it.
"All right, have a good night."
"For you too ma'am."
"Maxwell Williams, date of birth August 3, 2841. He has the same name as me, but he's older. Looking on the bright side, it's better than going through puberty again." Maxwell looked at his ID while climbing the stairs, he discovered while walking around the metropolis that they were in the year 2875, which meant he was 34 years old.
Being in a safe place, Maxwell finally concentrates on the headache he was feeling, he had been ignoring the visions and memories for a long time.
There wasn't much to it, which explained the little pain he felt. The life of the old body was a humdrum routine, which boiled down to doing the basics to survive. Maxwell even questioned whether the body's former owner was a person or just an empty shell to be filled with his soul.
Shaking his head, Maxwell put these thoughts to the back of his mind and entered what he would call home for the next month. After storing his weapons in a wardrobe, Maxwell takes a quick shower and falls to the bed, completely exhausted.
The next day…
Yawning, Maxwell gets out of bed. He freezes for a moment at the unfamiliar surroundings, until memories of the previous day flood his mind. Shrugging, Maxwell goes into the bathroom to wash his face.
"Ahhh! A thief! No wait… it's me." Seeing his new appearance in the mirror, Maxwell can't help but feel strange. It was quite disconcerting to see himself with a new face, was this how people who had plastic surgery felt?
"Not bad, not bad at all." With his hand on his chin and another in the sink, Maxwell turns his side left and right. His skin was a healthy tan, black hair was combed back with a neatly trimmed beard, framing his dark blue eyes.
Maxwell's eyebrows jump and his hands go down to his pants and look at his attributes.
"I don't understand, how can reincarnators measure exactly their dicks with the naked eye? Is it some kind of skill that you gain after inspecting several dicks? I don't know, kind of gay".
Maxwell gave up trying to guess the size of his cock, he had a belly to fill and plans to make. After tidying up, Maxwell goes downstairs, deciding to have a look at the restaurant near the apartment.
When Maxwell got there, he chose a seat by the window and ordered a cup of coffee and pancakes for breakfast. Maxwell was lost in his thoughts as he occasionally sipped his coffee, some of his doubts popping up.
'System, I've seen that I don't have any skills, how can I get one?'
[Skills are gained in two ways. Through missions focused on gaining this skill or through Challenges in the Quest Board. The latter, however, gives you a pre-defined skill]
'Quest Board uh? I hope they're not absurd missions.' Maxwell's mind spins, wondering which skill he should get first. 'Well, I'm in Borderlands, gaining a firearm skill would be the smart thing to do. I'm going to look for a shooting club when I'm done here."
[Verifying quest conditions… condition met]
[Generating quest…]
[Quest:
( ) Join a shooting club.
( ) Receive instructions on how to handle a gun properly.
( ) Hit 5 consecutive shots.
Reward: Trigger Discipline + $10c]
'No penalization? I think I'm falling in love,' Maxwell breathed a sigh of relief when he saw the system's lack of bullshit. 'But what would happen if I didn't?'
[My goal is to make you the Apex Predator, penalization is against my user terms.]
[If you don't complete the mission you won't get the reward; the mission can remain incomplete for years without any penalization. But I must warn you about missions such as rescuing people, because if the target of the rescue dies, the mission counts as failed, although there is no penalization from the system, the person referred to will still die through the fault of the user.]
'That's reasonable, I can handle it.'
With a destination in mind, Maxwell doesn't rush but finishes his meal, he looks at the people rushing to work, the traffic, and the distant sounds of honking horns.
'If I hadn't known I was on another planet, I might have thought I was still on Earth.' Maxwell could only sigh at how human beings remained the same, no matter what world they were in. 'These people live worrying about bills to pay, unaware of the ruins beneath their feet; truly, ignorance is a blessing for the masses. '
The waitress goes to his table when she sees that he has finished and is getting up to leave. Maxwell took the opportunity to ask if there were any shooting clubs nearby.
"Yes, I know. There's a club near the hospital." The woman looks at Maxwell strangely. "You could find this kind of information on ECHOnet, you know?"
"Oh! Uh… I lost mine. Thanks anyway, ma'am." Maxwell pays for his meal and leaves for the shooting club.
'I'm going to need an ECHO too. Maybe I'll need more money sooner than I expected.' Maxwell just hoped that Marcus wouldn't notice that certain amounts were missing.
Walking down the street, Maxwell passes a hospital and after a few minutes, he arrives at his destination. Even from outside, he could hear the occasional gunshot; the sound was rather muffled, but it was still noticeable.
It was the first time he had been to such a place, so it took some time for Maxwell to be allowed in. With his documents and identity confirmed, and above all, with no criminal record, he was granted admission.
Maxwell registered and paid the fee. As he had a gun, he wanted to go straight away, but his instructor warned him that he needed to use the training ammunition, for which his ammunition was not suitable at the moment.
[(X) Join a shooting club.]
His instructor leads him into a room, Maxwell's eyes darting from side to side as he realizes the ridiculous amount of ammunition. There was not only Atlas ammunition but ammunition from all the other corporations.
"Hey, buddy, don't just stand there, what do you want?" An old man was in charge of the place; given his worn appearance, he was probably a man who had taken part in several gunfights.
'System, give me a hand here. Which ammunition is compatible with my p2016?'
[The weapons provided by the system are compatible with the ammunition in this universe. Just understand that there are certain limits. Such as loading an energy weapon with physical ammunition or reloading an energy weapon using explosive ammunition]
[For example, your P2016 is comparable with Dahl and Vladof ammunition. But the same cannot be done with Maliwan and Torgue ammunition.]
'I see' With the information provided, Maxwell buys a few boxes of training ammunition, two holsters, one for his P2016 and one for his Data Knife.
With everything settled, Maxwell can finally shoot. He is taken to the shooting ranges, there were a few people present, and even a child was practicing there. Maxwell pulls his P2016 from its holster and waits for instructions.
"Alright, before we start, I need to teach you a few safety rules. But it seems you already know that, don't you?" The instructor shakes his head as he observes Maxwell pointing the gun barrel downwards and keeping his finger away from the trigger.
"I know a few things." Although the sound was muffled by the earplugs, he could still hear his instructor.
"Good, now, let's start with your stance. Assume the standing shooting position for me. Feet shoulder-width apart, knees slightly bent, and lean forward slightly. Good. Now, grip the gun firmly with both hands and extend your arms straight out in front of you. Excellent. You're in position."
"Take a deep breath, steady your aim, and when you're ready, gently squeeze the trigger. Give it a try."
Maxwell holds his breath, and with his target in his sights, puts his finger on the trigger and pulls it.
*Bang*
And he completely missed the target.
Maxwell is not discouraged and tries again, pulling the trigger again when he recovers from the recoil.
*Bang*
He misses again.
"Uh... I think I've got something wrong."
"Yeah, you're pulling the trigger, that sudden action is throwing off your aim. Try squeezing the trigger gently." The instructor doesn't lose patience, in fact, he expected something like this to happen.
[(X) Receive instructions on how to handle a gun properly.]
Maxwell nods, gets into position, and holds his breath. His finger slowly squeezes until it reaches the breaking point.
*Bang*
The bullet landed in the target's chest, and Maxwell only realized how focused he was when he was brought back to reality by a screen appearing in front of him.
(1/5) Hit 5 consecutive shots.]
Maxwell is concentrating again, that's all it took for him to gain his ability. He focuses on hitting the target's torso to minimize the chance of missing.
*Bang* *bang*
(3/5) Hit 5 consecutive shots.]
Maxwell took his time with each shot to recover from the gun's recoil. With his care taken, he managed to hit the remaining shots.
*Bang* *bang*
(X) Hit 5 consecutive shots.]
[Quest accomplished! Depositing rewards…]
[You've received a skill: Trigger Discipline]
[Trigger Discipline: This skill represents mastery over all types of firearms. Trigger Discipline improves various aspects of the art of shooting, including:
Iron Grip: Maintaining a firm, stable grip on the weapon significantly reduces recoil and the possibility of making prolonged bursts without affecting the aim.
Quicksilver: Reload your weapons quickly and efficiently, minimizing downtime and letting you quickly switch between different weapons.
Eagle Eyes: Passively increases the maximum distance your eyes can see per level.]
[+$10c]
'No chance, can I zoom in with my eyesight?' Maxwell exclaimed in his mind as he felt he could control how far he could see, the 'zoom' he could give didn't seem like much at the moment, but it was expected given the skill level.
'Let's see, stats.'
_____
Name: Maxwell Williams
Regeneration: 0
[STR: 3] [END: 5] [DEX: 4>5] [INT: 7>9]
Skills: [Trigger Discipline lv.1]
___
Functions: [Hangar] [Quest Board]
Credits: $11
_____
'OH! I've won some points… Well, that makes sense, I need focus and dexterity to shoot.' Maxwell is brought back from his thoughts when his instructor catches his eye.
"No need to be too surprised, let's keep shooting. I still need to teach you how to reload your gun and refill your magazines with your ammunition."
"Sure, of course, pal" Maxwell wouldn't argue, he needed to shoot more to improve his skill.
A few hours later…
[With continuous effort, Trigger Discipline has leveled up]
[Trigger Discipline lv1>lv2]
'Hmm, I feel sick. I need to get used to this happening.' Maxwell complains as he feels his vision improving again, allowing him to look further.
Maxwell put down his P2016. The barrel of the gun had visible smoke coming from the end of the barrel, and it was also rather hot.
With his goal achieved, Maxwell can finally leave and go home. He would be visiting the shooting range more often to improve his skills as much as possible.
Arriving at his room, Maxwell took a quick shower and ate a meal he had ordered. Afterward, he goes out onto the balcony to relax after a productive day. In his hand, he had a rectangular device known as an ECHO, very familiar and present in all Borderlands games.
Maxwell had bought one while he was on his way back, the ECHO didn't cost much, it was practically the price of a smartphone on his old planet, and it also did everything a smartphone does, take photos, make video calls, and not least, play games.
On the other hand, the accessories for the ECHO were quite expensive. The popular Storage Deck, or just SD, worked like a videogame inventory, allowing you to carry various items without worrying about weight. It was more convenient than a backpack.
You can store your clothes, ammunition, non-perishable supplies, and even your car if the SD has enough space! It was everyone's dream, and Maxwell was no different.
Maxwell ended his day watching the sunset before going to bed. He would be training his body tomorrow.
Chapter 3: Training day
*Beeep* *beeep* *beeep*
An ECHO alarms, its annoying sound echoing through the room.
Turning off the device, Maxwell gets up from his bed with a yawn.
Looking around the room, Maxwell's face wrinkles and he falls into bed again. His eyes roam the ceiling, trying to remember where he was.
"Damn, that's weird as hell!" Maxwell buries his face in the mattress and shouts.
Maxwell lay there for a while longer before sighing. Things weren't going to go back to normal, he only realized that when he was no longer in his old world.
"The desire to have, and the boredom of possessing." Sitting on the bed, Maxwell patted his face. "Let's start the day, anyone who works in a bed is a prostitute. "
"System, is there any difference in gaining points in physical attributes if I do calisthenics or hypertrophy?" Maxwell asks as he rubs his face to get rid of some of the sleep in his eyes, still feeling the remnants of a groggy awakening.
[Yes, there is a difference. Calisthenics will have the highest point gain in STR and DEX, with a considerable gain in END. Hypertrophy has a significant gain, albeit smaller, in the same stats. The focus, however, is on muscle gain, which results in the greatest strength gain per point in STR.]
"Let me see if I understand. When I reach my human peak my strength would be 175kg. If I remember well, a human could lift half a tonne on Earth. So if I do Hypertrophy, instead of gaining 3.5 strength by each point, I'll gain 4?"
[I apologize for the lack of further explanation. But you got it right, some pilots for example can lift a tonne with the help of stim specialized in muscle development. But I recommend against the use of such items as they remove some points from your END and slow down the rate of gain.]
"I understand, I'll follow your advice. Is there anything else I should know?"
[Don't let your STR be greater than your END, they can be equal, but never let STR be greater. If your strength is greater than your endurance, you could end up destroying your body. For example, if your stats are 50 STR and 20 END, you might be able to break through a wall, but you'll have lost your arm in the process.]
[Be aware that your body is not the famous "Gamer Body", the system has unleashed its body's potential, being able to reach human limits and even surpass them to a certain extent. If you stop training, eat too many foods that denigrate your health, or use toxic substances, you could lose stats points. Keep up a daily exercise routine and pay attention to your diet, and I don't need to mention staying away from drugs and cigarettes.]
[Your running speed or agility depends on STR, END, and DEX. Your strength decides how far you can travel with each step, obviously determining your top speed. Your stamina decides how far you can go before you get tired. Your dexterity decides your balance, and control over how fast you want to go. For statistics nerds, 1 point in STR and DEX combined equals 1 AGI point, which is worth around 0.77m/s for each point.]
"Now this is important information, I didn't realize there was a hidden AGI statistic. Thank you for your patience," with a clear goal, Maxwell takes a shower to wake up fully and eats a meal. and sets off for the day's training. "I'll do calisthenics for now, then I'll focus on gaining more muscle."
He trained for a few hours doing the calisthenic movements he remembered. With the help of Nanites, his muscles returned to full strength within a few minutes of rest, allowing him to optimize and gain strength quickly.
After doing a few push-ups and squats, Maxwell transitions into the frog stand position. His legs rise off the ground as he bends over and engages his core. Just as he prepares to transition into a handstand, he momentarily loses his balance. However, with composure, he quickly adjusts his body, preventing any potential injury in the process.
Maxwell doesn't get discouraged and completes his routine with an L-sit, pushing his abdomen to its limit until he can no longer maintain the position. Finally, he collapses to the ground, his chest heaving rapidly as sweat pools beneath him, staining the ground beneath with his exertion.
A tingling sensation began to appear in Maxwell's worn-out muscles, as the Nanites began to repair every fiber of his limbs.
As the process would take some time, Maxwell decided to accompany its growth.
_____
Name: Maxwell Williams
Regeneration: 0
[STR: 3>6] [END: 5>6] [DEX: 5>7] [INT: 9]
Skills: [Trigger Discipline lv.2]
___
Functions: [Hangar] [Quest Board]
Credits: $11
_____
"I only won one point in END? Come on, that's too little!" Maxwell couldn't believe that after several hours all he had gained was a measly point in endurance. The system's warning to him not to let STR exceed END weighed heavily on his mind.
"System, isn't there an easier way to increase END?"
[Certainly, cardio is a great alternative for a quick increase in END and a small increase in STR and DEX.]
"Hmm, let's try it out." Maxwell gets up when the Nanites have finished fixing him.
Leaving the apartment he decides to go for a short run to see how far 6 of END could take him.
After thirty seconds of running, Maxwell stopped, his body bent over while his hands were on his knees.
[END: 6>7]
"I… *huff* forgot to… *huff* warm up." Maxwell's sweaty face wrinkles as he feels his ribs ache. "I *huff* need a break."
Maxwell drags his body onto a bench and the tingling begins to grow again in his body. After a few minutes, the Nanites finished their work and Maxwell was ready for another round.
He doesn't make the same mistake and starts slowly, his walk lasting only a few minutes before the feeling of tiredness sets in. And as if he knew it, his Nanites start to work, allowing Maxwell to continue.
[END: 7>8]
Realizing he wasn't getting tired after several minutes of walking, Maxwell increased his speed. Although he had the feeling that he was getting tired, the Nanites' recovery seemed to outstrip the rate at which he got tired.
[END: 8>10]
Keeping up his running pace, Maxwell realized that his endurance seemed infinite.
"Have I *huff* just *huff* found a glitch?" Maxwell said incredulously, he had run so far that he had reached the other side of town.
*Rumble*
"I think that's a no." Maxwell felt his stomach ache, after running so much he was getting hungry, and his mouth was dry, begging for a drink of water.
Fortunately, he had spotted a snack bar across the street.
His tired countenance disappears when his nose is attacked by the smell of food in the air. Maxwell hurries into the establishment and finds a place to sit.
Raising his hand anxiously, Maxwell caught the waitress's eye. feeling relaxed only when his order was on its way.
Relaxing in his seat, Maxwell finally realized that a few people were sitting behind him, his ears perking up as he listened to the subject of the conversation.
"Bryan, my friend, how are things going in the army?"
"it could be better, but I have nothing to complain about."
"Yes, I can see, you're quite pale."
"It's the Commandant Steele's fault, she initiated a military enlistment campaign, and it's been hectic ever since."
"Which planet this time? I heard some rumors saying it would be on Eden-5."
"I wish it was Eden-5, but that woman decided to go to Pandora."
"Really? You're so fucke-"
"Here's your request." The waitress interrupted, startling Maxwell, who was quite focused on the conversation.
"Thanks, Ma'am."
Maxwell ate silently, his head spinning with the implications of the small talk. He hadn't paid much attention to the news, but now he at least knew that he was probably at the beginning of Borderlands 1.
'Fortunately, I'm at the beginning, the early Borderlands franchise doesn't have many notable villains. No Jack or the twins.' Just remembering the twins put him in a sour mood. He was going to do the universe a favor when he got strong because he recognized that although the twins were a pair of idiots, they were still Sirens and could kill him with just a touch.
Handsome Jack was avoidable, he didn't need more enemies. As someone who knew a bit about the lore of Borderlands, the real enemies were those who acted in the shadows.
He was curious, do the guardians The Watcher and The Seer know of his presence?
'System, can I be influenced by Seer? I vaguely remember that he could manipulate the people of the universe, except the Sirens.'
[It depends, the more INT points you have, the harder it is for you not to notice your change in attitude, making it impossible to manipulate you. However, the system advises you to have a Siren on your side. When you perform Regeneration, your stats reset to 10, which makes you vulnerable.]
'Continence plans are always welcome. But I think I'm safe until I do something big that puts me in the spotlight.'
Finishing his meal, Maxwell opens his wallet to pay his bill. There was only one note left, and not ironically he had seen a mosquito come out of his wallet.
It would be a good start to solving the financial problem.
It looks like Marcus will have a few more reasons to want him dead.
A few weeks later…
Maxwell's life fell into a quiet routine, sometimes he even forgot he was in the world of Borderlands. The franchise was related to everything but tranquillity.
He could attribute this to being on a planet ruled by a corporation with a firm hand. Atlas was no different from other corporations, but fortunately, it was concerned with maintaining order and peace on its planet.
_____
Name: Maxwell Williams
Regeneration: 0
[STR: 13] [END: 22] [DEX: 15] [INT: 11]
Skills: [Trigger Discipline lv.5]
___
Functions: [Hangar] [Quest Board]
Credits: $11
_____
His efforts in these weeks have been just as great as in the early days. But as his stats increased, the pace of progression slowed. It was nothing new for someone used to games, the difficulty of reaching the next level was something very common in the Borderlands franchise.
Maxwell was currently getting ready to leave, then grabbed his P2016 and left the apartment. He made his way to the shooting club. The people there had taught him many useful things that went beyond shooting. Like the tips from his teachers, telling him to polish and lubricate his gun, would prevent the gun from being damaged and lessen the chance of it jamming.
Speaking of jamming, Maxwell realized how annoying it was and how the games he played never emphasized something so crucial. If a gun goes off in the middle of a gunfight, getting hurt would be the least of the problems.
The local gunsmith, however, praised how good his P2016 was, the gun rarely jammed.
The man had asked where he had gotten such a good piece. Corporations usually sold weapons for profit, so the weapons were of poor quality on purpose. Titanfall's weapons, on the other hand, were made in the middle of a war scenario, so quality was of the utmost importance.
Maxwell said it was an inheritance his father had left him, making the man stop trying to buy his gun. But it made him realize that maybe he could do something bigger with his system. However, there was the problem of getting his idea off the ground.
The gears in Maxwell's head start turning at full throttle.
Maxwell was thinking profusely about this, it was an opportunity. It had been a while since he thought of creating his own company and army, and with his system, it wouldn't be impossible to become the IMC in Borderlands. But, starting a company from scratch would take a long time, the smartest option would be to buy one that already exists…
'Isn't it Atlas that will see its value fall when General Knoxx dies? There's also S&S Munitions, which ends up falling into the hands of the bandits in Pandora.'
"Nah, I'm still going to need a lot of money to buy a corporation."
Maxwell was almost to the gun club when he stopped in the middle of the road as if lightning had struck him.
"Wait, maybe it's not impossible," Maxwell mutters to himself as if he had just discovered an alternative. "I can't believe I'm going to do this."
"How much does a ticket to Pandora cost?" Maxwell had stopped in the middle of the sidewalk, his eyes then returning to the large Atlas enlistment logos.
"I remember that Steele's departure for Pandora was announced, her division will probably need more capable people and I need a ride."
Weekly Power Status
200+ Power
Ranking 
164 Power
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