Though that was the past, or the past of the character he chose to play and was imprisoned in his body.
All the lore of Group Four was the five pages that were written by the developers to give a good background and thanks to that César knew how to manipulate the veteran, how to show off his tattoo.
He didn't gain any skill from the game with the character, he only knew how to handle guns because he was immersed into the world of criminals, the military and so on.
Though he used his knowledge right.
"Sir, I like what you have here, these are high-quality air guns." He didn't lie about it, none of them were the basic ones, but high quality ones.
"Yeah, son." The veteran smiled again. "I bought all of this when I got out of the military." He looked up at César. "You know, to kinda feel what I felt in the warzone… but these are just air guns."
"It is better to not remember, in my opinion, sir." César said as he eyed him. "Past is the past, don't remember, don't let it haunt you."
"That's why I'm here today, son." He answered. "I'm selling what reminds me of those days."
He said the truth and César could tell it. He looked exactly like those soldiers who are in documentaries. An older one that never was able to cope with what he saw and experienced… never was able to step over it, but more like to get closer to the feeling, buy legal guns that he can shoot with to recreate what it all felt like… but now, he was ready to give them away… was ready to forget it.
"So we are both veterans… what do you have for me?" César asked as a grin appeared on his face and even on the veteran's face, not just that, he actually laughed out.
"Oh, I knew it the moment I saw the tattoo I just knew it." He laughed more as he shook his head slightly. "Don't remember the past, huh?"
César shook his head to it. "I never said I stopped remembering, just said it's better in my opinion."
"Uh, why so?" The veteran asked back, immediately changing to a more serious note as they held the eye contact
To be true, it caught César off guard… he didn't think the veteran would turn serious and kinda hostile but he had the perfect answer to it after a minute of silence.
"Why should I remember those who I killed when I can get new memories of new kills?" The way he said it, the way he articulated, the way he looked into the veteran's eyes and grinned a bit… he did understand it, yeah the veteran understood it.
It wasn't an act, wasn't a fake, wasn't someone impersonating one, but a real Group Four operator, because those eyes of César weren't hesitant when he said it. He was certain and with intentions in them.
He said exactly how everybody described the operators of the Group Four… people who liked and enjoyed murdering their target. It wasn't just a job for them, but their relaxation… one of the many facts that apply to the whole unit and why they were disbanded, and many of them were sent to trial.
And looking at César himself, the veteran knew that a young man like him, who became a Group Four operator, was not somebody to fuck with, nor somebody who was sane… but the complete opposite of it… a fucking insane, specially trained murderer who enjoyed every moment of his past… and could not wait to have more of it to replace the old memories, the screams, the suffering and the beggings with new ones.
Well, he was right, the character was exactly that word for word, it was all in his background, but it was now César who played it well with the right questions and answers. All because he read the story and background of the character, fuck he aplyed with him every single time.
He succeeded with his plan.
"I have a…" The veteran looked around and even leaned closer to César. "...a .22 long rifle pistol."
.22 long rifle pistol…? Fuck that… well, that kills too… César thought as he heard the veteran's words, because in all of his past lives he could always get a fucking rifle from the market, they were even selling grandes in broad daylight.
And well… he thought a veteran would have some bigger guns, but now this was his only option.
"How much ammunition is with it?" César with a hint of disappointment in his voice.
"I used a lot of it, so like thirty and a full magazine with twenty one bullets…" The veteran answered as he was still looking around to be careful, though with that, he just made himself and César's acting strange.
Fifty-five bullets… I bet it doesn't penetrate vests… so I need to be close and precise with the shot. He thought about the right thing, because the people he would go against were shooting with much bigger guns…
In his third life, there was a cartel that somehow acquired a minigun, though they got blown up by a drone.
"Say the price, sir."
"For you, two hundred." The veteran answered as he locked eyes with César. "I bought it myself, so as soon as you go home with it, take care of the serial numbers, but I bet you already know that."
César said nothing, just nodded to it, and the deal was done, but he gave more than two hundred.
He gave the whole five hundred to him as a sign to keep his mouth shut, or he'd be the one killed with the gun. Well, actually, that message was delivered the moment the veteran saw the tattoo.
"Thank you for the business, sir, and have a great day." César nodded as grabbed the bag and walked off the market, making his way back to the alley where he spawned.
"You took care of it, huh." He whispered as he pulled it out, and not even a scratch was on it, nothing and the slide was just like butter, thanks to the custom modification on it.
The trigger was replaced as well as the slide, the grip, it even had a flashlight on it though he didn't really care about it a lot nor knew much about it.
The only thing he knew was how to handle it and shoot.
"System, say again the available challenge." He said while checking the magazine.
[One available challenge: First Kill.]
"So nothing changed, which means…" He whispered as he aimed the gun with a strong and steady. "... it still works." He pulled the trigger, which surprised him as it didn't even apply a lot of pressure on it, not just that but the whole experience of shooting it was… immaculate, the complete opposite he experienced with rifles and bigger caliber pistols.
Though what followed the shot was very important, it was well aimed and hit exactly the head he aimed for… the head of a big-ass rat at one of the trash cans.
"I am a sniper." He laughed as he was not more than six steps from the rat.
["First Kill" Challenge has been completed, Reward: Heal Special card.]
[Challenge list has been uploaded: Three new challenges available.]
"How good that it still works." He laughed at it as he accepted the reward and well, he deserved it; he was smart… well, not actually.
When he first spawned into Sandria and saw the "First Kill" challenge, he, of course, wanted to practice his shooting… so he shot a pigeon and that was the moment he realized that the challenge didn't specify what to kill… but just to kill, though it only counted for that challenge.
[System: New priority challenge is available]
[Taste of Blood: Kill five human beings.]