When version range resolution in Aether can't find local metadata file, it adds an exception into exception list. Shrinkwrap-Resolver then checks if the list is empty and if it's not, it fails. And that's why the resolution doesn't work in this case.

https://github.com/shrinkwrap/resolver/blob/master/impl-maven/src/main/java/org/jboss/shrinkwrap/resolver/impl/maven/MavenWorkingSessionImpl.java#L291-L301