Wow! The item-dropping rate is really high! Chapter 3: 003 Lucky Strike

Holding the rifle firmly, Bai E maintained a composed demeanor.

Details regarding the firearm he held appeared before his eyes—

[Training Rifle—Quality: White (Light Firearms/Long-range Weapons)]

[Basic Parameters: Rate of fire 0.75 rounds/S; Magazine capacity: 10 rounds (rubber bullets); Range 200 meters; Basic attack power (type: impact): 2~3; Output energy level 3; Durability 8/10]

[Usage Requirement: Physical strength 6 (usable), the character currently has no Light Firearms Specialization, shooting accuracy -10%.]

[Traits: Worn by age, shooting accuracy -5%; when using rubber bullets, difficult to penetrate armor when hitting non-vital parts.]

This somewhat worn-out weapon had clearly been utilized extensively, to the point where the barrel displayed a faint sheen of oil.

Yet, paradoxically, as Bai E's right hand clasped the grip, it felt remarkably comfortable and suited to his palm's structure.

Taking a steadying breath, Bai E lifted the rifle, bringing it to eye level.

Peering through the scope with one eye, he focused on the target positioned 50 meters away.

Feeling a slight perspiration on his hand, Bai E subtly adjusted the muscles within his grip.

He ensured his left hand provided support for the rifle and that his right hand wouldn't slip.

After maintaining his aim for approximately 3 seconds, Bai E decisively pulled the trigger.

"Swoosh!"

The rubber bullet was discharged.

It missed...

Observing the bullet sail past about a meter from the intended target, the soldier overseeing the test offered no commentary.

He simply continued to observe Bai E impassively, awaiting his subsequent attempt.

He was aware that the training rifle itself possessed inherent limitations in precision.

A miss on the initial shot was entirely within expectations.

Bai E settled his nerves.

He was certain he had aligned the sight precisely on the red dot at the target's center, yet the rubber bullet veered off towards the upper right.

Therefore...

Bai E made a minute adjustment to the rifle's aim, targeting the outer red circle on the lower left quadrant of the target.

"Bang!"

[Successfully hit the target, Light Firearms Mastery experience +1]

[Current Light Firearms Mastery experience 1/100. At 100 points, you can master "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization".]

[Your attack hit successfully, but failed to penetrate the target's armor.]

[Wooden Target (Neutral): Defensive power 4; Durability 10/10.]

The impact landed along the upper edge of the target's central vertical line.

The lack of accuracy did not manifest as a consistent directional error but rather as an unpredictable spread pattern.

Fortunately, however, he had still managed to strike the target.

Accumulating 100 points in Light Firearms Mastery within the span of an hour might prove... achievable.

Grasping the rifle anew, he took aim once more.

"Bang!"

A slight tremor ran through his wrist as the bullet strayed from its intended path...

Bai E immediately identified the source of the issue.

His wrist had shifted at the very instant he discharged the projectile.

Recognizing the flaw, Bai E exerted maximum effort to keep his hands steady during the shot, but the mind's intention and the body's execution are not always synchronized.

The accuracy remained a persistent challenge.

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

...

After expending an entire magazine of 10 rubber bullets, the hit rate registered a dismal 30%.

[Current Light Firearms Mastery experience 3/100. At 100 points, you can master "Level 1 Light Firearms Specialization".]

The supervising soldier standing nearby remained stoic, impassively handing over another magazine loaded with rubber bullets.

Exchanging the magazine, Bai E let out a quiet exhale.

It is commonly understood that newly manufactured artificial humans require an adjustment period to acclimate to their physical capabilities.

However, without comparison, no true understanding of the disparity can be gained.

The individual in the adjacent lane had already achieved seven or eight hits, a result possibly due to more frequent firing, yet it undeniably showcased a degree of innate talent.

This underscores the significance of latent abilities; even if specific specializations are not yet active, their mere presence indicates the inherent strengths differentiating each individual's physical form.

Bai E, by choosing to mask his potential, was inherently at a disadvantage from the outset.

...

"Bang!"

"Bang!"

The intermittent sounds of training rifles firing echo drills across the shooting range, while a cloaked figure silently ascended to the second-floor corridor overlooking the expanse.

This vantage point offered an unobstructed panorama of the entire training area, allowing for an immediate assessment of each target's status.

"How is the progress?"

The presiding examiner, already present, remained silent, merely offering a subtle shake of their head.

The caliber of talent within this cohort was variable, and even the most proficient among them failed to distinguish themselves.

After observing for a further interval, the examiner ultimately emitted a sigh.

"It appears we will need to eliminate even more candidates in the subsequent phase."

A deficiency in talent precluded access to the already limited resources.

Furthermore, those artificial humans possessing shooting aptitude, despite their mediocre performance, would inevitably underperform in close-quarters combat when contrasted with individuals naturally inclined towards melee engagement.

In other words... they were more likely to be sacrificed.

Only the most exceptional artificial humans could ever hope to walk off the eternal battlefield alive.

The Genetic Soldier Project was intended to produce an invincible super-soldier, but apparently, it only ever yielded cannon fodder.

He held no prejudices against the life or status of artificial humans; it was just that resources should be kept in the hands of those who were useful, which was the greatest contribution to the city.

This was an iron rule coursing through the veins of everyone in Black Stone City.

As they spoke, his gaze fixed on a particular target.

Even among those artificial humans likely to be dismissed, the performance of that one could be described as—

Eye-catching...

Following the examiner's gaze, Yue Ying's eyes narrowed slightly. Was it that particularly dull-looking artificial human from before?

After watching intently for a while, Yue Ying shook their head slightly, disappointed.

His hit rate... was pitifully low, not to mention his score in terms of hitting the inner rings.

...

Countdown: 8 minutes 27 seconds.

Bai E suddenly put down the training rifle, which still had 4 rubber bullets in it.

"May I try using your gun?"

He asked the monitoring soldier beside him, who had a machine gun with a blade hanging from his body... a real gun.

The monitoring soldier blinked in surprise, instinctively looking up at the second floor.

He had never heard such a request before.

"What does he want to do?"

The examiner squinted, hesitated slightly, and then nodded to the soldier looking up for instruction, "Give it to him."

After taking the large gun off his body, Bai E heard the voice of the soldier for the first time during the test.

"It's a bit heavy."

"Mmm."

Watching Bai E cradling the machine gun, even Yue Ying on the second floor felt a tinge of curiosity.

"What does he want to do?"

The examiner shrugged, "Maybe the training rifle doesn't suit him?"

He enjoyed seeing variables in artificial humans; variables meant surprises.

Yue Ying's eyes, hidden in the shadows, narrowed slightly.

"Shooting the target with a real gun? It'll break..."

Bai E had already dismissed all external influences.

Who knows how long of practice had distilled his thoughts to a single focus at this moment—destroy that target.

The shooting experience gained from the training rifle was too slow; it had been stagnant at 31 points, and after 8 consecutive hits, there was no further increase in the Light Firearms Specialization experience.

The increase in shooting proficiency experience essentially reflected one's improvement in shooting ability, whether through enhanced understanding or performance; it was all about improvement.

No increase in experience meant his shooting skills hadn't improved at all.

Just hitting the target was not enough to gain experience; one needed to hit better circles, even the center. Currently, he clearly didn't have that ability.

31 points, roughly the maximum Light Firearms Specialization experience he could gain through shooting at a 50-meter target with the training rifle in a short amount of time.

He was still far from reaching level 1 Light Firearms Specialization, and with his own level, slow progress was likely out of reach.

Not to mention, there were only a few minutes left.

Thus... using the "Lucky Shot" to destroy the target and gain 500 points of Light Firearms Specialization experience to unlock the specialty was the only way out.

The charging mechanism of Lucky Shot was unclear, and there might only be this one opportunity in the short term. While he might have had more choices, this was undoubtedly the best answer at the moment.

This skill was the sole reliance of an outsider like him to survive in this cruel world.