Among these dozen or so Rune Guns, four cost more than 5,000 Military Merit Points, and five cost between 1,500 and 2,000. None of them were options Qin Tian was considering.
That left him with only four choices.
Desert Rose, Frost, Flame Burst, and Hidden Kill.
Desert Rose was an ornate golden revolver with Armor-Piercing and Rapid-Fire Runes built in. Its defining feature was its high rate of fire, and its bullets pierced armor. Whenever it fired, a rose-shaped illusion appeared at the muzzle.
In the introductory video, a valiant beauty wielded Desert Rose as she weaved among several wolf beasts. Her steps were nimble, like a butterfly dancing through the air, and she effortlessly dodged their lunges.
Her slender fingers pulled the trigger. Vivid rose illusions bloomed one after another, accompanied by the howls of wolves. Blood and roses mingled, creating an unusual kind of beauty.
"Desert Rose is out. It's all looks and no substance. Even reloading is a problem. I bet only some rich young ladies would like something this flashy and impractical." Xiao Yunlong summed it up in one sentence.
"Mm."
Qin Tian nodded and continued reading.
Frost was a Rune Laser Gun with Freeze and Rapid-Fire Runes built in. It could fire freezing rays that reached temperatures below minus 200 degrees, and its penetrating power was quite impressive.
Flame Burst was a close-range hand cannon with Flame Burst and Shockwave Runes built in. It had a relatively short range, but tremendous power. Its bullets were like cannonballs, packing a devastating punch.
Frost and Flame Burst each had their own strengths, and both cost around 2,000 points.
But the gun Qin Tian liked best was the last one.
Hidden Kill.
This was a sleek, pure-black Sniper Rifle with a long, streamlined barrel. Every line seemed carefully sculpted, showcasing exquisite craftsmanship and a cold, austere beauty.
Hidden Kill was worth 2,600 Military Merit Points. It had three Runes built in: Concealment, Armor-Piercing, and Acceleration. Its bullets received a second burst of acceleration, greatly increasing their kinetic energy, and came with armor-piercing capabilities. Most importantly, they made no sound when fired or while traveling through the air.
What's more, Hidden Kill came equipped with multiple devices, including a long-range scope and an infrared scanner, achieving a perfect fusion of technology and Runes.
However, the gun had one flaw: it was extremely difficult to control.
Sniper Rifles were weapons only expert marksmen could handle.
And as a Rune Sniper Rifle, Hidden Kill was more than ten times harder to operate.
Activating its Runes required Psionic Energy, but the amount and stability of the energy injected greatly affected the gun's balance when firing.
This created a problem.
Only the most skilled snipers were qualified to wield this gun.
Yet Psionic Users were almost nonexistent among snipers.
Those who became Psionic Users either pursued the path of the martial warrior or the mage. Who would bother developing their talent for sniping?
This contradiction meant few people ever showed interest in Hidden Kill.
A normal three-Rune firearm should cost over 4,000 Military Merit Points to redeem. But because of Hidden Kill's unusual nature, its price had dropped to just 2,600.
Even so, the gun had sat gathering dust in the warehouse. After all, 2,600 Military Merit Points was no small amount, and no one would waste their precious points on a Rune Gun they couldn't control.
But to Qin Tian, Hidden Kill was practically custom-made for him.
He was both a Psionic User and a Sharpshooter. [Shadow Muscle and Bone] and [Shadow Leap] ensured his agility and stealth in the dark, while [Ember Critical Strike] could further boost Hidden Kill's damage.
If he was lucky enough to trigger a high critical multiplier, even a high-stage Fourth Order Psionic User might not survive a headshot from him.
"This is the one. Hidden Kill."
Qin Tian made his decision without hesitation.
"Hidden Kill? I also think it suits you best." Xiao Yunlong approved of his choice, then added, "By the way, 2,600 points only gets you the Rune Gun itself. The specialty bullets cost extra Military Merit Points."
Qin Tian opened Hidden Kill's redemption page and, sure enough, saw that the specialty bullets had to be redeemed separately: one bullet per Military Merit Point.
Qin Tian didn't hesitate. He clicked Confirm and spent all his remaining Military Merit Points.
One Hidden Kill Rune Sniper Rifle and 125 specialty bullets.
"The Rune Gun and bullets are in the warehouse. It'll take a while to get them here." Xiao Yunlong's eyes lit up. "Quick, let's look at the cultivation techniques and martial skills."
Qin Dadi and Liu Zhaozhao also looked curious and expectant.
"Okay."
Qin Tian had seen earlier in his personal account that he could select any one Bronze-level cultivation technique and two Black Iron-grade Martial Skills from the Military Online Treasury, free of charge.
He opened the cultivation technique section first, filtered for Bronze-level cultivation techniques, and entered the keywords "Dark Element" and "Lightning Element."
Soon, seven techniques appeared on the screen.
They read through the descriptions one by one and searched the major forums for information about each. After considering Qin Tian's needs and strengths, they finally chose one.
Shadow Thunder Prison Technique
This technique focused on concealing the Dark Element and harnessing the destructive nature of the Lightning Element. Once mastered, the user moved like a shadow, without a sound, swift as lightning and unmatched in ferocity. It was an excellent fit for Qin Tian's many abilities.
"Actually, I think Thunder Tribulation Dark Devour Method is pretty good too. It can even devour other people's Psionic Energy," Xiao Yunlong said.
"Something that doesn't belong to you will always carry risks."
Qin Dadi said seriously, "Qin Tian made the right choice. What suits you best is what matters most."
"Fine."
Xiao Yunlong shrugged. "I'm just saying. Let's look at the martial skills next. Qin Tian, have you decided what kind you want? Saber techniques? Fist techniques? Movement techniques? Or maybe a spell?"
Qin Tian had given the choice of martial skills a great deal of thought.
First, he definitely needed a saber technique. It would become his main means of attack in the future.
But he was genuinely torn over whether to choose a fist technique or a movement technique for his second skill.
After careful consideration, though, he made his decision.
He would choose a movement technique.
There were two reasons.
First, his Space Bag talent let him carry several sabers with him, ensuring he'd never be caught fighting empty-handed. That made fist techniques a lower priority.
Second, movement techniques of the same grade cost far more than fist techniques—often several times as much. So if he had the chance, he should choose the more expensive one first.
He could worry about fist techniques later.
"Choose a Lightning Element saber technique and a Dark Element or Lightning Element movement technique," Qin Tian said.
"Mm, that makes sense. Movement techniques are more important than fist techniques." Everyone agreed with his choice.
With their direction settled, they helped Qin Tian find the martial skills that suited him.
After a thorough discussion and analysis, they finally settled on two skills.
Saber technique—Thunderous Charge Saber
Movement technique—Ninefold Thunder Flash, incomplete version
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