Sharpshooter

Bang bang bang

Inside the vast shooting range, the empty shots of rifles echoed one after another. Each new recruit was assigned a special target, with an electronic screen above it displaying the score of each shot.

New recruits, having just started handling firearms, weren't performing well. Missed shots were extremely common. Scores of 5 or 6 were considered high, with only the occasional lucky recruit hitting a 10.

At times like these, the color displayed on the electronic screen would change from green to bold, enlarged red.

Raymond stood on the high platform, overlooking the shooting range below. As far as the eye could see, it was a sea of green, with only a few scattered red dots that quickly disappeared.

He wasn't surprised by this.

For those new to shooting, not missing the target at all was already quite good.

Clones' physical fitness was significantly better than ordinary people. Their gun-holding hands were steadier, and they were free of distracting thoughts. After three days of training, he wouldn't say every single one would become a sharpshooter, but at least their accuracy wouldn't be too poor.

It was more than enough for taking down those big, green-skinned orcs.

Bang bang bang

The sound of gunfire continued in the range.

Just then, one spot caught Raymond's attention.

In the sea of green, this red dot that never disappeared was particularly striking.

10, 10, 10...

On the electronic screen, a score appeared almost every second, but the color never changed, remaining red, the color for a 10.

"Oh, a recruit with shooting talent?"

Raymond immediately became interested.

Cloning technology had been around for a long time, but there were still many problems in the mass production of clone soldiers.

For example, memory loading couldn't be too complex, as it would cause memory confusion in the clones, making them difficult to command.

The integrated gene fragments couldn't be too powerful, otherwise, the clones' bodies would quickly collapse.

Given these technical flaws, the vast majority of clones were ordinary and mediocre. They couldn't perform overly complex tasks and were only trained as cannon fodder.

However, with a massive base number, there would always be some clones who experienced gene mutations. They often possessed extraordinary talents, such as immense strength, rapid movement, keen senses, and so on.

These clones would then be selected and cultivated with special attention.

After observing for a while, he quickly walked towards that shooting position.

Soon, he found his target.

In front of the shooting position, a recruit in a black uniform held his rifle steady, his finger rhythmically pulling the trigger. The hand holding the rifle stock remained almost perfectly still, his eyes cold, like an emotionless machine. Even when Raymond approached him, his eyes and expression showed no fluctuation, as if he regarded Raymond as air.

Seeing this, Raymond wasn't angry, because clones were like this. They had no emotions and wouldn't try to please superiors. In their perception, there was only one thing: obey the Empire's orders and fight for the Empire.

Raymond glanced at the number on the recruit's right chest and spoke:

"Recruit 89757, stop for a moment."

Click.

Qin Tian fired his last shot, slowly lowered his rifle, and turned around to look at Raymond with a blank expression.

"Take your rifle and follow me," Raymond ordered.

Qin Tian's eyes flickered slightly. He nodded, then followed behind Raymond, and was soon led to the adjacent shooting range.

This range wasn't large, and several soldiers were practicing their shooting inside. Upon seeing Raymond, they immediately put down their guns, quickly approached him, and saluted stiffly.

"Sir!"

"Mm."

Raymond nodded and said with a serious expression, "Continue practicing."

"Yes."

The soldiers responded in low voices, their gazes briefly passing over Qin Tian behind Raymond with a hint of curiosity.

Judging by his uniform, he must be a clone.

What did Commander Raymond mean by bringing him here alone?

"Recruit, come here."

Raymond led Qin Tian to an empty shooting position and said, "The moving targets ahead will move randomly. You need to hit the bullseye as much as possible."

Hearing this, Qin Tian's mouth parted slightly, and he let out a dry, hoarse sound:

"Okay."

The test began.

At a distance of 100 meters, six moving targets moved in different directions, changing direction suddenly during their movement. Their speed was not slow.

Qin Tian raised his rifle, aimed for a second, and decisively pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot rang out, and a target displayed its score.

7 rings

Hitting a 7 on a moving target a hundred meters away was already incredibly formidable, let alone for Qin Tian, who had never even touched a moving target before.

Seeing this, Raymond nodded in satisfaction.

However, Qin Tian was not content.

[Absolute Gun Sense] was a green talent like [Advanced Strength] and [Rapid Recovery], possessing immense potential. Merely hitting a moving target was not cause for celebration.

He held himself to a higher standard.

Whoosh~

A gentle breeze swept by.

Qin Tian narrowed his eyes. He didn't calculate bullet trajectories, wind speed, or wind direction; he relied entirely on instinct when shooting.

But this instinct was mystical and indescribable, akin to the "zone" state in basketball.

Focused, powerful, confident.

Everything was within his grasp.

Bang~

The gunshot echoed.

The large red "10 rings" instantly caught Raymond's attention.

10 rings?

A 10 on the second shot?

Raymond's eyes flickered. Even though he had trained many talented recruits, the shooting talent of this recruit, serial number 89757, astonished him.

Bang~ Bang~ Bang~

The gunshots continued to ring out with a rhythmic cadence.

10 rings, 10 rings, 10 rings...

Every shot was a 10, until all six bullseyes were hit. Qin Tian slowly lowered his rifle, his gaze calm as he looked at Raymond.

"Good, very good."

Raymond's face showed approval, and he added, "The difficulty will increase again next. I hope you can maintain this excellent performance."

With that, Raymond made a gesture towards the command post.

The next moment, over twenty mechanical birds took flight from a distant hillside, flapping their wings and circling above the shooting range, a dense black mass.

"Recruit, these are Agile Birds, specifically designed for shooting training. They will only fall if you hit their eyes. Your mission is to shoot them all down."

Raymond issued a task that could be described as having nightmare-level difficulty. These mechanical birds were already small, and they flew high and fast, making hitting their eyes incredibly challenging.

Soldiers nearby were quietly observing Raymond and Qin Tian. When they heard Raymond's demand, their eyes widened instantly.

The Agile Birds were the highest difficulty shooting training program. Throughout the entire army, only a few exceptional individuals could complete it.

Was it too much to ask for Officer Raymond to have a newly manufactured clone soldier challenge the Agile Birds?

This was simply an impossible mission.

However, Qin Tian's face remained expressionless. He silently raised his rifle, his eye slightly narrowed, peering through the scope at the targets.

One second, two seconds, three seconds...

At a certain moment, Qin Tian suddenly acted.

Bang~

The first shot hit the wing of a bird, causing it to falter and its speed to decrease significantly.

Bang~

The second shot directly hit its left eye. The mechanical bird erupted in a burst of sparks and then rapidly plummeted.

"Still a bit off."

Qin Tian held his breath, his mind cleared, and his focus intensified.

At this moment, the world fell into absolute silence, and everything seemed to slow down.

Bang~

The gunshot rang out, sparks flew, and the bird fell.

Bang bang bang~

Dark shapes rained down from the sky.

Beside him, the soldiers' mouths hung open, too shocked to speak.

Raymond was equally stunned and turned to look at Qin Tian.

His stern, sharp profile, his unfathomable eyes, and the powerful aura he exuded as he pulled the trigger.

In him, he seemed to see the shadow of another person, Huang Xun.

He was the strongest Sharpshooter in their regiment, who had recently volunteered to come to Planet Alpha-7 to fight.

His marksmanship was even better than what Qin Tian had just displayed, almost to the point of being described as divine skill.

Unfortunately, just this morning, this Sharpshooter, who had repeatedly achieved great feats, was accidentally injured in a clash between Psionic Users and tragically died.

This was undoubtedly a huge loss for the legion.

He hadn't expected that, only half a day later, among the clone recruits considered cannon fodder, another Sharpshooter would appear, and with such a similar demeanor to Huang Xun.

It was as if fate had arranged it all.

Raymond looked up, and in a daze, he seemed to see that stubborn soul drifting in the air, a smile on its lips, waving down below, its lips moving slightly as if saying--

"The Empire... is eternal."