True Cannon

Qin Wu found it somewhat difficult to withstand that gaze for a moment. Seeing that she was indeed full of confidence and had likely undergone special training, he nodded and handed her three standard bullets.

"Thank you."

She took the bullets, skillfully checked the firearm, and after confirming everything was in order, began to load it with remarkably practiced movements.

Following that, she turned to the side and crouched halfway to the ground, aiming the muzzle at the several dummies in the center of the training field. Her posture was quite standard.

"Huh? This is..."

Qin Wu stood beside Jiang Mian, originally worried that she would be sent flying by the recoil of this Cannon.

But the moment Jiang Mian crouched down, a layer of invisible cushioning seemed to appear where her shoulder pressed against the stock.

At the same time, the airflow around the muzzle was disturbed, emitting a low, whimpering sound.

"BOOM!"

As Jiang Mian pulled the trigger, the Cannon in her hands let out an incredibly shocking roar.

The muzzle jerked upward, only to be steadily held down by the wind field surrounding her, with the majority of the recoil being neutralized.

As for the bullet, the moment it left the barrel, it began to spin at high speed, emitting a piercing whistle as it streaked toward the training dummy.

"BANG!"

The instant it breached the shell of the dummy, the compressed wind field carried by the bullet rapidly expanded.

The specially made dummy, which could withstand a full-force strike from a Second-tier Awakened, didn't even last a second after being hit. It instantly expanded from the inside, turning into a sky full of metal fragments.

The two other dummies nearby were not spared either, being frantically shredded by the wind field mixed with metal debris.

When the wind field dissipated, all that remained in place were two nearly ruined, broken dummies and a pile of metal scraps.

"Hiss... this attack power..."

It took Gu An a long time to come back to his senses. Is this really a First Order?

As expected of a high-level sequence...

Even the usually composed Li Huan had a change in expression as he looked at the sniper rifle in Jiang Mian's hands.

For an average Second-tier, whether human or Calamity, taking a hit like this head-on would likely result in death or injury—the kind of severe injury where they wouldn't even be able to crawl away.

An ordinary Cannon doesn't have this kind of power...

"Compressed wind field, released instantly after firing, right?"

As the only Third-tier Awakened on the field, Qin Wu was much more composed.

He had watched every one of Jiang Mian's movements just now. Before she even loaded the ammunition, she had already activated her ability and compressed it into the bullets.

Therefore, she could use ordinary ammunition to achieve effects that rivaled, or even surpassed, those of specialized rounds.

No wonder Jiang Mian was so confident. Had her precision in controlling her ability actually reached this level?

Qin Wu had seen plenty of other Wind-type Awakened from the Elemental path.

They generally relied on their high mobility, opting for light weapons or throwing weapons to kite their opponents with agility.

When it came to Jiang Mian, she had completely abandoned mobility in favor of high-powered weapons like the Cannon, which was a rather unique approach.

However, this was also highly dependent on talent and technique.

For the vast majority of Wind-type Awakened, simply guiding airflow to accelerate projectiles or form wind blades was already pushing them to their limits.

If they were to force compression, the result would only be the power spiraling out of control within the chamber, leading to a barrel explosion.

Yet Jiang Mian, relying on the unique talents of a high-sequence individual and her meticulous control, had crossed this chasm with ease.

"Captain?"

Seeing that Qin Wu had been silent for a long time, Jiang Mian reached out and waved a hand in front of him.

"Oh."

Qin Wu snapped back to reality and quickly said:

"Xiao Jiang, this Cannon is yours. Tell me what kind of special ammunition you want, and I'll put in a request for you."

A flash of barely perceptible joy crossed Jiang Mian's eyes; she was clearly enamored with this Cannon.

She had always liked these kinds of things, but she could only play with them in games. She hadn't expected that after coming to this world, she would be able to use them for real—and even a plus-sized version at that.

Firing a single shot was incredibly satisfying.

Jiang Mian reined in her excitement and said softly:

"Ordinary bullets are fine; my ability's enhancement is enough. But... if it's possible, could you prepare some specialized ammunition?"

"Sure, go ahead."

Qin Wu nodded, signaling for her to continue.

"Armor-piercing Bullets, and... Incendiary Bullets."

She held up two fingers. She didn't need to explain their purpose; Qin Wu already understood what she meant.

One was for dealing with Calamities specialized in defense, while the other was for coordinating with wind fields to clear out swarms of Calamities or those with regenerative abilities. Her train of thought was remarkably clear.

He nodded toward Jiang Mian, his estimation of her rising even further.

Although this girl possessed astonishing talent, her temperament matched her appearance—quiet and gentle. She was easy to get along with, unlike some newcomers who were as incompetent as they were arrogant.

"No problem!"

Qin Wu agreed readily, a look of appreciation on his face.

"Thank you, Captain Qin."

Regarding the Incendiary Bullets, Jiang Mian actually had other ideas.

She hadn't forgotten her second objective for coming here, aside from making money: to make contact with Calamities.

Back at the First Order, Jiang Mian had been able to silently plant a Fire Seed inside the remains of a Calamity and then quietly rake in the rewards.

Now, she was even more proficient at it.

Strictly speaking, these special rounds were mixed with a small amount of Calamity components, which was perfect for her to bury a Fire Seed.

If she ignited them during combat, those Calamities would become her "Kindling," while on the surface, it would simply look like the Incendiary Bullets had become too powerful after being enhanced by the Eye of the Storm.

"Hey, don't be so formal. You can just call me Uncle Qin."

Qin Wu laughed heartily, then remembered another important matter.

"Right, you just arrived, so your dormitory hasn't been arranged yet, has it? There's an empty bed in your Sister Su's room. How about I save that spot for you?"

Jiang Mian pondered for a moment. She had finished taking her medicine a few days ago, so there shouldn't be any issues. Besides, she only viewed the dormitory as a temporary place to stay and wouldn't be there often.

"Hmm... that works."

"Great. Come with me. Get your bullets first, then let Wanning take you to the dorm to have a look and pick up a set of daily necessities."

The group returned to the lounge. After Qin Wu gave some instructions, Su Wanning led Jiang Mian through the corridors, turning left and right until they reached the logistics department.

As soon as they arrived, Jiang Mian received two boxes of special ammunition, totaling sixty rounds, along with a quantity of standard bullets and a full set of daily necessities, all thoughtfully packed onto a small cart for her.

"Follow me, the dormitory area is this way."

Su Wanning smiled and gestured in the direction, taking the initiative to help Jiang Mian push the small cart.

Jiang Mian thanked her and followed behind, taking the opportunity to memorize the route.

Strangely, while she could manage a rough idea at first, she soon became a bit dizzy.

Oh no, could I be directionally challenged?

Jiang Mian considered her memory to be decent enough; she'd never had any issues back when she was delivering food. But here, every direction felt exactly the same.

She felt completely disoriented. If she had to find her way back to the lounge on her own now, it would likely be quite the ordeal.

"What's wrong?"

Su Wanning noticed the person behind her slowing down and turned back, asking gently.

"Ah, no, it's nothing."