Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
Lancelot kept pulling the trigger, firing ten shots in succession.
His lowest score was a six, and his highest was a ten.
His average was around 8.4 points.
Instructor Bette was astonished. If Lancelot hadn't lied earlier, the boy really did have a talent for shooting.
"Not bad, but there are a few problems with your stance. Lower your center of gravity a little more here, and don't keep your body so stiff. Maintain a balance between relaxation and tension. Spread your fingers a little farther apart, and don't grip the gun so rigidly..."
An hour later, firearms class ended, and Lancelot left the training ground for the cafeteria.
Bette headed to the instructors' private room.
The room was large, covering over five hundred square meters. It was simply decorated but fully equipped, and the other three instructors were each busy with their own affairs.
Tarn was practicing a breathing technique. A thick layer of pale white vital energy enveloped his body, and air howled around him, giving him an imposing presence.
Rosen and Jace were playing King-Hunting Chess.
It was a strategy game that was very popular in the Alliance. It resembled Chinese chess, but was many times more complicated, with a full 180 pieces and many ways to play. The Alliance held a King-Hunting Chess tournament every year, and the winner received a substantial reward.
"Bette, how did that kid do?" Rosen asked without looking up.
"He's got quite a talent for shooting. Right from the start, he could consistently average 8.4 points. I only coached him for an hour, and the kid could already reliably average 9.1 points on a target fifty meters away. That's already very good for a beginner! His progress is incredible!" Bette said, unstinting in his praise.
As his student had progressed so quickly, Instructor Bette shared in the glory and felt he deserved some credit.
"Oh?"
Rosen was a little surprised. Grinning and scratching his head, he said, "Commander Harvey only said he was good at fighting. He didn't say the kid had a talent for shooting too."
"So what? The commander only met him once and barely got to know him. It's not like he investigated every last detail about him." Jace looked at Rosen with disdain, his expression seeming to say that being associated with an idiot like him was downright humiliating.
Rosen paid him no mind. Turning to Tarn, who was practicing his breathing technique, he said, "Boss, since the kid's talented, shouldn't we look after him a little? Commander Harvey did put in a word for him, after all. We should show our old superior some respect."
Hearing this, Tarn said slowly, "Let's see how he performs from here. If he meets my expectations, we'll look after him discreetly. If he's mediocre, there's no need to bother. Treat him like everyone else."
The cafeteria.
Lancelot carried his tray to the serving window.
The food at the special training camp was excellent, appealing in color, aroma, and taste, as well as nutritionally balanced. Clearly, dedicated chefs had been hired to prepare it.
Carrying a large plate of food, Lancelot casually picked a table in the corner.
He had barely eaten a few bites when Cole came over with two people and sat down beside him.
"Hey, Lancelot, I saw everything at the firearms training ground just now. Instructor Bette was very pleased with you. That doesn't happen often." Cole set down his tray as he squeezed into the somewhat cramped seat.
"I did all right, I guess. Maybe I'm suited to being a sniper?" Lancelot joked.
"Haha, you never know. Physical Enhancement abilities may be the most common, but they're also the most adaptable, with plenty of directions for development. You really might become a master sniper someday!"
Cole was quite talkative. After a brief chat, he introduced the two people he had brought to Lancelot.
"This is Rui. His ability has C-rank potential, and it's a mental-type ability."
"This is Burke. His ability also has C-rank potential, and it's a Physical Enhancement type, just like yours."
Rui was tall and pale, with blond hair and glasses. He looked refined and scholarly, very much in line with Lancelot's impression of the Mela People.
Burke was the exact opposite. He was also one of the Quebec People, and only 1.7 meters tall, but he was extremely muscular, with rugged features and messy hair. He looked like a savage.
"Hello!"
Lancelot nodded to the two of them, his manner neither warm nor cold.
"Haha, brother, I've got a Physical Enhancement ability too: Savage Physique. How about we have a match sometime?"
As Burke spoke, he struck a pose that showed off his biceps, rhythmically bouncing his two big pecs and raising his eyebrows at Lancelot. Rui covered his eyes.
I can't bear to look. My eyes!
The corner of Lancelot's mouth twitched, but he still replied politely, "Let's talk about it during combat class!"
"All right, I'll be waiting!" Burke rubbed his palms together, his eyes gleaming with eagerness. The gesture reminded Lancelot of a fly rubbing its hands.
A few minutes later, after talking with them, Lancelot had gotten a basic sense of the three men's personalities.
Burke was obviously lively, straightforward, and thick-skinned. Though the way he spoke sounded gay, he was a real man with no interest in anal activities; he simply liked men rubbing muscles together. Lancelot had a favorable impression of him.
Cole was more smooth and shrewd, very good at dealing with people, and the type who got along with everyone.
Rui was quiet, but when he did speak, he often got straight to the point, and he had a mind of his own.
"Teamwork class is this afternoon. What do you say, Lancelot? Should the four of us form a team?"
Cole made the suggestion. This was also his real reason for approaching Lancelot.
His own ability was an energy manipulation type, and he specialized in medium- and long-range attacks and kiting enemies.
Rui's was a mental-type ability, similar to telekinesis. He could release mental shockwaves to stun enemies.
Burke's Savage Physique mainly increased his strength and attack power, and he handled close combat.
Their team was currently missing a tank, and Lancelot, who had Body of Steel and a good talent for shooting, was just right for the role.
As the name suggested, Body of Steel was best suited to defense-in other words, taking a beating.
After thinking it over for a moment, Lancelot agreed.
To him, the training camp's classes were all too basic, so it didn't matter how he went about them.
Going it alone was naturally the best fit for him. After all, these novice superhumans couldn't offer him much help or inspiration.
But for the sake of his future development in the Alliance, he still had to play it safe.
Lone wolves might be cool, but to the vast majority of higher-ups, a sense of collective responsibility was very important, as it affected a group's cohesion.
"Great! With you on board, we'll definitely be able to beat the crap out of Antoine and his crew in the ranking match three days from now!" Burke slammed a fist on the table and shouted excitedly. When he came to his senses, he found that, apart from Lancelot, who had reacted in time, Cole and Rui had both been left with splattered leftovers all over their heads.
"Uh... listen to my excuse-no, I mean, let me explain... Hey, go easy! Not the head... Murder..."