Xzavier's mind was on top form. Once again, his entire focus was centered on accomplishing his mission. Once Xzavier had a task to fulfill, he was like a blood hound on a hunting trip.
This was pretty ironic because right now, he was on an actual hunting trip. This was what he lived for. This was what he was trained to do. As he set out on the mission, Xzavier began to fully understand the importance of being equipped for such a dangerous endeavor.
He needed supplies more than ever before. He wasn't completely familiar with the town so he didn't know where to go to obtain a regular sniper's rifle and a silencer. He pondered on this for a while before he remembered the military system. He stopped abruptly in the middle of his thoughts.
"I was rewarded with points by the system the last time."
Then came the next logical thought that accompanied the first;
"I wonder if I can exchange points for assault weapons. An AR-15 and a glock 47 with a silencer wouldn't be bad right now."
He still wasn't completely sure if he could redeem points for weapons, but he went ahead anyway. Whichever way, he was bound to find out anyway.
He was on the highway, so he ducked into the bushes to communicate with the system. He didn't put it past the old man to set a spy on him. Xzavier knew he'd do the same if the roles were reversed.
From a clearing behind the bushes, he scanned his surroundings to make sure that he wasn't followed. Convinced that he wasn't, Xzavier spoke aloud to the military system saying;
"Military system, come online."
It responded immediately.
"Affirmative. Systems online."
He then asked his request;
"I want to redeem my points for weapons."
It took a while, but then the system finally answered.
"Roger that Major. State the caliber of weapons you desire."
Xzavier half expected it not to be true. But it turned out to be the complete opposite. Not only could he redeem points for weapons, it turned out that he could actually make requests for specific weapons.
He thought for a minute, so as to not hastily make a wrong decision. As a seasoned veteran, he assessed the situation and understood that his best bet was a long range sniper's rifle. Since his goal wasn't to massacre an entire group of Goblins, he knew that a sniper's rifle was the ideal weapon.
This was an assassination, so he planned to position himself from a far and kill the gang leader of the Goblins without actually inciting a ruckus. It was a good plan. He also knew that he had to have a silencer in order to keep it silent and not give up his location.
He swallowed gingerly and made his request to the system;
"I would like a fully loaded sniper's rifle, along with a silencer and sufficient ammo."
The system wasted no time in providing his needs. Xzavier welcomed the new toys with great joy. Even he shocked himself by how happy new weapons made him.
With his weapons secured, Xzavier's training kicked in and he began to make preparations for the perfect camouflage. He harvested a decent helping of weed and padded himself with the grass.
With all this in place, and with the stealth of a hunter, Xzavier carefully made his way towards the Goblins' territory. Every step he took was calculated. He even regulated his breathing just so he could remain incognito. The game was afoot.
Amidst all the qualities of the Goblins that Kadin had so graciously taken out time to explain, one very peculiar trait stood out the most; they were completely one hundred blood thirsty creatures that lacked any form of compassion.
At their core, they had zero compassion for just about any other creature that wasn't of their race. Goblins were known to have torn apart little children that wandered into the woods. They were also famous for descending in bands on Travelers and lone hunters who were unfortunate to get themselves caught off guard.
Their heinous crimes were all pointers to the fact that they hadn't even the tiniest shred of empathy. Compassion was a completely alien concept to them. There were nature's perfect examples of narcissistic and self-absorption.
They only existed for one clear definitive purpose only: to go through life indulging their appetites and cravings only. As a race, their behavioral pattern was synonymous to cowards and mad men. It was that simple.
Xzavier soon arrived at the location that the old man had described earlier on. He took out his night vision goggles that doubled as binoculars and scanned the landscape before him. It was evening time and dusk was at least a few hours away.
He noticed no movements whatsoever. So he climbed to a higher ground and hid himself in a shrub of weeds. Having found the perfect hiding spot, all he had to do was wait for the leader to appear. Xzavier wasn't sure how long this was going to take.
He never for once believed in luck, and yet. He hoped against hope that his luck would turn around and bring him the leader of the Goblins.
As a member of the Special Forces, Xzavier had often heard tales from professional snipers who claimed to have waited as long as forty-eight hours for their targets to appear.
This required an extreme amount of calmness and patience. It wasn't just the ability to remain calm, it was the ability to maintain a cool head, and at the same time, stay perfectly ALERT.
Striking the balance was key. An astute sniper had to remain calm at all times and also remain vigilant. Staying at the same position for hours on end while waiting for a target (that may or may not show) required a certain kind of skill.
This also meant that snipers couldn't go for bathroom breaks, neither could they stop for a snack, and it also invariably meant that sleeping wasn't an option. This high level of tension could very well affect the mind of a regular person who hadn't received proper training for this.
Xzavier was one of those few who could handle the strain. At the core of his being, he was also a calm person. He possessed all the qualities that made for a good sniper. He never moved an inch.
Sooner than expected, Xzavier began to detect Goblin activity in the environment. As he had expected, they slowly began to emerge as dusk came.