On the first day of joining the camp, the new recruit challenged the commanding officer to a marksmanship competition!
This message was like throwing a high-explosive grenade into a pool, causing a wave of shock and astonishment throughout the training base.
What's more, the new recruit collapsed from heatstroke while running, and the officer was a professional training officer of a higher rank. This contrast caused a seismic sensation in the base.
Whether it was the soldiers or the other officers, upon hearing about this competition, they were all stunned and couldn't help but feel sorry for the new soldier.
"Why the hell did that guy piss off Officer Brandt? I heard that officer used to participate in shooting competitions and he even won bronze medals some national tournaments."
"Is that new recruit out of his mind?"
"He's giving up on himself. He's going to embarrass himself thoroughly this time."
Nevertheless, this was something that the gossipmongers loved to see and hear. In less than five minutes, almost everyone in the training base headed towards the shooting range, hoping to witness the disgraceful performance of the soldier named Kyle.
"Kyle, you're too impulsive," Steve sighed repeatedly as he spoke. "You hardly even use a gun. How can your marksmanship compare to an officer who has been in the military for a long time? Go back and apologize to Officer Brandt. Maybe you can..."
"Don't worry, after this competition, no one here will look down on us anymore." Kyle remained calm, not showing any trace of nervousness on his face.
The reason why he wasn't nervous was because he had already obtained an Ability Card that would ensure his victory in this match!
Training Base, Open Shooting Range.
The viewing platform of the shooting range was already crowded with soldiers wearing military uniforms and helmets. Many officers in military uniforms were also present to watch the spectacle.
Officer Brandt took his position and tested his gun first, while Agent Carter persistently held her file book nearby. When Brandt saw Steve and Kyle entering the scene, he waved his arm toward the various firearms arranged on the table and said, "Here are all the rifles used by the U.S. military. Choose one for yourself."
Kyle nodded but didn't walk toward the table. Instead, he approached Agent Carter with a smile and asked, "Agent Carter, what kind of gun do you use? Can you lend it to me for a moment?"
Agent Carter looked up. Under the bright sunlight, her exquisitely beautiful face, red lips, and fair skin exuded a captivating charm.
It was only after leaving the officer's office that Kyle learned the name of the female agent from Steve's mouth— Peggy Carter. She was even more beautiful and captivating than the character portrayed in the movies.
"Of course, but are you sure you want to use it in this competition?" Agent Carter said coldly while taking out her personal gun, which was a black and exquisite pistol.
"Soldier, are you joking? You want to compete with my rifle using a pistol?" Officer Brandt's face filled with anger as he spoke.
Comparing the precision of a pistol to that of a rifle, even at a fifty-meter target?
"Please let me borrow it for a moment," Kyle confirmed as he received the specialized pistol from Carter Slade. The exquisite pistol seemed tailor-made for women, surpassing the craftsmanship of the rifles on the table.
The pistol's barrel shimmered with a chilling light in the sunlight, indicating that it was undoubtedly a lethal weapon.
"Nice gun," Kyle complimented as he started to handle the pistol in his hand.
"We'll settle it with three shots. No need to waste more bullets on you," Officer Brandt said while he released the safety of his rifle and stepped onto the firing platform.
"Three shots it is. Sir, please take the first shot," Kyle said with a smile, making a gentlemanly gesture.
"You really are quite arrogant, let me show you what marksmanship looks like," Officer Brandt replied before he swiftly aimed his rifle, took a few seconds to align his sights, and then fired three shots at the target fifty meters away from him.
After finishing the shots, he stood up with a satisfied expression on his face. Hitting the fifty-meter target with a rifle was basic, and with his over twenty years of shooting experience in the military, it was effortless for him.
Soon, the instructor reported the target results, "Officer Brandt, two shots in the bullseye, one shot in the inner circle, a total of twenty-nine points!"
Twenty-nine points, nearly a perfect score!
The soldiers watching at the shooting range exclaimed in surprise, and Officer Brandt felt satisfied. However, he maintained a serious expression on his face and shook his head, saying, "I'll admit that I am not in my best form. Otherwise, thirty points would be easy."
"Well deserved for Rifle Mastery," Kyle shrugged as he silently thought in his mind and walked towards the firing platform.
In his previous life, he lived in a peaceful era and had never even touched a pistol, let alone trained with one. But now, holding an Ability Card related to pistol mastery, as he held the pistol, an unprecedented sense of familiarity arose within his heart.
Looking at the distant target, Kyle's movements were not exactly fluid, but he still raised his arm and, in less than half a second, aimed and fired three consecutive shots!
"It looks quite convincing," Officer Brandt shook his head. Fifty meters was already a long distance for a pistol, and hitting the target posed a difficulty level much higher than with a rifle.
To win, all three shots had to hit the bullseye, a probability close to zero for a rookie soldier.
As expected, the instructor examined the fifty-meter target for quite some time before loudly announcing, "Soldier Kyle, three shots missed, the score is 0."
Silence fell upon the shooting range, followed by uproarious laughter from the audience.
Officer Brandt was also stunned. He thought Kyle was brimming with confidence and, even if he couldn't defeat him, he would at least hit the target. But all three shots were missed.
"This was a waste of time, a complete and utter waste of time. Kyle, pack up your things and get lost," Officer Brandt mocked as he spoke. But at that moment, Kyle, who was still on the firing platform, suddenly shouted, "Instructor, please check the one-hundred-meter target."
"One-hundred-meter target? What else do you want to do? Haven't you played enough jokes?" Officer Brandt couldn't hold back any longer. Holding his rifle, he angrily approached Kyle, his face turning pale with rage, and the barrel almost touching Kyle's head. "Do you believe I'll shoot you right now?"
Kyle spoke with a calm expression on his face, "Before you shoot me, can you wait for the instructor to report the results of the one-hundred-meter target?"
"Are you crazy? Do you really want me to shoot you?" Officer Brandt angrily retorted. Just then, the hurried voice of the instructor reporting the one-hundred-meter target results sounded from a distance:
"R-reporting, Soldier Kyle, one-hundred-meter target, three shots bullseye, thirty points!"
The one-hundred-meter target, three shots bullseye!
The shooting range, which was previously filled with laughter, fell silent once again. Both the soldiers on the field and the officers wore expressions of astonishment.
Officer Brandt, in particular, had an incredulous look on his face. He double-checked with the instructor and, once the instructor confirmed the results, he awkwardly set down his rifle.
"With this outcome, I have won this competition. Sir, I will continue training at the base," Kyle said while feeling secretly relieved inside. He had narrowly avoided having a gun pointed at his head, and that was no joking matter.
However, he had won. It was a close call, but it was enough.
Without waiting for Officer Brandt's response, Kyle left the firing platform and walked towards Agent Carter, returning the special trait pistol to her.
Agent Carter looked at him in astonishment and exclaimed, "I didn't expect you to achieve such a level with a pistol."
"With the range of this special trait pistol, you can do the same," Kyle replied with a smile.
"How did you know?" Peggy Carter couldn't help but ask.
"I guessed. But today, you were my luck of victory. Next time, I will properly thank you when I have the chance," Kyle said before he turned and left the shooting range, leaving a bewildered Carter and a mentally absent Officer Brandt behind.
Outside the shooting range, Steve saw Kyle coming out and ran over, giving him a hug. "Kyle, you scared me!"
"Come on, don't be so clingy. I'm straight," Kyle said, but even as he spoke, he kept his hand on Steve's slender shoulder after the hug.
"I didn't expect you to be so skilled with a gun. Teach me sometime," Steve said happily.
"Naturally, we're in this together. Let's go grab a meal."
The two of them walked shoulder to shoulder toward the cafeteria. As the soldiers watched them leave, applause erupted from the audience stands, initiated by someone, and soon thundered throughout the area.
The new recruits who previously mocked and taunted them in the dormitory hung their heads in shame.
Pistol Hitting the bullseye at one hundred meters, surpassing the rifle at fifty meters! Such incredible marksmanship deserved the applause and respect of everyone in the military camp.
"The army's food is quite nutritious, but the taste is still not that great," Kyle said as he returned to the barracks to rest after dinner. After the impressive bet, the attitudes of the recruits in the dormitory underwent a complete one-hundred-eighty-degree transformation.
As Steve put it, those who used to ignore them were now desperate to befriend them, and those who used to bully them were now timidly trying to make amends.
This was the deterrent power of strength and talent.
Having enjoyed the convenience and benefits of extracting ability cards, Kyle grew even more fond of the feeling of constant self-improvement and enhancement.
With nearly twenty people in the dormitory, he was like a dry sponge, constantly extracting various types of cards from his surroundings without discrimination.
However, these soldiers were still young recruits, and even if they had cards, most of them were limited to White Cards, with very few Green Cards. And among the Green Cards, there were very few that had practical value.
Agent Carter was still the best. When would he be able to extract all those twenty-plus Green Cards from her?
Kyle, who had finished collecting the cards, leaned back on his bed, lost in thought. Suddenly, Steve approached and curiously asked, "Kyle, what are you thinking about?"
Still in a daze, Kyle blurted out, "I'm thinking about Agent Carter."
"Ah, Agent Carter." As soon as Steve heard the name, his face stiffened.
"You like Agent Carter, don't you?" Kyle chuckled and reassured him, "Don't worry, I won't steal the woman you're interested in."
"You really won't?" Steve's face showed a mix of gratitude and disappointment. "I better not try. I'm not worthy of someone like her."
"Don't underestimate yourself, Steve. Believe in your abilities and future." Kyle patted Steve's shoulder, giving him an encouraging pep talk. "If you want to pursue that woman, maintain your determination and drive, tap into your potential. I don't want to see a battlefield without you by my side."
After all, you are Captain America! In this Marvel World War II era, you're definitely the main character.
"Thank you, Kyle." Steve nodded firmly and stepped back from the bed.
You go ahead and strive to become stronger. Although I have the ability to extract cards, I'll always be right there at the forefront with you.
Kyle watched Steve's figure and returned his thoughts to the Ability Cards he had collected.
Setting aside the numerous White Ability Cards covering various fields, he currently possessed only five Green Cards.
[Rifle Mastery]
[English Proficiency]
[Military Boxing Mastery]
[Psychology Mastery]
[True Pistol Proficiency]
Among them, [True Pistol Proficiency] outshone the other four Green Cards.
[True Pistol Proficiency]: Mastery of near-perfect pistol skills. Rare Green Ability Card.
This was the highest-value Ability Card Kyle had extracted from Agent Carter. With this rare card, he could easily defeat an officer with Rifle Mastery.
Otherwise, the gambling match between Kyle and the officer, both wielding rifle mastery, would have been a fifty-fifty chance.
"Green Rare Card > Green Card > White Card."
"Green Ability Cards are harder to come by than White Cards, and the requirements for extraction, be it distance or timing, are much higher."
"For now, there's no need to go into battle, so the other Green Cards aren't of much use. What I need most now are green Ability Cards that enhance physical abilities!"
Kyle pondered. His original physical condition was weak, which was why he had collapsed from heatstroke on the first day. To adapt to the high-intensity training in the military camp, he needed to change his physical condition.
Directly extracting abilities related to physical fitness from others, such as the [Military Boxing Mastery] Green Card, [Running Expertise] White Card, or [Swimming Expertise] White Card, would indirectly improve his physical fitness.
Unfortunately, the boost provided by White Ability Cards was minimal, while the physical enhancements from Green Ability Cards were significant.
"Tomorrow, I'll continue searching for Ability Cards and I'll focus on green Ability Cards that enhance physical abilities."
Kyle's eyes sparkled with excitement as he thought of this. Everyone at the military training base would be his prey!
(End of Chapter)