At TerraNova Corporation's firing range, a spacious area was designed to accommodate fifty shooters in simultaneous training sessions. It featured a range of the lightest H-series weapons, including pistols, shotguns, assault rifles, and sniper rifles.
"Pick whichever you like," Maughan encouraged Ryan, "Once you've mastered these four types of weapons and can hit the target accurately, I'll take you hunting to experience the thrill of real combat."
Noticing Ryan's lack of interest in the basic training, Maughan quickly proposed a challenge to ignite his enthusiasm.
"Deal!" Ryan's interest was piqued.
"What does it take to be proficient?" Ryan inquired.
"Using these four weapons at standard range, score a hundred points with ten rounds," Maughan replied with a smile. "That means each shot must hit the target precisely, leaving no room for error."
Ryan surveyed the moving targets on the training field. Each had a simulated beast's heart and head, with a small bullseye at the center representing the highest score.
"Pay attention," Maughan explained, "The red heart of the beast's chest is ten points, and the same goes for the head. If you miss by a bit, you lose a point; if you completely miss the target, it's zero. And we only have moving targets here, testing your coordination with your AI assistant, Astra. You need to fully utilize its computational capabilities."
While explaining, Maughan guided Ryan in selecting a weapon, "On the battlefield, the chip's computational power is both your strongest shield and sharpest weapon. Your growth depends not only on your physical fitness but also on your synergy with the chip."
Ryan, of course, understood these principles. In this world, being just a little stronger than an ordinary person was far from enough.
No matter the firepower of the weapon, whether an H3-level warrior or an H9-level elite, a bullet to the vital spot could be fatal.
However, no matter how fast a firearm could shoot, it couldn't match the speed of a chip's computations.
A chip could perform evasive maneuvers in the blink of gunfire, even initiating active defense mechanisms while the sound of the shot was still traveling. It could also start computing, offering suggestions for positioning and finding cover before a warrior entered a combat environment.
Similarly, a warrior could quickly spot and lock onto enemies with the chip's assistance, gaining data support and attack recommendations.
The role of the chip should not be underestimated!
Moreover, when a chip's computational power is robust enough, it can even control more complex weapon systems, even the entire base's survival systems.
For example, the Earth Alliance's S-class series of star-destroying aircraft cannon have the ability to mobilize and extract resources from a planet, but this requires tens of millions of units of computational power and must be activated by a coalition of chips to unleash its planet-destroying strike; Leviathan-class space battleships are so large that they can accommodate a million people, equipped with up to a hundred thousand fighters and escorts, and consume a huge amount of energy during navigation, requiring an extremely elite team to operate.
Once these two types of weapons of war appear, it means that the highest level of interstellar war has begun.
Legend has it that in the first year of the New Calendar Year, in the battle to eradicate the zergs of the Andromeda galaxy, only B-class series of warships and weapons were deployed.
"Ryan." "What are you thinking about?"
Maughan's voice interrupted Ryan's thoughts.
Ryan stood in front of the weapon rack, casually picking up a gun and said with a smile, "It's my first time with these weapons, a bit distracted, hehe..."
"You'd better start with a pistol; the recoil of a shotgun is not small," Maughan kindly reminded.
Ryan looked down and realized that what he held was a shotgun whose weight was no less than that of a sniper rifle.
The heavy metal texture, large-caliber muzzle, and the diameter of the bullets the size of a fist, the bright red shell casings were particularly eye-catching under the lights, giving a strong sense of oppression.
"The shotgun has a short range, but the damage area is wide, and the destructive power at close range is very strong. It's a common weapon we use for hunting beasts, but the disadvantage is the large recoil, which can easily make your arm numb!" Maughan reminded while laughing, " I thought you'd start with an assault rifle, but I didn't expect you to have such a natural fondness for wild weapons."
Most people indeed prefer assault rifles with high magazine capacity, which can be used for single shots or bursts, adaptable to various environments, and very controllable.
Ryan put down the shotgun, followed Maughan's advice, and chose a silver Desert Eagle, which had its magazine capacity increased from the original seven rounds to thirteen. Next to it was a submachine gun with a magazine capacity of fifty rounds, extremely fast shooting speed, but slightly less stable.
Ryan preferred weapons with strong recoil; they gave a sense of domineering power.
He easily completed the loading action and, under Maughan's guidance, came to the firing window.
Maughan unobtrusively activated the training mode.
The training field in front instantly turned into a desolate gobi desert, and a Ripper Wolf revealed its ferocious face, split into six petals, from behind cover.
"But there are no traditional stationary training targets here," Maughan said with a slight smile. "In real combat, such targets don't exist."
He had previously shown Ryan how to use the chip to mark targets. Now, Ryan needed to rely on the chip to reveal targets. This was Maughan's first lesson for newcomers—learning to use the chip in battle.
In fact, Ryan's use of the chip had already become second nature.
"Astra!" He silently called in his mind.
"Calculate the target's moving trajectory."
"Analyze environmental wind speed."
"Enter the ballistic data of the weapon, prepare to aim."
All instructions were silently given in his mind.
These skills were already ingrained in him. Although Astra was just a basic model, with the citizen chip's computational analysis capability of five units per second, it was more than enough for simple hot weapon analysis and shooting a single target, easily coping.
He pulled the trigger.
"Bang!"
Huh?
He missed?
Maughan, watching the newcomer with standard movements and a focused expression, was not surprised that the first shot missed.
Expecting to hit the target accurately on the first try with a weapon and chip coordination?
Don't forget, the Ripper Wolf can move at a speed of seven meters per second, and even burst to twelve meters at its peak, which is no joke.
This kind of shooting training is based on real combat data simulation.
A slight deviation, and the trajectory could deviate by more than ten meters.
In short,
If Ryan wants to hit every shot and guide precisely, he still needs a lot of practice.
Bang!
At this moment, the second shot rang out.
Maughan saw a hint of hesitation in the Ripper Wolf's movements.
This was a sign of being hit.
Maughan was stunned for a moment.
What?
Hit on the second shot?
Bang!!
Ryan moved the gun steadily, focused, and pulled the trigger again.
A burst of blood mist erupted from the Ripper Wolf.
"Eight points!"
The training field automatically counted.
This means that this shot not only hit the Ripper Wolf but also accurately landed on the target, causing obvious damage to it.
Maughan's eyes widened.
The first shot missed;
The second shot could keep up with the target; then the third shot hit?
Bang!!
The fourth shot was fired.
A blood hole was hit at the heart position of the Ripper Wolf, which immediately fell to the ground.
The training field announced:
"Ten points!"
"Change the target, increase the difficulty."