Chapter 455 - 324: First Foray into Firearms, Dream Contest

Chapter 455: Chapter 324: First Foray into Firearms, Dream Contest

「Three days later.」

Song Ling’Er watched with a serious expression as Wu Liangchen disassembled and reassembled his firearms, then began to practice on her own.

After several days of recuperation, the girl’s complexion was no longer as pale as before, and she had grown quite a bit taller.

But the dense web of scars on her hands still silently spoke of an unfortunate childhood.

Yet it was these same hands that were now deftly disassembling the firearm’s components.

Watching from the side, Wu Liangchen couldn’t help but nod in silent approval.

After all, he had only taught her a few times, yet she had reached this level of proficiency the moment she started. The girl truly had a knack for it.

This was also the path Wu Liangchen had planned for Song Ling’Er’s future.

He couldn’t possibly keep Song Ling’Er by his side forever. He had other business to attend to in the future.

But having rescued her from that hellhole, he couldn’t just abandon her. Wu Liangchen believed this society would devour the girl, leaving nothing behind.

To survive in the Alliance—a world where the weak are meat for the strong and the winner takes all—one needed a unique skill.

Martial arts were out of the question. A childhood of extreme malnutrition had already ruined her body, and no amount of nutrition now could fix it.

Her foundation was destroyed. It was too late for anything else.

As for Magic.

Wu Liangchen had checked. No miracle occurred. Her aptitude for Magic was completely ordinary, just like any normal person. While there was an extremely low probability she might awaken to it, the odds were like winning the lottery—something one could only hope for, not strive for.

That left only one path for her: learning about firearms and using that knowledge to survive.

This was not a skill to be underestimated.

Many Bounty Hunters in the Alliance survived solely on this skill.

They might not have any martial arts training, nor were they Magic users, but they had established a foothold in the Alliance purely through their superb marksmanship.

Not that Wu Liangchen intended to train a top-tier assassin, but at the very least, she needed the ability to protect herself.

Song Ling’Er clearly understood that Wu Liangchen was teaching her a vital skill, so she was an extremely diligent student.

However, her motivations were different from his.

She just wanted to be able to help Wu Liangchen as soon as possible.

Even if it was just by assisting him with small tasks, it was better than being a mere burden.

Soon, Song Ling’Er had disassembled and reassembled the entire bag of weapons three times.

After she completed her daily training, Wu Liangchen led Song Ling’Er to the villa’s basement.

The soundproofing was excellent, making it a perfect place for a shooting range.

Wu Liangchen explained and demonstrated the key points of shooting once more, then let Song Ling’Er practice on her own.

He didn’t expect to turn her into a sharpshooter in such a short time; that would be unrealistic.

All sharpshooters are made, fed a diet of bullets, and Wu Liangchen himself was no exception.

He just wanted Song Ling’Er to quickly familiarize herself with the fundamentals. The rest would have to be honed over time.

However, Song Ling’Er’s performance over the past few days had been quite surprising.

Despite her slender and frail frame, Song Ling’Er was extremely calm when she shot.

Though she missed the target completely at first, she had figured out the knack after just one day. Her shot groupings gradually tightened, and she could eventually keep her spread within the size of a small wine cup from over ten meters away.

Admittedly, this was partially thanks to the Alliance’s advanced technology, which resulted in firearms with very little recoil, but her progress was still astonishing.

Many people could train hard for a month and still not reach that level of proficiency.

Finally, after more than two hours and hundreds of spent cartridges, Wu Liangchen called a halt to the training.

Song Ling’Er’s face was now pale, and her fingers and shoulder were red and swollen.

It was the predictable aftermath of such high-intensity training.

Fortunately, the villa was well-stocked with all manner of medical supplies.

After applying some ointment, Song Ling’Er emerged from her room to find that Wu Liangchen had prepared a table laden with food.

"Eat. When you’re done, you’re coming with me."

"Okay!" Song Ling’Er replied, her voice full of joy.

This had been the happiest time of her life, but when she awoke from nightmares in the dead of night, she was often consumed by panic and anxiety, unable to break free.

She was keenly aware that, for now, she was nothing but a burden. Didn’t Wu Liangchen always have to arrange for her safety before he could do anything?

This filled Song Ling’Er with a deep sense of anxiety.

She was terrified that, in time, he would grow tired of the trouble and abandon her.

And though she knew it was unlikely, the fear still kept her awake at night.

That was why she had been so diligent when Wu Liangchen began teaching her to shoot.

So now, hearing that he intended to take her with him, how could she not be overjoyed?

Soon, they had eaten their fill. Wu Liangchen had Song Ling’Er change into a set of all-black combat fatigues, while he himself put on a stealth earpiece.

He’d bought it from the coffee shop owner. It was likely Alliance military surplus, and it even came with a short-range encrypted communicator.

It was a fine piece of equipment, allowing for ultra-low latency communication within a five-kilometer radius. Crucially, it was also very difficult to crack.

Even though the combat fatigues were the smallest size available, they were still a bit big on Song Ling’Er.

However, after she put on a few extra layers underneath, they were serviceable enough.

With that, Wu Liangchen led Song Ling’Er to the car, and they headed straight for the Shadowlands.

It had rained again tonight, though it had now stopped. A bright moon peeked in and out from behind thick, dark clouds.

A cold wind howled, sending ripples across the puddles in the street, which were then immediately crushed beneath their tires.