Chapter 1097 – 1097. Dark Moon
Lexie, who had been looking at me with a strange expression, quickly composed herself and asked,
“Why did you lower your gun? You still have a chance to shoot. Three chances, in fact.”
Even if I didn’t hit the target, they would give me up to three tries.
“It’s meaningless. The target is out of sight, I can’t see it.”
Honestly, I thought it was a miracle that I even hit the 850m target. The 850m target looked smaller than a grain of rice. The only reason I could see it was because the shooting range was on a flat, obstacle-free area and the weather was good. In a real battle, it would be impossible to hit an 850m target with the naked eye.
“Well, it’s hard to hit something you can’t see. But what if you could see it?”
“If I could see it, I would hit it, anyone would. Hitting a stationary target is easy.”
“It seems like shooting is easy for you. This… makes me even more interested in you.”
“That was my limit just now.”
Lexie approached me. She stood in front of me, blocking my path. I made a troubled expression. She was an instructor, and I was a slave and a test subject. If I ignored her and walked past, there would be repercussions.
“You can hit it if you can see it?”
“Yes.”
I answered without hesitation, with conviction. Maybe it was because I had gained some kind of ability when I entered the game, but shooting felt very easy.
“You can use Telescope magic, too.”
“…I’ve never heard of that magic before.”
“Oh, right. I forgot you’re a newbie. It’s a level 2 magic. It’s an enhancement magic that improves your eyesight.”
Lexie reached out her hand towards my head. I flinched for a moment, but quickly realized that she didn’t intend to harm me, and relaxed my guard slightly.
Her mana is moving. I can feel the spell formula. Mana flows into my body. I felt discomfort from the foreign mana. Since it was the situation, I endured it.
‘…Judging by the situation, this must be Telescope magic. Let’s memorize the spell formula.’
Level 2 magic. Feeling the spell formula, I could tell it was definitely more difficult than level 1 magic.
‘If I had five mana rods… I think I could use it even if the casting time was a bit long?’
The spell formula gathers in my eyes. The spell formula seeped into my eyes. It’s a little different from magic like Light or Fire.
‘Is this a physical enhancement magic?’
A new thought suddenly popped into my head. If I added the Light Scope spell formula to the Telescope spell formula, wouldn’t light come out of my eyes? Of course, it was just my idea.
‘If I try it and go blind, it’ll be an irreversible, stupid thing to do.’
Lexie took her hand off my head. When I focused my eyes, my vision improved. Lexie’s face felt much bigger. I could see even the small pores on her skin. Conversely, when I relaxed my focus, my vision returned to normal.
“That’s Telescope magic. It’ll last for an hour. Now, pick up your gun and check the target.”
I followed her instructions.
I could see the target at a distance of 900m. The steel target stood as if it had never been hit before.
“Can you hit it?”
I answered without hesitation to Lexie’s expectant voice.
“Yes.”
“Then pull the trigger.”
I pulled the trigger as she wanted.
Bang.
The gunshot, which I had become somewhat accustomed to, rang out, and the bullet flew. I thought it flew for about a second, and then it hit the center of the target. The target moved backward. I checked the electronic display next to the shooting range. The number that had been 900m changed to 1,000m. That was the distance to the target.
“You can see it?”
“Yes.”
“You can do it?”
“Yes.”
“Show me your true limit. If your limit really impresses me… I’ll give you a reward.”
“…A reward, you say?”
“Well, there could be many things, right?”
Instructor Lexie’s rank was sergeant. How far did her authority reach? I didn’t know, but it probably wasn’t very high. I gave up on my expectations, but I still focused. I was also curious about where my limit was.
‘I need to know my limits to grow.’
I pulled the trigger.
Another hit.
I hit targets at distances of over 2,000m and even 3,000m. From 2,500m, I couldn’t hit the center of the target, but I still hit the target.
The target didn’t move backward. The set limit distance was 3,000m.
“Don’t lower your gun. I haven’t seen your limit yet.”
Lexie went to the control panel and pressed a button. A new target appeared at a distance of 100m. The target moved as if it was teasing me. The movement seemed to have a pattern, but it didn’t. The speed of the movement was about the same as a person walking.
“Start shooting.”
My index finger moved. The muzzle spat fire. The bullet flew and hit the moving target.
“Feels good. I knew you could hit it.”
Her exclamation didn’t reach my ears. I was currently extremely focused on the target that had moved backward.
I check the target. I pull the trigger. I hit the target. I check the target. I pull the trigger. I hit the target.
The machine-like cycle began to falter when the target was at a distance of 1,500m. The bullet missed and hit the ground.
“You still have two chances left. Take a deep breath and try again.”
As Lexie said, I still had chances left. I calmed myself with a deep breath and increased my concentration again.
Bang.
The target moved backward.
And I lost all my chances at 1,800m. Feeling disappointed, I lowered my gun. Lexie smiled and approached me, then hugged me. Even though my mind was that of an adult, my body was still in its growth phase, so I was shorter than her. My face was buried in her ample chest.
“Newbie! You’re a real genius! I never thought I’d find such a genius here! If you get professional training… you might become the best sniper in the Freecell Kingdom!”
“……”
I quietly felt Lexie’s chest. Such opportunities are rare. She released me from her embrace about 5 seconds later.
“You can look forward to your reward.”
Lexie said with a smile. Whatever it was, it was good to have gained the favor of an instructor.
After that, Lexie ordered me to do free shooting and watched the other children’s shooting. She corrected their postures and taught them how to shoot. Except for No. 31, they were all mediocre.
By the end of the class, my record had slightly increased to 1,820m.
I received a chocolate bar from Lexie. I was feeling a bit bored, so I ate it right away. Everyone looked at me with envious eyes. Objectively, it was a normal taste, but subjectively, it was fantastic.
•••
I had dinner in the cafeteria and returned to the barracks. We were given personal time. It was a sweet free time. The way we spent our free time was similar. Most of us studied with magic books.
We were not soldiers, but slaves. If we couldn’t prove our usefulness here, we would be disposed of. Disposal meant death.
I also took out my magic book. I opened the page I had been looking at in the morning. The page contained the spell formula for ice magic.
I was trying to focus on the magic book when No. 212 next to me spoke to me.
“No. 211. You were really amazing today. It’s like you became a completely different person after experiencing mana backlash. Especially your shooting… you even broke No. 31’s record. What’s your secret?”
“Secret? …Maybe it’s because of the mana backlash that Instructor Venus mentioned.”
“So it was because of that? Unconscious enlightenment? Ah. I wonder if I can gain enlightenment if I suffer mana backlash too?”
“Maybe, I don’t know exactly what kind of enlightenment it is.”
I vaguely glossed over it. I was also dumbfounded about shooting and magic. It was hard to say that it was simply a talent that had blossomed.
‘Is it like a special perk that was given to me when I entered the game?’
No. 212 treated me with a more familiar act than yesterday. It seemed like she was trying to get something out of me. Unfortunately, there was nothing I could do for her. She and I were both in the same situation.
I took a shower in the bathroom an hour before the evening roll call. There were separate bathrooms for men and women. Even though we were slaves and test subjects, we were treated quite well because we would become battle mages later.
‘Even among lab rats, there are expensive ones and cheap ones. I’m lucky to be on the expensive side.’
Other countries also conduct human experiments.
‘Some of them treat slaves like insects, worse than livestock. I’m lucky that I’m not in a place like that.’
But that didn’t mean I liked this life. I would escape slavery and regain my freedom.
•••
It was time for martial arts class.
The martial arts instructor was a young man.
Instructor Belha. He had a sturdy physique, and his face, hands, and arms were covered with large and small scars. He was openly watching me.
‘It’s obvious. Instructor Lexie must have told him about me.’
I wasn’t used to this kind of attention, so it was burdensome. Of course, that didn’t mean it was bad.
‘I mustn’t forget my situation. I can be disposed of at any time. So I have to prove my abilities.’
But I didn’t intend to show everything I had. I would escape this place someday. The hidden resources would definitely be helpful.
“The basics of martial arts were taught last time… so today we’ll do sparring. No. 31, No. 211, come forward.”
Instructor Belha said with a smirk.
He designated me as No. 31’s opponent. I didn’t know what he had heard from Instructor Lexie, but Belha seemed to be overestimating me.
I couldn’t go against the instructor, so I went forward. No. 31 approached from the front. Her purple hair swayed with every step, and her cool, red eyes were far from ordinary.
“The format is free sparring. The use of mana is prohibited. Targeting the eyes and genitals is also prohibited. Biting your opponent with your teeth is also prohibited.”
I clenched my fist while listening to Instructor Belha’s words.
My talent for magic and shooting was surprising even to myself, but martial arts was different. I was confident in martial arts. Before I entered the game, I was an F-rank hunter. Although my rank was the lowest, I was not an ordinary person. I had experience fighting monsters. On the other hand, my opponent was still a novice without any proper experience.
“Start.”
Instructor Belha said.
No. 31 rushed in without any probing.
‘I can see her movements.’
Since I could see her movements, I just needed to stay calm and respond.
Thwack!
“……!!”
I was hit in the solar plexus and staggered backward. My breath caught, and my legs trembled. Aside from my body’s reaction, my mind was very bewildered.
‘I definitely saw her fist. I even raised my fist to counter. But why did I get hit?’
No. 31’s fist aimed for my face. I saw it this time too. I raised my palm. I was planning to grab her wrist and perform a reverse shoulder throw.
Thwack.
But this time too, I was hit by No. 31.
‘……Damn it.’
I realized what the problem was.
It was a simple problem. My body couldn’t keep up with my consciousness. Even if I tried to block my opponent’s body, the reaction of my hands and legs was one beat… no, two beats too slow.
The level of physical training didn’t matter. No. 31 and I had almost the same physical abilities, and No. 211, a slave and test subject, had an above-average body due to good food and regular exercise since the old days.
‘It’s the opposite of shooting. I have absolutely no talent for martial arts.’
A fist flew at me.
I knew it was coming, but I couldn’t avoid it.
Whack! Thwack!
While getting beaten, I thought.
‘If only I could use magic… the result would have been different.’
It was a sparring where I couldn’t even use mana, let alone magic.
“Stop.”
It was stopped by Instructor Belha. No. 31, who had been relentlessly throwing punches and kicks, immediately stopped and backed away. I had been beaten up throughout the sparring. My body ached all over.
“It seems like you’re not good at martial arts. No. 211. You’re lacking in the basics. Go hit the sandbag and train your fists.”
“…Yes, Instructor.”
“No. 31. I know you didn’t even get a proper warm-up. Spar with No. 37.”
While others were improving their skills through sparring, I was stuck hitting a sandbag. I didn’t feel resentful. Rather, I thought it was a relief.
‘At least I’m not being punished. Is it because I’m good at shooting that they’re letting me off this easily?’
I threw a punch at the sandbag. At first, I hit the sandbag with motivation. But as time went on, I only realized that I had no talent for martial arts. Later, I was just swinging my fist half-heartedly, thinking about magic in my head.
