Chapter 12: Practicing Marksmanship, Recognition

"Firearms, now that's something truly remarkable!" Holding the Silver Eagle in his hand, a trace of nostalgia flickered in Zhang Ran's eyes. Following the movements etched in his memory, he assumed a shooting stance and aimed at the distant target.

As Zhang Ran moved, both his heartbeat and breathing instinctively adjusted, becoming calmer. He fixed the front sight's center on the bullseye of a human-shaped target fifty meters away, aligning the sights, taking a deep breath to steady himself, exhaling, and pulling the trigger.

Eight ring, nine ring, ten ring...

After firing ten rounds in quick succession and emptying a magazine of the Silver Eagle, Zhang Ran's final score was one shot in the eight ring, four in the nine ring, and five perfect tens.

"How is that possible!"

"Why is his shooting so accurate?"

"This is unbelievable!"

The moment his results were revealed, the surrounding trainees cast glances filled with envy and a hint of wariness, whispering among themselves.

Though Raylo's explanation had sounded straightforward, the cadets only realized, once they handled the Silver Eagle themselves, that controlling a firearm was far more challenging than they'd imagined. Even when they thought they had lined up the sights, the weapon's formidable recoil caught most of them off guard, causing their shots to miss entirely. A few managed to hit the target, but their scores rarely exceeded five rings.

Compared to these results, Zhang Ran's performance was simply dazzling, instantly drawing the attention of nearly everyone. Even Instructor Raylo, observing from afar, turned his head, his interest piqued as he regarded Zhang Ran.

"It's true, I haven't used a firearm in so long that even my grip feels rusty! Slow-paced shooting, stationary targets at such close range, yet I can't land every shot in the ten ring. It seems that although my physical condition has recovered considerably, my combat skills are still far from what they were before I crossed over. I'll need to focus on training this aspect from now on!"

He shook his head slightly, sighing inwardly. Despite far outstripping his peers, Zhang Ran was not satisfied with his own performance. After all, as an elite mercenary with over ten years of experience, before crossing over, he could hit every shot in the ten ring even when firing at fast-moving targets. That was the standard he held himself to.

"Chip, activate shooting assistance mode."

With a silent command, a flash of silver crossed his vision, and a three-dimensional holographic diagram appeared before him—a green human figure superimposed with a red one. The green figure represented the standard posture, while the red one depicted his own current stance.

In actual combat, there was never time for the chip to correct him slowly, but during training, it was invaluable for reinforcing proper technique through repetition, forming muscle memory. Only then could he gain the upper hand on the ever-changing battlefield.

...

An hour later.

With constant adjustments guided by the chip and the benefit of his previous life's experience, Zhang Ran regained much of his former shooting form after emptying dozens of magazines. He was entering a state of flow—both speed and accuracy were markedly improved.

Meanwhile, the other trainees were receiving step-by-step guidance from their instructors, who corrected their mistakes. After an hour of training, almost none of the cadets were missing the target entirely. Most stabilized their average at five rings, and a few gifted ones occasionally managed an eight.

"Not bad! It seems everyone's found their rhythm. Next, I'll address some common issues many of you are facing."

At this, Instructor Raylo, who had been observing, stepped forward holding a Silver Eagle pistol, ready to continue his explanation.

"Alright, keep training. You—come with me."

After finishing, Raylo gestured toward Zhang Ran.

"Yes, Instructor Raylo."

Responding promptly, Zhang Ran stepped out of line and followed Raylo to a wide, open area of the range.

"Young man, you've got talent! For your first time with a gun—especially one as challenging as the Silver Eagle—you shoot with impressive accuracy. I'm starting to suspect you may have handled firearms before. Now, let's see your true ability: try hitting the target at a hundred meters!"

Clapping Zhang Ran on the shoulder, Raylo's tone was tinged with admiration as he pointed to a target even farther away.

"Yes, Instructor Raylo."

Replacing the magazine in his Silver Eagle, Zhang Ran drew a deep breath, aimed, and fired.

Ten ring, ten ring, nine ring...

With the chip's aid and his muscle memory returning, even though the target was now a hundred meters out, Zhang Ran managed nine shots dead center and one in the nine ring.

"Excellent, truly excellent! You've clearly mastered shooting at stationary targets. Now, let's see how you fare with a moving target!"

Raylo's eyes shone with approval as he turned to the control panel and pressed several buttons. Fifty meters away, a human-shaped target began moving steadily from side to side.

"Yes, Instructor!"

Zhang Ran's eyes lit up with anticipation. In real combat, enemies never stood still; thus, training with moving targets was far more demanding but also more realistic—a mandatory skill for any competent shooter.

Swapping in a new magazine, Zhang Ran raised his pistol, took a steadying breath, and through the scope, tracked the moving target. His mind raced with calculations, and when the bullseye nearly overlapped his sights, he squeezed the trigger.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed, and a bullet hole appeared precisely in the target's center.

"Good! Fire all ten rounds!"

Raylo's eyes glittered with excitement as he gave the order.

Bang! Bang! Bang...

Nine more shots rang out; this time, Zhang Ran's performance was flawless—all ten rounds struck the ten ring.

"A genius, truly a genius! Cadet, what's your name?"

With a trace of excitement, Raylo asked for his name.

"Reporting, Instructor Raylo! My name is Zhang Ran!"

Zhang Ran responded crisply.

"Good, Zhang Ran. You have an exceptional natural talent for firearms. Training you alongside the ordinary cadets would be a waste! From now on, whenever you come to the range, seek me out. I'll provide you with more advanced training and introduce you to a wider array of weapons."

With a look of approval, Raylo gazed into Zhang Ran's eyes and smiled.