Chapter 9

Chapter 9

The armory was located between the vanguard team's training and rest areas. The entire zone was occupied by vanguard team members. As Ark stepped into this area with Fang Xunjiang, she immediately felt a more intense malice than usual.

"Why is she here..."

Their gazes were wary and sharp, making the previous looks she received seem trivial in comparison. The malice subsided slightly as they noticed Fang Xunjiang, who, focused entirely on Ark, didn't perceive the undercurrents.

Fortunately, Ark was accustomed to this sensation. She pretended to notice nothing and followed Fang Xunjiang, scanning her identity to enter the armory.

Normally, aside from the shelter's supreme commander, only the captain and vice-captain of the vanguard team have access to distribute and mobilize weapons from the armory.

Since Ark needed a gun, Fang Xunjiang led her into a room primarily filled with various firearms.

Handguns, sniper rifles, shotguns, rifles – every type of firearm imaginable was present, along with several unconventional-looking... guns?

Ark, unfamiliar with them, found her gaze drawn to some of the more unusually shaped firearms.

The dark-haired young man was closely watching her gaze and, upon noticing her interest in one, immediately understood her intent. He took it down, explaining, "This is an umbrella gun."

It was a sleek, black firearm, over 40cm in length, somewhat resembling a rifle in appearance.

He lowered his eyes and conscientiously began to explain its usage to Ark: "There's a button on the side. When pressed, a defensive shield emerges from the top."

Demonstrating, he pressed the button, and a shield-like protective energy barrier appeared with a 'whoosh' from the top of the gun.

"Its defensive capability is akin to a mobile blast door, capable of cutting through most materials and organisms."

"The rest of its structure is similar to a rifle and can be used as a regular firearm," he concluded emotionlessly, "Though it's capable of both offense and defense, it's quite heavy. It requires strong physical strength to wield as a weapon, and it might not be suitable for you."

In other words: 'You're too weak to handle it.'

Ark: …

Unconvinced, she extended her hand, "Let me see it."

Fang Xunjiang cautioned, "Sister, use both hands to receive it and be careful."

Aware of her physical limitations, Ark used both hands. As soon as Fang Xunjiang let go, she felt the weight pull her hands downward, causing her to stumble forward slightly, steadied only by Fang Xunjiang's quick support.

Seeing how easily Fang Xunjiang lifted it, Ark hadn't expected the seemingly slender object to be so heavy…

She didn’t insist further but tried summoning Line Pythons from her palm, forming a thick tentacle around the umbrella gun and using their strength to lift it.

Fang Xunjiang, seeing this, smiled faintly and clapped in a supportive manner: "Wow, sister, you’re amazing."

Ark felt his praise was somewhat like complimenting a child for learning to use chopsticks – oddly patronizing, yet he seemed earnest.

Letting it go, Ark began to examine the umbrella gun seriously.

Though the light shield was cool, its length was longer than her forearm, making it impractical to carry without the Line Pythons.

"Put it back, it's not very convenient."

Fang Xunjiang obediently returned the umbrella gun to its place.

The array of weapons was dazzling to Ark, unfamiliar with them. Seeing her looking around bewildered, Fang Xunjiang thought for a moment, then picked up a certain type of firearm.

"Sister, what do you think about this one?"

Ark looked over to see a very compact silver handgun in his hand, smaller than his palm and rather unremarkable in appearance, almost like a toy gun.

"This is a specially made exotic bullet gun. Its lethality isn’t very high, but its bullets can inhibit most aliens' recovery speed. For humans, it's just a regular bullet. Most importantly, it has low recoil, which I think is suitable for you, sister."

Hearing it was effective against aliens, Ark took it for inspection. The weight and size were suitable, and it was easy to carry.

"This one will do."

Having chosen her weapon, Fang Xunjiang demonstrated disassembly and assembly for her. With her strong memory and manual skills, she got the hang of it after a couple of tries. Next was the shooting practice.

The only place in the research center for firing practice was the vanguard team's training ground.

When Ark and Fang Xunjiang arrived, it was noon, and many members were gathered there. Ark immediately felt their gazes upon entering.

"Commander, hello!" The members who were training stopped their activities, and the previously noisy environment quieted down instantly. Subtle glances fell on Ark, which she had learned to automatically ignore.

Most people were engaged in physical training. Ark observed the area, noting that it was divided into several sections, with training grounds for supers and ordinary people likely separated.

The vanguard team wasn't composed entirely of supers; supers were rare, with the majority being well-trained ordinary people.

In the high-tech world of the future depicted in "Old Days Ruins," some weapons' lethality far exceeded that of many low-level supers and alien beings, making armed and trained ordinary people a formidable force.

Not long after Ark and Fang Xunjiang arrived at the training ground, a familiar voice sounded from behind.

"What a rare sight, is Commander here to supervise everyone's training progress?"

Caesar, who had just parted ways with Zhou Qiong Zhi and returned to the training ground, remarked leisurely as he sauntered over.

Noticing the gun in Ark's hand, he approached her: "Miss Ark, are you here to practice shooting? Need my help? I trained all the members of the vanguard team; I'm quite skilled in this area."

Though he said this, he felt extremely puzzled inside.

What was Ark doing here? Really here to practice shooting? What was the point in her training?

"Caesar."

Fang Xunjiang narrowed his eyes, his demeanor growing colder, issuing a warning: "I'm better at this than you. There's no need for you to teach my sister."

"Xunjiang." Ark, unconcerned about Caesar, called Fang Xunjiang to stabilize his mood, signaling him not to start a conflict with Caesar here, "Take me to the shooting area."

Caesar raised his eyebrows, showing a familiar expression, and gestured in front of Ark, "Commander might not know, but the layout of the training ground has changed recently. The shooting area is no longer over here."

With that, he led the way like a host, guiding them to the new location.

Fang Xunjiang chose to ignore him, following closely behind Ark.

Upon reaching the shooting range, Caesar spread his arms.

"Alright, everyone, let's pause our training for today."

Seemingly to embarrass Ark, he halted the training of everyone present, clearing the area for her. However, he didn’t disperse the crowd, focusing all eyes on her.

This invisible pressure enveloped Ark.

This guy, always scheming to make things difficult for her, seeking revenge, and relishing in her misfortune, no matter the time or place.

She took a deep breath, trying to ignore these external factors, and aimed at the target, firing a shot.

With no training, unsurprisingly, the shot was way off, not even grazing the edge of the target.

Caesar leaned against a wall, watching her actions with amusement.

Ark faintly heard snickering, as if mocking her overconfidence.

This didn’t discourage her; she didn’t need perfect aim, just enough practice to hit a target, but even reaching that level would take significant time.

Time was what she lacked the most. After firing several bullets that completely missed their mark, Ark began to ponder if there was a shortcut.

She realized her only potential shortcut was to use the Line Pythons in her body. Their ability to change shape and material might indeed assist her.

Sensing her need, the Line Pythons in her mind conveyed an affirmative response and shared their thoughts with her.

A single C-grade alien creature might not seem like much, but her body housed countless C-grades. Even if each had only D-level attack power, their combined strength was no less than that of a B-grade alien. This was something she knew since acquiring the Line Pythons.

However, this perspective only highlighted that the special aspect was the Line Pythons’ communal nature as an alien species. In this regard, her use of alien abilities didn't seem much different from that of a Devourer.

This wasn’t where her true advantage lay.

At that moment, Ark realized the biggest difference between her and the Devourers.

Devourers used alien powers like a three-year-old holding a gun – they couldn't maximize the weapon's potential, sometimes even harming themselves. Worse, these 'weapons' weren’t obedient, predetermined to turn on their users at the right moment with a fatal blow.

She was different; she could communicate with her 'weapons,' fully understanding their functions. These 'weapons' wouldn’t harm her; instead, they resonated with her thoughts, willing to lend their intelligence to help her fully harness their power.

With this realization, Ark’s heartbeat quickened, and she immediately put it into practice.

She controlled the Line Pythons, extending nearly invisible thin threads from her wrist towards the gun, wrapping around its body and barrel, calculating the angle and position for shooting.

Aiming at a target twenty meters away, Ark felt a slight touch on her hand helping her adjust the gun’s position. Once sure, she pulled the trigger.

“Bang——”

The gun fired, hitting the bullseye.

The surroundings finally fell silent.

This new discovery absorbed Ark so much that she didn’t pay attention to others’ reactions. She shot at other targets, hitting the bullseye each time, gradually mastering the technique and feel.

When only one target remained, she withdrew the assisting Line Pythons and relied solely on the shooting feel she had learned. Without their help, the next shot hit the nine-ring, only a hair's breadth from the bullseye.

It seemed she still needed more adjustment to adapt fully.

Even so, this was a rocket-like progression, unimaginable for most people.

Ark felt excited; these were stationary targets, and a real enemy wouldn’t just stand still waiting to be shot.

She asked someone nearby, "Could you switch to moving targets for me?"

After speaking, she realized the atmosphere in the room was a bit strange, the gazes directed at her subtly shifting.