"Step back—further back. Don't stand near the windows. Watch the glass."
V waved her pistol excitedly, eyes gleaming with anticipation.
Leo, now "under threat," could only pace the room in search of a suitable place to die.
Eventually, he positioned himself in front of the elevator and used a random object to block the control panel.
It was an ideal spot—no furniture to damage, and it put the maximum distance between him and V, who stood by the large floor-to-ceiling windows at the bar. The two were about twenty meters apart.
"Too far. Engagement distance in indoor close-quarters usually doesn't exceed ten meters. But since you're a rookie, I'll cut you some slack.
Set your Kerenzikov to Level 3. Take a minute or two to get used to it. First round's simple—I'll call the shot location before I fire."
Leo inhaled deeply and switched his Kerenzikov to Level 3.
Technically, the implant would soon sync to his neural patterns, letting him switch modes via thought alone—but since it had only been a day, he stuck with manual for safety.
A weak jolt of electricity surged from the implant at his spine, causing him to involuntarily shudder.
Time slowed again. The feeling of watching everything in slow motion returned.
He waved a hand in front of his face.
Thanks to the lighting, his hand left multiple afterimages in the air—like some kind of martial arts master with flashy special effects.
Once he adjusted, he gave V a thumbs-up from across the room: ready.
V didn't waste words. She raised her gun and aimed.
"Right foot."
Bang!
Before she even finished speaking, the gun fired.
Trailing the sound came the whizz of a rubber bullet bursting from the dark barrel.
Leo's eyes widened as he locked on to the projectile.
Time seemed to stretch infinitely. Everything blurred and slowed… except for the bullet.
He could see it—its spiraling motion, the perfect arc slicing through the air from muzzle to foot.
In that surreal "bullet time," Leo's brain kicked into overdrive. Without conscious thought, he lifted his foot.
Just a few centimeters… and the bullet whizzed past his sole.
Success!
Well… partial success.
Leo looked down. That was way too close. The issue? His body couldn't match his mind's reaction speed.
V's voice echoed from afar:
"Kerenzikov's not like Sandevistan. It only boosts your reflexes, not your movement speed. You'll need tons of training to get used to thinking fast but moving slow."
"Stop zoning out—next one, left shoulder."
Bang!
…
The shots kept coming. Leo twisted, ducked, and weaved like a circus acrobat.
After an exhausting flurry, they reached the final round.
"Chest."
Bang!
Leo sharply twisted to the side. His body contorted at an absurd angle, barely avoiding the rubber slug.
It zipped past his chest, letting out a piercing whoosh before slamming into the safety door behind him, leaving a shallow dent.
That was close…
But he dodged it.
Final tally: 20 shots fired, 10 successfully dodged.
A 50% evasion rate.
Leo panted heavily, sweat dotting his forehead. His heart pounded like a war drum, making him want to run laps in celebration.
He saw the bullets—and dodged them.
That one realization gave him a profound sense of safety.
For someone terrified of death, no feeling is more precious than a survival tool.
As he hunched over, gasping for air, V walked up and tapped his shoulder with her pistol.
"Not bad for a first session. But don't get cocky. In real fights, always find cover first.
Dodging bullets looks cool—until you don't dodge one. Then it's just tragic."
Leo nodded. He knew rubber bullets were slower and lighter than real ones. Dodging them was hardly an achievement.
But…
That didn't kill his joy!
He dodged a bullet! Just like Neo from The Matrix!
V chuckled and pulled out a coin.
"Let's go again. Call it—heads or tails?"
"Heads!"
Leo had faith—if he kept picking heads, he'd win eventually.
Ding—
The coin flipped, spun, chimed.
Landed—tails.
"You lost again. Shame, I actually felt like training."
V popped in a new mag, her smile bright as summer.
Bang bang bang—!
Another volley.
This time, Leo was warmed up and had a better feel for the rhythm—he dodged 13 of them. Definite improvement.
Third coin toss. Leo steeled himself and picked… "Heads."
Ding—
Tails.
"Cheating! This has to be rigged!"
Leo couldn't take it anymore. He snatched up the coin and held it.
"This time I'll flip—you guess! No more trickery!"
V rolled her eyes. "Alright, I'll guess… heads."
Ding—
Heads.
"…No way!"
Leo collapsed. Was he cursed with eternal bad luck?!
"I gave you the chance, and you blew it~"
Clack.
V swapped mags, then hesitated… and tossed the pistol to him.
"You keep calling this training, but I've been the target the whole time. Here—your turn. Don't thank me."
Leo hesitated, then walked over to the bar.
She volunteered. That didn't count as taking advantage!
They repositioned. This time, V stood ready to be executed.
Leo tried to suppress his smirk but couldn't hold it in. "Should I call the shot?"
"No need. You think I'm—"
Bang!
Before she could finish, Leo fired a surprise round.
Ha!
V the Unstoppable—Die! Die!!
He imagined her flailing in surprise, but reality dashed that hope.
V bent backwards like a human limbo bar, effortlessly dodging the bullet aimed at her chest.
Leo was devastated—but undeterred. He kept pulling the trigger.
Bang bang bang—click click—
Magazine empty. V's evasion record: 15 bullets dodged.
The other five? Misses.
Leo was in disbelief. The first 10 shots didn't land no matter what he did—he realized his aim was too slow, giving her ample time.
So for the final stretch, he gave up aiming entirely, spraying and praying. Result? He became a human outline tracer, bullets whizzing everywhere but the target.
V just smiled wordlessly, the smugness clear as day.
"I'm not done! One more round!"
Leo whipped out the coin—ready to gamble his fate again.
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