Chapter 74: Did I Just Find a Treasure?

The awakening stone could not even measure Lin Xiao's current ability level, so it was inevitable that the elderly in the nursing home felt a bit disappointed. However, it also meant that Lin Xiao's future was full of endless possibilities.

Gradually, most of the old folks dispersed, leaving only one one-armed elder at the scene—the very person who would soon be teaching Lin Xiao, Shanor.

Lin Xiao knew what awaited him next, so he immediately went over to greet Shanor.

"Brother Sha, are you teaching me next?"

Shanor nodded, a trace of helplessness flickering in his eyes as well.

"Ah, come with me. I don’t know if you’re just too popular, but I only have an hour to teach you; there are others queued up after me. We’d better hurry and not waste any time."

Lin Xiao nodded, and he truly respected Shanor. It was said that Shanor lost his arm during a mission, when he killed a ninth-level foreign powerhouse.

Now, Lin Xiao was a bit puzzled. Wasn’t Shanor a sniper? How would he teach him? Surely the nursing home didn’t have a shooting range, did it?

Soon, his doubts were answered: the nursing home did indeed have a shooting range, and a rather large one at that. However, this area was a restricted zone—he had never been there before.

Seeing Lin Xiao’s astonished look, Shanor chuckled.

"Kid, don’t be so surprised. Among all the people living here, many have served in the military, and plenty come here to shoot for relaxation. Having a shooting range in the nursing home isn’t odd at all."

Lin Xiao: o(′^｀)o

That reasoning was flawless.

"Brother Sha, at this point, nothing in the nursing home surprises me. But even though this is a villa district, isn’t it strange to hear gunshots all the time?"

"You’ve been here for quite a while—have you ever heard gunshots?"

Lin Xiao paused. He hadn’t, actually.

"Haha, the place was built using special soundproofing materials. Not only gunshots, even if you set off explosives here, no one would hear a thing. Anyway, let’s talk about snipers. What do you think of them?"

Lin Xiao was taken aback; he’d never considered that question before.

In his former world, snipers were too remote a concept; but in this world, where spiritual energy had revived and everyone had abilities, he’d subconsciously dismissed the role of firearms.

"I haven’t had any experience with these things, so I don’t know where to start."

Shanor wasn’t surprised by Lin Xiao’s answer.

"Let me share my thoughts, then. There’s an old saying: beyond seven steps, the gun is fastest; within seven steps, the gun is both fast and precise. Don’t underestimate the power of firearms—even a ninth-level powerhouse can be killed in a single shot if caught off guard."

Lin Xiao understood; as Shanor said, firearms could be quite effective in certain situations.

"Brother, did you kill that ninth-level powerhouse with a single shot when he wasn’t prepared?"

Shanor probably hadn’t expected Lin Xiao to ask that.

"Not exactly. It was half and half. One time, he was unguarded and I took him down; another time was on the battlefield, where he couldn’t afford to let his guard down. I know what you’re thinking—I had special equipment and bullets. Even with a ninth-level powerhouse’s full defense, I could break through. You probably won’t have access to that yet, so let’s start with the basics. Do you know why I’m the first to teach you?"

"Is it because of my abilities?"

Lin Xiao felt that his abilities really were well suited for a sniper.

"Exactly. Compared to me, your abilities are even more perfect for being a qualified sniper. My skills are self-taught, and my sound-based abilities help me detect enemies nearby, but compared to your vision enhancement, you truly have an innate advantage. The task is urgent and time is short. Since you’ve never handled firearms, let’s start practicing."

Lin Xiao had no objections; after all, what man isn’t interested in guns?

Soon, he saw three weapons laid out on the table before him—a pistol, a rifle, and a sniper rifle.

Shanor didn’t let Lin Xiao try them immediately. Instead, he explained how to use each gun.

Lin Xiao wasn’t slow-witted; he quickly grasped the key points for using each weapon.

They started with the basics—shooting at stationary targets.

Shanor demonstrated first. Even with one arm lost, his remaining hand was incredibly steady, every shot striking dead center.

Then Lin Xiao began his attempt, starting with the pistol.

Shanor didn’t coach him, curious to see how far Lin Xiao could get on his own.

Lin Xiao wasn’t timid; after preparing himself, he immediately activated his spirit technique. The target, already clear in his vision, expanded even further, appearing sharply before him.

He glanced at the pistol in his hand, recalled the fundamentals Shanor had explained, and began.

He fired his first shot. Given it was his first try, hitting the bullseye was impossible, and he scored seven points.

Shanor was quite satisfied with Lin Xiao’s performance. He could tell Lin Xiao had never touched firearms before; to score seven points on his first try was already impressive.

Just as Shanor was about to offer guidance, Lin Xiao fired a second shot.

The bullet’s trajectory was exceptionally stable, hitting nine points directly.

Lin Xiao frowned; he thought he’d hit ten points this time, but quickly identified the reason.

Without hesitation, he continued pulling the trigger, finishing the remaining six rounds. Each shot struck ten points.

After emptying the magazine, Lin Xiao finally looked at Shanor.

He caught the shock on Shanor’s face; clearly, his performance had surprised even Shanor.

Shanor couldn’t help but be amazed. He knew Lin Xiao’s abilities were perfect for sniping, but he hadn’t expected such excellence.

His first shooting session was so outstanding it exceeded all expectations.

Shanor quickly masked his expression; the kid was a promising talent, but he couldn’t let him become arrogant.

"Well done. Now try the rifle."

This time, Shanor didn’t even demonstrate. Lin Xiao picked up the rifle, didn’t overthink it, and, once he felt ready, pulled the trigger.

Immediately, Lin Xiao sensed something was off—the rifle’s recoil was entirely different from the pistol. Although he reacted quickly to counter the recoil, his first shot barely stayed on target, scoring just one point.

A smile appeared on Shanor’s face.

Did this kid think target shooting was easy?

Yet Lin Xiao’s next performance quickly wiped the smile away.

Lin Xiao made a simple adjustment and adapted to the rifle’s recoil. Then, he switched to burst fire.

Of the thirty-round magazine, except for the first shot scoring one point, all the rest hit ten points.

Shanor: ∑(°口°?)

Had he stumbled upon a treasure?

Was this kid’s talent almost monstrous?

Even those who handled guns for years rarely had Lin Xiao’s steadiness!