Steampunk Era: Mad Abield
Chapter 82: Seventy-Three: Shooting Range Communication

Chapter 82: Seventy-Three: Shooting Range Communication

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"Only you can use this thing."

This was Colin’s only thought after seeing the ’gun’ Malin was fiddling with.

Four-barreled, double-trigger, large gauge shotgun, double-trigger double-action, two shots at once, and if you pull the triggers all the way it would be four shots. With Colin’s strength at 8, he wouldn’t dare to use this thing—the young man felt if he used this thing, a wrist fracture would be the least of his concerns. The uncontrollable recoil could potentially send the heavy lump flying backward until it makes some undesireable contact with his entire face.

The bridge of his nose? It would have been a comminuted fracture before that.

"And isn’t this gun a bit... heavy?"

With about 16 inches of barrel, thickened due to the large-gauge shot, double-action double-trigger, there was no regular wood stock under normal circumstances, but a foldable all-metal stock instead. The small and exquisite pistol grip was also metal; there wasn’t a speck of wood in the entire gun.

"I think it’s fine." Malin said, as he picked up the gun and made a one-handed aiming gesture: "Let’s go try it at the shooting range."

When they said they would try it, naturally, they went to try it.

There is no shortage of bullets or metal targets at the Church’s shooting range—after firing, both the bullet heads and casings would be collected for recasting.

Malin chose four hollow point bullets and loaded them into the gun. The first shot was a shoulder-aimed shot. When Malin pulled the trigger, with Colin’s dynamic vision, he could momentarily see the lead balls flying—but that was all. Only those with Transcendent professions specializing in visual abilities, or those with mutated organs like ’Eagle Eye’, could truly track a flying bullet.

Though it lasted only an instant, the lead balls hit the metal target with great accuracy, striking the 8- and 7-rings. Although he didn’t hit the bullseye, it was still a distance of one hundred meters. Both Malin’s control and his assembly of the gun were already quite remarkable.

After all, this thing isn’t a rifle, and only those single-shot rifles would pursue precision.

In Colin’s view, if Malin were using this thing, as long as he could hit the target, the target would basically be gone—unless it was a gigantic creature.

Large creatures would probably feel intimidated facing this caliber.

Don’t even mention human-sized targets. Unless someone’s brain was waterlogged, nobody would want to face this caliber. It wouldn’t matter if you could elementalize yourself—who knew whether the bullets flying out of the barrel were shot or hollow points, and if it was hollow points, who could know if they were inscribed with demon-busting engravings.

If they were, elementalization wouldn’t save your life, and you would still die a miserable death.

"Not bad, let’s try the simultaneous shooting mode this time."

Malin opened the gun barrel, removed the two spent casings from the top, and then loaded new ammunition.

This time, Malin hunched over and grabbed the metal grip at the front lower part of the gun.

Colin plugged his ears with his fingers and opened his mouth.

Two huge gunshots—although the double-action double-trigger was supposed to allow for simultaneous shooting, the action of pulling still caused a slight interval between the firing of the upper and lower barrels, yet Malin still managed to control the muzzle.

The four lead bullets, just like before, also hit the 8-ring.

"The aiming device is off." Malin began adjusting the small circular ring sights on top of the barrel.

"Can you really hit the 10-ring?" Because both rounds of shots hit roughly the same spot, Colin asked curiously.

"Yes, if you control it well enough, the barrel won’t kick up," Malin replied.

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This almost brought Colin, with his mere strength of 8, to tears—were the children of Frost Giants really that impressive?

Sorry, but yes, they really were impressive.

On the third shot, this time four lead balls nearly perfectly scattered around the ten-ring.

"Absolutely perfect," Colin marveled—this kid was truly formidable, always bringing him surprises, "Have you taken any firearms classes recently?"

"No, Xingyan’s father taught me. He said I learn fast," Malin once again opened the gun barrel, dumped out the four spent cases, and then loaded four extended No. 8 birdshot shells.

Colin felt he had nothing to add—Xingyan was known to him, a rare Dwarvish girl from the Church, her father a Dwarvish master forger, and her grandmother a devout follower of the Church of the Goddess of Harvest, a family that would send their daughter to learn from the Church.

Another shot, and the extended ammunition still didn’t trouble Malin—the shot spread through the newly installed choke, flowing like a stream and hitting the target.

"Perfect." This time, Malin finally stopped the test, put away the choke, then attached a strap to the gun and slung it over his own back.

"I think it’s best if you don’t shoot at people with this thing," said Colin after some thought, finally making such a suggestion.

"I know, Colin. I won’t use the birdshot in it to shoot people unless absolutely necessary," Malin replied with a smile, nodding, "Using it against people... people would be no more."

"Indeed, but then again, only a little giant like you would be able to use it, the fingers of normal giants wouldn’t even fit through the trigger guard, right?"

"I specially minimized the trigger—Xingyan’s father prepared it for me using a bit of electrum," said Malin, as he took out a blueprint from the pouch on his waist: "This is the new gun I’m planning for—double-barreled, 21 inches long, for when I’m grown up."

"Double-barreled? 21 inches?" Colin’s mind struggled to comprehend—this kid could already handle a four-barreled monster gun, and for maturity, a 21-inch... double-barreled?

Isn’t that a bit short for a barrel?

"Yes, 21 inches to fire extended No. 4 steel hollow point bullets," Malin said with full confidence: "I think I should be able to handle such a big boy once I’m grown up."

Colin fell silent—why didn’t you little rascal just make a small gatling gun already?

In that moment, a Domestic Fairy responsible for dorm management and message delivery ran over: "Malin, someone is looking for you!"

"Ah, it must be my friends. Colin, let’s go to the northern woods at noon to hunt a named different kind," Malin said.

"Let me think... ah, it should be Shela Ebb Mischael, right? I remember that the third daughter from the Mischael family intended to hunt a named different kind called Carapace Skin Peeler," Colin glanced at the contraption on Malin’s back, "You’re planning to use the steel core hollow point bullets?"

"Yeah, only by hurting it will it chase after me wholeheartedly," Malin said, while at the exit of the range, spending some points to buy two sets of twenty-four No. 8 hollow point bullets.

"...This isn’t just hurting, I feel like you’re planning to shoot it to death," Colin said, sweating profusely, "Besides, your Sacred Rites are so potent, why not just deal with it using Sacred Rites?"

"A Sage once said, a gun is like a man’s attitude towards life, as is love," Malin replied solemnly, "He said, the larger the bore, the deeper the love; the longer the bullet, the more romantic it is."

Colin almost sprayed out the tea he had drunk that morning.

Where did this lunatic come from!