Chapter 66: Sniper

The Gladstone Type-III automobile was parked in the shadows not far from the waste processing plant, well beyond the reach of streetlights and invisible from the road. David was sitting inside the car at that moment, a sword scabbard strapped to his back and a cloth-covered replica of the "Eye of Death" in his hands.

Although the replica of the "Eye of Death" made a thunderous noise when fired, this was an industrial area—at night, it was almost completely deserted, and security was left entirely to automated systems. That afternoon, David had spent hours hacking into every security system in the nearby industrial zone, installing control programs into each.

He had brought the "Eye of Death" replica tonight with the express intention of resolving a problem from a distance.

To snipe someone without exoskeletal armor—even the strongest person—was to give them no chance against the power of the "Eye of Death" replica. Though its firepower was hardly a tenth of the genuine "Eye of Death," it was still far beyond what flesh and blood could withstand.

After deducing that Trainer Jeremy would inevitably come here tonight, David had devised this audacious plan: to use the "Eye of Death" replica for a sniper attack within the city, right under the eyes of SkyNet.

To counter SkyEye's surveillance, he had already activated the "Signal Isolator" to its maximum range, enveloping a wide area in total signal blackout. On top of that, with his control over every security system in the industrial district, the entire zone became his domain for the night.

From the "K2 Military Electronic Countermeasure Device" beside him, a surveillance feed appeared, showing an ordinary hover car—it was the very one Trainer Jeremy used.

At the wheel, Trainer Jeremy drove with full concentration. He had recently received resources transferred by the organization and needed to move this batch to a transport point, from where it would be shipped out of the war zone.

Because of Rock Star’s unique location as the most distant war-zone planet near the battle star, the rear of Rock Star was heavily blockaded by a fleet of interstellar warships. Thus, any supplies coming from the battle star had to stop at Rock Star before being smuggled out by more covert means.

Pellan City, remote and obscure, had become one of several vital transit hubs for such shipments.

Meanwhile, David had already exited the Gladstone Type-III. He laid a mat on the ground, lay prone, and set up the "Eye of Death" replica. The mat was not for comfort but to absorb recoil, allowing better control for multiple shots.

David did not underestimate Trainer Jeremy—he vividly remembered that terrifying casual swing of Jeremy’s arm. This memory alone had made him abandon his original plan of attacking with dual blades at close quarters, opting instead for long-range sniping with the "Eye of Death" replica.

He had deliberately chosen this five-kilometer-long street outside the waste plant, setting his sniping distance at two kilometers. This way, whether or not the first shot succeeded, Jeremy would not easily escape the sniper’s range.

The "Eye of Death" replica had a maximum effective range of five kilometers, though accuracy dropped sharply at such distances. However, with the skills of a true sniper, David’s marksmanship guaranteed precision.

He prepared methodically; the surveillance from the K2 device showed Jeremy’s car just entering the industrial district—he still had a few minutes.

He loaded all fifty rounds into the magazine, then used the "T3 Sniper Assist Device" to calculate and analyze environmental effects on the shot.

Once he had confirmed the shooting zone, he repeatedly cross-checked the analysis to ensure nothing would go wrong.

Through the T3 device, the approaching headlights of the hover car became visible under the streetlights. Within two kilometers, the view was crystal clear; beyond that, things grew fuzzy. But with the T3’s adjustments, distances from two to four kilometers were still manageable—beyond four, he could only aim in the general direction.

When the hover car reached 2,300 meters, David held his breath, the "Eye of Death" replica steady as if welded to the ground.

2,200 meters. 2,100 meters. As two kilometers approached, the killing intent in David’s eyes grew ever fiercer.

The moment the hover car crossed the two-kilometer mark, his murderous intent peaked. The "Eye of Death" replica exploded with a thunderous report, sending a bullet carrying his malice hurtling forward.

At that very instant, as if he had foreseen it, Trainer Jeremy burst out of the hover car, smashing through its roof and leaping into the air.

David’s gaze sharpened—his sure-kill shot had been dodged.

There was no time to hesitate. As Jeremy hung in midair, the "Eye of Death" replica fired again.

"Aaah!" Trainer Jeremy roared as white light flared around him.

Suspended in the air, he had nowhere to dodge. The sniper bullet, charged with frightening kinetic energy, struck him with tremendous force, spinning him through the air as if struck by lightning. But David felt no satisfaction.

From the T3’s feed, it was clear the bullet had been stopped by armor on Jeremy’s body.

Armor—yet not exoskeletal, but a suit of pure white light, worn like a second skin.

David could not comprehend what he was seeing. That armor of white light, the bullet deformed by its impact, left him in a brief daze.

Jeremy used that moment of confusion to land on his feet.

He did not flee—for he knew that, against a sniper, running was the worst possible choice.

His face was grim. He had revealed his abilities before countless surveillance cameras; he could no longer remain in this city. His plans, his work, all that the organization had invested in him—everything had been ruined by the sniper ahead.

"Die!" Jeremy roared, slamming his feet into the ground so hard that the sturdy surface dented under his shoes.

His figure became a streak of white light, charging straight toward David.

David snapped back to awareness. His hands remained steady as he calculated the trajectory and fired a third shot.

Just as before, Jeremy seemed to possess some sixth sense—dodging sideways as the bullet whizzed past.

Rage flared in Jeremy’s eyes. He wanted to tear apart the enemy before him, to vent his fury, thinking of the adults’ disappointment and the organization’s punishment.

David, fully focused now, was unfazed by the miss. He fired a fourth shot, then a fifth in quick succession.

Jeremy dodged again. Though his forward momentum slowed, he did not stop.

The fourth bullet grazed him, but the fifth arrived just as he had no chance to evade.

"A master!" The thought flashed through Jeremy’s mind.

To devise a countermeasure in such a short time—this was the work of a truly experienced sniper.

Jeremy did his best to shield his vital organs, letting the thickest part of his shoulder armor block the bullet. Even so, the white light armor visibly wavered.

David understood: Jeremy’s armor of white light was formidable, but not invincible. If it were, Jeremy would have no need to dodge—he could simply charge straight up to him.

As for Jeremy’s prescience, David had no idea how it worked, but he could disrupt it by increasing his rate of fire.

Sure enough, the fifth bullet struck Jeremy, denying him the chance to predict or dodge.

David saw the white light armor tremble—that proved it was not unbeatable. With enough attacks, it could be shattered.