Chapter 44 First Round
I simply looked at Victor, the leader of Blackjack. I stared at him without saying a word, and I could see a slight frown form on his face. It was as if he had expected a different reaction from me.
“Well then… let’s head deeper inside and get the game started,” Victor said, turning around and signaling to his men.
I also turned and signaled for everyone to follow. Anna stayed very close to me while Rudy remained behind her, his hands tucked into his pockets the entire time.
We followed Victor deeper into the factory. As we passed through different sections, I realized the place was an old decommissioned facility that once mass-produced simple assistant robots. Huge machines lined both sides of the corridors, and some of the robots appeared to still be active, their heads turning as they tracked our movements.
That immediately made me suspicious. Considering this place had been shut down long ago, none of the robots should still be functional.
“Boss, don’t you think something feels off?” Anna whispered, moving closer to me.
“Yeah. Something is definitely off. I noticed the way the robots were staring at us. They don’t seem armed, though. If they were, I would’ve noticed,” I replied quietly.
My confidence came from a hidden high-tech strap mounted on my right shoulder, given to me by Professor Claude. It emitted radio-frequency pulses fifty times per minute, allowing me to detect armed individuals or objects. It could also identify metal and various materials, alerting me silently in different ways. It took time to get used to, but whenever I’m on a mission or outing, it’s my go-to equipment.
Soon, we arrived at what looked like a massive empty warehouse. The first thing that caught my eye was the rows of tables packed with weapons to the brim—shotguns, assault rifles, handguns, and many other advanced firearms.
“Miss Layla, there will be five rounds in this duel,” Victor said, a smile spreading across his face. “For the first round, we’ll use shotguns to shoot flying disks. The fastest person wins. In the second round, we’ll use an old rifle to hit a target one mile away without any scope or aim assist. The third round involves fighting a horde of armed robots using only one handgun. The fourth round tests reaction speed against targets moving at hypersonic velocity. And finally, the last round will be a face-off. The first person to land a hit wins. Is that acceptable?”
I was stunned for a few seconds, and then it clicked, the purpose of the robots. He had reactivated them just to use them as targets.
“That’s fine with me. Let’s get started,” I said confidently, stepping toward the table.
The next moment, I picked up a black pump-action shotgun with a long barrel and a comfortable stock. I carefully inspected it, checking for any signs of tampering. After confirming it was in perfect condition, I took it. It could hold only five rounds, yet I needed to shoot ten disks. It was limiting but I chose it anyway.
“Wow. You passed on the semi-automatic and picked a pump-action. Now that’s surprising,” Victor said as he selected a camouflage long-barrel semi-automatic shotgun capable of holding eight rounds.
With my gun fully loaded, Victor and I stepped into the open space, surrounded on both sides by members of Blackjack and the Blade Clan. A few feet in front of us stood a cylindrical device filled with ten disks, ready to eject them in rapid succession and in different directions.
Victor went first. A thick cigarette hung from his lips as he calmly watched the countdown on the device.
BEEP.
The machine emitted a sharp sound, and as the counter hit zero, multicolored cylindrical disks shot into the air in different directions.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
Victor fired with precision, each disk shattering upon impact. With only two disks left in the air, he fired his final round.
BANG!
A loud beeping echoed through the warehouse as a referee’s voice rang out. I hadn’t even noticed him earlier.
“Sir Victor! Completion time: nine seconds, eight shots! This is unprecedented!” the referee announced, blowing a sharp whistle.
Victor wore a wide grin as he glanced at me mockingly.
Several men rushed forward to reload the cylindrical device with another set of ten disks. As the timer reset, I tightened my grip on my shotgun. I remained calm and composed despite having only five rounds loaded. No one was allowed to carry more ammunition than their weapon could hold.
BEEP.
The sharp beeping sounded again.
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\[Author’s Note: This is my first time writing a note at the end of a chapter, so I apologize for the interruption. If you’ve read up to this point, I’m truly grateful for giving my novel a chance. Your support means a lot to me, and I genuinely appreciate it. Thank you once again, and I wish everyone a happy New Year!\]