On the wasteland.
Two behemoths chased one another, each churning up thick black smoke and dust in their wake.
The steel beast in front had a ferocious shape, full of sharp angles and rugged, modified armor, with six very conspicuous gun barrels, one of which crackled with electricity.
At its highest point, a tattered yet defiant blood-red Dragon Hunter flag snapped violently in the gale.
The steel beast behind it seemed far more benign by comparison.
Its form was regular, its steel plate armor bearing many patches and repairs, with two ordinary-looking cannons on each side that didn’t appear particularly lethal.
Yet the reality was that the steel beast flying the Dragon Hunter flag was being chased down and beaten to a pulp.
It had tried to deploy its vehicle squad for harassment again, only for one to be precisely hit and blown into a shower of parts, as casually as kicking a stray dog by the roadside.
And this was their last vehicle.
By now, over ten minutes had passed since Deep Blue and the Raiders first encountered each other.
Both sides were seeking change.
One wanted to shake off the pursuer; the other wanted to quickly finish off the fleeing enemy.
Just then, a cunningly angled shell streaked through the air.
The Raiders had clearly seen it coming and performed evasive maneuvers, even tilting their entire city forward so drastically it nearly toppled over!
Yet, impossibly, they still failed to dodge it, as if the shell had already predicted their movements.
The next second, it crashed down squarely on the Raiders’ city’s most vital Core area!
BOOM!
The impact zone erupted into a sea of fire, parts scattering like blossoms in a celestial bloom.
Immediately after, several consecutive explosions rocked the Raiders’ city, which quickly lost power and ground to a complete halt!
“Beautiful!”
The control hub erupted into cheers at the sight!
That god-tier shot had ended the battle a full hour ahead of schedule!
“Dispatch the vehicle squad immediately to clear out remaining forces and complete the occupation!”
Jiang Zhixu suppressed his excitement to issue the order, then suddenly remembered something. “Right, have them take those three Tier-1 rifles too!”
These three rifles were the only graded quality weapons in their city.
Guns wear out with use, so the previous City Lord couldn’t bear to use them, buying them only to store them away in the warehouse.
“Yes, sir!”
Qi Honglang immediately relayed the command.
Soon, Deep Blue’s underbelly opened its “maw,” disgorging three battered off-road vehicles that charged toward the distant mobile city billowing with flames and smoke.
After giving these orders, Jiang Zhixu finally took a deep breath and found a moment to ask, “Who fired that last shot?”
He already had an idea.
Qi Honglang’s inquiries confirmed his suspicion. “It was the junior gunner. That final shot directly leveled him up to a Skilled Gunner.”
Seeing Jiang Zhixu’s expression of confirmation, Qi Honglang asked curiously, “You already guessed?”
Jiang Zhixu nodded with a smile. “Meng Guolong is a veteran gunner, inclined toward steadiness and maturity. But that last shot was filled with a ‘gamble’—it predicted the opponent’s next move.
“Guess wrong, and you waste a shell. Even though we’re not short on shells now, Meng Guolong wouldn’t instinctively choose that. Only a young person, sharp and decisive, could fire such a cunning shot.”
Chief Helmsman Wei Ran chimed in agreement:
“To be fair, the opponent had already made several subtle feints to mislead us. There was a significant element of luck in that shot crippling them.”
Normally, even a hit might not have precisely detonated the enemy’s power furnace area, causing the entire city to stall.
Jiang Zhixu said, “For a gunner, luck is an indispensable part of skill… What’s his name?”
“Lu Yan. He’s only 16 this year.”
Qi Honglang knew who he was asking about.
“Let’s go down and see.”
Jiang Zhixu led the way out of the control hub, Qi Honglang following closely.
Inside the control hub.
Wei Ran and Sun Cheng watched their departing backs. The latter couldn’t help but say with envy, “A 16-year-old Skilled Gunner, already noticed by the City Lord. His future is limitless.”
Gunners are different from helmsmen.
The latter can gain experience continuously as long as the city is moving; reaching Skilled rank is just a matter of time.
But for gunners, without talent, no City Lord is willing to invest in training them. They might only get one shot in their lifetime.
Actually, Lu Yan had already used up his one shot.
Fortunately, his luck was good. Deep Blue got a new City Lord, refreshing his opportunity.
Unlike himself, demoted from Chief Helmsman to Deputy, nearly losing his helmsman position altogether.
Wei Ran said with a smile, “As long as you work hard and are willing to fight, the City Lord sees it and remembers. What he dislikes most is people giving up on themselves… Those who abandon themselves are beyond saving.”
The latter part was something Jiang Zhixu said when rallying them. Many were moved by these words, willing to risk their lives to join his uprising.
Sun Cheng listened, nodding thoughtfully.
…
Lower decks, starboard gun emplacement.
Meng Guolong and junior gunner Lu Yan were already waiting, as Qi Honglang had notified them of Jiang Zhixu’s visit.
The former was fine, experienced and mature, not much fazed him. But Lu Yan was a mix of excitement, nervousness, anticipation, and elation.
Exceeding the military pledge, he might receive a reward.
But what exactly the reward was, Lu Yan didn’t really care about. He only wanted Jiang Zhixu’s praise.
*Creak~*
Just then.
The gun emplacement’s heavy wooden door was pushed open, revealing Jiang Zhixu walking in with a beaming smile.
“You both did excellently!”
Jiang Zhixu praised them together first, then looked at the eagerly expectant Lu Yan. “How many shots did you fire in total?”
Lu Yan said loudly, “Nine shots!”
Nine shots!
Including the one he fired before, ten shots total to reach Skilled rank.
Such talent would be considered outstanding anywhere!
After all, normally, an Apprentice Gunner needs over fifty shots to reach Skilled rank. With bad luck, it could take a year or two.
Meng Guolong reminded from the side, “Xiao Yan, quickly tell the City Lord about the enhancement skill you awakened.”
Prompted, Lu Yan remembered and hurriedly said, “City Lord, the skill I awakened is ‘Miracle Gunner,’ a High-Tier skill!”
Every time a profession levels up, they awaken an enhancement skill matching their profession.
The quality tiers are similar to City Lord talents: Low, Mid, High, Premium, and Heaven-Tier, though they cannot awaken God-Tier talents.
More importantly, no matter how high their skill quality, it only takes effect in their specific post.
“Oh?” Jiang Zhixu showed interest. “What’s the effect of this skill?”
Lu Yan scratched his head. “I’ll share my panel with you. You can see for yourself.”
Jiang Zhixu nodded. It seemed hard to describe in words.
——————
[Miracle Gunner]
Quality: High-Tier
Passive Enhancement: 「God-Tier Shot」 Stake everything, predict the future! This shot either fizzles out or sends the target straight to meet their ancestors!
Trigger Probability: 5% per shot; If 20 consecutive shots do not trigger, the next shot is guaranteed to trigger.
Description: 「When conviction is launched with the shell, the entire battlefield trembles!」
——————
“A very powerful skill!”
Seeing the skill description, Jiang Zhixu could barely suppress the smile tugging at his lips.
Not only a decent trigger probability, but also a pity-timer mechanism!
Even triggering just once or twice per battle could absolutely decide the outcome at a critical moment!
That Lu Yan awakened this skill was likely related to his performance with that final shot. The right time, place, and people converged to birth a High-Tier skill possessor.