Chapter 17: Jungle Nightmare, The Crescent Falls

With a sudden whoosh, a figure shot up from below and landed in front of Changye.

It was Qianlong No. 88.

No. 88’s face was alight with excitement. “The recruit you brought back actually triggered the Gun God Line?”

“Not only did he trigger the Gun God Line, but... but the last four hundred shots—all scored 10.9!”

No. 88 was visibly shaken, exhaling softly. “It seems his path will have to change; perhaps he should take the route of special operations!”

At first, everyone had pegged Lin Xiaosu as fit for the path of espionage and intrigue, but his trial results now made No. 88 see another possibility: special ops.

“There’s a problem with special operations,” said Changye. “Even though he has an extraordinary gift with firearms, his physical fitness is a weak point. If he’s thrown onto a truly perilous battlefield, he’ll be in great danger.”

“Physical fitness can be improved!” No. 88 replied. “Should I go talk to him about it right now?”

“Genetic modification is a serious matter. Modern gene tech is still flawed. Unless absolutely necessary, we should let things take their natural course,” said Changye. “Why don’t we wait and see how far a true genius of the gun can go, relying on nothing but his weapon, in a hostile environment?”

She flicked her finger gently and pressed a button on the coffee table.

At that instant, Lin Xiaosu’s surroundings changed entirely.

Gone was the previous scene; he was now deep in a shadowy jungle.

Four words flashed in the air: “Jungle Nightmare.”

A cold wind swept through, the chill seeping into his bones. Sounds drifted around him, eerie enough to raise goosebumps. For a moment, Lin Xiaosu felt as if he were truly in the heart of the jungle.

Enemies lurked everywhere.

His hand shot up suddenly. He fired. A figure in camouflage, just rounding a tree, took a bullet to the head. Blood spattered. Even though Lin Xiaosu knew this was a holographic simulation, his stomach clenched tight.

Noise behind him—he spun, ducked behind the tree he'd just used for cover, fired again, and took out another foe.

Ahead, something darted in the undergrowth. His third shot dropped an enemy before they could even show themselves.

Bang, bang, bang…

Three shots in succession, each aimed at a different direction, three bursts of blood.

Gunfire erupted, leaves and branches flew, the realism uncanny.

With every shot from Lin Xiaosu’s gun, an enemy fell. The jungle’s labyrinthine terrain and endless cover seemed not to hinder him at all. And whenever an enemy lifted their weapon, he could instantly pinpoint their location. His evasive maneuvers were flawless—every move the optimal choice, as if time paused and a committee deliberated, only for him to always pick the best solution.

No. 88’s eyes gleamed.

Changye exhaled softly. “This Jungle Nightmare is a perfect recreation of the real-life ‘4.12’ incursion. If he, and not 1362, had been at the center of that encirclement, our comrades wouldn’t have died for their country—it would have been a legendary rout against the invading force.”

As her voice faded, the Jungle Nightmare ended.

That scenario had been recreated from a real event: an enemy special forces incursion, Qianlong No. 1362 sacrificing themselves for the mission. Qianlong had integrated this scene into their training system for special ops members.

No test subject outside the official ranks had ever cleared it.

But he had not only cleared it—he’d singlehandedly eliminated all seventy-seven invading troops.

No. 88 said, “I get what you mean. He doesn’t need genetic modification. Even with his current physique, paired with his uncanny marksmanship and reflexes, he already qualifies as a special ops member—he could pass the assessment and earn a Gold Badge outright.”

No. 1362 had been an official Qianlong Gold Badge holder.

He died in that incursion.

If Lin Xiaosu had been in his place, the invading force would have been annihilated.

This meant his real combat ability had already reached the level of an official Qianlong Gold Badge. What an astonishing feat!

Crescent Moon, observing the scene, finally couldn’t hold back. “Hey, is it really so easy to become a Gold Badge? You two examiners seem to have reached a consensus—have you considered how I feel, stuck in probation for eight months?”

“Get lost! Who cares how you feel?” No. 88 shot her a glance.

“Damn—” Crescent Moon leapt sky-high.

No. 88 watched her calmly. “Qianlong Regulations, Article 172, Section 3: verbally abusing a superior means minus ten points! Crescent Moon, your assessment score is only 852 now!”

“I—I was just saying... I work day and night for Qianlong, I’m always thinking about how to help, I didn’t swear, really didn’t... Help me, Sister Changye...” Crescent Moon landed beside Changye, her face all smiles.

Changye shook her head gently. “Given the context, No. 88’s punishment is within the rules. It can’t be changed. Just be more careful next time.”

“I—” Crescent Moon was ready to explode, but as soon as she started, No. 88’s stare made her chest heave several times, and she swallowed the rest of her angry words. “That kid isn’t my superior, right? I can pick a fight with him, right? Let me just say, so what if he wiped out a regular invading force in the jungle? If he’s so good, let him try fighting me!”

She flicked her finger against her watch and entered the system!

No. 88 and Changye exchanged a smile.

Not a bad idea at all.

Wasn’t Lin Xiaosu a gunfight prodigy? Hadn’t he just wiped out an entire invading force?

But that was just a regular army.

Time to change opponents!

And who better than Crescent Moon?

Crescent Moon was genetically modified, and her genes were especially unique. Her combat ability was astonishing, particularly in complex environments.

This girl was full of rebellious energy. Letting her stand in as the challenger, pitting herself against this young gun prodigy in a simulated, complex battlefield—could he still rely on his gun alone when facing a true gene-enhanced hunter?

Crescent Moon had already passed the trial phase. She wasn’t a Gold Badge yet, not because of her skills—in fact, in terms of ability, she was on par with official Gold Badges.

The system had recorded all of her skills, her peak condition. By linking herself to the system, she could confront Lin Xiaosu with her full capabilities.

Within the system, the jungle remained.

But the enemies were gone.

Suddenly, Lin Xiaosu tensed—an enemy ahead!

He whipped up his gun and fired!

When he pulled the trigger, the enemy was clearly there, but in the next instant, they’d flashed behind him.

A fleeting, ghostly blur in the air.

This was no ordinary enemy—it was an invisible adversary!

And the speed—utterly inhuman!

Lin Xiaosu’s gun shot out from under his arm, firing behind him!

The opponent skimmed the ground, swift as lightning. Lin Xiaosu twisted at the waist, firing again—not at the figure’s head, but along their trajectory. If they didn’t change direction, they’d collide with the bullet at that very spot.

This shot!

No. 88’s heart skipped a beat.

Among Qianlong members, everyone was skilled with firearms, but most judged marksmanship by accuracy. Who could break free of the concept of accuracy and lay ambushes with their gun, anticipating the enemy’s moves? Only a handful of gun gods.

Lin Xiaosu had anticipated his adversary and set an ambush with his gun—against an invisible foe, no less. Such skill was staggering. No. 88 imagined himself in that situation: could I have done better with just my gun?

Probably not!

Damn, this is insane...

Crescent Moon was equally shocked.

Though she was just a system avatar, her consciousness was fully linked to her digital self, so she felt everything as if it were real.

Faced with such a prescient shot, Crescent Moon brought out her true skills, pushing off with her toes and soaring upward.

A midair course correction.

To dodge a bullet in flight—an incredible feat, meaning she could actually evade bullets.

Yet, even with this maneuver, she was still a step behind Lin Xiaosu’s anticipation. He fired three times, the bullets forming a triangle, sealing off every escape route above her.

Crescent Moon twisted her body like a corkscrew.

She dodged all three bullets.

But escaping the bullets meant sacrificing her upward momentum.

Her body stalled for a split second, and in that fleeting pause, Lin Xiaosu’s gun spat one final bullet—bang!

In the holographic simulation, Crescent Moon’s left chest exploded.

“Aaah!” Crescent Moon screeched in the courtyard, clutching her left chest, yanking off the sensor attached to her body, and exiting the system.

While connected, she had to endure real pain (the sensor delivered an electric shock to mimic the system’s injury). Exiting the system, the pain vanished.

The pain was gone, her chest unharmed—but Crescent Moon was furious. “That bastard, I’ll kill him for real!”

“Have some dignity, will you?” No. 88’s face darkened. “You’re a gene-enhanced fighter, holding the title ‘Top Reserve,’ and you got beaten in your own field by an ordinary man—how can you talk about taking revenge in the real world?”

Crescent Moon’s face was thunderous, her chest heaving, but she stopped herself from charging down the mountain.

No. 88 turned to Changye. “The new member has cleared the firearms trial. Shall we give him a reserve badge now?”

“No rush. His journey has just begun; let’s not set his path so soon,” Changye replied serenely. “I’ll keep an eye on him and see which path he chooses next.”

“Fine. I’ll be off, then!” No. 88 stepped out of the courtyard.

Changye’s gaze shifted to Crescent Moon.

Crescent Moon still seethed with anger.

Changye smiled. “Every discipline has its master. What Qianlong member hasn’t lost before? Is one defeat all it takes to shake you?”

Crescent Moon groaned. “Sister Changye, if you’re trying to comfort me, pick a better phrase. ‘Every discipline has its master’—his specialty is criminal investigation, mine is special ops. I lost to him in my own field, not his.”

“As I said, let’s not define his path too early. Who knows—maybe special ops is his true calling,” Changye replied, her tone tranquil.

Crescent Moon’s eyes lit up. “You mean, one day, I might go on a special ops mission with him?”

Changye laughed softly. “Looking forward to it?”

“Look forward to what? That jerk dared to blow apart my chest—do you know what my chest is for? It’s my son’s future meal ticket! He shatters my chest, he shatters my son’s prospects—think I’ll let him off? I’ll string him up and beat him before I ever team up with him!”

With a flash, her figure vanished.