Chapter Twelve: The Master of Metal

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Online Game: Bloodshot Marksman – No Pop-up Windows. Third update, asking for votes!
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Icy Creek Path, deep within the bamboo forest, coordinates 1800, 5004.
A solitary gunman stood motionless in a clearing beside the road, holding a Desert Eagle in his hand. Thirty meters to his left and right, two Ice Bears watched him intently, their eyes full of predatory hunger.
After a brief standoff, the two Ice Bears simultaneously charged forward, their speed astonishing.
Yet the gunman did not move. At the precise moment when the two Ice Bears approached and their bodies crossed, he acted. He simply spun in place, deftly evading their fierce pincer attack.
As he turned, two rhythmic muffled gunshots rang out—“Bang—Bang—”—two bursts of muzzle flash. Blood spurted like arrows from the head of the Ice Bear on the left, and then it dissolved into white light.
The gunman succeeded in one strike, quickly half-turning, the dark, sinister barrel of his gun aimed at the Ice Bear just landing on the right. His movements were fluid and seamless, every action executed in one continuous flow, with neither hesitation nor excess. He stood with an easy grace, calm and composed, showing no signs of breathlessness or panic. Such poise could only be gained through relentless practice in marksmanship and judgment—it was impossible to acquire simply by imitation.
After the two shots, tranquility returned to the snowy landscape, as though nothing had happened. What seemed to be a fierce battle was decided in less than ten seconds.
Wu Hua raised his Desert Eagle and blew away the thin smoke rising from the barrel. He relished the scent of sulfur.
A strange sound echoed from the bamboo forest; Wu Hua discovered his sensor was vibrating. He glanced down and saw two green dots appear on the screen. In such a frigid environment, the presence of heat signatures could only mean humans.
Wu Hua immediately raised his gun and aimed at the forest ahead. He called out loudly, “Who’s there?”
A figure emerged from the woods. The man’s face showed surprise. “Friend, not only is your marksmanship precise and your judgment superb, but your vision is also remarkable. I salute you.”
Wu Hua looked up and saw that this rugged man was also dressed in camouflage, his belt bristling with magazines, carrying a dark rifle on his back—a fellow gunman. Behind him followed a lively, pretty girl dressed in cold-weather gear.
The gunman approached, his eyes locked onto Wu Hua’s Desert Eagle. He stared for quite some time before saying, “The Red Desert Eagle couldn’t possibly deal such high damage. Low profile. You’re a master.”
Just for that remark, Wu Hua lowered his gun. Clearly, the man was an expert—only a true connoisseur could speak with such insight.
Ordinary players disliked hiding the color of their equipment, especially those with purple gear. They flaunted their equipment, eager for others to know they possessed rare items, as if it were a badge of status. Wu Hua always found such folly distasteful. He concealed the color of all his equipment, so to others, it all appeared as basic white.
Fools assumed his gear was trash, clever ones thought he was playing the fool, but only experts recognized his restraint—a necessary quality for any master.
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“Hello!” Wu Hua was always courteous to others.
Before the gunman could reply, the pretty girl rushed forward, her eyes sparkling with admiration. “Wow, big brother, you were so cool just now! Especially that spin-and-shoot move—it was absolutely awesome!”
Wu Hua couldn’t help but chuckle.
The gunman smiled as well. “Friend, your Desert Eagle must be purple gear, right?”
Wu Hua saw no reason to hide the truth from a fellow expert. “Yes, it is.”
“No wonder your attack is so powerful,” the gunman nodded. “Friend, if you go any further, there are hardly any players left. Interested in teaming up? I can provide supplies.”
Wu Hua frowned slightly.
The pretty girl interjected again, “Big brother, you charged in alone—did you only run into a few bears along the way?”
She actually called such fierce Ice Bears “sweeties.” Wu Hua nearly choked. “How did you know?”
The girl winked. “I’ve studied it. These Ice Bears are nocturnal, and there are many at night. Now it’s midday, the sun is strong, and the temperature is high—not ideal for their activity. But the weather will change soon; by afternoon it’ll get colder and their numbers will increase. It’s safer for the three of us to travel together.”
Wu Hua hadn’t expected this girl to know more than he did.
The gunman saw Wu Hua was still hesitant. “To be honest, we’ve been here a full day and night, preparing to explore the unknown area ahead, but progress is slow. If you join us, I’ll supply you.”
Seeing the man’s honest expression and sincerity, and hearing his offer of supplies, Wu Hua considered for a moment before agreeing. “Alright.”
“Yeah—!” The girl clapped her hands in delight. “Finally met a real expert! We’re totally safe now.” Had she known Wu Hua was only level 13, she might have cried instead.
The pair were siblings. The burly man was a level 21 gunman, with the name “Motorola.”
“You’re not one of those guild types, are you?”
“Of course not,” Motorola laughed. “I just like that brand of phone.”
The girl’s name was odd as well—she went by “Swift Legs, Fastest of All.”
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Wu Hua teased, “Little Swift, do you always send me to die, and you handle the escape?”
Swift’s face lit up in surprise. “Wow, Big Brother Bao, you’re amazing! You figured it out—I totally admire you!” She looked as if she might throw herself into Wu Hua’s arms.
Wu Hua quickly stepped back in alarm.
Swift laughed, “It’s mainly because I’m an 18th-level Metal Mechanic.”
Now it was Wu Hua’s turn to be astonished. He was certainly familiar with the mechanic class, which came in several varieties. Metal Mechanics were the hardest to train, with a difficulty not less than that of gunmen. Gunmen burned money, but metal mechanics consumed energy.
The world of Star Wars didn’t have many combat professions. Many female players found the medic class too monotonous, so the game company designed the Metal Mechanic. Using intelligence and speed, they could transform materials in their hands into technological devices for various offensive and defensive tasks.
Metal Mechanics naturally possessed high agility and defense, and their specialization in reading was a vital stat that had to be maximized. This specialization was actually quite intriguing—it was reading ability.
The game limited each player to borrowing one e-book every two weeks from major city libraries, but those with high specialization could shorten this interval, expanding their knowledge rapidly. The greater their knowledge, the stronger their modification skills, allowing them to design all sorts of mechanical creations. Metal Mechanics could further specialize—some pursued life skills like engineering, architecture, or technology, while those who trained as combat specialists were rare indeed, given the immense energy required. Rather than pouring so much effort into mechanics, most preferred to train as warriors or controllers, or even as gunmen.
Metal Mechanics leveled up with difficulty, since they usually needed to team up.
Of course, given the principle of class balance, Metal Mechanics who made it through were extremely formidable. Their modified machines were diverse and unique, each with its own combat strength. In theory, a skilled mechanic could build heavy mechs or even a Transformer, though since the server had only been open for a short time, the most powerful mechanic Wu Hua had seen in Dream Star City was only level 20. That person could build a three-meter-tall mechanical guardian, dual-wielding two “Hacker Box” submachine guns with fierce firepower, chasing down enemies relentlessly—ordinary players could only run for their lives if confronted.
Wu Hua finally understood why Swift was so knowledgeable—she had rich experience and broad learning.
“Knowledge is power,” Wu Hua sighed.
“Of course,” Swift replied, smiling as she sat on the snow, pulling out a pile of metal materials from her pack. After a few minutes, a clever little gadget was born.
“What’s this? It looks like a toy truck, with a flashing receiver. Is it a mini radar?” Wu Hua asked curiously.
“Smart,” Swift grinned. “I invented it myself. It’s called the Snow Spike Car.”
Wu Hua said, “Quite novel. How do you use it?”
“You’ll see soon enough,” Swift laughed, taking out the remote control and beginning to operate it.
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