Shooting test (2)

All the buildings lost their color, leaving only a white platform lowering down.

[Congratulations... you have completed the objective.]

"Hah..." Vero is still reeling from the event. The A.I. word brought him back to reality.

[But the subject didn't survive the encounter. We have to re-do the test.]

"What!? Can't you just let me pass? " Vero's mood was soured after the A.I. said that he did not pass.

[In the real world, you wouldn't end with just a mild shock like this time, you know.]

"... Yea"

Experiencing the terror of getting eaten first hand. Vero knows what it's like to die, so A.I.'s explanation makes sense.

The simulation starts again with Velo repeating the action he took earlier, but this time he would be closer. He thought that it would benefit him more if he were closer to the monster.

That attempt went bad real quick.

The monster closed up his position too fast, and he didn't get enough time to prepare the assault rifle and ended up dead in only 2 minutes.

[That couldn't have gone worse.]

"I know...." With two losses in a row, Vero's morale is going down.

[Third time's a charm, right?]

"What's that mean? I can tell that it's a good saying, but I don't know if you're mocking me or cheering me"

Living in a slum, huffing down a narcotic, no one ever said something like this to him or his friend.

[When you use the expression 'Third time's a Charm,' you mean that the third time. something is attempted, and luck is sure to result. The phrase is also used as an. actual good luck charm that's spoken just before you try something for the third time. ]

"Oh... Thank you then."

[Good luck hunting.]

The test starts once again, but this time Vero has another great idea. First, he proceeds with the same plan as before. He settles down on the 45th floor of one of the buildings.

This time he turned on the infrared function of the sniper. He discovers this when messing around with the sniper and the A.I. Explain how it works to him.

The scope that's normally blue turns green, highlighting a red blob of heat walking around the place. After he detects the monster, he checks something before firing a shot.

'OK, I think this will work. ' Holding his breath, Vero pulled the trigger.

Bang!

The bullet pierces a wall and lands on the ruin tracker's head. killing it instantly.

'Is it that easy?' He's surprised by how easy it is to kill a ruin tracker.

[Congratulations on passing the test.]

"Isn't this too easy?" Vero still couldn't believe it. It only took a

[There's an ancient quote that says, "If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles."]

"But I don't know what the hell it does to avoid my bullet though."

[But you knew that if you shot at it directly it would avoid it, correct?]

"Well.. sort of."

[That's the first step is to know your enemy. The next step is a complete mastery of it.]

"I see."

Vero makes a mental note of this information and decides to ask the A.I. for more practice.

"Since I have to face more of this thing, can you simulate more for me to kill?"

[With pleasure.] Through the metallic voice, he could feel some happiness behind the words.

Vero thought that he was going crazy being alone in this facility.

The training continues, but now his training dummy has changed into a ruin tracker. For another half a month, Vero has trained in various ways to deal with the ruin tracker.

He found that the best way to deal with it is to give them as little time to react as possible. The moment that you and your gun trajectories have been revealed, they will dodge the incoming bullet most of the time.

The only time that Vero can shoot it without the element of surprise is when it lunges at him. They can't change their way in mid-air, making them an easy target.

Another method Vero found is having an assault rifle on auto-fire mode to distract the ruin tracker. This auto fire didn't shoot directly at the ruin tracker but just fired in its general direction.

He waits for it to dodge the bullet out of reflex and takes that opportunity to shoot it.

His success rate rose when he knew what he could get away with and what not to do. He could even fight with it up close now without much trouble. He could abuse it because it only has two or three things that it can use.

A lunge, a tail swipe, and a leg smash. All these are easily avoided if you know what they're going to do. The scariest information that he uncovered is that when heavily injured, they can consume any type of metallic substance to heal themselves.

This process is extremely fast. It was faster than when he got healed in the slum but not as fast as the healing pod of the old world.

This again raises the value of the old world in his mind.

"I have been thinking about this for a while now. Don't you have all the information about the ruin tracker? like its weakness and stuff. "

[We do have those in the database.]

"Then why didn't you give me that right away."

[If we did that, you would have been too reliant on us feeding you all of the information. In turn, your decision-making skills would be worse.]

Thinking back, Vero could see that the A.I. had some point with its statement. He nods.

[Plus you wouldn't get to know the process of fingering out something's weakness. But please note that this only works on an instinct-based living organism.]

"Does a human count as one?"

[Yes and No. Some do, some don't]

"What?" Vero is extremely confused about that statement.

[You'll find out in time.]

This conversation didn't go any further and left Vero with a mental conundrum of what really is human.