Chapter 30: A Sharp Weapon in Hand

Chapter 30: Chapter 30: A Sharp Weapon in Hand

Back at the shelter, Xu Mo methodically removed his gear and began a careful inventory. As he laid out everything he’d brought back from his second trip to the Gun Room, sorting it all by category on the floor, a delightful discovery caught his eye—he had unknowingly gathered a complete set of the AWM sniper rifle’s main accessories.

In addition to the rifle itself, he had also brought back three spare magazines. Including the one already in the weapon, this meant he had a total of four fully loaded magazines ready for quick reloads, greatly increasing his capacity for sustained combat.

There was also a stock suppressor, which was crucial for a sniper. It could significantly reduce the sound of the gunshot and the muzzle flash, making it much easier to conceal his position.

Xu Mo had also grabbed the matching foldable bipod. This provided a stable shooting platform, which was indispensable for aiming over long periods, especially in the wild or when using cover.

What made Xu Mo’s heart pound even faster was his next discovery. While counting the several hundred rounds of .338 Lapua Magnum ammunition, he found over eighty special rounds mixed in with the standard ones.

The tips of the bullets were painted with a conspicuous black mark. Based on Xu Mo’s limited military knowledge, he deduced that these were very likely Armor-Piercing Bullets. Although he wasn’t sure of their exact armor-penetrating capability, there was no doubt they were a trump card for dealing with lightly armored vehicles, targets behind simple cover, or even certain thick-skinned mutated creatures.

’What a pleasant surprise!’ Xu Mo caressed the Armor-Piercing Bullets as they gave off a cold glint, unable to suppress the smile on his face. This haul far exceeded his initial expectation of just getting a real AWM. It was as if he had obtained a nearly complete long-range precision strike system!

Xu Mo carefully stroked the precision-made 8x scope already mounted on the AWM’s body. This was a military-grade sniper scope on the level of the famous Liu Pold, the kind of thing he had only ever admired in videos and pictures.

Next, Xu Mo picked up the separate pair of military binoculars and felt their weight in his hand. With these, he could observe the battlefield for extended periods and search for targets without revealing his sniping position. Of course, for now, their main purpose would be to observe the distant parts of the town.

Xu Mo assembled all the accessories onto the AWM. A complete long-range instrument of death, exuding an ice-cold aura, now stood ready. He leaned it solemnly against the wall, where it formed an impressive tier of firepower next to his AK rifle and TT-33 pistol.

Next, Xu Mo carefully sorted the individual combat rations and compressed biscuits, storing them separately in a corner. He then marked them with a pen: "Emergency Supplies, For Operations Only." He resolved not to touch these high-energy, professional-grade rations unless he was forced to relocate over a long distance.

After finishing all this, Xu Mo’s gaze was once again captivated by the fully assembled AWM. He picked it up again, feeling its solid weight of over six kilograms.

In his mind, the AWM was synonymous with precision and power. It was world-renowned for its exceptional accuracy, formidable power, and superb reliability, making it the preferred long-range weapon for countless special forces units and law enforcement agencies.

"Taking an enemy’s head from over a thousand meters away..." Xu Mo muttered to himself, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of excitement and awe. This ability to strike from beyond visual range was an experience that Cold Weapons and ordinary rifles could never offer. He imagined himself lying in ambush from a high vantage point, first carefully scouting with his binoculars, then locking onto a target through the clear, steady view of the scope. The crosshairs would settle firmly over his target, and with a gentle squeeze of the trigger... The sense of control was intoxicating.

Xu Mo’s fascination with this rifle didn’t just stem from its legendary reputation or his nostalgia for it from video games. It came from the absolute tactical advantage and the immense sense of security it provided. With this rifle, he now had the power to carve out his own "safe zone" in this complex and dangerous apocalyptic world.

Although Xu Mo’s current marksmanship wasn’t yet worthy of this god-tier weapon, he was confident. He had enough ammunition to gradually train himself into a competent sniper.

For the rest of the morning, Xu Mo’s training became a test of willpower. The fully assembled AWM sniper rifle was like a magnet with an irresistible pull, leaning quietly against a wall not far from his training area. Its cold metal and dark finish seemed to be silently calling to him.

Every time he finished his Posture Stance, every time he took a break during strength training, Xu Mo’s gaze would involuntarily drift toward the rifle. His fingers even tingled with the urge to touch its smooth frame and precision lens.

’Calm down. Focus.’ Xu Mo had to repeatedly tell himself, forcing his attention back to his breathing and muscle control. This mental tempering was, in some ways, even more grueling than the physical exertion.

After completing his morning Pile Training and strength exercises, Xu Mo followed his self-made schedule and began his regular afternoon activity—firearms training.

Unlike previous days, today Xu Mo brought more than just the familiar AK-47 and TT-33 pistol to the rooftop. With them was the AWM sniper rifle, which gave off a grim and forbidding aura.

After getting the AK, Xu Mo had focused on basic marksmanship, mainly familiarizing himself with the weapon’s operation and practicing rapid aiming and firing at short to medium ranges. Now, however, he needed to add an entirely new and far more complex discipline to his regimen: long-range precision sniping.

Xu Mo began, as was his custom, with about half an hour of refresher drills using the AK-47 and the pistol. To his well-honed body, the sound of bullets striking distant targets and the familiar kick of the recoil had become almost comforting.

Afterward, Xu Mo took a deep breath and turned his attention to the AWM. Though both were firearms, the principles behind using a sniper rifle were entirely different from those of an assault rifle.

Xu Mo recalled snippets of sniper tutorials he had casually watched online in the past. That knowledge, which had once seemed cool but unattainable, now served as his only textbook. He carefully set up the bipod, adjusted his posture, and aligned his line of sight with the rifle’s body and scope to form a stable axis.

Thanks to over a month of Foundation Establishment from the Thirteen Grand Protectors’ Cross Training, Xu Mo’s core strength and physical stability were far beyond that of an ordinary person. When he lay prone and shouldered the rifle, his entire frame was as steady as a rock, providing an excellent foundation for precision shooting.

He regulated his breathing and took up the slack on the trigger.

THUMP—!

Even with the high-efficiency suppressor, the characteristic muffled boom of the large-caliber .338 round and a recoil far stronger than the AK’s still announced the weapon’s incredible power. However, this force—enough to leave a novice’s shoulder bruised and purple—was effectively absorbed by Xu Mo’s meticulously conditioned body. His solid muscles and stable frame took the brunt of it, causing his body to only dip slightly without any discomfort.

’Damn, this thing’s got a kick,’ Xu Mo praised it inwardly, now understanding even better why snipers needed extreme physical conditioning. He immediately observed the point of impact through the high-powered scope—on the distant wall, the puff of dust was a good four or five meters away from the abandoned window he had been aiming at.

This result was completely within Xu Mo’s expectations. Sniping was an extremely precise art, involving ballistics, windage, breath control, and extremely delicate trigger technique. For a first attempt, being able to fire safely and get the shot in the general vicinity of the target was already a successful start.

Xu Mo calmly worked the bolt, ejecting the hot casing and chambering a new round. He spent the entire afternoon patiently repeating the process: aiming, controlling his breath, feeling the trigger, firing, observing, analyzing, and adjusting.