Chapter 204: Guns of energy aren’t safe!

There was a deeper floor to this underground base that Blake didn’t even known it existed.

He looked around as they descended, then glanced at Myles.

"Shouldn’t we help Estelle, or Tania at this point...?"

"No."

"But why?"

"We’ll continue with your improvement."

Blake scratched the back of his head.

’Ah, right... so we will do that every day, for real?’

Yesterday, they’d already planned most of what there was to plan about the infiltration.

They’d stayed up rather late going over routes, security, possible contingencies, and who would be responsible for what.

Blake had woken up late today, too.

He’d honestly assumed he didn’t have anything to do.

Apparently, Myles had simply let him oversleep.

Because the moment Blake had eaten, he’d been brought down here.

The doors opened.

Blake stepped inside, looking around.

’...Is this a gym?’

It was definitely some kind of gym.

There were machines he’d never seen before, reinforced platforms, weights, mats, and various pieces of equipment that looked like they belonged in a laboratory rather than a fitness center.

Blake approached one of the machines and poked it.

"Don’t touch those."

Blake immediately withdrew his hand, raising an eyebrow.

"What are they for, then?"

"They’re for me and the others."

"...And I’m not allowed?"

"You can’t handle them."

Blake stared at the machine.

"I can lift weights... although it depends on well, the weight."

"Not those."

"How bad could it be?"

"You’d die trying to use some of them."

Blake immediately took two steps backward.

"Oh, okay."

He looked at the equipment from a much safer distance.

"So what am I training with?"

"You have other things to train."

Myles walked toward a storage area and picked up a large bag.

Blake followed him with his eyes, perplexed.

Myles opened it.

The first thing he took out was... a gun, or, at least, it looked like one.

Blake’s eyebrows rose.

"Why a gun?"

Myles held it in front of himself.

"It’s not a regular one."

He turned it slightly so Blake could see its structure.

"My body stores energy."

Blake tilted his head.

"Like... electricity?"

"No."

Myles examined the weapon.

"The energy is produced internally. My physiology converts part of the energy generated by my cells into a form that can be stored and released later."

Blake listened carefully.

"The non-human part of my physiology is responsible for that capability. I don’t know what species I originate from, so I can’t explain the biological mechanism completely."

He tapped the weapon.

"But I can use it to release the stored energy in a controlled form."

"So this stores your energy?"

"Yes."

"Woah... super dangerous then!"

"It is."

Myles looked at him.

"You’ll take it during the infiltration."

Blake’s expression changed.

"Wait, seriously?"

"If you’re attacked by another second generation, physical strength alone won’t necessarily be enough."

Blake immediately thought of Trail-X and swallowed.

"Right."

Myles continued.

"This weapon allows you to use a concentrated portion of my stored energy, but there is a limit to how much you can use. So do it well."

Blake stared at the gun.

"How big is the... bullet?"

"That isn’t a bullet. It is very small."

"How small?"

Myles didn’t answer.

Instead, he turned toward the wall.

He tapped it several times.

A mechanical system activated, a section of the wall opening. A metal target rose from the floor.

Myles walked back toward Blake.

He raised one hand.

Blake watched carefully.

Myles pointed at the target.

Three seconds passed.

PSSSHH.

A tiny drop of brilliant energy shot from his fingertip.

It crossed the room almost instantly.

BANG.

A perfectly circular hole appeared in the exact center of the target.

Blake’s eyes widened.

"...Oh."

He’d seen that before, that exact kind of attack, just on a much larger scale.

That day.

When Myles had rescued him from Ren.

’Woah, so that’s what makes him so destructive...’

The damaged target automatically descended, another one rising into its place.

Myles turned back to him.

"The gun can only withstand and channel approximately that amount of energy while maintaining a projectile that small."

Blake stared at the weapon, then at Myles, then back at the weapon.

Myles handed it to him.

Blake accepted it with both hands very carefully, his shoulders stiffening.

"You’re giving me this now?"

"Yes."

"This thing can do that, like in the exact same way you showed me?"

"Yes."

Blake looked genuinely nervous now.

He turned it around, then sideways, then upside down.

He examined every surface.

By all appearances, it looked like a perfectly normal gun.

"It doesn’t look dangerous at all."

"That’s intentional."

Blake gulped.

"So..."

He held it a little farther away from himself.

"You’ll teach me how to use it?"

"Yes."

Blake nodded.

"Okay."

Myles reached into the bag again.

"But first, you’ll warm up."

Blake blinked.

"Warm up?"

"You need to build your physical guard."

"My physical... what?"

"Your body’s ability to withstand impact, exertion, and sudden force."

"Ah."

That made more sense.

Myles pulled out weights, a mat, resistance equipment, and several other pieces.

Blake recognized some of them.

They were from the training sessions they’d done previously.

"Oh, I remember these."

Blake placed the weapon aside.

Myles started him gradually.

It was nothing extreme.

Stretching first.

Then controlled squats.

Push-ups.

Short bursts of resistance work.

A few exercises focused on his core and balance.

Then some light weights.

Blake slowly increased his pace as his body warmed up.

His breathing became heavier, but it wasn’t unbearable.

Myles watched the entire time.

Correcting his posture whenever he slipped.

"Keep your back straight."

"Right."

"Don’t lock your knees."

"Got it..."

"Do it again."

Blake groaned.

"You’re enjoying this."

"Focus."

"You didn’t even deny it...."

"Again."

Blake sighed.

Eventually, Myles nodded.

"Enough."

Blake immediately dropped onto the mat.

"Finally."

"You can stand."

"...That’s less exciting."

Blake got back up.

He looked toward the gun.

"Can I try now?"

"Yes."

Blake’s expression brightened.

Myles walked toward the wall and tapped it again.

This time, the entire section moved, a doorway opening right it front of them. Behind it was an entirely new room.

A shooting range.

Multiple targets were positioned at different distances, some stationary, others mounted on mechanical rails.

Blake stared.

’Okay... something tells me this will be even more intense than... whatever he was torturing me to do earlier.’

Myles followed.

"This is where you’ll learn."

He retrieved the weapon.

"First, proper stance."

Blake adjusted his feet.

"Feet apart."

He spread them.

"Keep your center of gravity low."

Blake bent his knees slightly.

"Don’t lock your elbows."

He loosened his arms.

"Your dominant hand controls the grip. Your other hand stabilizes it."

Blake nodded.

"And most importantly, stay locked on the target."

Myles handed him the gun again.

His nervousness immediately returned as he stared at the target.

"Okay."

He raised the weapon.

His arms trembled slightly.

Myles stood behind him.

"Don’t anticipate the recoil."

"Right."

"Focus."

Blake breathed in.

He lined up the weapon.

The target was directly ahead.

He pulled the trigger.

FWOOOSH—

The tiny beam of energy shot out.

Unfortunately, Blake’s entire body was thrown backward by the force.

"WH—!"

THUD.

The beam disappeared into the ceiling.

Blake stared upward in silence, as he slowly swallowed.

"...Hah."

Myles looked at the ceiling, then at Blake.

Blake continued staring up.

"...That was supposed to happen, right?"

"I didn’t expect you to succeed on the first try."

"Hey... don’t embarrass me..."

He gulped.

"Anyway, I think we’re going to need a bigger room."

Myles extended a hand.

He grabbed it and let himself be pulled up.

"Do it again."

Blake stared at him.

"Already?"

"You didn’t control the recoil."

"I noticed!"

"Then, do it again."

Blake reluctantly took the gun.

He looked at the target.

"Okay. What did I do wrong?"

"You leaned backward before firing."

"Because I knew it was going to be difficult, you made me train just to hold it well!"

"That’s exactly what caused you to lose your balance."

Blake frowned.

"So I shouldn’t fight the recoil?"

"No. Let your lower body absorb it."

Blake nodded.

"Okay, okay..."

He returned to his stance.

This time, he planted his feet firmly, his shoulders relaxing. Then, ge aimed.

"Don’t lock your arms," Myles reminded him.

Blake loosened his elbows.

"Like that."

He breathed in, then fired.

FWOOOSH!

The beam hit the target.

Not the center.

It struck near the edge.

But Blake remained standing, his entire upper body jerked backward.

"I kinda did it."

"You stayed upright."

"That’s what I said!"

"The shot was inaccurate."

Blake’s smile disappeared.

"...Right."

Myles reset the target.

"Do it again."

Blake sighed as he raised the weapon.

FWOOOSH!

The projectile struck the target closer to the center.

Blake’s feet slid backward slightly, but he didn’t fall.

"That was better!"

"It seems like you are used to guns."

Blake scratched the back of his head.

"Well, I was provided one, but I was never really formally trained or anything. You could still say I’m used to fire a gun, though."

"I expected as much. You need to withstand the force, more than anything."

Blake groaned.

"You’re really going to make me do this repeatedly, aren’t you?"

"Until you can fire without losing your balance."

Blake looked at the gun.

"How many times?"

"As many as necessary."

"...I should’ve stayed upstairs with Tania."

Myles ignored him.

Another target appeared farther away.

Blake’s eyes widened.

"You moved it."

"You’re going to need to shoot at different distances."

"F-fine..."

He took aim.

The target moved slowly from side to side.

Blake tracked it.

His first shot missed.

"Ah!"

"You’re following the target with your arms."

"Isn’t that what I’m supposed to do, anyway?"

"Move your entire body, remember how you did it out of instincts when you infiltrated."

’Ah, that’s right... but most of the time, I just moved my arms!’

Blake tried again.

This time, he adjusted his stance with the target instead of simply twisting his arms.

He fired, and the beam barely struck it.

Blake smiled.

"Oh!"

Myles looks at the target, in thought.

"I already mentioned this, but you are a fast learner."

Blake paused.

That actually made him feel pretty good.

’Although it’s because of my skill...’

He looked at the weapon again.

"Okay."

He raised it.

"One more."

Myles nodded.

Blake fired.

The shot landed a bit more inside the target.

He froze.

Then slowly lowered the weapon.

"...I did it!"

Myles looked at the target.

"You did."

Blake’s smile widened.

"Okay, maybe this isn’t so terrifying."

Myles took the weapon from him.

"You’ll say that again after you learn to use it under pressure."

Blake’s smile immediately faded.

"...I take it back."

Myles almost seemed amused.

Blake looked at the ceiling where his first shot had disappeared.

"At least we know the ceiling is durable."

"That isn’t the purpose of the room."

"I know..."

Blake rubbed the back of his neck.

"But it’s nice to know."