Above the wasteland.
Two colossal machines chased each other, trailing thick black smoke and dust as they moved.
The steel behemoth in front was menacing, bristling with sharp edges and rugged, modified armor. Six gun barrels were prominently displayed, one of them crackling with electricity.
At the highest point, a tattered yet bold blood-red Dragonhunter Flag flapped wildly in the fierce wind.
In contrast, the steel giant behind it appeared much more benign.
Its form was orderly, with steel armor showing signs of multiple repairs. Each side had two ordinary cannons, which didn't seem particularly lethal.
Yet, in reality, the steel beast flying the Dragonhunter Flag was being chased and battered, fleeing in panic.
They had intended to deploy their convoy again to harass, but a precise shot turned it into scattered parts, as casually as kicking a dog to death on the roadside.
But that was their last vehicle.
It had been over ten minutes since the Deep Blue and the raiders first encountered each other.
Both sides were seeking change.
One side wanted to shake off their pursuers, while the other aimed to quickly pin down the fleeing enemy.
At that moment, a shell with a tricky trajectory sped toward them.
The raiders had clearly seen it in advance and maneuvered to evade, even tilting the entire city forward dramatically, nearly toppling over!
Yet, inexplicably, they still couldn't dodge it, as if the shell had predicted their movements.
The next second, it landed with a thunderous crash at the core of the raider city!
Boom!
The hit area erupted into a sea of fire, with parts exploding like a celestial maiden scattering flowers.
Immediately after, several explosions occurred in succession within the raider city, quickly causing it to lose power and come to a complete halt!
"Beautiful!"
In the driver's cabin, witnessing this scene, the atmosphere erupted in jubilation!
That godly shot ended the battle an hour early!
"Have the convoy set off immediately to clear out the remaining forces and complete the occupation!"
Jiang Zhixu suppressed his excitement and issued the order, suddenly remembering something, "Oh, and have them bring those three Level 1 Rifles!"
These three rifles were the only graded weapons in their city.
Guns wear out with use, so the previous City Lord had been reluctant to use them, keeping them stored in the warehouse since purchase.
"Yes!"
Qi Honglang promptly relayed the order.
Soon, the Deep Blue opened its "big mouth" below, releasing three battered off-road vehicles that sped toward the mobile city in the distance, which was billowing with fire and smoke.
He already had an answer in mind.
And Qi Honglang, after some inquiries, confirmed his suspicion, "It was the Junior Gunner who fired it. That last shot directly upgraded him to a Proficient Gunner."
Seeing Jiang Zhixu's expression of 'just as I thought,' Qi Honglang curiously asked, "Did you already guess?"
Jiang Zhixu nodded with a smile, "Meng Guolong is an experienced gunner, steady and mature. That last shot, however, had a 'gamble' feel to it, as it involved predicting the opponent's next move in advance.
"If the gamble failed, it would waste a shell. Although we're not short on shells now, Meng Guolong wouldn't instinctively choose to do that. Only a young person, daring and decisive, could fire such a tricky shot."
At this point, Chief Helmsman Wei Ran also agreed:
"I must say, the opponent made several subtle feints to confuse us. That shot disabling them involved a lot of luck."
Normally, even if it hit, it wouldn't necessarily explode in the opponent's power furnace area, causing the entire city to stop.
Jiang Zhixu said, "For a gunner, luck is also an indispensable part of their skill... What's his name?"
"Lu Yan, only 16 years old this year."
Qi Honglang knew who he was asking about.
"Let's go down and take a look."
Jiang Zhixu led the way out of the driver's cabin, with Qi Honglang following closely behind.
Inside the driver's cabin.
Wei Ran and Sun Cheng watched their departing figures, exchanging a glance. The latter said enviously, "A 16-year-old Proficient Gunner, and already valued by the City Lord. His future is limitless."
Gunners and helmsmen are different.
As long as the city is moving, the latter can continuously gain experience, reaching proficient level is just a matter of time.
But for gunners, without talent, no City Lord would be willing to train them. They might only get one shot in their lifetime.
In fact, Lu Yan had already used up his one shot.
But luck was on his side, as the Deep Blue changed City Lords, giving him a new opportunity.
Unlike him, who was demoted from Chief Helmsman to Deputy Helmsman, almost losing his position altogether.
Wei Ran smiled and said, "As long as you work hard and are willing to fight, the City Lord sees and remembers it. What he dislikes most is someone who gives up on themselves... Those who abandon themselves are beyond saving."
The latter part of the sentence was something Jiang Zhixu said when rallying them, and it was this sentiment that moved many to risk their lives and join his uprising.
Sun Cheng nodded thoughtfully after hearing it.
...
Below deck, in the right-side artillery room.
Meng Guolong and the Junior Gunner Lu Yan were already waiting, as Qi Honglang had informed them that Jiang Zhixu would be coming.
The former was calm, having experienced much, with little that could frighten him. But Lu Yan was both excited and nervous, with a hint of anticipation and joy.
Having exceeded the mission's requirements, he might receive a reward.
Creak~
At this moment.
The heavy wooden door of the artillery room was pushed open, and Jiang Zhixu walked in with a beaming smile.
"You both did well!"
Jiang Zhixu first praised them both, then turned to the expectant Lu Yan, "How many shots did you fire in total?"
Lu Yan replied loudly, "Nine shots!"
Nine shots!
Counting the one he'd fired before, it totaled ten shots to reach proficient level.
Such talent was considered outstanding anywhere!
After all, normally, an Apprentice Gunner would need to fire over fifty shots to reach proficient level, which could take a year or two if luck wasn't on their side.
Meng Guolong reminded from the side, "Xiao Yan, quickly tell the City Lord about the skill you awakened."
Prompted by this, Lu Yan remembered and quickly said, "City Lord, the skill I awakened is 'Miracle Gunner,' a high-grade skill!"
With each level advancement in a profession, an amplification skill matching the profession is awakened.
The quality is similar to the City Lord's talent, divided into low-grade, mid-grade, high-grade, top-grade, and heavenly-grade, though they cannot awaken God-tier talents.
More importantly, no matter how high the skill quality, it can only be effective in specific roles.
"Oh?" Jiang Zhixu showed interest, "What does this skill do?"
Lu Yan scratched his head, "I'll share the panel with you, you can see for yourself."
Jiang Zhixu nodded, realizing it was hard to describe in words.
[Miracle Gunner]
Quality: High-grade
Passive Amplification: "Godly Shot" wager everything, predict the future! This shot will either misfire or send the enemy straight to their ancestors!
Trigger Probability: 5% per shot; if not triggered in 20 consecutive shots, the next shot is guaranteed to trigger
Description: "When belief and a shell are fired together, the entire battlefield will tremble!"
"A very powerful skill!"
Jiang Zhixu, reading the skill description, could barely contain his grin.
Not only did it have a decent trigger probability, but it also had a fail-safe mechanism!
Even if it only triggered once or twice per battle, it could decisively turn the tide at critical moments!
Lu Yan's awakening of this skill was likely related to his performance on that last shot, a perfect combination of timing, location, and people, resulting in a high-grade skill holder.