Su Chen took the newly upgraded shotgun from Gong Jun.
The dark alloy casing had been reforged, revealing the deep gray, characteristic texture of Soul Sand. As his consciousness permeated the weapon, he could see the surface of the bore was covered in a web of intricate, precise Rune Array patterns.
He subconsciously pulled the trigger.
HUM!
Deep within the bore, a Wind Element channel instantly activated.
An invisible current of air spiraled forward from the breech, transforming the inside of the barrel into a miniature wind tunnel. He could clearly feel the contained, violent thrust just through his palm.
"Here, a new type of bullet." Gong Jun handed him a new Single-Headed Bullet.
Yan Ziqian was very efficient. The bullet's primer had been upgraded from black powder to a new, highly sensitive explosive compound.
"It's hard to find materials in the city to separate and extract tungsten steel alloy, so we just used Nether Sand Metal. The Penetration Power is significantly lower, but it's perfect for elemental Enchantment, so the overall lethality is much higher," Gong Jun explained.
Things like tunnel boring machine blades from construction sites, or CT scanners from a hospital's radiology department, were all very difficult for them to get their hands on.
Even if they could, it would be a reckless waste of precious resources.
"This is enough."
Su Chen was very satisfied. Paired with his composite Technique, 'Thunder-Piercing Break,' it would be a true trump card for tearing through heavily armored, single targets.
"There's also a test round for you to try out the effect. If you're not satisfied with the ballistics, we can still make adjustments," Gong Jun said.
He didn't refuse, as he was already planning to check the activation response of the Acceleration Rune Array.
Soon, with a HUM, Light and Dark Particles erupted around him. Under the effect of Aurora Flash, his figure faded, phasing through the camp's outer wall. With two successive warps, he instantly reappeared on a snow-covered lawn nearly two kilometers away.
He had gone this far specifically to be clear of the camp and avoid disturbing anyone.
If this newly-crafted Technique weren't so potent, pulling that off in one smooth motion would have been impossible.
The cold night was like iron.
The biting north wind howled past, whipping up frost and snow. Su Chen wore only a thin combat jacket, yet he felt no cold. The white mist of his breath was so faint it was nearly invisible.
HUM!
The hollow-point bullet in his hand was already wreathed in a strand of lightning. The Soul Sand alloy on the bullet's surface was quickly enveloped in a triple helix of energy.
He slid it into the chamber.
CLICK.
The action locked. The weapon was loaded.
Su Chen raised the shotgun and aimed. A faint hum emanated from inside the weapon as the Acceleration Rune Array opened an airflow channel.
All was ready.
BOOM!
He pulled the trigger, and a piercing roar tore through the cold night.
The slug shot forward, its velocity like that of a projectile from an Electromagnetic Cannon.
A silver-white streak of lightning erupted from the muzzle, lancing straight toward the wreckage of an abandoned trolley car a hundred meters away.
BANG! A molten hole was punched clean through the trolley's chassis in an instant. Residual arcs of electricity crackled around it. The shot's remaining momentum carried it onward, sending it lancing through the trunk of a giant tree behind the trolley.
'This isn't a shotgun, it has the range of a rifle.' Su Chen was finally getting a sense of the acceleration's true power.
The target was too weak to properly judge the weapon's lethality.
But its speed was undeniable.
As the old saying goes, nothing beats pure speed.
The high-speed airflow from the bullet had carved a faint, violet trail through the falling snow. Residual arcs of electricity lingered in the air along this channel, continuously repelling the wind and snow that tried to fill the void.
'The recoil is manageable.'
The clever part was that the recoil seemed to be reduced and counteracted by a reverse wind-pressure field. By the time it reached his shoulder, all that remained was a solid jolt.
A normal person, however, would have a terrible time with it.
After the brief test, Su Chen stopped, looking up at the night sky as if he had sensed something.
'Ice Birds?'
He saw more than a dozen Ice Birds streaking through the snow-filled mist high above, trailing faint blue wakes.
Judging by their flight path, they seemed to have come from the Great Snow Mountain to the north. The snowy winter nights of the past two days had clearly allowed the flock of Ice Birds to expand their range.
He didn't give it much thought and headed straight back.
「Inside the Camp」
"The temperature's dropping tonight. Make sure to stay warm."
He saw Gong Jun still hunched over a table, starting to study a Colt M1911. A hand-drawn diagram was spread out on the corner of the table, annotated with the chamber pressure curve for a .45-inch bullet.
"Alright. I'll head back to the RV after I study the rifling for a little while longer," he replied, a bit bashfully.
From what Su Chen knew of dedicated researchers, if conditions permitted, the man would probably stay up all night studying.
Of course, this level of enthusiasm was a good thing.
Pang Peng also stepped out of the RV, holding a cup of hot coffee that was clearly meant for Gong Jun.
It was still early, so the electrician, bundled up in a thick down jacket, went to check on the camp's power systems. The external antenna on the roof, for one, had already been retracted and moved to the third floor.
Due to tonight's blizzard, and taking into account signal reception issues in various locations, the public announcement of the fifth batch of Rune synthesis formulas would be postponed until communications were restored the next morning.
Just then, Su Chen felt a stirring from the Jade Pendant on his chest. He knew this round of restorative infusion was about to complete.
Considering that a leap in Physique was often accompanied by the expulsion of impurities, he decided to head back to the RV for a shower.
...
「Inside the Bathroom」
Hot water streamed down as steam filled the small space.
A dense, almost liquid mass of Life Energy surged from the jade, pouring through his meridians and into every fiber of his being.
His muscles and sinews relaxed, and his internal organs felt as if they'd been washed clean.
Su Chen felt as if every cell in his body was greedily absorbing this immense vitality. Grayish-black strands of metabolic waste seeped from his pores, washed away by the shower spray and swirling down the drain.
"So refreshing."
He felt as if his body were soaking in a hot spring, completely relaxed and refreshed.
'Physique +9, agility +1, Intelligence +2.'

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