death of hope

Chapter 994 "Psionic Storm" (68) The Phantom of the Ruins

The next morning, everyone got up very early, had breakfast, and drove to a chemical plant in the suburbs that had closed down many years ago.

The factory equipment had long since been dismantled and sold off; the walls were peeling and mottled, cobwebs filled the corners, and a thick layer of dust covered the floor.

This place is unguarded; you can come and go as you please by tearing off the seal and removing the chains. Some homeless people used to live here, but in recent years, it's said that it's haunted at night, scaring them all away.
Later, internet celebrities seeking to gain traffic came to film footage, college students looking to test their courage came to explore, and disbelieving gang members came to practice their shooting skills.

Without exception, not one of them survived the night. They were all terrified, some ended up in mental hospitals, and one even shot himself.
The story became increasingly bizarre and unbelievable as it spread, with no one knowing which version was true. In addition, the atmosphere in Shin-Sapporo was quite superstitious, and the East Asian population believed in ghosts and gods. As a result, the abandoned factory became known as a "forbidden place" among the citizens, and it is considered one of the urban legends that have emerged in recent years.

Nikolai and others from the Shin-Sapporo branch used this place as the branch's secret training ground, mainly for practicing CQB tactical shooting, and felt good about it after a few months.

The reason they remained fearless was that the members of the commune were staunch believers in Kang and atheists, unafraid of ghosts and gods, and did not believe in evil.

·
This time, Nikolai was no longer directing the training; instead, a legendary figure from headquarters led the team.

The battle-hardened and seasoned hero, Pavel Korchagin, will share his combat techniques with everyone.
"Every movement is designed to eliminate blind spots; failure to check thoroughly is fatal."
It's best for those in the front row to crouch down so as not to obstruct the firing range of their teammates behind them, thus ensuring maximum firepower output.

Nothing can guarantee you won't get shot. All you can do is take down the opponent before they take you down. In martial arts, speed is the only way to win.

Marksmanship, awareness, tactics, teamwork, composure, and luck are all indispensable.

If you're being suppressed by fire and don't know what to do, just throw grenades without thinking. Remember to save one for yourself as a suicide bomber...

Paul explained and demonstrated at the same time, each tactical movement was swift and neat, as cool as a movie star.

·
"Wow...so handsome..." Takiya Rimi was completely enamored, her face showing a lovesick expression.

"That unlucky woman... I could have just thought about it... but she actually said it out loud... as if I don't exist, huh?" Tonya was extremely jealous and hugged Paul tightly as if she were protecting her food.
This made the originally serious atmosphere inexplicably ambiguous and awkward, with Paul caught in the middle, wearing a wry smile.

"Ha~ woman~" Sergei and Dmitri, the two bearded men, smiled at each other.

"Ahem!" Nikolai coughed twice, trying to defuse the awkward situation;
"Paul Z has given us a very good demonstration. Let's start practicing, beginning with the most basic static shooting. Be careful not to accidentally injure anyone."

"Hey boss~" Ando Shuichi retorted.
"We're all elites, there's no need for us to practice these basics. But for newbies, isn't it a bit late to start now?"

"It's not too late. As the old saying goes, even last-minute sharpening can be effective. This training is mainly for warming up and awakening muscle memory. Think about it, Ando-kun, how long has it been since you fired live ammunition?"

"Uh, indeed,"

Ando Shuichi took a Walther PPK automatic pistol out of the box, aimed at the target for several seconds, and then "bang!" hit the pillar, missing the target. He covered his face and shook his head.
"Oh my god~ This is so embarrassing~"

·
"It's alright, Ando-kun. Everyone has their own expertise. You're a technician, so just focus on typing. Leave shooting to the professionals."

As she spoke, Rimi Takiya picked up her finely tuned T5000 sniper rifle and hit the furthest target with a single shot.

"Ten Rings~"

"Impressive! Accurate!" Paul clapped and said to Nikolai;
"Your branch's sniper is very strong. Is he a retired veteran?" "Ms. Takiya has never served in the military. She was a shooting athlete and won a silver medal at the sector-level Olympics."

Tonya knew she was no match, but she wasn't willing to lose face. "Watch me!" she shouted, emptying the magazines of an MP5K submachine gun in a few seconds with a "rat-a-tat-tat" sound.

Although the target was very close, in fully automatic dual-wielding firing mode, only a few bullets out of 60 rounds missed the target, demonstrating amazing strength and the ability to control and suppress the recoil of the gun.

"The ballistics are absolutely brilliant!" Nikolai exclaimed.

Rimi Takiya knew this was a challenge to her, so she snorted and shot the electric bell on the top of the factory. Donya was not to be outdone. She picked up the PPK light machine gun, fired 100 rounds of drum magazine without the aid of a stand, and cut a cement pillar in half.

"Wow, these two beauties are really going at it!"

Sergei and Dmitry watched the spectacle for a while, then picked up their assault rifles and went to practice shooting.
The Eldar Tristana, on the other hand, seemed distracted, sitting listlessly on an old, dilapidated machine tool.

·
Just as Paul and Nikolai were about to begin their practice, Paul suddenly noticed something amiss in the factory and removed his earmuffs, shouting to the others:
"Stop hitting! Stop!"

The gunfire stopped abruptly, and Nikolai asked, "What happened?"

Paul put his left index finger to his lips, signaling for everyone to be quiet.
He gripped a Tokarev pistol in his right hand, the muzzle pointing southeast of the factory.

The dusty paddle blades began to sway, and a rusty iron chain hanging from above swayed and creaked.

"A rat?" Ando said softly.

“No,” Paul shook his head, “that chain must weigh a ton.”

"Haha, is it haunted?" Hoshino Rika joked, looking completely fearless as she changed magazines, increased the magnification of her scope, and observed the upper part of the factory.

Pavel Korchagin survived countless hellish battlefields not only because of his superhuman physique and combat skills, but also because of his animalistic instincts.

"I... I can't quite put my finger on it, but something's definitely not right... Old Cui, it's up to you now!"

Even without Paul's reminder, Drizzt had already sensed something amiss and closed his eyes to use his psionic senses:

"I noticed it just now... that thing... was very agile... it slipped in through the top ventilation vent, swinging back and forth on its chain, observing us..."

"Things?" A chill ran down Nikolai's spine. "What do you mean?"

"Neither human nor spirit... I can't quite put my finger on it... This feeling... is too eerie..."

Drizzt's forehead was covered in sweat, his pointed ears were trembling slightly, and his already pale skin was completely drained of color.
"That thing's brainwaves... were filled with murderous intent and hatred... I've never felt such intense negative emotions before... like a black hole or an abyss..."

When Paul saw Old Cui like this for the first time, he was startled, and the veins on his hand gripping the gun bulged.

"Damn it! Whatever it is, I'll fight!"