"Huh?" Alex was left dumbfounded by Michael's response. And as he thought about it, he realized, that really seemed to be the case.

Back in the underground parking lot of Sky Technologies, Michael had said that this was the first time that he was trying something like this.

So, back then, he did not imply using guns, but instead, getting involved in activities like this?

And as he thought about it, he realized, it actually made sense. After all, with Michael's mysterious background, there was a great possibility that he was proficient in using guns.

This left Alex quite disappointed. He had thought, he would be able to show off in front of Michael. Then, if Michael asked for some pointers from him, he could take that opportunity to create some friendship.

But, it seemed that this was not going to work, as he would have to look for another method of creating more interactions between them.

But at the same time, he was quite curious, what level of skill did Michael possess?

"Okay, let's go. The others are already waiting for us. I will tell you how things work in the shooting range on the way." Alex said, quite eager for them to head out.

The two of them then left the armory, heading deep into the building. They reached a set of double doors, which when Alex pushed open, revealed an open space, behind which were the shooting lanes.

This open space had several sitting areas, and at the moment, several young masters and misses that Michael had seen before, were currently waiting.

Apart from them, several other people were also present, but most of them seemed to be older.

When Raymond and the others noticed Alex and Michael coming in, they waved for them to go over.

Alex had already informed them that Michael was coming this time. Additionally, he had also informed them that this was the first time that Michael was attending such an event.

So, at the moment, all of them were quite hyped up, ready to demonstrate their skills. After all, they could tell, Michael's background was not simple.

And for someone like Raymond, he wanted to prove himself, for his own pride. After all, the gap between himself and Alex when it came to racing was just too big.

He thought, he might use this chance in order to regain part of his dignity that was lost when he lost the race.

"So, what should we start with?" Alex asked as he stood next to Michael.

He did not reveal anything about what Michael had said, wanting to see this group make a fool of themselves.

"Let's start with the regular pistol lanes. This way, we can do some warm-up, before we begin the real competition." Dalton was the one that responded this time.

When he said those words, the others nodded, obviously agreeing with what he was saying. Alex looked at Michael, who simply shrugged his shoulder, indicating that he had no objections.

So, the group headed towards the lane at the furthest end, where the pistol lane was located.

At the pistol lanes, a row of climate-controlled, polished bays were separated by reinforced glass. Targets were set at varying distances, some fixed, some programmed to pop up at random intervals, each lane equipped with digital scoring panels.

"I will go first." Raymond said as he took a step forward, a Glock 19 pistol in hand.

Raymond stepped into his lane, glancing at the targets set 15 meters away. He held his pistol, checked the grip, and took a steady breath before firing his first shot.

The bullet hit just slightly off-center, scoring an 8 on the digital panel. He adjusted his aim for the next round, hitting a 7, then a 9, narrowly missing the bull's-eye.

When the pop-up targets began moving, he hesitated for a fraction of a second, and one shot went wide, scoring only a 6. The next few hits were better, 8, 9, 8,… with two bull's-eye hits, but still inconsistent.

He ran through the sequence again, focusing on timing and tracking, gradually improving as he settled into the rhythm.

By the end of his set, his scores averaged around 8, showing clear skill but leaving room for improvements.

He lowered the pistol, satisfied that he had warmed up, though aware that the next rounds would demand even more focus.

With a slightly smug expression on his face, he looked at Alex as he asked, "What do you think?"

"Hey, don't get arrogant just yet. You know, while you have made some slight improvements, I also improved. So, don't dream of winning against me.

Additionally, this is just the warm up, so, there is no need for you to get complacent." Alex snorted as he responded.

"This is just a demonstration of my skill. So, don't anticipate that my level will go down, even in the next few challenges." Raymond responded, not taking Alex's words to heart.

"Okay, it seems that I will need to humble you first. Otherwise, you might start clamoring around, as though you have won." Alex responded as he took a step forward.

Alex stepped up to his lane, noting the same 15-meter targets. He raised his pistol with ease, taking a careful aim at the first stationary target.

The shot hit the bull's-eye, scoring a 10. This made Raymond's expression become slightly sour. But, he did not say anything, just continuing to observe.

The next round was equally precise, another 10, though the third shot clipped just outside the center for a 9.

When the moving pop-up targets appeared, Alex's reactions were quicker. He tracked the targets smoothly, squeezing the trigger at just the right moment.

Most shots landed solidly: 9, 10, 9, with only one slightly off, scoring an 8. Compared to Raymond, his hits were more precise, though he was not flawless.

By the end of the warm-up, Alex's scores averaged 9, with a few perfect 10s. He lowered the pistol, a slight smile crossing his face as he glanced at Raymond from the corner of his eye.

At this moment, Raymond had a dark expression on his face. He had not anticipated, since the last session that had happened about 2 months ago, Alex had improved so much.

He had thought, after some practice that he had done in between, he would have been able to at least surpass Alex, but unexpectedly, this guy had gotten even better than before.

Though, he was still not willing to give up. After all, he had not only practiced with the pistol, but with the other guns as well. So, when he got there, maybe there was a chance that he would be able to outperform Alex.

Next up was Dalton. Dalton's performance was not as good as Raymond and Alex. Just like in the racing competition, he managed the third position, with an average score of 7.

The rest of the group took their turns at the lanes, each showing varying degrees of skill. Some handled the stationary targets quite well, though not as well as Alex.

They ended up landing most shots between 8 and 9, while others struggled slightly, scoring closer to 7 on occasion.

When the pop-up targets began moving, the differences became clearer. Some adapted quickly, tracking the targets with smooth reflexes, while others hesitated, missing a few shots or hitting the edge for 5s and 7s.

None were flawless, but every member demonstrated a solid grasp of the basics, and by the end of the round, most had found a rhythm, the scores gradually stabilizing as they settled into the challenge.

Now, out of everyone, only Michael had not acted. So, everyone had their gazes focused on him.

Seeing that everyone was looking at him, Michael took a step forward, as he entered the lane.

He fixed his gaze on the targets 15 meters ahead. The moment he raised his pistol, every movement seemed precise and measured.

He did not aim for long, as though he was just casually shooting. Within just a second after he raised the gun, he pulled the trigger.

Bang!

His first shot hit the bull's-eye perfectly, the digital panel confirming a 10. Michael's actions and the results shocked Alex and the others, as they looked at Michael, agape.

"This..." Raymond was just about to say that this was just a lucky shot. But before he could even complete his first word, Michael pulled the trigger once again.

This time, he did not just shoot once, but he consecutively shot at all the targets, one after the other.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The consecutive sound of gunshots echoed in the air, as Alex and the others watched, completely dumbfounded by the skill that was being demonstrated by Michael.

Of all the shots, each bullet landed dead center with flawless consistency. A continuous stream of 10 points, being displayed on the digital panel.

When the moving pop-up targets appeared, he tracked them effortlessly, anticipating their motion and pulling the trigger at precisely the right moment.

One after another, the targets fell, each hit scoring a perfect 10. There was no hesitation, no misfire, nor stray shot.

By the end of the round, every score read 10, the display showing a perfect streak that made everyone glance at Michael as though they were looking at a monster.

"Alex, was this what you said that he is a noob? If he is a noob, then what are we?" Dalton suddenly asked, a dumbfounded expression on his face.

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