"Welcome! Welcome! My name is Ziel, and I will be your shooting range instructor." A very buff man stands before us wearing a large circular mascot helmet, which has a wide smile painted across its face.
"Somnia told me all about you guys! I remember when I used to suck. ...Anywho, welcome to the firing range! People say a weapon is only as strong as its wielder, but I've seen some twinks wielding quite the heavy artillery, so I object!"
"So, today we are going to be testing your aim, don't worry about the ammo, just remember to have fun, and always be safe with your firearm."
Despite his words of warning, he waves his gun around, paying no attention to where the barrel is aimed as he makes exaggerated movements.
Now, pointing the gun at us, they shout. "Always keep the gun aimed down range. And never aim it at something you don't intend to shoot. Remember, these are tools meant to kill, they ARE NOT toys."
His gun goes off as it barely misses someone's head. "Oh, shit! Who did that?!"
Everyone looks around, confused as to whether that was rhetorical.
Ziel coughs. "Alright, there's no need to point fingers at one another, I'm sure it was an honest mistake for whoever did it."
Holding up the gun, Ziel's core glows a flickering red, blue, and purple, a chain of micro explosions circles his body as it trails to the gun. "The question you are all likely looking for is how to fuse the elemental ability with the gun, the answer lies in your focus."
Everyone tries to copy it but fails as most of us can only manage a sputter of the elemental power.
"When I say focus, I don't mean any hippy dippy shit. The cores are interwoven with your physical body, thus, the focus should be on straining the muscle in which you wish to target."
Aiming the gun down, I attempt to strain my forearms and hands. Nothing seems to happen, moments from giving up, my body shivers, and small icicles form on the barrel of the pistol.
"Usually, you have your armor, which facilitates the exchange of elemental power, so attempting it now is like trying to fill a bathtub with the rain; you'll only get small drops funneled into your gun. The rest is spilled over in the form of the elemental waste emitted to the surroundings."
His words are only somewhat reassuring as those around me seem to have a much more visible show of power.
We go in our pairs as we each go to our own alley. Yet there are only 9 lanes, so of course we got stuck with the delinquent whose apparently named Ekstasy.
Hallow said these guys are ex-pros, so I'm curious to see what the pinnacle of Pioneer looks like.
He walks past us with a dismissive scoff; his flamboyant outfit shimmers in the light. Confidently, he steps up, lowering his golden money symbol shades as he takes aim.
His core begins to glow the same fiery crimson red as Ziel's, before a chain of sparks engulfs the gun.
Even without armor, his elemental strength is so visibly shown, I can feel the heat from the explosions.
As he squeezes down on the trigger, a chain of explosions is set off before the bullet speeds down range.
*BANG!*
*BANG!*
*BANG!*
The bullets explode on impact in a fulminating flame and yet... he missed every single shot.
The three of us stand there in disbelief. "Huh."
"Uh... I guess you're up." He hands the gun to Hallow as he awkwardly adjusts his leather jacket.
"...thanks."
"Good luck."
Hallow awkwardly laughs as he scratches his head. "Don't expect too much of me, I barely know how to use my core." With a nervous chuckle, he lifts the gun as he takes aim.
Taking a deep breath, his chest begins to glow a calming array of blue.
A stream of water slowly wraps around his body before violently flowing into the gun, causing the gun to fire.
The bullet propels itself in a pressured bang, as a fan of water is created by the pistol's barrel porting.
Firing three times, the target is left swinging: A hole in both eyes and one in the heart.
"Wow, lucky me."
Ekstacy seems a little embarrassed as he inspects his own gun, as though it were the cause of his dismal aim.
"Yeah... lucky." I nod.
The pair of girls next to us is giggling as they put up finger guns to one another, making shooting noises with their mouths.
"I feel like a real Pioneer."
"Right? I fe-"
*BANG! BANG!*
"DOWN RANGE I SAID!" Ziel shouts.
The pair falls to the ground with a bloody splat as their fleshy wires reel in.
Ziel walks over to us, patting Hallow on the shoulder, "Where'd you learn to shoot like that?"
"I got lucky, is all, this is my first time shooting a gun."
"No such thing as luck, you've got a real knack for it."
Ziel turns to me. "Seems like you're up, let's see what you can do."
"Well, I have my own gun, is it alright if I use it?"
"Of course, let me get a look at it, I know every kind of gun, from Nerreta to Plocks, so I'll tell you-"
I pull out the gun.
"What the hell is that?"
"You're the expert here."
Handing him the gun, he holds it up with the utmost confusion. "Well, I guess... shoot it and see if it breaks."
Holding up the gun, I aim towards the target. I wouldn't be all that disappointed if it ends up being a piece of shit, it was pretty cheap.
Taking a deep breath, I slowly squeeze the trigger, bracing for the recoil.
My core glows a weak white, as tiny bits of frost form on the gun.
Firing the gun, it completely misses as it ricochets off countless surfaces before it speeds towards Ekstasy. He barely leans left as the bullet whizzes by.
Pursing my lips, I turn with an expression of guilt. "Sorry."
The instructor looks like he wants to yell at me, but the confusion of what just happened is shared between us.
"Well- that... huh."
Needless to say, I ended up borrowing Hallows' gun for the rest of the range practice.
But it didn't seem to matter as I missed every shot.
At first, I didn't know how to approach Ekstacy, but it seems I have a conversation starter
...our dismal aim.