Cthulhu Panel: One organ mutates every day

After completing the equipment collection registration, Lillian led Wayne to the shooting range area.

Even from a great distance, you could hear the continuous gunfire coming from the shooting range.

The firing range area is not particularly refined; in fact, it is rather rudimentary.

The long, enclosed, independent target lane has thirteen independent firing positions, separated by explosion-proof tempered glass partitions, ensuring no interference between them.

Each firing position comes with a cheek rest, an adjustable firing stand, and a spent cartridge case collection slot.

Gunshots rang out continuously from the target lane at the end of the range, where one person was practicing shooting intently. The other target lanes were quiet and empty.

Lillian continued humming a little tune, not caring who was practicing shooting inside, and simply led Wayne to the outermost shooting range.

"Wayne, you've probably never touched a gun before, right?" Lillian moved the shooting stand aside so that two people could stand on it.

"Hmm, I haven't touched it." Wayne looked at the target at the end of the shooting range, feeling somewhat uncertain.

Can you really learn it in one morning?

"Give me your gun." Lillian reached out her hand.

Wayne handed over his revolver.

Lillian disassembled the revolver, removed all the bullets, and spread them out on the wooden table:

"There are many types of firearms, but using a pistol is less stressful. First, you need to know the basic safety rules."

"The gun must not be pointed at yourself or others, even if you are sure it is empty; your finger should not be on the trigger normally, and your index finger can only be put into the trigger guard when you are aiming at a target and preparing to fire."

"Yes, I know." Wayne nodded, noticing that Lillian was gradually becoming engrossed.

Lillian seems to be... extremely absorbed and fanatical about anything related to combat.

"Here, take the gun." Lillian handed the pistol to Wayne and stood to the side of him.

She taught Wayne how to hold a gun, stepping close to his hand and demonstrating the entire process of opening the cylinder, loading, closing the cylinder, cocking, and ejecting the spent cartridge.

Then, grasping Wayne's wrist, he led him through the drill three times with an empty gun, pausing and calibrating at each step, until Wayne had memorized the entire operating logic of the revolver.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 19.0%

"Very good, next is the grip posture."

Next, Lillian spent thirty minutes personally helping Wayne correct his grip posture, just to cure the backswing that beginners fear most.

Because they were so close, Wayne's nostrils were filled with Lillian's body and hair fragrance.

Finally, there are practical techniques for simple close-range aiming, as well as live-fire tests...

More than an hour later.

Wein fired a total of twelve bullets. The first three shots missed the target completely, while the last nine shots barely hit the edge of the chest and abdomen of the human-shaped target.

The bullet holes were scattered and inaccurate, only ensuring that they could effectively hit the body.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 20.0%

"But why is my perception progressing so fast? Is it because I'm quickly observing and learning marksmanship? As long as there are results from my observations, the progress will increase significantly." Wayne felt that his marksmanship was average, but the significant improvement in his [perception] was worthwhile.

"Wayne, you've learned very quickly. This level of marksmanship is already good enough for combat. You just need to practice more in your spare time. It's easy to become rusty when you've just learned to use a gun," Lillian gently brushed her hair aside and softly reminded him.

Although Wayne had only been in the game for less than two days, Lillian had been with him in a battle, had dinner with him at a karaoke bar, and had been coaching him on marksmanship for so long. In addition, he already had a good impression of Wayne, and without realizing it, she had gradually come to regard him as a familiar teammate.

"Why don't you give it a try, Lillian?" Wayne handed the revolver to Lillian, along with some standard ammunition for the shooting range.

"Huh? Me? Okay then." Lillian took the pistol, smiled slightly, glanced at the target's position, then turned her head away from the target, raised the pistol, and quickly pulled the trigger.

Six bullets, six gunshots, a magazine of bullets emptied.

Wayne turned his head to look.

At the end of the target lane, on the human-shaped target, there was only one new bullet hole in the center of its forehead; the other bullet holes were from Wayne's previous shots.

Given Lillian's confident demeanor, there is only one possibility.

That means all six shots hit the center of his forehead perfectly.

Lillian glanced at the target to confirm the result, then handed the revolver to Wayne: "Finished."

Wayne took the gun and asked the question that had been on his mind: "Lillian, you're about my age, right? Why are you so strong in combat? It's ridiculously strong."

"Why did I end up like this..." Lillian's thoughts drifted to the past, a rare hint of sadness appearing on her face. "Actually, I grew up in the Punishment Court of the Eastern Continent Empire."

The Eastern Continent Empire is an empire located across the sea to the east of the New Federal State.

Wayne had an impression of this empire.

It is said that the area is the domain of the religious order, with the old monastery hidden in the shadows, its history ancient and mysterious, filled with many long-forgotten legends and unseen miracles.

The Disciplinary Court was a prominent organization within it, similar to the Inquisition in popular imagination, using violence to suppress heresy.

"The Disciplinary Tribunal? I've heard it's a very cruel organization." Wayne realized the topic might be sensitive, so he asked cautiously.

Lillian hesitated for a few seconds, then let out a long sigh of relief: "Well, there's no freedom in the Disciplinary Court. There, you can only obey orders and undergo all sorts of secret training day after day. But thankfully, I managed to escape in the end."

It turns out Lillian comes from the Eastern Continent Empire's Disciplinary Court. No wonder she can recite those prayers, and no wonder she always seems naive and cautious, always putting "politeness" first when speaking to people...

Wayne paused, then asked, "What if they didn't escape?"

Lillian paused for a moment to reminisce, then said in a relaxed tone, "If you're lucky, you can stay in the Disciplinary Court as a combat nun; if you're unlucky, you'll die in the brutal training."

"Those must have been a dark period." Wayne looked at Lillian, his brows furrowed slightly. He had never imagined that this kind and polite girl would have such a dark past.

"It's alright, it's all in the past." Lillian turned her head to look at the bullet hole she had hit so accurately in the distance, and said no more.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 20.3%

Just as Wayne was about to continue practicing shooting for a while, the shooting sounds at the end of the range stopped. Before, they would stop occasionally, like taking a break, but now they stopped for quite a while.

It seems that person has finished training.

Footsteps approached.

Wayne turned his head to look.

A strangely dressed young man was walking towards us.

He had a bronze complexion, curly blond hair, wore a worn-out black leather motorcycle jacket, faded dark blue jeans, and a pair of worn-out sunglasses pinned to his forehead, giving him the look of a seasoned motorcyclist.

Upon seeing Lillian, he paused for a moment, then his face lit up with joy:

"Miss Lillian! You're here too! What a coincidence, what a chance encounter! I knew we were meant to be!"

Wayne asked in a low voice, "Who is this? Why is he dressed like that in the station?"

Lillian tilted her head and replied, "Special Affairs Bureau, Section 5, also known as the Operations Section, Group 1 leader, Theodore. He has terrible taste in clothes and is a bit childish."

Wei En nodded. This guy looked so nonchalant, yet he was the leader of the first team of the Action Section? He just didn't seem like it at all.

[Perception Lv.1 - Observation of the Microscopic] Progress 20.5%

Theodore walked toward Lillian, his steps unsteady. As he drew closer, he noticed Wayne standing to the side and exclaimed in surprise:

"Is that your new investigator from Section 7? I didn't expect that I, Miss Lillian, would personally come to mentor a newcomer."

Lillian clearly had little patience for this person and didn't want to respond: "Our Wayne will soon be a full-fledged investigator."

"That's good."

He smiled and made friendly gestures towards Lillian, then suddenly extended his hand to Wayne, saying politely, "Let's get acquainted, Theodore, head of Group 1, Section 5."

Wayne extended his hand and shook it:

"Hello, I'm Wayne."

At the same time, he thought to himself, "This Theodore seems quite polite, doesn't he?"

The two finished shaking hands.

Theodore suddenly turned to look at the human-shaped target at the end of the target lane, which was riddled with scattered bullet holes from Wayne's shots. He pretended to be deep in thought, then questioned:

"Oh my god, really? The new guy... I mean, Wayne, with such terrible marksmanship, he's become a full-fledged investigator? When did the bar for our Special Affairs Bureau become so low?"