Learning Sniping

And when Alex saw Ivan, he smiled. The reason was that Ivan was exceptionally talented, and Alex, who enjoyed training people with such talent, wanted him to use every last bit of his potential.

Seeing him again after a week of not seeing, it was natural that Alex would be happy.

"Well, well, look who's back after a week," Alex said as he stood up with an amused face.

"Haha, let's start the training, Commander," Ivan said, excited to start, as training gave him strength and made him feel alive.

"Haha, you don't have to tell me, soldier; I'll just do that. Start with light stretching and then do 300 push-ups, no rest in between until you complete it."

"I hope you haven't rusted much," Alex said, bringing his chair as Ivan stretched his hands a bit before getting into a push-up position.

He then started to lower his chest until it was just one inch from the ground, held the position for 2 seconds, then pushed up his body without stopping, focusing completely on his training.

"2..." Alex counted, his tone relaxed as he watched Ivan perform push-ups while sitting in a chair with a coffee in his left hand.

"3..."

"4..."

...

"296..." Alex counted, watching as Ivan struggled a bit, his forehead covered with sweat, but he still didn't give up and continued.

"297... come on, soldier, there's just 3 more push-ups left... even a dog can do that much."

"Do you want to lose to a mere dog?" Alex motivated Ivan as he pushed past his limit.

"298... now just 2 more, you should be able to do it... it's just 2 more, you've done it way more than that. Show me the result of the 7 years of training that I personally trained you," Alex motivated him even more, while Ivan gritted his teeth.

'I've really gotten rusty. Even 400 push-ups were nothing for me.... if I can't even do just 300 mere push-ups, then how can I ever dream of getting my revenge? I would have to fight trained fighters who have decades of experience,' Ivan thought, his determination filling his mind as he performed the last two push-ups.

"Now... 300."

"Tch, it seems you really have gotten rusty. I should increase the intensity of the training to get you back in shape," Alex commented as he clicked his tongue, seeing his most talented trainee getting rusty in just a week.

"Yes," Ivan agreed, seeing no harm but just benefits in such training.

"Alright then, since you've warmed up enough, let's go to the private facility that I booked for today, and what I'm going to teach you is sniper skills, the hardest skill to learn among guns, so be prepared." Alex said as he walked up to his bag, which was on the chair where he was sitting until now.

"Yes, sir," Ivan replied, his tone resolute before he walked behind Alex.

###

[Private Sniper Facility.]

[6:22 PM]

Inside the private facility was a huge ground surrounded by dense forest. It was silent as Ivan and Alex could hear the breeze rustling the tree leaves.

Inside the facility, Alex led Ivan to a sturdy wooden table where a sleek sniper rifle lay.

"Ever seen this before?" Alex asked, his voice low and steady.

"No, sir!" Ivan enthusiastically answered, eager to learn how to snipe.

"This sleek sniper is a Dragunov SVD; it's made in Russia and is quite reliable," Alex said.

"And before we start, learn to respect the weapon because it'll be your only partner on the battlefield," Alex said as Ivan nodded, understanding it.

After that, Alex handed the Dragunov SVD to Ivan. As soon as Ivan took the sniper into his hand, it lowered slightly, as the rifle was quite heavy.

"Haha, you thought snipers would have the same weight as pistols?" Alex said with a laugh, seeing his hand lower when he grabbed it.

"No, sir, I didn't have such thoughts," Ivan said, clearly denying it with a straight face.

"Haha, alright," Alex said with a small laugh, seeing Ivan's serious expression.

"Now then, grip the sniper in a relaxed manner. If you tense up, your aim goes to hell. So, let's take it easy and slow," Alex said, regaining his serious expression as he explained to Ivan.

Hearing his explanation, Ivan gave a small nod before gripping it tightly but in a relaxed manner, taking deep breaths.

"Good, now keep your finger off the trigger until you're ready to shoot. And always remember, now let's get you familiar with the parts." Alex pointed to the rifle's scope.

"This is where you should look into; this will be your second eye whenever you grab a sniper. You see what it sees. The scope is your best friend and worst enemy. If you get it wrong and miss your shot, you're dead. If you get it right, you're golden."

Ivan nodded as he looked through the scope, adjusting it slightly.

"Nice and steady," Alex said. "Your breathing matters. If you hold your breath for too long, you shake. If you don't hold it, you shake. See the problem?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good. Now, lie down here," Alex pointed to a patch of grass. "We call this the prone position. It's stable, less movement. Perfect for sniping."

Ivan nodded before lying down, adjusting the rifle in front of him. Alex crouched beside him, watching closely.

"Line up the shot," Alex instructed. "Focus on the target, not the whole picture. You see that can out there? That's your mark. Breathe in, breathe out. When you're ready, hold your breath and squeeze the trigger. Don't pull, squeeze."

Ivan inhaled deeply, held his breath, and squeezed the trigger. The rifle kicked back slightly, and the bullet whizzed through the air, missing the target by a few inches.

"Not bad for a first shot. You were a bit off. Remember, it's all about control. Control your breathing, control your body. You control those, you control the shot," Alex said, nodding slightly with a chuckle.

Ivan nodded as he adjusted his position and said, "Let me try again."

"That's the spirit," Alex said. "Take your time. Snipers are patient hunters. We wait, we watch, and only strike when the moment is right."

Ivan lined up the shot again, following Alex's instructions. This time, he took a bit longer, focusing more intently. He squeezed the trigger, and the can jumped as the bullet hit its mark.

"There you go. See the difference? Patience and control. Keep practicing that. Now, let's talk about distance," Alex said, his grin widening.

'Damn, he got it on his second try? I knew I was right when I thought of him as the most talented trainee I've ever had and likely will ever have,' Alex thought, sweat forming on his forehead as he watched Ivan's monstrous talent.

'Tch, after spending so much time with him, I guess I no longer feel as shocked as I did when I first gauged his talent by letting him learn swimming with minimal teaching.'

After that, Alex stood up, motioning for Ivan to do the same. He pointed to a series of targets placed further away.

"See those? A sniper's job isn't just about hitting a target. It's about hitting targets at distance. The further the target, the more you have to account for—wind, gravity, all that stuff. Now come on, let's get you set up."

Saying that, they both moved to a higher vantage point, where a large rock provided a natural sniper nest. Alex set up the rifle on a bipod, motioning for Ivan to get into position.

"Alright, this is your nest," Alex said. "From here, you have a clear view of the targets. But you're not just gonna shoot. You're gonna observe. Snipers are scouts, eyes for the team. We gather info. You see that flag over there?"

Ivan nodded, noticing a small flag fluttering in the distance.

"That's your wind indicator," Alex explained. "Wind changes everything. It blows your bullet off course. You need to learn to read it. Feel it. Look through your scope. Tell me what you see."

Ivan peered through the scope, focusing on the flag. "It's moving... to the right."

"Good. That means the wind's blowing from left to right. You need to aim a bit to the left of your target to compensate. Now, try it."

As he said that, Ivan nodded before adjusting his aim slightly, taking a deep breath before he fired. The bullet flew true and hit a target at a hundred yards.

"Not bad. Now, more distance means more adjustments. The further out, the more you need to compensate. Let's try a moving target next," Alex commented, satisfied with Ivan.

He set up a mechanical device that sent a target rolling slowly across the range.

"Snipers hit moving targets too," Alex said. "Aim ahead of the target. Anticipate its movement. You're not just shooting at it. You're shooting at where it's gonna be. Give it a go."

Hearing that, Ivan took aim, focusing on the moving target. He waited, tracking its path, then fired. The bullet missed, but only just.

Alex placed his hand on Ivan's shoulder and said, "Close. But close isn't good enough. You must aim for precision. Snipers don't get second chances. Adjust and try again."

Alex nodded, determination evident in his eyes. He took aim, calculated the target's speed and direction, and fired. This time, the bullet hit, knocking the target over.

"There you go. You're learning. Sniping isn't just skill. It's an art. It's about reading the battlefield, knowing your enemy, and making your shot count. Keep at it, and you'll be a damn good sniper."

"Thank you sir, I'll keep practicing it over and over again." Ivan said with a small smile, genuinely happy about his first day at learning sniper skills.

"Good. Remember, it's not about how many you shoot. It's about how many you hit. And one shot, one kill—that's the sniper way."

Alex said, parting a valuable words to ivan as he nod his head, remembering it deep in his heart.

###

A/N: you may wonder why I added such chapter, no? Well, cause Ivan is gonna be a sniper for some time before going forth himself to kill and take his revenge. Also, I'm gonna upload 2 chapter a day from tomorrow, one at morning and the second at the time I'm posting right now.