-1710- The battle-assistance systems

"Whoosh—!"

Amid the whistling of the wind, a wave of sand swept across the desolate wasteland, leaving traces in its path.

Rozen walked forward step by step through the swirling sand, glancing around at the barren landscape while pondering matters entirely unrelated to his current predicament.

"Is the outside of the zone always this desolate?"

It was a question with an already-known answer.

This world's setting was Earth after civilization had been annihilated. Outside the cities, nearly all that remained were barren wastelands.

Even where traces of civilization existed, they were merely ruins—decayed remnants of once-thriving societies.

Mutated creatures and unmanned robots served as this world's "monsters," hunted by players for sport or resources.

Now, Rozen, armed with a live-ammunition rifle, had ventured into the wasteland, arriving at a training area some distance from Glocken.

But when Rozen spoke of "testing his gun," he didn't mean hunting monsters.

In his current situation, as long as he stepped out of the safe zone, there were plenty of "targets" for testing.

"Should be about time."

Muttering this, Rozen took advantage of yet another gust of wind and sand, hiding himself within the storm. He darted toward a rock hill, climbed to its highest point, and lay prone.

There, Rozen set up his rifle, aiming it in the direction of Glocken City.

And sure enough…

"Hurry!"

"He should be just ahead!"

"Let's catch him and take him down a notch!"

"Let's see if he dares to underestimate us again!"

Amid these shouts, figures appeared one by one.

Armed with various firearms, they charged from the direction of Glocken City, grinning maliciously as they ran.

Through the scope of his rifle, Rozen observed the scene without a trace of surprise. He smirked.

"They came, just as I expected."

Rozen knew that in his current position, there would undoubtedly be players targeting him, waiting to ambush him as soon as he stepped out of the safe zone.

This was the norm in Gun Gale Online.

Sometimes, players would hunt each other for rare items or equipment. Once a target left the city, they'd be stalked and ambushed by other players eager to claim their prize.

Previously, when Rozen had openly provoked them, the players surrounding him didn't take the bait, wary of the risks of a direct confrontation. But now, following him in secret to launch a covert ambush seemed far less risky.

Especially since Rozen had not only purchased a gun but also bought a lot of gear. Taking him down now wouldn't be without rewards.

Given this, it was no surprise that some players couldn't resist following him.

Unfortunately for them, they had no idea they were already in his sights.

Through his scope, Rozen watched the group of approaching players.

At that moment, within Rozen's field of vision, a translucent green circular marker appeared, fluctuating in size—expanding, contracting, and pulsating.

"So this is the Bullet Circle?"

Rozen recalled the intelligence Yui had gathered for him.

In Gun Gale Online, there were two major battle-assistance systems:

One was the offensive-assistance system—the Bullet Circle.

The other was the defensive-assistance system—the Bullet Line.

The Bullet Circle appeared when players aimed their guns at a target. It represented the random spread of bullets, indicating where a shot might land.

After all, aiming and hitting a target without any assistance was no simple task.

The Bullet Circle solved this problem, allowing players to achieve successful hits.

The size of the circle depended on various factors, including the distance to the target, the gun's performance, weather conditions, lighting, skills, and attribute allocations.

The most critical factor, however, was heart rate.

The AmuSphere VR system could monitor the player's real-world heart rate and transmit the data into the game. The circle expanded to its maximum size with each heartbeat before contracting again. To increase accuracy, players needed to shoot during the low points of their heartbeat and remain as calm as possible.

If a player's heart rate accelerated due to tension, the Bullet Circle would fluctuate wildly, making precise shots nearly impossible.

This difficulty was why snipers were rare in Gun Gale Online.

Hitting a distant target required extraordinary skill, and the tension during sniping often disrupted heart rate control.

In close combat, while a rapid heartbeat still caused the circle to fluctuate, the proximity often made hitting the target manageable—especially with automatic weapons like submachine guns or assault rifles. But for long-range sniping, the circle could expand far beyond the height of a human target, making accurate shots exceedingly difficult.

However, snipers had one significant advantage:

Their initial shot didn't produce a Bullet Line.

Unlike the Bullet Circle, which aided offense, the Bullet Line assisted defense and evasion.

In Gun Gale Online, bullets traveled at realistic speeds. Dodging them without any aid was nearly impossible.

The Bullet Line addressed this by projecting a translucent red trajectory whenever a player aimed their gun, indicating the path of an incoming bullet. With quick reflexes and high AGI (Agility), players could dodge most bullets fired from within fifty meters.

But a sniper's first shot didn't produce a Bullet Line. With sufficient skill, that initial shot could be a guaranteed kill.

Knowing this advantage, Rozen had decided to become a sniper even before entering Gun Gale Online.

Because…

"A Bullet Circle?"

Rozen scoffed inwardly. "I don't need something like that."

Closing his eyes, Rozen activated his Mind's Eye.

Wind direction.

Humidity.

Air pressure.

Distance.

And the sound of footsteps.

Rozen perceived all of it with crystal clarity.

Thanks to this ability, just as he could execute a perfect strike with a blade, he could also fire a flawless shot.

The Bullet Circle?

Rozen had no use for it.

And so…

"Bang—!"

As Rozen pulled the trigger, his rifle spat fire, and the bullet tore through the wind and sand, striking a grinning player.

"Thud!"

The next moment, the bullet pierced the target's forehead.

"Ugh…"

The player let out a strangled noise, his head snapping backward. His body collapsed, HP plummeting from full to zero.

"Crack!"

With a shattering sound, the fallen player disintegrated into countless polygons and vanished.

Instant death.

"—!"

The other players froze, eyes widening.

At that moment, a translucent Bullet Line extended from Rozen's position, finally revealing his location.

"E-enemy attack!"

"There's a sniper!"

"Take cover!"

"Watch out!"

The group panicked, scrambling for cover.

Seeing this, Rozen's lips curled into a smirk.

The real game was just beginning.