The High Score Objective! The rookie recruits, just stepping out of the armory, had their eyes blaze with manic intensity at the exact same moment. Taking down this highest score, even if they didn't clinch the final championship, would surely put them in the top three.

What is this? The Lieutenant Colonel felt a chilling sensation sweep across his scalp as he observed the demeanor of the new recruits on the screen. What kind of gaze were these rookies possessing? Wolves? Precisely. This was the look of a pack of wolves, starved for days, suddenly encountering a fat sheep!

A flicker of slight astonishment crossed the faces of several commanders. This batch of recruits looked quite interesting overall, brimming with aggressive combat **.

“Recruits, do you believe the words of your fellow new soldiers?” The Lieutenant Colonel of European descent smiled thinly, pointing at Qin Fen through the screen: “This man is not just your comrade; he is also your opponent in this competition. Dare you trust what he says?”

The fervent gazes of the recruits focused entirely upon Qin Fen, unspoken thoughts dancing vividly within their eyes.

After a brief, heavy silence spanning mere seconds, someone among the rookies slowly spoke up: “I believe him! I don't know why, but when I look at Qin Fen, I just feel that what he just said is trustworthy.”

“Me too.”

“Me too!”

The silent rookies erupted once more into a clamorous surge of sound. The European Lieutenant Colonel’s expression grew increasingly grim. His eyes locked onto the perpetually silent Qin Fen; this kid was probably the most extraordinary figure among all the rookie sniping competitors in history. It seemed he had underestimated this crop of newcomers.

The massive projection screen rippled momentarily, like water disturbed by a stone. The image snapped back to the live feed of the recruits. A stiff, formal voice finally echoed: “The competition is about to commence. All participants, please enter the field.”

The recruits filed in an orderly line into the troop transport vehicles provided by the Federation. These military items, originally ship landing craft, could adapt to almost any harsh natural environment. Those seated inside wouldn't feel the external conditions but could easily observe everything outside.

Qin Fen, sitting in this type of vehicle rumored to be used by humans for planetary exploration and pioneering, curiously surveyed everything inside the cabin.

Externally, it appeared somewhat clumsy and massive, resembling archaic tank or armored personnel carrier chassis. The interior decoration, however, was a completely different style. Even the seats were fitted with soft padding. Each person was equipped with several electronic eye detectors capable of comprehensive, omnidirectional observation. Even in pitch darkness where visibility was zero, they could clearly see everything within several hundred meters using infrared vision.

The engine of the vehicle began to rumble deep within its core. The recruits were all utilizing their omnidirectional electronic eye detectors, meticulously scanning their surroundings.

For an excellent sniper, understanding and mastering the environment in the shortest possible time, and selecting the optimal firing position, was a fundamental and crucial skill.

Qin Fen gently adjusted the perspective of his detector, occasionally stretching and contracting the view of the surrounding landscape, searching for the most suitable position within this expanse littered with large stones.

Most of the stones were fabricated by the military using special materials, meaning they weren't as sturdy as actual rock. This was intentional, designed specifically to be shot at by the sniper rifles' dummy rounds.

On a true battlefield, hiding behind a massive tree wouldn't offer the security seen in movies where protagonists remain safe. A bullet striking a tree would only make a “pew-pew” sound, chipping off a few slivers of bark before stopping.

An AK-47 could easily penetrate timber, punching through the hiding spot of someone foolishly believing a tree offered protection.

Even taking cover behind sandbag fortifications, heavy weaponry could easily breach the defenses, unlike in films and television where someone shouts “Danger!” ducks down, hears only a couple of “pew-pew” sounds, and then pops up to thank their comrades.

Bullets possessing formidable kinetic energy could even pierce sandbag barriers and directly tear apart anyone sheltering behind the construction.

The anti-sniper equipment these recruits held—which could almost be called “cannons”—could naturally penetrate stone just as easily. To pursue sufficient realism, while reducing the power of the “dummy” rounds, the military also correspondingly weakened the structural integrity of the cover materials.

This explained why, even as human society had entered the Space Age, antiquated weapons like semi-automatic rifles still existed.

The military was a unique society where efficiency reigned supreme.

If firearms like the AK-47 could still turn a person into shredded meat, why completely phase them out? Compared to the astronomically expensive pulse energy weapons, firearms still possessed their unique advantages. The percussive sound produced by gunpowder explosion also served as a psychological weapon.

The advancing vehicle gave a grinding “klug” sound and slowly halted. An obviously older soldier’s voice boomed over the loudspeaker: “Cubs! Out! Your grave sites have arrived.”

Dozens of recruits filed out. The veteran driving handed each one a map detailing the rough location of the enemy and the remaining competition rules.

The opposition included not only mobile commanders but also a contingent of military-customized model snipers. These models were outfitted with embedded transponders, possessing automatic detection and targeting systems, and they would also automatically fire when triggered.

In essence, every human and non-human target on the battlefield was no longer just passive prey. To showcase their marksmanship, they also had to demonstrate their ability to evade.

“You have ten minutes,” the veteran stated, checking his watch. “Within these ten minutes, you can find your first concealment position anywhere around here. Moving too far forward is temporarily forbidden. Begin!”

The recruits wasted virtually no time, immediately rushing toward the positions they had briefly scoped out earlier, weapons in hand.

Not being allowed to choose positions too far forward did not mean they were barred from choosing positions too far back! The recruits were supremely confident in their shooting skills, so almost all of them chose to retreat in the direction they had come from.

Commanders possessed an acute instinct for danger, allowing them to quickly sense when they were targeted, but this did not mean their own sniping skills were equally astonishing.

Sensing a lock-on and evading it were entirely different concepts from being able to feel another sniper locking onto you and mounting the most effective counter-attack.

Professional snipers possessed deep knowledge of ballistics, enabling them to fire across extreme distances. The recruits were certain that beyond a certain range, most enemy commanders would only feel targeted but lack the true capability to retaliate, effectively becoming high-speed moving targets.

Qin Fen slowly retreated along with the majority of the rookies. Hiding within the crowd was far safer than being at the absolute forefront of the engagement. His conversation with the commander earlier would certainly place him on their must-kill list. As for having a row of muzzles pressed against his forehead?

Laughable. Such talk was only suitable for deceiving other inexperienced recruits into dropping their guard. It was far beneath the standard required to trick someone like him, who was constantly being fooled by his sergeant—a smiling tiger.

After retreating over a hundred meters, a recruit stopped. According to the map markings, this was the maximum distance from which he could fire and hit the enemy’s front line targets within the shortest possible time. Retreating further would rely purely on guesswork.

Qin Fen followed the remaining recruits and retreated another fifty meters. At this point, many more stopped. This represented the extreme limit for this group—the point where they could fire within the shortest timeframe and remain confident of striking the enemy’s leading ranks.

After that, someone stopped retreating every dozen or twenty meters. Everyone was extremely self-aware; no one foolishly pushed their luck to retreat further.

Preserving oneself while failing to hit any target would be the ultimate disgrace for a soldier, even if they managed to last until the end time.

Retreat, retreat, retreat.

The spectators’ tension mirrored the rookies’ recession on the screens. This backward movement was, in a way, a competition among the rookies themselves.

Who could retreat the farthest was also a testament to their capability.

“My God! Only Qin Fen and Lin Ling from East Asia remain! They have already retreated nearly five hundred meters from their original firing positions. Do they intend to keep backing away?”

“This East Asian female soldier, who lost to Qin Fen in two consecutive events, truly seems determined to beat him this time.”

On the screen, the two continued to retreat. From the visual feed, they advanced leisurely, like a pair of lovers strolling.

Five hundred fifty meters, five hundred seventy meters, six hundred meters…

With every step forward they took, the military enthusiasts felt a new shock resonate through their very souls.

Six hundred sixty-five meters…

Qin Fen finally stopped moving. Watching Lin Ling continue forward without the slightest intention of halting, he shook his head repeatedly. This woman was truly an anomaly. Even without any injury, this was already the extreme limit for a sniper shot; he hadn't expected her to be able to retreat further.

“Oh! The East Asian rookie Qin Fen has finally ceased advancing, but this female soldier clearly shows no sign of stopping…” the commentator shrieked excitedly. “After several days of competition, the East Asian female soldier has finally bested Qin Fen once! Though, what her final score will be remains to be seen!”

“Eight hundred meters, eight hundred fifty meters… nine hundred meters… Heavens! One thousand meters! This woman has finally stopped moving! She has added a full one thousand meters to her original sniping range!”

The military enthusiasts frantically used their computers to calculate the results, their faces turning ashen as they reviewed the final figures. This distance was already considered beyond the range at which a sniper could reliably make a shot! If the opposing commanders were not supernatural prodigies and chose not to initiate a breakthrough assault, the East Asian female soldier was clearly in the safest position; she could practically take a nap on the ground.

Qin Fen made minor adjustments to the anti-sniper equipment in his hands, supporting the rifle’s body with his left hand to prevent the barrel from pressing against his shoulder, quietly gazing into the distance, searching for where the enemy might be concealed.