[Reward: 30 TP | 30 EXP]
Adrian couldn't help but feel a surge of pride. A newly invented firearm, right there in his hands —something entirely foreign to this world.
The knowledge from [Fundamentals of Ballistics] had guided his design, but he'd poured days of labor into every detail. And there it was, complete.
Despite the tiredness that threatened to make him fall, he felt more alive than ever.
He carefully set down the gun and packed up all his bullets in a pouch, before throwing it into his [Inventory] along with the gun.
Eli had stayed back home to rest, so it was only Adrian that had come to the forge today, proof of the trust the blacksmith had for him.
Adrian didn't disappoint him as usual, as he tidied up the forge before locking the door and leaving for the house.
***
The moment Adrian got home, he zipped into his room after greeting Eli and Mara, making them wonder what made him excited.
Inside his room, Adrian exhaled, feeling a rush of adrenaline still coursing through him. He cast a quick glance at the clock.
"10:30 AM," he muttered. Not as late as he feared, but still half the morning gone. He had tested the gun's alignment, but not its actual firing.
'It's time for a real field test… I can't do it here in the house... So I'll have to find somewhere else.'
***
"I'll be right back."
Those were the only words Adrian muttered before he left the house. The air smelled of dew and fresh grass as Adrian slipped beyond the village outskirts.
He'd scouted a spot days earlier, a small clearing nestled in a clump of trees near a shallow creek. It was far enough from the roads that no one would wander past by accident, but close enough for him to retreat swiftly if something went wrong.
Finding the clearing was easy enough; he recognized the thick trunk of an old oak standing guard at the edge.
He slowed to a walk, scanning the area to ensure no one else was around. Satisfied with the silence and emptiness, Adrian took a deep breath. This was it.
He patted his belt pouch, recalled that there was nothing inside, then mentally conjured the items from his [Inventory]. First, the flintlock gun appeared in his hand, followed by the bullet pouch. Then, a small container of powder. Everything was exactly as he had packed it.
"Okay, Tech Core," he said softly, half wondering whether the system would respond. "I need to test the flintlock properly. Any suggestions?"
[Your body size is not optimal to use a firearm effectively, so try to handle the recoil from the shots]
"I know I'm short, but I have to try." Adrian said with a shaky laugh, bracing himself.
He recalled from Earth's knowledge how firearms demanded precise technique. People trained extensively, from basic stances to trigger discipline.
He was no professional, but he knew enough to avoid the muzzle pointing anywhere dangerous.
This was a one-shot flintlock, so the recoil wouldn't be immense, but for a ten-year-old's arms, it was hardly trivial.
He carefully loaded a small measure of powder, tamped in a bullet, and closed the pan. Raising the flintlock, he aimed at a large tree some twenty paces away.
He had never used a gun ever in his life, but he at least knew the physics behind using one.
"All right," he muttered, "Here goes."
He exhaled slowly and squeezed the trigger. There was a shower of sparks, a sudden bang, and a puff of acrid smoke.
~FWOOSH!~
The bullet's path went wide, vanishing into the undergrowth beyond. Adrian's ears rang from the noise, and the recoil jarred his arm, forcing him to step back in surprise.
He stared at the smoking muzzle, panting slightly. "Wow… That's intense."
Undaunted, he went through the reload procedure. Each step took him a fair chunk of time: measure powder, place bullet, ram it gently, prime the pan, cock the hammer.
For the second shot, he tried adjusting his arm angle. The smoke cleared, and he squeezed the trigger again.
~BOOM!~
Another blast resounded, the bullet flying off to the left.
Frustration threatened, but Adrian reminded himself this was normal. Firearms required practice, and he refused to expect immediate mastery.
He methodically repeated the steps, analyzing each shot, adjusting stance, grip, breathing. With each attempt, his reload time shortened, his aim steadied.
By the time the sun rose to its midday peak, the tree he'd chosen as a target was sporting a few grazes in the bark. None of them might have come close to the spot he marked on the tree, but at least he was making great progress.
Adrian felt tired already. He was satisfied with the progress he was making already, but he decided on one final shot before retiring or resting.
He loaded carefully, lined up again, steadied his breathing, and squeezed the trigger.
The bullet flew before slamming into the trunk just a few centimeters off from his intended mark.
~BOOM!~
"Ha!" Adrian exhaled, dropping to one knee with a triumphant grin. Even if not perfect, that was close enough to count as a decent shot.
For the first time, he felt he could realistically hit something man-sized if necessary. He pressed a palm to his chest, letting the recoil-induced tremor pass.
"I did it. I can finally say I kind of know how to handle this."
Exhausted, he sank onto the grass. Then the Tech Core chimed:
[Congratulations! New Skill Acquired: Basic Shooting Technique]
Adrian's tired eyes flicked open, reading the text in delight. The last and first time he'd acquired a skill so spontaneously was when Eli thought him how to forge.
That skill had drastically improved his forging knowledge and maybe even experience.
"If the Tech Core can do something similar for shooting," he murmured, "I might become decent in no time."
Invigorated by the thought, he reloaded one more time and let the experience be felt he had course through him.
A faint shift in posture, a steadier aim. The flint struck, gun roared, and the bullet buried itself just a hand's width from his target's center.
~BOOM!~
"Yes, this is much better." Adrian declared with a wide smile. He gave a playful blow across the muzzle, as he'd seen in old Earth movies, before tucking it and other essentials he had brought out back to the inventory.
"I think it's time... I'll register at the Adventurer's association today."