CYBERPUNK: Travel to 2075

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..Shooting..

How far can a normal person jump after a running start?

The answer: six meters.

So, how wide was this street?

At least 18 meters, by Karl's estimation.

Clearly, Karl wasn't trying to jump to the building across the street. Instead, he was deliberately inviting the sniper to take a shot at him—just as the sniper had done moments earlier, detonating a grenade mid-air.

Every sniper relies on an ingrained set of shooting instincts, often referred to as muscle memory or conditioned reflexes. Through rigorous training, these instincts become second nature. The better the sniper, the sharper these reflexes.

The sniper facing Karl was undoubtedly one of the best. Faster than the feedback loop of a prosthetic eye transmitting data to the brain, the sniper had already raised his rifle and fired at Karl.

The angle of the shot was identical to the one that detonated the grenade earlier.

When a sniper fires at a target on the same horizontal plane, the angle remains consistent. Since the grenade exploded at the height of the third floor, Karl had deliberately positioned himself at a similar height to bait the sniper.

But Karl wasn't aiming to beat the sniper to the shot. If he fired first and struck the sniper, the sniper's shot would still hit him. Even if the sniper died, Karl would be dead too. That wasn't an option.

Instead, Karl did something far riskier.

He calculated the angle and timing of the sniper's shot, ensuring that his own bullet would meet the sniper's mid-air.

This wasn't a gamble; it was a calculated risk.

In 1916, during the Battle of Gallipoli, two bullets collided mid-air, a phenomenon considered a one-in-70-billion chance.

Karl wasn't banking on that kind of luck. He wasn't shooting at a random trajectory; he was targeting the fixed position of the sniper's barrel.

The sniper raised the rifle, and Karl fired his shot, his timing impeccable.

The two bullets collided as the sniper's round exited the chamber. The collision caused an explosion inside the sniper's rifle, sending shrapnel through the mechanism. The weapon broke apart violently, resembling a speaker with a blown-out cone.

The second bullet from Karl's Kenshin pistol, undeterred, traveled through the shattered rifling and struck the sniper in the head.

Unlike the sniper's Nemomata, which required precise maintenance and wasn't built for rapid fire, Karl's Kenshin pistol excelled at continuous fire. By the time his first bullet had completed its trajectory, the second was already loaded and ready to go.

"The head's not as tough as the body," Karl thought as he prepared for his next move.

He began to brace for landing.

When falling from a great height, it's crucial not to roll immediately—it puts undue stress on the spine. Instead, Karl recalled the trauma team's training he'd learned through a BD's recording.

Landing on the balls of his feet first, followed by his heels, Karl then leaned forward, relaxed his body, and placed his hands on the ground. He bent his knees to absorb the impact, then pushed off naturally to reduce the momentum.

The landing was far from painless. Karl felt like his body was breaking apart, but he couldn't afford to stop moving.

The attackers were momentarily stunned, either waiting for the sniper to finish the job or caught off guard by Karl's survival. But when they saw him land safely, their hesitation vanished. Guns were quickly aimed at him.

Karl knew he couldn't outrun bullets. The attackers were wielding Shingen smart weapons, and while they were highly advanced, they had a critical flaw: they needed to lock onto their target before firing guided shots.

Rolling into cover behind a nearby car, Karl felt a twinge of pride in his improved evasion skills.

The car wouldn't provide shelter for long, though. Karl needed backup, and he needed it fast.

"Help!" he called through his comms.

His team didn't let him down.

"I'm coming, Karl!"

Jack burst out of the sniper's building, holding a corpse as a makeshift shield.

"Jack Wells is here!" he bellowed, drawing the attackers' attention.

Jack was the kind of partner everyone wanted in a fight—always at the front, attracting firepower, and utterly reliable.

The attackers redirected their fire at Jack, but the bullets from their Shingen smart weapons failed to penetrate his subdermal armor.

While smart weapons boasted advanced tracking systems and precision, their penetration power left much to be desired. Even with guidance systems capable of hitting targets behind cover, they struggled against heavy defenses.

For now, Jack could hold his ground. But with enough bullets, even his armor wouldn't last forever.

Jack wasn't alone in his charge.

"Don't worry, K, we've got you!"

Mann appeared, using a large, grooved stone as an improvised shield. The duo's efforts gave the other mercenaries, who had been pinned down by sniper fire, a chance to counterattack.

"Don't underestimate us!" one of the mercenaries shouted. "You really think you can take us with just your smart toys?"

They surged forward with renewed determination, seizing the opportunity to push back against the attackers.

"It's not rocket launchers or snipers anymore—it's just you and your fancy Shingens. You're not even worthy!"

On the streets, there's a popular saying among mercenaries:

"Only cowards who can't aim use smart weapons."

In a real fight, raw power and precision always trumped automation.

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