Chapter 60: Defect
Chapter 60: Chapter 60: Defect
Zhou Mei nodded at Xisuo.
"That’s right. My ability does have a rather obvious drawback."
"I can’t use my ability for long periods during the day."
As she spoke, the signs of her mutation slowly faded. The fur on her body quickly receded back into her skin, and her cat-like eyes, which had been two sizes larger, reverted to normal human eyes.
Xisuo: ????
Xisuo felt his spirits sink.
He finally understood why a dump like October Town would have an ability user, and a solo one at that.
He’d thought he had found a diamond in the rough, but it turned out she was all flash and no substance.
’Her beast transformation ability only lasts for two minutes?’
Two minutes was far too short for a fight.
Xisuo frowned. This limitation was clearly more severe than he had anticipated.
Ability users were certainly stronger than ordinary people, but an ability user this weak wasn’t much different from a normal person.
However, just then, Simon, who was beside him, suddenly asked:
"You said you can’t use it for long during the day. Does that mean you *can* use it for long periods at night?"
Zhou Mei nodded.
"At night, I can maintain my beast form for a very long time. As long as my stamina and Spiritual Power don’t hit their limits, it won’t deactivate on its own."
At that moment, Zhang Kai let out another sneer.
"Being able to use it for a long time at night sounds impressive, sure."
"But to be blunt, what kind of respectable team operates at night?"
Xisuo really disliked this Zhang Kai, but the man wasn’t wrong.
A human’s ability to observe and act is severely limited at night, so most teams chose to make camp and rest.
Besides, many mutated creatures were nocturnal, making the night their home turf.
Fighting the enemy on their home turf was definitely not a wise choice.
You couldn’t just change the entire team’s operational strategy for one person.
Of course, there was one exception: if that person was powerful enough to be the core of the entire team.
However... the cat-woman before him clearly wasn’t that person.
Xisuo’s gaze slowly shifted to Carl, who was standing nearby.
If he ruled out the cat-woman, the only other option was Carl, the old Hunter.
Just then, Simon leaned in close to his older brother’s ear and whispered in a voice only they could hear:
"Brother, Zhou Mei’s weakness is significant, but I think it can actually be turned into a strength."
Xisuo didn’t quite understand what his younger brother meant.
"What?"
Simon quickly explained,
"Most exploration teams stop moving after sunset, but don’t forget that every team exploring the wastes needs a night watch."
"With a nocturnal ability user like her, wouldn’t the team’s safety factor skyrocket??"
Hearing his brother’s explanation, Xisuo’s eyes lit up.
It was true. He’d been focused entirely on combat and had overlooked the fact that a team needs to bolster its defense, not just its offense.
Felines are nocturnal by nature, with superior night vision and hearing. She could serve as an advanced watchtower.
Xisuo looked at Zhou Mei.
"Besides the beast transformation, what other skills do you have?"
Zhou Mei had all but given up hope of being hired.
After all, she knew her own situation very well; a one- or two-minute transformation was of very little use.
Besides, she was a woman, and most teams were naturally averse to having women, since their physiques and strength were far inferior to men’s.
However, upon hearing Xisuo’s follow-up question, Zhou Mei’s eyes lit up again, and she quickly said,
"Guns. I can use a gun."
Now Xisuo finally understood.
He understood why Zhang Kai had been constantly trying to undermine Zhou Mei.
It turned out they were both gunslingers, and every team had a limited number of slots for each role.
This meant they were in direct competition. It was even possible they’d had some conflict before.
Xisuo thought for a moment, then said to Zhou Mei,
"Since you say you can use a gun, we’ll need to see your marksmanship. Let’s go outside. Give us a demonstration."
Zhou Mei nodded. "Okay, no problem at all."
Just then, Zhang Kai stepped forward again, a provocative smile on his face.
"If someone’s going to show off their marksmanship, then I’ll join in. After all, a contest between gunslingers is the only way to see who’s really better."
Xisuo glanced at Zhang Kai. He knew what the man intended, and it made him want to test whether his own initial judgment of people was accurate.
So, he said to Zhang Kai,
"Fine, you can join too. Let’s see what kind of marksmanship you two have."
The group went to an empty lot outside the tavern.
Xisuo casually picked up some broken stones from the ground and placed them on two junked cars.
"Six targets each. You may begin your performance."
Zhou Mei and Zhang Kai walked to one end of the lot. They each chose a suitable spot and prepared to shoot.
Xisuo and Simon stood a short distance away, ready to observe their performance.
The two of them drew the pistols from their waists.
Their pistols were of the most common type found in the wasteland: the revolver.
The revolver, also known as a wheel gun, is a classic personal defense and combat weapon.
Its advantage lies in its simple and reliable mechanical structure, allowing it to maintain good performance even in harsh environments.
Revolvers lack a complex auto-loading mechanism, which reduces the possibility of jamming and makes them more dependable in critical moments.
Furthermore, a revolver’s rotating cylinder design allows for quick changes between ammo types, which can be very useful in certain situations.
Moreover, revolvers are not demanding when it comes to ammunition. With enough materials and tools, most gunslingers can handcraft the bullets they need.
At Xisuo’s command from the side, they both opened fire at the same time.
BANG BANG BANG BANG! The sound of gunshots echoed through the street.
Neither of them was slow; they finished shooting at almost the exact same moment.
To Xisuo’s surprise, both of them were actually quite good shots.
All six of the stones they used as targets were either sent flying or shattered.
’I can’t believe I actually misjudged him,’ Xisuo thought. ’The guy really is a decent gunslinger.’
But no matter how skilled the man was, Xisuo would never let someone like that join his team.
From their brief interaction, he could tell the guy was the type to hold a grudge over the smallest slight.
If Xisuo ever accidentally offended him, it wouldn’t be surprising at all to get a bullet in the back from him during a fight.