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Chapter 3 Modified Standard Weapons

Daniel's got a whole arsenal, but his go-tos are a pair of Beretta 92F pistols, aka the M9s.

He's also packing some serious heat for safety—a tricked-out HK416D with a silencer.

Right now, he's tinkering with an old-school SVD semi-auto sniper rifle, trying to get it just right.

Over the last three years, Daniel's gotten real comfy with his custom pistols and full-auto rifles.

He can't really measure his skills 'cause he hasn't faced any real pros in combat, but when it comes to target practice, he thinks he's doing alright.

Sure, he's got some natural talent, but it's mostly three years of non-stop practice and almost free ammo that's given him a good feel for his guns.

Without any proper training, Daniel's clueless about how real soldiers train. He just watches top shooting competition vids online and sets up a DIY shooting range in a hidden spot outside Nairovia to learn and compete with those sharpshooters from afar.

Daniel always figured aiming for competition-level standards would make him better, but honestly, it was just a way to torture himself.

And it was this self-torture that honed Daniel's shooting skills to a razor's edge.

During this time, he also got into modding standard weapons—starting with lightening the trigger pull, then tweaking the recoil spring, adding a muzzle brake, adjusting the barrel, and so on.

Now, Daniel's performance with his modded Beretta 92F in simulated combat is almost on par with international competition records.

Daniel doesn't even realize how impressive this is, considering those record-holders use custom competition guns and ammo, without worrying about practical combat.

But Daniel thinks there's always room to get better, so he keeps pushing himself—working on his fitness and strength, constantly leveling up, even if he doesn't really notice it.

That's the thing about having a goal: knowing someone else can do it makes you want to do it too.

So when you've got the means and the drive, physical pain becomes no big deal.

In fact, practical shooting is like a cardio workout, and the rush after high-intensity action can be pretty addictive.

Right now, Daniel's got his custom pistol dialed in, and the HK416 is fully tricked out.

Next up, he needs a semi-auto sniper rifle that can hit targets 1800-2400 feet out with high accuracy.

After a lot of thinking, he decided to start with an old SVD and get some practice in.

For Daniel, shooting is a step-by-step process, best practiced from short to long distances for practicality.

This theory's got its flaws 'cause practicing with a pistol and a sniper rifle doesn't really clash.

But Daniel's on a tight schedule, and his activities come with risks, so he's gotta focus his limited time on the most crucial skills.

A lot of folks think shooting's easy, but if you haven't handled a gun, you can't imagine that after running 150 feet, you might not even hit a target 300 feet away with a pistol.

Without long-term practice, a pistol's just a 15-foot machete—more for show than anything else.

So, why'd Daniel pick the almost ancient SVD for his mod project? Well, he digs the SVD's look and feel, plus it's a great test for his modding skills.

It's not just about slapping on some extras; he's tweaking the structure, the look, and the performance.

It's a tough gig, but for a self-taught gun modder like him, it's a big deal.

He's keeping the stock and grip as one piece, ditching that clunky side-mounted scope for a Picatinny rail, using high-strength engineering plastics, and the cherry on top—an electromagnetic acceleration barrel.

This new barrel's beefier than the standard SVD one, with built-in electromagnetic coils that hook up to a lithium battery in the stock, giving the bullet a speed boost.

This isn't some wild idea Daniel cooked up; it's tech from the microcomputer in his universal toolbox. He doesn't know exactly how well it'll work, but it should do the trick.

The microcomputer ran some sims, and in perfect conditions, this barrel could up the bullet's muzzle velocity by 20%.

Even if Daniel's handiwork isn't spot-on, a 10% or even 5% boost would be enough to get him hyped.

He's not looking to sell this; he's still in that competitive mindset, and his gear's gotta be top-notch.

If he can shoot farther and more accurately with an SVD than anyone else, who cares if he gets props? He'll be stoked either way.

He carefully puts together his SVD, checks the precision with the microcomputer, installs a heavily modded muzzle brake, and slaps on a 15x optical scope, leaving enough Picatinny rail for a night vision scope if he needs it.

He loads ten custom sniper rounds into a few plastic mags, looks at his finished piece with a grin, and packs it into a gun bag, ready to hit the range in the afternoon.

For the past three years, with tight schedules and tricky spots, he never tried targets beyond 1200 feet, but now he's finally got the chance.

As Daniel's organizing his gear and about to head upstairs to whip up some lunch, his business phone rings.

Seeing the number, he answers, "Yo, this is Jackal!"

The voice on the other end, all raspy and rude, says, "Jackal, when's that stuff you promised us gonna get here?"

Catching the attitude, Daniel shoots back, "We agreed on ten days."

The guy pauses, then softens up, "Things are rough here; I need more weapons and ammo."

Daniel frowns, "That's your problem. We set the delivery time.

If I don't get you the goods in ten days, then you can talk to me like that."

Maybe Daniel's firmness gave the guy some confidence. After a few seconds, he says, "I need it sooner.

If you can deliver in five days, I'll pay 30% extra."

Daniel does some quick math, then nods, "Thirty grand, plus a 30% rush fee, sounds fair!

But remember, I only take cash or gold."

"No problem, just get here on time, and not only will you get paid, but we can also talk bigger business."

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