A firing card seems simple at first glance. The sniper pre-records the correction in mils (thousandths) needed for shooting at each distance.
Everything is recorded in advance. When the battle begins, a single glance at the table is enough to determine which mil to use for an accurate shot.
The diagram also marks reference points and distances. Li Qingyu sketched a landscape in his notebook, visible from his position, marked key points, and labeled the distances.
For example: Sen's hut ahead – 500 meters; boulder to the left – 800; field to the right – 1200; exit to the forest road in the distance – 1400.
Having memorized this data, he could instantly estimate the distance and open fire, consulting his notebook and the sight scale.
Another factor is wind. In strong winds, the point of impact will have to be adjusted.
Li Qingyu set up stakes with tied rags in advance: if it started to blow, they would show the direction and strength of the wind.
Based on experience and calculations, he would be able to determine how much the bullet would drift.
His firearm proficiency reached ninety-one points. This was enough to confidently hit targets up to one and a half kilometers – if the wind was not too complex.
"Complex wind" is when, for example, for the first five hundred meters it blows to the left, and further – to the right and at a different speed.
If the wind is simple, west or east – there are no problems. But with complex currents, long-range shooting has to be abandoned: without instruments, the trajectory cannot be predicted.
If he had a laser rifle, he could simply pull the trigger and not worry about the wind.
He worked from six to eight in the evening, preparing four or five backup positions. After that, he returned to Sen's hut and went to sleep to gain strength.
At dawn, he was woken by the old man himself.
"Get up, shooter. Whether we drag out an existence or return to the Emperor depends on you."
Sen stood with a trophy S.P.O. auto-gun. He had a tactical vest on his chest, an axe at his belt, and a straw hat on his head, dyed with plant juice in a spotted camouflage.
Li Qingyu yawned, slung two rifles over his shoulder, and said, "If it gets too hot, you can retreat. You'll come back later. If the S.P.O. leave, you'll start over."
Sen shook his head, his face turning to stone. "This is our home. How much blood and sweat was shed to build all this?"
"You can run today, you can run tomorrow. And the day after? Where does it end?"
"If we run from invaders every time, it means we deserve the yoke. Our answer is only iron and blood!"
Li Qingyu clicked his tongue. The bombastic speeches didn't move him, but he respected the spirit of resistance. He took a green syringe-tube from his bag and handed it to the old man.
"Since you're so brave, here's a gift. If you catch a bullet but stay alive, quickly stop the bleeding and inject this. It'll pull you back from the brink."
Sen accepted the stimulator, thanked him, and put it in his vest.
They left the hut. The rebels had already formed up. Commanders walked along the ranks, encouraging the fighters.
This took half an hour. Then the crowd, shouting battle slogans, dispersed to their positions.
Li Qingyu, with a sniper rifle and an assault rifle, headed for position number one.
The terrain was mostly flat, but Sen had chosen a good spot for the camp.
First, there was the forest – vast expanses of trees.
These trees were not native. The original flora had died out even before terraforming. The plantings were technical – for paper, furniture, and so on.
Since such species preferred slopes, the planet was leveled into a steppe, leaving hills for forest plantations.
Sen's camp was located in the former forestry area – in a clearing in the center of the massif. It was covered by thickets in front and a mountain in the rear.
If the enemy attacked from the front, the dense trees would slow their advance, giving the defenders time to retreat into the mountains.
Li Qingyu's positions, from one to five, were on the slopes behind the camp. From there, the settlement and the entrance to the forest were visible.
He lay down, using his backpack as a rest under the barrel, took out the schematic and fire card, and taped them to his sleeve. All it took was turning his wrist, and all the data was at hand.
He froze, watching through the scope the preparations below. The main forces were defending around the camp. The plan was simple: lure the enemy into the forest, where the S.P.O.'s firepower would be weakened.
Suddenly, in front, at the border between the forest and the plain, a huge tree crashed down. Another followed, and a chain of fallen trunks went deeper.
An ancient method of transmitting signals – a "falling tree." Primitive, but effective. Everyone understood: the enemy had arrived.
Li Qingyu took out strength and endurance stimulators, injected them, finished the rest of the alcohol from his flask, and swallowed a painkiller – applying the "painkiller" effect.
After all the procedures, his stats became: Strength 23, Endurance 23, Energy 30.
As soon as he finished, the S.P.O. troops appeared at the edge of the forest.