Chapter Sixty-Eight: The Operational Plan for Psychic Sniper Combat

This time, Zhou Shu did not insist on returning home, but spent the night at the Demon Suppression Bureau. The system was busy designing and generating a new virtual battlefield, so he had nothing to avoid. Although the room's soundproofing was excellent, his heightened constitution granted him exceptional hearing, and his sharp senses, courtesy of his formidable mental strength, allowed him to detect many sounds.

Staff members of the Bureau hurried back and forth along the corridors, immersed in their busy routines. This only strengthened Zhou Shu’s resolve to modify the power exoskeleton; if everyone could become a "super soldier" capable of the work of an entire team, perhaps things would not be so hectic.

Early the next morning, Zhou Shu rode to school in his homeroom teacher’s car. The teacher had even spoken to all the subject teachers in advance—Zhou Shu was excused from homework. Anyway, Thursday and Friday marked the second round of mock exams, as close to the real college entrance exam as it gets. If his scores dropped, he would resume assignments.

Recently, a new batch of warriors had arrived, prepared for the four Demon Subduer trainees. They were familiarizing themselves with combat procedures alongside other squads, so manpower was sufficient for now. With staffing temporarily resolved, the trainees’ task was to solidify their foundations, especially since three had made mistakes and needed to revisit certain subjects.

Do not think that joining the Bureau and becoming a Demon Subduer makes academic qualifications irrelevant. In fact, the requirements for Demon Subduers are even stricter. Apart from combat training, Zhou Shu and his peers had to complete cultural courses—and even political education.

For Demon Subduers who spend their days battling, albeit against mutant monsters, many of whom were once human, and whose mission is to protect humanity, proper political education was essential. Periodic psychological counseling was also mandatory, checking their mental state.

Zhou Shu felt school posed no issues; he had mastered everything required, with only review and exams left. All his subjects had reached their limits, and even his weakest subject, English, had been remedied. There was nothing to worry about.

So, during class, whenever the teachers’ attention lapsed, Zhou Shu began sketching modifications for the power exoskeleton armor—rough drafts. In truth, the teachers pretended not to notice; the homeroom teacher of Class 166 had spoken to them, everything would be addressed after the mock exam scores were released.

Zhou Shu was not afraid of being seen sketching. As an art student, it was perfectly normal to draw in sketchbooks, or even directly on textbooks. Many students filled the blank margins with flipbook animations—stick figures in epic battles.

The classmates found Zhou Shu’s exoskeleton designs impressive, detailed in structure, assuming he was planning to update some model. They eagerly awaited the finished product.

Silently, Zhou Shu mused, “There will indeed be a finished product, but not a model. Whether anyone gets to see it depends on fate.”

After school, he was again driven by his homeroom teacher to the Demon Suppression Bureau, where he immediately dove into the armory to examine the prototype power exoskeleton, considering feasible modifications.

No one knew what he was up to; as long as he studied his trainee subjects, it was fine. Yet his “close friend” Sun Congliang seemed to sense something, standing beside the prototype and asking, “Zhou Shu, do you have any ideas?”

Zhou Shu looked at Sun Congliang, noticing a large adhesive bandage on his face. Instead of answering, he asked, “Did you get injured on a mission?”

“Yes, I couldn’t dodge in time, got scratched by a claw. Nothing serious.” Sun Congliang’s expression was relaxed, his tone light, as if it were nothing.

Zhou Shu knew Sun Congliang bore many scars. They were familiar enough, bonded by shared interests, and often chatted. A scratch was trivial—he had endured worse, even losing a rib.

Such minor injuries were routine. It was a terrifying habit.

“Brother Sun, what do you think is most important to watch for when fighting monsters?” Zhou Shu suddenly produced a small notebook.

“Uh…” Sun Congliang, seeing Zhou Shu’s posture, thought he wanted to learn from an old veteran, and replied, “It’s essential not to let mutants get close. Their strength is immense; if you get hit, breaking a rib is the least of your worries.”

He pointed to his own rib, “You know, I lost one here. It’s a constant reminder to stay alert for mutant attacks…”

Zhou Shu not only listened to Sun Congliang’s advice, but also had him serve as an intermediary, interviewing several warriors who had directly participated in exoskeleton tests, gathering valuable feedback.

The exoskeletons in "Edge of Tomorrow" were designed for practical needs, though the plot required many features to be cut. Zhou Shu had received the full technical set from Dr. Carter, matching the same level of technology, and could tailor the design to Earth’s real requirements.

Though the armory’s exoskeletons were not to be disassembled, Zhou Shu was now a true expert in power exoskeletons. “Laymen watch for excitement; experts see the details.” Many top specialists could glean significant information from a single photo; with the actual device before him, Zhou Shu could not only observe but touch, and interview the testers. He gathered far more data than any photograph could provide.

On Thursday and Friday, Zhou Shu easily completed the mock exam papers, breezed through the most challenging practice closest to the real college entrance exam, and devoted all his leisure time to refining his exoskeleton modification plan.

The previous nights had been spent mastering the foundational knowledge every Demon Subduer should know. On Saturday, during regular study hours, he began learning sniper theory—not traditional theory, but heavily adapted to suit his recent performance, tailoring a “superpower sniper” theory to his abilities.

Zhou Shu chose the JS 12.7mm domestic sniper rifle, capable of firing powerful 12.7mm tungsten-core armor-piercing rounds. With the world’s largest tungsten reserves, there was little limitation.

Tungsten was not only used for artillery shells but also for bullets. This tungsten-core armor-piercing projectile weighed 28 grams; the tungsten alloy core was 8mm in diameter, 22.5 grams in mass, with an initial velocity of 1150 meters per second and chamber pressure of 324 MPa.

Its power was immense—at a distance of 1,000 meters, it could penetrate a 15mm thick alloy steel plate inclined at 45 degrees. This rifle and its ammunition might struggle against tanks, but were more than adequate for light armored vehicles, and certainly effective against mutant monsters.

Yet the key was hitting the target.

Enter Zhou Shu.

This sniper rifle was nearly 1.4 meters long, no problem for Zhou Shu’s height. Its designers had borrowed hydraulic recoil systems from heavy artillery, integrating them into the JS 12.7mm sniper rifle; upon firing, the barrel and bolt recoiled together about 35mm, the hydraulic rod transmitted pressure to aviation hydraulic oil in the chamber, which slowly flowed through a throttle port into another chamber.

This process extended the buffering time, reducing the force on the shooter’s shoulder, smoothing the recoil impulse, and improving stability and comfort during firing.

For Zhou Shu, whose physical condition matched that of a national-level athlete, this was no issue.

The rifle weighed 23 pounds, again not a problem—Zhou Shu did not need to carry it while running; he traveled by car and set up his weapon on site.

He only needed to wait for his team to lure the monster to a suitable sniping location, activate his slow-motion vision, and take the shot.

This cooperative model, though risky for the squad, was the most efficient combat strategy.

Alternatively, Zhou Shu could join a squad of agile superpower users—the agile member would lure the beast, Zhou Shu would deliver the fatal shot.

However, placing two superpower users in one squad seemed a waste of their combat potential.

Both strategies were feasible; after Zhou Shu completed his training, he could try each and determine the most effective through actual combat.

His training was astonishing—many felt Zhou Shu was a born sniper.