115

Hunter, Don't Shoot My Friend

Chapter 115: Armament

Ethan entered the training room and walked toward the different tables with carefully prepared weapons. He glanced in the distance at JJ, who was gathering the agents into their assigned groups.

Just before the list of armaments for the units was issued, Ethan had contacted the department to request specific weapons he wanted to carry.

The last time he fought against a physical anomaly, its skin was too tough to be penetrated enough to cause real damage to that monster. Therefore, weapons created by the world's best arms companies were sent under the supervision of the Association.

When JJ gathered all the agents from the units, Ethan picked up a Desert Eagle.50 AE and showed it to the people in front of him. "For a year now, the soldiers facing dark entities have been complaining about the strict requirements regarding weapon selection."

Ethan looked at everyone and said, "We not only had to consider the urban terrain in which we face dark entities, but we also had to keep in mind that we’re not dealing with humans wearing bulletproof vests."

"We needed more firepower than usual, so they sent us this: the Desert Eagle.50... Unlike the 500 Magnum, the Desert Eagle.50 AE has less recoil, more shooting capacity, and above all, it's a semi-automatic pistol. In short, it’s easier to use in the most critical moments when facing an anomaly. However, when it comes to pure force, the 500 Magnum is more powerful."

"Considering that the Desert Eagle.50 isn’t comfortable for everyone, the Arsenal AF-1 Strike One pistol meets our requirements. With a capacity of 17 rounds (9 mm), this pistol will also be in use."

Leaving the pistols on the table, Ethan pointed to the shotgun on the rack.

"The MP150 Ultima is a smart shotgun designed to sync with personal gadgets, with enough technology to record everything in HD and access the videos from external devices. It’s compatible with 12/76 mm cartridges. It’s a semi-automatic, single-load shotgun, so the shooter will have to load the cartridges one by one, but then won’t need to use a manual pump mechanism to fire them. The range is between 50 and 70 meters." Ethan handed the weapon to JJ to display.

Then he pointed to the rack with two specific designs: the P90 IR/P90 LB.

"This is the best submachine gun for urban combat and fighting in tight spaces. Due to the dark entity problem, this weapon is ideal for fighting anywhere."

Everyone paid close attention to the P90 LB with its mounted sight. The perfect weapon for urban encounters, surpassing the MP5 in lethality and penetration.

The X-M5 rifle will replace the M4 rifle, and the XM250 machine gun will replace the famous M249 SAW. But now, they will be called the M5 rifle and M250 machine gun in the agents' units.

Due to the need for better penetration, the MP5 rifle and M250 machine gun will provide significant improvements in accuracy, range, and overall lethality. They are also lightweight, shoot more lethal ammunition, mitigate recoil, provide better barrel performance, and include integrated noise and muzzle flash reduction.

Their ammunition will be 6.8mm, surpassing the 5.56mm offered by the previous weapons.

Thus, the Association of Light had to build a special facility to produce the 6.8mm ammunition, which will be ready in the coming years.

"These two new weapons, exclusive to the world’s special containment forces against dark entities, use an XM 157 optical sight that offers a laser rangefinder, smart target locking, a ballistic calculator, invisible infrared lasers, and unmatched visual quality."

"I want you all to be aware—always stay focused during incursions. If you hesitate even once to fire, your heads will be the ones rolling on the ground." Ethan had to be clear on this point. It was impossible to get used to the new feeling he had in front of the new recruits. Even though he had already led teams to eliminate dark entities, everything was moving too fast for him to notice the small details.

He wasn't entirely sure what was going on with the dark entities in the world, making his role an ongoing torment in trying to be useful when the bomb goes off.

In the eyes of the new agents of the Association of Light, Ethan was a powerful soldier with experience and an innate ability to eliminate dark entities.

However, only Ethan knew that deep down, he felt respect—a respect for failure—and nervousness at the possibility of losing lives in future incursions.

Ethan wasn’t blind; he knew that losses during incursions were inevitable. However, he would ensure that he trained his men and prevented unnecessary deaths.

"Remember, all of you are protected by a secret national law. No matter what happens, as long as you belong to the Association of Light, you can move and be exempt from the laws." Ethan looked at JJ, signaling him to proceed with the program.

From start to finish, everyone remained focused on Ethan’s words.

Based on the limited information they had, the man in front of them was a Guardian Bishop, belonging to one of the most powerful groups of Exorcists that fought dark entities. He was a soldier who could potentially be required in different parts of the country in the future.

Therefore, they knew the only thing they should pay special attention to were the Guardian’s orders and words.

"Rank doesn’t matter much; you are agents, and I am your superior. The teams have been assigned, and you will follow the orders of your respective superiors." Ethan looked at his smart tablet and nodded, seeing that everything had been explained as clearly as possible.

Finally, it was JJ’s turn to take control of the situation. Seeing that Ethan had finished speaking, he insisted and said, "Agents! Your weapons and equipment are here; start training and adapting to the gear of your choice!"

"Salute!" The soldiers saluted Ethan and quickly moved to the shooting range. Everyone was focused, swiftly heading to the assigned area to train.

When everyone disappeared, Ethan walked over to JJ and asked, "You've spent more time with them. What do you think the outcome will be?"

"Sir, some of the new recruits understand the gravity of the monsters we face. If I may say so, many of them will likely die." JJ responded, almost as if he understood Ethan's thoughts. "However, they’ve been selected for this division. In the end, it all depends on the type of anomaly we face."

Ethan nodded in acknowledgment. "Even if we had a year to train, none of it will matter once they have an anomaly in front of them. Prepare the team; we might have to act much sooner than expected."

"Yes, sir. I'll have the team ready for the next incursions." JJ headed to the shooting range to ensure everything ran smoothly.

"We'll have to work harder than usual..." Ethan watched JJ move quickly toward the shooting range.

Through his connections, Ethan knew that the base they were in was both the strongest and weakest at the same time. JJ and the Alpha team were the best offered to him; the other teams barely passed the initial exam to belong to the Association of Light.

According to his speculations, the government had opted to secure other cities with experienced soldiers and left this city in the hands of experienced agents.

Based on the appearance rates, dark entities didn’t appear only in urban areas—they typically stayed along the coasts and in small towns.

"We're running out of time..." Ethan shook his head. He needed to contact logistics to find out what the new plans were for the incursions.