Chapter 164: Shielding Technology
The platformer simulator began its startup sequence.
The structure incorporated a random pattern of +15mm vertical, +25mm horizontal, and ±10-degree rotational vibrations.
Additionally, this time, a complex pattern was included, accelerating and decelerating the vibration frequency mid-cycle.
The judges exchanged intrigued glances.
“This test is essentially the most grueling condition.”
“It takes into account the worst-case field scenarios.”
“Even in live combat, you hardly ever encounter vibrations this intense.”
“Then, we’ll know for sure from these results.”
“Know what?”
“Whether the previous results were due to the shooter’s skill or the rifle’s performance.”
At the judge’s words, the others nodded in unison.
Captain Jeong Gwang-sik boarded the platformer, A2C in hand.
His mind, unusually cluttered today, weighed the absolute consensus that his marksmanship rivaled Captain Jo In-hyeok’s.
But today’s results told a different story.
While stages one and two were overwhelmingly in his favor, and all three shots hit in the harsh stage three conditions, Captain Jo In-hyeok edged him out in precision.
Though equipment played a role, it was clear he was losing.
Clenching his teeth, he resolved to win this time.
“The average success rate for this course is 38%, right?”
“Most soldiers can’t even hit one or two out of ten shots here.”
Even Jeong Gwang-sik, renowned as a top marksman, only had a 60% success rate on this very course.
Taking a deep breath, he loosened his trigger finger as the platformer slowly powered up.
[Stage 1 vibration initiated]
The vibrations began smoothly, and the first two shots were relatively stable.
Bang! Bang!
[Hits, deviation 0.11mm, 0.13mm]
A promising start.
[Stage 2 vibration acceleration!]
As the platformer shifted to high-speed vibrations, the entire seat and platform began to shake violently.
Even Captain Jeong Gwang-sik’s HUD displayed slight tremors.
-“Trust the vibration correction algorithm.”
Executive Director Kwon Do-hyun’s voice reached Captain Jeong Gwang-sik through his earpiece.
True to his word, the HUD’s algorithm assisted in targeting despite the vibrations.
Bang!
[Hit, deviation 0.21mm]
Damn… A bit late?
The deviation was slightly larger, but given the course’s difficulty, it wasn’t a bad result.
[Stage 3 high-frequency vibration + rotational vibration initiated]
Now, the platformer twisted left and right, adding rotational vibrations.
Vertical vibrations also spiked momentarily.
Captain Jeong Gwang-sik clenched his teeth.
Fuck, the shaking’s worse than usual.
They’d clearly raised the difficulty under the guise of testing new equipment.
Targeting wasn’t easy, but the A2C’s HUD and algorithm assisted him.
Relying on them, he quickly pulled the trigger.
Bang!
[Hit, deviation 0.28mm]
Murmurs grew in the audience.
“Wow, he’s doing great today.”
“The A2C’s performance must be better than the A2’s.”
“With a 60% average success rate, he’s at 100% so far.”
“Let’s wait and see; the toughest stage four is still ahead.”
[Stage 4 maximum vibration level entered!]
As the platformer shifted to an irregular vibration pattern, Captain Jeong Gwang-sik’s body shook more violently.
One last shot. If I land this, I win this stage.
While his skills matched Captain Jo In-hyeok’s, his performance on this course historically surpassed the captain’s.
Given Captain Jo In-hyeok’s 52% success rate in vibrations, he was confident this final shot would secure his victory.
The final, fifth shot.
Despite the erratic vibrations causing the HUD marker to jump, he instinctively pulled the trigger without hesitation.
The result:
[Hit, deviation 1.27mm]
Whoa!
Captain Jeong Gwang-sik, unable to contain his excitement, raised a hand in triumph.
Despite numerous attempts, this was his first time achieving a 100% hit rate on this course.
The judges and Lieutenant General Kim Dae-hoon were equally astonished.
Eyes naturally turned to Captain Jo In-hyeok, preparing for his turn.
“The AGE-01 doesn’t seem to have a vibration-assistance system.”
“It does have Dojin’s camera-based HUD, though.”
“Yes, but that doesn’t assist with vibrations.”
Unaware of the computation module, many judges believed Captain Jo In-hyeok would lose this time.
Even Captain Jo In-hyeok, atop the platformer, didn’t seem confident.
I can’t believe Captain Jeong landed all five shots.
Even after over ten attempts on this course, he’d only ever hit two or three out of five shots.
Hitting a small target amid vibrations was incredibly difficult, and he felt uncertain this time.
Then, a voice reached Captain Jo In-hyeok’s earpiece.
-“Don’t overthink it. Just pull the trigger, and the AGE will take care of the rest.”
Kang Tae-joon’s voice instilled confidence in the situation.
He felt an absurd certainty that his bullet would find its target.
[Stage 1 vibration initiated]
Like before, the platformer vibrated smoothly, and Captain Jo In-hyeok’s first two shots were stable hits.
Bang! Bang!
[Hits, deviation 0.02mm, 0.02mm]
Murmurs spread.
“Wow, Captain Jo In-hyeok’s off to a great start.”
“Yeah, almost dead center.”
“It’s still early. His accuracy dropped sharply from stage two last time.”
[Stage 2 vibration acceleration]
The third shot.
Bang!
[Hit, deviation 0.01mm]
Watching the monitor, Captain Jeong Gwang-sik unconsciously clenched his teeth.
There was no hesitation, even amid the shaking, and the accuracy was remarkably high.
If this continued, stages three and four would likely yield similar results.
[Stage 3 high-frequency + rotational vibration initiated]
With lateral and rotational vibrations, the platformer’s movements became frantic.
The entire platform shook wildly, and Captain Jo In-hyeok’s vision blurred uncontrollably.
This is… too much…
He barely managed to point the rifle at the target, the reticle wildly circling it.
Proper aiming was impossible.
Captain Jo In-hyeok, grimacing, roughly pointed the rifle and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
Everyone held their breath, awaiting the result.
Moments later, the monitor displayed the outcome.
[Hit, deviation 0.01mm]
“…What?”
“He didn’t seem to aim properly just now.”
Whispers spread.
The judges exchanged bewildered glances.
Captain Jeong Gwang-sik’s eyes widened in disbelief.
How did he hit that?
But no amount of pondering would provide answers.
The final stage four.
[Maximum irregular vibration + high-frequency + rotational acceleration!]
The platformer vibrated furiously at a frenzied speed.
His vision and entire body shook violently up and down, left and right.
I… might throw up…
How was anyone supposed to hit a target in this?
Even holding the rifle steadily was a struggle.
But time ticked on, and he had to hit the target before the timer stopped.
Half-resigned, Captain Jo In-hyeok pulled the trigger.
Bang!
All eyes turned to the monitor.
Moments later, an unbelievable result appeared.
[Hit, deviation 0.02mm]
Captain Jeong Gwang-sik’s face drained of color.
The judges were equally stunned.
“What… just happened?”
“He clearly couldn’t aim properly.”
“Did the bullet just fly to the target on its own?”
“That’s… ridiculous…”
Captain Jeong Gwang-sik stared stiffly at Captain Jo In-hyeok’s AGE-01.
His A2C suddenly felt like an outdated relic.
CEO Yoon Seok-hwan was equally shocked.
“Are you saying the bullet flew to the target on its own?”
“CEO… Such technology doesn’t exist.”
“Then how did Jo In-hyeok hit the target?”
Both had seen that the AGE-01 didn’t correct for vibrations.
Suspecting foul play, they turned to Lieutenant General Kim Dae-hoon and the technical analyst, who remained expressionless.
Their silence confirmed the shot was valid.
[Stage 3, course two completed. Please prepare for the final EMP electromagnetic interference test.]
The room began to stir again.
Only one test remained.
Would the rifles function properly under EMP electromagnetic interference?
All eyes turned to Captain Jeong Gwang-sik and especially Captain Jo In-hyeok.
[Final test, EMP interference environment shooting evaluation begins.]
A massive EMP chamber appeared beside the testing area.
It was a specialized facility equipped with electromagnetic pulse emission devices.
[This test assesses the rifle’s electronic components under intense EMP conditions. Each shooter must hit three electronic targets inside the chamber accurately.]
Director Cha Dong-hyuk added further explanation.
“The EMP will be emitted once. You must shoot all three targets within ten seconds of emission.”
“Naturally, the targets won’t be easy to hit.”
Director Cha nodded.
“The targets will likely be difficult to hit based on the shooter’s skill alone.”
Indeed, the targets inside the chamber were performing evasive maneuvers at high speed, similar to stage two urban warfare conditions.
“If the shooting assistance system fails due to the EMP attack, achieving a good result will be challenging.”
“But… what about the computation module installed in our AGE-01?”
Director Cha Dong-hyuk trailed off, his expression suggesting he had something to say.
Even without speaking, it was clear what he was asking.
“Are you concerned about the computation module withstanding the EMP attack?”
“Frankly, yes. The computation module, being semiconductor-based, seems highly vulnerable to EMP attacks. In contrast…”
“Ahsung’s A2C has excellent EMP shielding, right?”
Director Cha nodded.
I smiled and continued.
“There’s no need to worry about that. The computation module I developed includes superior EMP shielding.”
When EMP enters the circuit,
linear node structures are easily compromised, but
the computation module I created incorporates a non-linear metamaterial shielding pattern,
distributing the EMP waveform through a non-linear transmission path.
“When EMP flows through the metal frame, the main computation module is electrically insulated and magnetically isolated, ensuring the system remains unaffected.”
Though the explanation was simple,
Director Cha Dong-hyuk, understanding the difficulty of EMP shielding technology, was left speechless.