For the current Henry, all of these shooting techniques were now second nature, sublimated into pure instinct. He no longer needed to think; he just had to feel.
He opened his eyes, a new plan forming in his mind. He would take the six Sharps rifles from his storage and practice with them. Once he had a feel for them, he would be a god of death at a thousand meters, or even more. The rifle was single-shot, but with his storage space, it was effectively a six-shooter.
His LV 5 skill was at the Grandmaster tier, a level of mastery that only a handful of people in the entire world could claim. Combined with his superhuman physical talents, he was in a class of his own.
The upgrade also came with a new, special trait. By sacrificing five green pearls, his next rifle shot within a one-second window would be a guaranteed hit on any target he aimed at in his mind, anywhere within the rifle's maximum range.
The pearls would be completely consumed, leaving no husks behind. It was an incredibly costly ability, but for a critical, impossible shot, it was a god-tier trait. A Winchester's effective range was 400 meters, but its maximum range was over 900. With a Sharps rifle, a guaranteed hit at 2,000 meters was now a possibility. Combined with his Super Vision, it was a perfect pairing.
He also learned that his Rifle skill could be upgraded to LV 6, but it would require his Constitution to first reach LV 4, and then an additional ten thousand grey pearls. The thought of what that level of power might be was staggering.
Satisfied, Henry put away the files and decided to socialize. He needed to build connections, especially with the lawyer, Carlson.
From the black market archives, he had learned that the great industries of the West—the railroads, the mines—were all funded by the bankers and tycoons of the East. And the most important hub connecting the two was Chicago. If he was serious about building his own empire, Chicago was a city he needed to know.
As Henry was making his plans, Jesse and Frank James had already returned to their hometown. Frank's wound had been bandaged. They gave some money to their sisters, entrusted their mother to their care, and then, taking a portion of their hidden fortune, they fled south, planning to ride through Texas, into Mexico, and disappear into South America.
In the New York headquarters of the New York Sun, the editor-in-chief, John, read the telegram from his reporter, Tom. He could hardly believe what he was reading. The story was so incredible it was bound to be met with public skepticism, even ridicule.
But he trusted his nephew, Conrad, who had countersigned the report. And if a story this big was true, other papers would be onto it soon. This was a race.
He made his decision. The story would run on the front page of the evening edition.
In the last car of the train, the fourteen surviving aristocrats felt a new, close bond, forged in shared trauma. The mood was surprisingly cheerful.
"So, Mark," his friend Daniel said with a grin, "what was it like, being the last hostage?"
"I was happy," Mark replied coolly.
"Happy? What were you happy about?"
"I was happy that the three ladies were safe," Mark said, his face a mask of noble sincerity. "I am a gentleman. It was my duty to be the last one."
Daniel was speechless.
In the bedroom compartment, the four young women were having their own conversation. The topic, of course, was Henry.
"I never imagined a man like Henry could exist in this world," said Amanda, the youngest of the group. "If I hadn't seen it with my own eyes, I would never have believed it."
"I know," Kaylee said. "And to hear his deputy, Pete, tell it, this kind of battle is a common occurrence for him. It's incredible."
"We were so lucky," Chris said, a lingering fear in her voice. "The James and Younger gangs came for us, Consuelo. For you."
"I know," Consuelo replied. "My father and grandfather have posted bounties on them for years, and no one could ever catch them. Now, they are almost all dead."
"And he saved Edith from over a hundred outlaws before he even met us," Kaylee sighed. "It's all so legendary, so… romantic."