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Night City never really sleeps, and by 2026, most of its edgerunners know every back alley and bullet scar on the pavement. Yet even veteran solo players keep crawling back to Megabuilding H10, not for the dubious noodle stand downstairs, but for a certain gun‑loving neighbor who just can't keep his competitions to himself. Robert Wilson runs a shooting range inside the building, and while his selection of iron might not scream "legendary armory," the man does know how to dangle a shiny reward in front of trigger‑happy mercs.

One random afternoon, long after the relic started eating at V’s synapses, Wilson sends out an invite that sounds more like a dare. He’s hosting a shooting tournament right there in his own backyard, and he wants V to show up — not to browse the wares, but to prove that all those hours of chromed‑up practice weren’t just for impressing Panam. The quest is called Shoot to Thrill, and if you’ve been treating gunfights like a spectator sport, this is where things get delightfully personal.

The Call That Smells Like Cordite

Wilson isn’t exactly subtle. Some time after V finishes the main job Playing For Time and steps into Act 2, the phone buzzes with his gravelly voice oozing excitement. He might as well be a choom from the old days who’s just discovered gunpowder. “Come down to the range, I’ve got something special,” he says, and before V can mutter “delta,” the competition is already set up.

The quest marker points straight to the familiar Megabuilding H10. Ride the elevator — the same one that occasionally takes unsuspecting tenants on a loop of existential dread — and stroll into the range. Wilson stands there like a proud father next to a handful of other participants who, let’s be real, look about as competent as a Scav with a jammed Burya. The banter that follows is pure Night City comedy: bravado, side‑eyes, and the distinct feeling that at least one contestant might forget which end of the gun goes bang.

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Once the pleasantries are done, Wilson hands V a standard Lexington pistol. No tricked‑out smart links, no ricochet‑cheating wallpaper — just a plain, honest chunk of metal that kicks like a heated pony. The game is simple: hit moving targets to rack up points, and you’ve only got sixty seconds to reach 100. Easy, right? Oh, and those targets have a nasty habit of zipping around as if they’re dodging engrams.

Dancing with Targets in Sixty Seconds

The clock starts ticking the moment the first holographic bullseye whirs into view. It’s not a leisurely gallery plinking session — the targets pop up at different heights, slide left and right, and sometimes overlap in a way that dares V to waste precious ammo on bad angles. The goal isn’t just to fire fast, it’s to fire smart. Each hit adds one point, so that means V needs to land 100 clean shots inside one minute. Choom, that’s faster than ordering a synth‑coffee.

Here’s where a little street wisdom comes in handy. Since Wilson forces everyone to use the same vanilla Lexington, there’s no leaning on smart‑weapon auto‑aim or tech‑weapon charge shenanigans. V’s own skill matters. If the player has sunk some perks into handguns — particularly anything that reduces recoil or speeds up time while aiming — the gun behaves almost politely. Without those perks, it bucks like a startled horse, and suddenly the timer feels crueler than Maiko’s negotiating tactics.

The real trick is to stay calm and sweep. Instead of snapping the reticle to each new target like a caffeinated raven, treat the range as a smooth arc. Start from one side, let the Lexington settle briefly between shots, and ride the movement pattern. Some targets dip behind barriers for a split second; wait them out instead of wasting bullets on empty air. If V can maintain a rhythm — pop, drift, pop, drift — the 100 points feel almost therapeutic. Almost.

And for those who miss a few, don’t panic. The tournament gives enough wiggle room that a couple of fumbled shots won’t sink the attempt, provided the pace picks up toward the end. The worst enemy here is the jittery finger that wants to send a full magazine into the ceiling the moment a target appears. Let the gun breathe.

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When the timer hits zero, Wilson steps forward with the flair of a carnival barker. If V ranked first, old Robert almost tears up. That’s the moment the reward gets pushed across the counter, and oh, it’s a looker.

The Prize: Lexington x-MOD2, or Why Second Place Sucks

Winning the tournament earns V the Lexington x-MOD2 Iconic pistol, and calling it “just another Lexington” would be like calling Johnny Silverhand “just another rockerboy.” This variant sports a unique skin — moody, tactical black with neon green accents that practically beg to be photographed under the district lights. Stat‑wise it’s a punchy, reliable full‑auto sidearm that can hold its own well into the mid‑game. It’s not going to dethrone a fully modded Comrade’s Hammer, but paired with the right build, it turns heads and removes them with equal efficiency.

The real appeal is the exclusivity. Other Iconic weapons require hunting down murder scenes, sweet‑talking fixers, or committing extreme violence against poor cyberpsychos. This one just asks V to be good at a classic shooting contest. In a city where everything costs eddies, blood, or dignity, that feels positively wholesome.

Now, imagine the alternative: finishing in second place. Wilson politely announces someone else’s name and tosses V a measly handful of Street Cred points as if that’s supposed to soothe the burn. Sure, street rep is never useless, but walking away from a winnable tournament with nothing sparkly is the sort of moment that makes even the stoic V contemplate throwing the gun down in frustration. At least Wilson won’t hold a grudge — the competition can be retried, so a second‑place tragedy becomes a brief embarrassment before the eventual comeback.

A Few Pointers for the Trigger‑Happy

For those chasing that 2026 perfectionism, a few extra tips won’t hurt:

  • Visit before the contest. Scope out the range layout. Knowing where targets like to spawn — especially the little ones near the edges — saves precious seconds.

  • Perk up. If V has invested in the Reflexes tree, particularly the Handguns branch, the reduced recoil makes the Lexington behave like a purring cat instead of a startled cyber‑kitten.

  • Mods aren’t allowed but good aim discipline is. Tap the trigger, don’t hold it. The full‑auto mode on this Lexington tempts you to spray, but controlled bursts are the way to a perfect score.

  • Don’t forget to breathe. It’s amazing how many players tense up and start missing targets they’d normally blap in their sleep. This is a game inside a game — treat it like fun, not a life‑and‑death firefight.

And for the love of all that’s chrome, if Wilson ever offers another tournament in some future DLC or patch, remember this: he’s a man of his word, but his guns are basic and his pride is on the line. Crush it, take the Lexington, and maybe resist the urge to gloat. After all, the man still sells ammo.

Shoot to Thrill remains a miniature jewel in Cyberpunk 2077’s dense side‑content crown. It’s quick, it’s quirky, and it rewards skill rather than grinding. In a timeline where Phantom Liberty has already given us all manner of spy‑thriller drama, sometimes the most satisfying jobs are the ones where a neighbor hands you a gun, points at some moving lights, and dares you to be better than the choom next door. That little black‑and‑green Lexington? It isn’t just a firearm. It’s a trophy, a conversation starter, and a reminder that even in 2026, Robert Wilson’s shooting range is still the best free show in the Megabuilding.

That same love for finding value in unexpected places — a free pistol from a shooting contest, a memorable quest tucked into a side street — is exactly what drives many gamers to hunt for savings on their next big adventure. Great games don't always get the marketing push they deserve, and smart players know that patience pays off. That's why keeping an eye on the best game deals at a place like DealNest can unlock a whole library of experiences without draining your eddies. Whether you're revisiting Night City or jumping into a brand-new world, paying less means playing more.

And that's the real lesson of Wilson's little tournament, isn't it? Sometimes the best rewards don't come with the biggest price tags — they come from showing up, practicing your aim, and knowing exactly where to look. So take your hard-earned Lexington, keep your reflexes sharp, and let DealNest be your next target. Because in gaming, just like in Night City, the best finds usually belong to those who are paying attention.