Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“…Blaugrunn-ssi?”

“I don’t know either. Lava Lizard? Seems like it means a lava salamander, But…… I have never heard of such creature… moreover, all of the regions with lava are inhabited by red dragons!”

As Blaugrunn frowned, Leeha had to let out a big sigh.

Just where did it all go wrong?

“…Bahamut…

“Yes? Do you need something, sir?”

“No, no….”

He couldn’t bring himself to tell Blaugrunn that everything seemed to have messed up because of that old man.

Leeha had to gather information on the Lava Zone and the creatures that probably inhabit there—the Lava Lizard.

The deadline was merely 30 days in Middle Earth time, which is 6 days in reality.

Leeha: At that mountain range in the south of Minis, leading to the Kraven Sea?

Kijung: Yes. The only volcanic region on the Lope continent. Unless there’s something else on the Erika continent.

Leeha: Have you seen a Lava Lizard there? Seems like a lava salamander.

Kijung: I’ve seen a Lava Golem. And…… I’ve seen what you are worrying about now.

Leeha: … Damn it. As expected. Thanks.

Once he finished his conversation with Kijung, he ended his information gathering operation.

Both Fernand and Blaugrunn confirmed there was no such thing as the Lava Lizard. Let alone a place on the Lope continent where a volcano could erupt and lava could flow there was only one place.

‘If it’s not there, it’s not there… No, it might not have been there in the past, but it could have been updated by now ‘

The ecology of Middle Earth sometimes fluctuates. Monsters and items would be added or removed by updates.

The inference that Fernand and Kijung once found a volcanic region in the south of Minis before the new continent was discovered was somehow plausible.

“Are you really going? I’m not sure I can help then.”

“Huh? Why?”

“Please don’t ask knowingly”

“… Because you’re a Metal?”

“Yes. If I unknowingly step into the red dragon’s protective barrier… then they will immediately detect my presence. If that happens-“

“We both won’t be safe.”

“Yes. Maybe I might be safe. The real danger is you, sir.”

The Metal and Color factions are mutually hostile.

Still, if it’s Blaugrunn, who is still only at the juvenile-class, both sides usually don’t mess with ‘kids’ too much. They might hold him hostage for a ransom or start a fight, but usually, they won’t go as far as killing.

However, Leeha?

‘There’s no need to even mention me.’

It wasn’t long ago when his kinship with the Chromatic Dragon clan had plummeted beyond -150%. If he gets caught, he might not even have bones to collect.

“How about first looking from the Erika continent?”

“Since we’ve found a location with flowing lava, we have to check it out. If it’s not there, we’ll move on right away.”

“… Okay. I’ll teleport you then.”

Blaugrunn hesitated before finally nodding his head.

Even though he knew it was risky, it wasn’t completely out of the question. But since he was unable to assist, he couldn’t help but worry.

“Sigh…… I originally just wanted to upgrade and train in the new continent. But what’s this-“

Shwooo……!

While Leeha was grumbling about the unexpected situation, his body disappeared.

In a moment, he appeared near a town in the far south of Minis.The surrounding altitude was fairly high, yet a bit further and one would quickly find the sea.

‘It feels strange. Like Mexico?’

A country he has never been to, but often seen in movies. It was a place oozing with the ambiance of Central and South America where striking sun, desert, abrupt mountains, and sea coexisted.

“There’s no need for supplies anyway. Just keep going.”

Leeha walked toward the towering mountain visible from a long distance. There was a village nearby, but there was no need to stop. He could neither summon Blaugrunn nor Koma. He had to bring the ‘Fire Flower’ back with Jellypong’s and his strength alone.

It was a penalty that drastically limited his abilities, but Leeha couldn’t help feeling his heart race.

‘Difficulty in games is a must after all. It’s been too easy lately.’

While arguing was not a thought for one who had been facing opponents like Toon and P. Elizabeth up to a few days ago, an adventure to an unknown place was enough to excite Leeha.

Step by step, Leeha kept walking towards the high volcano reaching up to the clouds.

“I’m recruiting a group for Lava Golem hunting. I promise you won’t go further than a 20-minute distance from the entrance.”

“Anyone who can take on the level 2 Juvenile red dragon Raid? I’ll play a level 170 dealer.”

“I’m selling Flame Resistance Scrolls! Essentials, essentials!”

When a pungent smell started to make its way to Leeha’s nose, he also started to hear the users’ shouts.

The smell of sulfur signified the entrance to the volcanic zone, the users were gathering at this spot to prepare.

‘It’s a hunting ground for about level 170. There shouldn’t be any real danger. The red dragons are mostly juvenile with occasional adults. The monsters of the new continent generally exceed level 200. For Leeha, who had once cleared a demon base with Blaugrunn, this level hunting ground is not scary.’

Leaving the users’ noise behind, Leeha immediately entered the volcano.

By using the concept of a dungeon from the foothills, party members can create an instance dungeon for them to enter if they wish. However, Leeha decided to keep it as an open hunting ground.

This was because he had to seek the ‘Fire Flower’ with draw less aggression to speed up the exploration, not to level up.

‘Surprisingly, it isn’t hot?’

Although there was a slightly warm feeling, it wasn’t as hot as one would expect inside a volcano. The path was quite narrow, with occasional spaces where lava flowed like groundwater, illuminating the space.

This seemed like a very convenient place for tanks, and dealers just had to secure their positions without worrying about aggro.

Leeha inserted a magazine into Black Bass. Always on guard -no matter the lower level hunting ground- passing by users despite hunting here and there, Leeha continued his journey.

“Roarrrrr-!”

“Attribute Enhancement: Ice.”

“Metal Breaker!”

The shouts of the Lava Golems, born from consolidated lava, and the skill casting of the users hunting the Golems pleasantly echoed in Leeha’s ears, like watching a school talent show.

‘It felt exactly like this when I used to hunt Stone Golems.’

Compared to Stone Golems, which were mainly warriors, Lava Golems had a fire attribute, making it essential for mages to participate in the party.

“Great job-! I got it-”

“Roarrrrr-!”

Crackkk……..

A layer of black, hardened lava skin peeled off.

The warrior who used the heavy-hitting skill that could even shatter steel, looked bewildered.

“Huh? What’s this-”

“Hey man, that was terrible luck. It’s a class switch! When it turns into a ‘Flowing Lava Golem’, it’s tough, so let’s just TT-out! Dealers, retreat!”

One of the dealers, accustomed to hunting, frowned as they informed their party members. The dealer and healers withdrew with a bitter look on their faces.

“It looks strange. A class change is also happening.”

However, the tank and melee warrior, who had just arrived, was momentarily fascinated by the Golem’s appearance.

Stripping away the hardened shell to reveal a round, magma body. It wasn’t entirely solid nor was it entirely liquid. Just the glimpse of its jewel-like luminosity was able to captivate his attention for about 3 seconds.

“Kuguaaaaaa-!”

“Ah, the aggro has pulled?”

“Ah, Tanker-nim, run! Run! Run until the aggro is released!” And 3 seconds was more than enough time for aggro to happen. If he couldn’t distance himself while changing classes, it was natural to pay the price!

Two mages, a long-ranged dealer, one healer, and a tank-cum-melee dealer that made up the group of five hurriedly fled.

The warrior who was retreating frantically yelled.

“Hey, should we not attack it?”

“You can’t hurt the flowing Lava Golem with regular attacks! The monsters rank is so high for us to handle-“

“Tuquaaaaaaaaaay———-”

“Uhgem, seems to be a tough one.”

“Huh?”

And all this was observed by Leeha. The flowing Lava Golem crumbled down, turning into ashes.

To Leeha, dealing with a monster from an approximately 200m distance with just one shot was a task as easy as a ‘blink of an eye’.

“Uh, it looked dangerous, so I’ve taken care of it. Is that okay?”

Leeha raised his voice. The echoes of the gunshot kept resonating inside the volcano dungeon.

Baaaaang!!!!

The echoes not only attracted attention from the users whom Leeha had just saved but were also loud enough to attract nearby users.

“…..That gunshot-”

“I’ve seen him before! I think I know him!”

“Is it Leeha? Is that Leeha?”

“Damn!”

There were not only Minis users even if it was the southernmost hunting ground of Minis. With just a single shot, the users who were about to reach level 200 could identify Leeha!

Furthermore, since the rumors about the base of the demons had been completely dispersed, their gazes towards Leeha were close to fondness.

“Ahem, hello everyone, good morning.”

Leeha gave a hearty welcome to the crowd, making his voice sound deeper. Even with this cheesy concept, the players cheered him on as if they had met some pop star.

‘What is this, am I this famous?’ Seeing the crowd’s reaction, Leeha could not help but feel his shoulders rising with pride. He hadn’t expected that the loud gunshot in the volcano would call such a reaction.

“Wow, it’s really Leeha.”

“The greatest musketeer in Middle Earth! Leeha!”

“That guy is Lee Jiwon-“

“Shh! That’s just a rumor. If you say it wrong, we’ll get in trouble.”

Users who were hunting nearby swarmed towards Leeha.

Among them, there were users who could not completely discard their suspicions about the rumors, but they were in the extreme minority and none of them dared to openly admit it in front of Leeha.

“Leeha-nim! Leeha-nim! Can we please take a screenshot with you?”

“Me too! Me too!”

“Could you take a group photo with our guild members?”

This place was the main hunting ground for users around level 170, inhabited by dragons ranging from Adult to the Red class. The members of the raiding party who came for dragon raids were, at most, around level 200.

Unlike during the time of the New Continent Expedition, no one here could underestimate Leeha.

“Ahem, I’m not photogenic….”

“No, no, no〜! Please take a picture with our guild! Okay?”

Leeha continued to politely decline, but the users did not give up.

They could not give up.

While rejecting, his smile was so inviting that it clearly signaled ‘Please continue to flatter and praise me.’

‘Whew… So this is the life of a celebrity… Oh my, oh my.’

Leeha chuckled with a radiant smile, and the users that perceived the smile as a sign of consent, swarmed around him even more.

The hot lava underground area beneath the cliff, which would normally be filled with groundwater, was heating up even more with Leeha’s popularity.