Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

While the strength of Prea had been borrowed for securing positions in the fortress, her combat abilities had never been tested. More importantly, being suspected by her own allies, Chiyou decided it was best to bring Prea along.

“What about Igor? Say the word, and I’ll dig into his past for you.”

“No need for that. He’s boasting about his rank at third place, obviously fishing for us to bite the bait. It’s Faust we should worry about, not him.”

“Really?”

“Didn’t Faust fail to climb the rankings this time?”

The recent tumult in the community over the ranking upheaval had left Faust unchanged. Despite acquiring a substantial amount of experience and levels, he had not seen any notable shifts.

“Should we approach Faust then…”

“No, we can’t neglect him. It would be unwise to offend the only one among us who has had contact with Le.”

Faust had once received power directly from the Bluebeard. It was easier to seek out the elusive Bluebeard by utilizing someone with firsthand experience, thought Chiyou.

After all, as the saying goes, a smart rabbit digs three burrows.

“If even the Shinobigumi couldn’t find it, we’re probably facing a limitation not yet discovered by regular users. If this is some sort of trick, there might be only one condition to unravel it.” What if the condition to find Rey was being a user who had contact with him?

Chiyou suspected that having had contact with Rey was a likely condition.

“Leave the soul gathering to Faust. I was going to ask Igor, but since Faust is a necromancer, he should handle it well. Assign Igor as Faust’s assistant.”

“What? But that’s one of the most critical aspects of our agreement with Toon…”

“It’s about showing trust. Encourage a direct conversation with Rey while you’re at it.”

Chiyou was among the gamers who meticulously navigated the systems of Middle Earth.

“I understand. Also, about the Musketeer Academy NPC from Fibiel you mentioned…”

“Oh, how did that go? Is there a connection?”

“It seems so.”

“Why the uncertainty?”

“Browless was originally meant to be included in the New Continent Knight Order dispatched by Fibiel. However…”

Sasuke’s voice darkened, the fear of not fulfilling Chiyou’s directive on time palpable.

“Lotzak blocked it.”

“Lotzak? The Mage Squad Chief? Hmm… Alright then.”

“Yes?”

“I said, alright.”

“Right! I’ll continue the investigation.”

“Did you ask our spy in the mage squad?”

“Yes. But we couldn’t proceed further. Due to his inclusion in the New Continent dispatch mage squad…”

“Ah, maybe I should have planted a couple more spies. Well, it could still be useful. Anyway, good job.”

“Thank you! I’ll also send the monthly financial statements. A tavern was sold this week…”

“Okay, leave that to me. Just email it. Thanks.”

After ending the whisper with Sasuke, Chiyou reflected on the suspicious link between Browless and Lotzak.

“That old fox blocked it? Does it mean he doesn’t want Browless to encounter those two NPCs? So, the three NPCs have a deep connection.”

This revelation only deepened the perceived connection.

“Ah, Luger, Ha Leeha, Kidd, and two unknown NPCs, including Browless.”

She had a perfect grasp over the setup of the User Trio versus NPC Trio.

“The two from the New Continent hold a horizontal relationship with Bluebeard, the control tower remains unidentified…”

Chiyou had a vague idea about the future direction.

“Finding them and acquiring information about the control tower first grants the upper hand.”

The conflict was not just between the human alliance of the Old Continent and the Demon King’s Army.

To truly gain power as the third force, one had to break through the midst of their battle.

Could they stand shoulder to shoulder with the united force of all users and monsters in Middle Earth?!

“Haah…”

Chiyou shivered, her face flushed with excitement. At the edge of her vision, something sparkled.

“Huh?”

She was looking at an alley in the residential area for NPCs within the fortress.

Only a few garbage bins for NPCs were placed haphazardly in the dark alley.

“What’s this…? A skill? Who did it?”

It was a speck of light so small and fleeting that she could’ve mistaken it for a trick of the eye or a brief sparkle.

Chiyou glanced briefly at the spot.

But soon, she shrugged and turned away.

With a barrier of transparency wrought from the fusion of spirits and magic enveloping the area, intrusion from outside was virtually impossible.

“The tamer blinded by love in the skies… It couldn’t have deceived me.”

Chiyou waved her hand towards the sky.

Where she thought was nothing, Yoyo emerged, riding a winged pony, its face breaking into a smile.

Just like Leeha and the users growing, those on Chiyou’s side found their own ways and means, steadily growing in strength.

“Is it the third wave now…

With the break of dawn, Juma City was once again bracing for another wave of monsters.

Tension rippled through the users lined up in front of Juma City in the early morning.

“Here they come.”

“Is it just me? It feels like the number of giant monsters has increased…”

Since the distance to the darkened horizon was about 1km, it was impossible for regular users to accurately determine the number or type of monsters.

However, monsters of a completely different kind, ranging from at least 15m to about 30m in size, were vaguely visible.

“Ugh, does an increase on their side mean an increase on ours too? It’s never easy, is it?”

“This event is strange in itself. Middle Earth wouldn’t want the users to completely annihilate the Demon King’s Army, right? Right, Nara-ssi?”

Kijung scratched his head as Bobae looped her arms through his.

Although it seemed like any other day of preparation for battle, today was special because of a particular group.

“Phew… It’s been a while since we’ve had a battle this large, but I’m still nervous—”

And it wasn’t just one person, but close to a hundred.

All clad in shining armor and draped in white cloaks.

“—we have to do it right?”

The Sacred Knights had sent a delegation of 101 members.

Their mere presence was enough to overpower and overwhelm most mid-sized guilds in the area.

Shin Nara constantly scanned the surroundings, even while watching the Sacred Knights.

Bobae couldn’t miss the movement of her eyes.

“Geez, still not here.”

“What, what is it!?”

“Don’t play dumb. Kijung! Leeha still hasn’t arrived, right?”

“Ah, Leeha? He said he’d log in soon. I’ll tell him to meet Nara-ssi first when he arrives.”

“Never mind! Just—don’t. Please.”

Shin Nara waved her hands in panic, obviously not disliking Kijung’s consideration, but ‘to that extent’ was again a woman’s psychology that neither Leeha, who was late even today, nor Kijung, who wondered why she was upset, could understand.

“Giggle… Anyway… I’ll join the Mage Squad.”

“Ah, Hyein. Right, you’re moving with them this time?”

“Yes, Kay. I have something I want to test. Fifteen people are dispatched from the Mage Squad, and I need to check their power too.”

“Alright. Call if it gets dangerous.”

Kijung called out to Hyein as he set off alone.

Hyein couldn’t help but smile warmly at him.

“How does a guild master protecting a guild member even make sense? But thanks, Kay.”

“It doesn’t matter if it’s not a guild war. It’s a must!”

Hyein felt a kind of admiration for Kijung, who was showing a side of himself that he had never shown while being a guild master.

[Ahhhh]

The distant growling of the Toon heightened the tension among the players.

“Wha?! So soon?”

“Their advance is fast this time! Get into positions, everyone!”

While the guild members were frantically preparing for battle, the Shin Nara and Sacred Knights stood out unmistakably.

“All members of the Sacred Knights, prepare for battle! This is the real deal! Group into teams of five, a total of 20 teams! Death will not be forgiven! For Fibiel, for the glory of the King!”

For Fibiel!

For the glory of the King——-!

Whoooosh……!

The Sacred Knights, emitting a pure white light, were ready for battle in an instant, sufficiently capturing the attention of the players.

“Nara, this must be so embarrassing for you.”

“Shh, quiet. There’s nothing I can do about it.”

While Shin Nara and Bobae were giggling and teasing each other, a dark shadow cast over them.

“Though from an enemy nation, that was remarkable valor.”

“Alexander, is that you?”

“In the siege of Juma City, we must gather the strength of humanity beyond nations, mustn’t we, comrade?”

[The common good is of greater value than any nation’s borders. It’s only natural.]

“Then we must demonstrate our justice, our good.”

[Of course. Even if only to enlighten the Toon for their foolishness three times over.]

Flap-flap———

[We must show them our power.]

Kyaaaaah——–!

The Ancient Gold Dragon’s single roar washed away all the tension and anxiety of the players.

“Let’s go.”

[We’re off.]

Woosh-!

With Alexander and Bailephus leading the charge with their offensive defense, the third Monster Wave began.

“Do concepts always receive such welcoming responses? It’s my first time seeing Alexander like this.”

“I know, right? He seems nicer than he looks.”

That Bobae and Nara could so casually backbite (sort of) was likely an unexpected turn for Alexander.

As the third wave of battle was about to commence, a minor commotion was taking place at the warp gate of Juma City.

“Ah, I’m late, so late! Blaugrunn-ssi! Please use Haste!”

“Seriously, I can’t live because of Leeha.”

“What do you mean can’t live, hurry up!”

“Oh fine, ‘Haste’”

Swoooosh-!

A verdant flash, and Leeha’s body shot forward as if launched. As he dashed, stirring up dust, something on his shoulder clattered.

“This long, dark weapon and this large, thick item are just perfect to test out!”

“…Is it just me, or does that sound oddly strange?”

“Pfft! What are you thinking about, Blaugrunn-ssi!?”

Leeha turned, face flushed, looking back at Blaugrunn.

However, the face of the innocent youth showed no signs of untoward thoughts.

“Huh? What thoughts? It’s because of your description, like the forelimb of a monster.”

“Oh! A monster’s forelimb? Is that so?” Feeling a bit embarrassed, Leeha reconsidered his phrasing.

‘Long and dark weapon and the large, thick item placed upon that weapon’

There was no need to specify what it was.

‘Couldn’t enhance it, but… It’s enough. Let’s start with a scope test!’

Loading the magazine and pulling the bolt, the cold sensation thrilled Leeha. The joy outweighed the regret at this moment.

“Include me too! For my experience points———!”

After clearing the Freezing Ostrich quest and overcoming the bottleneck, the “Heroic Dwarf-Made Ultra High Precision Scope” was firmly attached to the “Legendary Black Bass.”

It was the moment Leeha’s secret weapon, which would provide a wider and further range than Rubini’s maps or Blaugrunn’s detection magic, was born.