Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“Oh no, uh, well, I was thinking of coming to find you and talking to you later. How does that sound?”

Karelin’s twisted expression began to regain its calm once again. One of the truly frightening reasons about him was this.

It wasn’t just his frightening appearance, but the fact that his usual innocent personality and his ‘twisted personality when angry’ were completely different.

‘Karelin, like Nara, works for the Shazrarsian palace, well, not the government, but relatively well-analyzed for those who work for the community.’

It was even said that one might see King Kong if he got angry. As he didn’t want to cause any trouble here, he tried to pacify him as gently as possible.

“Understood. Then I will wait for you to find me at the Remlin Palace.”

“Re-Remlin Palace…! I’ll inform you immediately.”

Upon hearing the reply below, Karelin’s innocent face returned, and he smiled.

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“Alright, please take care. I’ll be waiting for you in a bit.”

Then, in the blink of an eye, he disappeared with a return scroll.

Watching him vanish from his spot, he let out a sigh.

“Phew… It’s a different kind of pressure compared to Igor. Giants seem to be somewhat different.”

『Myongmyong!』

“Hm?”

“Well, Jin Gonggong’s not like that. I’ll get scolded for saying this. Should we go now? Let’s go, Jellypong, this way!”

『Myong!』

Shwaaaaah-!

Jellypong clung to Leeha’s body once again. However, it was no longer in the form of a ‘vest’.

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“It’s all squishy and damp now! It feels like a neck brace hugging my neck,”

Leeha thought as Jellypong clung around his neck, more like a neck protector than a vest.

As Jellypong changed its form, resembling more of a winter scarf, Leeha reached for his hat that had flown off his head.

“Hmm, should I sew it back on or do I need to find a new one.”

Though it was a rare item that only dropped from the Harpy field boss, the area where it appeared was unpopular, and Leeha wasn’t even sure how many times he would have to farm to get it.

Feeling a bit disappointed, Leeha stashed the hat in his bag and hopped on the back of Koma.

“Let’s go, little buddy! Towards that building, one o’clock!”

“Kyuuuung!”

Kugukuguk, kugukuguk, kugukuguk-!

Feeling like riding on a large eye patch made of fur, Leeha aimed at the third point he had sniped, the abandoned building, and moved towards it.

The place still emitted a white light.

※※ ※ ※

“Alright then… Koma, you can go back now. You did well.”

“Kyuung!”

Leeha patted Koma’s fur and sent it off with a pat on the back. Koma disappeared with a satisfied expression. After adjusting his clothes and taking a deep breath, Leeha finally opened the door of the abandoned building.

Creek!

With the sound of the rusty latch, Leeha walked into the building. Though slightly nervous, his steps were that of someone eligible to clear the quest, filled with confidence.

“Hello there!”

However, upon seeing the White Reaper, Leeha could only manage a foolish mix of admiration and greeting.

“Is it you?”

The translucent figure had a human shape, yet it was not entirely transparent.

The White Reaper emitted a continuous white light, shimmering mysteriously. What was most astonishing was the shape of the wings sprouting from his back. He wasn’t swaying as if floating in the air, but his form was actually buoyant. It was only natural for those who saw his appearance, with a solemn voice and an almost divine feel, to be amazed.

“Uh, yes! I, uh, am the one who… uh, shot Shimo-nim.”

『That’s what I meant.』

The figure of the White Reaper altered abruptly. The spot where his right eyeball had been was now gaping voidly. As the wide-eyed Leeha stared at the almost bulbous sight, the corner of the White Reaper’s mouth lifted slightly.

『That was a brilliant shot. I couldn’t even tell where the shot was coming from, but the bullet passed right by my spot.』

“Um, uh, I’m sorry.”

Leeha stammered, but his expression did not help him at all. Instead, as he looked at Even with a puzzled smile, the White Reaper also chuckled. Unlike Elizabeth or Brownliss, the White Reaper was different. Though not one of the Musketeers, Leeha believed the White Reaper had reached the pinnacle of sniping with a set 480 confirmed hits.

He didn’t feel elated to be acknowledged by such a presence.

『Achievement: Invisible Hand(A)』

Congratulations! You successfully attacked your target without being seen by the enemy or seeing the enemy. Unlike swinging or shooting aimlessly, your attack with a clear target and precise intent left the enemy utterly bewildered! They are now in awe of you, fearing that the “Invisible Hand” could strike anytime, anywhere.

Rewards: Strength +6, Agility +6, intelligence +6, status Effect when attacking: Stun Application Probability +2%

You are the third registrant of the “Invisible Hand” achievement.

The first three registrants will be recorded in the Hall of Fame, and the existing effect will be applied an additional 200%.

Effects: Strength +12, Agility +12, intelligence +12 Status Effect when attacking: Stun Application Probability +4%

“A complete surprise or… wait, is this a bonus from somewhere?”

For every successful attack, there was a chance to stun the enemy, adding another layer of excitement! Pondering this, Leeha suddenly felt like he might know the identity of one of the two other achievers beside himself.

『No need to apologize. How many times did I not hit a few heads to test you out? Seems like you didn’t use that magic tonight.』

“You remember!?”

Leeha gazed at him with an exuberant expression, like a fan garnering attention from a celebrity. The White Reaper nodded.

『Courage in the face of danger, unwavering tenacity, and self-belief. You resemble a Paldrin. No, you might be even more similar to me in having unconventional tactics.』

“It’s only natural!”

I share the same name as my teacher! We were even both in the military, there’s so much to say about that! But what exactly is an unconventional tactic? Do you have any unique abilities up your sleeve? Oh, and how did you manage to avoid being hit when the lightning magic was striking down like crazy back then? Just wanted to throw all this out randomly.

Even though he was just an NPC; and this was in Middle Earth, opportunities to converse with the legendary sniper were scarce.

‘Above all, it’s interesting that he knows the keyword ‘trust’ as well. If I were to ask a White Reaper about the concept of trust and devotion, wouldn’t I get a clearer answer?’

Remembering Kim’s advice and Elizabeth’s guidance, he had succeeded in sniping the White Reaper, but he still didn’t fully comprehend the concept.

Wanting to gain even a bit more information or hints, it was only natural for him to thirst for a single word of wisdom from the legendary senior.

However, there was no time to spare.

『By the way… Can you listen to my story?』

『You have completed the quest I took action. I had no choice but to-1』

『Intimacy with Shimo increases by 30%.』

『Common fame in the Lope Continent increases by 300.』

『Public reputation of the Shazrashian Federation drops by 1,000.』

“Great, not only intimacy but fame too! And the Shazrashian public rep-… it dropped?”

The public reputation in Fibiel was overflowing. The Continental Common Fame was not lacking at all. However, there was hardly any chance for the public reputation of other countries to be accumulated by Leeha. And yet, decreased?

“This is… unsettling.”

At that moment, a holographic window appeared before him.

※ ※

『I took action. I had no choice but to-2.』

Explanation:

“I feel like the blood flowing within you reminds me of myself. I only want to speak because of who you are. All I desire is one thing. I want to help our still oppressed brothers and sisters to break free from discrimination… that’s all I ask. Since I cannot leave this place, would you please meet with the supreme authority of Krabavi on my behalf and deliver this message? If he promises and fulfills it, I will disappear from here immediately.”

Past mistakes continue to haunt the present. As the combined federation of the former Krabavi and Paldrin nations, deeply rooted in the Shazrashian region, grapples with eradicating racial discrimination and ensuring it, the way forward becomes apparent.

Content: Human rights charter for all minority factions under Shazrashian affiliation.

Reward: “I acted. I had no choice but to-3.”

Condition for Failure: Rejected by the Shazrashian Federation government.

Penalty for Failure: “Revived White Reaper”

– Do you accept?

“What- What’s this? A letter?”

Leeha had to read the quest window several times.

“Rights… No, that’s not it. Oh, back in high school – although it was a long time ago(?), I could vaguely remember. 『Document on Rights Described in Legal Grammar』! Oh, that’s what it was. Yeah, then the meaning is-”

It seemed that this quest’s main content would be to draft a document ensuring rights for all minority races, including Paldrinians, without discrimination.

And the method for that?

Considering the nature of Middle Earth where hints and answers are always found within the problems, there was only one obvious solution. It was to meet the highest authority, the current president, get their promise, have it approved in the federal government, and then proclaimed by the president. Leeha quickly grasped the gist of the quest.

However, understanding didn’t solve everything. The problem lingered on. Usually, if a quest fails, it’s over. The quest disappears, or in extreme cases, the course of the quest itself changes.

“Yeah, even the quest right before this was like that. Just doing one task before this quest… 『Revived White Reaper』 was canceled, and there was a penalty for failing to return the quest route to its original state! But now – what’s this?”

The failure condition is when the Shazrashian Federation rejects this matter. That was a very real possibility, so I had to negotiate diligently with the federal government to prevent such an outcome.

But what if I fail? The quest doesn’t just disappear?

“Instead of disappearing, it’s…”

It’s another quest. A quest where you follow the route of success if you succeed and the route of failure if you fail?

At least, it was a form that Leeha had never seen before while in Middle Earth.

Whether I succeed or fail, I must face this quest and destiny together.

“Um, well… I’m not sure if I can do this so easily-”

『You lack confidence.』

“I lack confidence. I can’t have confidence in everything, you know.”

Leeha’s expression darkened sharply after hearing that response. However, he was smiling.

“Well, of course, even if I lack confidence, I can’t just not do the work, right? Upholding the rights of minority races in the Shazrashian Federation, including Paldrinians…”

Leeha still didn’t have a clear idea of how to negotiate or what negotiations to make. However, he knew from the start that this was related to 『discrimination』.

‘Phew! Simply showing off skills won’t end the second job advancement. Initially, what was needed for the second job advancement was skill and keyword. Only those who can solve both problems will become a Middle Earth ascender. So, there’s no escaping it, might as well do it.’

“I’ll give it a try.”

Leeha pressed the accept button. Even stronger light poured out from Leeha’s body.