Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“… I thought you were stupid, but you have a smart side, Luger.”

“What?”

“In other words, you’re admitting that everyone here participating in this eastern search is superior to you, Luger.”

Luger, brimming with confidence after his second job change, stepped forward, but he couldn’t handle Kidd, who was seasoned in dealing with him.

“That, that’s not what I meant!”

“Haha, let’s leave it at that. It’s true that having Leeha-ssi around would be helpful, but if he’s busy with other pressing matters, there’s nothing we can do.”

“Pressing matters, my foot. Do you even know where he is right― Huh?!”

Browless stopped the jumping Luger.

Luger, grumbling, instinctively opened the teleportation window of the Three Musketeers.

Watching Luger’s suddenly changing expression, Kidd tilted his head in curiosity.

“What’s going on―”

“Kidd! Teleport!”

Shuaaa…!

Luger immediately used the Three Musketeers’ teleportation.

“―with―”

Even without fully understanding the situation, Kidd of 〈Rapid Fire〉 was not left behind. He quickly opened the teleportation window of the Three Musketeers.

And he confirmed Leeha’s location.

Shazrashian’s north―Under the Cold Wind Mountain Range―Peklo City―Abyssal Maw

Teleporting, Kidd made his guess.

Luger knew what the ‘Abyssal Maw’ meant. But if Kidd’s assumption was correct, what kind of scene would they witness right after the teleportation ended?

Shuaaa…!

A lavender light flashed beside Leeha.

Abnormal Status: Spatial Restraint (Enhanced) has been applied. All space movement within the area is restricted for 15 minutes.

Abnormal Status: Communication Disruption (Enhanced) has been applied. All group chatting, including whispers, is prohibited for 15 minutes.

“A Demon King’s Fragment!”

“What are you doing alone? Why on earth are you in a skeleton’s form?”

It was no wonder Leeha looked alarmed for ‘various reasons’.

“… Luger? Kidd?”

Leeha quickly took off the spy Kojobu’s glasses and looked at the bright red crystal and the girl standing in front of it.

There was something in the crystal ball. So who was that girl, and what was she?

And how did the Three Musketeers get here?

‘Ah, I must have activated it when I saw Kaztor from the center of the Dawn Sea?!’

Leeha realized he had turned on the teleportation to call everyone when he discovered Kaztor at the center of the Dawn Sea.

Should he feel reassured or like he was holding a bomb?

“Who are you guys? How― No, were you just 0.1 seconds faster? Eek! What surprising friendship!?”

At least, it was certain that the smiling girl watching Leeha, Luger, and Kidd was not an ordinary person.

* * *

“The third Demon King’s Fragment, huh. I won’t go easy on you just because you’re a child.”

“No need to be deceived by appearances. Leeha, are you ready?”

Luger and Kidd approached Leeha. Leeha, too, before they knew it, inserted the magazine and aimed the Black Bass.

‘Similar build to Ram Hwajung― but a completely different atmosphere.’

Her long, braided hair, an abnormally pale face, and lips painted with thick eye makeup and black lipstick.

If Ram Hwajung had the image of a pale blue fairy, Leeha thought that Pyrot Cocri resembled a little witch.

“No need to align our moves. Just keep them in check so I’m not attacked. 〈Acht-Acht―〉”

“Wait a minute! Wait a minute, Luger!”

Luger was about to attack Pyrot Cocri using his skill, but Leeha felt a sense of doubt for some reason.

“Hee-hee! Why are you stopping? Go ahead and attack!”

Pyrot Cocri had not been flustered at all by the sudden appearance of the three musketeers.

Was her smiling and inviting them to attack simply due to confidence?

‘She knew that I was in contact with Blaugrunn, and that crystal ball too!’

Leeha’s eyes quickly swept over the crystal ball.

Had Kidd and Luger also read the situation? They stopped growling for a moment and stared at the crystal ball.

Pyrot Cocri read the looks in the three musketeers’ eyes as they glanced between her and the crystal ball.

Blocking Luger’s attack, she looked at Leeha, who was staring at the crystal ball, with surprise.

“You’re quite smart, huh? Yeah, yeah, I don’t mind smart oppas. That yellow-haired oppa of yours is totally useless, though.”

“A monster set with a few thousand years of experience talking like a kid-”

“Wait! Don’t attack!”

Leeha stopped Luger, who had once again prepared to attack, one more time.

She was luring them into attacking. Why?

“Why are you stopping me, you idiot! We have to kill it before its ‘main body’ awakens. Even a half-hearted attack would just wake up its main body anyway!”

“What?”

“So, I have to use my new technique and wipe it out in one go!”

Luger growled at Leeha, causing Pyrot Cocri’s expression to change once again.

“Wow, even the yellow-haired oppa isn’t completely ignorant? How did he know that? Have you woken up Grandpa Le or Ghibrid-oppa before!?”

“Grrr—”

Luger bit his lip but had nothing to say even if he had ten mouths.

Pyrot Cocri was exactly right, and at that moment, Kidd figured out the entire situation.

“…I see. A half-hearted attack back then only served to provoke the sleeping Bluebeard.”

“Even if it wasn’t me, someone would’ve woken it up eventually! Think about the levels, skills, and classes of the users at that time!”

“So, she’s luring us into attacking! That’s what she’s doing now!”

The strange sense of discomfort Pyrot Cocri had shown stemmed from that.

However, that alone didn’t provide a satisfying answer.

If she was luring them into attacking, there’d been no need for idle chatter. She could have just let them attack her first.

‘She wouldn’t have needed to mention that she knew I was in contact with Blaugrunn either.’

Pyrot Cocri’s true main body was still sleeping inside the crystal ball.

However, the clone outside, at least in mind and spirit, seemed to be enjoying the situation.

Like a child who had found a new toy, the little witch smiled and said, “Wanna play with me?”

“What?”

Play with her? In this situation, suddenly this…?

The Demon King’s Fragments inherently held systemic advantages on Middle Earth.

Just like Bluebeard, Pyrot Cocri could likely see the opponent’s level and stats.

‘Is she confident? Even though those three had completed their second job changes. I may not have any attack skills, but Luger and Kidd are different, aren’t they?’

Leeha couldn’t comprehend the intentions of this third Demon King’s Fragment.

That was until Kidd glanced at the walls around them.

“There is an undead presence. A number that’s hard to estimate.”

“…Was that her plan?”

Had Pyrot Cocri’s aim been to surround and attack them using the numerous undead Leeha had seen while coming here?

Pyrot Cocri shook her head firmly as she listened to Leeha’s words.

“Nope, nope~? I mean it literally, let’s play. My absolute favorite is themed games.”

Then she extended her fingers. The girl formed a V.

“Themed…”

“Games…?”

The three musketeers looked at each other briefly.

As soon as Luger and Kidd had arrived, teleportation and whispering had been completely blocked.

* * *

“Unlike Grandpa Le, I absolutely hate bothersome things. Playing here is the best. But if you touch my main body… I’ll wake up. You know what that means, right?”

Pyrot Cocri trailed off as if presenting a riddle.

All three of them quickly grasped the hidden meaning.

“Does it mean Bluebeard will notice the moment it awakens?”

“Ding-dong-deng! Ten points to the oppa with the hat! So, we’ll inevitably have to fight, right? Above all… I overheard that black-haired oppa talking to a dragon. I hate Grandpa Le, but I despise that old Bahamut even more. If that geezer Bahamut finds out about this place, I’d be so sad.”

Pyrot Cocri hugged herself and made a pitiful face.

Of course, Leeha was utterly dumbfounded.

This whispering ability did not just mean overhearing. It meant knowing exactly ‘who’ and ‘what’ was being said.

“Even if Bahamut geezer comes, he can’t kill me. The moment my original body awakens, the ‘Abyssal Maw’ will connect. Tee-hee, Grandpa Le’s is in the center of this continent, and Ghibrid oppa’s is on the mainland across the sea, so I can just go straight to Ghibrid oppa’s house.”

Pyrot Cocri said an astonishing thing as if it were nothing.

It was natural for the Three Musketeers to be surprised.

“What!?”

“What― what?”

“……Are you saying it has warp functionality?”

She gave them a faint smile as she observed their reactions.

The Three Musketeers didn’t know how to react to her behavior, which seemed almost as if she wanted to share this information intentionally.

– Have you heard, Kidd? That the Abyssal Maw has warp functionality?

– You are the only one who has actually faced it.

– Wait a minute! I think I’ve heard something about it being closed. Maybe when Ram Hwajung did her second job transfer, the Silver Dragon mentioned it.

They tried conversing with eye signals, but no answers came out.

Pyrot Cocri spoke with a voice that enjoyed the situation.

“So even if my original body awakens and we summon the Bahamut geezer, my place would just turn into a mess, but I wouldn’t die. Tee-hee! Here comes the second option!”

First option: Fight.

And considering her excessive explanation of what would happen if they chose the first option, it was easy to guess what the second option would entail.

“Leave quietly and keep this place a secret. Especially the black-haired oppa who came in first. If you tell the dragon about this place, Bahamut geezer will come, and I’ll awaken my original body and escape. Tee-hee! You three might survive for a brief moment, but… do you really want that?”

Pyrot Cocri spun around in place, acting cute.

It was a threat entirely unfit for her cute appearance, bright voice, and playful gestures.

It was like saying if they revealed this location, the Demon King’s Fragments would all awaken.

‘She’s provoking us into attacking. Or perhaps that initial provocation was a ploy to sow doubt…’

Leeha thought.

From Pyrot Cocri’s first actions to her way of speaking, everything pointed in one direction.

“……Indeed, this must be what they mean by marionette. It pretends there are two choices, but in reality, it’s forcing us to choose not to fight. As if she herself wants to avoid the fight.”

Pyrot Cocri laughed at Leeha’s words.

She neither confirmed nor denied it.

“Hyung, oppa, do you want to be my toy? I’ll keep your mind intact! Yes, yes. I think you’d make the best toy.”

However, her acknowledgment of Leeha’s insight signified agreement.

Luger and Kidd quickly understood it as well.

Given all she had said, Pyrot Cocri didn’t want to fight.

If viewed from another angle?

What if her reasons weren’t true, and there was another reason she was avoiding the fight?

‘Is it because she fears Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon…?’

‘It could all be a lie about the Abyssal Maw having warp functionality. She’s afraid of having her retreat cut off.’

‘Or perhaps her clone has no power at all. If she saw the possibility of being annihilated by our attack rather than awakening, that response would make sense.’

Leeha, Luger, and Kidd each considered the possibilities.

Even one or all of these possibilities were reasonable assumptions.

But what if they were wrong?

If by any chance their guesses were wrong and Pyrot Cocri’s reasons were true?

“All three of us would become her toys. You guys have browsed the royal archives while doing Three Musketeers Quests, right?”

Leeha looked at Kidd and Luger as he spoke.

There was no way they hadn’t seen the records he had read.

“〈Lugermon〉 wouldn’t even stand a chance.”

“Don’t insult Lugermon!”

Luger alone as a Manticore was already challenging.

What if the Three Musketeers, all of whom had undergone their second job transfers, became undead? It would be hell on earth.

They had to choose.

Determine which was the trap and which was the truth.