Matan’s Shooter

One, hit the Demon King’s Fragment more than once.

This was a basic condition, unrelated to the growth method.

It meant that regardless of how one had been fulfilling the charge rate, as long as the Demon King’s Fragment was active, hitting them was sufficient.

And two, according to one’s growth method, find a specialized, unique sacrifice.

This had to be seen as a special condition.

Depending on the actions taken the most to increase the charge rate of the Black Bass, all the users up to now must have been different from each other.

“For now, is it vampires for me? They’re the ones I’ve captured the most while raising it to 49.9%.”

It wasn’t the clone of Pyrot-Cocri, nor some dragon of Faust.

“If I shoot one with similar mighty power and importance in the world as hitting the Demon King’s Fragment… huh?”

Suddenly, a name flashed through Leeha’s mind.

Rarity similar to the Demon King’s Fragment.

Mighty power.

Influence on the world.

A vampire possessing all of those qualities.

At this point, the closest enemy to that!

“… Definitely… better than the Demon King’s Fragment, I guess?”

Whether it was the first or the second time, it had to be faced anyway.

If it was an inevitable battle, finding a way to use it as a sacrifice for the charge rate seemed like a reasonable method, didn’t it?

But why did it feel like they he already broken through the 50% barrier?

With a pleasant excitement, Leeha asked Elizabeth.

“So, what happened after 50%? How about the charging?”

“From there, it changes again. While my case and yours might not be the same… once it surpasses 50%, monsters aren’t needed anymore.”

“Well, so…”

Leeha asked, a bit puzzled.

“Do you mean you only have to hit the Demon King’s Fragment without monsters?”

“No. It means it’s sufficient to activate it up to 50%.”

Elizabeth spoke firmly.

Leeha tilted his head.

“Didn’t you try to activate it to 100%?”

“Yes, I didn’t.”

She smiled brightly. For Leeha, it was quite a baffling situation.

If she had said that there was no big difference between achieving more than 50% and hitting 100%, hence there was no need to do it, it could have been understandable.

But how should he accept the idea of not needing to do it when she hadn’t even tried?

“Well, um… alright. I’ll keep your advice in mind, senior.”

“Sure. You’ll understand once you surpass 50%. Black Bass… craves too much blood.”

Black Bass desired blood.

Beyond 50%, it didn’t even need to be awakened anymore.

What was the charging condition required by Elizabeth?

‘Was it too much that she decided not to charge anymore?’

The question remained unsolved for now.

Even if asked, she wouldn’t disclose the information since she wasn’t an NPC.

Besides, Leeha knew better than anyone that Middle Earth wasn’t a kind game.

“By the way, you activated it really quickly, didn’t you? I couldn’t do it that fast back when I tried. How did you already unlock it when, last time, you hadn’t even learned the ‘Ghost in the Shell’? Impressive, impressive, our dongsaeng.”

Elizabeth patted Leeha’s head.

Even though he was being treated like a child, Leeha didn’t feel bad. Above all, there was something he was curious about.

“Then, can you tell me objectively?”

“Huh? What?”

Last night, the debate near the campfire between Brown and Browless had piqued Leeha’s curiosity.

“Compared to your son… how do I stand?”

How strong was the current 《Arcane Sniper》?

If not using Arcane Bullet, comparing the general shooting skill and destructive power, what would his capabilities be?

Elizabeth gave a sly smile.

“You’d win.”

“Huh? What? Really?”

Leeha, taken aback, asked, and even Brown cast a glance at him. Elizabeth nodded but didn’t fail to add a condition.

“Yes, in a simple sniper battle, Kyle would win, but it would certainly be a variable-ridden fight. My son is not yet accustomed to such battles.”

“Then, are you saying I’d lose in a straightforward 1:1 sniping battle based solely on shooting skills?”

Leeha’s pride didn’t let him just accept her words. She contemplated with a seriously thoughtful expression.

“Ummm… No! Still, I think you will win.”

“Ohoho! That’s a surprisingly high evaluation! I thought you would definitely say I would lose!”

Leeha’s face brightened instantly.

This was, so to speak, the ranking evaluated by the Middle Earth system.

The authority held by the AI of the NPC most skilled in shooting! Compared to that, it meant that Leeha was not lacking at all compared to Kyle!

Elizabeth watched Leeha with amusement and raised her index finger.

“But!”

With a clunk, she pulled out the gun she had slung over her back.

The rifle that could become Arcane Sniper.

Luger and Kidd, who had quietly sneaked up to Leeha while adjusting their speed, also looked at the gun.

“If Kyle holds this, you’ll lose. No, even if you gather all our other juniors… You can’t defeat Kyle.”

Elizabeth looked back and forth between Leeha, Luger, and Kidd and spoke definitively.

Feeling her gaze, the Three Musketeers all bristled.

“Are you saying we’ll lose even if he doesn’t use the Arcane Bullet?”

“Kehaha! Not even in a 3:1, let alone three one-on-one matches?”

“We have gotten quite strong ourselves, senior. Unless it’s the Arcane Bullet that can hit without being confined by space…”

A common simulation ran in the minds of the three.

『Rapidfire』, Desperado Kidd.

『Pierce』, Cannoneer Luger.

『Accuracy』, White Reaper Leeha.

Someone who could win in a 3:1 against these three?

They had confidence.

There would not be more than five in the entirety of Middle Earth who could win in a 3:1 battle without interference from anyone else.

One Bahamut, three Demon King’s Fragments, after counting those four fingers, only one spot would remain.

—Give that last spot to a brat who doesn’t even know how to take off his hood? Ridiculous.

—…They might only have memories from the old days. If all they know is the image of us once defeated by Brown, then it’s understandable to say such things.

—But you know, considering that… Leeha whispered with Luger and Kidd, then turned his head. Elizabeth was smiling confidently.

As if saying, ‘I know exactly what you guys are thinking.’

Really, was it just based on old memories?

She already knew they had encountered the Lich Dragons on their way here.

Yet, she still exuded confidence?

The three turned their gaze towards Kyle simultaneously.

The rifle slung over his shabby robe and hood was anything but special.

‘When using that gun, I can beat him in a one-on-one… But if he changes the gun, he can win a 3:1?’

Ultimately, only one answer came to mind.

This time, the trio’s gaze turned to Elizabeth. More specifically, it focused on the gun she was holding.

“Arcane Sniper’s rifle…”

“Hehe, indeed the one who holds that will―”

“End this game.”

Kidd, Luger, and Leeha glared at each other.

Their eyes met, expressing their unwillingness to yield on this matter. Just then, Fernand let out a scream.

“Uwaagh!”

Thunk───…

He was thrown backward.

“Fernand!”

“What, what’s going on? Human compass! What happened?”

“Prepare for battle!”

Is it an enemy surprise attack?

They could judge later. They mechanically and reflexively adopted a defensive posture.

“Ow… It hurts, what the―this is embarrassing.”

On the other hand, the attacked(?) Fernand remained surprisingly composed.

“Are you alright?”

“No, I wasn’t attacked…”

New Elements and Characters:

Leeha took out a potion and offered it, but Fernand declined it with a smile. Fernand slowly surveyed the surroundings.

They were in a vast, empty plain.

The types of plants were quite unfamiliar, but the terrain of the grassland remained largely unchanged.

Elizabeth and Brown watched him with faces full of expectation. Only after meeting their gaze did Fernand become certain.

“Here it is.”

“What is here?”

“The entrance to Saur Land… This is the boundary.”

He carefully stretched his hand into the air.

*Vuuuuuuuuu-*

Like a shield-type skill, an invisible barrier touched his hand. In the context of Middle Earth, it wasn’t particularly surprising.

It was only slightly different from what he had seen before countless times.

“A shield without mana…?”

The one who felt this difference most keenly was, as expected, the Ancient Dragon Bailephus.

—

“Is it remarkable? Not feeling mana has happened several times before—”

“No! It’s not just that I can’t feel mana. It’s different from that. It’s not about detection; there’s no flow of mana in this place at all!”

Bailephus’ amazement was genuine.

Even Luger, who thought he had found something to tease about after a long time, was so moved and shocked by his expression that he couldn’t say another word.

“Is it… really that amazing?”

“Amazing? This would be like—if I were to compare it to your humans’ buildings, it would be like a house with only a roof. Is that possible?”

“Uhm… no, it’s not possible.”

A roof can’t exist without walls or pillars.

The users finally understood why Bailephus was snorting and excited.

If there had been any users with a magician job class, their reaction would have been much stronger than Leeha’s party. Unfortunately, no one in their group actively utilized mana.

“Ha Leeha! Quickly! 〈Polymorph: In Memory〉!”

*Clang!*

“Huh, transformation magic all of a sudden?”

Bailephus used the spell, urging Leeha. The sudden skill effect made humans step back with their eyes covered. Leeha rummaged through his bag with a somewhat amusing feeling and pulled out an item.

“Bailephus-nim! If you transform directly… uh…”

Leeha, who took out Toon’s vocal cords, stood dazed for a moment.

『Hurry, hurry and give it to me!』

Bailephus impatiently transformed into Toon’s form, an image deeply embedded in everyone’s memory.

“Haha! You’ve gone completely senile, so senile!”

“I never thought you’d transform into Toon.”

Watching Bailephus flail Toon’s long arms around, Luger laughed, holding his stomach. Kidd tipped his hat down, finding it somehow embarrassing to watch.

Elizabeth, next to Luger, was laughing merrily, while Browless and Brown looked deeply embarrassed.

Among them, there was another user who couldn’t handle the gaze fixed on him.

『Fine, I’ll blow it!』

“N-no, partner!”

Seeing his partner snatching the vocal cords from Leeha, Alexander cried out in agony.

As Leeha diligently took screenshots of the rare sight of the top-ranking player being embarrassed, he thought, ‘Ugh, I hope this captures well. This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance to see Alexander make that face!’

His desire to boast(?) to Kijung and the others around him surged.

『Prepare yourselves, everyone!』

Though Bailephus was as excited as a child, he was still an Ancient Dragon. He reminded them of the tension required to brace for an unexpected situation, and finally made use of Toon’s vocal cords.

Having Toon’s form and holding Toon’s vocal cords, he breathed mana and air together into them.

『Aaaah—Aaaahhhhh—!』

A roar resembling both speech and a simple scream, ambiguous in its nature.

The reproduction of Toon’s dinosaur-like roar by Bailephus caused the users to shudder once more.

It would have had the same effect on those within the boundary as well.

“Something… is coming.”

About three minutes after Toon’s roar echoed, Leeha’s eyes caught sight of something.

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