Matan’s Shooter

Chiyou stared blankly at Kaztor’s corpse.

With Kaztor’s complete death, the circle on his chest no longer grew.

“Kids~? Though I want to throw away this annoying old man’s corpse right away… we’ll need to take it with us for now, so hold onto it tightly.”

Chiyou commanded the bats.

She was curious about what kind of item he might drop, but the most definitive reason Chiyou had decided to kill Kaztor was Lee Jiwon.

“Even being reborn as an undead, he said he could freely use the skills he possessed.”

If that was related to his memories?

Though turned into a vampire and now in a subordinate relationship, should Chiyou keep someone potentially stronger than herself nearby?

If there was even the slightest chance of unforeseen incidents, it shouldn’t already be part of the plan.

Chiyou’s desire was to consider every possibility, even the one-in-a-million chances, and move while holding everything in her hands.

“If it’s possible to make him undead, that’d be great, hehe.”

Killing Kaztor, who had already become a vampire, and then resurrecting him as an undead.

This way, she could eliminate any suspicion or possibility of betrayal and extract all the information he possessed.

“What I like most is that he can be disposed of anytime. This old man was just too clingy and useless.”

Chiyou shuddered.

The NPCs, who couldn’t understand her grand scheme, couldn’t help but ask her.

“How, exactly—”

“How did you know there would be an attack?”

Why did she kill Kaztor?

To the NPCs, it would just register as a ‘rebellion’ or ‘coup d’etat’. Therefore, their question to Chiyou was about Leeha’s attack.

“Hmm…”

Chiyou looked at them.

There was no need to explain.

She could easily ignore the NPCs’ questions.

Besides, Elizabeth was bound to obey her as a vampire, wasn’t she?

However, Chiyou wanted to speak.

To ensure they harbored no other thoughts and to completely tame them, she spoke with a smile.

“Of course… it’s because it’s Ha Leeha.”

“What? Ha Leeha? Are you saying Ha Leeha did this?”

“Oh my, aren’t you Ha Leeha’s mentor? If even you didn’t know, it must be a really cherished skill. It turned out well.”

The system shouldn’t have revealed the attacker in a sure-kill judgment.

But Chiyou had resurrected thanks to the skill, ‘Blood Loyalty.’

In other words, by swapping bodies with Kaztor, she survived and could see who the attacker was according to the system.

“Answer me! How did you predict Ha Leeha’s attack? It was something even we couldn’t foresee—”

“So, I provoked him, didn’t I?”

Elizabeth and Brown were momentarily lost for words. Seeing them, Chiyou showed a bit of favor.

“Don’t you remember? This. Time. I. Won.”

The last words she had said to Leeha.

She perfectly replicated the tone and atmosphere from that moment.

If it served as a provocation, Ha Leeha would definitely target those fleeing.

And that target would certainly be me.

Chiyou was convinced.

It wasn’t relying on a simple guess but understanding the enemy’s character and pattern to perfectly control the situation.

And if she was sure of Ha Leeha’s attack?

Assuming he would surely use something that could kill in one blow?

Couldn’t she naturally use Ha Leeha to eliminate Kaztor?

“This is… impossible. To have such a… level of planning—”

“What’s impossible about it? This level of meticulousness is necessary… to negotiate with the Demon King’s Fragments, don’t you think?”

Looking at the astonished Elizabeth and Brown, whose eyes seemed about to pop out, Chiyou winked.

The two NPCs couldn’t speak any further.

Kyle, listening to Chiyou’s words, had two thoughts. One was fear of the player Chiyou, the second was the name of the person who had provoked him.

Kyle muttered that name softly.

“Leeha… sunbae.”

Kyle held his rifle tightly.

A shooter capable of using the true power of Arcane Bullet looked at the night sky with a somber expression.

『The Saur Land Request』

The quest had been completed.

The “Grudge Eater” achievement had been acquired.

The “Guardian of the Dark Elf Clan” achievement had been acquired.

He had leveled up.

He had leveled up again.

“Huh?”

Leeha tilted his head in confusion.

He had expected the level-up and achievements to pop up, but why were the achievement names like that?

Of course, the ones more surprised than Leeha were the nearby users.

“Ha, Ha Leeha?! Why have you appeared here?!”

“What’s going on? Ha Leeha, did you teleport? How did you get here?”

“Leeha… was that light just now…?”

Kidd, Luger, and Browless were startled and stared at Leeha in shock.

Around Leeha, who was kneeling beside Kidd, a soft glow lingered.

The level-up effect had already ended.

His body had shone because he used “White Reaper” followed by “Platinum Shield” in preparation for Kyle’s counterattack.

However, Leeha couldn’t answer their questions.

‘Why…? Why did completing the Saur Land quest achievement happen after killing Chiyou?’

The quest had been a request to treat Kyle in Saur Land with the completion condition being ‘Death of Dark Elf Kaztor.’

But it had been completed?

‘… No way. This doesn’t make any sense. Why? No… why? I definitely shot Chiyou—didn’t I?’

Leeha blinked.

He hadn’t shot incorrectly.

The shot from White Reaper had stretched straight along the trajectory he had targeted through the scope and hit perfectly. Hadn’t he directly seen the hole in Chiyou’s chest and her collapse from the impact?

‘I’d even seen the bats grabbing Chiyou! The surrounding chaos ensued. The sniper shot definitely succeeded.’

Even though he hadn’t seen the bats disintegrate into ashes due to their rampage afterward, he had clearly hit Chiyou.

That’s why he couldn’t comprehend the current situation at all.

There was no way Kaztor had died ‘in place of’ Chiyou, but it was impossible to reveal this at this moment.

‘Whatever happened, there’s only one thing I know for sure…’

Leeha bit down on his back teeth and spoke.

“Kaztor is dead.”

“What?! What do you mean—what? What are you saying?”

Luger’s eyes widened to twice their usual size. Kidd, belatedly comprehending Leeha’s words, responded with an equally flustered expression.

“… I can’t understand a single thing you’re saying. What do you mean?”

“Leeha?”

Only after hearing Browless’s question did Leeha make an additional remark.

“I don’t know exactly either. I shot, and Kaztor is dead.”

Leeha tilted his head again, and at that moment, light began emanating from Black Bass’s bolt.

―Grrrr… Haaaah… ―

“Wh-what? Bl-Black—”

Everyone’s gaze focused on Black Bass.

There was another piece of evidence confirming Kaztor’s death right there.

―It was old fox’s life. Hahaha… There’s nothing more satisfying than directly ending such a grudge-filled life. I should be thankful to you contractor. ―

“No way—”

Leeha quickly opened Black Bass’s item window.

〈Legendary Black Bass with Pulsating Veins (First Reinforcement—Lava)〉

(Non-tradable)

Additional Effect—3: Charge Rate: 50%

(Charge Rate does not decrease.)

Additional Effect—4: Direct Damage to the Nature of the Target

(Ignores all damage avoidance methods such as clones, spirits, life transfers, etc.)

Additional Description—3: The awakened ego has consumed enough blood. The blood of innumerable creatures constitutes the bloodline connecting its self. Black Bass’s ego, having tasted various kinds of blood, now desires to devour beings beyond its current reach. Only two remain. Only the blood of those beings that are more than mere life forms will rewrite its myth.

Additional Effect—5: Penetrates Physical Protection of Target

(Ignores shields, armor, helmets, and other physical defenses)

The first thing that caught his eye was, of course, the item’s name.

It was no longer the modifier “awakened.”

As stated in the new notation “Additional Description―3”, had the blood vessels of the Black Bass, having consumed enough blood, started to throb?

However, compared to the options attached later, things like the name or Additional Description―3 were nothing shocking.

“Oh… my… god.”

Leeha could not shut his mouth as he read Additional Effect―5.

Physical protection object penetration?

In other words, no matter how much armor someone had in front of Leeha or even if they were the best tank in Middle Earth, they would be as good as “exposed and unarmored” before him!

Although it was regrettable that it did not penetrate skills or barriers, how amazing was this skill alone?

‘Bl-Black? What is―what is this? What does this mean? Does this mean I no longer need to worry about the reduction rate?’

—That’s right, contractor. Kukuku… I didn’t expect you to make my pulse race this quickly.—

‘Then! Wow, then!? Now what? What do I have to kill to make it 100%? What is this, blood that isn’t even from a living creature!?’

Leeha got quite excited.

No matter how much he tried to speak so only Black Bass could hear, his muttering was clear for Kidd and other users to see.

—Kukuku… there’s only one blood without a living creature in it. What makes up Middle Earth, those. God and and the Devil.—

‘What? God—what did you say? Where can I—how?’

— Contractor, there are already many of them around you. Those who serve god and borrow divine power… there’s something in their blood I can consume… Kill them. Kill everything related to Ahlo.—

At this point, Leeha had to shut his mouth.

People related to gods, in other words, all jobs using divine-based skills, including priests.

This naturally implied killing all humans in the Ezwen Church.

“Crazy…”

Leeha could not help but frown.

Only now did he understand what Elizabeth had said before.

It wanted blood, and that too, a lot of it.

There was only one thing left to boost the charge rate.

‘PK…?’

He had to kill people, and in overwhelming numbers at that.

That’s why Elizabeth did not bother to fill the charge rate after 50%.

While related to demons, the Demon King’s Fragments might have an effect. But even if filled with demon-related things, how could he handle the divine-related ones?

So, Elizabeth would have stopped considering 100% charge rate once satisfied with 50%.

“Why! What now! Damn it, is something happening again! What changed?”

As Leeha, who had been jumping in excitement, suddenly grew quiet, Luger rushed to him. Having already released the tentacles and climbed onto the upper part of Red Zeppelin, his curiosity was too strong to feel vertigo.

“Uh… haha.”

No matter how excited Luger got, there was no way Leeha could explain right away.

Kidd snorted at the sight.

“…Whatever happens to Ha Leeha, it doesn’t matter. I’ll… soon be like that as well.”

In his hand, he held two Crimson Geckos. The two he held and the two holstered—Crimson Geckos in all four cylinders were emitting light.

Kidd pressed his hat brim down with a satisfied smile.

‘In the end, it reached the zero-sum level, huh.’

Lost 《Arcane Sniper》.

Lost Elizabeth and Brown.

But gained 《Arcane Bullet》.

Killed Kaztor.

Weighed what he lost and gained on scales, where would it tilt?

So far, the clear loss was on Leeha’s side.

However, individual growth?

Before adding that value, it was hard to easily judge.

‘It seems like Black Bass has clearly grown too. Adding Luger’s and my growth…’

Kidd was convinced.

From Leeha’s reaction alone, it was an easy prediction that his weapon, Black Bass, had reached another level.

What else?

Besides Leeha, Kidd himself grew.

And Luger?

No one would forget that unbelievable skill he showed.

The intense battle on Red Zeppelin was enough to grow the Three Musketeers.

‘It’s not a huge loss. With this, surely…’

TL’s Corner:

Tsk. Still pissed.