Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

His speculation was somewhat correct. The ice ostriches had not been killed by Leeha’s attack but had instead self-destructed, turning into pieces of ice!

“According to this… the three frozen ostriches that Blaugrunn-ssi and I thought we had killed were actually recombined from six frozen ostriches.”

If the assumption that self-destruction followed by self-division would increase their number to more than six after some time, it meant that Leeha had already failed in dealing with the three he had encountered without even mentioning it. He asked the questions that piqued his curiosity.

“Then, how should I kill the frozen ostriches?”

“Kek! That depends on what your trait is, so I have nothing to say, kek!”

“What? But, you have to tell me! Then, what about the conditions for their self-destruction?”

“The frozen ostriches will self-destruct the moment they feel threatened. The moment they see you, Ha Leeha, they will shatter themselves immediately.”

“Hmm… So, they self-destruct ‘just by seeing’, without any actual attack being necessary.”

“Kek! Kek!”

That means there’s only one way to kill a frozen ostrich. Sneak up on them without being seen and launch a surprise attack. A slight smile curled up on Leeha’s lips. In a sense, that was perhaps the easiest method for him.

‘I could just snipe them, right?’

There was no need to chase after something moving fast. The ostriches couldn’t outrun a bullet, after all. Although he hadn’t found Black Bass yet, what did that matter?

‘Should I purchase a musket?’

It’s not like he was poor. Leeha had much more money now compared to his past as ‘Ha Leeha the Beggar’. Leeha quickly put on a pensive expression, pretending to be deeply in thought.

“Hmm… Not 30, but I could probably kill 50 or even 100…”

“Kek?! Kek! Kek! Is that really possible?! Ram Hwajung earned the title of Fairy by catching 100! Ha Leeha, can you really catch that many?” Leeha nodded very lightly to the shocked voice of Odobe.

“It depends on the effort. It’s definitely doable… But, well, life is… Sigh… I came here because there might be something I want, killing two birds with one stone. I help a friend, and a friend helps me. It’s mutually beneficial, isn’t it?”

Having figured out how to kill the frozen ostriches, the next step was clear.

[The Bargaining Skill has been activated.]

All that was left was to maximize the outcome. Having emerged from the jaws of Onyx, the black dragon elder, Leeha’s bargaining had already leveled up. The still somewhat naive (?) Bada elephants stood no chance.

[You have succeeded in bargaining!]

“Are you really sure you can do it?”

“Well, we have to see. Now that I know the method.”

“Hmm, when Ha Leeha is this confident, the results usually are… Somehow, I’m getting a bit anxious.”

“Hey, don’t jinx it by saying such unlucky things. If I fail, it’s your loss.”

Leeha shouted as he walked towards the auction house of Gaza City. However, Blaugrunn’s anxiety was not without reason.

“But they die from stress instantly. I wonder if the ostriches, which reacted even to the speed of my teleport, can be dealt with using Ha Leeha’s method? They shatter at any loud sound.”

“I’ve already considered that.”

The speed of the muskets Leeha had used before was nearly the speed of sound. However, unlike sound, which maintains a consistent speed without deceleration, bullets lose energy as they travel further.

‘This means that to make the arrival almost simultaneous with the sound, a distance of around 250 meters must be maintained. But that’s a story of the past.’

In other words, what skill significantly extends the effective range? By increasing the speed of the bullet.Naturally, to extend the effective range in proportion to the normal effective range, the power of the bullet must increase.

“If you use sniper skills and even apply joint fixation, you could hit targets up to 400m away. It’s something we’d need to test, but I think it’s quite feasible, don’t you?”

When he had framed the concept of musket sniping while conversing with Odobe, Leeha had already completed his calculations. When it came to “firearms,” Leeha was at a level where Blaugrunn’s additional advice was unnecessary.

“Moreover, you have four chances, right? Understanding the ‘lens’ description at once, not to mention coolly offering to provide it, was amazing.”

It was impossible to pin down the exact conditions. Immediately, even Leeha couldn’t know the caliber of the lens Bottleneck wanted. Nonetheless, Odobe displayed confidence.

[A lens that lets you see far? If you just catch the freezing ostrich, I’ll give you as many as you want, clink!]

“There must already be lenses of various calibers.”

The confidence in simply ‘giving’ rather than ‘making’ was evident. Odobe must know not only the concept of scopes and lenses but also what items were needed and whether they possessed them.

[The Essence of the Eye] Mission: Kill 100 freezing ostriches (0/100) Reward: 100% Affinity with Ice Walrus paleo and mystical creature Odobe An ice-glass lens 1 Failure Condition: Failure due to more than 5 freezing ostriches self-destructing Failure Results: -100% Affinity with Ice Walrus paleo and mystical creature Odobe Achievements – The Curse of the Arctic Sea – Ice Walrus Poacher

Ultimately, this was the condition Leeha secured by accepting the quest. Though the number of freezing ostriches to hunt had increased, it was not a major concern. ‘As long as I figure out how to perfectly catch just one.’ Then, wouldn’t it be possible to catch the remaining 99 using the same method without fail? Essentially, it was like being given four ‘whole’ chances to fail.

“Just four times. Thinking of it as ‘even four times’ is already dangerous. If you fail, you’ll likely never get the lens,” he said.

“Hehe, the ‘glass half full’ spirit! Don’t you know it?! Besides, what’s the big deal if we fail? Think anyone else in vast Middle Earth can make such lenses? Just trust me completely, Blaugrunn. Okay?”

“Understood. Do I have any reason to drill you with words?” Watching Leeha’s unyielding optimism, Blaugrunn shook his head. Sighing yet showing trust as much as Bronze Dragon’s words towards Leeha.

“Excellent! Then let’s get ready right away. Need to refill some black gunpowder, and let’s see where that musket is—［Exquisite Kentucky Musket］ Nice name! Let’s turn all those ostrich jerks into chicken to feast on.”

Although the [Hummingbird Musket] of rare grade was two grades higher, the level restriction for equipping this item was about suitable for someone around level 140. Leeha wanted to buy an even cheaper musket, but considering the possibility that a freezing ostrich might not die in one shot, a usable musket was necessary.

‘So, I spent a whopping 29 gold… Driving me crazy.’

It wasn’t that he lacked money, but it was still painful. Additionally, considering how long the auction listing had been up, the likelihood of it not being bought again if he tried to resell it was high.

“Ahhh, purchased!” Leeha purchased the musket worth about 2.9 million won in cash. It was a moment both joyous and sad, realizing how incredible the game mechanics of Middle Earth were.

“Gunpowder, lead bullets, everything complete! Blaugrunn-ssi!”

“Yep, casting teleport!” Whoosh! In an instant, Leeha and Blaugrunn disappeared.

Meanwhile, near Juma City, a commotion was brewing.

“So, you’re saying the third wave is in just three days?”

[Yes.]

“No… It seems the interval this time is too short. Didn’t it nearly take 2 weeks for both the 1st and 2nd waves combined?”

[The presence of demonic energy emanating from the earth was unmistakable. Slowly but surely, it was converging towards the point where the waves always began.]

As they were investigating the timing of the 3rd monster wave, they sensed something amiss and immediately returned to Juma City, gathering the main guild masters who would be defending against the wave to share information. Since the monster wave was not a competition between nations, the people attentively listening in front of them were experts regardless of nationality. Bobae was the one who broke the silence among the murmuring players.

“There is a silver lining, though.”

“A silver lining?”

“Yes. NPCs from Fibiel are scheduled to be dispatched. Not just ordinary guards, but personnel chosen from each city’s knight orders. On top of that, a small squad of magic artillery and even a branch of the Sacred Knights will be established. They might not be able to stop the ‘wave’ by themselves… but it will definitely be of significant help.”

Bobae had a proud look on her face as if she had accomplished something herself. The eyes of the players from various countries widened in shock at her words.

“The Sacred Knights? Isn’t that the Knight Corps of the Fibiel capital defense forces?”

“Ah! Lady Shin Nara! The NPC guild with Lady Shin Nara in it!”

“Even so, can a nation just freely dispatch a knight corps? With the current situation in Juma City, aren’t we just risking provoking Minis and Kraven…?”

“That’s not what’s important! If they join the fight, the success rate of defending against the wave will increase, and that means the experience points—”

Someone’s voice suggesting they could gain experience points almost for free was buried under the noise.

As the meeting hall became noisy, Alexander let out a sigh, his breath audible. Among all the relieved and joyful people, Kijung was the one who felt a slight unease.

“Bobae, is it okay to disclose that?”

“Of course. I’ve already asked Narahan. The dispatchment, that ‘tomorrow,’ will arrive soon. Even if I don’t say anything now, everyone will find out tomorrow anyway.”

“Well, that’s a relief then.”

As Kijung sighed in relief, Hyein chuckled. After all, the news Bobae brought was undoubtedly good news.

“The 3rd wave will be advantageous for the Fibiel players. It would be even better if we could coordinate with the Sacred Knights.”

“Right! If Hyein works with the Fibiel magic artillery unit, it would be like having a moving cannon!”

“You don’t have to praise me so much. Bobae, you’re like a catapult that moves like the wind.”

“Oh, what are you talking about? Hyein is really good at making elegant metaphors.”

“Wait, Bobae! Do you mean that—”

“It’s a joke. A joke.”

Hyein looked embarrassed as Bobae teased him even more. Kijung’s eyes darted around, but Bobae stuck her tongue out playfully. Knowing Kijung’s naivety better, they could share such jokes.

“In any case, if these are the words of Alexander the Great and Bailephus, they must be accurate. Our Golden Dragon will immediately begin spreading the schedule.”

Having heard one piece of bad news and one piece of good news, the players started to disperse one by one. Naturally, this news was also immediately conveyed to Leeha.

Kijung: Hyung! The 3rd wave is starting in 3 days, are you coming?

Leeha: 3 days? Why so soon?

Kijung: I don’t know. But this time, the Sacred Knights will participate, and it seems like Lady Shin Nara will be there too. You must come.

Leeha: Um… I do want to, but…

Kijung: Why? Something came up?

Leeha: Because of a quest… Anyway, I’ll try to make it. Thanks.

Leeha scratched his head as he ended the whisper conversation with Kijung. Standing amidst the harsh winds, he was tightly wrapped in deep green mana vines.

Leeha: Blaugrunn-ssi, let’s check one more time. Please, step back a bit.

Blaugrunn: Again? The barrier will break if it takes one more hit. Wasn’t that musket from before?

Leeha: An almost adult Juvenile Dragon whining! You won’t feel it even if you get hit.

Blaugrunn: What do you mean! Just because I’m a dragon doesn’t mean it won’t hurt!