Arcane Sniper

Chapter 962

At some point, even Ram Hwajung, who started using “Partner: Arjenmatt” to join the front lines, began to dominate the battlefield.

She had quickly moved to the battlefield, hoping that her unni and the oppa she liked would spend a good time together. However, she did not know that the atmosphere had been significantly ruined because of Lee Jiwon.

Of course, at this moment, she did not care about that.

What did she have to do?

The genius of Middle Earth, Ram Hwajung, clearly understood.

There was no need to face the already defeated and disheartened Chromatic Dragons.

What she had to do was further encourage the users, who had regained their morale as Tiamat’s figure completely vanished.

『Wooooooo―!』

“〈Blizzard〉.”

Rather than killing the chimera directly, she decided to utilize a wide-range freezing debuff. The combination of Arjenmatt’s frosty breath and Ram Hwajung’s blizzard immobilized hundreds of chimeras.

Most users wouldn’t just sit back and watch that.

“Push them backkkkkkkkkk!”

“However this ends! Damn, it means we won!”

“Experience points! All those experience points are mine!”

The Demon King’s army’s frontline, which had advanced significantly, collapsed rapidly.

If the users had been slightly better coordinated, they could have performed a swift maneuver with the mobile wings to encircle the central army, achieving a so-called “wrap-around attack”!

However, the present users’ thoughts didn’t extend that far.

In effect, it was not an exaggeration to say that all the battles had ended.

“It would have been nice if Kay was here!”

“Ki-kik, well, we’ll level up quickly and catch up with the guild master while he’s gone.”

“Haha! That’s a good idea, Biyemi. Let’s go!”

The main members of the Byulcho Guild excitedly began to attack the chimeras, penetrating through them faster than any other guild.

“Do you think Kijung is doing well?”

“The fact that he hasn’t died until now kind of answers that. Plus, Tiamat is dead…”

The fact that Kijung wasn’t present had been a reality for over thirty minutes.

The important members of the Byulcho Guild, like Tale, Biyemi, Bobae, and Hyein, all smiled contentedly.

Thirty minutes ago, their guild master had disappeared, but his name was still visible in their friend list.

“Yeah, no matter how formidable Ghibrid is, he can’t keep fighting endlessly.”

“Nah. And Kay’s not the only one there.”

Kijung had been facing Ghibrid. Confronting that early-appearing Demon King’s Fragment.

His struggles were, of course, not something he could handle alone.

* * *

『The Dinosaurization is ending! When are you going to fire again!』

“C’mon, don’t worry! 3, 2, let’s make chimera soup!”

───────────────!

When Luger pulled the trigger, a cloud of dust rose all around.

The firepower was so overwhelming that both the barrel of the Cobalt Blue Python and Luger’s body trembled.

The gunfire was loud enough to be heard even at the front lines, where the battle was most intense.

Though Leeha could hear it from quite a distance, he couldn’t afford to pay attention to it for one reason.

At that moment, Leeha and Prea were contending with another Demon King’s Fragment.

“Amazing…”

As Kijung’s Dinosaurization skill ended, he once again realized the power of Luger’s cannon.

Surely, he had blocked some of those attacks. It was he who had delivered the divine retribution, the “Judgment of Ahlo”.

But what about now?

Drip… Drip…

Although it was a weakened Ghibrid, the Luger’s cannonballs tore its body apart with an unbelievable force.

Even Kijung could clearly see where the Luger’s bullets had penetrated. The holes in Ghibrid’s body were so large and distinct that he could see the background behind it clearly.

“How can this be… I heard they got stronger after the East Expedition of the New Continent. Not just Hyung Leeha, but everyone supposedly grew immensely― but to this extent?”

In the past, even the cannonballs of the Luger, as well as the surrounding flames, were absorbed by Ghibrid. Bobae’s arrows had no effect either. Only those imbued with fire managed to barely tear its bandages, but they still failed to properly damage Ghibrid.

“Except for the 〈Mace of Ahlo〉, no skill or item could stand against Ghibrid!”

Even Lee Jiwon only faced Bluebeard. Kijung was the only one who dealt with Ghibrid when trying to prevent the first summoning of Tiamat. The reason Kijung risked his life was because no other skill could damage them.

But the current attack from the Luger was different. His attack clearly pierced Ghibrid’s body, a dreadful mixture of demonic flesh, with 『Pierce』. Ghibrid, who barely stood up, bowed its head to look at the hole in its chest.

The appearance of wearing a “user’s skin” had long vanished. Ghibrid, now a grotesque figure formed of black sludge with eyes scattered all over, spoke.

“… Silk Snake.”

“Silk Snake?”

Kijung reacted to Ghibrid’s sudden remark. However, he couldn’t listen for long. The hole in Ghibrid’s chest wasn’t maintained. The wound was slowly healing, albeit gradually. This frustrating point was also why they were still alive until now.

Kijung quickly ran towards the Luger. While Ghibrid was healing, it couldn’t move swiftly.

“You troublesome creature. You remind me of the one combined with a Manticore.”

“Not just reminded, that was me― Ugh! Damn!”

“Combined? Luger― Ah, Luger-mon! Hmph, can’t even remember? Or rather, with that much, doesn’t it actually mean you do remember?”

The Luger, who was about to shout at Ghibrid, shut his mouth. Ghibrid logically shouldn’t recognize the ‘past and present Luger’ due to the system, yet it seemed to recall enough to connect both, indicating that the attack was of the same nature but had merely grown in destructive power.

“Shut up.”

When Kijung pointed it out and teased him, the Luger pouted heavily.

“Well, it’s not the time to play. Hurry up and fire again! Didn’t you shoot before becoming Luger-mon?”

“You’re as foolish as Ha Leeha! If I had this back then, wouldn’t I have used it?”

Gruffly, the Luger proudly took out another item from his bag and inserted it into the muzzle again. The intentional display made Kijung chuckle, though it was indeed a strangely designed cannonball.

The streamlined projectile with pointed front and rear resembled a dagger in motif, a testament to the Luger’s second bullet requested from Bottleneck, made purely for 『Pierce』.

“What are you staring at! Another shot will take at least three more minutes, block it somehow! The wound is nearly healed already!”

Kijung, still fixated, was shaken by the Luger’s shout. Only Kijung and the Luger knew the power of the cannonball when fired using the skill 〈Self-propelled Artillery〉.

“Easy for you to say! How am I supposed to block it with no skills left! I’d rather― huh!?”

“Huh?”

“T-Tiamat― what the hell is that?”

When Kijung pointed to the sky, the Luger’s gaze also lifted. At that precise moment, the white beam that had split the sky had already disappeared.

Luger could only see the snowflakes fluttering around Tiamat.

And suddenly, Tiamat’s head and tail were severed and fell.

“A white laser― Is it Leeha-hyung?”

Kijung didn’t witness the final activation of the 〈White Reaper〉, but he could at least realize that the something white occupying part of the sky belonged to someone he knew.

As soon as Luger heard Leeha’s name, his expression transformed rapidly.

“That… that crazy guy did something crazy again.”

Kijung and Luger, both hunting dogs who never faltered due to their instincts, accurately pinpointed the cause of the event.

“That’s right. It’s the same technique he showed us on the way to Laputa… the one that killed Kaztor.”

“Ha, just as expected.”

Despite the sudden voice, Luger didn’t turn his head. Instead, it was Kijung who was surprised.

* * *

“Huh? Ki-Kidd! That…”

Thud, thud, thud.

Kidd was approaching with strange items attached to his arms and legs.

Luger knew that Kidd would come to him. He would not be reassured just standing against Ghibrid with Kijung alone.

Even though the 〈Mace of Ahlo〉 had significantly weakened Ghibrid, it was clear Luger could not finish it off with his own skills.

However, he couldn’t ask just anyone for help.

The person Luger considered, who would take on Ghibrid with Master Kay while he prepared his skills, was Kidd.

No need for words, since he was one of the Three Musketeers who could come hearing the sound of gunfire.

“Don’t worry about it. As Leeha has perfectly eliminated Tiamat… No, Onyx, we can now focus on Ghibrid’s annihilation.”

“Ha, fine. If you, Kidd, have also done ‘that’, then this time― hmm!?”

“Luger!”

“Damn, I am not ready yet!”

Kidd ran out shouting.

Even if Luger tried to back him up immediately, there wasn’t enough mana yet to fire the 〈Magnetic Field Cannon〉.

Although Kidd’s instantaneous speed was second to none, he could not catch up with Ghibrid, who was erupting forward by compressing and releasing tremendous strength.

“Huh, gi-Ghibrid is―.”

『I’ll remember this. Holy Knight. And― Silken Serpent.』

Catching Ghibrid?

That was only if Ghibrid was willing to fight.

Even after 〈Dinosaurization〉 ended, it was impossible for Kijung to even see the scene of Ghibrid starting to flee and Kidd chasing after it.

Ghibrid’s voice in the air was distorted.

With the sudden event, Kijung couldn’t gather his thoughts. So, what was the outcome of the current situation?

“He-haha. What? It… it ran away?”

“… Hmph, there’s nothing to rejoice about. This was inevitable.”

“Inevitable? Ghibrid! Luger! We made Ghibrid retreat, you and I, together! Wahaha! If we don’t celebrate this, what would we celebrate!”

Victory!

They won against Demon King’s Fragment!

What did it mean that just the two of them accomplished this?

Seeing Luger dispel his skill, Kijung grabbed his arm and wanted to dance. However, Kidd, who gave up chasing Ghibrid and returned, was on the same page as Luger.

“Luger is right. If I was here, we should have definitely killed Ghibrid.”

“Ki-Kidd?”

“You must not believe that the skills you possess will always work.”

“Say what you must. Without that Holy Power skill, my attacks would not easily affect it.”

“Oh, are you admitting your own weakness?”