Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“Therefore, there’s only one option left, isn’t that right, Fernand?”

“Your Holiness…?”

The Pope stood up, the symbol of the divine proxy above his head sparkling with light. Shivers ran down the spine of the users watching him. Had he urgently gathered them here merely to convey vital information?

“We must establish a Sanctuary. To prevent their roots from connecting, I entrust you to secure a sanctuary within the land of New Continent Erika.”

Whoosh!

It was natural for a hologram window to appear before them.

[Sanctification]

Description: “Now that we have lost the World Tree, the only way to prevent the source of the demons from spreading is this. Isn’t New Continent Erika also a place touched by the breath of God? Then there must be the ‘Divine Staff’ where we can form the Holy Commandment, containing the voice of the supreme god Ahlo. However, unless our prayers reach it, the sacrament has never been activated before.

I ask you to quickly find the Divine Staff before the Demon King’s Army fully conquer the new continent. A communique will be sent to all nations and people of Lope Continent, not just those here. It’s a difficult task, but I believe it’s not impossible. For the sake of all humanity, as well as every life on Lope and New Continent Erika…

The bell containing God’s voice, ‘Holy Spirit,’ can only grow on a special object known as the [Divine Staff].

Secure the Divine Staff located throughout the continent of Erika, including the existing demon base, and ensure that Holy Spirit resides there.

Contents:

Secure the Divine Staff within New Continent Erika within 15 days.

Protect the Divine Staff for 21 days after securing it.

Reward: ?

Failure Conditions:

Fail to secure the Divine Staff within the deadline.

Fail to protect the Divine Staff for 21 days after securing it.

Failure: ?

Will you accept?

‘Holy Spirit… Divine Staff…’ Leeha quickly read through the hologram window.

Securing the Divine Staff within 15 days and protecting it for 21 days meant that the bell, known as Holy Spirit, would reside in the Divine Staff.

‘The World Tree used the power of spirits to block demons. Does this mean we will block it with the power of the divine?’

While the context suggested something formed, it appeared more likely to be plant-like than animal-like, though it was hard to be certain at present.

“If the Divine Staff inhabited by the Holy Spirit is established, the remnants of demons dare not approach. We’ll be able to surface and eliminate them one by one before their powers converge. Do you think you can do it?”

The Pope looked over the users, intensifying his voice. However, it seemed that even Fernand, affiliated with Ezwen, did not fully understand the sacrament and Holy Spirit.

“With all due respect, Your Holiness, the people present here do not know what the [Divine Staff] is.”

“It is, literally, like the footstep of God on earth. One of the signs that the manifesting divine has bestowed upon the world. Like the will of God, it’s tall and straight. If you’ve seen an uncorrupted World Tree or any World Tree, it might feel similar. But since it’s a crystal used by the divine, it doesn’t grow stems or leaves.”

Despite the Pope’s answer to Fernand’s question, it remained a perplexing explanation. Of course, Leeha desired a much simpler analogy.

“Hmm, even with that explanation, it’s not very clear. Is it just an incredibly long staff?”

“If we must compare, yes. That’s also why we call it the Divine Staff.”

A tree-like, incredibly long staff. Only after hearing this physical description did the users reflect on their own memories.

After all, weren’t the users who had roamed the new continent through various methods and routes all gathered here now?Users who had reached further than any others pondered whether they had such an item in their memories.

“The attack to fully restore Gibrid is already a given fact. So, should we consider this quest as a stepping stone for that moment? That’s why everyone is hesitant to accept it.”

It was understandable that the rewards were concealed, but the failure penalty was hidden as well.

“Even if I receive this reward, the next penalty could be even greater. Maybe it’s better to give up on quests related to the revival of Gibrid at an appropriate time and focus on leveling up instead.” The users were unusually cautious, partly because of Luger’s words.

“Play the game as it’s meant to be played.”

A simple but clear statement.

Considering reasons like Bluebeard’s journey to the New World, the revival of Gibrid also seemed inevitable.

Then, why rush into stopping it and risk receiving a failure penalty?

Didn’t we fail to kill Toon at the origin of the last demons, despite our efforts?

Even with Alexander and various tanks charging in, it was the same.

‘They’ were deployed to protect Toon.

If Toon is being revived under the orders of Bluebeard as Gibrid?

“Them… ‘the Matan’s Shooter’ is very likely to reappear. Moreover, right now, I am…”

As Leeha thought of keywords like the Matan’s Shooter and sniping, his head suddenly became cluttered.

What to do if Toon appears during the attack aimed at reviving Gibrid?

At this moment, Leeha found himself unable to snipe at the mere sight of Toon entering his scope.

He realized he had to overcome this, but knowing about the syndrome didn’t mean it could be easily fixed!

“Damn it, what should I do?”

As Leeha was pressing his temples in frustration with various concerns, the person who stepped forward to the Pope was Kidd.

“If nobody else will, then I’ll do it myself.”

Casually lifting his hat, he looked around at the other users with a look of disdain.

“Kidd?”

Leeha looked at Kidd.

Was he really the type to step forward in such situations? However, Kidd didn’t even glance at Leeha.

The sound of Kidd’s boots echoed through the Vatican Hall.

It was a solid sound.

“Most of you here probably haven’t experienced failing a quest. I guess at most one or two failures up till now.”

Especially if you’re a Top 10 ranker like Alexander or Lee Jiwon, you’d hardly experienced death, Kidd thought as he looked at them.

In fact, Kidd’s guess was accurate.

Leeha only failed once at the common quest in the demon’s origin, but wasn’t it that he succeeded in most quests?

“And yet… I’ve never died?”

Even considering death experiences? Compared to users who might not have failed quests but died a few times, Leeha’s record could be called that of a ‘gaming genius’.

“That’s why you’re all frozen. That memory of failure, the feeling that you might fail again this time.”

Kidd flipped his coat back.

In the past, the inside of the coat, aside from a simple vest, might have just had a holster for the Crimson Geckos, but now it was quite differently equipped.

‘Some new weapon…?’

However, Kidd, being one of the famous outsiders, wouldn’t reveal all his cards.

Leaving just a hint that he had grown, he quickly buttoned up his coat as others looked on, evidently disappointed.

“With just three waves, we have changed. Do you understand what that means?”

Kidd looked at Leeha.

Could it be because Leeha, who would normally have been the first to volunteer, was silent?

Even Leeha, upon catching Kidd’s gaze, could not fathom his intentions. However, he could feel a somehow regretful emotion amidst the stern look.

It was, so to speak, a piece of advice and persuasion from Kidd.

“…If you give up, no further change can come…”

Leeha was able to understand Kidd’s meaning.

The three waves, what had become of Leeha’s level and stats right now?

Above all, there was the upgraded synergy of close combat abilities using Koma and Blaugrunn, and the creation and utilization of a disposable sniper tower using Blaugrunn’s [Levitation].

As the corners of Leeha’s lips slowly lifted, so did Kidd’s, albeit faintly.

Naturally, another person, one among the trio, wouldn’t just stand by.

“What doesn’t kill me, makes me stronger”…

Luger snorted, slinging the barrel of his Cobalt Blue Python over his shoulder. Most people seemed to have realized something, showing impressed expressions.

Pei Wu wanted to applaud, though not everyone shared this sentiment.

“Ah, Nietzsche! Just in case someone thought he wasn’t German…”

“What? What? You know this saying, Leeha?”

“Know it? More than that! I’ve heard it hundreds of times during my military training!”

It was indeed one of those quotes that Korean adult men ‘had to’ listen to inevitably.

“Everyone’s having a hard time, and all they say every day is… ‘The old eagle must break its beak and talons to grow new ones,’ or ‘God only gives us trials we can bear,’ or ‘Iron strengthens as it is tempered!’ Do you know how annoying it is to listen to that in front of someone who’s lost their spirit?”

These were frequently quoted as inspirational sayings in places where soldiers were trained, regardless of the military branch!

Leeha’s lively voice and exaggerated actions drew a brief wave of laughter from the users.

It was only natural that the atmosphere, which had been gloomy until just a moment ago, was completely reversed.

“With Kidd and Luger like this, I can’t be left out! Your Holiness, I will also join the battle!”

The acceptance of the quest by Kidd, Luger, and then Leeha, soon spread to all users.

The Pope looked at the users with a proud expression.

“It is expected to be difficult, but I believe you can do it. The Holy Records are like a bunch of grapes, composed of six orbs…”

The Pope bowed his head and prayed for a moment.

When a white light gathered at his fingertips, he raised his head again and drew a pattern of light in the air.

“One might think it easy to find as it resembles a tree without branches or leaves. However, God bestows His love upon the young fledglings… There’s also a pattern to make it easier to recognize the Divine Staff. If you find the pattern with six circles connected like a bunch of grapes, you will find it.”

The most likely candidate in the Pope’s mind was Bailephus.

This was due to the expectation that taking advantage of a dragon’s features would enable rapid search.

Therefore, most descriptions regarding the Divine Staff continued to mention Bailephus.

“Ah, ah-ah, ah- That, that thing!”

“Hm? What’s wrong?”

However, the answer was somewhere else. The Pope turned his head towards where a commotion suddenly arose.

The person pointing at the pattern of light with their mouth agape was Leeha.

“That, that there!”

Six circles.

One at the bottom, two above it, and three at the very top. The pattern with six circles drawn like a bunch of grapes!

“I know where that is! Wow! I already know it! I’ve seen it before, that thing!”

Leeha had seen the Divine Staff before. And it wasn’t too long ago at that.