Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

“Even if they don’t like it, wouldn’t it be better if the companions in the afterlife got along well?”

Virtue and Sacred’s knights looked at each other and chuckled softly.

“Well, we should hope that this paladin leads us through the ordeal with honor.”

“And hope that the one who just left can safely report everything.”

“[Holy Bless], I’ll go ahead.”

Whoosh!

As the paladin’s sword shone with an aqua light, he dashed forward. Virtue and Sacred’s knights were quick to follow suit.

“Even if we go, we should land at least one blow to feel satisfied!”

“Agreed!”

“We shall not allow your approach to the [Divine Staff], you monster!”

Dieeee!

The knights were valiant.

“What did you just say!? Wrapped up in bandages”

“Ha, and to add, reversing magic – reversing magic.”

“Attack nullified? No! No! Ho, Holy Knight mentioned something exactly with the same appearance and traits! That’s Ghibrid!”

“Eh? Ghibrid – a Demon King’s Fragment? That Ghibrid?”

“This isn’t the time! Hurry, to the papacy! Quick!”

Ezwen Bishop’s room in Juma City’s governorate became noisy in an instant.

Fortunately, the mage user did not deviate elsewhere and was properly carrying out their mission.

“I can’t go! I’ve promised the knights there. We must inform Virtue and Sacred’s knights about this immediately!”

“Virtue and Sacred… Understood. I will enter the papacy myself. Hurry!”

“Understood!”

To the user who thought they were simply facing a mummy or a mage-type monster, this was a shocking event.

The creature they had just faced was Ghibrid, one of the Demon King’s Fragment, and it had awoken not too long ago!

They couldn’t help but put every ounce of their strength into each movement. The mage user from Juma City immediately alternated their travels between the capitals of Fibiel and Minis.

It took less than 20 minutes for the headquarters of Sacred and Virtue’s knights to be turned upside down.

“Hurry up, move! Pfsh! When is the rest of the knights coming?”

“We- we’ve already contacted everyone from the headquarters, but it’s too soon for anyone to have arrived-“

Lark, who arrived near [Divine Staff] using a crystal ball, hastily drew his sword.

Shiiing-!

However, even those who set out immediately after receiving the message from Virtue had just arrived; it was impossible for any knight group to have already been there.

“Always so slow! Can’t anyone do their job properly- Ah, there’s barely one team.”

Whoosh!

Just then, a light purple flash was seen in another area.

When teleportation is used simultaneously in overlapping areas, it can cause a snag effect leading to damage because of which, it’s common practice for each group to have their own unique spot at major crystal ball save points.

This is especially since those in professions with lower health could potentially die from the snag effect damage.

“Start with searching the area! The only known appearance of Ghibrid is wrapped in bandages! Do not miss a single blade of grass or stone in the meticulous inspection-…… Sir Lark?”

A loud sigh escaped.

“Shin Nara, you’re late? I heard that user was stopping by Sacred first. What kept you?”

“I had my reasons. Now’s not the time to worry about that.”

The complex situation in Fibiel’s royal palace prevented Sacred from departing immediately, unlike Virtue. Nonetheless, disregarding all nobles and soothing their egos, Shin Nara managed to assemble the troops and arrive at the best possible time.

She knew what mattered most.

Of course, Lark, too, was well aware of this. Understanding the inner workings of an ‘enemy’ nation was his top priority in gathering intelligence. Thus, Lark’s nagging, “Why are you so late?”

could be taken as his own way of showing familiarity, though Shin Nara wasn’t particularly fond of his style.

“Haha, I know, I get it. Still, we should consider ourselves lucky to even have such playful exchanges.”

“Huh?”

“It’s safe,” Lark gestured towards the “Divine Staff” with his chin.

His sudden arrival without drawing his sword for battle was telling. Divine Staff was unharmed. It was still intact, gleaming with the luminosity of the giant spirit tree, untouched by harm which Shin Nara had feared.

But that wasn’t all.

“Whitehat!”

“Damn god!”

Rushing to the unscathed Divine Staff, Shin Nara noticed three men sitting beneath it and hurried over.

“How? I heard Ghibrid appeared around here…”

“That… That was Ghibrid?”

“Yes, probably. No, definitely. Master Kay of Fibiel’s Temple, now also a Cardinal of Ezwen, testified to the Demon King’s Fragment’s appearance and traits matching. So-“

Shin Nara held her tongue, thinking not everything was safe, but Whitehat, known as the knight, understood her implications.

Lark approached casually.

“Sir Visonte?”

“C-commander!”

“What? Our proud Virtue’s Sir Visonte has decapitated Ghibrid?”

“How could that be! Speak sense, hahaha!”

The scene vividly reflected the distinct characteristics of the Sacred and Virtue knight orders. The friendly response from the knights towards their pride, the surviving players, and the high-ranking players of their orders was evident.

Soon after, the Ezwen Paladins arrived amidst a dazzling light.

“Ghibrid! Where are you? Where?”

“Wait, Kijung-ssi! Getting excited won’t help!”

“If I have this shield, I thought I’d be… okay. Shin Nara? Lark? What are you doing here?”

Leading them was a [Holy Knight] holding a dark shield. The personnel from Byulcho promptly assembled upon Kijung’s call. They moved as one, possibly why Lark and Shin Nara, despite Kijung’s awkward appearance, couldn’t help but smile.

Especially Lark, his gaze lingered on Kijung’s shield.

“Ah, I salute the Exorcism Cardinal.”

“Are you alright? Any injuries?”

“Of course. Thanks to Lord Ahlo’s protection… I understand the conclave keeps you busy.”

The Paladins kneeled before Kijung, maintaining dignity even amidst chaos, earning a moment of admiration from the surrounding Paladins. Kijung helped him to his feet with a smile.

“I guess I should consider myself fortunate. After all, I am the Cardinal of the Exorcism Brush, and the one who first discovered Ghibrid. For this case, special permission has been granted by the Ezwen Papacy Diocese.”

Then he asked, “By the way… What happened exactly? To be honest, I didn’t expect all three of you to come out unscathed.”

This was a common question among the leaders of the three factions. It was well understood that it was inconceivable for merely three members of the Sacred Knight Order to have intercepted Ghibrid.

※ ※ ※

“So, you mean to say… it just retreated?”

“Yes, Dame Shin. I-“

“Embarrassing! To think it charged at me. Maybe it was overwhelmed by our vigor. Haha!”

A member of the Sacred Knights laughed heartily, cutting off the testimony of the 148th Order members. Although the testimonies matched, those present found the situation unbelievable.

“Kijung-ssi, can such things happen?”

Shin Nara asked, but before Kijung could respond, members of the Byulcho team answered.

“It’s unbelievable. But then again, Kay has already become a [Holy Knight], so maybe it no longer matters,”

“Not at all, Hyein-ssi. If that was the case, there would be no reason for it to show up near [Divine Staff] in the first place,”

“Right. Bobae’s right, Hyein-ssi. Its target was clearly [Divine Staff]. Yet, to turn back here…”

For those who had faced Ghibrid before, this was even more unbelievable. Lark, who had been silently listening, felt the same.

“Hey, Paladin. That… thing, the ‘Sacred Spirit’ or whatever that was attached to [Divine Staff], didn’t it manifest any special powers?”

“I always feel the love of the god Ahlo, but as for special forces manifesting… I didn’t feel anything like that. It didn’t do anything significant, captain.”

Listening to the Paladin and a member of the 148th, Lark quietly looked at Kijung. Kijung, too, caught Lark’s gaze but did not speak.

“Somethings off. Even if Ghibrid hadn’t regained its strength… Just left? It would have been stronger than Toon even in an unstable state. Killing 48 men and breaking [Divine Staff] should have been no issue at all for it. This isn’t like any monster to just leave. Especially not now, at the best of opportunities. It was unexpected for Ghibrid to appear where Bluebeard was anticipated… But how could it just leave? Where is Bluebeard?”

Though Kijung and Lark started from different points, they arrived at a similar conclusion: something was suspicious. This wasn’t just a simple incident.

“… When can we expect Rubini-nim?”

“She should arrive within 30 minutes.”

“Let’s wait for Rubini-nim, then. In the meantime, we’ll conduct a thorough search of the surroundings.”

Kijung raised his shield, catching Lark’s attention once again.

“Wow, becoming Holy Knight and picking out such a sleek shield? Doesn’t seem to have the Vatican’s scent though. Does the Vatican issue these?”

“You don’t need to know.”

“Ah, why be so cold? We’re comrades who’ve stood back to back against Bluebeard. You have no idea how I was caught by Ha Leeha and tormented by the mystical creatures… Ah, they say being burnt at the stake hurts the worst. The Black Crane and the Red Goat were particularly cruel. They lit me on fire, over and over, treated me like their plaything.”

“You deserved it, that’s why you were punished!”

“Aye, you say such hurtful things. Do you have any idea how scared I was? By the time I was about to die from hours of torture… It felt somewhat refreshing, to be honest.”

Despite his jesting, the bitterness in Lark’s last statement was something Kijung could feel too. After being marked with every curse in the New Continent by the paleos, one could only wonder what kind of torture Lark had endured.

‘It’s his own doing. I really shouldn’t engage in conversation with this man.’

Though he found Lark amusing, Kijung knew better than to let his guard down around him. Lark could be helpful in a fight, but in other circumstances, he was dangerously unpredictable.

“Lark is… Well, what do I call it?”

Not an enemy, but not a friend either. Too clumsy for a comrade, too uncomfortable for a fellow warrior. What word could possibly describe such a relationship?

What word could define such a relationship? Moreover, if one were to speak of this shield, it would be none other than Toon’s Great Breastplate Shield, specially received from Leeha.

Wasn’t it the secret weapon that Leeha, who had come from Ezwen to here, had never particularly feared even while facing dangers?

Was it because Lark already sensed that there was some secret to Kijung, who remained silent, refusing to leave Kijung’s side?