Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Attack Power: (User’s Agility × 5)

Effect: Agility +21

Description: A rifle that the White Reaper personally made and used to protect the homeland from “Krabavi.”

Despite its simplicity compared to a musket, perhaps what sets it apart is that the White Reaper’s grudge was used as a material. Having slain 542 people in just 100 days, he became a hero of “Paland”, but was later executed with the humiliating title of [Human Hunter] by Krabavi, the ruler of the Shazrashian Federation. Nevertheless, the people of Paland would all be proud of him. Unable to find the one hidden in the snow despite Krabavi’s 25 knightly orders searching, they had no choice but to take his family hostage.

Additional Effect: If immobile for more than 5 seconds, harmonize with the surrounding terrain/objects.

Despite the fact that its agility bonus effect was lower than Black Bass’, and its attack power was no match for Black Bass, such matters did not concern him at the moment.

“Kya… Taking aim, eh. The details are a bit different from what I remember… Well, it’s based on a real person, so it couldn’t be just thrown in haphazardly. Krabavi is like the Soviet Union, huh.”

He had known for some time that it followed a name and progression somewhat similar to actual history. Moreover, if it was a field he knew well, he could easily notice a few altered names.

“Hmm, the additional effect of harmonizing with the surroundings when immobile sounds sweet. Is it an unlimited camouflage with no cooldown?”

Was it faithfully copied from the characteristics of a real-life sniper? Leeha admired the senior(?) once again for their achievement.

“Is it over now?”

“Yes! Just in case, let’s save the location and get back. The urgent matter is synthesis after all.”

“Ah, that’s a shame.”

“Right? I felt the same way earlier.”

Symapthizing with Blaugrunn who was looking around, Leeha brought out a teleport scroll.

“Bottleneck-ssi~”

Clang-! Clang-!

Even though it was now late at night, the sound of hammers from Bottleneck’s smithy didn’t stop.

“Castle Lord? Has it been days since you last visited? I heard there was a newcomer, but seeking a caliber similar to Black Bass is… not easy.”

Bottleneck couldn’t continue his words upon seeing Leeha’s appearance.

His eyes were staring at Leeha’s left shoulder. The rifle slung over the right shoulder was clearly Black Bass. And what about the left shoulder?

“I’ve found it. Hehe, this is a legendary item just like Black Bass. Its characteristics can be considered quite similar to [Accuracy],” the White Sage’s monologue was muttered to himself.

Ignoring the warning, Leeha carefully handled the neglected rifle and placed it on the table.

“What’s this?”

“The Lord is impressive. How did you manage to find it so quickly?”

“Haha, well. When Bottleneck said I need to find one, I had to find it!”

As the hammer sounds stopped, the dwarves, including the Beard Brothers, approached and admired the new rifle.

“Look at this, can we see it? Huh? Is it okay for us to look at this?”

“Of course. If it’s not seen by Bottleneck, who else will see it? You should take a good look and consider what needs to be synthesized.”

Pushing away the dwarves, Bottleneck almost pressed his nose against the rifle on the table.

Leeha responded with a faint smile to him.

“All right, yeah, that’s the spirit! It’s similar conditions to reinforcement. First, we need to [analyze] it.”

“That might take about a week.”

“That’s right. Well, for Black Bass’s case, it would only take five days.”

Looking at the twinkling dwarves, Leeha wondered if Bottleneck was possibly more eager to test the synthesis than himself. He realized once again that the artisans of Middle Earth were full of endless curiosity, regardless of race and profession.

“Five days are fine, but there’s no need to rush. Please take it slow and be accurate. It’s an old rifle after all.”

“Of course! I swear to the God of the Hammer, I will handle it as delicately as I manage my beard every morning and evening…”

“Wait, you were actually managing it?”

“Of course! I manage it every morning and evening.”

Bottleneck’s beard, meticulously groomed with impeccable neatness, could be mistaken for being a well-kept crop.

Leeha couldn’t quite grasp the meaning of being as delicate as that, but at the very least, he didn’t suspect that Bottleneck’s [Analysis] would make the White Reaper’s rifle disappear.”

Actually, there’s data on Black Bass. Since the dwarf analyzed Black Bass’ model, there’s no way he can’t analyze the 20th-century weapons.

‘All that’s left is to trust and wait.’

‘I’ll come at the right time. Oh, right, about what I mentioned earlier-“

“Oh, that hasn’t been done yet. Should we start with that? It’s possible to do that if necessary.”

“No, that’s not urgent either. First, focus on the firearms, and we can take care of that later.”

With a light heart, watching Bottleneck, who didn’t raise his voice as usual, Leeha left the workshop.

But how do you combine two handguns with different bullet sizes? It seems impossible, even though they have the common feature of bolt action. Of course, that’s if it’s reality.

“He’ll figure it out. Let’s not worry about it for now.”

With Blaugrunn returned to Rare and safely retrieved the White Reaper’s firearms, there was no longer a burden on their minds.

“Chiyou… I can’t figure anything out in the current situation anyway. Prea also decided on the login time to establish an alibi, so there are still a few days left. Let’s relax during that time.”

There was only one obstacle, but it was something they couldn’t worry about! So, what mattered to the current situation was just one thing.

“I should check out restaurants for the year-end quickly. I might end up eating at a convenience store.”

Securing the best spot for December 31st was the only way for him to survive.

As Leeha surfed the internet, took a nap, and connected, it was already after Sahol’s time in Middle Earth.

“This is driving me crazy. Even the places that seemed okay are already fully booked. What should I do?”

Since the work at Bottleneck’s workshop was not yet finished, it was natural for Leeha to worry about real-life matters. With only 5 days left in real-time until Ram Hwayeon arrived, he still hadn’t found a place to eat.

“Oh no, should I have asked her what she likes? Even if it’s not a Korean restaurant, I should have reserved a place-“

Nara: Leeha! You’re finally here!”

Leeha: Ahh! Nara, Nara-ssi?”

Nara: Why are you so surprised?”

The conversation from Nara popped into Leeha’s head as he rubbed his temple.

“Oh, no. Uh, what’s going on?”

Feeling suddenly uneasy, Leeha was momentarily flustered. Why does he feel like he’s doing something wrong?

Since Nara would usually probe suspiciously, this added to Leeha’s confusion, but Nara didn’t ask any further.

Nara: If you have time now, please teleport right away. It’s to the Old Continent

Leeha: Old Continent? Oh, yes. Understood.”

Leeha opened his friend’s window to check the location of Shin Nara in excitement. Shortly after, he used a chain teleportation scroll and arrived at a small village in the northwest of Fibiel.

“Nara, it’s been a while… Well, this doesn’t seem like the right moment,” he said. No, it was not just any small village. I immediately clenched the Black Bass.

Even though it was a small village, it felt eerily empty, even with no people around. What stood out the most was that every few individuals present were wearing the cloak of the Sacred Knights of Sacred. There were more players dispatched from the Sacred Knights than the usual number, with around 48 lying on the ground. Of course, they were all characters of light.

Shin Nara looked at me with a grim expression.

“This is the fourth time.”

“The fourth time? Already?”

“Yes. A village in the southeast was annihilated two days ago. And almost every 12 hours… This one is estimated to have happened about three hours ago. Moreover, a similar incident occurred in Minis.”

I looked at Shin Nara with a momentarily stunned expression. It was then that I could understand why Shin Nara’s expression was not good. The annihilation of the village was also an unforgettable event for me.

“Faust? Could it be Bluebeard again~~ The strategy used by Bluebeard during the 2nd Interim Imperial War, utilizing chimeras and undead legions, causing chaos in the old continent.”

Didn’t Faust cross the Ocean of Dawn to the new continent while gathering attention from that incident? However, as Leeha listened to Shin Nara’s words, he hung his head.

“At first, I thought so too. But this time, there are no traces of monsters. In Minis, there is only one trace of a person—”

Shwaaaah-!

At that moment, a violet light flashed.

“Ah, you’re right. It matches exactly what the goddess said. Damn it.”

“L-Lark? How did you…”

Lark spoke to Shin Nara with a determined expression. When Leeha looked surprised, Lark also showed a stunned expression.

“Oh my, Leeha-ssi! It’s been a while since we met, and there’s no coffee but only a place with blood splattered everywhere. The atmosphere is like a beggar, very nice! Haha.”

Although Leeha still thought he was a strange person with an unpleasant tone and a cheerful atmosphere, now Leeha was more curious about why he was here. He alternated my gaze between Lark and Shin Nara.

Lark chuckled and spoke first, saying, “I am currently in a relationship with Dame Shin. This greeting is overdue-“

“Lark, please be precise!”

Shin Nara exclaimed, cutting him off abruptly.

Unbelievable! Leeha wanted to be surprised, but he couldn’t figure out how to react in such an odd atmosphere.

“Well, I can’t even make a joke. Still, a partnership is a relationship, right? It’s unofficial, but [Minis-Fibiel Joint Investigation Team]! It’s also a form of social interaction, isn’t it?”

Lark shrugged, trying to lighten the mood.

“Similar incidents occurred in Minis as well. Villages of similar size and environment were targeted almost simultaneously. When we heard about it for the second time, even though it’s not our job, spreading rumors in the capital is not good for public safety, and the Capital Defense Corps requested support, so rather than being helpless… we decided to actively participate. With limited available personnel, it’s better to work together,” explained Shin Nara to Leeha, not even looking in Lark’s direction.

Finally, Leeha could understand.

“Indeed. Nara-ssi, you are amazing. There is a difference when you have a strong sense of justice.”

“Oh, come on.”

Even though incidents occurred within the country, it was not the responsibility of the Capital Defense Corps personnel from various countries. However, Lark and Shin Nara decided to exchange information on similar cases and try to solve this case using the limited forces of the Virtue Knights and the Sacred Knights.

“I am also remarkable for having the same thoughts and actions as Dame Shin, right?”

“Lark-ssi, please be quiet. So, what are the current results?”

It was evident from their expressions alone that they had not identified the perpetrator.

Moreover, the progress of the investigation was not as advanced as I expected.

“It might seem like a monster attack event, but it’s not,” answered Lark playfully, to which Shin Nara added with a sigh, “Initially, we suspected Faust. It’s not easy to achieve this alone. But there are no signs of chimeras or undead… It’s too intentional to be considered the work of Bluebeard.”

Lark and Shin Nara took turns replying, “In the end, we don’t know.”

“Well, it’s not like we know nothing. That’s why there’s a reason for calling Leeha-ssi.”

“What is it?”

Leeha asked Lark in a cautious tone, then glanced sadly at Shin Nara. She subtly avoided Leehas gaze. It was evident who had the idea to bring Leeha here in the first place.