Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED:

“In case you thought I would be an easy target, you’re mistaken, Petyr.” Rustle- Rustle-!

When Shin Nara landed a punch on Petyr’s face and he was rolling on the ground with a stern expression, an unexpected figure emerged amidst the rustling of the forest.

“…What? Petyr-nim? Shin Nara-nim?”

The fire mage hero’s descendant, Pyro, with a red band wrapped around his forehead, looked back and forth between Petyr and Shin Nara.

“Pyro-ssi!?”

“What are you doing here, both of you?”

As Pyro stood there somewhat bewildered, Petyr’s lips curled up slightly. The sudden appearance of this hero’s descendant was a surprise, but not the kind Petyr had expected.

Petyr approached Shin Nara, his aura alone enough to tear both her and Pyro apart. Shin Nara stepped back cautiously, but Pyro moved towards both Shin Nara and Petyr, his face calm.

“Petyr-nim, you still have that weird way of talking. Ah, right. Shin Nara-nim, you know Leeha, right? Where is he now?”

“Me, me?”

“That swindler guy, he said he would teach me some underwater breathing achievement, and something about transforming and swimming in the sea! He promised to show me! I was number one in fishing, but that swindler just ran away. Ah, just thinking about it makes me angry. Where are you, Leeha?”

Shin Nara was perplexed. What’s with this guy?

‘Doesn’t he understand the situation at all?’

Why was he asking about Leeha in the midst of this scene?

Shin Nara understood the reason behind his queries, having heard about the incident during her voyage. But in this situation, to bring up such a topic?

She didn’t even know how to respond.

“Buhaha, I always thought you were a fool, but to be an actual fool, huh? Buhaha, in our country, there’s a saying that kids who like playing with fire have lower intelligence than average.”

Petyr laughed. His confidence stemmed from his own abilities. From the information he gathered observing users during the voyage, Pyro wasn’t a variable to consider.

Overflowing with energy but near a fool.

That was Petyr’s assessment of Pyro. However, Petyr didn’t know something.

“What? What did you just say?”

“Buhaha, do I need to say it twice? This is why talking to fools is so hard.”

“Don’t pick a fight with me, I have business with Shin Nara-nim, so back off.” Pyro’s body started emitting white steam.

Petyr flinched momentarily, but as his claws grew longer and sharper, he showed no signs of fear. Moreover, the time limit on the spatial binding barrier was almost up, and Petyr knew Shin Nara was waiting for that moment.

“You think I’m going to back off when I’ve made prior arrangements? Buhaha, Pyro, Pyro, you foolish friend! If you help me kill Shin Nara, I’ll tell you where Leeha is.”

“What? You know where Leeha is?”

“Of course, Buhaha, of course! Don’t you want to know?”

Petyr sidestepped like a crab, shaking his hips. His absurd behavior slowed Pyro’s steps, which was quite evident.

Shin Nara was the most confused. ‘How does Petyr know where Leeha-ssi is?’

She briefly checked her friend list, and Leeha’s location was constantly changing, indicating rapid movement. The only reason for such speed was clear to Shin Nara.

“Pyro-ssi! Don’t be deceived by Petyr! If you help me, I’ll take you to Leeha-ssi right away!”

“Buhaha, it would be easier to trust me, Pyro! But fine, if you insist on helping Shin Ma’am, I’d like to see how tough a flame sorcerer’s body is. Ahng!”

Petyr made a biting gesture in the air. Pyro’s expression changed as he listened to their conversation.

“…So, here’s the thing.”

The white steam from his body intensified.

“Didn’t both of you know that I’ve been looking for Leeha? Not just at the end of the voyage, but even on the day we set up the mana relay tower, I chased Leeha all over.”

The steam grew stronger. Shin Nara stepped back, feeling the heat emanating from Pyro.

‘Is it getting hot…?’

Step. Step.

Pyro’s expression was changing, and Petyr sensed the unusual aura too.

“These past few days, asking everyone I meet where Leeha is, what he’s doing… and no one told me. Everyone treats me like a fool.”

“That, that’s because they didn’t know. But I really do know!”

“Buhaha, I know too! I know, I kn- Ah!”

“For 5 days, burning useless monsters… and I couldn’t even find Leeha. And now suddenly, two people appear, claiming they know his whereabouts, trying to lure me in with promises?”

Fssssssssst!

A sound like boiling water whistled from the top of Pyro’s head.

Petyr, who had been approaching Shin Nara, quickly retreated. Shin Nara too had to use all her defensive skills. She had an idea of what was coming next.

“Who do you take me for a fool?! Flame Pillar of Heaven!”

Fwoooosh———–!

An immense pillar of fire erupted, engulfing the surrounding area. Shin Nara and Petyr both had to react quickly to avoid the scorching blast. Pyro’s rage had reached a boiling point, and his powers were unleashed in full force.

A gigantic pillar of fire, connecting earth and sky, erupted from Pyro’s body.

“Buhiiiiit! They say to beware when a fool gets angry, and that was indeed true!”

“Damn, this heat is-”

“Bring it on!”

The flame pillar intensified, reacting to Pyro’s voice, shooting higher into the sky.

‘Is he amplifying it?’

‘Can he really inject more mana into a skill after casting it?’

Petyr and Shin Nara braced for defense, but the heat surpassed their expectations. Shin Nara’s cloak started to singe at the edges, and Petyr’s claws were close to wilting. His poison-coated claws had already evaporated their toxins. At this point, even Petyr couldn’t laugh it off.

Especially since Pyro’s positioning was so critical.

Caught up in his excitement, Pyro was now positioned between Petyr and Shin Nara, unleashing his fury on them both! Petyr regretted his choice of direction.

He couldn’t attack Pyro directly, and circling around him meant leaving Shin Nara unattended. Once separated from Shin Nara, he wouldn’t be able to approach her again before Pyro ceased his skill.

‘If only I had anticipated Pyro’s intervention.’

Pyro, a powerhouse in burst damage, was known for his simplicity and brutish nature. Petyr’s initial plan was to subtly manipulate him against Shin Nara. It would have been better to attack her from behind…

‘Using such an unsophisticated skill, he must have poured all his mana into it. Buhaha, I can’t tell if I overestimated or underestimated him.’

Was Pyro using this skill to save Shin Nara, or was he just recklessly wasting it in his excitement?

Petyr couldn’t tell if Pyro was foolish or calculated. He had to make a choice.

“Buhaha… Shin Ma’am, you just barely saved your life today. But in the new continent where the Sacred Knights can’t exert their power… I wonder how long you’ll last. Buhaha!”

As Petyr’s voice echoed beyond the flames, Shin Nara glared at him. With the spatial bind lifted, there was no need to hold back.

Swish, Petyr disappeared into the bushes, and Shin Nara finally let out a sigh of relief.

“Where are you going, Petyr? Bring Leeha-“

“Stop, Pyro! Move and your head flies off!”

Leeha had arrived.

As Pyro was about to chase after Petyr, he halted at the sound of Leeha’s voice and slowly turned towards it.

“Ha Leeha…”

Shin Nara wondered if Pyro’s eyes had turned into flames as well.

Leeha gripped her Black Bass sniper rifle more tightly, connected to his Stabilizer. Though he aimed at Pyro, he didn’t miss checking Shin Nara’s condition.

“Shin Nara-ssi, are you okay?”

“Leeha-ssi!? Yes, fortunately- but what was that-“

“Kuiiit, kuiit-!”

“Kyuu, kyuuu!”

Shin Nara was momentarily flustered.

A huge pig-headed mount leaped out from behind Leeha, and a bronze dragon hatchling clinging to its mane and weeping… An odd combination.

“Where have you been popping out from, huh?”

“What do you mean? If anyone saw, they’d think I ran away from Pyro-ssi.”

“Ha! You didn’t run away? Didn’t you promise to tell me about it?”

“Ah, that- I was going to tell you now since the 5 days are up. I did what I could at that time, and then, of course, I was going to tell you! Don’t jump to conclusions, please cancel that skill first.”

Leeha, though flustered, calmly and clearly spoke, trying to pacify Pyro.

‘Petyr’s gone. Shin Nara seems okay – did he flee?’

The fact that the fire pillar was Pyro’s skill, and not an explosion, was surprising, but the continuation of the skill was also noteworthy. Leeha knew that the size of a magic spell and the amount of mana it requires are somewhat proportional.

‘Such a tremendous fire pillar must require a significant amount of mana… but it can’t be just about creating a fire pillar. There must be a follow-up skill.’

Leeha swallowed hard, thinking about the potential scale of Pyro’s next move. Could the fire pillar spread out in all directions? Though she could withstand it with her Platinum Shield and Jellypong, it would be no easy feat. And the task of protecting Shin Nara as well would only add to the complexity.

Effectively, Leeha had two choices.

Her index finger slowly moved on the trigger. Despite the rushed adjustment of his click control, he was confident he could make a successful shot. Even if it wasn’t a headshot, he could certainly pierce Pyro’s upper body.

He felt confident.

But was killing Pyro the right answer?

‘I need to talk him down…’

There was another way. After all, making an enemy out of such a formidable user was not something Leeha would find pleasant.

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