Matan’s Shooter

Kijung checked his friend list. Leeha’s location hadn’t changed at all.

“What about Leeha-ssi?”

“Still no change. No reply to my messages either.”

Having given up on persuasion, Shin Nara let out a sigh and approached where Kijung was standing.

However, both Shin Nara and Kijung didn’t think that Leeha’s presence would have changed anything in this situation.

“Leeha, what’s so important about that person that you keep waiting on them?”

Lark, who had somehow made his way right next to them, sneered incredulously.

“… Please leave while you’re ahead.”

“No, no, I’m genuinely curious. What is it? A Ranker? Some sort of king? You think everything will change when Leeha arrives?”

No one answered his question. Bobae quickly drew her bowstring, but it was Shin Nara who knocked down Bobae’s arrowhead.

“Why, Nara! Even if we’re just around the village, it’s still disadvantageous for you alone if things escalate.”

“Do you think I’ll lose? This- This is all because of him! It all started because of him!”

Bobae had suffered the most in this situation orchestrated by Kijung’s decision. It was clear Lark was not in her good books.

“Unbelievable. To help out and get scolded in return! Bobae-ssi? Didn’t we sync quite well when we went to obtain the ‘Divine Staff’? Do you know how much I’ve struggled these past few days? I might not have mentioned it, but clearing up hordes of monsters, at least three hundred of them. And because of this ‘contract’ with Shin Nara-ssi, I couldn’t even approach paleo without turning tail and dealing with them as such. ~ I’ve really been through a lot.”

“Shut your mouth. I seriously want to blow you away.”

“Hmm, why all this anger. Is there a reason I shouldn’t kill monsters?”

Lark tilted his head.

Bobae was about to explode again, but this time Kijung intervened.

“There’s no reason. You’re a knight of Minis after all.”

“Of course. I’m operating under directives from the Vatican themselves. Surely Master Kay didn’t receive something on his own that you didn’t?”

Lark shrugged nonchalantly.

Information regarding Holy Knight had already been relayed to Chiyou, and Lark intentionally not attacking paleo was indeed to place obstacles in Kijung’s path.

He skillfully used all restrictions and duties placed upon him to build a righteous and logical façade.

Nobody could object to his words under normal circumstances.

Kijung took a deep breath.

“There is.”

“Excuse me?”

“Kijung-ssi?”

“Kay!”

Bobae and Hyein exclaimed in surprise as they called out to Kijung.

Lark’s expression twisted momentarily. To expose himself in such a manner?

Too naive to think that mentioning his second class change quest would be taken lightly. Yet Kijung did not speak further, simply fixing his gaze upon Lark with silent eyes.

“Indeed. Someone must have tipped you off. What’s this?”

“What, what are you talking about?”

“That crumpled expression just now. You’re showing your hand without even a word. It sure doesn’t involve Lark-ssi. From what I know, there shouldn’t be anyone here spreading this matter around.”

It was the slight gap caused by Lark’s own quick thinking that revealed him!

Lark’s exceptional insight, at this moment, had tripped him up.

“I absolutely detest you. I really, really do. But I don’t think you’re a bad person. That’s why, even if I dislike you, I didn’t hate you. Perhaps that’s even more infuriating. However…”

Kijung unsheathed his sword. This was the first time the members of the Starlight Guild saw Kijung assert himself so strongly.

“My thoughts are beginning to change.”

“Are you claiming I’m a bad person?”

“Then prove it, if you dare. Tell us who you heard my story from.”

Kijung was aware of the existence of Shinobi-Gumi.

He was well-acquainted with Chiyou’s tremendous information network.

There would be no leaks regarding this matter from Kijung’s immediate circle. So, through whom did Lark hear? Directly from the Pope? Unlikely.

There was only one route through which Lark could have learned.

Kijung had Lark cornered.

Lark shut his mouth.

“Thought so. You won’t speak, will you?”

“No, it’s simply because Master Kay, you already have an answer in mind. But remember one thing. I am by no means a bad person.”

Lark held Kijung’s gaze firmly.

Lark, examining Kijung’s eyes, responded, “As long as I am in Middle Earth, I am an eternal member of the Minis Kingdom’s capital defense Knights Order, ‘Virtue’. I swear on my sword, I do not do evil deeds.”

“Why would you do such a thing-“

“I simply…~ seek the most efficient way. Isn’t life all about that? Sure, a few individuals might suffer along the way, and some discussions will happen, but ultimately, it always results in something good for everyone~ That’s it.”

“Stop spouting nonsense about utilitarian ethics and the greater good.”

“Ah, how could a sparrow understand the heart of a phoenix? Do you even know why I don’t ascend to the rankers’ positions?”

“What, what did you say?”

Lark did not draw his sword until the very end. Instead, he turned his back to Kijung, who was standing with his sword drawn, and merely sighed. Kijung was momentarily taken aback by his final remark.

Where does his confidence come from? Not that he couldn’t become a ranker, but that he chose not to That was the tactic Lark had taken regarding the dilemma Kijung had placed him in.

What if the table of their conversation were completely flipped? The dilemma would disappear. In that brief moment when he lost the initiative, Kijung no longer had the disposition to detain Lark.

“Where are you going? Tell me who told you-“

“What’s the point of telling you, when you won’t understand? It’s just a waste of time. Until next time-“

“The paleos are moving! The mystical creatures have been spotted!”

Rubini’s shout interrupted the conversation between Kijung and Lark.

To those on the front lines of the defense, Rubini’s cry was unnerving, yet they didn’t even need to hear it.

[They’re coming.]

“Must we shed blood, natives of the New Continent.”

[If Juma City falls, we won’t have the power to kill Le.]

“Yes, I know. We must defend this place for justice’s sake.”

“All Hwangryong, prepare for battle—!”

Alexander, Bailephus, Pei Wu, and the members of the Hwangryong Guild prepared for battle.

“Alright, since it’s come to this, let’s go go!”

With the mystical creatures and paleos charging in, Shin Nara and Byulcho could not stand idly by.

“Kay. What do we do?”

“Kijung—”

“First… let’s get out there. We’ll join the battlefield but observe the situation as much as we can.”

After all, not drawing a sword would only mean death by their hands.

While everyone was busy preparing for war, Lark, having returned to the camp of the Virtue Knights, had a troubled expression.

“Let’s go.”

“What are you talking about, captain? What are we going to do if we go out there?”

Pung, who was drinking tea, was startled by Lark’s suggestion.

Due to the [contract] with Shin Nara, the Virtue Knights were unable to engage in hostilities with the paleos or the mystical creatures. And yet, he suggested going out amidst this war?

“We’re not heading to Juma City.”

“Huh? Then where?”

“…We’ve worked, so it’s time to collect our pay. But we don’t know if they’ll pay up, so we need to secure a guarantee, don’t we?”

“What does that mean-“

“Confirm the location, and prepare everyone to follow.”

Lark activated the crystal ball.

“Woooo! It’s starting!”

“Smash them, crush them!”

“These guys are nothing compared to the Monster Wave!”

The users’ faces were filled with joy. Although the difficulty was lower than before, the expected rewards were similar, hence their exhilaration.

“Charge— Ah?!”

At that moment, a blinding explosion of light dazzled the users’ eyes.

All charging users had to bow their heads.

“Stupid animals!”

“Let’s crush them all, transforming won’t help, they’re only around level 250! And there aren’t many of them!”

Morale didn’t drop.

The users were very familiar with the capabilities of the ‘enemies’ already identified.

“Fight, fight!”

“Charge!”

Of course, that action had its own logic. Not a single user gathered here had personally experienced the group actions of the paleos, and it was rare for anyone to even know that among the seventeen mystical creatures of the Western New Continent, there were those similar to humans.

“Iraku, you’re up first.”

“Understood, Harhei.”

One of the rushing mystical creatures paused, a wild boar with incredibly sharp spikes on its hind legs stood on its forelegs as if doing a handstand.

“Here we go!”

Koo-goo-woo—!

The act of slamming its raised hind leg down was an ability of Iraku, the guardian deity of the boar paleos, capable of causing earthquakes.

“What? Wha-?!”

“Crazy, an earthquake!”

“All users who can fly, get in the air!”

The sudden shaking of the ground momentarily baffled the users. Now, the distance between humans and paleos was less than 100 feet.

In a situation where they needed to gain momentum by speeding up, levitating to avoid the earthquake was not the right action, especially not in front of the coalition of mystical creatures.

“Pygmy. Order a volley fire.”

“Aim for those floating humans-!”

The bonobo paleos lifted their modified bolt-action rifles.

Moving with them was ‘Hudid’, the guardian deity of the crane paleos.

“Fire!”

“Ha, truly, using the enemy’s weapon against them! Huuuuh-!”

With a short burst of gunfire, balls of fire shot out from Hudid’s beak.

“What? What’s that? Shield!”

“Fire- magic is- stronger than expected!”

Trying hastily to use defensive magic was futile against the might of Hudid, a crane mystical creature with the prowess of an Adult Dragon. Many of the floating users turned to ash and plummeted to the ground.

Before a full-on clash had even begun, two exchanges took place. Or rather, it was an action that couldn’t even be called an exchange.

The paleos’ attacks precisely hit their mark as if predicting and inducing the humans’ next actions, and the humans, who had regarded the paleos as nothing more than uncivilized savages, were outright defeated.

“Is this all humans amount to? Well, that explains why they couldn’t even make such simple objects powerful.”

The being who had devised this entire strategy and rallied the mystical creatures scratched beneath its nose.

“Truly, it’s Harhei.”

“Having you here is reassuring.”

Harhei, the guardian deity of the bonobo paleos, a creature from the lava jungle who had disassembled Luger’s and others’ weapons, possessed intelligence beyond that of humans.

“Keehee, it’s my turn next. Hmmm… Get to work, work!”

A small mystical creature ran around the paleos who were charging at the front. An ugly-faced monkey encouraged the surroundings, causing the muscles of various animal-shaped paleos to bulge as if they were about to burst.

After the earthquake stopped and they began running on the ground again, the faces of the users at the forefront contorted.

“Sno, a mystical creature that enforces labor-“

“If Harhei’s power is involved-“

The paleos empowered by Harhei included gorillas and pigs. These giant paleos, capable of uprooting trees with a single blow, charged fiercely.

“Charge-! Charge- Ah! There’s no reason we wouldn’t become stronger!”

“Shields! Lift your shields-“

“Aaaargh!”

Like bowling balls knocking down pins, users were flung into the air from various places. However, they hadn’t used a skill to levitate; they were lifted into the air by the power of the paleos.

With the momentum of the assault fully retained and now bolstered by Harhei’s enhanced strength, the charging attack led to the deaths of dozens of users in a single strike.

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