Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Crowley’s excited voice, coming right next to Faust, echoed out.

“Darn it, I thought maybe he’d at least say something if I spoke.”

Leeha calling out his name wasn’t just to ask for reasons. Regardless of reasons, the city had already been destroyed, so what did it matter now?

He had directed it to induce them to aim a bullet at the heads of the guys beyond the patched-up golem.

However, not only were they high up, but the targets behind the massive golem were currently out of range for sniping.

Kroorooroot… Gwoeoeeeong──!

As the chimeras approached, the flames around their small bodies intensified.

Of course, it wasn’t possible to completely subdue them with that level of flame. The mass of chimeras quivered in the flames and retreated slowly.

‘There’s no running away. In the worst case, I might have to withdraw my body….’

If that happened, the city would be done for. Leeha briefly scanned the surroundings, looking for anyone he could call for help. But except for Ram Hwajeong, everyone was in a logging-out situation.

‘Starchoo said they unified their time zone for group activities… damn it, why are Ruge and Kid logging out at a time like this?’

Calling only Ram Hwajeong might temporarily hold them back.

However, even if she and Leeha combined their strength, it might still be impossible to stop everything. Leeha didn’t want to drag Ram Hwajeong into that danger.

“So, are you planning to destroy the whole city?”

“No, there’s no need to destroy everything.”

“What? After causing all this chaos―”

“Well, it’s not necessary to destroy everything.”

“What?”

Faust’s voice trembled for a moment. Become part of their force? Grow their power within the remains of this city after destroying it, and join the Demon King’s forces?

However, Leeha’s thoughts were incorrect.

“You also experienced battles and hardships as a user, didn’t you? You’re not a bad outsider… and you’ve also seen our power.”

“What are you trying to say—”

“Think about what being on our side could mean. Maybe this city could also become something we can manage.”

Faust was trying to pull Leeha in. To be exact, to pull him in as a ‘Demon King’s Vanguard’.

* * *

“Are you telling me to become part of the Demon King’s forces? Under Bluebeard?”

“Hoohooho, don’t overestimate yourself, Leeha. That’s not a good habit you’ve got there. You dare call yourself under the Marquis? To be precise, it’s ‘under me’.”

“Are you crazy? Me, going under you as part of the Demon King’s forces? Bring Bluebeard here. I’ll have a conversation with him directly.”

Once Leeha finished speaking, laughter erupted around him. It was complete ridicule.

“You’re seriously making unfunny jokes. Do you really think someone like you can be equal to the Marquis?”

“You idiot, so now that you’re part of the Demon King’s forces, you’ve lost all human dignity too, huh? You keep saying ‘the Marquis, the Marquis’ to monsters as if you’re important too? Oh! And don’t overestimate yourself? Don’t underestimate yourself either. That’s not a good habit either.”

“…I’m not just spouting nonsense, Leeha. It would be better to show some manners before our army starts moving.”

At least Faust’s sharpness was genuine. Leeha was just spewing whatever words came to his mind.

Becoming part of the Demon King’s forces? For Leeha, that wasn’t even a choice to consider.

However, he had to drag out the conversation a bit longer, even if it was forcibly, to create an opening, a chance for himself.

“Okay, what happens if I join under you? Will I become stronger too?”

“Well, it’s simple. You’ve experienced battles before, so you should know. I give you orders, and you follow them. I’ll reward you. Your stats will increase; you can tell that just by looking at this golem, right?”

This meant that Crowley had also become stronger through the power of the Demon King. He had been a skilled alchemist who could create iron golems well and in large numbers, but he had never created such a massive golem before.

“Then show me. Let’s see your true form. We should at least see each other’s faces for a conversation, right?”

It wouldn’t come out. Leeha knew that too. He had looked through his skill window, checked his weapons, and calculated everything he could use.

“Kukuk, anyone, not just this rotting corpse like me, can recruit you. Shall I send Jolbyung, Jolbyung? Huh?”

“Leeha, Jolbyung? Jolbyung? A birdbrain like you knows who to follow? It’s my Jolbyung, not yours. Keep your mouth shut before I snap your scrawny neck.”

When Crowley opened his mouth, Igor reacted. Except for Faust, the rankings hadn’t been solidified within the Demon King’s forces yet.

Leeha was grateful to them. The time they spent watching and checking each other. It was in those moments that they found a glimmer of hope.

‘But whether it’s possible, whether it will go as I’ve predicted… is uncertain. But… I have to try.’

Leeha had already experienced this situation multiple times.

“Can you do it?” No, you must do it.

“We’ll send our people over. Once the ritual is complete, you’ll be on our side too. If you resist, you know what will happen to City Gaza.”

After Faust’s voice came through, shortly afterward, one of Jazar’s members hesitantly approached Leeha.

Ahead, there was the patched-up golem and the users.

On both sides, there were chimera packs.

In the rear, there were reinforced undead. It wasn’t an easy situation in any direction, but this silence would become Leeha’s opening.

‘Hallucination: Bahamut.’

Leeha quietly cast the skill. He felt a massive amount of mana leaving his body.

Whoosh…

“Uh, what, what is this?! I told you what would happen if this guy resists—”

A pale white light spurted from Leeha’s body. An explosion of white light, like something that would burst out from the sun, engulfed City Gaza.

“—Ten….”

Puh-ruck── Puh-ruck──

The sound of flapping wings echoed very slowly.

Though it was an absurd number of times to support that winged entity, there was a very relaxed charm about it.

It didn’t speak, and it didn’t use magic.

It didn’t rush madly.

Just its ‘existence’ alone overwhelmed everything on the ground, radiating an atmosphere that dominated all life.

In the sky above City Gaza, a platinum dragon appeared.

“Oh, ohhh….”

“What… what kind of dragon… I’ve never seen—”

“Can a dragon be that huge? Unbelievable.”

The two large wings were evenly spread, and the body they were attached to was much larger than Kuzgunak’s. It was a size that could only be matched if Baileyfus and Blaugarun before his death were combined.

That body, whether silver or white, seemed transparent yet solid at the same time. The scales reflected the sunlight and glittered as if it were made of silver.

[Who dared to lay a hand on my followers.]

The Platinum Dragon, Bahamut, spoke quietly as everyone’s gaze turned toward the dragon in the sky.

‘What, what’s happening? What should I do, Faust!’

‘Shut up. You have to close that mouth if you want to think.’

Both Crowley and Faust were in the same situation, standing still.

NPCs and users who had barely survived and were fleeing also stared at the dragon in the sky, concentrating their attention on it. To those who stood facing the dragon, it must have been an immense terror.

‘Igor. If it gets dangerous, retreat immediately. You must not die.’

“Don’t worry. I’ve got it. You guys just do well.”

Jazar’s members stepped forward, forming a human wall in front of Igor. Even if a few of them, who hadn’t even reached level 200 yet, were sacrificed, their determination was strong to save as many as a Russian raker even if it wasn’t as many as the pride of Russia.

“Darn it, where did this dragon come from all of a sudden? Chiyoe never mentioned this.”

Furrowing his brows, Faust looked up at the Platinum Dragon. He might have been more forward if he had encountered those who were lower level or ignorant.

However, those who had become the Demon King’s Vanguard had experienced this fear. The fear of Alexander, who swept the vast continent riding on a Gold Dragon.

Even without knowing the name Bahamut, everyone could feel that the dragon before them wasn’t weaker than the Gold Dragon. It was stronger.

“Who are you? Why is a dragon interfering in human affairs?”

[I am Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon, protecting Leeha. I shall never forgive those who lay a hand on my followers.]

“Are you saying Leeha became a dragon knight? We all know that’s not the case, so how can you—”

Faust wanted to respond assertively, but he couldn’t bring himself to be impolite.

[This is my final warning. Leave this place.]

Hearing Bahamut’s solemn voice, both users and NPCs unconsciously took a step back, indiscriminately. Among them, a few who stood tall remained. Among them, Faust, who stood tall, glared quietly beyond the patched-up golem at Bahamut.

“Is that really a dragon? No, something’s off. Different. It’s different from any dragon I know.”

He had been with him briefly, even shared the same space with Kuzgunak’s. He knew well what the true form of a Gold Dragon was. At least, as far as he knew, a dragon never appeared as benevolent as this one.

Faust cautiously sent a whisper to those around him.

“Everyone, prepare to retreat. But if my attack is effective, I will attempt to capture the dragon. There’s a possibility it could be an illusion. It might not be able to physically attack us.”

Ranked 8th, not even a physical class user but a player from a job class that dealt with mental manipulation magic more than orthodox offensive magic, Faust was the only one who could think of it.

“If it’s an illusion, it will disappear once it’s confirmed that it doesn’t have a physical form. So, either my attack passes through it— or when it’s confirmed that it can’t attack us.”

The pale white lizard started casting its skill, and Bahamut slowly descended in tune with it.

[Are you really not leaving? Must you taste the flames before you return?]

Hearing Bahamut’s last shout, Faust was somewhat convinced. If it was a real dragon, it would only issue a warning like that after spewing flames!

“Invo—”

[Hooooomph—!]

In the instant he was about to utter the last word, Bahamut inhaled. It seemed as if it was lying on the ground, as if it were to blow away everything on the ground, but what did that motion signify?

[Fiiiireeee────────────!]

Opening its mouth, Bahamut turned its head to both sides.

What spewed forth were flames of yellow and red. Flames of a color that was so realistic and tangible, flames that seemed to be the very embodiment of a dragon’s breath, erupted.

“Kruuut, kruuuururu!”

“Kruuooooh, kruaaat!”

And those flames consumed the chimeras.

Not only did they suffer, but they also expanded, burst, and died while all their acidic venom evaporated. Users watched as their bodies swelled and burst or they evaporated in the acid venom.

Most astonished was Faust.

Does the attack have a physical form?

“—Ex—”

He had to cut his sentence off. If he didn’t cut it off, he would die!

Faust’s mind barely controlled his mouth.

“—Ca, cancel, cancel— everyone, retreat!”

Shaahh──!

Here, there, he tore scrolls at the same time.

In a span of less than three seconds, all the Demon King’s Vanguard users in City Gaza vanished completely. Their carefree attitudes were undoubtedly the sign of experienced players.

Before Faust vanished, the undead that hadn’t yet entered his range lost their mana and crumbled into dust── earth.

Once the Demon King’s Vanguard vanished and the undead crumbled, the only living beings left were the chimeras that were outside the range of the mana.

“Kruuuruuu….”

From Bahamut’s mouth, flames continued to spew forth toward the remaining chimeras. Until the last one was destroyed.

“Huuuu….”

Only after the chimeras that couldn’t escape had all perished did Bahamut let out a deep sigh.

And a moment later, that figure vanished without a trace. No, there was a trace left.

The spot where Bahamut’s mouth had been. There stood a person.

“Huahh… we barely made it.”

Leeha, holding the strange object, was barely exhaling.