Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Not only due to the Giant race’s inherent strength but also because of his speed, which had increased thanks to his mana.

The disappearance of laughter from Yijiwon’s face as he faced Igor’s blade was only natural.

After barely parrying his blade and making a large movement, Yijiwon created distance.

Although he was a magic swordsman who handled a sword as skillfully as a swordsman, his true worth came forth when magic and sword harmonized.

Black mana particles were instantly drawn into Yijiwon’s body.

“Sol Blaze, Corona Zet.”

As Yijiwon swung the burning black sword, flames akin to a solar flare burst forth!

“Cross Guard!” “Cross Guard!”

“Shared Health!”

However, the fiery explosion, like a solar flare, didn’t reach Igor.

Three members of Jjar, who had slipped through the gap between Yijiwon and Igor, used their skills together, focusing on a single target!

Shwee— Shwee—!

The thick X-shaped cross made by the sword blade created a defensive barrier.

And into that space raged the Corona Zet.

With a whoosh and a blinding light, the flames were entirely absorbed, leaving behind only a black smoke.

Staring at the spot where the billowing black smoke had vanished like steam, Yijiwon’s pupils dilated.

“…Wow, are you guys really alive? Even if Igor got hit, it’s a fact that he’s on death’s doorstep, isn’t it?”

Compared to Igor, Jjar was much lower in level, and just three of them were blocking his skill combos?

However, it seemed that the damage wasn’t entirely absent, as the three members of Jjar staggered and reached for their potion bottles.

As Yijiwon aimed his sword again to finish it, Igor, beyond Jjar, surged forward with a leap.

“Kyahaha! You’ll have to look up on the internet after you’re dead to figure out how that was possible!”

Of course, a ranker like Yijiwon would certainly know Jjar’s skills.

In addition to a skill that used sword swings to defend against magic, it was a skill that combined the vitality of three people to distribute damage.

But it was astonishing that he withstood his magic with ‘merely that level of defense.’

From this one exchange of offense and defense, Yijiwon could completely predict the direction of this battle.

There were still more than five Jjar members left.

The staggering ones would recover quickly if they drank potions.

Igor hadn’t taken any damage yet and was absorbing his HP even more through Yijiwon’s spell.

What was the best way to proceed?

“Tele—”

“Blood Jet! Seal the space!”

“―port.”

At the same time that Igor urgently shouted and shot out blood beads, Yijiwon’s countering was quicker. His body disappeared almost simultaneously with the unsealing of the space-blocking magic.

Without using his usual sense of urgency, without even provoking the opponent with taunting words.

In the place where Yijiwon had disappeared, his burning eyes flickered for a moment like an afterimage.

***

“You filthy necromancer! Are you disturbing the dragon’s rest to become a mere harbinger of the demon king’s fragments!”

“Alexander? Beeliphus?”

Faust unconsciously took a step back.

He had only tested his command by taking out the body of Cooz Gugnak’s from the Resurrection Cemetery, and now suddenly a gold dragon and the 1st-ranked were appearing?

‘From where?’

But the pondering was short-lived. It wasn’t important now.

Seeing the flying beings as if they were waiting, Faust had already sent a whispered message.

“Lance Transform, For Charging.”

Shoooaah—!

Light burst from the long spear that Alexander was holding.

Even after the transformation, the light continued, to be exact, the ‘Light Spear.’ Alexander leaned the shaft against Beeliphus’s neck, holding it as if to clasp it.

“This isn’t a private dispute between rankers. For the protection of Middle Earth, I will eliminate you, Faust.”

“Phoo, phoo, even like this, huh? Even though it’s been a while since we met!”

[Can you even laugh in the face of my breath, you filthy offspring!]

“Whatever might have angered you, Gold Dragon Beeliphus, aren’t I your enemy as well?” Faust chuckled and snapped his fingers. The corpse of Cooz Gugnak’csh flew towards the air, changing its trajectory then.

It was at that moment that the Red Dragon, with over half of its neck severed and still without a face, dashed towards Beeliphus in a more eerie atmosphere than before.

[Is this the result of living for five thousand years, Cooz Gugnak’csh? To be so attached to life, forgetting even the last slice that leads to the Dragon’s pride and the restful abode!]

Beeliphus screamed, but Cooz Gugnak’csh couldn’t give a proper response. From his voiceless body, only a trembling, unpleasant vibration sound was emitted.

[────────────!]

In the end, Beeliphus, who had been about to exhale his breath towards Faust, had no choice but to turn his head towards Cooz Gugnak’csh, who was flying at high speed.

Even before the Ultra-High-Temperature White Flame Breath, his speed never slowed.

With a whoosh, at that moment, a translucent shield was created in front of the headless Cooz Gugnak’csh.

[──────]

[Foolish! Do you think you can block my breath with your shield, you heartless creature without a Dragon’s heart!]

“Moreover, I have my charging skill. Return to the Restful Abode, dear Red Dragon!”

As the breath began to consume the shield, and Alexander’s ‘Light Spear’ appeared to be about to pierce it, Faust remained unfazed.

“Heh, it’s different from before. Now I can use the Demon King’s mana limitlessly. Of course, I need assistance…”

Thunk—!

Terrifyingly, as Faust snapped his fingers, the translucent shield was entirely covered in black.

The coating was so thick that Cooz Gugnak’csh’s form beyond the shield was completely hidden. The black shield easily deflected Beeliphus’s breath.

[What?!]

“Do you even think of him as an ordinary Undead Dragon? How much do you disrespect me! Dark Promotion!”

A skill that infuses Faust’s mana into summoned Undead entities, upgrading them into higher-level monsters.

Even though he had lost the Dragon’s Heart and his head, if Faust were to upgrade the Ancient Dragon Cooz Gugnak’csh with Dark Promotion…

[─────!─────────]

Splat, splat—!

From Cooz Gugnak’csh’s agonizing body, two wings sprouted in an instant.

With wings flapping six times, the lifeless Red Dragon dashed fearlessly towards Beeliphus and Alexander.

***

From Cooz Gugnak’csh’s charging body, magic was suddenly unleashed.

Similar to Flame Strike, but these flames tainted black by the demonic mana wavered unpleasantly.

“Beeliphus!”

[Hmm! Dispel, Dispel!]

The number of these had increased from 22 in the past to 30 now.

Considering that the number of simultaneous castings indicated the caster’s level, Cooz Gugnak’csh had become even stronger than before.

Although Beeliphus’s quick Dispel emanated light, Cooz Gugnak’csh’s next attack was already approaching.

“Spin Sphere!”

Whooaaaang—!

As Alexander performed a spin with his spear, a colossal whirlwind barrier appeared in front of Beeliphus. Cooz Gugnak’csh’s crimson mana-mingled claws touched the barrier, with only a few seconds difference.

Zzzt—! With a sound, the Knight’s defense skill started to break through.

[────────────!!]

With a spine-chilling noise, Cooz Gugnak’csh struck mercilessly.

Alexander blocked with a defense skill, Beeliphus blocked with a shield, Alexander countered Cooz Gugnak’csh’s attack with his offensive skill, Beeliphus dispersed his vision with magic…

This time, unlike the past when the dragons fought 1:1, even with Alexander joining, the Undead Cooz Gugnak’csh was not at all overshadowed.

[How did the scraps of a demon’s soul make you like this, Cooz Gugnak’csh? You can’t become this strong just by becoming Undead! Is your will truly in alliance with demonic magic!]

Beyond the relationship of metal and color, transcending the long-standing rivalry, the Gold Dragon’s words burst forth.

Of course, those words weren’t just a simple outcry.

Conversations of beings that were close to NPC-level always had the purpose of conveying specific information to surrounding players.

Listening to Beeliphus’s words, Alexander could speculate to some extent about Cooz Gugnak’csh’s current state.

“Beeliphus, my comrade.”

[What is it?!]

Kwaaah—!

Amidst all this, Cooz Gugnak’csh’s attacks were relentless.

Alexander briefly observed the intense battle between the two entities below and looked down.

He knew exactly what he needed to do to put an end to this situation.

“Our primary goal is to eliminate the vanguard of the Demon King’s forces.”

[I know that too! But Cooz Gugnak’csh…]

“The Undead Dragon is your concern.”

Alexander interrupted Beeliphus. Then, he took out a Fly Magic Scroll from his bag and leaped down from its back.

Swish—!

As he tore the scroll, the magic’s effect was activated.

Amidst the dragons’ aerial turmoil, Alexander slowly landed.

“Heh heh, how about this? I deliberately didn’t level up, but I significantly increased my stats. Despite being ranked first and even with your Dragon, you’re not overpowering me… What a pity. I should record this and share it online to attract more people to join our Demon King’s side.”

“Shut that filthy mouth of yours, Faust.”

Looking at the imposing white wyrm, Alexander raised his lance with both hands. Once again, light started to emanate from the lance.

“What? You think you can stop me? What can you do, a creature without a Dragon? A topic that isn’t even worth a feeble discussion…”

Before Faust finished speaking, his chimeras and upgraded Undead creatures started pounding on an invisible barrier before him.

Though he managed to melt over ten of them with his Flame Radiator, there were still around fifteen chimeras left. Not to mention, even with the Undead Executioners and the basic monsters upgraded into Duel Hans, their power was not to be taken lightly.

“Do you know who I am?”

“I do. That’s why I’m saying this. A mere Dragon Knight thinks he can pierce through our chimeras with just a lance handle and in such a mediocre way…”

“Impart Divine Power.”

Whoooh…

The radiant spear of Alexander rapidly extended.

Since he wasn’t riding a horse and was just standing, a lance nearly 10 meters long would be difficult to handle even in terms of its center of gravity, but that wasn’t a problem for him.

“I am not a simple Dragon Knight.”

“What?”

“I am ranked first, representing all Midgard players, the ‘Guardian’ of justice—”

Whoooh───── Pachitch— Patchitch—!

The divine energy radiating from Alexander’s lance was now emitting a light that couldn’t even be properly seen.

Just as the sound of energy colliding might sound somewhat ominous to Faust, Alexander took his first step.

“—Alexander ‘The Great’—”

Like a high jumper about to make a jump, Alexander, holding the long lance horizontally, began to run towards Faust.

“—Witness the power of a king, the ‘Judgment of Justice’.”

Whooaaaaaaang──────────────!

The light emanating from the lance enveloped Alexander’s entire body.

Looking at the transformed Alexander, who now appeared as if he had turned into a gigantic lump of pointed and radiant light, Faust urgently commanded his Undead creatures.

“Halt—! What kind of skill is that… Block, block!”

“Kkadddeudeuk….”

“Krrruu, krrrut—!”

The Undead creatures charged towards Alexander, while the chimeras moved sluggishly, leaving acidic ooze on the ground.

The numerous monsters that stood between Faust and Alexander seemed like scribbles on a white canvas.

And Alexander was akin to a lump of pure white paint.

With every stride Alexander took, the messy scribbles on the canvas were completely erased, evaporating into white.

The roars of the Undead creatures, the screams of the chimeras, none of them could be heard.

The sound of the light emitted from Alexander’s lance wrapping around him. Aside from the solemn sound effects, Faust couldn’t even hear the sound of the Undead creatures being destroyed or the chimeras bursting.

“What—! Elemental Shield! Body Wall! Dark Barrier!”

Before the Undead creatures and chimeras were annihilated, Faust quickly cast a triple-layered barrier in front of them.

However, whether it was a shield made of bones, a wall composed of stiffened corpses, or a barrier made of dark mana, none could stop Alexander’s onslaught.

It was truly the judgment of an absolute being.

There was only one thing Faust could do.

“Un… Undead Nest! Teleport!”

Gathering the Unsummoned beings who hadn’t faced judgment yet, Faust scraped together what he could and fled.