Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Even while Leeha enjoyed the quest, Pyro was pouring out his sweat to his death’s breath.
“Pushoooooo——!”
“Hwahaaaaaaaaa—–!”

75%…, 88%…, 91%…,

Finally, a pleasant message showed up in Leeha’s view when it passed 99.5%.

[You have completed the Super High Temperature Furnace Quest.]

[Your level has increased.]

“You’ve done great work. I can really depend on Pyro.”

“Hwuhwhuk… Huhwuh.”

Pyro was so exhausted he couldn’t properly form words. Leeha patted his back a few times and approached the lava lizards.
“Now, check it out. Isn’t this temperature sufficient?”
“S-SSkink, Yes.”

The lava lizards couldn’t help but agree.

Faster than they had anticipated, the magma erupting with bubbles was boiling vigorously.

“Human, you are more useful than fuel bats. Would you help us next time?

“Hwuk, no. I feel like my mana will burn out if I do this twice.”

Despite the lava lizards’ pleas, Pyro replies negatively. An energetic individual he may be, but he was well aware of his own limits.

It’s a safe bet that without Leeha’s mana charger borrowed from Lamyhayun, this would not have been possible.
“Alright. Pyro, do you have the scroll of return?”
“Of course, Hwuk, but before that–”

Pyro, who had been sitting sprawled out on the floor, got up. He walked past Leeha and the lava lizard in a brisk stride.
“Where are you going? There’s no path that way!”

“I know. That’s the place where the lava was flowing earlier– Hwuk.”

“Huh? lava?”

Leeha and the lava lizards cautiously followed Pyro.

Who would go to the effort of moving separately into the uncharted area of the lava lizard tribe?

Only when they reached the first lava stream that Leeha and lava lizard had followed, Pyro began loosening his clothes.

It wasn’t a great sight- but it was unexpected.

“Pyro?”

“Hmm, that’s about it … a bit hotter than the old continent, I guess.”

“W-Wait. What are you going to do-”

“Aha. Since Leeha-ssi informed me of the achievement here, let me tell you, there’s another in the lava. Not sure if you can withstand it, but-“

“Whaat-!”

With his cheerful greetings, Pyro jumped into the lava stream. The lava lizards, with their satisfied expressions, nodded their heads.

“Skink, he is surely a pleasing human.”

“Skink, Skink.”

Leeha looked as Pyro rubbed lava onto his shoulders and arms.

His actions, facial expression, tone…

“Ah this is refreshing. Have you heard of lava springs in Japan and Korea? In real life, it would be great to cleanse our waste material like this.”

“…l think, that’s not exactly what a lava spring means…”

“Don’t stay still, Leeha-ssi, you should come in, too. One achievement pops up in 30 minutes, let’s check if others show up in an hour.”

“N-No, that’s okay. I think I will pass.”

At Leeha’s rejection, he retreated back.

The achievement that he got when he swam and crossed the lava stream following the lava lizards, damn it… That’s right, if not Pyro, who else would have done it?

‘Whether I have to look at him as a dedicated user or someone who has lost his reason by half. Hmm.’

He once again looked at the headstrong man who wouldn’t hesitate to tackle anything related to ‘fire’ or ‘flame’ with astonishment. Soon, he said his goodbyes.

“Then, enjoy your bath!”

“Thank you for letting me know about this place.”

With the magma engulfing him, Pyro politely bowed towards Leeha. Despite his wavering and grumbling, he was a man who knew how to show gratitude.

Leeha waved back at him and then turned to Skink.

The lava lizards, too, seemed quite lively due to the delight of the successful Magma Origin.

On the way to Skink’s dwelling, Leeha couldn’t help but wonder.

‘But, how high is that human’s synchronization rate? No, what’s his fire resistance that he dives straight into lava?’

Even in the early Middle Earth, there have been cases of individuals plunging into lava due to a misstep, leading to a death in reality. Yet now, people are testing baths right in it.

Should this be seen as a game that evolved? Or a game that failed in balancing?

‘So the game itself is akin to fire? A divine tool when used properly, but also a source of death if misused…’

Shocked anew by the world of Middle Earth, Leeha reported the quest completion to Skink.

“Brilliant, human. Leeha.”

Skink looked truly amazed.

Perhaps he had been expecting Leeha to fail, or because he had initially forced the task upon him, his faith in Leeha had been quite low.
“Not at all. I fully understand the hardships of Skink-nim and the lava lizards. Once again, I salute your sacrifices for the stability and balance of the world.”

With Leeha fulfilling the quest requirements, there was no more need to hold back.

Having already raised the intimacy level sufficiently, Leeha’s tongue was as-nimble as slick oil.

Seeing Leeha’s courteous greeting, Skink even showed signs of being moved.

“Now then…”

“Right. I’ll give you the promised Fire Flowers. Plus, a little gift for heating our [Magma Origin].”

“Hm, a gift?”

Though she already knew, Leeha asked, pretending to be ignorant.

Skink called Leeha over. She stopped when she was near the huge lizard’s maw.

“Born with the Lonely Volcano, Skink, who lives with the lonely volcano…

Hiss-!

The giant lizard opened its massive jaws.

As the lizard’s tongue with myriad spines licked Leeha, and the deflated voice of Jellypong trailed off, the quest was truly accomplished.

Ba-bam!

[You have earned the title: Conqueror of lava.]

“Give Leeha two Fire Flowers.”

Zzing-!

At Skink’s command, the lava lizards bowed their heads.

With saliva drop dropping, Leeha followed them. The regrettable part was that her intimacy level hadn’t yet reached 100%.

‘Hmm, an intimacy level achievement would have been nice. Was the fuel bat massacre too impactful?’

It was no ordinary feat to raise the intimacy level from negative to 100%. Either multiple quests or something they especially favored would have to be presented.

Emerging from Skink’s dwelling, Leeha noticed a peculiar hole upon wandering around the porous reef.

If Skink’s lair was a giant hole, this one emitted peculiar red light.

“This place is…”
“This is where we grow Fire Flowers, skink.”

“Growing… I thought it might be, but truly…”
“Of course. skink. Thanks to the guardian spirit managing the magma, we are able to live off the grace of the Fire Flowers.”

The light spouting from the cave hole was emitted by the Fire Flowers. They looked like burning stigmas; they truly appeared to be flames to Leeha’s eyes.

Flickering like a candle flame, yet moist to touch like a petal. An in-game item with a peculiar texture that could not exist in reality. Leeha thoroughly felt this peculiar texture.

“Hmm, so it’s like this. And considering each stalk is considered as one, there are over a hundred here just from a glance.”

The Fire Flowers had nearly become extinct in the mainland but here, they could be artificially grown. This was the extent of Skink’s uniqueness.

Having heard about the efficacy of Fire Flowers from Blaugrunn, Leeha fully understood why the lava lizards describe it as a ‘blessing’.

“lizard No. 107-ssi.”

“S-skink?”

“How many more of these can I receive if I agree to another favor for you?”

Leeha was grinning broadly as she asked, her hands spread wide. The abrupt change in her behavior took the lava lizards aback for a moment, but they soon shook their heads in refusal.

“We cannot possibly give away the Fire Flower without Skink’s command.”

“Of course, that’s how it is, isn’t it?”

But what could possibly satisfy Skink? Leeha thought that she would have to collect several seeds from the contaminated world tree and shake Skink down (?).

For now, the only thing she could obtain were two stems, both from the ‘Time Attack’.

“Please give me two of the plumpest ones.”

“Skink? What?”

“The ripest ones. Hmm, this one and this one? The flowers have bloomed well, like they should be.”

The lava lizards obediently complied with Leeha’s selection as if they were picking fruits at a market. Even after they plucked off the flower heads, the flame of the Fire Flower didn’t extinguish.

‘Even without its root, it keeps burning. Is the flower itself that flammable?’

The lava lizard then snapped off the two Fire Flowers chosen by Leeha and handed them over.

“Here, Skink.”

Leeha examined the Fire Flowers closely. She wanted to grab them immediately, but she knew such an action required some resolve.

“Aren’t you going to take it?”

“Of course I am going to take it! I must take it. That’s why….. I have come this far.”

Leeha took a deep breath.

Then he grabbed the Fire Flower.

How wonderful it would be if she could simply carry the item around with her. However, unless it was an item that couldn’t be put in her bag, she had to always put it in her bag to claim ownership.

‘Alright, from now on-‘

Leeha opened her bag and placed the Fire Flower into it carefully with the hand that was holding it.

‘-it begins.’

At the same time, the hourglass was turned upside down.

[Becoming the Ultimate Dragon]

Content: Deliver the Fire Flower to Onyx within 24 hours after acquiring it.

*Time Remaining: 23 hours, 59 minutes

Leeha: Blaugrunn! Got the Fire Flower!

Blaugrunn: I’m almost done too!

Leeha: Okay, see you at Gaza City!

Blaugrunn: Okay!

After bidding the lava lizards goodbye, Leeha activated the crystal ball immediately.

Followed by a whooshing sound and the blending of violet hues, Leeha disappeared. Even after about 30 minutes had passed, the lava lizards could not return to their daily routine.

“Excuse me, lizard-nim.”

“Skink?”

“What did Leeha take earlier? What is that flower?”

A player called Pyro came over, dusting off the lava stuck to his body.

[Fight Fire with Fire]

Content: Acquire the Fire Flower and deliver it to Ifrit within 30 days (Remaining time: 10 days)

“Alright, the timing seems alright.”

Leeha had to log out often due to he rehabilitation treatment, but now he had a quest that took a whopping 20 days.

Without his Black Bass, he only had two musket-pistols as he ran towards the North Gate of Gaza City.

With a bright flash of turquoise blue, Blaugrunn looked up at Leeha with quite a disheveled expression.

“Oh dear, Blaugrunn-ssi seems exhausted.”

“…Do you even know how many days and nights I roamed around without sleep?”

“There, there. You worked hard. If this all goes well, I will give you some time off.”

Leeha tousled Blaugrunn’s hair and chuckled.

He pouted and showed his offense, but he worked so hard because he knew it was all for Leeha’s sake.

“Here.”

“Is this the Fire Flower… indeed there are two?”

“We-ell, didn’t I tell you? I do if I say I would.”

“… In that aspect, you’re truly surprising. I still can’t believe someone like Leeha-ssi acquired not one but two Fire Flowers.”

Despite sounding suspicious, there was a look of undeniable respect in his eyes.

Leeha shrugged with a grin and gently dropped one Fire Flower onto the ground of the ‘Special Management Zone’ just outside the North Gate of Gaza City.

As soon as the flame flower was placed on the ground where the seeds drawn from the fruits of the world tree were planted, an immediate reaction occurred.

“Be careful, Leeha-ssi, get back! Resist Fire!”

Blaugrunn stepped back and cast a fire resistance spell. However, Leeha didn’t follow him.