“Sigh… Persistent, that’s an understatement. Who plays a game without even sleeping?”
Kidd shook his head as he viewed his friend list. He had planned to leave immediately if Leeha logged out even once, but Leeha’s relentless gameplay hadn’t given Kidd that opportunity. Finally, Leeha logged out. Of course, it was not for sleep, but due to his trip to Hong Kong. For Kidd, this was an unpredictably rare opportunity.
“But thanks to that, my preparations are perfect.”
Kidd dusted off his coat, shaking off the accumulated grime. Having carefully selected his position and hidden his presence for several days, he had run numerous simulations in his mind.
Of course, these were contemplations on how to approach the ‘Arcane Sniper’. Unlike Leeha or Luger, Kidd couldn’t rely on long-range shooting. He was well aware that his approach had to be different, and he had found his solution.
“You may not use it, but I have a way.”
Kidd drew his twin revolvers, spinning them expertly on his fingers. The Crimson Geckos gleamed as before, but his appearance had changed since a few days ago – new hat, clothes, and shoes.
Walking through the New Continent Erika – Barren Twilight Plains for about thirty minutes, he reached a point where the ground turned the color of burnt charcoal – the entrance to the ‘Blooming Wasteland’.
“Growl…”
“Hiss…”
“Indeed, the monsters’ forms are immediately telling. But that’s exactly the signal.”
Wolves, reminiscent of hyenas but clearly lupine, began to emerge. They cautiously circled and pressed in – a typical wolf pack strategy. But Kidd wasn’t flustered.
“Now into the unknown. The place where Luger died. If this is where the ‘Arcane Sniper’ appears, it won’t be long.”
The first measure was to assess the Arcane Sniper’s skills. Kidd estimated its sniping range to be about three times that of Leeha’s.
He had to abandon the mindset of ‘spotting’ the enemy. From the moment those wolves appeared, he believed he could be in the Arcane Sniper’s crosshairs at any time.
“Phew… Phew…”
Kidd tensed every nerve in his body, his muscles ready for the ‘Speed’ state.
He assumed the Arcane Sniper was already observing him.
“Feel it. When will it strike, and from where?”
Although the surrounding wolves were closing in, Kidd’s focus was elsewhere. He surveyed the terrain and his most exposed positions.
There’s no hiding. He can’t sneak up on the Arcane Sniper. If he can’t approach the Arcane Sniper, he must make the Arcane Sniper approach him.
“Just like now!”
“Kyaaak!”
Kidd’s leap and the charge of the three-headed wolves occurred almost simultaneously. He was aware of every being around him, though not looking directly at them.
With a long jump and a forward roll, he fired five shots, shattering each of the three heads of the wolves, with two bullets to spare.
“Kyaang!”
The remaining two bullets easily penetrated the thighs of another three-headed wolf.
After killing one and disabling another, Kidd rose from his roll and continued firing!
Tadaaa——!
The six or more three-headed wolves surrounding Kidd couldn’t get within 2 meters of him. As a ‘Rapid Fire’ specialist, he decimated the monsters in an instant.
Reloading four revolvers took him just about 1.3 seconds. It was impossible to do this fast with just a speed-loader; it required repeated practice, akin to breathing, and a significant agility stat.
“Surely you’re watching, arcane Sniper. And if you’ve seen me, then-”
Kidd pressed down his hat brim, covering his face. In an environment devoid of monsters, he leaned forward as if to walk. But just before taking a step, he suddenly rolled to the side. It wasn’t just a chilling sensation that prompted this move.
Thud-!
A dull sound kicked up dust where Kidd was about to step, confirming his suspicion.
“That’s what I expected at this moment.”
Then, he quickly changed his movements – forward, backward, sideways! To an onlooker, it might look like a dance, but the unpredictability and speed were incomparable.
If this truly was the Arcane Sniper’s territory, and with no more monsters to hinder him, it was now time for the Arcane Sniper to act. Kidd’s prediction, based on sharp instincts akin to Luger’s and logical reasoning like Leeha’s, was spot-on.
After dodging five shots from the Arcane Sniper using his senses and intellect, the shooting stopped. Kidd pressed down his hat even more, almost completely obscuring his vision.
“… Is the test finally over?”
Even in this situation, Kidd was smiling.
Then, he stood still, confident that no more shots would come his way. Unlike Luger, who advertised himself as the successor of ‘Piercing’, Kidd had used a different method to convince the Arcane Sniper not to shoot at him anymore. The method was simple, just as he had said at the beginning. Kidd peeked under his hat brim, then quickly pulled it down again to hide his face.
“Hmm!”
Finally, a silhouette emerged in the distance. Kidd, sensing this, spun his revolvers and holstered them.
“Having tested who I am through shooting, and now thinking that I’ve passed your ‘test’, you won’t shoot me. You need to confirm why I’ve come here.”
Step by step, he moved forward.
Kidd walked toward him, then suddenly revised his thoughts.
“No, it’s not that ‘I’ cannot be shot. It’s because I’m mistaken for ‘that person’ that I can’t be shot.”
This was a method neither Leeha nor Luger could use, but it was possible for Kidd. And it was precisely this method he had prepared for, waiting for Leeha’s logout.
Kidd quickly raised and lowered his hat brim again, assessing the distance between him and Arcane Sniper. He stopped at a distance of less than 100 meters.
Kidd also stopped.
His heart pounded nervously. Could Arcane Sniper discern his heartbeat, the throbbing in his chest? Such thoughts crossed his mind.
But the next moment he heard the voice, Kidd slowly exhaled.
“… Browless? How did you get here…”
He had confirmed that his method worked. Before setting foot here, Kidd’s appearance had been perfectly transformed into Browless, a member of the old trio, ‘Rapid Fire’.
***
‘A NPC who knows Captain Browless, and a man at that…’
The voice of Arcane Sniper wasn’t particularly special. It had the typical tone one would expect from a middle-aged man. Kidd thought even Browless’ deeper voice would have suited Arcane Sniper better.
So, Kidd remained silent. He could disguise his appearance, but imitating the voice was impossible.
‘Arcane Sniper must be Mr. Brown.’
Fooling Mr. Brown, who had been Browless’ comrade, was out of the question. Kidd just tensed his muscles, moving step by step.
His hat brim was still pulled down, so Mr. Brown couldn’t see his face. But Kidd couldn’t see Mr. Brown’s state either.
‘I’ll make you feel it.’
Through sound, smell, and the flow of the air. At least Kidd didn’t feel any movement from him.
He was standing still, waiting for Kidd – or rather, ‘Browless’ – to say something.
For Kidd, it was like walking a tightrope.
How far could he go before Mr. Brown recognized him? What was the optimal distance to subdue Arcane Sniper in the current situation?
‘If it’s Mr. Brown, the predecessor of ‘Piercing’, think of him as an upgraded version of Luger. Naturally, I’m stronger in extreme close combat.’
Simple proximity wasn’t enough.
Even 70 meters could be considered close range for snipers, but not for Luger or Kidd. Especially for revolver-wielding Kidd, the advantageous ultra-close range would be within 10 meters.
He needed to enter a radius where he could move faster than Mr. Brown’s weapon rotation.
“One day I knew you’d come. When Luger appeared here, I thought that day wouldn’t be far off. But this soon?”
As Brown’s voice sounded again, Kidd flinched. The slight joy and regret in his voice were palpable to Kidd.
‘But… why does this voice sound so empty…’
What might Brown be feeling?
The distance had already shrunk to within 50 meters.
He must subdue him. Even if it meant injuring Mr. Brown slightly, if he could subdue him quickly, it would be possible.
‘If he uses ‘Arcane Bullet’, I’ll die in one hit. But if I subdue him quickly and take his gun, he won’t be able to use Arcane Bullet.’
He had to seize the moment. Kidd would have an advantage for about 2 to 3 seconds. Knowing that Arcane Sniper wouldn’t use Arcane Bullet carelessly due to its shot limitation was also an advantage. Then it was possible. If given just one chance.
“I understand your disappointment. Naturally, you’d think that way. Even if our positions were reversed, I’d surely blame you. But won’t you listen to me once? About me and… Liza-”
Kidd paused momentarily. Now, the distance was about 22 meters. The atmosphere had shifted; it was difficult to approach more subtly. The moment he felt it was challenging to get closer, Kidd prepared to leap forward. And what move should follow? One chance! And a one-shot subdual!
“Liza… Miss Elizabeth?”
Unlike his usual self, Kidd relaxed his body entirely. He needed to relax his muscles as much as possible, showing no hostility. The opponent was Arcane Sniper. At a distance of 22 meters, an ordinary person wouldn’t see or feel, but he could notice the tension in Kidd’s arm muscles preparing to draw a gun. So as slowly as possible, as if nothing was happening, shamelessly…
‘Now!’
(To be continued…)