Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED: 

Kijung grumbled as he raised his arms. His right hand held a sword, and his left hand, with a shield, desperately struggled to reach the ceiling and tongue of the serpent.

Cr-creaaaak…

Having a realism rate exceeding 50% didn’t just mean feeling pain as if it were real. It meant that in Middle Earth, he could move his entire body more realistically! When Kijung’s face turned bright red as if it were about to burst, he gathered his strength and pushed the mouth of the serpent with both arms.

“My strength is the same as the physical strength in Middle Earth!”

Swish!

Kijung swung the nameless paladin’s sword fiercely as it came out of the serpent’s mouth. However, the intelligent serpent had long predicted and prepared for his counterattack.

Screaaam!

The black serpent that had bitten Kijung quickly lifted its head, and when Kijung fumbled into the empty air, what flew at him was the tail of the white serpent.

“Are you going to take it twice!? [Apollo’s Guardian], [Swift Defense]!”

Aaaaah!

An orange light flashed from Kijung’s body.

Kijung wasn’t just a tanker that only used a shield. His occupation was a Templar, a holy knight of the Ezwen Theocracy. He converted the divine power he possessed into defensive power, buffed himself to respond to the attacks of his agile enemies, and even prepared to face large enemies without retreating!

“And [Vanguard Stance]! If it’s self-buffs, I’ve got as many as you want!”

Before finishing his sentence, the tail of the White Serpent struck Kijung.

“Ki-Kijung!”

Shin Nara shouted again, but even that sound was swallowed up by other noises around. Even after the white serpent’s initial tail strike against Kijung, the attacks did not stop.

Kwang, kwang, Kwaah—!

The black serpent and the white serpent took turns striking Kijung from all directions continuously swinging their tails at him, trying to nail him.

Other users from the Blue Marlin were in panic due to the relentless attacks. With the enormous whip relentlessly lashing Kijung’s body, his silhouette was barely visible.

“Ki-Kijung!”

Shin Nara, who had raised most of her levels through the quests of the Royal Palace and the Sacred Knights, felt like she would faint just by watching the situation.

Overwhelming differences in physique and indiscriminate attacks! The users of the Blue Marlin could only tell that Kijung was still alive after hearing his desperate shout.

“Ugh! Try hitting me more, you snake bastards—-!”

As if the serpents understood Kijung’s shout. Their attacks became fiercer and faster.

Shiiiiit—!!

Real serpents leaped around at the end of the New Serpent ship’s deck.

Kijung’s declaration that he could endure ten attacks had long passed. In less than a minute, more than eighteen attacks had been inflicted on him.

However, the time Drake had asked for was three minutes. Kijung’s ordeal was just beginning. Intermittent noises were heard inside the closed cabins of the ship. Sounds of something hitting hard, someone screaming or shouting…!

“What was that noise just now? Wasn’t that Kijung’s voice?”

Bobae’s hand, which was gripping her bow so tightly that it had made her fists turn white, flinched at that moment.

Her gestures and expression, like an anxious wet puppy, seemed as if she would run out at any moment, but other users had a different opinion.

“Kiskis, if you go out now, the Guild Master will blame us, Bobae-nim.”

“Sometimes you need to trust and wait.”

Biyemi and Hyein knew roughly what the relationship was between Bobae and Kijung. However, Bobae was not only worried because she and Kijung were close to being lovers.

“However… Kijung seems weak.” 

Bobae had never participated in hunting with Kijung. While she had seen Kijung fighting in a tournament, it was only in a PvP situation. She had never experienced raid hunting against boss-level monsters, so it was natural for her to be concerned.

Chiyou, who had crossed over to the New Serpent ship and was sitting in the cabin with them, shared the same concern.

‘Right. When it comes to skills, Master Kay of Byulcho is probably the most unremarkable… Wasn’t he chosen as the successor guild master mainly because of his friendly personality?’

The users of the Blue Marlin were worried for Kijung, facing a formidable opponent like the serpents.

Even with the information held by the leader of the Shinobi-gumi, not much was known about Kijung. Byulcho wasn’t a guild of continental scale, and after losing in the guild war against Hwahong, it didn’t attract much attention. However, Chiyou could sense something. looking at the expressions of Biyemi and Hyein, who were also from Byulcho.

‘They’re strangely calm.’

After facing the overwhelming skills of Luger and Kidd, the appearance of these serpents was remarkable. Considering their intelligent movements, swift agility, and ability to dispel most spells, each serpent seemed to be at least level 280 or higher, equivalent to a field boss. With a bit more strength, they could be compared to an adult dragon.

‘It doesn’t make sense for him to solo tank, especially two of them… Igor should be able to face them with full doping. But for a tanker with no significant attacking skills…’

Chiyou wondered if Kijung, without any formidable attack skills, could truly endure for three minutes alone against these powerful opponents. Despite the guild master’s decision to go out, the guild members seemed strangely composed. Was it a rational decision to sacrifice a tanker who wouldn’t be of much help anyway?

‘I thought so… but is there something they’re hiding?’

Chiyou quickly glanced at Biyemi, Hyein, and other users who were close to Kijung. Their faces only showed smiles, but there was something about those expressions that bothered Chiyou.

“Kik, this, this… It seems like our guild master wanted to look cool for a change.”

“Well, that’s what it looks like to me too. We’ll keep it a secret that Bobae-nim said that.”

“W-What are you talking about…?”

In response to Biyemi and Jin Gonggong, Bobae just chuckled, and Hyein, with a calm face, reassured her.

“Kay has a weaker side due to his personality, but it’s not just because of that that he became the guild master.”

“Really…?”

“Kik, you wouldn’t know even if you heard it. Do you know about ‘Tanking Angle’?”

“What? No…”

“Middle Earth doesn’t simply take damage as it is. It might be like that if the combat assist system is on… Anyway, the better the tanker, the more they can adjust the angle and location of the enemy’s attack by observing the enemy’s attack motion. I learned it from Master Kay not too long ago, so it’s embarrassing to pretend I know it.”

Jing Gonggong explained in response to Hyein and Biyemi’s words. Kijung was so kind as to share his expertise with Jing Gonggong, who was not even in the same guild. He thought it might be because of his personality that he became the guild master, but it seems that’s not the case.

“Hehe, and our guild master – even I find it hard to believe… but looking at it that way, he’s a genius at ‘tank angles.’”

There were different critical and instant death points. Even in areas where normal attacks were applied, damage varied for each part. So, wouldn’t there be a system like that for defense? Of course, there was! Adjusting the ‘tank angle’ essentially meant [getting hit as least painfully as possible], which can’t be considered a useless talent. Kijung instinctively knew this expertise. It truly is a talent for a ‘tank’ to face opponents not through evasion but through defense.

****

Leeha: What, using seawater as the source of health recovery? That’s totally cheating.”

“That’s right. While human strength may be trusted, it’s impossible to defeat a serpent with their attacks alone.” 

Sea Bream and Anderson didn’t slow down amidst all this. Now even if Leeha suggested going back, it was impossible to turn back. Leeha also had no intention of going back. However, the strategy for dealing with the kraken was already challenging, and the method to tackle the serpent was even more daunting, causing frustration.

Leeha: So then, what exactly…?

“There’s only one method..”

Leeha: What is it?

“If the serpents are being forcibly controlled by the fishmen… there is a way. You just need to release them from that control.”

Leeha: Do you mean capturing all the fishmen?

Leeha raised his head, asking in a whisper. He could see Sea Bream nodding while holding him from behind and rapidly moving forward.

“No, it’s not that. Controlling serpents… and, controlling intelligent serpents is not something ordinary fishmen can do. As I mentioned before, serpents receive the power of the sea god and are beings that carry out the sea god’s influence throughout the entire ocean.”

“…Bubble-!”

Bubbles burst from Leeha’s mouth. He understood the nuance Sea Bream was trying to convey.

Leeha: You mean… the corrupted sea god sent the serpents?

“If they simply herded the serpents, that wouldn’t be the case… it would be difficult to lead intelligent serpents with mere threats or herding. There’s a high probability that it’s mind control. When I last saw them, there were no fishmen born with the ability to control at the level of ‘mental domination.’ So, it’s possible that the sea god… no, however, I can’t confirm. All I can say is that it’s the most likely possibility.”

Leeha: Well, anyway! Whether it’s the sea god or a new type of fishman! How can we free the serpents from being controlled?

Sea Bream remained silent for a moment. Anderson, having no more information, kept his mouth shut. When Blaugrun sensed the serious atmosphere, he stopped making whimpering sounds, and Sea Bream finally spoke again.

“The power of the sea god must be dealt with using the power of the sea god… If the prince has such thoughts, it’s worth mentioning… Of course, if the prince were to step up on his own and then use the power of the sea god again… I cannot predict the aftermath of such a storm. Throughout the long history of Dragon Palace, there has never been such a case.”

The reason for Sea Bream’s dark expression while talking about the serpents!

“Kurelyuleuk!”

Drake.

While he listened to Sea Bream, Leeha realized that something unusual might happen to Drake, but for him, the safety of the other new continent expedition members was more important than Drake alone.

Leeha: Kijung! Go tell Captain Drake! There’s no one else to stop the serpents but him! If there’s any way, use that to protect

Kijung: Cough, Cough, Eong-ah!

Leeha: …Please hurry up and tell him.

Leeha’s whisper to him made Kijung realize that three minutes had already passed on the deck of the New Serpent.

When Leeha whispered to Kijung, Kijung and the others had already succeeded in holding on for three minutes.

“Thank you, Master Kay.”

Kijung staggered towards Drake in response.

“Hehe…”

Kijung’s darkened vision could no longer see anything, but he could still hear the sound.

Together with Drake’s voice, a cheerful achievement sound echoed- Pa-bam! 

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