Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED:

“Ukiiiit! Is that really all it takes? Can such a simple boundary really make our underground city more peaceful?”

“Of course. I am working on such tasks in the strongest kingdom across the sea, among humans. Despite being an underground city, this fact actually works to your advantage. The city is virtually lit 24 hours a day. If you patrol periodically as I suggested, the number of problems caused by paleos will significantly decrease. This place is no longer just a ‘village’, but should be treated as a ‘city’. You need to manage security more systematically.”

Listening to her crisp explanation, Harhei and even the eldest gorilla paleo, showed expressions of deep impression.

“Lowland! Indeed… indeed, worthy of someone introduced by Halihali and his friends. Guardian deity!”

“Good, good, eldest! Let’s implement it right away. Just as this female human said, immediately!”

“Lowland!”

The eldest gorilla paleo deeply bowed to Harhei and then turned around. Before leaving the guardian deity’s dwelling, he didn’t forget to say goodbye to her.

“Isn’t it time you called me by my name?”

As she smiled brightly, the eldest gorilla paleo was taken aback in return. He had never imagined a smile from a female human could possess such strong ‘attack power (?)’.

Feeling emotions he had never experienced before, the eldest gorilla paleo stumbled backward.

“Yes, indeed. Thank you, Shin Nara.”

“Don’t mention it. I’m just glad I could help.”

Babam-!

The moment she finished speaking, a lively fanfare sounded in Shin Nara’s head.

Her expression brightened as much as the sound effect.

[You have achieved 100% intimacy with the mystical creature Harhei.]

[ You have achieved 100% intimacy with Harhei’s paleo – the Lowland gorilla.]

“Hmm, Lowland!”

The eldest gorilla paleo bowed toward Harhei and then went outside.

Having already achieved 100% intimacy with the Red Goat and Black Crane paleo, she was searching for her next goal when she received a whisper from Leeha and was guided to this place. However, unlike the Musketeers who had their first encounter with the gorilla paleos while hunting Rhinodillos, she had come here solely through Leeha’s introduction, without any opportunity to prove her abilities. For her, who usually raised intimacy rapidly through quests and affinity combinations while displaying her swordsmanship skills and the name of the Sacred Knights, it was as if one of her feet was tied. Therefore, it was even more difficult for Shin Nara, nicknamed ‘the user closest to an NPC’, to build intimacy with them compared to the Musketeers who raised theirs through spending money or hunting quests.

“I’ll be going now.”

“Ukit! Thank you! Female human, no, Shin Nara, you’re always welcome in our city! Ukiiit!”

“Hehe, thank you for saying so. Stay healthy until next time, Lord Harhei.”

“Ukit! Ukit!”

Harhei was even happier with her polite farewell. Shin Nara tore her scroll as she left the dwelling of the tribal guardian deity, marking the end of her nearly 30-hour ordeal with the gorilla paleos.

“Phew… it’s tough, really tough. Less than 10 hours left now.”

It was almost sunset outside. Hyein had only about 10 hours left to clear the quest with the Warpgate team members. Even the largest Middle Earth community had no significant new posts; everyone was busy preparing for the New Continent by logging into Middle Earth early.

“I’ve built up intimacy with three tribes under the name of Sacred Knights… but I wish I could do one more.”

She stretched and opened her friend list. At the very top, unsurprisingly, was Leeha. Naturally, he caught her eye first.

Nara: Leeha-ssi!

Leeha: Oh, Nara-ssi?! …You’re finally out!

Nara: You have no idea how tough it was. The gorilla friends really didn’t suit me. Who would’ve thought it would take over 30 hours to achieve 100% intimacy? Right?

Leeha: Yes, that’s true.

For ordinary users, it would have taken at least a week…

Leeha barely held back that last part. After all, Leeha himself had achieved it in less than a day. Shin Nara was beaming despite his awkward laughter. Just hearing his voice was enough to lift her spirits, unrelated to the content of their conversation.

Nara: So, could you introduce me to just one more? I’ll tell you a secret to rapidly increase intimacy if you do. I know it’s a bit late to ask after spending so much time with the gorillas…

Leeha: Oh, between us, that’s nothing. Alright. I’ll tell you about the easiest paleo friends to meet. I’ll describe their location and characteristics for you.

Nara: Between us…?

Leeha: Yes. Why?

Shin Nara almost bit her tongue. But after hearing Leeha’s calm voice again, she sighed softly. Just whispering with Leeha seemed to change her expression every ten seconds.

‘Is he just saying that…? I thought there was some meaning to it.’ But Nara couldn’t know.

She didn’t know the expression Leeha had while exchanging whispers, how much he was twisting his body, aimlessly kicking the ground. What he managed to express with great effort was just that, yet it failed to reach Nara.

Nara: I’ve checked the location! Small paleo, right… 10 hours should be enough! Thank you, Leeha! I’ll tell you the secret after reaching the Hall of Fame, so look forward to it!

Leeha: Ah, yes… Alright.

“Why does Leeha sound so down? Doesn’t he need the secret? Hmm, with this, one can achieve 100% intimacy with almost any NPC in a day… How strange.”

Puzzled, she turned towards the location Leeha had described. Unbeknownst to her, just 20 minutes after her departure, a violet light sparkled near that spot.

“There’s an underground city here… Now I can finally trade,” she thought, as her kimono fluttered in the wind.

‘Transforming into a cow paleo, likes grass, and giving it meat actually decreases intimacy – I have to be careful… Haha, Leeha seems to be solidifying his strategy based on their diet,’ Shin Nara mused over the information Leeha had given her.

She moved swiftly, the scenery whizzing past her as if she were in a car, yet her face showed no signs of exhaustion.

‘A mystical creature with eight legs and two cow heads. If left alone, the two cows will fight each other… Similar to a Two-Headed Ogre – probably the strategy is to resolve the conflict between the two cow heads! That alone should raise the intimacy by 30%.’

With just a few facts, she had already formulated her strategy. Leeha had struggled immensely with the gorilla paleos, mistakenly cooking meat and drastically reducing intimacy, but she wouldn’t make the same mistake.

“Ah, the air is fresh. The Erika continent definitely has a higher overall freshness than the Lope continent. It would be nice to go to a botanical garden with Leeha. Eheh. Ah, but it might still be inconvenient with a wheelchair – Hmm?!”

Despite her fast pace, her senses were sharp. The sensation at the tip of her toe was not the usual feeling of stepping on soil or a broken branch.

What was this tingling feeling through her plate boots?!

“A trap!”

Boom———-!

Unable to stop in her swift motion, she realized too late that she had fallen into a trap, as an explosive energy burst from the ground, sending her flying.

Whirling in the air, fortunately, the damage was minimal. She was momentarily dazed but quickly regained her composure and twisted her body in mid-air.

“Ugh, what the-… Damn it, could it be…”

Landing back on the ground, she absorbed some of the energy using a tree trunk, but her expression grew more distorted. Who could have set up this trap here?

[You have been affected by the ‘Mana Barrier’ status ailment.]

[You cannot leave the restricted area for 30 minutes.]

(Dispel possible if possessing higher abilities than the caster)

[You have been affected by the ‘Spatial Bind’ status ailment.]

[All spatial movement within the range is limited for 15 minutes.]

Who could plot such a thing in the brief moment between the trap’s explosion and her landing? The answer was clear.

“Buhihihih, Ma’am Shin?! Surpriii——ise!”

The identity of the person walking towards her from the end of the spatial constraint was clear from his manner of speaking.

“…Petyr. You really…”

“Did you think hiding underground would keep me from finding you? Buhihihit, I can commend you for quickly escaping from the Black Crane paleo village, but such trickery won’t free you from me!”

Petyr’s nails sparkled in his hands.

Their sharpness momentarily caught Shin Nara’s attention, but she quickly focused elsewhere.

‘The Black Crane paleos… That was two days ago. Petyr wasn’t there.’

How did he know her whereabouts?

Certainly, Petyr wasn’t in the Black Crane paleo village, nor during her time with the Red Goat paleos. And how did he know she just came from underground?

‘No, the direction is strange too. How did he know I’d pass by here and set a trap – and how is he coming from the [direction I intended to go]?’

It was clear he had been waiting with certainty. That’s what Shin Nara found odd.

‘Leeha said I was the only one in the Cow paleo village. After I left, no other user had been there -‘

Then why, how, and for what reason was Petyr there?

“Buhihit, what are you pondering over so deeply? Thoughts without answers aren’t really thoughts, Miss Ma’am.”

Petyr, playing the beastman race Miyau, crouched down, ready to pounce like a tiger preparing to attack, and Nara’s muscles tensed in response.

“Phew… Right, exactly. It’s a problem that must be solved. Thinking isn’t what’s important.”

Petyr’s arms and legs moved smoothly, yet incredibly slowly.

Shin Nara’s arm also moved very slowly towards the sheath at her waist. Very slowly, very slowly.

Visit and read more novel to help us update chapter quickly. Thank you so much!