Matan’s Shooter

TL: xLordFifth

ED:

“Attached, it’s attached. Oo-hoo-hoot.”

Chiyou walked on. She had the leisure to enjoy the sensation of the grass rustling, and crinkling underfoot.

Sasuke: Are you okay, Okasan?

Chiyou: Yes. It’s definitely more convenient having an NPC Info Guild. I did reveal myself intentionally, but there were no tails following me… yet Halihali immediately knew my location, go figure.

Sasuke: It’s an unavoidable consequence of the system’s advantages.

Chiyou: I know. Just grumbling a bit. We run around day and night for a single piece of information, it’s frustrating.

On the day Chiyou realized that Leeha had received some kind of order, she deliberately made herself visible. Moving from city to city in Minis, she intentionally used warp gates and walked on main roads. If ordinary users were to gather information, they would have to sit somewhere on the main road, or at least run a stall, and report after physically confirming things. But NPCs were NPCs. As Chiyou complained, the way NPCs from Holy Grill gathered information wasn’t like that.

Madam Joo had claimed to have conducted the investigation herself to lend realism to Leeha, but in reality, it was a utilization of the system’s advantages.

“Well, since I’ve also confirmed the methods of the NPC Intelligence Guild, I guess it’s two birds with one stone. As expected, Ha Leeha is our lucky charm.”

Chiyou continued walking forward. Leeha, following her from behind, couldn’t see her front, let alone understand what the small things in front of Chiyou’s eyes meant.

Whee-ing——!

As soon as Chiyou entered the Silver Plains, what she used was the creation of a map.

Chiyou could light up the surroundings with the map, and yet, unlike Rubini’s, it was not blatantly large but a very small, personal map that only she could understand.

Chiyou walked in a languid, swaying manner? That was the very act of casting a skill.

Dancing doesn’t always require vigorous movements.

With minimal motion through mana control, she could extract just the essential information she needed. That was the ability of Chiyou, the descendant of the hero from the Dancer class.

Chiyou could clearly see some entity trailing behind her.

Although it wasn’t marked as ‘Leeha’, who else would be following her at this moment?

Especially someone who subtly changes direction and persistently follows at a fixed distance behind her.

Chiyou: Is everything ready?

Sasuke: Yes, finished. I’ve saved everything near the location you mentioned.

Chiyou: Good, good job. I’m curious about what Ha Leeha is up to, so for now, Sasuke just wait.

Sasuke: Understood.

“So cute, so cute.”

Chiyou, after finishing her whisper with Sasuke, looked at the icon of Leeha following her, as if inspecting a small pet.

If there was no skill.

Or even if there was a skill, but without the certainty that Leeha was following her?

“It would have been hard to notice. Impressive. Skills surpassing even a professional hunter. Only a few of our well-trained ones could manage such movements… Too far is no good, too close is no good either. The basics of tailing and tracking are maintaining distance. To do that, one must thoroughly predict the target’s movements.” Chiyou watched Leeha’s movements with a pleased expression.

Chiyou continued her languid stroll across the Silver Plains.

And finally, she found the ‘pre-arranged’ spot.

Chiyou: Sasuke, I’m almost there～

Sasuke: Understood. I’ll start moving too.

Chiyou: Okay. Have Komas on standby too.

Sasuke: Understood.

Chiyou slowly walked up a hill covered with reeds. She noticed Leeha’s position changing rapidly.

“As expected. The moment I’m sure of the place to stop, he moves. How can there be no hesitation?”

Leeha was moving somewhere, busily scanning the area.

Was he clearing obstructions near his sniping spot? But Chiyou couldn’t confirm that far.

Sasuke: I’m almost there.

Chiyou: Okay. I’m fine, but Sasuke, you know you have to be careful, right?

Sasuke: I understand.

Sasuke could be seen walking from a distance. Chiyou immediately changed her movement. It was slightly different from her previous languid strides. Though she seemed to be standing still, with every movement of her shoulders, waist, knees, and feet cutting through the air, new information was being inputted to her.

“Here it is, Okasan.”

“Uhm, Ha Leeha might not be able to hear our conversation, but can you be careful when you call me? Especially outside.”

“Ha, Ha! I’m sorry, Chiyou-nim.”

“Yes, yes. It’s better for both of us, Sasuke-ssi. Give me what you brought.”

Sasuke handed a piece of paper to Chiyou. Then, he discreetly stepped back, creating some distance. Chiyou began examining the paper she received. Her eyebrows twitched as her facial muscles moved, but the paper Sasuke gave her had no content written on it. It was just a very thin, smooth something placed on top.

Chiyou was focused. Staring at the thin, thin mirror placed on the paper.

She carefully observed her reflection in the mirror.

Right in front of her forehead, where there was nothing just moments ago, a translucent something appeared. It was suddenly created, glowing with a brass color.

“Here it comes.”

“The Dance of Sociability” allowed for anticipating attacks. One second before Leeha’s bullet reached, Chiyou lifted her head and twisted her body.

Crack, the bullet tore through the hill behind Chiyou.

Baaaaaang———-!

A loud noise followed.

Chiyou’s mouth opened simultaneously with the sound.

“Spot 1, send everyone to capture him alive!”

“Ha!”

Sasuke responded while simultaneously sending a group whisper. This was the spot Chiyou and Sasuke had earmarked early on. In the crystal balls of those active in Shinobigumi, this location and all potential sniping spots suitable for Leeha were already saved.

Swoosh, swoosh, swoosh-!

With a flash of purple light, shadows poured down from the sky.

“Capture him! Capture Halihali alive!”

Sasuke was already on the move. Leading the falling Shinobigumi, Sasuke’s eyes briefly flickered with a lime green light as he rushed to Leeha’s hiding place.

“What’s that now?”

In that moment, Sasuke felt it. Leeha had done something. At least something for ‘achieving his goal.’

“-Chiyou-niiiiim-! Everyone change direction! Use ‘Instant Movement’! One of you block the space!”

Chiyou heard Sasuke’s shout. No, she knew even before hearing it. The translucent, brass-colored bullet that pierced her chest ‘from behind’! She gritted her teeth and twisted her body.

Baaaaang————!

A loud noise resounded.

‘What, she saw me?!’

Leeha immediately sensed something was wrong. However, it was too late to stop his fingers. With a click, the feeling of his finger pulling the trigger, the bullet was already fired. The loud noise shook Leeha’s head, but he was used to it and wasn’t greatly affected.

What was truly shocking was something else.

“She dodged it! That woman-“

Before the bullet was even fired, she had moved and dodged Leeha’s attack! If she knew of Leeha’s presence, it was natural that the attack wouldn’t work.

He knew what her abilities were, what “The Dance of Sociability” was.

‘I knew it. No, I didn’t just know it. It’s not possible to react like that with just that knowledge.’

If it wasn’t just knowledge, then there was only one answer.

‘It’s a trap. Chiyou lured me out.’

It wasn’t Chiyou who got caught in the information network. It was Leeha who got caught in Chiyou’s net!

As if to prove this conjecture, purple lights flashed everywhere. Leeha knew exactly what those who landed would do. But he couldn’t run. If he returned now, it would be the same as failing the quest!

‘I have no chance. I only have 3 days. If I fail this time, I might never see Chiyou’s face again.’

As they landed and Sasuke, who had been running all this time, started to lead them, Leeha opened one of his prepared cards. He saved his current location in the crystal ball. Then he activated the crystal ball. The activation location: his current position.

It seemed like a nonsensical tactic, but Leeha was confident. With 10 seconds left until the crystal ball activated, Leeha immediately used a skill.

“Summon: Partner!”

Swoosh-!

When a lime green light flashed, Leeha had already reached the exact opposite point from where he had just sniped. Waiting for him at the top of the hill wasn’t a person.

[Kyu-Kyu-Kyu!]

Right before Chiyou stopped, Leeha’s partner, separated to act independently, greeted him. The bronze dragon hatchling, Blaugrunn, cried out to welcome Leeha.

‘The distance has been shortened. 720m, quickly adjust the click!’

8 seconds, 7 seconds, click, click, quickly adjusting, Leeha took a prone shooting position. It was then that Sasuke and the Shinobigumi, who had been running towards Leeha’s previous position, stopped. Leeha aimed at Chiyou’s chest.

‘Will she detect the attack from behind this time?’

“-Chiyou-niiiiim-!”

Leeha pulled the trigger. A loud noise erupted.

Baaaaaang———

“Damn it!”

But, the satisfying result Leeha hoped for did not occur. Was it thanks to Sasuke’s shout, or Chiyou’s own skill? She had successfully dodged Leeha’s real attack. While Leeha was feeling frustrated, Sasuke and the Shinobigumi had already changed direction and were rushing at full speed towards the hill where Leeha was.

There was no time for hesitation.

“Blaugrunn, you need to follow well!”

[Kyu!]

2 seconds, 1 second, and swoosh-! The crystal ball that had been activated earlier came into play. One of the tactics Leeha had been practicing: using Blaugrunn for multi-angle sniping and timed crystal ball activation!

Sniping from the front and then immediately moving to Blaugrunn, positioned at a ‘similar distance’, to fire another shot!

The original plan was to snipe from multiple angles ‘simultaneously’, making it impossible to defend, but Leeha couldn’t fully utilize it in practice as it had failed even against monsters in the ruins of Fibiel.

Moreover, this time, Blaugrunn and Leeha weren’t at the same distance from their target, Chiyou, which is why it took a few seconds to adjust the clicks.

Leeha, who was on the hill, was instantly transported to the place where Sasuke and the Shinobigumi were running just moments ago. Blaugrunn, who had been Leeha’s ‘moving return point’, also moved next to Leeha through the summoning skill.

“Another move? Where to-“

Sasuke, who had sped up using skills, was bewildered. The light of teleportation flashed once again on the hill, and Leeha’s figure disappeared.

“What are you all doing?! He moved again! Turn around, turn!”

Chiyou, having used the map skill again, pointed in Leeha’s direction as she raised her voice. One of the Shinobigumi members, following Sasuke’s earlier order, pulled out a space-locking scroll. The moment the scroll was torn, his head flew off.

Baaang———

The head of a Shinobigumi member exploded.

‘It’s different from the voyage to the new continent. The rest aren’t sharing Chiyou’s skills.’

However, Leeha regretted being even a fraction of a second late.

A purple barrier was already surrounding him.

“The space is locked, and he’s dead!”

“That’s enough for the mission! Ignore the dead, and capture Halihali! Or kill him, it’s fine! We know which village he’ll respawn in!”

Ha!

Sasuke and the Shinobigumi agents responded.

Leeha, at the original sniping point of Chiyou, swallowed dryly. Even excluding Chiyou, the total number of people Sasuke brought from the Shinobigumi was about thirty. Just kill Chiyou and escape? But as long as “The Dance of Sociability” continued, even Leeha wouldn’t be able to hit her.

Moreover, the other members of Sasuke and the Shinobigumi wouldn’t leave Leeha alone, focusing so intently, and the space was already locked.

“1:31… It’s going to be close.” [Kyu-uuuuu…]

Leeha and Blaugrunn both sighed simultaneously.

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