Matan’s Shooter

Matan’s Shooter 778

Chiyou, who was exchanging whispers with Sasuke, quickly turned around and threw a sharp hairpin.

Due to the winding nature of the cave that had to be entered from the entrance, with no sunlight able to penetrate inside, nothing should be visible as it was the norm.

However, the opponent effortlessly dodged it.

“K-What is this!? Chiyou, you’re being too much!”

The owner of the voice belatedly protested, but Chiyou just smirked, showing an attitude that it didn’t matter whether they complained or not.

“Eh… Prea.”

Chiyou spelled out her name.

“Sniff, you have quite a unique scent.”

Although Bluebeard dismissed it as insignificant, Chiyou displayed her discomfort with her facial expression.

“How did you end up here?”

There was no way Sasuke would have mentioned it. Neither would Igor nor Faust have disclosed it. Above all, this place was unknown to them.

“How did you know about this place?”

“Are you wondering how a family member who eat meals together would know? Of course, I know.”

Prea replied as she caught the hairpin thrown by Chiyou, glancing around. Chiyou briefly glanced at Prea, then turned her head to Bluebeard.

“Count? If I may ask, did Count-”

“No, do you think I would let someone lead me around announcing my whereabouts?”

“I understand.”

A character whose true intentions are hard to distinguish, someone who can’t differentiate between acting and true feelings. Furthermore, a player whose allegiance is unclear, whether they are allies or enemies!

For Chiyou, Prea was a variable in and of herself.

It was a balancing act— letting go of her entirely was a waste, yet embracing her unconditionally was risky. She wanted to keep her distance, but if she tried to do that, Prea would approach first.

How should she handle this situation?

“Can you see your surroundings clearly?”

“Yes, well. My eyes aren’t just white for no reason. It’s fine without the 『light』.”

“Mhmm.”

Chiyou couldn’t quite grasp Prea’s expression. Prea thought there was no need to say such things, as Chiyou was in the middle of inserting the spirit of light, wulwis, into her eyes. Above all, mastering the fusion of spirit and physical body is an advanced skill even for spirit wielders. There was no need to say it out loud.

“Then, you don’t need ‘Vampire Enchantment’?”

“Vampire Enchantment? What’s that?”

“If you’re going to pretend you don’t know, forget it.”

As Chiyou turned away, Prea urgently grabbed her forearm.

“Hehe, w-well, that… even though I would like to, I’m a Spiritualist. If I accept that, my spirits will be bound to wishes.”

“Are you trying to make excuses?”

“It’s not an excuse, it’s true! I promise!”

Prea looked at Chiyou with an unjust expression on her face. Chiyou also met her gaze, hoping for some sign from Prea, but Prea just nodded her head without revealing any clues.

‘If I let Prea escape like this again, I’d rather she receives strength from Le or becomes a vampire. Then, maybe I could trust her completely. Or rather, control her completely underwater. At least, she wouldn’t feel this unease right now. But as this unpredictable situation continues, every time Chiyou looks at Prea, she feels frustration.’

“Okay. So, Prea, what are you going to do from now on?”

“What am I going to do? Just level up around here, and if you need me, I’ll come back. That’s how it goes.”

Every expression of Prea didn’t sit well with Chiyou, but she couldn’t get caught up in every little thing. Chiyou nodded her head, and Prea bid goodbye to Chiyou and Bluebeard before leaving the cave once again.

After ensuring that the Spiritualist had completely left and even using skills to confirm that the surrounding spirit energy couldn’t be felt at all, chie finally spoke.

“Why… are you letting that bitch go, Count?”

One of the questions Chiyou was curious about was this very thing. Why was Bluebeard tolerating Prea’s presence?

It is certain that Prea and Bluebeard made a deal.

‘The existence of Dark Spirits. Lending power to obtain it. Yes, it is an undeniable fact that perfectly fits my conjecture.’

While it is true that Prea has done some work for Bluebeard and Chiyou, now the risks outweigh the value of their services. Why does Bluebeard still have her by his side?

Sitting on a rock, Bluebeard continued to smile at Chiyou.

“Chiyou, Chiyou.”

“Yes?”

“You know what that girl wants.”

“Yes, it was undoubtedly… the 『Key』.”

“The Key to the Elemental Realm… Even if she had that key, she cannot use it.”

“What??”

Prea made a deal with Chiyou. It was the 『Key to the Elemental Realm』. This item was unique to her, and there were only a few of them in all of Middle Earth.

‘Even if she can unlock a sealed lock, she must consider whether the ones inside will open the door.’

“… Are you saying the spirits are physically blocking the door?”

“Haha! Your humor has improved! But you’re not entirely wrong. Even with your scent, entering the Elemental Realm is likely impossible.”

That much was enough for Chiyou.

Why was Bluebeard risking Prea like this? What is the reason for entrusting the 『Key to the Elemental Realm』, a special item, to a top-level Elementalist at the risk of danger, even in Middle Earth? When Chiyou remained silent, Bluebeard’s eyebrow raised.

“You’re quick to catch on, which is good. You know what you need to do, right?”

“We must quickly retrieve that key.”

“The more, the better—but you won’t find many. Even if you search the entire world, finding three would be considered a lot.”

“I see…”

Chiyou nodded his head.

At that moment, Bluebeard clearly defined his goal.”Let’s start with just one for now. And we need to make sure that the Wood Elf opens the door in front of us.”

“Hmph, but this wouldn’t be considered trespassing, right?”

“How could this be trespassing? We’ll be using the key they left behind to enter. Well, from their perspective, we might seem like unwelcome guests sneaking in behind a guest.”

“Definitely… I doubt any homeowner would appreciate someone barging in uninvited.”

Chiyou countered with a playful swipe, sporting a mischievous smile.

‘I might not know if it’s a tangible land, but I will be the first one to illuminate that place… Haha, become a prophet.’

Chiyou understood that Bluebeard’s words hinted at the existence of another world in Middle Earth where existence itself was uncertain, implying an expansion of the map where one could wander.

※※※

“Something else needs preparing- Oh, what’s this?”

At that moment, Leeha was sorting through the items in his bag. Amidst the jumbled ammo clips, grenades, various lanterns, crystals, and scrolls, a key emitting a radiant light caught his eye.

“The 『Key to the Spirit World』 is here. Wait, when do we use this?”

After taking the key out of the bag and examining it closely, Leeha tucked it back into a corner of the bag. He didn’t even consider that this item, which would be coveted by all spirit mages, entities, creatures with spiritual ties, and all races embodied by spirits in Middle Earth, could come in handy.

“Oh, I could use this to tease Prea, couldn’t I? Ah, but there’s no need.”

Terror spirits and dark spirits were more than enough. Moreover, there had been several occasions where things went awry due to Leeha being overly dedicated to their mission.

“I just need to control her using the dark spirits, that’s all. Ah, if I happen to encounter dark spirits elsewhere, there might be a chance to form a contract there… Hmm.”

Leeha was also in a state where it was difficult to clearly determine if Prea was on the same team or not. How long could they control he using dark spirit, the spirit of darkness, as an excuse?

What if she turned into a vampire?

There must be a close relationship between vampires, beings of the night, and the dark spirits.

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“I might have many shortcomings.”

“Oh! No, no. Just thinking about something else… Hehe.”

Leeha reassured the White Reaper. Of course, it wasn’t just to neatly arrange the items in the bag for easy viewing.

… It seems they might be lacking.

Leeha didn’t know how many enemies there will be. He coultn’t predict how many enemies will come for them. The deadline is 100 days.

Why did he have to stay here for 100 days above all else?

『It’s not a waste of time. We can’t do that. We are preparing for it.』

Leeha and the White Reaper engaged in lengthy conversations after clearly understanding the enemy’s objectives. The massive map laid out in front of them was the culmination of those discussions.

“Wow, this is really impressive.”

The map, filled with countless symbols and different colors indicating various terrains nearby, detailed not only the topography and buildings but also the angles of sniping and shooting, along with effective directions.

While Leeha was concentrating on studying the map, the White Reaper asked, 『You mentioned ‘Pre-emptive Attack’, which sounds good to me, but… if it’s difficult, there’s no need to resort to such methods. As I mentioned before, I have an ethereal form; their regular attacks won’t work on me.』

“Regular attacks may not work, but… there are those who know Shimo’s condition. They will surely mobilize mages and come after us. Targeting only them might be a way, but this time it will be different from before.”

“Oh, really? I’ve taken down countless giant mages so far, but that alone wouldn’t reduce their absolute numbers.”

Leeha felt a bit bitter. The White Reaper seemed to have weakened visibly after Leeha’s successful snipe, almost as if he was taken aback by it.

‘I don’t understand why his strength weakens as soon as he’s hit by my bullet, but… at least in that respect, it’s similar to Faust’s undying summons, isn’t it?’

Leeha still vividly remembered it.

Faust’s latest summon: an undead withstood physical attacks without being affected, alongside a fire spirit attached to a child’s hand.

Was there a resemblance between that and the White Reaper?

Even though he was eager to research, now wasn’t the time for it.

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Sensing Shimo’s tense mood, Leeha burst into laughter.

“Hehe, I can’t say I have nothing for Shimo-nim, but without the Pre-emptive Attack strategy, we might not be able to hold out.”

One must not dwell on difficulties. Think about difficult things, but keep a cool head. For Leeha, the worst scenario would be the Giant Users and NPCs divided into several groups periodically sending waves.

“If the enemy is from the forest, it might be easier in the short term… The battlefield is vast, and with fewer numbers, the risk of overlooking something is high. Most importantly, facing the constant stream of enemies requires unwavering focus.”

That wasn’t something Leeha desired either.

The key was to win the fight in the beginning.

“Suppress the momentum in the Pre-emptive Attack. When the key figures suffer a penalty of death and are prohibited from logging in for 48 hours… that will be the only time for a break.”

Staying only in the Middle Earth was not an option. Considering Leeha’s sleep patterns, the keyword “Pre-emptive Attack” was appropriate for the current situation, and for that reason, Leeha was deep in discussions with the White Reaper about detailed tactics. However, some of the information marked on the massive operation plan seemed excessive and unnecessary.

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