Arcane Sniper

Final Warning of Shining Hammer (S+)

In the end, you’ve brought about trouble. I don’t know who you are, but… this gun is a dangerous weapon. It undoubtedly possesses an ancient consciousness.

It desires to destroy everything in the world, wishing eventually to consume even the one who created it. Such a weapon must not roam the world.

I, shining Hammer, shall embed my body into its seal, but it’s regrettable that my vessel is too small to completely seal its myth.

No… If you are hearing this warning, it means my blood has already become useless.

How the weapon passed from the blacksmith is up to the user; I only quietly hope you won’t bring ruin upon Middle Earth.

If you think you might become the creature and fail to control the ancient consciousness, please seal it again, in my name, shining Hammer.

Reward: 60 Stat Points

Weapon ― 『Black Bass』 Re-sealing Possible

(Condition: Achieve 100% friendship with Dwarves of 『Legend』 grade or higher)

(This is an achievement without a Hall of Fame.)

“Yes. I’m confident. What Bottleneck’s ancestor worried about… it won’t be an issue for which I’d have to ask Bottleneck for something.”

Leeha spoke resolutely.

Bottleneck gazed at Leeha with calm eyes.

He did not press further or seek affirmation from Leeha. Black Bass listened to the conversation between Leeha and Bottleneck and laughed.

―Heh, the guy had a paranoid delusion. He must have confused me with Zamiel.―

“Mm, but it’s not completely wrong, is it? Black, you do want to devour Zamiel. After all, you were born in the place where Zamiel was born―”

The expression “the one who created it” isn’t wrong either.

From a certain perspective, you could say Zamiel created Black Bass.

If Black Bass’s desire to kill Zamiel were its wish, then surely the Dwarf known as Shining Hammer read Black Bass’s character correctly.

Moreover, to have released the seal like this, what types and amounts of blood did Black Bass desire?

Had Kijung not procured the holy grail containing Ahlo’s blood, a bloodstorm would have ravaged the entire continent.

‘But since we resolved it without the significant sacrifices you feared, please forgive us. However…’

Why is the reward of the achievement itself the re-sealing of Black Bass?

‘It means not to fall into such… temptations akin to a devil’s lure, without regard for the means and measures necessary to achieve a goal.’

With that thought, Leeha suddenly recalled the message Bahamut had left.

The saying that Kyle was being absorbed by Zamiel, perhaps it also applied to his relationship with Black Bass and himself?

『Black Bass might devour me.』

“Oh, such a horrible thought… If so, then you’ll die by my hand, okay?”

―Heh, what are you suddenly talking about?―

“Anyway! Ahem, don’t worry, Bottleneck-ssi! You should be thankful for having the opportunity to refine and synthesize such a magnificent weapon! Don’t you think? Still, how can a so-called master craftsman be so fearful?”

Leeha deliberately cheered up his voice and patted Bottleneck on the shoulder.

The Dwarf, receiving solace from the much younger human, wore a smile.

“Say no more! Haha, truly, I almost feel like visiting Hell’s Anvil these days. Who knew I’d touch one of the ancient consciousnesses!”

“Exactly, exactly! This isn’t just a simple ‘Legend’ anymore! Hee-hee, it’s a story from the mythic age now!”

〈Black Bass, companion of Primordial Myths〉

『Non-tradable』

Description: The awakened consciousness has regained all of its power. Tormented over ages and suppressed over long periods, this consciousness now seeks vengeance against the cause of its suffering. Its fangs won’t spare the living, the dead souls, god, or the Devil. Once all its objectives are achieved, it will transcend a mere consciousness.

Attack: (User’s Agility * 12)

Effect: Agility +50

Absorb and Release Target’s 『Attributes』 (one-time limit)

(All other effects of the previous rank are inherited.)

An extremely simple description.

Yet it was, in Leeha’s eyes, a perfect explanation.

‘Attack power is twelve times the agility. Absolutely insane. Even the additional agility points have doubled from 25 to 50.’

Moreover, all additional effects of the previous rank are retained.

Ignoring essence-targeted damage and physical armor!

Though magical defenses such as shields or barriers aren’t ignored, by now, it’s meaningless.

‘Breaking them with damage suffices.’

Various damage-boosting skills accompany Black Bass. With Snow Storm and White Reaper’s linkage, it could deliver near-infinite strikes within a short time.

If that, too, were ignored?

There exists the “Singular Destruction” skill.

At least when it came to damage, destruction, and attack power, words like those mattered so little to Leeha that he was fully prepared.

“Huu… Black, is it you who chose this ‘trait’?”

—Haha, indeed. Even the Bearer knows that all blood cannot be the same. I will absorb the most developed and evolved genetic traits from the blood of those who tear through my skin.—

“Hmm, the explanation is kind of gruesome… but okay. I get it.”

This was one reason Leeha’s mouth remained agape.

Absorbing traits? That wasn’t just a trait of a ‘Ghibrid’. Even Ghibrid can only create a chimera with such traits.

To be precise, ‘Ghibrid’ cannot use the traits of others.

‘But this… for sure. I’ll be the one using it.’

It would be a skill that could only be created for a single use, but at least it was something Leeha could use himself.

It was an effect that perfectly matched the Black Bass, which constantly spoke of devouring everything.

“But, you know, if you had told me in advance that such an ability would be added, I might have just captured Zamiel right away or something. Don’t you think? Why make someone brace themselves only to add this at the last moment?”

—Bearer, you also know. Depending on one-time skills and luck… Haha, you can’t defeat my original form.—

Listening to Black Bass, Leeha chuckled as well.

Relying solely on skills wouldn’t guarantee victory. But with things as they were, this battle would end with just one bullet.

“Whether it’s me or Kyle… it’ll only be a one-shot match.”

The shooter would live, and the shot one would die.

Leeha felt a tingling sensation for the first time in a long while. It was a completely different feeling from the trials of Browless or Elizabeth.

It resembled the sniper battle to calm the maddened White Reaper, Shimo, but with much higher difficulty and tension.

‘Anyway, when Kyle uses Arcane Bullet, it’s over. No one can say for sure what will happen if it hits.’

What if it resulted in something beyond simple death?

—Kyle, are you talking about the one who uses my original form?—

Just as Leeha was about to simulate the battle in his mind, Black Bass spoke. Leeha responded affirmatively.

Black Bass laughed wildly.

The glint of the bolt frightened Bottleneck, who was nearby.

—Bearer… haven’t you forgotten my promise already.—

“What? What are you talking about? Removing Zamiel! That’s right, isn’t it?”

—Yes. I only wish to devour my original form.—

“Yeah! So that’s why—… huh?”

『Revenge Beyond Countless Ages』

Content: Eliminate Zamiel

Leeha opened the quest window once more to confirm. Revenge Beyond Countless Ages, the content was the elimination of Zamiel.

“Not Arcane Sniper… Just kill Zamiel?”

Zamiel was like Leeha’s Black Bass.

Leeha himself, who could use firearms, heard the voice, but to other users, it merely seemed like Leeha was talking to himself.

In other words, only Kyle could see Zamiel, could he not?

—Yes. I have no interest in humans who are with my original form. Haha… I wonder if there was a misunderstanding.—

“What, what… misunderstanding! I intended to do this from the beginning. Ha, hot!”

Leeha quickly responded, cutting off Black Bass’s words.

What Black Bass wanted was simply the killing and absorption of Zamiel. It had nothing to do with Kyle.

But Leeha could not see Zamiel.

If he could not see, he could not hit.

“What on earth is this?”

Leeha was also hesitant about killing Kyle.

Yet, with Bahamut’s death and this quest, Leeha was barely steeling himself… the quest content wasn’t even that!

‘Do I have to become Arcane Sniper and somehow hold that rifle to see Zamiel’s spirit-like existence and shoot? This is madness! Is this even possible? Is there no other way?’

What on earth was the sequence for clearing this?

Holding onto Black Bass, which offered no further hints or methods, Leeha fretted for a while.

The level of specifications had been enhanced to an unprecedented degree, and he had obtained a ridiculous amount of information.

However, amid the flood of information, there were inevitably side effects.

Fortunately, there was something that momentarily wiped Leeha’s confused mind.

―Hyung!

―Oh, Kijung.

―We’ve finally received the long-awaited contact. They’re giving us the key!

The long-awaited message had come from Kijung at last.

―What— “The Key of Jannate”? Is the conversation already over?

―Hyung, I’m a cardinal of the “Council of the Nine Cardinals!”

―Don’t act so cheeky. You wouldn’t have gotten it without me, would you?

―Hehe, I know, hyung. Anyway, the Pope is summoning everyone including the old eastern expedition members, so you should come too.

Answering Kijung’s teasing whispers, Leeha left the Bottleneck Smithy.

Was the Black Bass quest difficult? Was the wealth of information rather overwhelming?

‘It’s times like these that you need to clear your mind.’

Leeha knew that you could fill it by emptying it.

His experiences in Middle Earth had taught him that merely sitting and brooding was not the answer.

What remained was only to trust himself, believe in his achievements, and keep moving forward.

‘Let’s go.’

Leeha’s steps felt lighter than ever.

* * *

“Ugh…….”

“Kyle!”

Chiyou turned around at the sudden commotion.

She caught sight of Kyle holding his head and staggering, with Elizabeth and Brown supporting him.

Igor and Pyro appeared flustered, looking back and forth between Chiyou and Kyle. However, Chiyou did not panic.

She quietly observed the NPCs for a moment before turning her head away.

Next to her stood a figure in tattered clothing. His exposed arms and legs were decaying, and his skin was a dull greyish-blue, making it hard to determine his original skin color.

“Kaztor. Is that the encroachment you mentioned back then?”

Chiyou asked.

“I don’t think…….”

Kaztor, who had been resurrected by the power of Pyrot-Cocri, bowed politely towards Chiyou as he answered.

“Then what is it?”

Chiyou asked, slightly surprised.

“Encroachment occurs when there’s a reaction from Zamiel……. But this is not it….”

“What!? Then something else went wrong?”

The reason Chiyou didn’t react strongly despite Kyle’s suffering was that she had witnessed similar instances several times before.

Since perfectly reviving Kaztor as an undead, she was able to analyze this phenomenon, learning that Kyle was being encroached upon by Zamiel.

“I will find out….”

Kaztor staggered forward, approaching Kyle. Chiyou frowned as she watched them.

‘This is troublesome. If only he’d succumb to Zamiel quickly.’

The main reason she almost welcomed Kyle’s suffering was because he was difficult to control.

‘The Arcane Sniper must continue, right?’

Instead, Chiyou thought it would be more convenient if Zamiel dominated Kyle.

‘I’ve also learned the method from Kaztor. As long as Zamiel appears…….’

Chiyou recalled everything that Kaztor had done.

‘We can transfer Zamiel to the fetus of human NPCs. Then I can negotiate with him.’