Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter] - Chapter 331

He loaded the magazine with Dragon Heart bullets, fired all of them, then quickly switched magazines and fired another five shots in rapid succession, but Bluebeard’s defense barrier remained unbroken.
In the midst of misfortune, there was a stroke of luck. With each impact, his defense barrier flickered. And Bluebeard subtly paid attention to that fact.
‘Jegiral, there is definitely a reaction, but is my attack power still weak? The source of this defense barrier is undoubtedly that staff. If I land one more hit on that staff………….’
He was confident in where he needed to attack and what he needed to target.
Bluebeard pretended to complain to Baileypus and Leeha while shaking the staff’s silver handle.
He couldn’t see Hyein or Gold Dragon, but he couldn’t avoid the sniper’s gaze.
“One more time!”
And he switched magazines again.
The sound of a round being loaded as he pulled the trigger, the snapping sound! Bluebeard’s expression gradually hardened.
“I’m warning you, if you attack one more time, I won’t stay still. I thought I’d go easy on you since you’re ‘that young man’s’ friend, but you’re going too far.”
Bluebeard growled at Leeha. And Leeha?
“Dammit.”
Toquaahh-!
Without hesitation, he pulled the trigger. Crack! For the first time, Bluebeard’s defense barrier was breached.
“You damn bastard—”
***
“Do you think you can just ignore me?”
Bluebeard, who was about to dash after clearing the defense barrier, was blocked by Baileypus’s body.
“Get out of the way, you damn fly.”
[Ground Chain!]
Shwoosh! Bluebeard’s leap was faster than Baileypus’s casting.
However, as if he had no interest in magic, Bluebeard swiftly passed Baileypus and approached Leeha.
The fragment of the staff, with its twisted handle, lightly raised by the demon king.
But the force emanating from it was extraordinary.
“Damn it!”
Leeha had seen it before. The scene where Guild members were pierced through the chest by that staff that seemed to have no blade.
If he were to be impaled by it, Leeha would never be able to withstand it.
“Force Barrier—”
“Be careful!”
There was no time to shout Force Barrier! However, for Leeha, it was fortunate that there was someone else who was more wary of Bluebeard’s speed than Leeha himself.
“Mass Blink!”
Swoop!
Bluebeard’s staff pierced through empty space. Violet mana scattered from the spot where Leeha and Hyein had been standing.
“Haah, are you okay?”
“T-Thank you.”
Leeha and Hyein, who had quickly distanced themselves over a distance of more than 50m, thanked Bluebeard.
“Tch… Still, a Gold Fly is better than a Red Bastard.”
Hyein had also used an instant skill to get away, but Bluebeard’s delayed actions were partially to blame.
“Do you think I’m a fool, the remnants of a demon?!”
The Gold Dragon was no fool.
The magic used towards the fragment of the demon king, which had already evaded his magic several times, was not a typical offensive spell.
Every time Bluebeard lifted his leg as if kicking, a sticky chain seemed to be connected to the ground, extending and wrapping around his ankles.
Because the magic that slowed down his movement speed was already in effect, Hyein was able to respond to Bluebeard’s attacks.
Of course, Bluebeard didn’t get angry or roar because he missed Leeha. He simply wore a light expression of disappointment, as if he had lost a toy.
“Ugh… It’s annoying, so annoying. Faust!”
By the time he called his subordinate, the 8th ranked Necromancer, most of Kuznagsh’s body had already been absorbed into the ground.
“Lord Baek, look!”
“Hmm?”
Shaaaah…!
From the body of Kuzgunaksh, where everything had been absorbed into the ground, something with a faint light was trying to escape, revealing only a few scales. Bluebeard’s pupils dilated for the first time.
“A profit…”
And from what it was, Leeha could also tell why Bluebeard was flustered.
‘Dragon Heart…?’
Because it was such a faint light, it was even clearer.
The object, as sharp as a shattered glass window, embedded with Blaugrung’s Dragon Heart, was undoubtedly Kuzgunaksh’s Dragon Heart.
Baileypus, who had been concentrating on the attack from Bluebeard, was trying to extract his Dragon Heart, linked to Kuzgunaksh’s body.
Bluebeard immediately changed his direction towards Leeha, but Baileypus had already finished his concentration.
“It’s over, Le.”
Srrrrrk. With those words, Kuzgunaksh’s corpse completely absorbed and disappeared.
The Dragon Heart that came out of Kuzgunaksh’s body disappeared even the faint light it had left and entered Baileypus’s embrace.
***
The most bewildered one was Faust.
A Gold Dragon retrieving a Dragon Heart from a dead dragon using its unique dragon skill? It was impossible for an ordinary user to prevent something they didn’t even know about in the first place.
“I… I’m sorry, Lord Baek! How should I stop this?”
Seeing the flustered white lizardia, Leeha and Hyein could sense something.
He had received a certain quest from Bluebeard.
And undoubtedly, the content of that quest was to absorb the corpse of a Red Dragon, who possessed a Dragon Heart.
They could only imagine how to use it, what they could do with it. They didn’t have the exact details, but there was one thing they could be certain of.
The fact that Bluebeard retrieved the Dragon Heart from Kuzgunaksh’s corpse infuriated Bluebeard.
‘I’ve only seen him a few times, but he always had a playful attitude… Even when Crollang died, he clapped and laughed. But that guy…’
To make such a face.
Not only his narrowed eyes but also his blue beard seemed to rise toward the sky, contorting his face.
“…How boring. All three of you… so boring.”
Roar!
As Bluebeard’s expression hardened, black energy rose behind him like smoke.
“Ugh, what is this…?”
“That… looks dangerous. We should return as soon as possible if the task is finished.”
Even Leeha, who had aimed at Black Vess, lowered her gun, and Hyein, who was standing beside her, felt pressure enough to take a few steps back.
“Step back, Le!”
“Heh, step back? Me? Don’t make me laugh, you little fly. I won’t feel at ease unless you take out your heart right now.”
Deflecting Leeha’s bullets multiple times, the handle of his staff was even more distorted.
Grabbing the distorted handle and raising the staff, zwoooong…! A bird-like wing of dark green color sprang out from the end of the staff as if it would devour space.
A line of black mana that couldn’t be properly looked at flickered unsteadily, seeming to absorb all light.
“Tsk… Today really isn’t going well. As expected, it wasn’t the right move.”
Hearing Bluebeard’s irritated voice, Leeha could be certain that her speculation was correct, that she had dealt a slight blow to the tremendous Bluebeard.
“The staff was damaged because of my attack. It must be that unknown skill that prevented it from exerting its full power.”
Of course, even disregarding the unseen attack skill, the problem was that they couldn’t keep up with his tremendous movements. Still, for Leeha, it was a pleasant moment.
It was finally a chance to strike back at the guy who had always been on the receiving end.
“To relieve my frustration, I will kill all of you if I have to.”
“I’ve already called Lord.”
“Don’t make me laugh. I didn’t feel your mana spreading around.”
Baileypus interrupted Bluebeard’s words. The footsteps of the approaching demon fragment stopped.
“If it’s a lie, you can confirm it. Lord Bahamut will arrive shortly. This time, together with Lord Bahamut, I will exterminate you all.”
Baileypus snorted and clenched his fist.
The battle with Kuzugunak’s body and the brief encounter with Bluebeard had left his body battered, but his momentum remained unwavering.
A sigh escaped from Bluebeard’s mouth, the sound echoing.
The corners of the demon fragment’s mouth twitched, as if it would immediately rush forward in anger. However, the name “Lord Bahamut” carried a weight much heavier than Leeha had anticipated.
“Phew… Fine. I suppose it’s fortunate to have achieved at least half of our goal. Let’s go back, Faust!”
“Go back, my lord?”
“We shouldn’t meet that senile old man so soon.”
Bluebeard turned his body as if he were retracing his steps on a walk.
Despite showing his back to Baileypus, Leeha, and Hyein, he acted as if he didn’t need any tension.
“Should we just let them go, Lee?”
“What will happen if we don’t?”
Baileypus expressed his frustration at the sight, but that was all. Bluebeard was confident that he wouldn’t be the one to initiate an attack.
“Damn it, did I really call Lord Bahamut? If I did, I’d better tie my own feet!”
Leeha and Hyein couldn’t be certain of that point.
What if the Gold Dragon’s words were just empty boasts? What if they attacked for no reason and Bluebeard counterattacked?
As long as Baileypus didn’t make a move, Leeha and Hyein couldn’t move either.
Fortunately, the fact that Bluebeard couldn’t make the first move worked in their favor. There was a possibility that the Gold Dragon’s lack of action was a trap to lure him.
In the end, in a standoff where neither side could touch each other, Bluebeard approached Faust and tapped the ground with his staff.