Chapter 289: The Ranker of Rapid Fire (1)
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The Tower of Trials is home to countless weapons.
From swords, knives, spears, bows, and blunt weapons to various magical tools and holy relics, it has it all.
Among these, two types of weapons are notoriously challenging.
The first is ‘firearms.’
Very few players primarily use firearms. The reason is simple. Regular bullets don’t affect monsters; only magic-infused bullets do. However, magic bullets are costly and take time to reload. Although Korean gamers once popularized a method of synthesizing magic bullets using their internal magic, the process was so complex that the trend quickly faded.
The second is the chain sword, a type of segmented sword.
Its unpredictable trajectory and the risk of harming its user make it rare. Even martial artists seldom master it, and ordinary players hardly use it. Most who choose it for its cool factor end up dying by their own blade rather than by monsters.
Yet, one ranker stubbornly chose these unpopular weapons.
Step.
His main weapons were a pair of pistols, complemented by a chain sword at his waist. Jinhyuk walked toward the two monsters.
“Kiiiieek!”
A green liquid sprayed from the spider’s gaping maw, sweeping across the area with a sour stench.
Sizzle!
By the time the acidic fluid was corroding the ground, Jinhyuk had already vanished.
“Kie?”
He reappeared beneath the spider’s torso.
Bang!
A red flash burst from the pistol.
[The special effect ‘Precision Shot’ of the Blue-Rank ‘Kruger (Handgun)’ has been activated.]
[Details: When striking the same spot with the same force, a critical hit is guaranteed to occur with a 100% probability. (Margin of error 0.015%)]
Despite the extreme acrobatics required, such conditions meant nothing to Jinhyuk. Additionally, Rick had enhanced the weapon to blue-rank, giving it a base damage of over 10,000.
Thwack!
A red streak pierced through the spider’s tough exoskeleton and emerged from the other side.
“Kieeeek!”
Even with part of its body missing, the spider swung its forelegs. Insect-type monsters can keep attacking unless completely incapacitated.
Adjusting to the angle of the sharp claws flying at him…
Clang!
The blade attached to the pistol deflected the trajectory.
Almost simultaneously.
The muzzle of the gun touched the spider’s jaw.
Boom!
This time, the flash completely shattered the spider’s head.
“Phew.”
Jinhyuk steadied his breath. Magic flowed from his heart to his fingertips and into the pistols.
[Frost Bullets have been synthesized!]
[Flame Bullets have been synthesized!]
Internal magic synthesis.
In an instant, two types of elemental bullets were created.
At that moment,
Whish!
A sharp tail whipped past Jinhyuk’s face. Despite its size, the creature moved swiftly.
“I’ll melt and devour you.”
Transparent liquid dripped from its sharp fangs.
“Usually, you’d run away if you had a brain. Well, that’s probably why you’re guarding this place.”
In each hand, a pistol fired simultaneously.
Bang! Bang!
Flames and ice mingled, creating thick steam.
“Do you think you can escape with such cheap tricks?”
The cobra instinctively flicked its tongue, trying to sense body heat through the obscured vision. The quick flash was powerful, but it could dodge with its flexible movements. If it could just bite and inject venom…
It was possible.
‘Just dodge about ten times.’
The weapon seemed similar to the ‘arrow’ used by humans, with a fatal gap between attacks. Exploiting this gap wouldn’t be hard. The foolish spider underestimated him.
Swish! Swish!
The cobra’s body glided along the ground.
Thud!
A bullet struck the ground.
One shot.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Two shots. Three… six… twelve.
This should be it!
But,
Bang!
The shooting didn’t stop. More flashes pierced through the steam, growing thicker and more precise, like a storm.
“What…?”
Countless bullets reflected in the cobra’s yellow pupils.
“Let me tell you something, since you seem somewhat intelligent.”
The reason he could be the strongest despite using unfamiliar and disadvantageous weapons wasn’t just the ability to create various elemental bullets or to find critical points to maximize penetration.
“There’s no delay for me.”
Rapid Fire.
It takes less than a second to synthesize magic into bullets and fire them. This ability had even made the famed swordmaster Chun Yoosung struggle.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Critical hits.
Red flashes pierced the scales like thorns.
However,
[The Black Cobra has used Lv18 ‘Molting’!]
Just before being turned into a beehive, the cobra shed its skin and retreated. Intelligent creatures know when to give up quickly.
It’s not cowardice but good judgment.
But,
Jinhyuk had no intention of letting the retreating creature go.
Schk!
Instead of a pistol, he drew a longsword from his waist.
[The Chain Sword ‘Scarlet Scales’ has awakened!]
Infused with magic, the ordinary-looking longsword split and extended.
The blade, leaving afterimages as it swept across the ground, moved like a serpent.
A snake chasing a snake.
The sword cut through earth and rock, quickly catching up with the fleeing cobra.
“Do you think a mere sword can catch me!”
The cobra sharply changed direction. As expected of a snake, the move was astonishingly smooth. But at that moment,
Sss!
The chain sword’s trajectory also changed.
It moved more snake-like than the snake, switching directions smoothly.
It was over.
Before it could react or escape, dozens of blades wrapped around the cobra’s body.
“You won’t molt this time.”
Red blood seeped from the severed scales.
Even a slight move or a blink would result in immediate dismemberment.
“What… is this absurd…?”
“Enough. Just answer my question. Is there a winged insect inside the ruins?”
“I… I don’t know what you mean.”
“That’s not the answer I want.”
Slash! Crunch!
The chain sword dug into the flesh.
“Aaaargh!”
The cobra thrashed violently.
“If an intelligent creature like you is at the entrance, it means that ‘that guy’ in the cocoon has emerged. Is that correct?”
A named monster can bestow a small amount of intelligence on otherwise purely instinctual monsters. This cobra likely received its intelligence from that insect.
“Yes… it’s true.”
As expected.
The crucial point was how long the insect had been out of its cocoon.
“How many days since it hatched?”
“Six… six days!”
At six days, it would have fully developed its flying abilities. However, since it’s been less than a week, it probably hasn’t unlocked its ability to use powder for hypnosis.
This gave him another reason to hurry.
“Good information. Very helpful.”
“Then, release… me. Quickly. It hurts….”
“Sorry, but I can’t.”
It would be troublesome if it ran off to warn others about the approaching enemy. Those inside the ruins needed to believe the Titan Guild was the only intruder.
Jinhyuk lightly swung his sword.
Slash! Crack!
The chain sword sliced the cobra into pieces.
‘One minute and thirty-eight seconds to take down two monsters….’
He wasn’t back to his peak condition yet.
Rapid fire was about 20% slower than his prime, and the chain sword’s trajectory was off by about three degrees. If he wanted to kill the boss by today, he needed to get his rhythm back.
Still,
‘It feels good.’
Pistols and chain swords—his main weapons for so long.
He had hidden them, trying not to use them this climb, but using them again brought back old memories and fit perfectly in his hands.
If combined with his current skills, they would generate tremendous synergy.
But,
‘Time to move.’
The butterfly creature could cause delays once it started rampaging, especially with players inside.
‘Domain of Wind’ and ‘Heavenly Demon Celestial Steps’ activated simultaneously.
Swoosh.
Jinhyuk’s figure vanished, and a gust of wind tore through the ruins at incredible speed.
＊＊＊
“Phew…”
“Huff… huff… huff…”
“We almost… died.”
Inside the ruins, rough breaths echoed. The players, covered in wounds, were from the American mega guild, ‘Titan.’
A large man resting a battle axe on his shoulder surveyed the surroundings.
It was Aidan, the raid leader.
‘To struggle so much this early….’
According to detection magic, the ruins were about 15 kilometers long. Naturally, the monsters would become stronger deeper in. Yet, the difficulty had spiked even before they had covered a kilometer.
‘It means it will get tougher ahead.’
Aidan’s eyes narrowed. He had expected a challenge, but the combined forces of insects, reptiles, and plants were more difficult than anticipated. The information from the European raid a week ago hadn’t indicated this level of difficulty.
Just then,
“Aidan, are we really continuing?”
A woman with a long staff approached him. An S-rank player and a skilled area dealer, Mei Ling had a rounded face and black hair typical of her Chinese-American heritage.
“You’ve noticed too.”
“Yes, the damage dealers are running out of magic too quickly. Same with the healers. The tanks won’t hold out much longer.”
Concern and worry were evident in her tone.
“True. But we can’t retreat now. If we back down without even trying after two weeks of preparation, the guild’s reputation will suffer.”
Hundreds of new guilds were formed every day. Most disappeared quickly, but some rose like shining stars. Titan
currently held a strong grip on the American continent, but complacency would lead to obsolescence.
“We’ll fight in small groups to avoid aggro. I’ll take the vanguard.”
Aidan gripped his battle axe.
He would lead from the front and crush everything.
Rumble!
Magic surged, radiating a formidable aura.
＊＊＊
How much time passed like this?
The raid, battling fiercely while advancing, paused for a moment.
“Aidan!”
Mei Ling called out to Aidan, gesturing for him to come over.
“What is it?”
“Look at this.”
A tunnel with a diameter of about 4 meters appeared.
“This is…”
“Yes, it leads to the boss. Judging by the magic waves, it’s the shortest route.”
“Not all misfortune, it seems.”
Aidan smiled for the first time since entering the ruins. They could now conserve their strength for the boss fight, reducing the burden significantly.
“Shall we enter?”
“Yes, prepare at once.”
Aidan nodded.
But just then,
“You’ll regret going in there.”
A strange voice interrupted the raid.