Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Chapter 953

At the spot where Ram Hwajung had been standing, buying time for the users to escape by restraining the monster, the lavender afterimage disappeared.

Thud──────!

“What’s going on?”

“What is this?”

―Hwayeon! What’s happening with the Chimera?!

―… I don’t know.

―What do you mean you don’t know? Has Kidd arrived?

―He was here, but now he’s not.

―What? I distinctly told him to head your way earlier― There’s no way he hasn’t arrived yet―

―No, he definitely came. He passed right by me… Now he’s gone. Along with the Chimera.

When Kidd aimed his Crimson Geckos at the Chimera and fired, the moment the Chimera recognized him, he immediately leaped and vanished.

As the Chimera tried to swing its sword at Kidd who was mid-air, Kidd-nimbly evaded, seeming to move freely even while airborne. Using the swing’s momentum, he stepped on the sword’s blade and propelled himself again.

The Chimera, intent on capturing Kidd, released a burst of flame magic to gain thrust and pursued him.

Ram Hwajung, having witnessed everything, cast Blink and relocated.

All this happened within just a second.

The feeling that what they had just seen was a mere illusion left the users in despair.n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

The stark difference in level between a ranker who had completed a second job change, ranker-level users, and monsters combining the strengths of a ranker and ranker-level user was obvious.

Now, they had to face a monster showcasing its formidable strength.

Kidd adjusted his hat. A smile spread across his face.

* * *

Kidd halted at a location roughly a kilometer away from the frontline’s farthest point. Having reached there in an instant, he turned around immediately upon stopping.

─, ─, ─, ─, ─, ─!

His turning motion and the initial shot were almost simultaneous.

However, there was only one ringing sound of a collision.

“Grrrr…”

The Chimera, blending traits of Igor and Pyro, glanced at its broad, saw-like arm from a short distance away from Kidd.

Soot was smeared on the spot where it had deflected one bullet.

“Indeed… With Igor’s blend, it reacts faster than ‘Lugermon’, doesn’t it?”

It wasn’t just Pyro’s characteristics.

The monster, also having Igor’s physical abilities, was evidently far stronger than the previous Chimera synthesized from Luger and Manticore.

Kidd’s six shots formed an impact cluster within a 5mm radius from a distance of 30 meters, demonstrating remarkable precision.

Even so, the Chimera deflected one bullet and dodged the remaining five.

This implied that it moved swiftly enough during the minuscule gaps between the bullets’ intervals to change direction and evade all of them.

Although its reaction speed was unbelievably fast, Kidd nonchalantly drew out another Crimson Geckos.

“I can acknowledge that my rate of fire was slower than usual due to the spin. But―.”

Bang──

“Let’s see.”

“Kyaaa―.”

Bang──

“If it…”

“―Aaaah―.”

Bang──

“Can dodge…”

“―Aaaaaa!”

Bang──

“This.”

Then, as if testing the enemy, he fired repeatedly.

Though the bullets were mechanically discharged, Kidd’s gaze changed slightly with each shot.

Predicting the enemy’s movements, the initial six shots were fired at the expected movement points.

Anticipating the evasion zones and post-evasion landing points, the second set of six shots were fired.

Expanding and extending the range of the third and fourth sets of six shots each.

The Chimera dodged all of them.

Kidd nodded as he finished reloading his gun.

“This means its physical abilities exceed Igor’s. Because Ghibrid’s power is enforced―.”

Kidd flinched and stepped back.

The saw-like blade passed just above Kidd’s face.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuung!

By the time the eerie cutting sound was heard, about a third of Kidd’s hat brim had already been torn off.

‘It got faster? I can’t see it—.’

Kidd’s eyes widened slightly. This evasive maneuver could only be credited to pure instinct.

The Chimera didn’t stop with one attack.

As soon as the horizontal slash with the saw-blade arm failed, it thrust its other arm forward.

The skewer-like arm aimed for Kidd’s heart, stabbing towards him. Kidd gritted his teeth and spun his body around.

Dodging based on seeing the attack was impossible.

Kidd only managed to evade by predicting the weapon’s movement and turning his body beforehand.

Buuuuuuuuuuuuuuung!

By the time the cutting sound was heard again, both of their positions had changed.

The Chimera’s brow twitched.

Kidd swallowed dryly. A long horizontal cut appeared on the back of his coat. He was lucky the skewer didn’t tear it completely; if it had been the saw-blade instead, his coat would have been shredded.

Kidd frowned and immediately pulled the trigger of his Crimson Geckos.

Once again, only the gunfire echoed loudly; no impact or hitting sound was heard.

The opponent’s side-to-side movements were faster than Kidd’s reactions.

When he aimed opposite to where he predicted, the Chimera had already moved in the same direction again, reading Kidd’s ‘Rapidfire’ effortlessly.

‘No, it’s faster than before! This level of reaction, I’ve only seen from Le…’

Moreover, the distance was closing.

Even though Kidd was quick with reloading and rapid firing, reloading was still slower than his Rapidfire.

In those brief moments, the Chimera closed in by at least 3 meters each time.

Now only about 8 meters remained. By the time he finished two more reloads, the Chimera would attack again.

Could he withstand it?

Kidd gritted his teeth.

He should have used his own weapon from the start.

Facing a Chimera fused with Igor and Pyro, he wanted to test how strong it was without using other skills or assistance, but that had been a mistake.

‘I could keep up if I use 〈Overclock〉, but if I use it now—’

He would be completely out in this Tiamat battle. And the pain that followed after using the skill?

Kidd gritted his teeth.

In the worst-case scenario, he would use it.

But not yet; he needed to find a way to survive a little longer, just a little longer.

‘If I can dodge just once, I can definitely win—’

Tsukakat―! Kuuuuuung!

The Chimera’s ankle froze as it lunged towards Kidd. Unable to handle its momentum, the Chimera fell forward.

Shupat―!

At the same time, a lavender flash appeared beside Kidd.

“So close. Could have. Cut the ankle.”

Ram Hwajung, who had been following with a blink, finally arrived.

Kidd managed to adjust his hat.

“… Did you intentionally freeze only the ankle to use the Chimera’s strength against itself?”

“Yes. Hard to hit.”

Ram Hwajung replied without a smile.

If the skin or bones couldn’t withstand the strength, the ankle would have snapped as if it stepped on a landmine.

But the Chimera crafted by Ghibrid wasn’t that weak.

“I know. That’s why I thought you wouldn’t come.”

“Shut up.”

Arriving just in time, Ram Hwajung took advantage of the Chimera’s distraction, using minimal mana to produce maximum effect. Watching this, Kidd finally smiled.

“Couldn’t catch. Your hat.”

“Is that so.”

“Yes. Too weak.”

The Chimera growled.

Judging from its glowing red arms, it seemed likely it would start using Pyro’s attributes in its next attack.

Ram Hwajung had her reasons for saying ‘we can’t capture the Chimera with just the two of us’ to Kidd.

The two had only once worked together before, and that was when they fought against the alchemist Crowley.

Kidd did not get angry at Ram Hwajung’s words.

He simply checked both his wrists and ankles once again. Only then did Ram Hwajung also see Kidd’s condition.

“Strange.”

“I am aware. But to utilize the desert geckos… this is essential.”

The gear, though somewhat clumsy and ambiguous whether it was for defense or offense, soon changed its appearance.

Click, click— clank.

The gear, which had some empty spaces, was soon filled by Kidd inserting the “Crimson Geckos” into it.

“… Even stranger.”

“Shooting fast means my bullets reach the enemy quickly. For my bullets to reach the enemy’s weak points fast—.”

Rapidfire was done not with hands but with feet.

“I needed to keep the muzzle as close to them as possible.”

Kidd truly understood that meaning.

Moving swiftly while shooting? What Browless had shown at the beginning surely meant just that.

But wasn’t that the time when Kidd couldn’t properly handle the “Crimson Geckos”?

Having just four simple revolvers and possessing four “Crimson Geckos” were different matters.

Of course, they were different from “Black Bass” or “Cobalt Blue Python” as well.

Why did he need ‘four’ revolvers unlike any other firearms of the Three Musketeers?

Kidd couldn’t help but chuckle.

After becoming the “Desperado”, he had learned many skills.

There was the nearly one-hit-kill “Execution”, the “Overclock” that pushed the brain to its extreme, and even “Hold’em” which risked Kidd’s own life.

Yes, those were skills fitting for the job title of Desperado.

A gambler and outlaw.

But was Kidd a gambler or an outlaw himself?

Upon returning from the Eastern Expedition of the New Continent, Kidd further explored his own traits and was finally able to awaken the desert geckos in a village in the middle of the desert.

“Kyaaaa—!”

The chimera charged at Kidd at a speed almost invisible to the eye.

Ram Hwajung used Blink.

And Kidd?

“Here I go.”

He did not flee from the chimera.

Instead, he dashed toward the direction the chimera was rushing, simultaneously firing the flaming spear and swinging the sawblade arm.

“〈Martial Arts: Geckos〉.”

A red light flashed from Kidd’s arms and legs.

────────────!!!

“Kiit?”

The flaming spear extended straight and vanished. However, the sawblade was blocked by something, creating a rough metallic noise.

The chimera saw what was blocking its arm.

It was a small piece of protective gear attached to Kidd’s wrist, stuck onto the sawblade arm.

Despite being made of a material and size that should have been broken or destroyed, the auxiliary tool enveloped in red light remained intact.

“Kigiit—.”

The chimera tried to detach its arm, but Kidd’s body moved along with the chimera’s arm. Just as if they were glued together, Kidd’s arm flashed.

Bang────────!

It was the muzzle flame. The bullet penetrated the chimera’s face.

“Kyaaaak—!”

The chimera retreated.

When it took a step back, Kidd stepped forward.

It had to be so. The two arms were practically attached.

Before the chimera realized this, light flashed from Kidd’s opposite arm. It pierced the chimera’s chest.