(Samquad: Midnight Sniper Battle):
Day 14. Survivors: 123/400
They had spent the entire day moving and, fortunately, hadn't run into any ambushes.
After traversing lush plains and forests, they arrived at a desert that seemed to appear by magic. Like a drawn line in a painting, a single step forward brought a sudden drop in temperature—this was the cold desert at night.
"There are a lot of ridgelines here… looks like a good spot for an ambush," Ki-chan commented.
As he said, the desert stretched out endlessly with sand dunes forming countless ridges.
"You don't think the magnetic field will shrink all the way to Kutrapha's Sanctuary, do you?"
At those words, both Ki-chan and Seowoon turned to look at Lyle.
Seeing their questioning gazes, Lyle's face flushed slightly.
"Ah, no, it's not like I'm pretending to know stuff..."
"If you know something, would you just go ahead and pretend a little?" Ki-chan teased.
Hesitating a little, Lyle began explaining.
"Kutrapha was once a great emperor who is said to have unified the entire continent. You two might not know because you're from another world, but in our world, he's the only emperor to ever achieve that. According to legend, Kutrapha's tomb lies here in the Desert of Bulga."
"A great emperor's tomb in a desert like this?"
"There are many legends, but the most well-known one says that Kutrapha wasn't human—he was a dragon who, nearing his eternal rest, unified the continent as a final amusement. Being a red dragon, his overwhelming elemental power turned the land into a desert as he settled underground. The surrounding area is all grassland, and only this desert sits here so oddly... That's why many believe in the legend."
Stepping into the chilly desert, Ki-chan nodded.
"This definitely feels unnatural. Even for another world, it's weird. It's kind of like our legend about King Munmu turning into a dragon after death to protect the kingdom."
Indeed, the tale of King Munmu and Kutrapha had striking similarities.
"But is there a reason why we shouldn't go near Kutrapha's Sanctuary?" Seowoon asked, sensing concern in Lyle's voice.
Lyle nodded solemnly.
"People believed the tomb was filled with treasure, so many sought it. Especially knights hoping to uncover forgotten battle skills of the war hero. But... none who entered the desert in search of it ever came back. Desert caravans rarely encounter trouble, but those seeking the tomb have all vanished. So now, in our world, no one—no matter their nation—dares to loot his sanctuary."
His lengthy explanation darkened both Seowoon and Ki-chan's expressions.
"Could it be a monster spawning area?"
"Possibly. And if it's a tomb... there could be dangerous traps too."
"We should avoid dragging this game out any longer," Seowoon muttered.
Lyle cautiously joined in, "I've never heard of monsters appearing in Bulga Desert, though."
Seowoon nodded. "Then it's likely Kutrapha's Sanctuary actually exists... probably like a dungeon."
"Yeah."
The forcefield (safe zone) was set to shrink right up to the desert's boundary where they stood. The group checked their map and stepped into the desert.
Each step sunk their feet almost to the ankles—an unpleasant sensation. Wrapped in a thick robe, Seowoon watched enviously as Ki-chan and Lyle glided smoothly ahead on airboards.
'I should've gotten one of those. Hamit! Can't you transform into something like that?'
—"Foolish master. You think the great Erseus Hamit would lower himself to become a mere foot vehicle? Dream on."—
"Tch."
Well, if he refused, there wasn't much to do.
After crossing a particularly tall dune, the soft, sinking sand gave way to firmer ground.
"Just one dune over and everything changes?"
Seeing Seowoon's lighter steps, Ki-chan replied, "Just one step and it's a temperature drop too. Anyway, shouldn't we start looking for a good spot? Just three more teams and we're in the survival bracket."
"True, but… this map's rougher than expected. Holding out here won't be easy. The magnetic zone still covers most of the desert and extends toward the buff monster. Let's head a bit further in. We'll get tomorrow's zone update soon."
"Got it."
They crossed a few more sand dunes cautiously, keeping alert. Eventually, the new zone was determined.
"Hyung… look at this…" Ki-chan trailed off as he stared at the map.
"The buff monster's been pushed out of the zone already. It's going to get intense."
It was just past midnight. Players hovering near the buff monster would now be feeling the pressure.
"If we hold out here, we can probably secure survival without a fight."
"Right? A few teams should drop soon. Good. Let's hold out here."
Behind them was the tallest dune in the area, and a brutal battle was likely to erupt in the distance. There was no need to risk going deeper into the center of the zone.
Ahead, an unpleasant terrain loomed: dense with thorny brambles and cacti—the kind of place no one wanted to enter.
According to Lyle, that area—called the Forest of Trials—was considered the most treacherous path for desert travelers.
They took turns climbing the dune ridge to stand guard, while the others sat at its base to rest and recover.
"I'll cultivate my energy first. Watch my back."
Seowoon sat cross-legged and checked his stats before meditating.
[Character Info: Jin Seowoon]
Race: Human
Trait: Magin (Mage)
Strength: 60
Stamina: 43
Agility: 42
Toughness: 68
Magic Resistance: 60
Inner Power (Special Trait Stat): 510
Mana (Special Trait Stat): 60
His base stats were still modest, but they'd grown considerably. Especially his toughness, after that insane battle. And finally, he had regained the inner power he once had at his peak in the first round.
It wasn't an illusion that would vanish once he returned to reality—it was real, and it gave him strength.
As he closed his eyes and began breathing, the necklace of Cameron was already hanging around his neck.
Though he cultivated energy differently from others, he wouldn't miss the chance to absorb the rich energy of this world.
As Seowoon meditated, Ki-chan cast a spell he had recently learned.
"Ascro Barrier."
A 6th Circle defensive spell formed a translucent dome around them, which quickly became invisible.
Who knew how much time had passed? Just as Ki-chan checked the map and noticed the shrinking zone nearly complete, a chime rang in his head.
[Ding! The buff monster has been hunted! Glory to the Yahoran-Smashitz-Cassian-Durian Squad!]
"Survivors: 121/400."
Yahoran → Killed Hawizan (with Sword Aura)Durian → Killed Galitezan (with Magic)
"A sword aura, huh. Another dangerous one just showed up. And only two people died?"
Surprisingly, the number of players hadn't dropped much.
Judging by the sword aura, it was likely that Yahoran's presence near the buff monster had scared others off before they could engage.
Clang! Thwack!
Lost in thought, Ki-chan was startled by sudden movement and shouted,
"Enemy! Lyle! Get down here!"
Lyle, rushing down the sand on his airboard, barely dodged a few short bolts that whizzed past him.
As the short arrows narrowly missed and struck the sand, tension spread across Lyle's face.
Those arrows had downed two members of the Sisle tribe—renowned for their bravery and strength—before they could even react.
Clang!
Another arrow struck the barrier. Having missed Lyle, it shattered the barrier in an instant and flew directly at Seowoon's forehead, just as he was opening his eyes.
"Hyung!!!"
The arrow, nearly invisible, shot toward Seowoon's face. In that very instant, his head jerked sharply backward.
Ki-chan's eyes widened in despair—until Seowoon suddenly rose to his feet, spinning back upright.
"Ptooey!"
He spat the arrow he had caught with his mouth onto the ground, frowning in disgust.
"Iron Barrier!"
Even in that moment, Lyle cast a protective spell over the group.
—Master! It's moving too fast. I can't pinpoint its position!—
Scanning the surroundings, Seowoon spotted the black arrow on the ground and narrowed his eyes.
"Baby arrows! It's those! We need to be careful!" Lyle shouted.
Gritting his teeth, Seowoon muttered like he was chewing glass.
"So, we weren't the only ones who knew about pyeonjeon."
Pyeonjeon—baby arrows. Once a military secret of Joseon that even the cavalry masters of the North feared.
Fired using a tong-a launcher, these tiny arrows had terrified seasoned warriors. Seowoon had never imagined he'd face them in another world.
Thwack!
Another arrow struck the barrier and ricocheted upward. Lyle shouted:
"My barrier doesn't last long!"
"Everyone, into the forest!"
Their expressions darkened as they dashed into the dense thicket of thorns and cacti.
Running at the front, Seowoon stayed alert for incoming arrows.
'Kair Barrier.'
Just in case, he cast another shield and heightened his senses.
Whoosh!
A red line streaked across his cheek just as he tilted his head—had he reacted even a moment later, it would've pierced his face.
But he wasn't just on the defense.
Seowoon nocked an arrow, infused it with his inner power, and loosed it toward the source.
He had a small cut on his cheek from trying to locate the shooter, but with Hamit's help triangulating the attack's angle and the arrow's flight, he fired back toward the dune ridge.
—It's not stopping. It's firing while moving!—
The fact that someone could fire so accurately while on the move was chilling.
Still, as Seowoon kept up with predictive shots and agile movements, the frequency of incoming arrows began to slow.
Dodging a few more by the skin of his teeth, Seowoon finally dove into the forest. Lyle followed behind, blasting open a clearing with magic.
Once they entered that magically cleared space, the arrows ceased.
—The hostile gaze has vanished.—
Still gripping his drawn bow, Seowoon didn't relax. There was no way their enemy would give up that easily.
He closed his eyes, focused his senses, and sent a voice message to Ki-chan:
—Just in case, open a path into the forest and set up an ambush!
As Ki-chan and Lyle pushed deeper into the forest, scanning for hidden threats, Seowoon's expression twisted into a smirk.
"Let's see what you've got."
Fwiip!
The moment he felt the foreign energy slicing the air, Seowoon released his bowstring.
His opponent's arrow grazed his ear, drawing a drop of blood—but Seowoon didn't flinch. He rolled sideways immediately.
Thump!
A short arrow embedded itself into where he had just been.
'How the hell are they shooting pyeonjeon that fast?'
From what Seowoon knew, pyeonjeon weren't easy to rapid-fire.
Another arrow flew at him from a different angle. Seowoon yanked out the one that had just struck the ground.
There was no doubt. The enemy was adjusting the power and speed of their shots. It had to be that guy.
The sharpshooter—Jurok'ana.
A bastard who spouted honor while never hesitating to gang up on others.
Even with such a dangerous enemy, Seowoon's smile didn't fade.
Despite the desert's harshness, the forest terrain helped him. His honed senses picked up every arrow that entered a 30-meter radius.
No matter how carefully the enemy adjusted the speed of their shots, Seowoon didn't feel like they'd be fatal.
—Right side! 90 degrees! The bastard just entered the forest!—
As Hamit spoke, Seowoon fluidly shifted his aim and fired through the thorny brambles.
Seconds passed. There's always a brief moment after a shot where an archer feels if they've hit or missed.
He knew it immediately.
'Missed.'
He rolled to the side—just in time for another pyeonjeon to skim past him.
'Hamit! The tong-a... You saw the image in my head, right?'
—I saw it. Is this what you need?—
The entity wrapped around his hand transformed into a tong-a.
Seowoon loaded one of his remaining pyeonjeon and wrapped the cord attached to the launcher around his wrist.
—Be careful, master. One mistake and you could get seriously hurt.—
Seowoon knew that better than anyone. Misfiring a pyeonjeon could maim the shooter.
He was Korean, after all.
But he had watched that old film The Final Arrow, with its accurate portrayal of training with the pyeonjeon.
Remembering those scenes, Seowoon pulled the string and aimed the tong-a.
He sensed another incoming shot and released his pyeonjeon in the same direction.
The tong-a fell to his side as the black arrow shot forward at incredible speed, powered by his inner energy—faster than anything he had fired before.
He felt it brush something.
Slash!
The enemy's arrow also grazed his side, but Seowoon's grin widened.
Even though the enemy was too far to see, Seowoon could feel his confusion radiating across the battlefield.
A sniper duel.
Two sharpshooters, aiming to kill with a single shot—there was a unique, intense connection only they could understand.
Seowoon ducked behind a massive cactus, at least six meters in diameter, only to hear two enemy pyeonjeon thud into it immediately after.
But Seowoon had already intercepted two weaker arrows earlier. He loaded another and steadied his breath.
If he rushed the shot, the tong-a would shake, and the arrow would fly off course.
—Focus more, master!—
Hamit's nagging echoed in his ears. A bad shot could put a hole in his own arm.
But with every shot, he adapted faster.
Just as he was about to fire another from behind the cactus, he sensed something off—the next enemy shot was different.
He pulled back and ducked low. The enemy arrow pierced through the thick cactus like paper and skimmed his scalp.
"Whew…"
That one was seriously dangerous.
'They've been holding back this whole time?'
He hadn't expected the arrow to tear through something so thick so easily.
As Seowoon dodged another, he reached out—snatching an arrow from mid-air, though the friction peeled skin from his palm.
Now only three pyeonjeon remained.
The real fight was just beginning.
[T/L: Read extra chapters on my ko-fi page "Pokemon1920" : https://ko-fi.com/pokemon1920 ]