Matan’s Shooter

2,300 rounds.

The bullets poured out over the last 4 minutes―

But the dragon was still holding on. It was clearly being neutralized, yet it was also undeniable that it was enduring.

‘Did I fall short? Damn it!’

If it had been a full-fledged dragon, it would have been enough. Those without intelligence or the use of a ‘Dragon Heart’ would have turned into ashen corpses from sheer accumulated damage alone. However, since it was still partially in its Lich Dragon state, to perfectly hunt the dragons, the heart needed to be destroyed.

Kakakakakakaka―!

The dragons knew this too. That’s why they protected their hearts even as all their scales were peeled off and their wings were tattered.

‘But you can’t endure forever. Neither can I, for that matter. The only gap I aim for, both you and I, are headed for catastrophe.’

Two dragons shielded their chests with their hands. The scales on their knuckles were already all peeled off, and their hands were so shattered that they could no longer be called ‘hands.’

Every time the bullets struck those completely destroyed spots, grotesque scenes of dragon flesh flying occurred, but Kidd did not care.

“The chest scales within the knuckles are already done for.”

In other words, if Kidd penetrated those hands that can hardly be called hands anymore, and lodge bullets into the chest where he planted 139 bullets before they could even recognize an enemy in a single second.

Be careful, exceeding the maintenance time can harm the user’s body.

『Time until forced termination: 1 minute』

But now, he had to make a choice.

‘Should I change course and quickly join Browless?’

Browless was the NPC Kidd liked and respected the most, but it wouldn’t be easy for him to deal with three by himself.

A weak point could arise in this carefully scattered strategy.

‘And if I keep shooting?’

After 1 minute, the backlash from Overclock would hit him hard.

If he didn’t prudently create some distance and hide his body before the skill ends, he will die at the hands of the dragons.

‘Still, for now― Hmm?’

─────────────…….

In the midst of the frantic movement, Kidd heard a distinct explosion.

It was not from Browless’s gun. More importantly, the sound came in a ‘horizontal’ direction, not ‘vertical.’

There was only one person who could do that.

Luger…

With a smile, Kidd thought of the source of the explosion. Imagining Luger mustering his strength lifted his own emotions.

‘So this is why gambling is the fate of 〈Desperado〉.’

Kidd recalled two NPCs related to his second job change.

The reason why those incredibly strong NPCs were mingled with hatred for each other—it was gambling.

If this is the fate of Desperado, then Kidd was ready to accept it.

Be careful, exceeding the maintenance time can harm the user’s body.

『Time until forced termination: 30 seconds』

So as soon as the 30-second warning message appeared, he used his final skill.

“I shall control this moment. Everybody halt, 〈Hold’em〉.”

Kidd used a skill.

Kidd and the two dragons froze.

Like they were frozen or forcibly logged out, the three beings didn’t blink an eye. Neither did their breathing nor the rise and fall of their chests.

For exactly 10 seconds, they began moving again only after 10 seconds.

Ten seconds of doing nothing?

No, that was not it.

“Phew… 〈Overclock Release〉.”

A white light shone from Kidd’s body. The two dragons, turned ashen, were falling with gaping holes in their chests.

Watching this, Kidd collapsed to the ground.

He couldn’t even entertain the thought of going to help Browless.

* * *

“Kuhahahah! Where are you going, Alexander!? Do you think you can escape me by flying into the sky? Labatt!”

『〈Dust Bomb〉』

At the altitude they had already reached, they couldn’t use normal magic. Following Faust’s orders, Labatt cast an immediate area spell, transforming the dust into a bomb that detonated around them. Both Alexander and Bailephus struggled to maintain their flight amidst this barrage.

『It’s the first time I’ve come up this high. How much further do you plan on going?』

“Just a little more. Just a little more”, Alexander urged Bailephus onward.

They had been flying almost vertically for several minutes. Finally, they reached a point where even Alexander and Faust’s bodies began to show signs of stress.

Status Effect: Resisted Extreme Cold (Enhanced)

Status Effect: Resisted Freezing (Enhanced)

“Haha! Was this your plan? To weaken the red dragon’s attribute? Or to inflict a status effect on me? Sorry, Alexander! Hehe, these things no longer affect me!”

Faust shouted while gripping tightly onto Labatt’s scales.

As he said, the resistance to status effects they had was sufficient, making these actions meaningless.

Alexander furrowed his brow momentarily, but Bailephus continued to soar.

『Are you trying to avoid a duel with me, Bailephus?』

『I have no reason to fight someone younger than Kuzgunak’sh.』

『That’s ridiculous. I’ve already proven I’m stronger than you. I’m now the most powerful in the Chromatic clan!』

『It’s not your strength. It’s not your strength that… I’ll show you.』

『What?!』

Labatt slowed down momentarily, attempting evasive maneuvers. However, contrary to his confident words, Bailephus made no attack, continuing only to ascend.

Faust, hitting Labatt’s head, ordered him to pursue.

“Fine. If you don’t stop, I’ll end you here. Did you think my minions couldn’t move in the air? Reverse Catacomb, go!”

Death Knights on ghost horses rapidly closed the distance.

『Alexander!』

“Don’t worry, partner. I’ll handle these revived corpses. Do what you must.”

With Bailephus’s urgent tone in his ears, Alexander grasped his spear. Five Death Knights approached, each nearly level 300 monsters and far from easy prey. Their undead nature made them particularly tough to deal with.

“Holy Flame.”

A yellow flame enveloped Alexander’s spear, allowing him to extend and retract its length as he swung at the ghost horses.

『Whinnying―!』

『Screeching―!』

The ghost horses retreated, screaming each time Alexander’s spear touched them. The Death Knights, unable to close the distance to swing their swords, were helpless.

“Damn it―, Labatt!”

『Bailephus’s mana is acting strange.』

“What? Even if he uses a skill now, what can it do? Just breathe fire already!”

Under Faust’s orders, Labatt inhaled deeply. Even by NPC calculations, the breath attack might barely reach.

『Hhhnghhh―!』

“Ugh, even breathing is getting difficult, this cursed game! So realistic― no, wait. Breathing?”

As Labatt prepared to use his breath attack, Faust finally realized why Bailephus had continued to ascend.

“No way!?”

“Too late, servant of the night. Bailephus!”

Seeing Faust’s wide-eyed realization, Alexander smiled. No more mana particles entered Bailephus’s body.

『We’ve reached the end of the atmosphere. This is the ultimate altitude living creatures can reach.』

No living flying creature could surpass this height. In an almost stratospheric scenario where oxygen was naturally scarce, breathing became difficult even with levels and stats providing adjustments. Essentially, they had reached the boundary of the stratosphere—space.

『〈Self-Illuminating Star〉.』

At this final limit, where the brightness of the sun could be drawn from, this wasn’t an ordinary skill.

It wasn’t an ordinary skill utilizing heat.

『Ah, agh! Ma, mana― power―』

A small sun appeared above Bailephus’s head, retaining the energy of the original.

As Faust struggled, lavattl’s power weakened proportionally.

“Damn it, what kind of skill is this— 〈Bone Shield〉, 〈Dark—〉”

“Do you think I would let you do that? I also have skills I can use under the sun! 〈Dawn of Justice〉!”

Although he shouted the skill name in a last-ditch effort, Alexander did not stand idly by.

The flames burning from his spear had now transformed into light. With the shimmering waves of light, he thrust his spear forward.

A weakened Faust and Labatt, who had lost more than half of their strength, could not block Alexander’s attack.

“Aaaah, cr— 〈Dead Pretence〉.”

In a moment of crisis, Faust thought of and used another skill, but it was of little help.

Alexander’s spear had already pierced the spot where Labatt’s dragon heart was located.

『Elder Kuz—』

Labatt could no longer speak.

Bailephus turned his head away, looking at him with gloomy eyes.

───────────────!

“Cough, the light—”

『Don’t worry. It’s just that the heart was destroyed.』

The light radiating from the shattered dragon heart was intensified by the sunlight created by Bailephus.

Faust, who had turned ashen gray, was powerlessly flicked and began to plummet.

About four hours had passed since Faust and his lich dragon appeared, and Luger, Kidd, and Fernand were looking up at a scene that had become as bright as midday.

No more enemies pursued them.

* * *

Though they had been scattered for a relatively long time, reuniting wasn’t difficult. Even though it was close to midnight, the surroundings were still bright.

“I’m glad you’re safe, Kidd.”

“Of course. I thought following Luger might be dangerous, but seeing you safe puts my mind at ease.”

Fernand and Kidd inquired after each other’s well-being.

Even amidst this exchange, Luger seemed ready to pounce on Kidd’s playful remark.

“What, what are you saying, you bastard!? Do you have any idea how much trouble I went through? I had to adjust angles by 156 degrees left and right, and 20 degrees up and down, like a human compass! Just say a word!”

Luger wanted to brag a bit about his accomplishments but couldn’t bring himself to do it.

‘If Kidd is this safe…’

In the end, it also meant Kidd had successfully dealt with two adult dragons.

Would it be unseemly for those who had done what ordinary Middle Earth users couldn’t even imagine to feel some pride?

As Alexander and Bailephus descended, the Eastern Expeditionary Force of the New Continent finally gathered.

“Headmaster Browless is nowhere to be seen.”

Except for the NPC, director Browless.

Before Kidd finished speaking, Bailephus flew into the air again.

Alexander also wanted to verify Faust’s corpse, to see where it had fallen and if he was truly dead, but he had no time for that.

“Damn it, I don’t think the director would have been defeated, but—”

“You know it as well, having faced him! The director had one more level than us, and considering his chain attacks, he’s over twice as dangerous—… huh?”

“Over there! Something is flying in!”

While Luger and Kidd worried about Browless, Fernand spotted something.

Even Bailephus, who fluttered in the air, was staring in that direction with a stiff expression.

“What on earth is that?”

Even the great Alexander struck an awkward posture.

It wasn’t easy to decide whether he should attack or not.

Buzz-buzz-buzz-buzz───────…

Fortunately, the surroundings were still bright, allowing them to see the strange creature flying in the air clearly.

“Director, is the ride comfortable?”

“W-well, yes… but this is quite embarrassing.”

“That’s what Haus-Haus is like. Still, considering the speed and comfort of the ride, it’s fine.”

The sound, like that of a giant wasp’s wings, came from above the creature’s head.

Two humans were tied awkwardly to the outstretched legs of the airborne creature.

“Oh! I see them! The light was strangely bright, I met the director on the way—”

Hearing the random greeting, the users called upon had no idea how to react.

There was only one thing they could say.

“Ha Leehaaaaaaaaa!?”

They shouted Leeha’s name at the top of their lungs as he rode on the mysterious creature.

“Kidd! Luger! Alexander! Fernand! Bailephus! Hahaha! Caught up with you!”

Leeha waved his hand cheerfully, held aloft by Haus-Haus, which buzzed through the empty night sky.

Next to Leeha, Browless pulled his hat down to hide from their gazes.