Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Leeha stretched with a sense far more developed than in the real world and immediately opened the chat window to send a whisper to his friends.

Leeha: Nara-ssi! Happy New Year! Wishing you a lot of blessings for the new year!

Nara: Leeha! You logged in fast, huh? I thought it would take a few more days.

Leeha: There’s nothing else to do anyway. If I don’t poke, then Nara will probably leave again. How’s everything? Nothing special?

After exchanging simple New Year’s greetings, Leeha brought up the main topic indirectly, asking for updates on Igor and Faust, who seemed to have been restless lately.

“Oh, did I bring up the main point too soon?”

After sending the message, Leeha realized they had been too nonchalant, but Nara’s response was casual.

Nara: Not at all. We sent Lark and some others to different villages, and they seem to have decided not to move for a while, these guys.

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Leeha: Oh… really?

“Hmm, something feels… organized.”

It was a situation where Leeha either wanted to point out their nonchalance or discuss things related to Middle Earth with Nara, showing how much he had to hold back.

Wasn’t it proof enough that there were many situations that Leeha would remember in this way?

Nevertheless, Nara’s voice felt somewhat cheerful.

Nara: Yes! For the Sacred Knights’ dispatched troops, they were instructed to contact you immediately if anything happens. Since Lark will also be informed simultaneously, don’t feel too burdened… I’ll leave it to you.

Leeha: Of course. Please leave it to me and enjoy your break.

Nara: If you have any questions, you can ask Lark-ssi. See you later then!

Nara logged out, and Leeha lowered their head in thought.”Lark… ssi? Were these two always this friendly?”

Leeha continued to roam around for his tasks, logged out, and during the time spent with Ram Hwayeon in the Middle Earth, nearly four days had passed. Even spending just 24 hours together can bring people closer, but these two had been together for four days.

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Leeha, who was unaware of this fact even in his dreams, felt a strange awkwardness and headed towards the Bottleneck’s Smithy.

Clang! Clang!

The sound of hammering rang out without a break, bringing Leeha back to reality.

“The first thing to do is to find the items. A sniper battle against the White Reaper will certainly not be easy.”

What to do. How to do it. He still hadn’t fully understood Sergeant Kim’s advice, but he couldn’t just sit back and wait either.

“Bottleneck, are you there?!”

Without Blaugrunn, without any help to defend against the White Reaper to engage in a sniper battle, there were definitely items that were necessary.

“Huff… What’s wrong, no response. Are you busy?”

Leeha entered the busy blacksmith shop, only to find Bottleneck.

Unlike usual, the burly back of the dwarf, unshaken by flattery, caught his eye.

“Did the lord come?”

“Uh… Yes, I’ve come.”

Just as Leeha was about to relay his business to Bottleneck and quickly leave, he was momentarily overwhelmed by the changed atmosphere. There was no visible difference in appearance. The rough beard stained with soot remained the same.

However, the dwarf holding the hammer was undeniably a different being from the Bottleneck Leeha had known until now. Indeed, it seemed that this was the effect of the 『Legend』 grade itself, giving an aura of dignity to Bottleneck.

“The first request was not a problem. However, the second one. Although you had asked me to make a chestpiece out of Toon’s ribs, it seemed a bit wasteful to do so. One cannot simply make protective equipment for the lord’s life so casually. Therefore, I decided to make it in the form of a shirt that could wrap all the way up to the arms.”

“Bottleneck-ssi! I asked you to use the ‘Fragment of Toon’s Chestplate’ to create a form for the Bulletproof and Stab-Proof Vests! It shouldn’t cover up to the arms, that’s just… armor!”

“Just try it on. I’ll bring it, so wait here.”

Even though Leeha was making a fuss, Bottleneck spoke in a soft tone. But Leeha had a lot to say as well. Bulletproof and stab-proof vests are inherently rigid and heavy.

Of course, it might not matter much to melee job classes, but for long-range job classes like Leeha, isn’t the weight and mobility flexibility essential?

‘But if I wear it as a whole top… How am I supposed to carry my rifle!’

Not to mention, this time the material is not the Kevlar or polyethylene fiber commonly used in modern bulletproof vests.

A massive protrusion from the chest area of Toon!

Turning that into clothing? How are we supposed to aim the barrel with such a heavy and stiff piece of clothing that makes it hard to even lift our arms! Leeha hesitated as he watched Bottleneck coming over with something.

“You’re acting all polite saying you’re following in the footsteps of your ancestors, but if you don’t make it as requested, it’s just a waste of materials… Is this it?”

Bottleneck immediately stopped Leeha’s complaining as soon as he saw the item.

Leeha and Bottleneck alternated looking at the item excitedly in Leeha’s hand.

“What you explained to me just now is different from this, right? Wait, this is made of Toon’s bones, isn’t it? It’s just clothing?”

What Leeha held in his hand was a fragile-looking garment.

Perplexed, Leeha lightly touched its surface.

“It’s not that heavy. But it definitely doesn’t feel like regular clothes. But it’s made of bones? That doesn’t make sense! In terms of roughness, it feels even softer than linen!”

What exactly is this?

As Leeha chuckled in confusion, Bottleneck laughed heartily.

“We extracted only the carbon from Toon’s Chestplate. That darn dinosaur creatures, it’s so massive, but not much useful stuff came out of it. Anyway, I tried a new bonding method using the extracted carbon. I made it in a hexagonal shape, so that it can be continuously attached like a series of thin tubes.”

Bottleneck chuckled and looked at Leeha. When Leeha showed no reaction, Bottleneck’s voice grew louder.

“I’ve been sweating like a dog over the fiber part for days! You have no idea how hard it was! Actually, I almost finished making it as you requested but completely trashed it and started fresh! Haha! It’s okay, you don’t have to thank me; all of this was made possible because of you, Lord!”

“No, that’s not important! Carbon – Carbon? Carbon composite fibers – and that too in a nanotube form?! Insane!”

“What the heck are you saying!? Who do you think is crazy here? And if that’s not important, what is important then?”

“Oh, no. That’s not what I meant Bottleneck-ssi… Ha, ha, oh my.”

Leeha couldn’t help but shiver at the sound of gunfire. Memories from his military days suddenly flashed back. There was a new material being developed to be used in the latest bulletproof vests.

The material, called carbon nanotubes, was a composite of carbon layers as thin as nano-level yet strong enough to withstand regular rifle bullets. It was said that even the theory of creating such material was not fully developed. Ah, right. This is not the real world. It’s Middle Earth.

The difference between hero-grade and legendary-grade items was not just two words; it pierced through him like bones.

“Performance! How is the performance?”

“Haha! Shouldn’t you see for yourself, Leeha-nim? Why ask me?”

“Right, right.”

Leeha lifted the item to inspect its detailed description.

Kidd: Are you just idling around in the blacksmith shop? One minute should be enough to grab your bullets.

Luger: Haha… Leeha, are you listening? It’s too late, foolish man. No, I should say, dear man.

At that moment, two voices resonated in his head simultaneously.

“Kidd? Luger? What, are you both here together? What’s with the whispers?”

He was taken aback. People he seldom contacted were now inexplicably and simultaneously talking to him?

Kidd: Did Luger tell you the whisper?

Luger: What did that Kidd say?

The response that came after a while was even more bizarre. Leeha opened the teleport window of the Three Musketeers to confirm their locations.

“What? They’re not even together. Are they making some kind of secret agreement and going crazy?”

He chuckled as he checked Kidd’s location – Deadwood and Luger’s location – Corrupted Forest of the World Tree. Did Kidd and Luger also check each other’s locations while he was verifying theirs?

Without a word for a moment, they soon started exchanging whispers with laughter.

Kidd: I’ll go first.

Luger: Follow me for life, third Musketeer. Haha!

He sighed listening to their incomprehensible whispers.

“Ugh, these game addicts… Anyway, they lack social skills. If you want to have a conversation, make sure the other person understands. Or at least say ‘Happy New Year’ for goodness’ sake. Why do they just talk about themselves and abruptly cut off?”

Why did Kidd and Luger tell each other why they haven’t talked to each other to Leeha?

Considering their usual personalities, it was clearly not a normal occurrence.

Leeha questioned their behavior but decided to first check the items in their possession.

In reality, it was something that could be understood with just a little thought.

Most importantly, Kidd and Luger had gone overboard with unnecessary boasting due to their inflated egos.

However, what made it difficult to focus on their conversation was the presence of the seemingly weightless 『Future-Proof Body Armor』.

『Legendary Blacksmith-Made Piercing Nullification Body Armor』

Defense: (User’s HP)

Effect: Stamina +25, Damage reduction by 30% when hit, resistance to fear status +100%

Description: A top made by the legendary Dwarf blacksmith Bottleneck from the mythical armor of Toon.

“I tried to make the armor both piercing-proof and flexible in movement, but perhaps I lacked materials. No, maybe it was my skills that were lacking. Anyway, I am sorry. I wanted to perfectly reproduce the nullification of damage upon impact, but I had to give up a bit on that part. But this much is enough for you, right?”

This very light top possesses a significant level of damage nullification and flawless piercing nullification effects. People unable to buy it would call it a miracle created by the ‘Meeting of Two Legends.’

Additional Effect: If the hit received by the body armor is less than its defense effect, nullifies all piercing effects involved in the attack…

“Wait. Bottleneck-ssi? Is this–”

“I’m not entirely satisfied. I still haven’t fully mastered my power.”

Bottleneck said as he clenched and unclenched his fists.

Despite his seemingly regretful words, his expression did not betray any unease. Leeha could tell that Bottleneck himself was actually quite satisfied with the performance of this item.

“Usually, it’s about the materials used. Even the Dagger made from Toon’s claw was a dagger made from the legendary dinosaur claw. But this one ‘Legend’ is a term used for craftsmen.

It’s a way of showing respect towards the person who made it possible to create such a soft garment from a piece of armor with a completely alive bone texture!

“Bottleneck-ssi!”

“Ah! Why are you like this?”

Leeha embraced Bottleneck tightly. His rough beard tickled Leeha’s chest, but to the excited Leeha, it didn’t even register.

“Anyway! I knew it! I believed that you would make it someday!”

“Hahaha, that’s nice to hear, but thanks to you, Lord, I should be the one grateful! I owe you!”

“That’s- Well, upon second thought, it’s a bit irritating! Anyway, I’ll forgive you, haha! This is amazing!”