Chapter 591

Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter] Chapter 591

With a metallic clink, a momentary silence swept over the northernmost tip of the New Continent. “See, it’s possible, right?” Blaugrunn teleported right next to the pack leader without waiting for any specific instructions from Leeha, and as soon as he appeared, Leeha aimed a musket-pistol at the creature’s head.

“Le-Leader!”

“Attack, attack them now!” Swish-through!

The walrus paleo’s extracted their own tusks to fashion dual swords and swung them wildly. However, the mass teleport didn’t only transport humans. Ting-Ting-Tang-Tang! The sound resembling that of hitting a frying pan made Blaugrunn snicker. Regardless of the paleo’s being fairly strong, he was certain they couldn’t penetrate his barrier.

“Wait a second! What if I wasn’t a friend of Ramhwa Jeong, and didn’t come here to help you? Your subordinates can’t even break our shield, and here I am, targeting you.”

Click! Leeha returned his musket to its original state with the ball disengaged—a gesture impossible with modern firearms but doable with old-world muskets, something Leeha found amusing.

“What will you do? We’ve come here after hearing from Ram Hwajung-ssi to help you from afar. I believe we’ve sufficiently proven our capabilities.”

“Your name?”

“I’m Leeha. And this little friend here is Blaugrunn.”

“Leeha...! So you’re one of the most famous five individuals.” The walrus paleo leader mumbled. It seemed that the reputation system among users within the New Continent was increasingly being established. Leeha was aware he was somewhat famous but didn’t realize there was a specific designation as ‘one of the most famous five humans.’

“We owe Ram Hwajung-ssi our thanks for sending such a strong friend. Welcome, comrade. My name is Alakagalak, leading the expedition of the tribal guardian god, Odobe.”

“Ala, Alakagalak? Nice name, though I don’t know the meaning. Pleased to meet you.”

The walrus paleo leader, Alakagalak extended his thick hand. Leeha, without hesitation, grasped it firmly—a hand that could crush his face with ease—and shook it. At last, they had entered the first gate to acquire the lens.

“Alakagalak dad!”

“Alakagalak dad has returned!”

Their village was approximately three hours further up from where Leeha had wrestled before. It was no longer snow-covered land but rather ‘above the glacier’ would be more accurate to describe their location.

‘The names are so complicated... There was something like Alakalala or Kalalabi Kalalabi before.’

For Leeha, it was an utterly dull journey. What made it bearable was being able to listen and laugh at the names the walrus paleos called each other.

Leeha saw children rushing to hug Alakagalak—a number that was no small feat.

“Seems you have a very healthy marital life.”

“Hmm? I am not married.”

“Eh? Then these kids are-“

“Every adult male is a father, and every adult female is a mother.”

“Ah... Communal parenting.”

Dozens of faces peeked from behind Alakagalak’s thighs, staring intently at Leeha and Blaugrunn, their eyes sparkling. Ice-crafted accessories glittered under the light, but what caught Leeha’s attention was something else.

“Oh? Really? If they were grey, they must have been from the Silver clan! When was this? Ah, but why the hair? Were they in human form? I haven’t heard anything from the Silver clan.”

“Silver? I’m not sure, but they were in human form. The time escapes me though...”

“Wait, that’s not what we’re here to discuss, Odobe-nim,” interrupted Leeha, hoping to guide the conversation back on track.

This topic, too, was of interest to Leeha. Even the Ancient-class Gold Dragon Bailephus had claimed that the first time they actually saw a mystical creature was at Red Gorge.

‘But there are Silver Dragons who have seen a mystical creature? Wouldn’t they have to be older than Bailephus for that to be possible?’

The ‘type’ like Gold or Silver does not signify the dragon’s rank. A dragon’s strength is derived primarily from experience, which comes with age, and their individual sense.

‘It might not be a Silver after all.’

While it’s entirely possible that there could be a Silver clan member older than Bailephus, Leeha had a slightly different hypothesis in mind.

Putting his curiosity aside for the moment, Leeha said, “Blaugrunn-ssi, I understand your enthusiasm, but let’s save that conversation for later.”

Blaugrunn, understanding the gravity of the situation, did not push further. He was well aware of how adept Leeha was in handling matters like these.

“So, what were you curious about?”

“It’s about how to catch a Ice Ostrich. It might be challenging for me, but given the ‘strength’ dragons possess, I would imagine you’re familiar with it...”

“Know it? Of course, I have seen the delightful power of dragons!”

“Yet you’re saying capturing a Ice Ostrich is difficult?”

Though the word ‘delightful’ made Leeha slightly uneasy, he decided to let it slide for the moment.

“If it were that cheerful dragon, it might have been possible. But I’ve already heard about the strength shown by you, Blaugrunn-ssi, and Leeha-ssi, from Alakagalak, squawk!”

Does that mean what was possible for the dragon of the past might not be for you? It seemed Blaugrunn caught the gist at last. In essence, it implied that their strength was severely underestimated.

“We can do it.”

“With Leeha-ssi and my strength, we could even drive that ostrich to extinction if need be.”

For the first time in a while, Blaugrunn adopted a confident attitude.

Odobe watched this display fondly before crying out once again. And finally, a hologram screen appeared in front of Leeha.

[Crystal of Snow]

Description: “Squawk! The Ice Ostrich collapses at the slightest pressure. Their original form, made of ice, is snow! Chasing after them as they rapidly disintegrate into snow and recombine is no easy task, squawk! Their self-destruction is also an act of self-replication! Causing them stress may inadvertently increase their numbers instead. For our young Ice Walruses, the snow and ice tainted by the Ice Ostrich act as pests and diseases.

“If Leeha-ssi cannot properly handle the Ice Ostrich... even if he is a friend of the Fairy Ram Hwajung, I cannot forgive him, squawk!”

Odobe can make waves in the ocean but on ice, his power is limited. Similarly, his Ice Walrus paleos cannot match the speed of the Ice Ostriches, making it all the more challenging.

Ice Ostriches are to the society of the Ice Walrus paleos what germs are to the human body, threatening the tribe’s health. Let’s vastly reduce their numbers.

Mission: Eliminate 30 Ice Ostriches (0/30)

Reward: 50% increased affinity with Ice Walrus paleos

50% increased affinity with the mystical creature Odobe

Failure condition: More than 5 Ice Ostriches self-destruct due to failed attacks

Penalty for failure: -80% affinity with Ice Walrus paleos

-80% affinity with the mystical creature Odobe

Do you accept?