If there was something that Max was unaware of before, it would be his skill with a firearm, especially a sniper rifle. It was something he discovered while playing Roach Planet.
(I am engaging two thieves now! I managed to shoot one, but the other was slipping past me! I don't think he has the target. Sorry, but I will cuff this one first and join soon.) Sikoga reported with an urgent tone in her voice.
(I managed to catch one, but two slipped past me! One of them is holding a chalice, that might be the target!) Darkki's voice followed suit. (I am cuffing the one I catch. It might take a few seconds. Please stop them! They had used their clown mask ability.)
"I saw them," Max said calmly as he saw the target.
Two thieves wearing clown masks could be seen exiting the main building's entrance and trying to run East.
"No no no, you can't go that way, little thief."
The one holding the target was his priority. If left alone, they would meet together and give Mo3kyun trouble even with all the traps laid in the path toward the East escape way.
Stopping them was a hard matter. But making them turn around was easy.
'The bullet is 2 times slower than the one in Roach Planet, I had to timing it right.' He thought as he breathed deeply.
He calculated where the thieves would run. And after, he was sure of it...
Zuu!
The trigger was pulled. An energy bullet that zapped through the air went toward the thief in the front, hitting him perfectly on the head. No one expected the bullet to come from above their head in this underground area.
However, that didn't stop the other two from running. Max failed to hit the one holding the target.
'But that's enough.'
One thief was incapacitated for 30 seconds after getting hit on the head. It was enough time for Darkki and Sikoga to arrive. In fact, both of them were now in Max's sight and began their chase while holding a rifle.
Noticing the chase, the thieves ran faster toward the East entrance. But that was futile. Mo3kyun appeared from the shadow behind a rock and activated all the traps. Many ball-shaped traps, mines, and even wires began to come to life, shining brightly.
"You can't pass this way!"
Mo3kyun's deep voice scared the thieves. They suddenly stopped and the one holding the target shouted.
"Turn around! There are too many traps and police nearby!" He turned to his teammates, hoping that he had already turned around with him.
Nonetheless, that was already too late.
Zap!
"He noticed you," Ranga commented in surprise, which made Max look at him curiously.
"Puppeteer is famous for ignoring people who he deemed not meeting his standard. Of course, we're talking about pro players and streamers here. He acted normally with his fans." The blue-haired man explained, "The fact he noticed you means he recognized your skill."
That was plentiful information. Max nodded in understanding but didn't take the word to heart.
Once again, getting people's recognition was nice, but it didn't make your value go up or down. He was the one who knew his own value.
'But getting recognized by someone way above who is living my dream somehow makes me satisfied.' A smile graced his lips.
While he was thinking that, the last game ended with Team 3's victory, and a 5-minute cooldown replaced the screen, letting the players rest.
Using that 5 minutes, Max talked with Ranga about his game. The blue-haired man was pretty lucky, just like him.
The enemy team had a troll who acted like a clown because he wasn't in the same team as Puppeteer, revealing the target and making the police group able to protect it with the highest security, which forced the thieves into a desperate attempt and lost.
Max wasn't surprised at all. There was such an overzealous fan who couldn't make a better judgment and ended up embarrassed in front of their idol instead. Fortunately, or unfortunately, Max had no such fans yet.
The 5-minute wait passed quickly. Many players were slightly tired from their previous game, but they had to continue.
[Are you ready?!]
A loud announcement rang from the speakers once the countdown hit 0, and the screen showed the list of players divided into two boxes in each group. Everyone focused. Those in group A desperately hoped to get a good teammate.
[Shuffle Start!]
With the next announcement, everyone began to pray. Max looked at the screen calmly without changing his expression. The shuffle stopped, and the team decided.
He calmly looked at the boxes to find his name in box 1. And...
"It seems to be an easy win for you." Ranga commented, "And I will probably suffer in the last third game even if I win this one."
"Looks like it." Max nodded in agreement.
For the second game, he and Puppeteer were on the same team. It was the first time they would play together. And with this, he was confident he would advance to the final without any problem.
[Map: Urban – Museum (Ranked)]
[Your role is as... a Thief!]
[Target: Ring of Fire!]
'I can observe his skill closely to prepare for the final. This is a chance I can't miss.'