Chapter 23
“This is Foxes’ area. Leeha is extremely familiar with this route, after exiting the south gate and heading to the area where the wolves appear.
After passing the rabbit zone, users enter the fox zone.
Although they are pre-emptive attackers, they usually hide behind bushes and trees, so it is safe if users follow the road.
And a little further down the middle of the hill and above the bushes will be the wolves’ zone, where they terrorize the residents of Candle Castle.
“From here on, party play is encouraged.”
‘It was written in the description of the quest, and I also looked up information through the community. Although the starting condition of the quest is level 8, it is difficult for a level 8 user to complete it alone, and even if it is possible, it takes a lot of time. The biggest problem is that two or three wolves move together rather than moving alone. It won’t be easy to find a party and above all, I don’t want to do that. It would be great if there was a warrior who could stand as a tank, but the problem is, it takes two minutes to load one shot. In that time, even a warrior with a low attack power can handle it alone.’
When the loading is over, the wolf would already be dead, and when the wolf dies, it will alert the dealer who has done nothing.
‘In that case, it’s better to do it alone.’
That was what Leeha thought, he also judged that if he target only lone wolves, he would be able to save bullets and complete the quest quickly.
In addition, if he is far away in the distance, there is a high chance that if he kills a wolf, its pack won’t be able to find his position.
‘Still, I used 13 sets of gunpowder to catch 10 foxes. I will need to finish the quest with 11 shots, achieve level 10 and finish the Golden Eagle quest with the remaining bullets.’
While slowly walking through the bush while reviewing the plan he made, Leeha saw a party hunting wolves.
“Magic Missile!”
A murky white sphere was created in the air, then the sphere stretched and flew continuously, grinding at the wolf’s head.
Keng-! Gareureung!
One wolf got hit and the other two bared their teeth. The wolves wanted to bite the magician who threw the magic missile but he was already running away to teammates’ back line.
“I dragged three! Tanker, get ready!”
“Yep. Cast once I draw aggro! If you cast first, it will get ugly, so be careful!”
Leeha watched the party closely. Information obtained from the Internet is different from what you see with your own eyes. Knowing what you need to be careful about, and what the wolves’ attack pattern is like in advance is advantageous.
“Stomp!”
Kuung, Kuung, Kuung!
The warrior with a hammer-like weapon and a small shield stomped on the ground. The wolves changed direction at once when the skill activated, and Leeha was able to feel the minute vibrations on where he was standing.
“Please cast quickly!”
White lights gathered together, but this time it was for two people.
“Magic Missile!”
“Energy Bolt!”
Murky white and blueish white, once the casting was over, the two wizards hit the wolf. One on the head and one on the side.
In the meantime, the tanker raised his shield to block the wolves’ paws and swung his hammer.
“Last hit!”
Is someone hiding between two wizards?
A shadow popped out and quickly stuck a dagger on the wolf’s neck.
“There was one more. It’s a party of four.”
Leeha did not notice it before.
Choo-pyeot-The wolf turned gray with blood gushing out. The wizards had already started casting and threw their magic into the air.
“With a coordination like that, if you have a four-person party, you can hunt quite steadily.”
‘They have no healer, so they needed to take a break every hunt, but the hunt is pretty stable.’
Leeha gained confidence and looked around, although it was the most popular hunting ground near Candle Castle, there were only six parties scattered around. After moving enough to a place where no one was hunting, he settled down. Near the rock, he found a wolf raising its legs and peeing. It smiled with a leg raised up peeing near the rock.
‘I found one.’
“Woo, okay. There are no other guys around. I’m sorry to beat a peeing guy.”
Leeha spoke and acted quickly, he studied by watching videos related to musket on the Internet.
What Leeha needed the most at the moment was the information that reduces the musket’s reload time.
‘The five stages of reloading, the paper bag wasn’t even opened by hand.’
Bite (물어), Pour (부어), Blow (불어), Tap (쳐), Aim (조준). And Fire(발포).
Leeha followed the training scene of the British Red Court, the world’s strongest musket unit, and now it’s time to test its performance!
‘Reload start!’
Bite the paper with the gunpowder using your mouth.
Pour the gunpowder into the gunpower plate and the remaining gunpowder into the muzzle and insert the iron ball bullet. Hueup!
Blow is the same as the usual loading.
Tap, it’s not about ramming the ramrod repeatedly, hold the musket vertically and tap the musket’s butt on the ground lightly! With the simple impact, the gunpowder won’t explode. I can save at least 25 seconds because I can get the ramrod, squeeze it into the muzzle, and press firmly in just one go.’
Aim at your target after lying down on your stomach on the ground and getting an angled posture.
“Huuu, haaaa.”
He controlled his breathing. Around 55m. The moment the wolf put down its leg after peeing, Leeha’s index finger moved.
Taaang–!
The smell of black powder exploded, and white smoke spewed out like cotton balls and beyond that was the gray corpse of the fallen wolf.
One shot, one kill.
“Good. First one complete.”
It wasn’t to the point that it can be called a weak, but it was caught in just one shot.
“In other words, I have to acknowledge the power of one attack. If you just get it right, it’s a big hit-Um?”
Rumble, rumble.
A wolf popped out in front of Leeha, as he was laughing and walking towards the wolf’s corpse. Where? Was it hiding behind the rock where the other guy peed?
“Damn it.”
Gulgeok, Leeha had a difficulty swallowing his saliva.
‘Where did it hide?! There were two from the start? Should I run away or should I try my luck and fight a life and death battle with the musket’s butt? I can’t.’
Leeha opened his bag quickly.
Bite, pour, blow, tap, aim.
It has fewer steps than before, but he hasn’t fully mastered it yet. It takes a little over 1 minute to reload and still takes a little longer than auto-load.
‘It’s huge compared to before where I needed 2 minutes to reload manually, but damn it, shit!’
After completing the reload in a staggered posture, the distance between Leeha and the wolf is about 30m. As Leeha quickly reloaded in a hurry, he suddenly realized something strange.
‘It’s not attacking?’
The should have attached already. No, in the first place, the wolves are the ones who run and attack preemptively.
Leeha stood up and aimed the musket’s muzzle.
“Haa, haa,”
“Grrr.” The sound of a threatening growl, and the saliva flowing through the teeth.
Eyes above its crumpled nose were clearly pointed at Leeha, but the wolf didn’t attack.
It just walked slowly, changing direction from left to right.
‘Is there a case like this?’
When Leeha pointed his muzzle at it, it walked sideways as if avoiding the muzzle.. When Leeha’s muzzle followed, it changed direction again.
‘This guy. It knows what a gun is. The wolf felt it instinctively when it saw its colleague die.’
He heard the story of a wolf who sensed the danger of a gun.
The wolf was originally a fairly smart hunter. Even if you just stick a long stick like a gun, they’re sensitive enough to hide their body.
In terms of learning ability, it might be the smartest among beasts.
It also saw while Leeha was reloading hurriedly. What if it even found out that it takes time between firing?
‘If I miss, it’s over.’
Leeha, pointing his muzzle to the wolf, slowly stepped back.
‘Think about it as a big dog. It’s just that the puppies that I had in the past have grown.’
Although it may be a bit too much to compare a wolf with a Maltese, but it is judged that the habits of dogs and wolves are similar.
If you make eye contact with a canine beast, you should never show your back.
“Hoo, hoo.”
The wolf slowly stepped back and looked at Leeha.
It didn’t seem to be timing or looking for a gap. It revealed its teeth to threaten.
If he walked all the way back like this, the wolf’s aggro will be released, but then, he won’t be able to take the loot.
At last, the moment of choice came to Leeha, who extended the distance between them to 55m.
‘That bastard keeps moving left and right. If I can’t hit it.’
Death unconditionally. What can he do with bayonet charge?
But if he ran away? The item of the wolf he just caught will be discarded.
“If anyone sees me, they would think I look like someone who is trying to catch a boss.”
Leeha tried to relax by complimenting himself.
Yes, what am I thinking about now!
Taaang!
At the moment, he felt sweat running down his neck.
Keong!
The wolf stopped for a moment and realized that there was nothing wrong with its body. So what’s left?
It just runs and tears humans apart.
Keureureureung, Keureureung!
Tat-hat, Tat-hat, and the wolf started running towards Leeha. It didn’t know what that stick is, but it knew that it takes time to prepare and fire again.
That’s it, that’s it! Kyaak!
45m, 38m, the running wolf stared at the human standing far away.
Did he give up?
Humans couldn’t even respond properly when they ran into it. No, maybe there is something they believe in. Humans have a lot of skills, but do they have different teeth or claws?
Kyareung, Kyaah-!
Then it turned out that the human’s expression was also different.
It looked like he was standing still without any movement, but it is not the face of a person who gave up.
There was a clear sound.
It was the same loud sound as when its husband died earlier. The same bad smell, the disgusting, ominous smell that it didn’t want to approach came out as if it’s paralyzing its nose.
Smoke?
“I’m sorry to trick you, wolf.” Leeha pulled his index finger calmly. Toward the running wolf.
Taaang–!
A bunch of white smoke spewed out and the wolf fell down and rolled on the ground.
It was hit on its side.
Red blood soaked the wolf’s white fur.
After being aimed at its head, the running wolf instinctively slowed down and twisted its body. Had it been a little further, it might have missed.
[Skill – Musket Mastery level has risen to 2.]
“Phew.”
The musket has high attack power, so I was able to hunt it. It it was a weapon such as bow or crossbow, Leeha would not have been able to catch it with such an unclear shot. Leeha stared the corpses of the two wolves that have turned gray.
He was lucky. It was realistic, so he tried to gamble.
“So it’s true that you can make a gunshot sound with your mouth.” That Taaang! It was curious and pleasant that the wolf responded to the cry and jumped in.
‘Because they’re so smart, it’s so real.’
Leeha did not walk toward the wolf’s body.
He took out a gunpowder bag and looked around first. Maybe there is another one hiding.
It was enough to catch rabbits and foxes and then loot them, but now that he knew the characteristics of party-type monsters, he needs to be more careful now.
“Okay. There’s none.”
Only then did Leeha walk carefully and finished picking up the loot.
Two quest items, wolf skins and the wolves also dropped meat and claws.
‘I have to bring the meat to Madame Lou. But the Musket Mastery only reached Level 2 now? While the bargaining is already Level 4. Is my job a musketeer or a merchant?’
Someone approached Leeha while he was happily putting the loot into his bag.
“Wow! Nim, how did you just do that?”
“Yeah?”
The Leeha, who turned his head, stopped and froze.
It was a lizard that spoke and behind the Lizard a giant stood, while a crow sat above the giant’s head.
“Ohhhhhhhhhhhh!!!”
His body reacted before he could think. Leeha began loading by biting a bag of gunpowder.
“W-wait a minute! We are users!”
The fluttering tail caught Leeha’s eyes. It’s not waving like a puppy’s tail.
The lizard tail moved while sweeping the floor. Saak, saak.
That huge size, that scary look is a user? Leeha couldn’t believe it, but stopped.
“Uh, user. Ah.”
Lizardfolk.
This is the first time he saw one, and Leeha scanned the Lizardfolk user, with eyes that are about to pop out. The private parts are covert with something similar to a piece of clothing. How far did they make it realistic? Leeha barely held back the desire to lift the cloth. Oh, you can look at mine.
(To be continued…)