Chapter 142: The One-Eyed Sniper (1)
"Ha, you don't know a damn thing. When you're asking a woman with horns to suck you off, you can't just ask her to do it straight on. You have to ask her to do it from the side."
"If you do that, the horns will get in the way and tear your side to shreds. It's safer to hold the horns from the front and guide her yourself!"
Dane and I were locked in a debate that showed no signs of resolution.
Well, it was obvious we couldn't agree because the horns we were talking about were completely different in structure. Dane was talking about the curled horns of a sheep, like those of the matriarch who once led the beastfolk independence movement. Meanwhile, I was thinking of an ogre's singular, straight horn. No wonder we couldn't find common ground.
To be honest, Dane probably realized halfway through that we weren't even discussing the same kind of horns. But there are certain fights between men where neither side can back down.
Even when both sides know it's pointless, pride won't let you concede.
"You idiots! Starting tonight, you're all being deployed to the front lines, and here you are having a completely useless debate."
After a grueling 12-day march, we had finally reached the eastern wastelands.
If the Kingdom's forces had successfully held the defensive line, we'd arrive at the front by tomorrow. But if they'd already collapsed, we'd hit the front lines by tonight.
The wasteland was a swirling mess of sandstorms, making it impossible to see clearly. Even using mana to enhance our eyesight wasn't much help. Luckily, flags and markers set up along the way kept us from getting lost.
"Prepare for battle formation!"
The senior knight, who had just received a report from the scouts of the 7th barracks, immediately ordered us to prepare for combat. At his command, we began equipping our exoskeletons with armor parts.
[User verification: Authorized]
[Current environment – Minor discomfort]
[Activating dust purification system]
Huff… Huff…
As the helmet's filtration system kicked in, the sound of heavy breathing echoed around us. A moment later, a massive sandstorm hit.
Whoooosh!
If we hadn't been armored, we'd have inhaled a lungful of sand and ended up coughing uncontrollably. Even in this harsh storm, the horses personally trained by Eileen stood calmly, their eyes closed as they endured the storm. Meanwhile, a few of the nobles' horses, gifted by wealthy patrons, were causing a commotion, disrupting our formation.
'Now I see why centaur-trained horses are so expensive.'
I patted the neck of my mare to reassure her, covering her nostrils to help her hold her breath as we waited for the sandstorm to pass. Thankfully, unlike the desert regions, the storm subsided within about 20 seconds. As the dust settled, a distant howl echoed through the air.
"Awooooooo!"
It sounded like the howl of a wolf.
"Headcount! Report separately for left and right flanks, using me as the center!"
"Left flank: 99 riders! All mounted on wolves."
"Right flank: 126 riders, same."
A total of 225 wolf-mounted cavalry were charging toward us.
"What a bunch of idiots."
Dane scoffed as he watched them approach.
No one with half a brain would charge head-on at an organized force of fully armed knights, especially in such numbers. Even the dumbest monsters learn that attacking knight-class forces = instant death. And those who didn't learn were already wiped out.
"Unless, of course, they're overly confident."
Knight-class forces are formidable, but only in nature. Against intelligent and organized combat units, equivalent forces always exist. For instance, the battle golems of the Sytorax Republic are considered knight-class units, as are renowned elven rangers, each one assessed to be on par with a knight.
"Anyone here trained in mounted combat?"
Jake and a few others raised their hands, but there were fewer than five in total.
"Guess we won't be using nova lances. Fine, instead of unfamiliar mounted combat, we'll dismount and fight on foot. Move the horses to the rear for safety. The defense team will form a shield wall at the front."
"First wave of projectiles incoming!"
Dane stepped up to form a mana shield, which intercepted the incoming projectiles—rocks, thrown with slings. They struck the shield and bounced off.
"They're heavier than I expected."
In these desolate eastern regions, metal weapons were scarce. Metal was prioritized for melee weapons, while stones were used for projectiles. Apparently, that information was accurate.
Jake raised his rifle, and our ranged units began their counterattack.
"I suppose using the 20-meter-radius explosive gemstone rounds is out of the question?"
"..."
When I glared at him silently, Jake shrugged, pretending it was a joke, and loaded a glowing blue magic cartridge.
"Fine, I'll use the tranquilizer rounds."
Zap!
Ratatatatata!
Jake's gun roared, and the wolf-mounted riders began dropping like flies.
"Looks like we won't even have to lift a finger."
"Yeah, no kidding."
Levin and I, both equipped for close-range combat and infiltration during the heat of battle, stood by idly, watching the riders collapse.
Fortunately, the tranquilizer rounds didn't kill anyone outright. Instead, they delivered a paralyzing shock that left the riders writhing on the ground. Still, falling off a high-speed wolf onto the hard ground often resulted in severe injuries or even death.
'Not that I care about sparing them.'
With half of the wolf-mounted riders down and the rest still a good distance away, they finally seemed to realize their losses and began retreating.
"Commence rear interception maneuvers!"
At the senior knight's order, I stepped back a couple of paces from Levin. The propulsion units on Levin's armor roared to life, and over 20 of our comrades soared into the air.
Though they couldn't truly fly, the thrusters allowed them to leap great distances and intercept the retreating enemies from behind. Their armor was lighter and optimized for mobility, so they wielded mana shotels instead of full mana sabers. Even so, the ability to perform temporary three-dimensional maneuvers was impressive.
Boom!
It was a strategy to block the rear swiftly and effectively in situations like this.
'Alright, now it's time to chase them…'
Just as I was about to charge with the other melee specialists to pursue the retreating riders, my instincts sent me a warning.
Swish!
Without hesitation, I swung my mana saber not at the enemies in front but at the empty space on the side. Before anyone else noticed, I felt the sensation of slicing through a round stone projectile, about the size of two knuckles, with my saber.
'A sniper!'
It wasn't aimed at me. The target was Jake—the actual squad leader of our unit. That brief moment was enough to deduce the sniper's extraordinary skill in analyzing and targeting a commander during the chaos of battle.
"Ban!"
"Got it!"
Jake quickly realized what had happened and immediately decided to send me alone to deal with the sniper while the others continued chasing the retreating enemy. This was an independent order from the squad leader, without the senior knight's approval. But since I had the same thought, I had no complaints. If we'd waited for Levin, who was already deployed, the sniper would have escaped.
'Where are you?'
If it had been a conventional bullet, the trajectory would have been easy to trace. But since the sniper was using stone projectiles, it was much harder to track the path. I lacked knowledge about the projectile's exact trajectory. So instead of blindly rushing in the direction it came from, I moved with the others while waiting for the sniper to fire again.
'If they think the first shot missed purely by chance, they'll fire another round.'
Unless, of course, they're smart enough to realize they've been exposed.
'Either way, you'll have to make a move.'
Once exposed, a sniper can't hope to escape unscathed unless their initial shot causes enough confusion or casualties to cover their retreat.
'Where are you?'
"Enemy reinforcements incoming!"
"Reinforcements?"
Just as my comrades watching the front shouted in alarm, a cloud of dust rose to the east, where the retreating wolf riders had headed. A group of enemies was charging toward us.
There weren't even 50 of them, but the problem was their sheer size—each over 3 meters tall, with massive, muscular bodies.
"It's an ogre unit!"
Pureblood ogres, no less.
"A trap? Form ranks and retreat!"
Levin and the others, who had been blocking the wolf riders' retreat, activated their thrusters to return to formation and avoid the ogres' assault. But their hasty retreat led to chaos—some crashed into the shields, rolled on the ground, or tangled with each other in a mess.
'If I were the sniper, this would be my chance.'
They'd strike during the confusion of the shifting battlefield.
That's why I immediately scanned the left side of our formation. Amid the swirling dust, I spotted the glint of a gun barrel.
'It's coming…'
I prepared to intercept the next projectile with my mana saber, but this time, it wasn't the same stone bullet as before.
'A metallic, blunt-tipped round… and a faint blue glow… a gemstone explosive round?'
It was a deadly projectile made by grinding emeralds and processing them with special magic. As Jake had mentioned earlier, its destructive power could wipe out a 20-meter radius.
If that round detonated within our formation, the casualties would be catastrophic. I sprinted forward to intercept it. As the projectile grazed past my head, I slashed the explosive gemstone section with my mana saber and accelerated out of the blast radius.
If it were a genuine gemstone explosive round, this would have been impossible. But judging by its crude appearance, I gambled that it was a replica and wouldn't detonate if the explosive section was severed.
'If I'd been wrong, I'd have been blown to bits alone!'
Boom!
Though I couldn't completely avoid the blast, my armor absorbed the brunt of it. Using the shockwave to propel myself forward, I accelerated again, pursuing the sniper's retreating figure.
'I've got you!'
The sniper was heading toward what looked like an abandoned camp, trying to escape through an underground tunnel. But I closed the distance faster than expected, catching up before they could disappear into the branching tunnels.
Thud!
"Got you!"
In most battlefields, a captured sniper meets a grim fate—let's leave it at that. If I hadn't intercepted the projectile earlier, my comrades could have suffered severe injuries or even deaths. Neutralizing the sniper quickly was the only way to minimize the damage.
"Don't move! If you surrender quietly, you'll be treated as a regular prisoner…!"
I wasn't sure what tricks they might try, so I ripped off the hood they were wearing. Beneath it, a pair of dazzling blue eyes, as beautiful as gemstones, stared back at me.
Those large, captivating eyes shimmered like polished jewels, so stunning they could draw anyone in. For a moment, I froze, entranced by the reflection of my own face in those eyes.
"What?"
Wait, hold on. What the hell am I doing in the middle of a situation like this…?
Click.
Snapping back to reality, I found the sniper aiming their rifle at my chest. The dangerous mana emanating from the barrel told me it was loaded with another gemstone explosive round.
"If you shoot, we both die."
"I've already made my peace."
The sniper's voice was as enchanting as their eyes, but as they pulled the trigger, their attempt at mutual destruction didn't go as planned.
Thunk!
Aiming a rifle at a knight-class opponent at close range was a fatal mistake. All it took was a quick maneuver to grab the barrel and redirect the shot.
Pew!
What I didn't anticipate, however, was that we were in an abandoned tent. I had assumed the round would pierce through the tent's fabric, but the replica ammunition followed an erratic trajectory, failing to escape through a hole in the tent and instead embedding itself in one of the wooden support beams.
BOOOOM!
"Shit!"
The result? A massive explosion tore through the tent, forcing me to hunch over as the entire structure erupted into flames above me.