CH 326

“The fact that it’s Ancient rank is surprising enough, but beyond that? I don’t really understand what you mean.”

“You realized it roughly but still lied. What more could there be beyond that? There’s another dragon with power on the level of the Gold Dragon we encountered back then. That fellow can block space… Or maybe Bluebeard can block space. Can you break through that?”

“Hmm…”

The expressions of all the Starlight Guild members changed upon hearing Lee Ha’s mention of the two entities. However, Hyein’s expression remained calm and rational, as if she was already making reasonable and calculated assessments.

As expected, is the original better after all?

The founder who established and nurtured the Starlight Guild seemed to surpass ordinary expectations in terms of capacity. Compared to the current guild master who matured the Starlight Guild, he was definitely more composed.

Comparing Hyein and Ki-jung’s expressions, Lee Ha chuckled and let out a laugh.

“Huh? What are you talking about? If you’re talking about the power on the level of the Gold Dragon we heard about back then, then are you referring to that Red Dragon? And Bluebeard too? A piece of that Demon Lord? Have you already fought against them?”

The current guild master stared at Lee Ha’s face in astonishment, with his eyes almost popping out.

“LeeHa, while we were busy dealing with shit, were you soloing all sorts of quests?”

“It’s not shit, Biyeomi. Base defense is also an important quest. We’re all gathered here, waiting for five minutes, for a reason.”

“That’s what you say, Taeyil. Leeha.”

Although Biyeomi sarcastically questioned if Lee Ha was the only one having fun, it was clear that it was not a simple quest.

Quests imposed on the large guilds of Fubiel, such as Starlight, Rush, and Patriot, also carried significant responsibilities.

Each time they failed in defense, losses ranged from a village in Fubiel to entire cities or even fortresses, so the rewards were not negligible either.

“Unlocking the space of an Ancient Dragon… I’ve broken the lock of an Adult Dragon before, but I wonder about the magic of an Ancient Dragon…”

“We bound the Gold Dragon last time, remember? Bailephus used space magic that surprised us. I don’t know when you managed to break the space lock of an Adult Dragon, but I’m sure you’re much stronger now than you were back then.”

Lee Ha vividly remembered what happened during the Minis incident.

Upon hearing those words, Hyein displayed a faint smile. It was an expression of being pleased with her recognition and because she was curious about Lee Ha’s intentions.

“Of course, but… may I ask why you’re telling me this?”

“Why do you ask?”

“What do you mean?”

“I never intended to betray all of you here, and I actually did betray you… I even tried to kill you. And not just killing, I slandered and framed you.”

Hyein was the one who tried to shift the blame onto Lee Ha and Kijung for the guild war with Lam Hwayeon and the loss of Castle Dale. She wanted to make them responsible for everything.

Even if she had been deceived by manipulated information from Sasuke, Hyein made the decision. As mentioned earlier, she was more like a “guilty” sacrificial lamb.

In other words, Hyein was curious why Lee Ha was discussing such important matters with someone like her.

“Why should I trust you?”

“Yes.”

“It’s not about trusting.”

“Huh? Then…”

“I’m asking you to prove it, so that I can believe that it’s not about trusting you.”

“To… prove it?”

“Yeah. So show me. Only you can elevate your own worth.”

Lee Ha smiled and reached out his hand.

Trusting someone is not something that can be done overnight. And Hyein knew that very well, not just Lee Ha.

“It’s scarier than saying I trust you.”

Tap!

Hyein also smiled and held Lee Ha’s hand. The friendship window, which had been severed for a while, displayed the other person’s name.

“Lee Ha, Mr. Lee Ha, your marksmanship isn’t the only thing that has improved. Your eloquence has gotten much better too.”

“Is that really you, Lee Ha? ‘If you have another foolish thought this time, I’ll blow your head off!’ That kind of statement sounds more like our brother…”

“Ugh! It’s the dignity that only someone with the foundation of skills can possess.”

And as they observed that scene, the members of Starlight Guild nodded approvingly.

“I’ll contact you as soon as I’m ready. We’ll start within three days at the latest.”

“Feel free to contact me anytime.”

Seeing Hyein’s smile, Lee Ha was reassured. He had gained a reliable ally who would be a significant variable in the upcoming battle.

***

Step… step…

Lee Ha walked through the unfamiliar terrain, stepping on fallen leaves. It had already been a day and a half.

“It’s a shame that Madam Ju couldn’t help us with something like this.”

The Sacred Guild, known for their extensive knowledge, could not assist when it came to matters involving dragons.

“Our lives are precious,” Ju responded briefly, conveying a lot with just those few words. While players could respawn after death, NPCs would be gone for good. In that sense, the NPCs of Midgard valued their lives more than the players.

In a situation where they had to figure everything out for themselves, Lee Ha compared Baileyfus’ rare vicinity on the map to the actual terrain and landmarks.

“Indeed, it’s near Baileyfus’ rare area, so there are no monsters… It’s a relief to have no obstacles.”

Although he was wearing camouflage, the presence of monsters in the vicinity could still be a hindrance. In the worst-case scenario, they could obstruct Lee Ha’s line of sight at a crucial moment.

Baileyfus, as an Ancient Dragon, had a wide and deep range for his rare area. Compared to the somewhat haphazard rare areas of Adult Dragons, there were many opportunities to drive intruders out and repel them.

However, the biggest problem was not knowing where Kuzgunakshi would appear.

“But it doesn’t make sense to fight in the rare area. The Red Dragon won’t come that far.”

If they entered the boundary without Baileyfus immediately responding, what if the trap was that Baileyfus was deliberately expending mana? Lee Ha knew that, but the situation was different. He had to consider the variables if he simply turned around and left.

They were near Baileyfus’ rare area in strategic terms, but in tactical terms, Kuzgunakshi had the choice. Baileyfus would immediately react and fly toward that area regardless of which direction they broke through the barrier. Predicting that location was Lee Ha’s responsibility.

“That’s how sniping works. It doesn’t actually require much effort to hit the target. The real sniping is about finding the right spot and creating the opportunity to shoot. And especially since I can’t move once I release the camouflage…”

The moment I move, the camouflage skill will be deactivated. Kuzgunakshi, who has experience in detecting mana, will immediately sense it.

Having been hit by Kuzgunakshi once, Lee Ha knew he wouldn’t give Lee Ha another chance to attack. It would be a complete failure if that happened.

In other words, he couldn’t change the position he had chosen right now.

“It becomes even more complicated when you consider not only coming up from the ground but also from the air. It’s easy to say to find a place that covers all these expected battlefields! Who do they think I am, a dragon or something… Huh?!”

After rummaging through the entire mountain, Lee Ha’s stamina was far from perfect. Stepping on sharp rocks, he decided to take a short break.

“Phew… When considering all the scenarios, the most promising candidates are Spot A and Spot B. However, if I go to Spot A, there will be points outside the range of aerial coverage, and if I choose Spot B, there will be points outside the range of ground combat.”

Even as he sat down, Lee Ha’s eyes remained fixed on the map.

There were two candidates for the sniping spot, but neither of them was a perfect location within the effective range of about 2 kilometers for Lee Ha.

“If the range was just a little longer, Spot A would be optimal, securing my stability as well. Sigh, it’s tough.”

As he shook his head and was about to get up from his spot, suddenly something came to Lee Ha’s mind.

“Oh, right!”

It was an item he had hastily put in his bag during the Behemoth’s rare encounter. Lee Ha pulled out a pair of shoes he retrieved from Puvier’s royal palace treasury.

The shoes were made of premium brown leather, adorned with patterns emitting a faint greenish glow.

As if absorbing the energy of the mountain.

“Ah, at least I have this. It would be great if it had a function to make me run faster in the mountains. Even better if it had the ability to fly in the sky. Hiyayaya!”

And Lee Ha opened the item’s detailed window.

Defense: 2,050

Effect: Agility +25, Skill: Joint Flexibility: Lower Body

Requirements: Strength 100 or higher, Agility 1,900 or higher

Description: Boots worn by the legendary master archer. They demonstrated the ability to pierce an apple placed on top of his son’s head from 1 kilometer away. His steady archery skills enthralled the continent, like an oak tree standing firm.

Spectators testified that tree roots and stems sprouted from his knees, ankles, elbows, and shoulders, supporting his body, but nothing was ever confirmed.

“Legendary!… But is it really?”

Why does it look so shabby?

Lee Ha barely managed to hold back his words. Sure, the agility stat increased significantly, and there was an unknown skill, but is that all? At the very least, it didn’t even have the bonus effect of increased movement speed, which would have been expected from a rare-grade pair of boots!

“What is this? There’s no additional set bonus or anything. No magic resistance or extra damage?”

At first glance, Lee Ha couldn’t help but be disappointed with the seemingly ordinary item composition. However, one hope was left—the item’s skill and description.

“A legendary master archer… Not just an archer but a master archer, and it can pierce from 1 kilometer away?”

In the Middle Earth system, that was a distance that arrows could never reach.

There must be a reason why it was possible. With an excited heart, Lee Ha changed into the boots.

You have acquired the skill – Joint Flexibility: Lower Body.

Description: “Don’t move, don’t waver. That’s right, just like that… I become a single tree. The rest will be taken care of by the mana of the earth.”

Effect: Increases range by 30%, immobilizes movement.

Mana: 300

Duration: Until deactivated (cannot be deactivated for 20 minutes after activation)

Cooldown: 30 minutes

“Huh?!”

And there it was—the skill window that Lee Ha opened for the first time. The problem that Lee Ha had wondered about while looking at the item description was neatly solved.

“Increased range! Hahaha! What is this?!”

It was a skill that Lee Ha needed more than ever at this moment. With an effective range of approximately 2,000m, he could extend it to 2,600m to reach the Black Beast!

“And ‘lower body’? Does that mean there’s an ‘upper body’ too?”

If the item description’s representation of knees and elbows was accurate, there was a high probability of an “upper body” as well.

Lee Ha didn’t know when he could obtain another legendary-grade item, but just the fact that there was one more such item excited him.

“Huhuhu, indeed, the heavens help those who help themselves! Although it’s a shame about the Middle Earth penalty… But that’s okay! Where is it? I thought I wouldn’t be able to touch the range even if I tampered with accuracy, but…”

Not only was movement restricted, but once used, the skill couldn’t be deactivated for 20 minutes.

In other words, from the moment the skill was activated, Lee Ha had to stay completely still for 20 minutes. The important thing to use this skill was not just how much the range increased.

“To maximize the value of the skill, I need to find a good position. Lee Ha, if I combine it with the Sniper skill here…”

Description: Enhances gunpowder using the power of mana and protects the barrel.

Effect: Increases maximum range by 40% for 19 minutes.

Mana: 200

Cooldown: 1 hour

As he was about to be promoted to an expert sniper, the range would increase by 40%.

There was no need for further hesitation. Lee Ha confirmed the map received from Baehlifus and finalized his sniper position.