Infinite Range: The Sniper Mage

Clearing the entire *Night of Terror* dungeon solo had Orson absolutely raking it in. Two relics, three level-15 hero items for warriors, and a hefty payout of gold coins for being the first to complete it all contributed to his spoils. Most importantly, the reward of 30 skill points and a full 120 attribute points was enough to solidify Orson's early-game advantage.

The attribute points alone would make a major difference, amplifying his starting stats, and skill points would let him level up his spells faster—especially crucial at level 20 when class advancements demand high skill levels and plenty of gold. Still, Orson knew his edge wasn't unbeatable. Plenty of challenging side quests, hidden missions, and achievements granted skill and attribute points, and in this game, no one could outgrind the hardcore players. With high-end game pods that included nutrient solutions, some players practically lived in the game.

He glanced over the gear he'd looted, feeling a hint of regret. *"Shame these three pieces are just level-15 gear, or I'd pass them to Bradley."* 

The items—a weapon and two pieces of armor—formed a rare warrior set called **Bone Crusher**, adding a whopping 150 attack power when worn together. That bonus was no small advantage early on, though level 15 gear quickly became obsolete as players advanced to 20 and experienced the steep leveling curve after their class awakening.

He tossed the three pieces into the auction house, setting a buyout price of 1000 gold coins, figuring that the big spenders wouldn't blink at the hefty tag. Checking the time, he saw it was already 3:30 PM—late afternoon in the real world. If he waited too long, the hospital would close, so he converted his 700 gold into cash and logged out, planning to pay Sienna's surgery fees immediately.

Meanwhile, players stalking the auction house went wild when the **Bone Crusher** set hit the market.

*"Bone Crusher set! Orgod's selling it—what the heck, 100,000 credits for three items? Who's dropping that?"*

*"He must've gotten this from the dungeon he just soloed. This game pays better than my delivery job!"*

All eyes in the auction house zeroed in on the purple glow of Orson's set. Though none of the items made the top-10 gear lists individually, their set bonus was incredible for the early game. Some guild leaders hesitated, weighing the pros and cons of spending such a fortune.

One guild leader decided to take the plunge, but just as he completed his top-up, the set had already been snapped up. Before he could rage about missing it, **Bone Crusher** reappeared in the auction house—this time for 1200 gold, and listed anonymously.

*"Oh, they just want to flip it for a little profit? Fine, I'll play along."* But thirty seconds later, it was gone again. When it reappeared, the price had climbed to 1500 gold.

**Empire Divine Warrior:** *"Orgod, you scammer! Why put a buyout price if you're gonna keep relisting? Just sell it!"*

**Empire Divine Healer:** *"Friend, be honest. That's not how you do business!"*

**ThunderStrike:** *"Classic broke loser behavior."*

After being passed through several scalpers, the set's price ballooned to 1800 gold, finally snapped up by the Empire Guild leader himself. He bought it with a tear in his eye, knowing he'd just become the auction house's biggest sucker.

While this chaos unfolded, Orson sat in his living room, blissfully unaware, slurping instant noodles. Had he known the set had climbed to 180,000 credits, he would've kicked himself for underestimating the marketplace. But as it was, he just got up, changed clothes, and hailed a cab to the hospital.

As he neared the hospital and thought about finally seeing Sienna, Orson's heart raced with excitement. She'd been gone from his life for five long years in that other world. Standing outside the building, he gripped a bouquet of carnations, hands trembling.

*"What do I say?"* he wondered. *"Your awesome brother's back with cash in hand? You miss me? Couldn't sleep without your bro around?"* His thoughts spun in a wild jumble until he noticed the line at the payment counter had shortened. He took a deep breath and headed inside.

"Orson? What a surprise!" a voice called out. He turned to see a fashionably dressed woman waving at him—Lauren, the head of Rank Studios, standing beside none other than Charles.

It took Orson a few seconds to recognize her, and he nodded with a polite smile. *"Lauren? What brings you to the hospital—are you okay?"* 

Lauren, looking flawless as ever, smiled and replied, *"What, I can't visit an employee's family?"*

*"Employee's family?"* Orson repeated, raising an eyebrow.

Lauren nodded, her smile unwavering. *"There must've been some misunderstanding. I didn't approve any resignation letter."*

Orson frowned. *"Lauren, I handed that in to Vance yesterday, and he gave it to Charles here."*

Charles forced an awkward grin, stammering, *"Orson, come on, let's not take things too seriously. It was just a little misunderstanding, right? A real misunderstanding!"*

*"Right, well, we'll have to straighten it out later. I need to get to the payment window."* Orson turned to head to the counter, but Lauren stopped him.

*"Actually, no,"* she said, smiling warmly. Orson raised his brows, confused.

*"Excuse me?"*

Lauren, voice teasing, replied, *"You see, you submitted that letter, but I never approved it. So technically, it doesn't count."*

Stunned, Orson just gaped. *Is she… refusing my resignation?*

Before he could respond, Lauren's expression turned serious. She glanced at Charles. *"Well? Have you taken care of everything? What did the hospital say?"*

Charles nodded obsequiously. *"Of course, Lauren. Miss Sienna's surgery has been paid for, and Zion, the head surgeon, will personally oversee her case."*

Orson blinked, baffled. He had no idea what was happening, but Lauren seemed dead serious. Why was she, the head of a gaming studio, arranging top-level medical care for his sister?

Lauren continued, *"Here, take this."* She extended a platinum card. *"It's only three million, but it's yours."*

Orson looked at her, utterly at a loss. *"Only three million… and what's that for?"*

Lauren, flustered under Orson's scrutinizing stare, coughed and replied, *"Ahem. Congratulations, Orson. You've just won our annual Employee of the Year award. The prize is three million credits!"*